Booyah! Finally!

[Amyandlars]

Ok maybe the title is a little premature. We just got the RO/DI unit, and it's getting installed this weekend. Plus getting 3 powerheads + wavemaker, on Friday. Then on Monday we can finally order our package. I can't wait to get something in our 120 gal tank. I also can't wait to start a picture log of my TBS rock! (We even got a camera with macros last weekend just for this)

 

[jjmg]

It's hard to take your time and do it right but it sounds like you are. I'll be looking forward to seeing your tank come together.

I know harvesting the rock this time of year can be rough, but is the rock got the same life on it in the winter?

 

[Amyandlars]

Here's a couple of photos of the tank empty of course, but at least this was good practice for posting pictures.

ok here we just wanted to play with the macros

 

[Amyandlars]

So I'm getting my live rock today, and I gotta say, having some real bad luck with this. Woke up this morning and not 1 powerhead out but both of my powerheads! So i went out and got an el cheapo powerhead. Just got a call from my husband, and we have a leaker, the whole bottom of the box is soaked. Glad he got it as soon as it came in, and is on his way now. I'm sure everything is going to be ok though, since other shippers ship live rock in wet paper towels. Hopefully, pictures of the package part 1 will be up by tonight.

 

[Amyandlars]

for now we only have extreme close up of the tank, so you can't see the really awesome huge rock that got sent. We have 100% blue actinic lights, which are nice for viewing, but not so good for picture taking. During the day when the sunshines on the tank, you can really see the sponges.

 

[Amyandlars]

and now for the pictures in acitnic, once again these don't do the rock justice but here goes...

OMG THE ROCK IS MOVING!! Oh that just a clam cooooooooool

 

[HowardW]

Nice pics!

 

[Amyandlars]

So far we found 2 cukes, 1 porcelian crab, 3 jewel box clams, and got stuck with 2 gorrillas and 5 mantis shrimp. One of the shrimp we got before it went into the tank, 1 I caught the 2nd day and the others are proving to be smarter than the other 2. I made a mantis trap, just waiting for the sealant to dry before I add it to the tank. So far ammonia is only up to .25 ppm, but did a water change anyway.
Some of the sponges are getting kinda white, and have a grid pattern on them, does that mean that they are dying?

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9361022#post9361022 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amyandlars
So far we found 2 cukes, 1 porcelian crab, 3 jewel box clams, and got stuck with 2 gorrillas and 5 mantis shrimp. One of the shrimp we got before it went into the tank, 1 I caught the 2nd day and the others are proving to be smarter than the other 2. I made a mantis trap, just waiting for the sealant to dry before I add it to the tank. So far ammonia is only up to .25 ppm, but did a water change anyway.
Some of the sponges are getting kinda white, and have a grid pattern on them, does that mean that they are dying?

The 'sponges' are tunicates....is the way they look!

and back off on water changes unless the ammonia goes over 1ppm, as it will prolong the cycle of the tank...

You are doing well, must have been all that dancing!!

Richard TBS:rollface:

 

[Amyandlars]

Yes, dancing is the secret to a successful tank

So I left the trap in over night, and I woke up to 2 captives!! And guess what they were pistol shrimps. I can see the mantis looking at me from their holes, and they are saying nyah nyah.

Put the pistols in my refugium to live until the mantis are out.

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9368908#post9368908 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amyandlars
Yes, dancing is the secret to a successful tank

So I left the trap in over night, and I woke up to 2 captives!! And guess what they were pistol shrimps. I can see the mantis looking at me from their holes, and they are saying nyah nyah.

Put the pistols in my refugium to live until the mantis are out.

tells you who is smart....and who is not!

 

[Amyandlars]

Well Thursday we got hit with a tornado. Me and the next door neighboor came out lucky, the neighboor across the street just finally got power. We were without power for about 7 hours or so. You see alot of stuff in the tank when the waters not moving. I was amazed that the SW tank did better than the FW tank. We found a HUGE gorrilla crab. I think I'm going to hold off on get part 2 until that guy is out of there. He's between the size of a quarter and half dollar.

BTW got another Mantis yesterday. No luck today though. I think instead of just killing them, I'll put them my QT tank and make them cycle the tank for me.

 

[Amyandlars]

I can't believe, I've had this rock for 7 days, and on for the last 3 days the ammonia has been zero. So we only had ammonia for 2 days and it only got up to .50 ppm. Nitrites are at .50, and I really need to test Nitrates. Since we have a little bit of brown algae showing up, I'm figuring that Nitrates are up. Unless my SW theory is wrong. In the meantime though I stopped mantis trapping so keep the nitrates from climbing. So in the mean time we switched over to just manually turning over rocks and getting pest out. I have to say, it's pretty fun looking for the bad guys. We got a surprise during the hunt, we saw a huge porcelian crab, and found a second with it. So on with the pictures

If anyone can say what these clear things are in these pictures I'd really appreciate it

 

[coralreefhugr]

We have the clear things all over our tbs rock too. Im not sure but im guessing their some sort of plant or algae? if anyone knows for sure though, that would be great. They sort of died off on our rock but then came back. You have great rock!

 

[Amyandlars]

And now I present part 2:

 

[Amyandlars]

and more pictures

and more pictures

 

[drives300]

Tank looks awesome. Incredible rock. Keep us posted!!