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Tony's Tonga Tank - Update


tlombardo

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BRS came through today with the delivery of 30Lbs of dry tonga rock that I ordered! I ordered half single branch and half multi branch. They said the complex branch would be very thick which I thought wouldn't work in my tank. I got so much because I heard it was really dense and wanted a lot to work with and I certainly have more than plenty. I am very satisfied with the assortment they sent me now it is up to me to make it work.

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/DSC_0209.jpg.html'>DSC_0209.jpg

 

Here are all the pieces laid out (with my bucket of old rocks at the top left). It seems like the bumpy pieces are way more porous and much less dense than the flat pieces so I may try to use these to increase my bio filter.

 

My mind is already filled with scaping ideas but I think this one is gonna be tough. Anyways I have a while more to think with the treatment I have ahead of me.

 

That's all for now!

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If you go on BRS they have the prices. It was around $2.50 or $3.00 per pound and shipping was like $20. I'm pumped to get going just need to keep patient with it all! I am always excited to make a scape but this one seems a little more daunting than the last ha. Still not even set if I want root like structure or normal branching upwards. At least I have time to think.

 

 

Tony

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Thanks for info and I sure know that sweet dilemma lol good luck

Thanks!

 

 

Well I couldn't help myself. Before I put it in for the acid bath I had to tinker a bit and see what I could do without epoxy. I am thinking of maybe one big piece and one small piece for two islands in the tank. I manage to build three sturctures at once that would be the big island. Definitely have too much rock ha. Here they are let me know what you think!!

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/random/aquarium/IMG_20130919_163730_111.jpg.html'>IMG_20130919_163730_111.jpg

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/random/aquarium/IMG_20130919_164930_229.jpg.html'>IMG_20130919_164930_229.jpg

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/random/aquarium/IMG_20130919_165815_641.jpg.html'>IMG_20130919_165815_641.jpg

 

I would break some of the skinny pieces up to make some smaller roots for these structures if I were making a final scape whihc would provide some more space for coral placement.

 

Thoughts?

 

Tony

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well after a long week of bathing it seems my rock has leached all of its phosphates. There was definitely some in there last weekend when I tested but it is now gone! :naughtydance:

 

I spent a while playing with the rocks today on a piece of cardboard I cut to the size of my tank. I haven't done any gluing but did take a pic of what I came up with

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/DSC_0211.jpg.html'>DSC_0211.jpg

 

Looking forward to sticking this all together tomorrow and hopefully filling the tank!

 

Tony

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Well I ended up putting the rocks and sand in the tank and filling it. That was two days ago and I also dumped in the bottle of bacteria. I have been feeding and testing as they hopefully establish a good population in my tank. I took an FTS today and had an idea that if I take enough FTS (every day or every few days) from the exact same spot I can make a timelapse of growth a few months/years from now. So I set up a tripod and marked the floor where I had the legs and left the height adjusted. If I can get these pics close enough to the same each time it wouldnt be hard to make a time lapse.

 

http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/awlomba/media/DSC_0215.jpg.html'>DSC_0215.jpg

 

There is it. Now I just have to figure out how to adjust my camera to get a decent pic.

 

Tony

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Well done! Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

 

Looks great so far

 

Thanks!

 

 

You Sir have just given me an idea for my Mantis tank rebuild .

 

 

Thanks

beer-smiley.gif

 

Glad I could help out!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well the tank is ready for inhabitants! With the addition of some of some Marinepure by cermedia my tank is eating through ammonia and nitrites like it's being paid. I have a heavy coat of diatoms still hanging around but no real algae that I can tell so I think the CUC will be on hold.I have a good idea of what I would like to stock it with and would like to put in soon what I feel like will eventually grow out to fill the tank.

 

Although I would like to get in enough frags soon to just watch them grow for a while I plan on doing a small trial phase just to make sure nothing terrible is going on before I go buy enough to get the tank going. I would also like to add one fish which will probably be a clown. The catch is that I leave the country for 9 days starting November 1.

 

So my options are:

Do nothing until I get back

get first "testing" livestock with fish

test without fish

all coral the coral I want and no fish

everything

 

I have an ATO, an autofeeder, and a RKL with 2 PC4 all hooked up so I have basically everything to cover being away. I also have two roommates but they only show a slight interest and know 0 about the tank or aquaria. Obviously I have the devil on one shoulder wanting to get everything asap and the angel saying just wait until after the vacation to get anything. I am leaning towards the starting few or just getting no fish for now as I think fish make vacations way more complicated than corals do.

