fishmama67
Member
Excellent! That was my thinking too, getting the CUC first but I did not know how to decide what to get and how many. I will certainly check in with ReefCleaners! Thanks Doc!
Mama's got a brand new baby!
- Thread starter fishmama67
- Start date
Excellent! That was my thinking too, getting the CUC first but I did not know how to decide what to get and how many. I will certainly check in with ReefCleaners! Thanks Doc!
fishmama67
Member
I checked into the ReefCleaners site. Filled out the "custom CUC" form and eagerly await a response. It is very exciting to be able to think about new denizens of the reef again. 5 months can be a very short time or a very long time to wait. It is all a matter of perpective isn't it? If you have to stand on one leg for that long, it's a VERY:look: long time but if that is all the time you have left to pay off all your tank bills, it is very short.:scram: In the over-all scheme of things, then, waiting 5 months to get some new fauna for the tank is a just-right lenght of time, isn't it:bluenod: . I am looking forward to the process! Will try stay up-to-date with it all.
fishmama67
Member
Got my snails about a week ago. There are a really really LOT of them, far more than I ordered! As in, I asked for 50 dwarfs and got about 400! Also got my Mag float and used it on Sunday. OK, all I can say is my tank has NEVER been so sparkly! 
The sorta worrisome thing is that the medium ceriths are not waking up! I know they are supposed to be that way for a couple of days but as I said, this has been a week now. I know they are not moving around at night as they are in the exact same spots they were when i finished cleaning the tank on last Sunday. On the other hand, maybe they are goin' all over the place when I ain't looking and scootin' back when the lights come on!:scram:
The sorta worrisome thing is that the medium ceriths are not waking up! I know they are supposed to be that way for a couple of days but as I said, this has been a week now. I know they are not moving around at night as they are in the exact same spots they were when i finished cleaning the tank on last Sunday. On the other hand, maybe they are goin' all over the place when I ain't looking and scootin' back when the lights come on!:scram:
fishmama67
Member
So I waited one week after I got my snails and then did a 10% water change. Then I waited another two weeks before I did the next round of chem tests to see if I was messing around too much, not enough have I really come to the end of my cycle finally?! I was a bit worried as all my Florida ceriths died. The vender said that one probably died in the mail and killed everyone in the bag. Still, it did not hurt my chemistry and all the others are doing great.
Let me take a minute here to put in a plug for ReefCleaners: John Mahoney is a great help. He got me a CUC that suits my tank, gave me WAY more snails than I ordered and then, when he found out about the death of the snails, he gave me credit so I can buy more or something else later. He helped me with a couple of questions regarding filtering and so forth. :winner: Anyway, if you ever need/want a custom made clean up crew, John at ReefCleaners is the way to go.
OK
so now you have waited to get the chemistry results and here they are:
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Phosphates 0
salinity 1.024
So once again, all my friends at Reef Sanctuary were right
and the FSGs were WRONG!:makefun: Not only have I acheived the "impossible", I have maintained the impossible! So
to the FSGs. and :hug1: to DrHank and John M. and everyone else who slowed me down, gave great advice and reminded me that the slow build finishes best and first (but of course we are never really finished are we? Oh, Happy Happy Happy!)
Next up is a set of lights!!! AT long last
I get to for-reals shop for something spectacular to light up my reef world. Bubbles and Red Skelton, my two precious Perculas are not too happy at the moment as they don't really enjoy tank scrubbin' day but they are very glad to have a clear view of the world again. I told them about the new lights but they are of the opinion that seeing is believing so are maintaining a "wait-n-see" attitude. Can't say as I blame them as I have been promising new lights for months now so they are not willing to get their hopes up too far yet.
Oh yea, Doc Hank! I really DO love
the magfloat though I still have to attach the scraper. I keep forgetting to buy super glue!
