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Jenene
04-22-2017, 10:24 AM
As of yesterday the rocks and substrate are in.

So I ended up throwing a few live pieces of rock in there. I know, I know... I was dead set on all dry rock. Remember when I said it would take some solid convincing to get me to go live? Well... I have been working with The Reef Shoppe guys here in town and I can't argue with them. Their tanks are absolutely stunning. It is like visiting an aquarium destination and not just a frag shop. If they had their way my entire tank would have been live rock but they knew I already had 35 lbs of dry rock at home. So they worked with me- I chose a few accent pieces carefully. One is covered is beautiful coralline algae so I have a jump start on that as well as the BB. I am hoping that Devon's evil crab cousin is not lurking in there. With my luck it will be an entire extended family of them and their smelly luggage.:eek:

I am also using the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit which should help. Bulk Reef Supply used it on their big tank project and did a great video on how it works. It is a pretty innovative system.

I ended up not needing to epoxy anything. The Reef Saver rock really just locked together nicely. I started by trying to follow all the rules of rock scaping but ended up throwing all those thoughts to the wind and just went with what I liked- keeping in mind different light requirements, keeping good current flow and having an image of what I had in mind for frag placement for the big picture. It was way fun. I hope I did it right.

I am not sure if my substrate is too deep. I was waiting for the water to clear before I leveled it out and haven't gone back in yet. Maybe once I tuck it behind and into the nooks it won't look so deep.

The shimmer from the Hydra HD light is amazing. Also adding a nice controllable wave maker in there today.

109134109135109136

zippy
04-22-2017, 11:42 AM
Looks very nice................
Zippy

two utes
04-22-2017, 03:57 PM
What a great start! Looking really good. I can feel your enthusiasm in you post, and just know that this project is going to turn out really well....Have fun with it. Make sure you keep us updated with lots of pics...please :)

Jenene
04-22-2017, 05:42 PM
What a great start! Looking really good. I can feel your enthusiasm in you post, and just know that this project is going to turn out really well....Have fun with it. Make sure you keep us updated with lots of pics...please :)

Thanks so much Joe, that means a lot. I am having so much fun with this. Once I got over the initial fear and expense- it is thrilling. I realized I have gone over the deep end when I take the instruction booklets from skimmers and bio additives to bed with me to read instead of a novel. :grin:

two utes
04-22-2017, 05:47 PM
Thanks so much Joe, that means a lot. I am having so much fun with this. Once I got over the initial fear and expense- it is thrilling. I realized I have gone over the deep end when I take the instruction booklets from skimmers and bio additives to bed with me to read instead of a novel. :grin:

Haha...I get it ;)

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Debow
04-28-2017, 04:38 PM
Nice Jenene,
I just checked out your other opse on the tank. I think the sand is fine, do yourself a favor and get a diamond goby and some nassarius snails they do the sand bed wonders and keep it clean. Overall scape looks good as you look at it you might see pieces you want to move. Do what ever your eye likes.

Jenene
04-28-2017, 06:16 PM
Nice Jenene,
I just checked out your other opse on the tank. I think the sand is fine, do yourself a favor and get a diamond goby and some nassarius snails they do the sand bed wonders and keep it clean. Overall scape looks good as you look at it you might see pieces you want to move. Do what ever your eye likes.

Thanks Devon, I took a water sample into the guys at the shop and I am about halfway there already. They did suggest a cleanup crew to start off with. The sand did even out nicely.

You are also right about moving things. There was a stand alone live rock in front and just to add a little interest wing I hooked it on the top. I thought it would bug me but I like it. I will put a few smaller pieces in front at some point for little islands to keep things from taking over.

The guys at the shop are really great about educating. Yesterday, I got my own private lesson about coral types complete with "props" of coral skeletons that he should me came from similar live versions in the tanks. It was really interesting. I really appreciate that they take the time with me. They have built a solid relationship that will keep me going back to them.

