O-man21 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 New pics in post #49. About two months ago I decided that I wanted to switch my well established (over 3 years without any changes in the tank, with VERY minimal water changes) Eclipse System 6 tank to SW. Being the high school senior that I am, I confronted my dad with the idea of him backing me, and he said yes, he'd always wanted a SW tank. So that night, I pretty much dumped (not exactly, and just to ease your concerns, all the fish are still alive and doing great,) all the inhabitants of my 6 into my also well established FW 30 gallon. I had be trolling this site for a while and had learned basically what I needed to know about setting up a new tank. I'm also in a Marine Biology program at school, with over 80 FOWLR tanks, and 3 reef setups. Anyways, we went to the LFS (Adam's Aquatics in Des Moines, IA, if anyones interested. Great stuff, except for some live rock with some small aiptasia on it. Overpriced though. But I am in the middle of the country, very far from either ocean. Not the greatest corals.) and picked up 10 pounds of live sand, and 6 pounds of cured, aiptasia free live rock. (Upon the request of a member here, I went back and got 2 more pounds the next day, bringing my total to 8 pounds) Also picked up a Rio 90 and a 12" 18k Power-Glo bulb, since it's the strongest thing that'll fit in the Eclipse hood, and I'm tight on money. My dad only paid for essentials. UPDATED LISTS AS OF 6/30/08 Hardware: Biocube 14 72W NANOCUSTOMS LIGHT RETROFIT 36W Total Actinic 36W Total 10k Stock Return Pump Rio 50 Rio 90 Filter Floss/Purigen/Chemi-Pure Elite in Chamber2 Hydor Flo Livestock: 20 lbs. Black Live Sand 13 lbs. Indonesian, Fiji, and Tonga Live Rock 2 False Percula Clowns-Thomas and Jerry 1 Green Clown Goby-Toby 1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp-Jacque 2 1 Peppermint Shrimp 8 Astrea Snails 7 Blue Legged Hermits 6 Polyp Colony of Hitchhiker Zoa's (Pic below, please ID) Anthelia that's already spreading (Thank you tashayer) Pom-Pom Xenia GSPs Purpleish Blueish Mushrooms (Thank you tashayer) 1 Green and Purple Favia 7-8 Head Candycane 1 Superman Mushroom Green Palys from BibleSue Patch of "Parsley" from BibleSue- I think it's an encrusting gorgonian, not more GSP. French Silk Pie from BibleSue Another zoa frag from BibleSue that I forget the name of. 3 Heads of Green and Pink Frogspawn 3-4" Open Brain 2' Crocea Clam 5 Acan Lord Frags Purple Turbinaria Frag 1 Red and Green Trach. Geoff. 1 Green Trach. Geoff. Here are some pictures of the tank as it is right now. Sorry that some are blurry, the acrylic is pretty scratched, but doesn't look bad in person. I took a couple shots looking down into the tank that turned out better than I thought. FTS: Anthelia: Looking down on Zoas, please ID: Looking down on Xenia: Looking down on a mushroom cluster, pissed off GSPs, and Anthelia with the power head and filter off to stop waves: Thank you to tashayer for sending my the mushrooms in the tank, and the anthelia. Completely free of charge. They're doing great, thanks again. The 2.5 will be in my next post. Sorry, I just start typing and then I don't stop! Link to comment
irishtexan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Looks really great so far! I will definately be following along and helping when I can. For your next coral addition, I would suggest some green star polyps or zoanthids. They are both beginner corals and they will add alot of color to your tank. EDIT: LOL I just saw your pics so obviously you already have both of what I have suggested It is going to look really great when everything spreads out and the xenia and anthelia really get going. Be patient, GSP can take a LONG time to open sometimes. Even weeks. Good Luck! -texx Link to comment
O-man21 Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Wow, I didn't expect a reply that fast! Thank you for the compliment and the help in the future, I'm sure I'll need it! BROKEN DOWN AND COMBINED WITH THE 6 GALLON INTO THE BC14 Background: I got paid about a month ago, and wanted another tank! It ended up costing me about 160 dollars total, not too bad. This is going to be my "extra coral tank," for when I get too much anthelia or whatever in my 6. Also I'm going to get some cool zoa's to put in it. Hardware: Top Fin 10 with 7.5 w heater in compartment with filter floss, also rinsed daily. Rio 50 dialed back a little bit Coralife 50/50 CF light, with homemade aluminum foil reflector. Livestock: 5 pounds live sand 2.2 pounds live rock, I'm going to get either a half or a whole pound more tomorrow. 2 Blue Legger hermits 2 Astrea snails 1 Purpleish blueish mushroom, also from tashayer. There is a little hard water build up on the glass that I have yet to scrub off when I took these pics: FTS: Both Tanks: Link to comment
irishtexan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Both are looking great so far! It looks like the 6G is a little yellow in color, so I would suggest trying to find a CF 50/50 bulb(actinic/10000K) Hope this helps! Link to comment
O-man21 Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Hmmmm.. you think so? Maybe it's just because it's next to the pico? This is the bulb I'm using in it. Power-Glo The problem I run into with lights for that tank is the hood is actually set-up for a 12" T-5 bulb, not a CF like the other Eclipse systems. There are very few 12" T-5's, I have found out. Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Look great! Happy to help a fellow Iowan! We used to drive to the McDonald's by Adventureland just to see their saltwater tank. Looks like your clown is checking out the anthelia Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 You also have some beautiful coralline growing on that LR. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thanks, yea I like the coralline too, and your corals! Does anyone have any idea what type of zoas those are? Or are they just plain old "zoas"? Also, any suggestions to irishtexans lighting comment? Link to comment
