Zechenia's 28 Gallon Bowfront Beginner Reef [UPDATED]

Poor picture... but the best I could get!

 

It's preggo! Lol. Hey I hadn't noticed you already said that. haha

Did you know shrimp, like fish, can change sexes? I had 2 of these cleaner shrimp and sometimes they would both have eggs. I could never get them in a net to separate them from the rest of the tank though. The shrimp were too frisky!

 

I didn't realize that until I was researching about the eggs. My gf is excited about the idea of it having eggs... even though the odds of getting "little baby shrimp" (as she calls them) are SUPER small.

Also, my clownfish are starting to be less timid of the shrimp. I decided that since it had been about two weeks since adding them, I'd be safe to add a firefish as long as I monitored my parameters (to see if I needed any emergency water changes). I wanted to get him in before my clowns were comfortable with the shrimp because the shrimp scare them away from most of the rockwork, giving the firefish the perfect safe haven to hide if they start picking on him.

My plan has worked perfectly so far. I have seen zero aggression when they interact, and my firefish spends most of his time in the open area of the rock work around my shrimp.

(sorry again for my "meh" pictures)

 

Just purchased my lights Can't wait for them to arrive! Went with the aquaticlife t5s.

Down to just an ATO needed for my initial build (atleast, equipement wise) to be "done"

I was getting a lot of conflicting views from different people on whether my system could support another fish. So I ended up emailing Bob Fenner about it, and he suggested a small blenny or gobie. So I think eventually I will be adding one, probably a barnacle blenny.

Also, any advise on a first coral? I'd like something that would do OK if my clowns decide to host it (which is something I am hoping for!)

 

Congratulations on the new lighting.

Any of the soft corals like colt, toad stools (not figi yellow), finger leather corals, mushrooms, kenya tree, xenia ( may want to isolate), cabage, most palys and zoanthids.

How is the skimmer working now?

Your clowns may also reside in the euphyllias like frogspawn, hammer, torch. It is a gamble with which coral will host a clown and what a clown will reside in.

I think you would be fine with a bleeny or a goby.

 

It's producing nice Skimmate now. I just have to put the cup as high as I possibly can. Still dont trust it for more than 12 hours or so at a time (occasionally it'll go crazy, not overflowing but just start filling) but most of the time it's good

Overall everything is going really good. Fish seem to be thriving, as are the shrimp, which are growing like crazy. The eggcrate was blocking my crappy light so much that I'm DEF looking forward to some high quality lighting to make my tank more viewable. I'm also considering turning my eggcrate into a frame (but cutting out the center sections) for some netting. Probably something I will do down the line. Wanna see how the lights look first

 

Counting down until the lights!

In the meantime, we got our puppy

 

YAY!

I just got a notification that my lights were delivered (as well as an order for some "bugs" for the sand )

Now I am just debating going to the LFS on the way home from work and picking up my first corals, or if that's getting ahead of myself lol.

Pictures when I get my lights set up tonight!!

 

Exciting, new lights are always fun.

Very cute puppy, name?

 

Benny!