My tank is almost 'done'

[rDr4g0n]

awwww no mandarin? i hadnt researched it yet, which i was planning to do, but the fish guys at the LFS said hed be ok. guess they are wrong.

oh i ordered a powerhead and a pump for my upcoming sump. i got a Maxijet 900 Powerhead, and a QUIET ONE 3000 PUMP. im gonna work on glueing my dividers in place in the 10gal tank this week to prepare the sump. i need to also do a bit more research to determine what size bulkhead i need for the overflow that will match the pump... lots more reading to do

yep.. just looked up dragonets and found mandarin gobies along with a warning that theyre tough to keep. now to break the news to the wife lol

[saltyfishtanks]

great macros

[Cougra]

I'm sorry to burst the bubble about the dragonet however that's one of the simple questions I ask LFS employees when I stop in a new shop or see a new employee who thinks they know everything! If they try to sell me the mandarin (works with red scootter blenny or a regular scooter blenny) saying it'll be fine in my tank and I don't have to worry about feeding them, then I know immediately not to trust their advise in the future. I have a series of questions about different types of fish or equipment to help me determine if the person trying to sell me something is just trying to make as much money as possible or if they truly know what they are talking about. It's a good thing you found this out sooner rather then later.

[rDr4g0n]

ive just discovered the reef chronicles forum here... i guess this thread belongs there... sry.

as for testing the LFS employees, i do the same thing except im a computer tech, so it applies to tech stores its always best to listen and learn from those who know more than you, but its always annoying to have those that know less try to tell you youre wrong lol

[Cougra]

Originally Posted by rDr4g0n

as for testing the LFS employees, i do the same thing except im a computer tech, so it applies to tech stores its always best to listen and learn from those who know more than you, but its always annoying to have those that know less try to tell you youre wrong lol

I know that feeling with electronics as well. I design electronic equipment for CATV and am more aware of what most of those buzz words mean then the people trying to sell them to me do. When I tell them that big feature they are trying to pawn on me is a bunch of rubbish and the I draw out the schematics to show them why, SOME of them get the hint that I don't like that particular feature they are talking about!


PS: I moved this to the Reef Chronicals Forum for you.

[lcstorc]

Glad you heard about the mandarin in time. They are very a hard to feed fish and I wanted to avoid them entirely but ended up with one from a friends tear down. Basically somebody else was supposed to get all of the livestock to put in their brand new cycling tank. I refused to give them anything for several weeks while they cycled and then kept the mandarin since he has a better chance in my established 125 than a brand new 55. Fortunately the new reefer did some reserach after I gave my opinion and ultimately agreed that he was not ready for anything and certainly not a mandarin. At this point I have given him the rest of the livestock and things are looking pretty good. I just wish they would post more on RS but maybe they read and just don't post much.

[rDr4g0n]

well guys i decided to go ahead and add a fish. i went with a pajama cardinal for a few reasons. It was only $10 at the LFS, theyre hardy fish, easy to keep, and very peaceful. i decided itd be a good way to add a bit of a load to the system and see how it reacts.

ive also cut the glass for my upcoming sump/refugium. cant wait to work on it this weekend when the pump gets in!!

everyone in the tank looks great. my emerald appears to be grazing peacefully on algae... also ive not had another invert go missing yet which is good. i havent seen any signs of that gorilla crab, but i still hear the clicking of my pistol or mantis... still not sure which it is.

oh i also made a trap out of an old coke bottle. i cut the top portion of the bottle off and put it inside the bottom portion (good ol fashioned minnow trap), but i also attached a trap door to the mouth of the bottle. the trap door only opens in, not out. anyways, its sat in my tank for 2 days with shrimp and not a nibble.... so either my mantis is too smart, or i dont have any predators in the tank.

pics soon.

[rDr4g0n]

UPDATE Jan 25th, 2007


nice sand bed and a pajama cardinal


more cup coral showing up!

[Dentoid]

Very nice! It's coming along smashingly. Have you considered a deeper sand bed? Could help with the nitrates later.

[rDr4g0n]

as it is, its about 1 - 3 inches. the reason its not deeper is because my pockets arent much deeper either lol

my burst of spending on this tank has subsided, so for a few months i gotta make do with what i have. once my sump is setup im gonna just watch and buy a few fish at a time. oh but trust me... theres more to come!

[Dentoid]

It's all good. I know what you mean. It's an expensive hobby. I thought golf was expensive. Whew!

[burning2nd]

looks, great now sit and wait and watch

[rDr4g0n]

pulled out a dead sponge.... blech. im also starting an excel chart with my water parameters... see if some trends develop. theres been a second small spike in trates and trites... possibly due to the dead sponge.

[rDr4g0n]

my current DIY sump and overflow project

DIY sump and overflow... but really really badly.

[aquaman3680]

Looks good! Awesome rock!

Matt