 

I plan to buy all my coral from local people and have already been on contact with several owners of beautiful tanks willing to frag me some nice pieces. If you have any advice let me know otherwise I will continue to battle this internal struggle alone :closedeyes: . Haha whatever happens I will keep everyone up to date.

 

Tony

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So I got my first ever corals last night! I got them from a local guy who was willing to frag me some things from his 125 gallon tank. I acclimated and dipped and they all seem to be doing well so far. I know I probably should have avoided the SPS but I couldnt help myself. I would love some IDs if anyone knows the exact names:

 

Ricordea

IMG_20131019_133459_305.jpg

 

Two SPS and some zoas

IMG_20131019_133433_800.jpg

 

Monti cap

IMG_20131018_215622_758.jpg

 

 

The pics are cell phone rather than the usual DSLR sorry! I am visiting another guy Sunday evening hopefully to pick up some more frags and will update on those when I can also. none of the corals will stay where they are now I just haven't decided where they will go until I get more frags Sunday. I also have no idea where to put corals for flow becuase although I know certain corals need "high" or "low" flow I don't really know what that means so I'm observing how they do right now.

 

Tony

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Mr. Microscope

Nice!

 

Green Birdsnest (likely ORA), maybe a Bonsai (though, it's rare to see such long branches of that; it encrusts a lot, maybe not bonsai), zoas are Whammin' Watermelons/Eagle Eyes.

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Thanks I don't really know much when it comes to the details of IDing. Looking to pick up some hammer, frogspawn, maybe some goniopora or alveopora, potentially one more sps, and hopefully another color of some zoas/ricordea/mushrooms. Oh how the list just goes on and on haha. I feel like if I pick those up though I should be pretty set for a while on coral and I even had a few zoas hanging off the tile they came on so I glued them to a separate plug.

 

If I had to go without one or two I might drop gonio/alveo first because I like the hammers and frogspawns better.

 

Tony

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Yes wish me luck! I have everything under control parameter, temp, and top-off wise. I haven't made any dosing decisions yet though as I don't know what the contents of my tank will require so I will be testing for that to find out (alk calcium and mag). If you have any advice besides not doing it (because its too late for that ha) then let me know as there is always more to learn.

 

Thanks,

Tony

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BeardedReeferLLC

Yes wish me luck! I have everything under control parameter, temp, and top-off wise. I haven't made any dosing decisions yet though as I don't know what the contents of my tank will require so I will be testing for that to find out (alk calcium and mag). If you have any advice besides not doing it (because its too late for that ha) then let me know as there is always more to learn.

 

Thanks,

Tony

There is no Luck to give you? SPS will not survive in the "new tank" enviroment... Sorry but your SPS will look similar to this pic..

 

 

Bleached and DEAD.

5SBQgZ9.jpgAll I can say jack is RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!

 

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What is the new tank environment? Just wondering if there is a quantification to the new tank environment or if it's one of those things that just exists and we don't know why.

 

btw I have had the rock wet for over a month but the first two weeks it was in a separate container while I was letting phosphates leach out. Not that that gets it out of the new tank category though.

 

There is no Luck to give you? SPS will not survive in the "new tank" enviroment... Sorry but your SPS will look similar to this pic..

 

 

Tony

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Mr. Microscope

The birdsnest may be okay. The acro will likely brown out but could recover in time. The problem with new reefs is that you are still establishing habits. This leads to unstable water which SPS don't like.

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I understand the part about the habits I still have to think through everything I do and make sure I haven't left anything out. Hopefully with my controller and ato that list will be small enough for me to not mess anything up myself.

 

I'm trying to figure out flow right now though(moving them around to the best area possible until I get other corals) and had a few questions. Most of the videos of birdsnest show the polyps gently waving around but say they love high flow. I feel like the low flow areas of my tank provide the waving affect while anywhere else has them blowing around a little more than just a gentle swishing here and there. What should I be looking for. Are the polyps good indicators here? if they retract does that mean too much flow? I'm wondering the same about the acro but the polyps are much less noticable so it is hard to use those as a gauge. Same questions for light really because right now I am playing it safe on the lower side probably.

 

Besides that everything seems to be going alright. Not sure what kind of time span I would be expecting bad things if they were to happen though.

 

Tony

 

PS: we can come up with some odds and make this(the betting) thing official if you want :happy:

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Sps a a pain but I think it is possible to get them to survive in a new system. Saltcube (outside the fact he's a beginner) what reasons are there that, as long as the cycle is complete, he cannot add them as first additions?

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