Jareths Reef

2008-06-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

2008-06-09T23:13:00.001-07:00

Ruined my Calc & KH test directions

2008-01-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hope I got it figured out right.

NO3 20
NH3 0
NO2 0
PO4 0
pH 8.4
dKH 7.5
Ca2 380
SG 1.45
Temp 79

2008-01-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Not much to say

2007-12-22T00:20:00.000-08:00

Just letting the tank mellow still. I've heard from my Mother that I've got quite the haul coming for xmas from the LFS. I took back one of the damsels, and eventually Im gonna take the other back. Then gonna get a Flame Angel, so Im kinda waiting for the nitrates to zero so I feel safe. Still NO LUCK THERE.

SG: 1.026
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

2007-12-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

2007-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Wow I had a reader

2007-12-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

Well, thats nice to know someones listening in. ::waves::

OK, so, ummm, damn. Been doing lots of stuff but now I cant remember. Sec, reading past posts...

OK, so, I had just added a bag of agra-alive sand. Thats all settled now, and I've just been letting the tank mellow. I prolly shouldnt have, but I skipped a few days worth of a water change. I wanted to let thing sjust kinda mellow out. The fish are doing fine. I am cutting back on my feeding, trying to control my nitrates. Having problems convincing the wife that the fish dont need to eat every day.

I tried putting up a piece of algae on a clip, but no takers. But when I took it down I gave it to my large emerald crab and he sat in one spot for about 2-3 days munching away on it. I think he's trying to take out my other emerald crab, who I dont ever see. But I did see the larger clutching the smaller once till I broke it up and gave em algae discs.

I was walking through Fish Planet friday, thinking about buying another cleaner shrimp, when I saw a real nice rock on display. It had a few christmas tree worms, some nice sponges, and good coraline growth. I asked and they were selling it for the worms on it for $35. I debated and said I'd take it. All together I've counted 10-11 worms sprouting. Sometimes I cant tell if its 2 worms or just 1. They look light red ferns from my PC chair, and are constantly ducking back inside their shells and creeping back out. The rock also had a lot of algae growth on it, not sure if it was good or bad. But I picked up my turbo snail and put him on the rock and the algae pretty much disappeared. I'll be watching for it, but it will be nice to have more growth in the tank without adding lights.

I also just noticed a lot of egg sacks on my glass. About 4 clear sacks with a cluster of small specks. Cant wait to see what those are.

Pics of the last few weeks below. No real Coraline growth yet, kinda disappointed in that.

SG 1.026
pH 8.4
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

Promise a real post Friday

2007-11-28T19:40:00.001-08:00

SG 1.026
pH 8.4
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

My test has to be wrong.

24hrs after adding 20lbs Agra-Alive sand

2007-11-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

Needed to finish off my DSB, so I used 20 lbs salt-and-pepper colored sand to finish off with. Came wet, with instructions not to rinse. I cleaned the outside of the bag, then put it in the tank and cut it open, pouring it all over the tank slowly. Took the brightness of the light in the tank down a bit from the bright white sand that is still there.

SG: 1.026
pH: 8.4
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 30

New pic is from a few days ago, when I stirred everything up trying to add a plenum. More about that fiasco later.

Testing

2007-11-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

Salinity 1.025
pH 8.4
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

Weird thing on fish

2007-11-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

SG 1.026
pH 8.4
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

At least I'm consistant. Im gonna see if the LFS has any salifert tests, to double check the readings. I took out the biowheels 2 days ago, that should help. I'll watch what I'm feeding but the crab and shrimp are eating from my hands and its hard to stop.

I'm going to be taking one of the Red Honey Damsels back, he's just being a bully to everyone in the tank. The rest of the fish get along OK. So I'm going to take out the LR and get the red honey out and take him back. My wife might throw a fit, but I'll have to convince her its this $10 fish you got on a whim, or that $60 fish you've wanted for months.