BKtomodachi Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Yes, those are zoanthids. Trying to apply some silly "hobby" name to them is ridiculous, as those are all made up anyway. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Haha I knew that! I just thought that maybe they were being sold somewhere under a certain name, so I could call them that instead of just zoas. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 So that big mushroom in the middle of my 6 gallon popped off of the rock on it's own today.I moved the old mushroom into the 2.5, and it looks like what stayed stuck to the rock is going to be 3 baby mushrooms.I also won a Weetabix's contest for some free frags, so I've got some good developments. BibleSue was actually the one who sent me the frags, so if you see them and want some for yourself, ask her! I snagged a candy cane frag from my marine bio room a couple day's ago, and it's just starting to totally expand. The BibleSue frags also opened up fully for the first time today. I'll post some new pictures tomorrow to show everything that's going on. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 BOTH ARE BROKEN DOWN AND COMBINED INTO THE BC14. Here are the pictures! Sorry the 6 gallon FTS is blurry, my camera is horrible and the acrylic is a little scratched. Also, my camera has terrible macro so the coral shots aren't that great. 2.5 FTS: 6 FTS: New Candy Cane: New Zoa's from BibleSue, I think these are "French Silk Pie" Green Paly's BibleSue sent me: Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 BOTH ARE BROKEN DOWN AND COMBINED INTO THE BC14. I lost my Peppermint shrimp after a water change I did on Sunday for an unknown reason. I mixed the water fine and did everything as I always do but today it killed him. All the other inhabitants seemed fine, and he was even fine about an hour after the change, but then when I went in again later he was dead. I replaced him with a skunk cleaner yesterday and added a peppermint to the 2.5 gallon. I bought a Coralife Aqualight for the 6 gallon so I have more pics with the update. I removed the lid from the Eclipse completely, along with the fitler assemble, leaving the LR to filter the tank and the Rio 90 pump to curculate. I also have new pictures of the coral, still not that good though because of the camera. Both Tanks: 6 Gallon with Light: From the side: 2.5 Gallon: "Parsley" from BibleSue, finally opened up: Candy cane I snagged from Marine Bio: Favia I just got on Sunday: Link to comment
BibleSue Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Lookin' much better! The things that are on disks usually have enough rock under them to pop off & glue where you want them. Find a spot where they are happy first & use Super Glue Gel to glue them down. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 18, 2008 Author Share Posted April 18, 2008 Alright guys, I reached a compromise with my mom and setup a BC14 today! I've combined both tanks into it, and am not expecting a cycle at all since I used all the same materials except the sand. There is only about 2 gallons of water that are new, even though that doesn't matter, just proving that I reused everything haha. I have the stock filter pad in it until it gets too dirty to use, the heater in chamber 1, LRR under the drip tray in chamber 2, and the stock pump in chamber 3 with a Rio 90 in the tank for added flow. Pics will come tomorrow, along with a full report on it. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 START OF BC14 PICTURES. Alright here we go. I have combined both tanks into the BC14, using new (black!) live sand and all of the old live rock. It looks great and I really love the moonlights. I added 2 more hermit crabs, 2 more Nass. snails and a tail spot blenny today, all are doing great. Here are some pictures! The colors are different in some of them. My camera gets very confused about the white balance, so I used only the 10k for some pictures, and both for others. The whiter pics are 10k only. FTS: Right Side: Left Side: Candy Cane: Favia: Toby!: Tell me what you think! Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 Hmmmm, no comments? How about suggestions for a next coral? I'm thinking frogspawn or a nice torch or hammer. "Or a nice stretch job with a TV and a bar!" -Ferris Bueller's Day Off Link to comment
qbical Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 nice, but im thinkn u need to build up not out. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 What do you mean by that? More LR? Or just more corals up top? What would you suggest for up there? I understand what you mean by up and I agree I was the rock work was taller. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 I've got an update for you guys! I never really liked the rockwork I had initially in the BC, and qbical's comment spurred me along to redo it. So I went out and bought 3 more pounds of LR, and rearranged everything. I also added another clown (Jerry) and a powerhead, so I'll update everything here. I know 4 fish maybe a little much in a 14, but they all get along great and I do a 2 gallon water change about every 5 days, so I'm really not concerned about it. Anyways, here's pics of the new setup! The color is a little different than the other pictures because I turned of the actinics. My camera for some reason doesn't know what to do so it makes everything way too blue. FTS with Flash to light up caves: FTS W/O flash: Right Side: Left Side: Toby!: Thomas (Tom): Candy Cane, with the Superman shroom and French Silk Pie frag: Favia: Link to comment
O-man21 Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 I moved some stuff around a little bit more, I didn't like how all the rocks sat and the frags just resting in the sand bed. I'll post some more pictures soon! Link to comment
Lizzie1324 Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Your tank is looking great! You should def. get some hammer of frogspawn next.. I'm trying to convince my mom to set up "her own" Biocube 14. lol I have a red sea max and it is about the same age as your tank, just a little older. Link to comment
O-man21 Posted May 11, 2008 Author Share Posted May 11, 2008 Thanks lizzie! Funny you said that, I just bought a frogspawn frag from Six here. It's getting shipped out on Monday, I can't wait! Here are some updated pictures! As you can see, I switched the Anthelia and the Candy Canes locations. And I finally got a good picture of the Favia and Lenny the Tailspot Blenny. I'm also going to rearrange the livestock and hardware info on the first page so it all is in the first post. FTS: Favia: Candy Cane and Jerry: Lenny: Toby: Link to comment
Lizzie1324 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Nice Favia! Thats cool you are getting a frogspawn. Your blenny is sot cute! I have a bi-color, they are great. Link to comment
cjscott Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I have been reading your thread and I wanted to double check your lighting. Did you upgrade it at all? Link to comment
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