Stalwarts first reef tank

Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
Well tomorrow is the big day. I get all my goodies. I dont know if this thread is the right place to be since I am not starting from scratch on this one, but it is a good place to follow this first tank. I havent even set this one up yet and I am already planning a bigger one maybe a 75gallon bowfront.

Got all my prep work done

Water is in and all the readings look ok

1.024 SG
8.4 ph
0 nitri
0 nitra
0 ammonia
temp about 79

Tomorrow I will be getting an established reef from alocal guy.

60lb LR
3'' of live sand
3 BG Chromis
about 6 differnt corals ( I cant remember the names)(will post pics once the water clears)
1 banded coral shrimp
a huge cleaning crew snails, hermits
some sort of urchin

I am also getting some of his equipment
remore skimmer
canister filter
fans to cool the extra heat from the lights

Speaking of lights, My brand new NOVA T5's had to go back to the LFS today on bank(2)of the 10,000K bulbs took a crap today. Bad ballast or wiring, wont be able to replace them til wednesday. still have 6 x 54w, should be good enough for a few days.

He is going to print me out a list of care instructions too, and I am gonna need them, and probably a lot of advice from you all.


I had my tank full, so I drained off about 10 gallons and put it in a container with an airpump and stone.

Will this be good to put back into the tank once I am done arranging everything, or for a water change next week?


Wish me luck

Mark
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
Off to do the deal, I will post some pics of me setting it up, aquascaping and all. See you all later tonight. I am so excited. Later.
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
OK 9hrs ago this was just a big box of water.

Pics are still a little fuzzy, dont know how to take pics of an aquarium and the water is still a little cloudy.

All the critters are exploring their new home, lots of tunnels and caves.

I take criticism well, but remember this is my first attempt at any aquarium.

ok, how do I attach the pics, looks like I gotta go do some more forum searching.

Mark
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
showphoto.php
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
Yeah, the guy sold his whole inventory of livestock, now I need to figure out what corals are what and where to put them, flow and light, etc.

He gave me feeding instructions for the rock anemones and the sun polyps already.

I am just trying to figure out what the others are, I have to match the names he gave me to some pics.

There was a nice growth of xenia, but i didnt see it when I scaped the tank, and now I cant find them. Must have buried them, I guess.



SO far this is what I have come up with

Blue Acropora (1)
Rock Amenome (2)
Sun polyps (1 colony)
Ricordia mushrooms (2 different types)
Zooanthid (1 colony)
Montipora Capricornus (1)

I am working on identifying the rest.

Mark
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
Thanks Gina

Billy, I noticed today another colony of xenia on the face of one of the rocks, greedily sucking at the water, its small but active.

I think I have identified a few more pieces

Echinopyllia, kind of boring red thing, looks like something might of damaged on of the edges a small section is turning white.

Lobophytum, this one is cool, its got a green hue to it and it kind of looks like it is sweating under water.

I have a couple other critters i am trying to ID still, wish I could get a good pic to show.
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
OK along with my reading to identify good stuff, I have identified some bad stuff

the dreaded Aptasia has made an appearence, time for a couple peppermint shrimp, what do you think? I Joe Juiced the ones I could get to, but I can see a colony starting on the back of one of the huge rocks that I cant get the syringe to.

I also noticed that on the, what was once the, bottom of some of these rocks are a ton of little white wormy tubes that have what look like little feather dusters poping in and out of them. Good or Bad? when I say a ton, I could count more than a hundred.

I also have some green hair algea, the two Sally Light Foot crabs are working overtime on this, along with some of the hermits, but I dont know how much this crew can eat, and if I should enlist the help of some other critters. I do want a Blenny, so very badly :)

OK thanks for reading, I look forward to your responses

I really do appreciate all the help

Mark
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
Oh I almost forgot.

I hand fed both of the Rock Anemones this evening, it was so cool:whstlr:

I felt funny going to the grocery store and asking the lady at the seafood counter for 1 Shrimp, not one pound, but 1 Shrimp. I cut it up into a bunch of pieces about the size or their oral cavity and sat one right in there,( I froze the rest) they were both hungry little buggers. I was told to feed them about once a week, sound right to any of you experts out there?

Mark
 
B

billyr98

Well-Known Member
Stalwart said:
Oh I almost forgot.

I hand fed both of the Rock Anemones this evening, it was so cool:whstlr:

I felt funny going to the grocery store and asking the lady at the seafood counter for 1 Shrimp, not one pound, but 1 Shrimp. I cut it up into a bunch of pieces about the size or their oral cavity and sat one right in there,( I froze the rest) they were both hungry little buggers. I was told to feed them about once a week, sound right to any of you experts out there?

Mark
Click to expand...

next time get dozen shrimp and feed him 1 and you 11 ;)

You'll learn little tips like this :)
 
Stalwart

Stalwart

Active Member
I should probably let you answer the first question before I hit you with ten more, but I better ask before I forget.

I have a ricordia that has taken up in a large snail shell, Is that cool pr should I try to get it out and on a rock?

Thanks again

Mark
 
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