The water is really clear and I have my lights set low and a limited time during the day to prevent a big algae bloom. They have the same light with the app so they set theirs to what mine should be at home and had me take a pic of the app on their phone so when I got home I didn't have to remember all the different recommended spectrum settings.

The tank and sump as a whole are running efficiently and dead silent. You can only hear a trickle of water coming through the return.

Here is a pic of it today. I turned the lights up just for the pic.
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zippy
04-28-2017, 08:33 PM
Looking good...................

Jenene
04-28-2017, 08:38 PM
Looking good...................

Thanks Zippy! It is really fun. Like a cool science project.

DatDiscusDude
05-02-2017, 03:00 PM
Looking very nice.. just catching up here and reading along... May I ask why the decision to go halfies basically w the live? What put you over the edge to add some?

Those hitchikers from what I hear can be terrors...! I always said to myself if/when I get going w a salt tank I am going all dry and no nasties. Just curious as to your reasoning behind it, sounds like your LFS dudes said go all live, just interested in knowing the school of thought.

Did you add any bacteria or things to start it? Or is that the red sea reef mature jazz you spoke about?

Jenene
05-02-2017, 04:16 PM
You are asking some great questions DatDiscusDude. I seriously asked myself the same ones over and over. Maybe I made the wrong decision- I guess time will tell. You can sit back and see if I made some mistakes later on that you can avoid. I will be your guinea pig.

I had planned to go all dry rock and bought 35 lbs of Reef Saver from BRS along with the Red Sea Mature Reef kit to cycle it. I bought this before I met the guys at the reef shop who have the most beautiful tanks I have ever seen. We have several reef shops in the area but these guys really caught my attention. I told them I was VERY weary of the evil hitchhikers and they said that the worst I would likely get is aptasia and if I ever plan on putting anything in the tank I will end up with it anyway. I have heard that every reef tank has or will have them and there are many ways to control it. They explained that the rock is harvested and put in crates, dry, on a ship for weeks. Then it sits on a dock for even longer. By the time they get it, it has been out of the ocean for a very long time. The microscopic beneficial stuff stays alive deep withing the rock, and most of the other stuff does not survive. If I did get anything they would see it through with me. I told them the horror of Devon's crab and they were surprised. They had not had many issues like that-very few in all the years they have been doing this. They use it in everyone of their tanks. They also explained that there are so many beneficial forms of life in those rocks you just can't get from a bottle. They believe the benefit overshadows any small risk. They are both very old school. Simple, no frills guys. They use salt, ro/di, a good skimmer and great lighting. That is it. Not even reactors. At that point I just had to trust them. I see their passion and their willingness educate. They actually kind of had a fit when I showed them the Red Sea kit. It did do something odd to the test results and made the water all cloudy and the results hard to read. They were laughing that it has a flammable warning on the back! They advised me to stop using it so I have. I go in again on Thursday to retest. I have been testing as well but like to compare with theirs. The rock they gave me should be enough to seed the others fairly quickly even though I told them I am in no hurry at all, they said it is moving along but will do better without the weird Red Sea stuff.

I think the one thing I really love about that shop is they have their tanks full of the most beautiful assortments of corals in all colors and sizes. From frags to really large ones and they are all corals that can be kept by the average person and at reasonable prices. They don't put difficult things in the store that people will fall for and want but not be able to keep alive.

So I guess it all comes down to trust. For the length of time they have been there and by seeing what they can do with the most basic equipment I am taking a leap of faith and working with them. I hope I don't come back here in a few months having to start over but I think the guys know it is in their best interest to foster this relationship. Just as I am faithful to my first discus supplier I will be to them as well if they can help me to be a successful hobbiest.

I think there will always be a debate about live or dry. Talk about riding the fence here- but now that I have live rock the fence has swung wide open to what ever was left in there.... Just hoping for a healthy pasture.:)

DatDiscusDude
05-02-2017, 08:46 PM
Very eloquently said and chock full of info. I really appreciate the time
You took to spell that out. Makes a lot of sense based on your response!