While I'm doing all that, Im gonna have to pull out one of my Fire Goby's. He's got something weird hanging out of his gill. I kinda hope he inhaled a shrimp or something, and its not some parasite. But I'm gonna get him out and see if I can tug on it with a pair of tweezers.

Also having a problem with my plenum. I really want to use one, but I put sugar fine sand down as my first 2 layers and all I can find to cover the PVC frame is plastic window screen which usually has too large a gap. I'm gonna go to hope depot and check to see how small the mesh is, if its small enough I'll try and if nothing else will have my rock laying on PVC not glass.

I went to the Marine Aquaruarists Round Table of Sacramento tonite too. Just sat through the Q&A, left right when they started the show and tell portions. I cant really get frags yet anyhow.

2007-11-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Sugar?

2007-11-14T17:49:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say, I gave it a try. I took a pinch of sugar, less than 1/8 teaspoon, and put it into the tank to try to lower my nitrates. No such luck, but the timers not done. Also found a couple of places where some food had built up and part of a dead hermit crab I had pulled out. Also enjoying feeding my shrimp by hand already. I gotta get another if I can sneak it past the wife. Been taking pics once every couple days or so. Will post them to compare the algae growth. Seeing some more green algae growing with the purple so it looks nice. Not seeing much change in the light purple algae growth tho.

Timers up.

SG: 1.025
pH 8.4
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 20

Livestock List

2007-11-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

Added 2 Fire Gobi's, so... Testing:
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.4
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 20

OK here is a list of what I would like to have in the tank. Asterisk mean I already have them. And I think I will end up making a u-tube of my tanks evolution and post it with this song as the music: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RlDdzNuJto4

4 Nassarius Snails *
2 Turbo Snails *
1* + 3 cleaner/pistol shrimp
2 Red Leg Hermit Crabs *
2 Unknown (dark, but not red) Hermit Crabs *
2 Blue legged Hermit Crabs
2* +1 Fire Gobi's
2 Clowns (prolly perc, or maroon, and if I can find one that gets along with the other, a black).
1 Blue Tang (to be exchanged once it gets too large ((provided of course the guilt of taking him back to the shop doesnt make my wife decide we need a bigger tank)) )
1 Flame Angel
1 Velvet Damsel (if we get one with the right attitude.)

Corals:
1 If-I-can-find-it a "tight brain" blue lobophyllia, or blue elegance.
1 Bubble Coral
1 Frogspawn
1 Blue Xenia
1 Sun Coral
1 Yellow Toadstool
1 blue & green acanasthiamajig (or something like that, I'll edit later with link)
Possibly a purple Xoanthid, maybe one of another color. Maybe a few shrooms.

Testing, algae, new friends.

2007-11-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

Salinity 1.027
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate Still 30-40. Well I have been feeding the crabs algae disks. I'll cut that dowl to once every 2 days and be careful on my feeding. I'm doing a water change tomorrow too.

I think I deffinately have some Coraline Algae growing now. I bought some Purple Up, but I read too many posts saying not to, so what I figure I will do is when I buy Live Rock I will put it in a tub with an airstone and a small dose of it, then kinda spray down the rock before putting it into my tank. I'll prolly take about 1/2 the LR I get for the aquascape to do this and let the other cure naturally. I'll take pics of that.

I also went back to the LFS to get a few Nassarius Snails and ended up buying a cleaner shrimp. The guy showed me how they will climb up onto your hand when you act a certain way. I'll try to get one more as long as this guy survives. The LFS guy also gave me a few extra shells for my hermit crabs as I mentioned the shells they were in had holes on the back. This brings my Clean Up Crew to 4 Nassarius Snails, 2 Turbo Snails, 2 Hermit Crabs, 1 Red Leg Hermit Crab, 1 Emerald Crab(but hes really red), and 1 cleaner shrimp.

Pics below are dated and focused on the algae growth over the last week, oh and a pick of my shrimp & snails. You can see one of them buried in the sand, I cant find them now.

More testing

2007-11-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

Will take some more pics this week. I think I am noticing more colored algae on the rocks, which is exciting. Tho my sumatran LR, the stuff on the left, seems to be growing more brown algae on the top.

