40 gallon breeder build

Sounds like an awesome build. I'm following along for the ride lol.

 

I have a 40 breeder myself.. I started out using 4 T5 like yourself, and soon realized it wasn't gunna cut it for what I was trying to achieve. Check out halide fixtures on ebay.. I bought my odyssea 36 inch 250w halide w/ 4 T5 fixture on there for 220 bucks shipped. It was by far the best deal I could find anywhere on the web, I only fish I had gotten it right off the bat rather than starting with the T5. Check out my thread "Alecs 40 breeder chronicles" or something along those lines hah, you'll see the light on there vs my old one. If your interested pm me I'll send you a link to the one I'm talking about.

 

My new RBTA

 

It happened, ick... I bought a small clown to pair with my existing one and the next day he was covered in ick, see attached photo. I set up a QT and dosed with formalin and used hyposalinity (1.012) or so my hydrometer says. I know it is as reliable as a military paycheck but I can't justify the expense for a refractometer to the wife. He has been eating well since I got him and even in the QT tank, no signs of heavy breathing or flashing (rubbing on rocks and substrate) Within 12 hours he was bottoms up I used a small amount of Melafix in the DT and will dose again in a few hours, my skimmer pulls it out pretty quick. Anything else I can/should do to prevent its spread?

 

I'm curious about how much time you took to drop your salinity down to that range?

 

I started a new QT and dripped acclimated the fish over a two hour time frame. I read that lowering the salinity is less of a stress on the fish, than raising it, but I can not find the article where I read it. Go figure. I also have some memory issues so it very well may not be the case. I re-read a few more write ups on ich and the acclimation time may have not been sufficient at all. I think I may have been the reason he perished. D***, I really need to be much more careful and read and re- read things before I jump in and do anything.

 

It is really hard to say why the fish died. Sounds like you have found a few to many IED's in Iraq/Afghanistan. I tend to have a few memory issues as well. Of course the experts tell me I have a problem concentrating lol. Sounds like you are on the right track to success though.

 

Concentrating is non existent. Without spell check I would be in serious trouble with the grammar police. (Four words so far). The rest of the tank is doing fine without any signs of stress, it just sucks that I just got the second "nemo" for my 3 yr old. She really loves the one we have and really wants it to have a "friend". I really don't want to add any more fish but the second clown. I would really like to get a b&w clown but idk if they are as likely to pair.

 

As long as the 2nd clown is smaller then the one you already have, you should be fine. They may not pair up, but they don't really have to either. That is more for breeding purposes.

 

Finally ordered the panorama pros magenta/blue (2)