The one thing you seem to have in your corner that a lot don't is a good reliable local source w people you trust ! You sure are lucky !

Jenene
05-02-2017, 09:15 PM
Very eloquently said and chock full of info. I really appreciate the time
You took to spell that out. Makes a lot of sense based on your response!

The one thing you seem to have in your corner that a lot don't is a good reliable local source w people you trust ! You sure are lucky !

Thanks so much for your kind words. I really hope it works out the way I have planned. There are so many variables to deal with. One day at a time!That is the fun part. So much to look forward to at this early stage.

It sounds like you have been thinking about this. Is there a salt water tank in your future? I always said never, but never came up really quickly! ;)

DatDiscusDude
05-02-2017, 11:51 PM
I'm sure it will turn out just how you want it to. You seem very passionate dedicated and more than willing to listen and weigh out suggestions. All the tools needed to be a super successful aquarist if you ask me.

And you said it! Bottom line is fun! At the end of the day the nice part of this hobby is that all can be "fixed" although sometimes not in the forms we may want or like such as starting over, ripping things apart, culling etc. but also on the other end as well. Live and learn right ? As long as you are having fun.

We are very very similar let me tell you. I've been quietly following along and taking notes. I took you up on the Guiana pig offer well before you well... offered! Lol

I want to get into salt at some point. I just need to be in the right space and have the funds and all. And time!!

Jenene
05-03-2017, 04:52 PM
Thanks for that Dat! It is an honor to be your guinea pig. I hope I can help you someday like the guys here have all helped me. Your kindness and encouragement are priceless as well. I often tell people that is is not just the hobby but the friends you meet along the way that makes it so much more enjoyable!

Do me a favor and PM me some day when you do start a tank. It will be fun to watch. I look forward to the day- It may be sooner than you think!

Ryan925
05-09-2017, 11:36 AM
Amy updated pics of your project ?

Jenene
05-09-2017, 09:51 PM
Amy updated pics of your project ?

Yes Ryan, Thanks for asking. I was waiting to get a few more things in this week but since you asked... Last Thursday I had the guys at the reef shop double check my water parameters and it all looked good so I came home with a pair of Picasso Clowns, a Candy Cane Coral, 3 snails and a conch. The conch is totally creepy and has weird stick eyes. It totally freaked me out because they just bagged the clean up crew without me even seeing what they put in there until I got home...

Here are some pics. This Thursday I will go in for something else. He said something that moves a little bit like a hammer coral or some scarlet hermits. Not crazy about hermits so we will see. Here are some pics. Not great ones...The clowns are very hyper. 109512109513109514

Ryan925
05-09-2017, 11:22 PM
Wow look at those colors already

EJ_B
05-10-2017, 12:01 AM
Wow look at those colors already

^ I love the color of that coral.

Jenene
05-10-2017, 12:22 AM
Wow look at those colors already

Thanks Ryan and EJ. Hopefully the coral will be happy and grow more heads. The one in the little nano Red Sea at the shop doubled in just a few months and it looks like a group of neon flowers. This one has a 3rd head but hard to see since it is immature ans still white. Pretty cool watching it open all the way. I still can't believe I can keep it alive. Tested the water tonight everything is where is should be so far. Weird to test for like 6 things instead of just a few with the discus.

This tank is going to be a lot of fun. So many options out there.

modealings
05-10-2017, 08:12 AM
Looks great Jenene! I know nothing about saltwater but have always been interested in something like this so thanks for for posting your experience. Keep the pics coming!

zippy
05-10-2017, 10:59 AM
Wow, the tank looks great............... you can give me your ugly Discus now...................
Zippy

Bizarro252
05-11-2017, 01:48 PM
Looks great, cleared up nicely!!! Excited to see this project develop :)

DatDiscusDude
05-11-2017, 04:04 PM
Very nice stuff! That conch is soooo cool! Wow!