Will keep posing about the "Great Light Decision" as it develops. School is starting next week and I have to go back to work on Monday for the "teachers brace themselves and prepare for the onslaught" week. Nice to have a new year to look forward to.:barf: LOL
Let me take a minute here to put in a plug for ReefCleaners: John Mahoney is a great help. He got me a CUC that suits my tank, gave me WAY more snails than I ordered and then, when he found out about the death of the snails, he gave me credit so I can buy more or something else later. He helped me with a couple of questions regarding filtering and so forth. :winner: Anyway, if you ever need/want a custom made clean up crew, John at ReefCleaners is the way to go.
OK
so now you have waited to get the chemistry results and here they are:pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Phosphates 0
salinity 1.024
So once again, all my friends at Reef Sanctuary were right
and the FSGs were WRONG!:makefun: Not only have I acheived the "impossible", I have maintained the impossible! So to the FSGs. and :hug1: to DrHank and John M. and everyone else who slowed me down, gave great advice and reminded me that the slow build finishes best and first (but of course we are never really finished are we? Oh, Happy Happy Happy!) Next up is a set of lights!!! AT long last
I get to for-reals shop for something spectacular to light up my reef world. Bubbles and Red Skelton, my two precious Perculas are not too happy at the moment as they don't really enjoy tank scrubbin' day but they are very glad to have a clear view of the world again. I told them about the new lights but they are of the opinion that seeing is believing so are maintaining a "wait-n-see" attitude. Can't say as I blame them as I have been promising new lights for months now so they are not willing to get their hopes up too far yet.Oh yea, Doc Hank! I really DO love
the magfloat though I still have to attach the scraper. I keep forgetting to buy super glue!Will keep posing about the "Great Light Decision" as it develops. School is starting next week and I have to go back to work on Monday for the "teachers brace themselves and prepare for the onslaught" week. Nice to have a new year to look forward to.:barf: LOL
DrHank
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear that all is going well with your tank. I was pretty sure that it was. Also, congratulations! Over the summer you took a tank that you were even thinking of taking down and completely turned it around. That is quite an accomplishment in a very short period of time. Now you are in a position to help others who are in the same position that you were in. Just remember no matter what you do regarding your tank, do it slowly.
fishmama67
Member
Thank you! Yes it is! One thing about me is something my friends always call the "Samster attitude". Just means that when I set my mind to something it just becomes a "We're doing THIS now" thing and I rarely give up especially when I find out there really is something to be done about the problem. :bluenod: Guess it helped me here too huh? I am glad I had the time this summer to make it happen. Now I get to make MORE fun things happen!
I am pictureing all sorts of pretties in my tank over the next few years. I can see pretty anemones sitting in there giving my perculas a lovely home and a couple bits of birds nest brightening up the rocks.Maybe even a bit of frogspawn though I hear they can be aggressive to others. Might need their "own" corner if they can't be nice!:evileye: Later perhaps a fire fish and a pinkspotted goby will come live with us and even later, maybe a flame angel. Anyway, lots of possiblilities for the future and I am excited but far more willing to wait.
I am pictureing all sorts of pretties in my tank over the next few years. I can see pretty anemones sitting in there giving my perculas a lovely home and a couple bits of birds nest brightening up the rocks.Maybe even a bit of frogspawn though I hear they can be aggressive to others. Might need their "own" corner if they can't be nice!:evileye: Later perhaps a fire fish and a pinkspotted goby will come live with us and even later, maybe a flame angel. Anyway, lots of possiblilities for the future and I am excited but far more willing to wait.
fishmama67
Member
I know it has been a very long time since I last posted. All I can say is that I have been up too my neck in school and Masters classes. I did not fall off of the face of the Earth though at times I feel like it!
