Urchins usually are very slow. Check out these time-lapse vids. They are active little critters. Notice him picking up a shell to wear as a hat in the second video. They do this for camouflage so they blend in with the sea floor.
It’s been a busy few weeks with the tank. I’ve been stuck in “ugly tank” mode. My nitrates have been spiking, so I’ve been performing 90-gallon water changes every week to keep things in check! That’s a lot of work, but it’s worked well, and things are finally stable.
I’m FINALLY able to add some “Cleanup Crew” members to make the tank sparkly, clean, and shiny! (background…invertebrates are very sensitive to nitrates, so they cannot be added until the tank has been cycled fully)
The doors are one of the hardest parts to build. They take constant abuse, being slammed, pulled on, and generally abused. It’s taken a long time, but these should be solid!
A peppermint Goby. He does a great job of keeping the sand clean and really helps keep algae at bay.The clowns pushing Hawkfish out of their corner.He’s a goofball. Feeding him live shrimp has really brought out his colors. He’s expensive to feed, but so very bright…Lawnmower Blennie – Does the lions share of keeping the algae at bay. He’s also got “eylashes.” Gotta keep the doors square and true.Just a cute dog.
You should know that my brother was a finish carpenter and is an incredible artist. He helped design the trim for the base of the aquarium in one night. We spent the next day hacking this out. It was sooo much fun.
Trimming out a project is very “delicate” and takes a fair amount of time.
Properly trimming out a project can make an ugly project look beautiful.
On the other hand, a bad trim job can make a beautiful project look UGLY. So…I called my brother & look what we did.
We did our best to make it look awesome. My brother is an artist, engineer, and a carpenter. He works magic. See below:
The trimmed out stand ^^
Click “Continue reading” for details on the build.
I needed a way to strengthen the joints in the frame so that it’s strong enough to handle the weight and stress that will be put on it.
Glue is a lot stronger than wood, and the biscuit will increase the surface area the glue has to hold the joint together. It’s a nice alternative to metal fasteners and doesn’t take up any space outside of the joint.
We took some time off and went to Wisconsin to decompress and relax a bit. It was a great time! We took the dog and just hung out for a few days, did some kayaking, and had some camp fires. Much fun was had.
It’s been a while since I made a post. My apologies! I’ve been a little under the weather.
New fish have been added! Pictures are below. You can use your mouse or keyboard or mouse to browse the pics. Mouse over the pics for a description.
If you mouse over the pics, the reel will stop so you can gaze to your hearts content.
You can also click on the dots under the picture frame to select individual pics.
So ya know…
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Our loyal orange clownfish and the new "Foxface" we got. These two are becoming fast friends.
A larger sea urchin and the same two crabs.
Two hermit crabs. I got two-dozen, but they are very hard to photograph. He's a closeup of two volunteers.
Very small sea urchin, who is also destined to help keep things clean.
Our Hawkfish next to a Lawnmower Blenny who can hopefully help clean up this tank.
Hawkfish out for a swing. He's a lot brighter since we started feeding him live & mature mysis shrimp. Adding the deep-blue spectrum lights also helps.
Hawkfish nesting in a pile of hair algae.
A Peppermint Goby is a little tough to see against the sand. He's a beautiful fish. I'll get some better pictures soon.
Our two favorite clowns and a "Foxface". They are becoming fast friends.
The fish have settled in and are doing great. They are ALWAYS hungry:) They seem to like the back-left corner of the tank (stage-right). They hang out there most of the time.
We’ve added a couple of inmates to the tank:) Both are considered “maintenance fish,” because they help keep things clean in the tank. Its important to start with these kinds of fish to keep everything in balance.
Since the tank isn’t fully established, I still need to feed them on occasion, but they mostly eat algae and other “bad stuff” in the aquarium. Eventually, they will keep the tank clean and bright.
The aquarium is finally fully functional, with some deco. It took a lot to get it this far. It looks great, and I’m super excited. Hoping to get fish in it “soon.”
Our loyal orange clownfish and the new "Foxface" we got. These two are becoming fast friends.