You are lucky to have such a great team at your LFS to guide you. So I have a few more follow up stuff. How long from initial set up until the fish additions? I am guessing the fella's have been testing your water along the way and gave you the green light?

Looks like they got you off to a slow steady start, with salt is what I hear the way to go, little bit at a time. How did you decide what to add to begin with and what are your stocking plans moving forward?

Jenene
05-11-2017, 11:16 PM
Looks great Jenene! I know nothing about saltwater but have always been interested in something like this so thanks for for posting your experience. Keep the pics coming!

Thanks Eric! I knew absolutely zero until a few weeks ago. Then what I thought I knew went out the door when I met the Reef Shop guys here in town. They are old school and poo pooed a lot of what I thought I knew. Their tanks are so gorgeous I am doing exactly what the tell me to do. My equipment was right at least. The guys here were great helping me pick out the important stuff.

I have some new acquisitions from today (2) I will post tomorrow. Just settling them in...Stay tuned!

Jenene
05-11-2017, 11:18 PM
Looks great, cleared up nicely!!! Excited to see this project develop :)

Thanks Matt! I hope that one I got today turns out to be something interesting!

Jenene
05-11-2017, 11:36 PM
Very nice stuff! That conch is soooo cool! Wow!

You are lucky to have such a great team at your LFS to guide you. So I have a few more follow up stuff. How long from initial set up until the fish additions? I am guessing the fella's have been testing your water along the way and gave you the green light?

Looks like they got you off to a slow steady start, with salt is what I hear the way to go, little bit at a time. How did you decide what to add to begin with and what are your stocking plans moving forward?

Your question are great Dat. I am very lucky to have found the guys at the reef shop. They are only 5 minutes from my home and I was referred by another local member here who went in looking for driftwood and knew I was starting a reef tank.

With all dry rock it would have taken 4 to 6 weeks just like a discus tank. Those few pieces of live rock and the addition of live sand had me ready for creatures in 2 weeks.

I had been testing my water and then have them double check me so I know I am doing them correctly. Many of the tests for marine are pretty complicated with multiple solutions, powders and titrations. Thank heavens I have not had to do dilutions for the titrations yet! Yikes. I was really happy today to see how close I am hitting the mark. I had them double check my magnesium since it came out on the low side of 1160. It should be 1300-1400. They used a completely different brand of test and we only came out 10 ppm difference. That was a confidence builder!;)

At week 2- I was ready for some hardy fish and coral. Clowns are considered bullet proof which I was really hoping was true since I fell in love with the "designer" Picasso Clowns at $125 a pair and the are so tiny! I knew my main goal was just a few fish and mostly a great variety of colorful corals. They have a smaller Red Sea tank in the shop that is just stunning. I have told the guys what my vision is and every week I pick out a few more. I am looking for some that cover the rocks, maybe something the clowns will host, some great movement and of coarse the crazy bright colors. There are so many choices. One that I will post tomorrow does not look like much but as they grow they are spectacular. So patience is a virtue from this point on. I will update with pics tomorrow once they settle in. Thanks for those awesome questions!

Jenene
05-13-2017, 01:46 PM
Okay then! Seems like Thursday is my reef shopping day. This week I picked up Frogspawn and a Flower Anemone. The Flower Anemone does not look like much yet. In fact he had a huge one that was really cool but it was about 8 years old. . It looked like something from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He had some tiny ones for sale and talked me into the orange since I already have green in there. He is right. When it gets bigger it will be spectacular. So I will post the tiny guy who looks like a little pile of mud right now and a pic of what it should look like when it grows or something similar...109655109656109657

Also the Candy Cane Coral heads are now completely open and the third new growth is beginning to green up a bit.
109658

Ryan925
05-13-2017, 05:50 PM
Wow! Love it

two utes
05-13-2017, 06:09 PM
Haha...You have a reef shopping day? Luv it!! I'm really enjoying seeing the progress of this project, as its the sort of thing i'd like to have a go at one day. Its coming along very nicely. Thanks for the updates.

