Jader Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 phase 1 : 3/4/05 phase 2 : 3/6/05 phase 3 : 3/8/05 phase 3 : angle phase 3 : aquascape composition 3/9/05 temp: 78 F salinity: 1.025 ammonia: between 4.0 and 8.0 ppm! nitrite: still undetectable the wait is agonizing. Link to comment
afiser Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 why is the does the sand look so dirty Link to comment
Jader Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 i forget what that sand is called. those black pebbles are little lava rocks. came with the sand. Link to comment
impur Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Great start. What do you plan on keeping? Link to comment
Jader Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 not too many fish. i really like the blennies and goby types that kinda sit on the bottom, plus they always look grumpy. since this is my first reef tank wanna start off slow. then again, you never know what a trip to the fish store will bring you! definitely fish that dont get too big. clowns might even be out of the picture. as far as corals, just whatever corals that are easy and will do well under those lights. im thinking mushrooms and zoos. im approaching this as more of an underwater garden rather than a fish tank. question: how long does it usually take for the ammonia to go down? should i do a water change or just leave it? Link to comment
Jader Posted March 12, 2005 Author Share Posted March 12, 2005 3.12.04 phase 4 - murky the clown fish murky readily accepts frozen baby brine and likes to swim against the moving powerhead, picking off bits of food. this specimen was chosen for its excellent coloring and size. i am considering an additional clown to keep him or her company, especially since at my LFS he was only $15.95, what a deal! also note the growth of brown algae (actually diatoms) on the live rock. Link to comment
Andrew (Canada eh) Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 What spectrum/combination of lights are you useing? Im planning a 26gallon at the moment and i love that blue tint, it's like the mellow midnight tank. Link to comment
Jader Posted March 12, 2005 Author Share Posted March 12, 2005 they are stock JBJ 12g DX nano lights. (2) 24 Watt, 50/50 compact fluorescents. im reading off the paperwork. its much brighter in person, im just a crappy photographer i think. Link to comment
imafishboy Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 love ur "phases" or change in the aquascape. imo i think every single one looked nice. aquascaping is real hard for some ppl, for others, it comes naturally Link to comment
jenniebutterfly Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 8 days and you already have a fish? is your cycle finished? sure looks like you shoulda waited and got a clean up crew instead of a clown. not trying to be mean or anything so please do not take it that way. just wondering if your tank really finished cycling that fast jen Link to comment
Jader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 nano reef 1.5 - 3.13.98 livestock added! couldnt resist, but all my parameters started stablizing so i went for it. to answer questions, the tank had been cycling a few days prior to when the first picture was taken. live sand was used, as well as uncured rock to charge up with lots of ammonia. i believe this was key in my initial cycle since there was a huge ammonia spike due to dying rock. i figured out that one of the rocks i selected had a bunch of clam crap on it that i brushed off. even more ammonia! but i went this way to make sure i had enough bacteria to handle the sudden increase in livestock since i only get to work in it much during the weekends. you should have seen my ammonia tests, the darkest green evar! my fingers are crossed but all the animals look healthy and are feeding. i was very anal about the specimens i chose and made sure none had any signs of ich as well as standard coloring. the anemone loves those blue actinics and the yellow goby is at home amongst the rocks. Link to comment
Jader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 Originally posted by imafishboy love ur "phases" or change in the aquascape. imo i think every single one looked nice. aquascaping is real hard for some ppl, for others, it comes naturally thank you. i spend lots of time aquascaping to find the right balance as well as to show off the best sides of the rock. every piece can fit in some way with another and you build from there. i also wanted to make sure i had ledges for coral frags with varying elevations. but yeah i pretty much move stuff, stand back, move stuff... repeat till im satisfied. i cant help it since im the one staring at it all freaking day! Link to comment
Crabs Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 jader, How long did your cycle take? I have been cycling for 5 days and my ammonia is still off the chart, very little in terms of trites and trates. ( I had alot of die-of as well, clams, worms, sponges, etc) In addition to water changes am thinking about running a skimmer. Any other advice/suggestions? Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Jadar, You might want to keep an eye on your fish for stress during the next week. You could get a false reading if testing too early, keep testing each day, doesn't hurt. You would be amazed what you thought was safe wasnt'.... Just a heads up,,, by the way,,, I like your clown goby, I have one too,,, his name is Conan.... Mike Link to comment
TheCheat Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 jader, be careful about adding such demanding animals such as anemones so early on. most recommend waiting several months, having a well-established tank, first... along with very intense lighting. good luck. i hope you have not moved too quickly. my suggestion would be to work on getting a cleanup crew in there. don't let the lfs talk you into getting 6 conchs and an 8" serpent star. ~B Link to comment
