Dawn's 56 gallon natural nutrient garden

vlangel · Feb 13, 2024

My power head arrived and I installed it today. Understanding the instructions was a challenge but I think I have it more or less at an acceptable setting. I may still tinker with it a bit to get it just right. So far I am more than satisfied, and if it holds up I will be very happy with it.

I also ordered All for Reef. Since I have cut down on water changes my guess is that my alk, calcium and magnesium may get depleted now. My coral are not big consumers but I do have some nice LPS that need some of the big 3, which is why I ordered the All for Reef. Determining how much All for Reef to use is going to be a pain since I hate testing but I guess I can figure it out. Maybe I will just watch the coral response and watch for Coraline algae.

vlangel · Feb 15, 2024

It's been a year since my last narrated video tour of my display. I should have cleaned the tank better, ( I just used the mag-cleaner) but have been short on time lately. This tank is entering it's 8th year. Finally I mis-spoke about the last coral; it's a cabbage, not a trumpet.

vlangel · Feb 21, 2024

I am very excited today because I am getting an order from KP Aquatics. I have never had a jawfish and my tank with my base rock on the bottom glass and having a DSB is well suited for one. This will be the last fish to add, it's a pearly jawfish. They are a hardy species well suited for the reef temperature that I keep my tank at.

I am also getting a Coral banded shrimp and a nano red ball sponge. The yellow ball sponge I bought from them is doing very well so I am hopeful that the red will do well too.

vlangel · Feb 21, 2024

The jawfish has landed! I love KP Aquatics for the care they take in shipping their animals. The jawfish was sent in a bag with a small section of PVC that was netted on both ends. I was able to acclimate everything and when it was time to release the jawfish I just moved the PVC into the trench I made and removed the netting. Now it has a ready made burrow to feel safe in. I already see it setting up house near the PVC which is so cool. Here is a pic of the den area. I will take one of the jawfish when he is settled in and gives me a photo opportunity.

acer · Feb 22, 2024

Great idea. I can never get a Jawfish or other bottom dwelling fish to live very long in my current tank. I think the aggressive fish I have ( Tang, Trigger) pick on them. I wonder if a PVC "House" may help that.

vlangel · Feb 24, 2024

acer said:
Great idea. I can never get a Jawfish or other bottom dwelling fish to live very long in my current tank. I think the aggressive fish I have ( Tang, Trigger) pick on them. I wonder if a PVC "House" may help that.

I had hoped it would help my jawfish settle in but he ended up in the overflow box in the night. I got him out but he was reluctant to go down on the sandbed. I am now wondering if Guardian, my ywg is bullying him. I will let you know how it turns out, keeping my fingers crossed.

vlangel · Feb 26, 2024

We made a long weekend trip to see our Nashville kids. They surprised me for my birthday with a gift certificate from their lfs, (which I have shopped at before). I chose 2 nice pipe organ frags which I am excited about. I have always loved pipe organ but failed at it very early in my coral keeping days. I decided that I am ready to give it another go.

When I arrived home my new jawfish was in the overflow box again. This time I set up a baby net and put lots of macroalgae in it. I am hoping the jawfish can settle down and quit spazzing.

kevinl · Feb 27, 2024

Jawfish like a lot of rubble around where they are building their home. makes them feel secure building protection. Very fidgety fish to try to get it to feel secure.
I have a home made pvc house, 2 openings and larger center which my jawfish loved, your welcome to try it if you like,

vlangel · Feb 27, 2024

kevinl said:
Jawfish like a lot of rubble around where they are building their home. makes them feel secure building protection. Very fidgety fish to try to get it to feel secure.
I have a home made pvc house, 2 openings and larger center which my jawfish loved, your welcome to try it if you like,

Thanks Kevin. I knew they liked rubble and I put a fair amount around the trench where I laid the PVC, but maybe not enough. Maybe the PVC that KP Aquatics sent with my jawfish is not big enough? How big is your jawfish house?

kevinl · Feb 27, 2024

It's one inch pvc, looks just like what you have.
Did you take the screen off the end you put in the sand?

vlangel · Feb 27, 2024

kevinl said:
It's one inch pvc, looks just like what you have.
Did you take the screen off the end you put in the sand?

I removed both ends of screen because I thought the jawfish would want to dig more on its own. So it looks like you glued rubble rock at the one opening? Does the rest of the jawfish house go under the sand or lay on top?

kevinl · Feb 28, 2024

I had it buried under the sand. Glued rocks was just to hide pipe ends.
Thinking of size of your tank it may be better to build one that would fit easier.
I have all the parts and pieces to slap one together in 10 minutes if you like.

vlangel · Feb 28, 2024

kevinl said:
I had it buried under the sand. Glued rocks was just to hide pipe ends.
Thinking of size of your tank it may be better to build one that would fit easier.
I have all the parts and pieces to slap one together in 10 minutes if you like.

That would be great. We are going to be tied up until next week so I will work on trying to settle the jawfish in and will let you know. I buried the PVC that came with the jawfish except one end sticking out of the sand. Then I took the baby net and placed it over top of the jawfish's area so that it has less area to guard from other fish. Hopefully that will make it feel secure until can settle in.

vlangel · Feb 28, 2024

kevinl said:
Thinking of size of your tank it may be better to build one that would fit easier.
I have all the parts and pieces to slap one together in 10 minutes if you like.

We may not need to build one or I may be able to build one now that I know what your jawfish liked.

I felt that I needed to take my jawfish out of the baby net and try to give him more protection. After I set it up, we took our grandson to the Aviary. When I got back, I saw a new burrow dug under the protective baby net. When I put some frozen food down the burrow I saw the jawfish eat. I circled the new burrow area.

I am feeling more optimistic that I will be able to settle this guy in. If more problems arise I may yet take you up on your offer to help me make a PVC house.

vlangel · Mar 8, 2024

Well, I wanted to report on my KP Aquatics order. The shrimp and red ball sponge seem to be doing well. I have seen no sign of the jawfish however for over a week which is upsetting. A lot of my rock that sits on the glass was undermined even before I got the jawfish so it's possible that it made a burrow under there but no way to know. I haven't seen a body which is why I continue to hope and yet with the CUC I have I probably would not see a body. So it's not the positive report I wanted to give but it is what it is.

Kevin, I guess I should have let you help me with making a jawfish house. Live and learn. :-(

kevinl · Mar 8, 2024

I think I said I had 3 jawfish and not one lasted more than 3 months.
To me one hard fish to keep

vlangel · Mar 8, 2024

kevinl said:
I think I said I had 3 jawfish and not one lasted more than 3 months.
To me one hard fish to keep

O wow Kevin, I must of missed that. Ted said that he never had long term luck with them either. Well, I am not going to try anymore, at least not while I have a ywg and 9 tankmates. Maybe if I get down to 4-5 small fish I might try one more time. However considering that fish are my 1st love, that probably ain't gonna happen!

vlangel · Apr 13, 2024

Today Dave and I went to the 3RMAS reef expo. I was mostly only interested in palys. My tank is getting pretty filled up plus palys are a coral that I have had success with. I chose 6 new frag plugs but one of those turned out to be zoas, not palys. I have not had as good of luck with zoas but who knows, that could change. A month and a half ago I decided to try 2 pipe organ frags again because I love them even though I have not had luck with them either. Anyway, this time things are going well with the pipe organs so maybe the zoa will do well too. Keeping my fingers crossed.