rickztahone
05-13-2017, 11:34 PM
I hope I'm completely wrong but nems, especially this variety NEED very established tanks. Keep an eye out I bleaching

Jenene
05-14-2017, 12:21 AM
I hope I'm completely wrong but nems, especially this variety NEED very established tanks. Keep an eye out I bleaching

Thanks Ricardo, your guess is as good as mine on that because I know nothing yet. I am at the mercy of the reef shop owner who seems to have taken me on as a pet project. The flower anemone he said and I quote " can live in a toilet" . It seems to be happy so far and has opened nicely. Did you mean the frog spawn? This is actually an LPS coral and he said will adapt well to my light and flow is the most important factor with this.

My one concern is he does tend to forget I am a complete rookie. He has been with me the entire way so far though. From the purchase of the tank to double checking my water testing for me. He knows everything I am using from lighting to salt and supplements. He has more confidence in me than I do ...I will keep you updated on them- I sure hope you are wrong!:embarassed:

rickztahone
05-14-2017, 03:46 PM
Thanks Ricardo, your guess is as good as mine on that because I know nothing yet. I am at the mercy of the reef shop owner who seems to have taken me on as a pet project. The flower anemone he said and I quote " can live in a toilet" . It seems to be happy so far and has opened nicely. Did you mean the frog spawn? This is actually an LPS coral and he said will adapt well to my light and flow is the most important factor with this.

My one concern is he does tend to forget I am a complete rookie. He has been with me the entire way so far though. From the purchase of the tank to double checking my water testing for me. He knows everything I am using from lighting to salt and supplements. He has more confidence in me than I do ...I will keep you updated on them- I sure hope you are wrong!:embarassed:

Yes, I meant the nem, not the euphyllia. That frogspawn will do well with moderate flow but not necessarily high flow. Just in case he didn't tell you, euphyllia's do not do very well with other corals. They sting them and they require their own space. Scape accordingly

Jenene
05-14-2017, 06:35 PM
Yes, I meant the nem, not the euphyllia. That frogspawn will do well with moderate flow but not necessarily high flow. Just in case he didn't tell you, euphyllia's do not do very well with other corals. They sting them and they require their own space. Scape accordingly

Thanks for that Ricardo. I really am learning as I go. So thank you for the heads up. He is kinda just hanging on the substrate. I do need to be aware of compatibility. Now that you mention it- the Reef Shop guy's eight year old Flower is off in the front corner away from everything else. That is a good point. Even if he forgets to mention it I can remember to see where he has things placed in his tanks. I can also ask more questions. I now know that the frog spawn can reach pretty far at night and sting things around it which he also did not mention before I glued it in. So much to learn. I have a lot of space left to fill and your questions are really helpful for planning the use of the real estate that remains. So many thanks for the information.

Thanks so much for your observations! I can use all the help I can get. I really want at succeed at this new side of the hobby.

two utes
05-14-2017, 06:51 PM
I think you are taking all the right steps and measures to succeed Jenene....Enjoy the journey

Jenene
05-14-2017, 07:02 PM
I think you are taking all the right steps and measures to succeed Jenene....Enjoy the journey

Awe... Thanks so much Joe! Seems like we have been "on the same page" all day! I appreciate your confidence! Stay tuned for the next step, next Thursday!

I tested my water tonight. That is quite the ordeal with all the drops, powders and titrations. I am pretty much right on for most things. A tad low on Mg and Ca but I have been told things will even out over time. He has me dosing small amounts every other day. There should be a water change coming this week. This is a whole new ballgame from a discus change with all the parameters that can be effected. Not really sure how to attempt this. I guess I will have to consult the reef guy on what to expect.

Thanks again for the kind words!

Jenene
05-20-2017, 07:36 AM
It has been a crazy week here getting ready for my daughter's college graduation but here are the results of this Thursday's reef shopping day. So I decide I needed more color this week. I had a long time to browse since they were getting a shipment in and were unloading the truck. The extra time alone gave me a chance to really look in and around and notice stuff I hadn't seen before. I brought in my water parameters they were right on so they said I could choose anything in the store- everything they carry is pretty easy as well.

