My first marine tanks

[yeo99]

Setting up Marine tanks is a very good experience, it takes time and patience to achieve it.

I enjoy every single steps and moments during the setup.

It is just a FOWLR tanks with limited budget.

Video just taken today. Hope to share it.

[tunicate]

Looks a little overcrowded. Try to reduce your fish count.

[desideria]

hey yeo.. nice .. but it looks like you have got way way too many fish in a small tank... your tangs and clowns are gonna grow....and the 2 footer is definitely not enough space.. especially I see the size of your powder brown and blue tang in the tank... quite cramp leh.

time to upgrade!

[TayHongSiang]

wah!...your bioload is too much...lol!

[yeo99]

Yes, it is bit of over-loaded.

The two tanks have IOS with pump and have external canister filter that pump water from the bottom tank to top tank as it is linked by side overflow pipe to the bottom tank.

The most of the fishes (except the hog and a midnight angel was introducted this week) have been in the tank for more than a month, need to change 20 liter of NSW per week to maintain the good water condition. The only problem is the compatiable among the fishes.

[vinccc2009]

Yu have so many different clowns together...won't they fight?

[yeo99]

Yu have so many different clowns together...won't they fight?

Until now, it is not a problem in my tank, you see it in the video, they do not fight. The only problem is the powder brown tang and powder blue tang, they will fight with similar shape fish such angels or tangs.

[yeo99]

I have a incoming electrical circuit breaker trip while I am working in mid of july. It resulted in many fishes died and followed by an major ich outbreak in the tanks that also killed most of the remaining fishes.

I would like to share my experience learnt from this unfortune incident.

Due to lack of oxygen, the fishes that did not died during the electical trip are very weak and ich easily inflected them. I have tried many treatment methods and medicine from SeaChem Paragaurd, AquaPharm Cure Ich, Waterlife Octozin, API Pimafix, Metafix that are mostly reef-safe. For a major outbreak, those medicines are not so effective at all. I also have UVs installed in the tanks. UV will only help to kill the water floating ich not inside the fishes and in the sand ich parasite.

I have no choice to use copper treatment. All the corals and amemones died during the various treatment methods and medicines. Cupramine is the best medicine I found.

Slowly increase the Copper level. Due to the rocks absorbing the copper, it will take more doses. If the tank volume is 40l, dose 1ml of cupramine per day, continue to dose everyday until copper level reach about 0.25 to 0.5 ppm. You need to continue test the copper level in the tank everyday.

For my tank , it takes 7 days to reach the recommended level, reminder increase slowly to prevent stress on the fishes.

When you change water, you need to add the amount of cupramine that coresponding to the volume of top up. Maintain the level for 3 weeks after the recommended level have reached.

My hermit crabs survive the treatment, not other anemones and corals. Some fishes already in very bad health eventually died.

Use saltmix during the treatment as NSW may contain ich. I also drops the sg to 1.17 to 1.2 to reduce stress on the fishes.

After 3 weeks, do water change without add anymore cupramine. The copper level will slowly decrease so it will prevent sudden change in the water condition.

Fishes that survived:

Top tank:

1. all the Banggai Cardinalfish - 2

2. all the Green Reef Chromis - 3

3. Tomato Clownfish - 3

4. 4-Stripe Damselfish - 1

5. PBT -1

6. Yellow Damselfish - 1

7. Algae Blenny - 1

Bottom tank:

1. Clarkii Clownfish -2

2. Yellowtail Damselfish -1

3. Half-blue Damselfish -1

4. Domino Damselfish -2

5. BPT -1

6. Blue Tang - 1

Some fishes are very robust to ich, such as Damselfish, Banggai, Tangs (maybe because of its size). Clownfish is very easily infected with ich as the fish have no scales, it died easily. I am not sure about angel and hogfish, they both died during the electrical trip- lack of oxygen.

[tunicate]

Sorry about your lost bro. Did you find out what caused the power trip?

[yeo99]

During the copper treatment, the tank because a quarantine tank, so it is the best time to add new fishes and rethink the type of fishes to be added.

Top Tank:

It basically contains tangs. I have Yellow Tang, Brown tang, sailfin tang, BPT and clown tang

Bottom Tank:

It also basically contains tangs and triggerfish. I have Blue Tang, Powder Brown Tang, Epaniette Tang, and Naso tang; Picasso Triggerfish, Undulate Triggerfish and Niger Triggerfish.

None of the fishes have died after the copper treatment.

Ich will only only come back if there is new sources such as from the NSW and new fishes and corals added to the tank, so you need qt the fishes or coral for 3 weeks before added to the tanks.

I use fresh water to drip the red bamboo ( food for the tangs) over night to kill the ich before putting in to the tank. Not sure freshwater will kill the ich, until now it seems to work.

[BFG]

Seriously, your tank is overstock. Ich will stay dormant in your tank indefinitely and will show up when the fish are stressed that their immune level are low. You will never get rid of ich. You should never add medication to your tank at all, even if it says that it is safe to do so. The equipment you have could not cope with the bio load. There will be massive die off happening again soon for you. Read more to understand the hobby. Hope your wallet is full for you to continue to stock up to replace the fish you've lost.

[BFG]

My god, I've just played the video and it seems you have a lionfish in there in the bottom tank. Good luck to the fishes in that tank, they are dinner for the lionfish. The top tank is a nightmare, tangs flaring at each other and no space for the weaker one to retreat to. No wonder no one reply in your thread. Guess I do the same too.