Jader Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Originally posted by TheCheat jader, be careful about adding such demanding animals such as anemones so early on. most recommend waiting several months, having a well-established tank, first... along with very intense lighting. good luck. i hope you have not moved too quickly. my suggestion would be to work on getting a cleanup crew in there. don't let the lfs talk you into getting 6 conchs and an 8" serpent star. ~B noted. i know im really pushing it in terms of livestock... blame the newbie shuffle. in response to crabs: my cycle is still in the final stages as there are min ammonia and mid to min levels of nitrite (fingers crossed for constitution of livestock). the ammonia WILL go down eventually. you get used to that color on the test kit, but when it starts to lighten... brighter days are ahead. i had 3 blue legged hermits and 2 astrea snails in there during the spike. the astrea snails did not make it, but the shells will be new homes for the 2 hermits that did survive. i cant believe the hermits survived, but at least i know the ones i have are particularly hardy. they are doing very well now, and i am surprised by how fast they move. but like you read everywhere, i could have avoided die off of the livestock if i had waited a few more days. i am an impulse buyer though (not just with aquariums) but i made sure to get stuff thats not $50 so if i doesnt do well... you live and learn. but thats the fun part! its a function of how much bacteria is initially present as well as the amount of ammonia being released into the water. after your ammonia tests peak (darkest color), that is the most toxic stage for fish. (i lost a blue chromi because i tried to rush) i havent tested for nitrate because i dont have a kit for that particular chem. its relatively benign though i am still taking a risk. seriously considering returning the clownfish because i think it was tank raised as he does not seem to do natural behaviors. he also seems to upset the balance of my tank from an aesthetic view. he loves to eat though. i will not replace him to ease up on the tank system. the anemone really likes the lights on the JBJ nano. i calculated at 4 watts per gallon, and read somewhere thats a minimum recommended. i was worried for a bit because he was moving around when i first put him in. i placed the anemone (his name is squirt) where i thought he would like it the best near current and light. he stays put, even with the lights off. he looks a lot better now than when he was in the LFS too. the yellow goby though... i love this lil bastard! he chills on the rocks waiting for food to float by. its fun trying to find where he is. he is most interesting to watch, plus his yellow is so bright. but yeah, a clean up crew is definitely the next must-buy. probably the same day murky the clown fish goes back to the LFS. so sad! Link to comment
Plancton Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 I've noticed fiji rock is very round in shape, I don't like this, has anyone tried breaking the rock to get different shapes with better results? Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Jader, Keep us posted on how long your anenome stays put in that spot. I'd like to know how long he'll stay there. They tend to move a lot looking for better lighting and better current. Mike Link to comment
Jader Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Originally posted by mikeguerrero Jader, Keep us posted on how long your anenome stays put in that spot. I'd like to know how long he'll stay there. They tend to move a lot looking for better lighting and better current. Mike i checked this morning and he was still there! i was scared he was gonna move during the night with the lights off but he seems to like his spot. hes right between the stock JBJ powerhead and a moving powerhead i got at petsmart, but i think squirt likes the spot because its under the blue actinic.... squirt did not like being directly in teh current as he moved away from where i initially placed him. his tentacles are really fat and the color is also real bright. part of squirt reaches out in the current searching for food while another part reaches up to the light for photosynthesis, i believe. the stinging cells seem to be regenerating too. Link to comment
Pili4444 Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Please Slow down a little. I dont mean to be harsh but 2 fish in a tank that is still only 10 days old and still having some effects of a cycle is not good. Your fish will probebly make it but there is a chance that there could be another ammonia spike or a hermit could die randomly and your tank could crash. The only comment i will make about the anemone is that even though it is cheap, if it dies, it wont be a pretty sight and you could lose everything in the tank which is alot more than $50. All i'm saying is that you need to slow down, watch your param. very carefully and be prepared, just in case, to bring your livestock back to your LFS. I dont mean to be a pessimist but i tried to say this nicely before someone else comes along and gives you a big old nasty flame. Good Luck edit: by the way your aquascaping looks great:) Link to comment
Jader Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 i came home from work today and noticed squirt the anemone a bit smaller. i also noticed there was some scum on the surface so i pointed the powerhead up for ripples. within minutes, squirt was again fully extended. Originally posted by Pili4444 a hermit could die randomly and your tank could crash. All i'm saying is that you need to slow down, watch your param. very carefully and be prepared, just in case, to bring your livestock back to your LFS. I dont mean to be a pessimist but i tried to say this nicely before someone else comes along and gives you a big old nasty flame. Good Luck edit: by the way your aquascaping looks great:) thanks. advice noted and heeded. i would be so ####ed if 1 dead hermit caused my tank to crash. but there is a dead hermit in there somewhere! i know im going to make mistakes the first tank, so i only have to blame myself if it does. if i do mess up and stuff dies, ill post it here im not embarassed. you all can then give me a big "i told you so!" 3.14.05 tank shot you can see mr goby in the rocks down in the lower left. murky the clown has been sequestered for possible return to LFS. Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 You are funny, I laughed when I saw nemo netted for return. Sort of reminds me of the movie Nemo, when he was captured and taken to the aquarium store... Mike Link to comment
Jader Posted March 15, 2005 Author Share Posted March 15, 2005 Originally posted by mikeguerrero You are funny, I laughed when I saw nemo netted for return. Sort of reminds me of the movie Nemo, when he was captured and taken to the aquarium store... Mike haha, thanks mike. btw, is this THE mike guerrero of nano-customs fame who has his own really expensive custom 12g hood that i want? Link to comment
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