The first thing I noticed was a gorgeous Orange Tip Torch. It was on hold for someone though. I asked if they were getting anymore in (no) and that one had actually been cut off a display piece. The guy put it on hold so long ago that the owner decided to snip a piece off for me. When i asked if the guy would be mad when he noticed his piece was smaller the owner said he was taking it as "rent." Thought that was pretty funny. It is a tiny little frag though and there was a crack in the base from the cut so he is not going to charge me until he knows it will thrive. So far it is doing well.

The second piece is a single Flame Mushroom. I hear they reproduce slowly but that is fine.

The third piece is a little frag plug of florescent orange Darth Maul Palythoa. Hopefully they will spread nicely over the rocks. These guys are pretty toxic. I will not be bothering them from this point on.

Pictures just don't do these guys justice. The tank is just gorgeous with the blue lights on- everything just glows.

I am now learning the relationships between the Ca, Mg and KH and how to manage dosing and working my way carefully to achieve balance.

Next week I will be looking at another fish or two to draw the clowns out of their corner and maybe a coral that they will most likely host. :)

109865109863[ATTACH]109864

two utes
05-20-2017, 08:27 AM
Hoping that all goes well with your daughter's graduation :)

Bring on those fish photos.

rickztahone
05-20-2017, 02:09 PM
Those palys look nice!

Jenene
05-20-2017, 03:04 PM
Those palys look nice!

Thanks Ricardo! They look amazing in person. Finding marine hard to photograph. Any suggestions? ��

Ryan925
05-20-2017, 03:05 PM
Nice!

rickztahone
05-20-2017, 07:08 PM
Thanks Ricardo! They look amazing in person. Finding marine hard to photograph. Any suggestions? ��

I'd say if you are shooting with your phone, buy cheap gel filters you buy on eBay to color correct the white balance. It helps a lot

Jenene
05-21-2017, 06:41 AM
I'd say if you are shooting with your phone, buy cheap gel filters you buy on eBay to color correct the white balance. It helps a lot

Thanks! I do have a nice Nikon and I did pay attention at Al's photo workshop for fun since I am not that knowledgeable but the they look so much better under blue but you just can't capture it!

DatDiscusDude
05-22-2017, 10:24 AM
Would love a full tank shot and some pics w the lights if you can figure it!

Jenene
05-22-2017, 11:52 AM
I will see what I can do for ya Dat! Although everything is pretty small right now. It will be fun to compare as things grow though. I will give it a shot. ��

Jenene
05-22-2017, 08:21 PM
I gave it my best shot DatDiscusDude. That is one impossible task for a photo rookie like me. I even had my son try it who actually knows how to use that camera. I can't quite capture the look of the blue lights but this is at least a full tank shot. You will have to look really carefully like an I Spy game to find everything. The clowns were hanging in the back.
109907

Debow
05-24-2017, 08:49 AM
Looks good jenene! That frogspawn looks healthy. Even your nem looks good too. Did you get any sand sifting fish yet?

Jenene
05-24-2017, 07:12 PM
Looks good jenene! That frogspawn looks healthy. Even your nem looks good too. Did you get any sand sifting fish yet?

Thanks Devon, the only thing digging in the sand at the moment is the conch. I will hopefully be adding something this week- Thursday or Friday. Hopefully they will have something. I am usually mostly looking at the corals so I am not really sure what they have. It is time for some more fins though!

Jenene
05-26-2017, 08:38 PM
Okay! So I went a bit crazy this week. Only one fish but it is a good one- A firefish. I know, I heard...these can jump. Hopefully mine will not because there are two fat Ragdoll cats sitting under the tank with mouths wide open. I was also warned it may disappear and not to worry but he didn't tell me where it would go. Lucky for me I was chatting with Lido last night and he told me they bury themselves in the sand. Thanks Casey! (He is doing great by the way!) The elusive fish was back out today. I had no idea it was a goby. It doesn't look like a typical goby. It is really hard to research ahead of time because I never know what he will have in the store that week. I have been trusting the owner to steer me in the right direction and so far it has worked for me.