My tank is doing well though I have not added to it since the snails. Most of them are still alive though I think some of the mini's are dead. SO hard to tell as they don't wave "hey, I'm still viable" flags and they like to pile up together and hang for a couple of days before they all decide to move again! Checked the chemistry yesterday and everything is great still, pH 8.4, ammonia 0 nitrates, nitrites and phosphates all zero. Was planning a water change this weekend but forgot to buy salt:bmcflme: so have to do that on Tuesday. Husband is off on Wednesday for the Hoodoo 500 bicycle race down in Utah so we have been getting him ready for that. (don't know what he's thinkin' but as long as he likes it, who am I to say No!:dead:
Red Skelton and Bubbles are still happy little fishies, though I am pretty sure that bubbles is expecting Red to hurry up and buy her an anemone so she can have kids. She claims her biological clock is ticking but I think she is really just being bossy! He's broke so she is out of luck for now as the job market for clown fish is VERY slow right now!:bouncer:
Well, still saving for lights as it seems like every time I turn around:turntable another crisis arrives. I think that is the real reason salt water tanks take so long to build!
Well, over and out for now. Gotta go save the rice!
My tank is doing well though I have not added to it since the snails. Most of them are still alive though I think some of the mini's are dead. SO hard to tell as they don't wave "hey, I'm still viable" flags and they like to pile up together and hang for a couple of days before they all decide to move again! Checked the chemistry yesterday and everything is great still, pH 8.4, ammonia 0 nitrates, nitrites and phosphates all zero. Was planning a water change this weekend but forgot to buy salt:bmcflme: so have to do that on Tuesday. Husband is off on Wednesday for the Hoodoo 500 bicycle race down in Utah so we have been getting him ready for that. (don't know what he's thinkin' but as long as he likes it, who am I to say No!:dead:
Red Skelton and Bubbles are still happy little fishies, though I am pretty sure that bubbles is expecting Red to hurry up and buy her an anemone so she can have kids. She claims her biological clock is ticking but I think she is really just being bossy! He's broke so she is out of luck for now as the job market for clown fish is VERY slow right now!:bouncer:
Well, still saving for lights as it seems like every time I turn around:turntable another crisis arrives. I think that is the real reason salt water tanks take so long to build!
Well, over and out for now. Gotta go save the rice!
yungreefer2410
Well-Known Member
what kind fo lights are you eyeing?
fishmama67
Member
Haven't really decided yet, YR. Still looking at SunDial T5s from Marine Depot. So far, I have been happy with everything I have gotten from them. However, still open to suggestions. DocHank had a couple of suggestions too. I just am sure I cannot afford halides at this time. The sundial T5s have a free standing set-up but also can mount inside a hood. Still have not decided if I want to stay with a hood or not. Seems to help keep the evap down in the summer and should help retain the heat in the winter but also is prone to a bit of mold now and then which I am sure is probably bad for the babies. On the other hand, constructing a better hood may be the answer there. Have the wood shop teacher at school looking at that for me so I hope he can come up with a great solution if I decide to go with the hood.
Well, so far, half of the fun has been anticipating as well as getting all sorts of input from ya'll so I am still looking and listening. As things are staying stable with the tank at present, I think I can afford to take my time.
(Right Doc?!)
Still having a sporatic problem with some hair algae so I think I may need to invest in a little chaeto before I go too much farther. That introduces the whole "do I need to get a fuge/sump set up or should I wait and get the lights" arguement. Guess I need to sub some more and keep pinching the squealing pennies, huh? That is the only part I don't enjoy about teaching...doesn't pay so great! :tears:
ANyway, will be keeping my ears and eyes open for that "perfect" set up. As always, advice is welcome!
Well, so far, half of the fun has been anticipating as well as getting all sorts of input from ya'll so I am still looking and listening. As things are staying stable with the tank at present, I think I can afford to take my time.
(Right Doc?!)Still having a sporatic problem with some hair algae so I think I may need to invest in a little chaeto before I go too much farther. That introduces the whole "do I need to get a fuge/sump set up or should I wait and get the lights" arguement. Guess I need to sub some more and keep pinching the squealing pennies, huh? That is the only part I don't enjoy about teaching...doesn't pay so great! :tears:
ANyway, will be keeping my ears and eyes open for that "perfect" set up. As always, advice is welcome!
yungreefer2410
Well-Known Member
i would say go for the sump/fuge set-up first, then get the lights. your pcs will be fine for now