[Zoa guy]

for ich, i let nature take its course. lol.

yeah, i noticed a lionfish too. AND 2 triggerfish...wow, mind boggling!! lol and i kinda agree with bfg's first post... i have no idea how your equip handled all the bioload...and the lionfish, all the tangs, and the triggers WILL outgrow the 2ft. No offence intended

[yeo99]

My god, I've just played the video and it seems you have a lionfish in there in the bottom tank. Good luck to the fishes in that tank, they are dinner for the lionfish. The top tank is a nightmare, tangs flaring at each other and no space for the weaker one to retreat to. No wonder no one reply in your thread. Guess I do the same too.

Thanks for your concers and advises. Will keep on postings every months.....

[yeo99]

for ich, i let nature take its course. lol.

yeah, i noticed a lionfish too. AND 2 triggerfish...wow, mind boggling!! lol and i kinda agree with bfg's first post... i have no idea how your equip handled all the bioload...and the lionfish, all the tangs, and the triggers WILL outgrow the 2ft. No offence intended

I am very impressed with one equipment that is OF Hydra 30 internal filter that I brought during Aquarama. It is located at the bottom tank. Note that both tanks are linked. However, you need to let it run for a few months to see the results. Will buy the bigger version when higher version is out.

Besides that, I change 40 litre of water every 5 days.

[cool guy]

Bro its not jus about e gd water quality tat u can manage. Its about space limit. Its like 10 to 20 people living in one room. Bath, eat n sleep in 1room. Plz hear our advise n reduce ur fishes bro. No offend. Jus my 2cents. 

[cdckjn]

I used to have a similar set up as yours, where the top 2ft and bottom 2ft are connected. My setup lasted 4 years with minimum water change and I also have a Weipro setup as ours. I did not run the chillers and I have no high-tech filter system as you.

But the difference is that my lower tank is used mainly as a sump tank with lots of live rock and a couple of fishes below. the main tank is the higher one.

I guess all the brothers here have reminded you that your choice of fishes for a 2ft tank is rather limited. Tangs, triggers and lionfishes need lots of space to swim if not they have very high stress levels - that is why ich is present in your tanks. Lower the number of fishes to stop having to replace fishes once they die off due to ich.

In this manner, perhaps you have have enjoy the fishes as they last longer instead of only every month. Happy Reefing.

[desideria]

I echo everyone's sentiments.. your tank is way way way way too overstocked.

For the sake of your fishes, PLEASE reduce the bioload by selling to other reefers with far more space. Your fish can hardly swim around without banging into a rock, glass or each other!

[cool guy]

If u love ur fish so much, wat u can do is upgrade to a bigger tank... 

[yeo99]

Thanks for all the advises, have already start looking for another tank.

[cedricang]

Hi Bro,

Thanks for sharing with the community your journey of reefing, and I feel very sorry for your recent loss of livestock due to the power trip.

What impress me is your positive attitude, you bother to share with us about the findings of your copper treatment in great length, that's a great effort

Also, you seems like a humble chap, taking all criticism in good stride, that's quite remarkable. Most of the bros / sis here are mostly very helpful and well meaning and am sure they will be most willing to help if you need any assistance.

Wishing you very best in your next bigger tank project and happy reefing

[yeo99]

Hi Bro,

Thanks for sharing with the community your journey of reefing, and I feel very sorry for your recent loss of livestock due to the power trip.

What impress me is your positive attitude, you bother to share with us about the findings of your copper treatment in great length, that's a great effort

Also, you seems like a humble chap, taking all criticism in good stride, that's quite remarkable. Most of the bros / sis here are mostly very helpful and well meaning and am sure they will be most willing to help if you need any assistance.

Wishing you very best in your next bigger tank project and happy reefing

Thanks bro.

[yeo99]

More about Copper treatment:

Just to add on on copper treatment, the copper treatment only can be done if your tank is fully cycled and fully matured with no corals and inverts. If you tank is still cycling, adding copper will lengthen your cycling time. I advise not to use any copper treatment during cycling of tank. First of all, you should not be adding any fishes during the cycling process.

Copper treatment does not cure marine flukes and worms in the fish. Further more, it does not stop other fishes from bullying the fish until it dies.

[yeo99]

I want to add some information.

More about Copper treatment:

Just to add on on copper treatment, the copper treatment only can be done if your tank is fully cycled and fully matured with no corals and inverts. If you tank is still cycling, adding copper will lengthen your cycling time. I advise not to use any copper treatment during cycling of tank. First of all, you should not be adding any fishes during the cycling process.

You can add fishes during the copper treatment, however you need to ensure the quality of the water that is ANN. Ensure the ANN is zero and nitrate is very low are important. Some may ask why the ANN are zero and the fish still got sick. ANN is a pre-requesitic for the fish to live and does not mean good quality of water means no parasitic and diseases in the water.

Copper treatment does not cure marine flukes and worms in the fish. Further more, it does not stop other fishes from bullying the fish until it dies.

[yeo99]

I have been trying to train the lion fish to eat market prawn so that it will not eat live food; freshwater prawn or small fishes. After more than a month, it finally it is able to eat the market prawn. Not more killing of innocent fishes or prawns, which I hate to see and do so.