So here he is, the Firefish. he did his job and coaxed the clowns out of their corner when he rose from his sand bed today.

109977

The next creature is a Kryptonite Hammer Coral. Awesome color. Looking good today.

109978

Next up a Watermelon Chalice. It should encrust the rock. It is spectacular in the blue light.

109979

I added 2 more cleaners- some Peppermint Shrimp. Making quick work of the rocks.

109980

The last one I can't really post a pic yet because it had kind of a rough move and may not make it. It is a little Hairy Mushroom that hopefully the Clowns will host if it survives. They had a hard time getting it off a container inside the tank and may have damaged it's foot. It didn't look great after it's dip and has not opened back up yet. It has however, really wedged itself into a rock so I tend to think it is still alive and may rebound. Not much too photograph, he is wedged in there pretty tight.

My water parameters look good. Ca is a tad low as well as Mg but I will dose again tomorrow. Balance is getting closer.

The existing corals are looking great. The Orange Tip Torch not only survived but is thriving. The Candy Cane from week one is already showing new branch growth and the nem is getting bigger and well as the Flame mushroom. I really was not expecting to see growth this soon. It is pretty cool. It really adds life to that corner of the house 'cause this is one of the few spots you can't see the discus tank from. :p Here is a room shot but it makes the tank look tiny- it is really not that small!

Darn! It is sideways and I can't fix it...Mods? :o sorry...
I may start to slow down on stocking a bit and take my time adding things now. If I keep going at this pace I won't have my Thursday shopping to look forward to! :o

zippy
05-26-2017, 09:50 PM
Wow..... how does the water stay in that tank ??
Zippy

Phillydubs
05-26-2017, 10:27 PM
Daaaaaang!! Don't hurt em girl! You just are steam rollin this marine stuff! So cool! I got my reading cut out for
Me tonight !!!

Jenene
05-26-2017, 10:32 PM
Daaaaaang!! Don't hurt em girl! You just are steam rollin this marine stuff! So cool! I got my reading cut out for
Me tonight !!!

Thanks Phil! I hit the ground running with the guys here in this section. They have been a huge help and very encouraging. The tank is only a little over a month old I think. I finally settled on the Cadillac of tanks by Red Sea after buying the most impractical one ever on Craig's list. Just re-sold it a few weeks ago. Hope you enjoy my little saga! Not the most exciting read for a Friday night!

Jenene
05-26-2017, 10:33 PM
Wow..... how does the water stay in that tank ??
Zippy

Funny guy... No wonder I am always flooding the house.

two utes
05-27-2017, 03:11 AM
Coming along nicely Jenene. That firefish looks really nice. Are you planning to get more of them?

Jenene
05-27-2017, 06:34 AM
Coming along nicely Jenene. That firefish looks really nice. Are you planning to get more of them?

Thanks Joe! More Firefish or just more fish in general?

Apparently the Firefish exist in groups in the wild but in captivity are aggressive toward each other unless paired but otherwise an extremely peaceful fish. So that guy will be the only one of those. I will need to do some research on other fish that will be compatible in the smaller size tank and reef safe. I am hoping to find a Royal Gramma and a Plectranthias. A watchman Goby and a Pistol Shrimp pair would be cool too...love the symbiotic relationship with those.

two utes
05-27-2017, 08:55 AM
Thanks Joe! More Firefish or just more fish in general?

Apparently the Firefish exist in groups in the wild but in captivity are aggressive toward each other unless paired but otherwise an extremely peaceful fish. So that guy will be the only one of those. I will need to do some research on other fish that will be compatible in the smaller size tank and reef safe. I am hoping to find a Royal Gramma and a Plectranthias. A watchman Goby and a Pistol Shrimp pair would be cool too...love the symbiotic relationship with those.

