Idaho-Tank build... Starting over

Once they start they usually don't stop. It will probably end up decimating your SPS collection and then move on to other corals.

Sorry to hear about the butterfly. Congrats on starting a new build.

 

+1 Most reef questionable or even reef safe animals can nips or feed off of coral, and once hey do they don't stop. Its like a dog who bites someone for the first time, you gotta take them out to pasture.

 

This stinking Flame Angel is proving to be a nightmare to catch. (a surprise to you all Im sure lol)... He has to go as I don't plan on letting him kill the SPS he has started picking on. Ive spent several hours with the net hoping and praying that he somehow makes a huge error but no luck. My big tang is like a little dog wanting to play... always hanging around me.. I could catch him in seconds he has actually swam into the net a few times but the flame angel has some sort of understanding that I want to catch him and is staying out of sight. He is probably more skittish too since he was recently caught by the guy I bought him from.

I don't have a fish trap and if I did I imagine that I would catch every small fish but him... That and my tang would try his best to get inside of it to get to the food. I would try the fish hook method but again, my tang is so food crazy I don't know how I would keep him off the hook. I am starting to become very afraid that I am going to have to take apart the tank... Ugh.

 

This trap was made from a water bottle as i was trapping a small damsel fish that was nipping my corals.
I used a two litre prior to success but my tank is a nano and it was too big to position.
A couple of design points... I poked a couple of pin holes in bottom to add a tiny bit of flow for scent.
Baited with sinking pellet food.
I caught my shrimp first and a my clownfish swam in and out for a while, but my target did finnally enter.

The entrance should be trimmed to just barely allow swim in... And you should be around to grab it as soon as that angel pops inside. It wont be impossible for it to escape but it wont be able to if you move the trap as soon as its inside.
I had 3 fish inside mine during the moment of truth but was able to juggle them with aid of net.

 

Sorry to here about your latest troubles...loosing fish & now sps corals.

Can't wait for the new build.

 

Impressive build well thought out and executed...look forward to the updates....

 

Nice idea for the trap Midwayman!

After several hours of trying to net the angel I gave up... My wife decided to try during the day today while she was home... again no luck. I found the angel was very fearful of the net... so I just left the nets in the tank to keep him away from some of my SPS over night


If I had more time I would have tried a trap - but this guy was not leaving my coral alone so I had to make a decision and went with saving my coral. Took me about 3+ hours start to finish. What a pain in the Arse! I hope I don't have to do that again for a while! And of course I had to basically take out every single rock in order to catch the Angel. I decided that while I had my rock out I would go ahead and catch the female Blue Jaw Trigger too... I like the Triggers a lot, but they are pigs... I will keep the male and sell/trade the female.

It is a beautiful fish, but here is the little demon... I wish I could keep it as it has such great color but I like my coral more. Will find a good home for him. Until that point he is sharing my sump refugium with the trigger.


I just took one (really bad) photo as I was pulling all the rock out... I used my sump and two large bins to hold my rock/coral.


Fortunately I don't think I damaged any coral or injured any fish/shrimp etc... Everyone is accounted for and all the coral was opening up within an hour of being back in the display tank. I also took advantage of this opportunity to frag some of my zoas, mushrooms, palys, & star polyps.

Here it is an hour after the demo - I made several changes, moved things around... hopefully I will like it better.



Here are some shots of a couple new additions:

Yellow Wrasse


Sixline Wrasse (bad shot)


Frog Spawn


Hope to be adding more soon.

Should be picking up my 180 this weekend.

 

Congrats on the good rock shuffle n capture.
Lotta work. I did the same removal of rock when i removed the other three damsels. Thats why i trapped instead rock work when i had the nipping of coral later ... I obsessivly set up my scape and i didnt want to mess w it.

Your scape n tank recovered well
Looks good.

That is a pretty fish, have kicked around the idea of having a dwarf angel.
Flame or coral beauty...
But the reputation n record has kept me from taking the chances

 

When i have to move my tank eventually, i will prolly document each stage of the rock.
How did you attack the project?

 

Glad you caught the angel. Wish I was closer I would have taken that female trigger off your hands. like the new redesigned aquascape.