ReefGuy's 55gal Journal

[Craig Manoukian]

I Had Bristle Worms With Nary A Sting Over A 3 Year Period. Oh, Did I Mention That You Should Wear Gloves, Especially If Handling Rock With A Mantis.

[ReefGuy69]

I dont know if youve mentioned it but i have read it in many other forums. I plan on getting the ones that go up your arms and some latex ones that are just for your hands, will these work? or do you want me to get like a good pair of work gloves or something?

[ReefGuy69]

my rock should be here tomorrow or the next. Im still wondering what kind of gloves i should get to handle the rock? I do not want to get stung by bristol worms and i dont know if latex is think enough. If someone could give me some help on what to get that would be great. Oh and i found a jewel today as a LFS. Its like a mile away tucked behind all these business's. Its called Exotic Pets. I thought i would just go in and take a look. They have the most salt water tanks of any of the LFS around here. And they were in good condition. They had so many snakes i started to get freaked out. I think i realized today i might have a snake phobia. I kept looking at them cuz i was curious but i had goosebumps the entire time. Maybe it was because i was worried they were going to break free and all 500 of them were going to eat me. Oh and they also had two Ant Eaters, They were so cool. Well im off to stare at my email for the tracking # for my live rock.

[Craig Manoukian]

The good thick rubber gloves that go to the arm pits protect you and keep your skin oil out of the tank.

[ReefGuy69]

Thanks Craig,
I just saved me a copy of that thread Prow just did. Very good stuff in there. I'm still waiting to here from Premium Aquatics. They havent sent me a tracking # or an email saying my package was shipped. So i sent them an email just asking what was up. Its like 5 degrees here so i want to do everything i can to be here when it arrives so i can get it right into the house. In 5 days the temp is supposed to go up to near 60 degrees. I dont get the crazy weather we have here in Central NY.

Premium Aquatics emailed me right back to say that they froze all shipments of livestock this week due to the cold across most of the country. I told her that works out good for me because of the rise in temp. were supposed to get next week. And i will get the package on my day off next week (Wednesday). So i will be able to clean it and get it right into the tank. Yipee. Stinks i have to wait, but wasnt it star wars or something that quoted "Patience is everything, young Obione" or something like that. LOL

[Craig Manoukian]

Good luck and keep us posted!

[ReefGuy69]

My rock is due to arrive tomorrow. Im so excited. My wife says she has never seen me so excited over rocks before. LOL oh well. I think one of my ballasts went. Im not sure how that happens. Can they be repaired? I bought the ones Iceman had so i can either replace my broken one and have a spare or maybe fix the one i have. Any help would be great. Either way he has some extra bulbs that were barley used so they will make for nice replacements. Now I have to wake up early and hound my front door for the delivery guy.

[ReefGuy69]

Yippeee My rock arrived today and its in the tank. I scrubbed all the loose and dead stuff off the rock. It looks like some nice rock. There were alot of pods and other critters floating in the water after i scrubbed it. So i thinks its pretty fresh. It had alot of sponges and other stuf to. Most i just scrubbed off because i wasnt sure what it was. Figured any suprised will be ok but starting with a fresh clean slate doesnt sound to bad either. I had some rubble left over. For now i put it in the fuge. Whats more beneficial Live rock rubble in your fuge or Chaeto??? Seems to be chaeto would be more beneficial but im not sure what to do with the rubble then. I turned both power heads on so i dont have the wave motion going but i figure the more constant flow will be better for now. I have the lights off but im sure i will be peeking at it from time to time. How soon should i test. I think im going to test before i go to bed tonight. I figure it would have had 8 hours in the tank by then. Because there wasnt as much die off as i expected i might go tomorrow to the deli and get a shrimp. Ill see how my test results turn out later tonight and tomorrow though.

Picture time.
This is how the live rock was shipped. two good size boxes


This is how they pack it in the boxes. Kept it moist and from bumping into one another.


And here it is in my tank.. ahhhh its so nice.

[ReefGuy69]

Well i did my test tonight. Everything was pretty much still reading 0. Ammonia looked like it was getting slightly darker on the color scale. Just to make sure i jump start the cycle i added a raw shrimp in a mesh bag. This way there is no doubt that my cycle is going to start. I already prepared my wife for the smell. She has her hot plate nearby with some candles ready to go. I might pick up some hang in your car air freshners and string them all together over the tank. It probably wont dent the smell but oh well. She spent about an hour in front of the tank tonight. Oh look at this.. oh look at that.. whats this? oh i think that is a... oh and this is a.... and did that just move?.. it was fun. shes to cute. shes excited there are a few bi valves or oysters or something on a few of the rocks. i told her most will probably die if they are even alive now. well off to bed. its been a long day.

[goldenmean]

I wouldn't put air fresheners or scented candles near the tank.
Be care of the chemicals you have near your tank. The water can absorb the chemical from the air.
I dont think the smell will be anywhere near as strong as you are expecting!

[ReefGuy69]

well i can hold off on the air freshners but my wife has a hot plate on the otherside of the room. There is no way i can stop her from using that. If i take that away from her she might go back to actually lighting candles again... Last time she burnt down the apartment we live in. No biggie it wasnt our apartment. Well we just moved into a house we bought. That would be a big problem now. She has it far enough away from the tank where it shouldnt make a difference. no different then cooking up garlic or onions in the kitchen and having that smell be all over the house.

[ReefGuy69]

Heres a current tank shot.

[ReefGuy69]

heres how i acclimated my new snails.

[ReefGuy69]

and a pic of the first members of the tank.

[tbittner]

It's ALIVE!!!

Very ingenious drip tube! I love seeing new ways of doing things. What water is in the gallon jug though? If it's not tank water, then you didn't acclimate your snails to the tank.