I was referring to more Firefish, but you have answered my question.

Jenene
06-01-2017, 10:11 PM
It's THURSDAY!!!! I am not sure how much longer I can keep this weekly reef shopping day up. I spend more on this stuff than I do on groceries.

So things were a a bit different this week. I did something I told myself I would not do. I ordered online. Shhhh...don't tell my reef guy. He must have missed me today. I was kind of surprised I didn't get a text!

Anyway, I ordered from Vivid Aquariums. They did an entire series of videos on my Red Sea Reefer tank. They had the same one and set it up from start to finish. To be honest I can't even remember how I found that they had an online store. But boy- they have some nice stuff. I was kind of exhausting the reef shop. He hadn't gotten anything new in for awhile. The shipment came today and I happen to have the day off so it worked out great. I made sure everything was reef safe and easy care. Okay, enough talk. Here is what was in the box. 1) A Blue Tuxedo Urchin. Way cool. He will clean up the algae for me at night. Max size will be 3". I almost ordered a Long Spine until I saw it can get to be 10". Actually I did order it and had to ask them to switch it for me. They were very kind and did not charge me the price difference either. I was not sure how a spiky Urchin would be with my next purchase but the guys assured me it would be fine. 2) Bubble Coral! I have always wanted one of these. A member posted one of his tank when I was thinking about starting one and I was enthralled. They look so delicate but are easy care. 3) Alien Brain Coral. This was supposed to be a 1" frag and they sent me a huge piece. It is like 4" x 2". This one sends out some stingers at night so he has his very own rock. Last but not least my first sps. 4) Blue Green Tenuis Acropora. This one will keep me on my toes. I have been keeping a close eye on my parameters and it fits right in there so this is my test. I hope I get at least a B+.

So...I am getting to the point of having to slow down. Need to save some space for future must haves... Here are some pics. The last one shows a dueling clean up crew with the surviving Hairy Mushroom. I thought it had died and just dissolved from the reef guy ripping him off a surface, it was in really bad shape but I found it under a rock today and put him back on his pedestal where he has latched on this time and seems a bit happier.

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Ryan925
06-01-2017, 10:30 PM
Wow really cool stuff

Jenene
06-01-2017, 11:32 PM
Thanks Ryan. They are a pretty weird crew. One interesting thing...well actually 2 interesting things about that urchin. It moves really fast. One minute he is on the sand and the next he is way up on the top of the rocks. He is supposed to be nocturnal but must be jet lagged because he has been up all day. Also they are known to pick up loose stuff in the tank and wear it as kind of a disguise like a loose mushroom or other small adornments. It says when they do that they are happy. Who knew?

Jenene
06-03-2017, 04:04 PM
Uh oh...I have completely lost my mind. I just can't stop. I found yet another reef shop 10 minutes away that does mainly online sales and they got some gorgeous Rock Nems in. They were taking pre-orders and I had no idea they had actually come in already but happened to go in for the first time today. The great thing about being local is you get to choose the one you want. If you order online they choose for you. Soooooooo. yeah. The guy said is it the same thing as the one that I have, but these are crazy looking. You can actually put them in groups but for now he sits opposite the other one. I really need to stop...at least for this week.

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two utes
06-15-2017, 06:51 AM
Jenene. I just got back from Kona where i spent lots of time snorkeling. I though of your tank a few times while spotting some wonderfully colored fish. Glad to see your tank still progressing. Looking good :)

Jenene
06-17-2017, 09:09 AM
Joe that sounds amazing! I am really hoping some day soon I can experience that as well. It would be cool to see everything in it's natural environment.

Thanks for the kind words- I am hoping to get everything in line so I can see some better growth and color. The frogspawn is doing the best so far but I did notice the Watermelon Chalice is beginning to spread. Really having fun with this.

I am going back to The Coral Dudes this morning to see if they have anything new in. Looking for some different Palys to cover some rock sides.