I did not know about letting salt sit for a time to dissolve. I mixed the salt and water outside in the bucket then spin the bucket back and forth to create a whirlpool and then just poured it in. Tho the last water change I did I did not add any salt, to bring the salinity down. I will prolly add 5 gallons, but mix only 2.5 gallons worth of salt into the bucket (letting it mix overnight), wait a few hours and test and see where I am at then.

Salinity 1.026-7
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

Testing again

2007-11-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Changed the water at 12pm today with a gravel vac, so testing the water after the change.

pH: 8.4
Amonia: 0.50
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 30
Salinity: Maybe 1.030, but my hydrometer sucks. Will test later.

First Test Results

2007-11-02T12:38:00.001-07:00

Bought a basic API Saltwater Master Test Kit today, figured I can fill in the stuff I need for corals when I am ready to take that step. Pleasantly surprised about the results.

pH: 8.4
Amonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40

I was expecting the nitrates to be high, thats higher than I'd like. I had already planned another 5gal RO water change to help with the algae so I'll make sure to do a gravel-vac when I change the water. I also need to buy a new hydrometer and calibrate it to the one the LFS has. I think my salinity is high, but I wont know for sure till I get a new one. The last one I tested there was WAY off, showing a 3.0 to their 2.6, but Im hoping I can get a good one this time.
Lost my emerald crab today, too. Found him floating around. Was sad, but I'll add one later on, after there is more to eat on the rock. I thought he was OK when I put some algae discs in the tank. Might be the type of algae that got him, but he grabbed a disk and started to munch on it.

So anyhow, thats news.

And off we go!

2007-10-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Having found myself spending much time thinking about what I am going to do with the tank I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog so I can track my progress, as well as to give others a chance to see what a reef build takes.

First off, the equipment I have and the space I am working with:

My tank is glass, unknown what type. Its 46 gallon bowfront, 36" length/20" tall/12"-17" wide.

I am currently using just a HOB filter box with carbon filters, used on this tank for about 4 years as a freshwater tank. The light is also that old.

When I set the tank against the corner, I get a space begind, approx 20" deep.

In the stand I have a modest space, 12" long/12" deep/ 27" tall.

I also created a plenum which I will be putting in when I get my sump.

Most of that equipment has to go, but as I have 2-3 months before I can buy the equipment I need to start the reef, I have chosen to start Fish Only With Live Rock. Thats just to get the cycle started and allow a good balance to the tank before I add in new Live Rock, allow that to settle, then add my first coral. The first coral wont go in for the first 4 months of cycling, and I really hope that is enough time for it to flourish. But, adding those corals is all depending on my test results.

So I now have about 15-20 lbs of LR, and about 20lbs of Base Rock (that large piece to the right in the tank was dry when I found it, and the guy at my Local Fish Store said it should be good for the "critters" from the LR to grow on it. Now, just cause I am the curious type, I want to start a photo-lineup of the rocks as I notice certain things.
For instance, on this piece of rock I have some purple and green colored fuzz. I dont remember if it was there before or not. So my adventures in, what I am calling, Jokers Fuzz begins here. Jokers fuzz! Ya get it? Purple, Green? Bah, you have to at least seen Batman!

I also have noticed some white and red "sticks" that appear to grow out of parts of the rock. I dont know if these are hitchhikers, but if so I hope they survive till I can get the lights.

So, my current wish list for equipment stands below.
Sump Tank: Acrylite, or similar, custom made tank, or 20 gal aquarium. LR filtering to tank, baffles, refugium, baffles, output.
Associated Plumbing: $100
Submersible Sump Pump: Mag 7, 700 gph
Wavemaker: SCWD Wavemaker - Switching Current Water Director $34.99
Protein Skimmer: AquaC Urchin Pro In-Sump Protein Skimmer w/ Drain Fitting + Rio 1400UL Pump $230.95
Lights: Solar T5 3x10k, 3x Blue Actinic, 6x MoonLED