Doing it right... from the start (for a change)

[mille239]

Well I decided to go with the Total Reef Care Special # 3 from Reeftopia

Mainly chose them because the package does not include hermits, and they have free shipping.

The package includes:

100 Astrea snails
18 Nerite Tesselatta snails
48 Nassarius snails
24 cerith snails
4 emerald crabs
4 peppermint shrimp

I think that should be more than enough for my application, and may end up placing a few in my refugium and/or FOWLR. hopefully my friend below doesn't have a liking for escargot!

 

[mille239]

Well it looks like all my snails survived, took a couple days, but are moving around and cleaning like crazy.

The nerite (I believe they are the right ones, that are claimed to be intertidal, and hang out above the waterline from time to time) went straight to the back of the tank, and laid several dozen white egg cases. Anyone else see this happen? I have pictures, but they're not all that good.. some are on the glass, but most are on the overflows, in areas where they completely cleared of algae first. pretty neat; free fish food when they hatch I see it.

Also, when I got my emerald crabs, 3 were a nice size, between 1 and 1.5 inches, but they threw in one MONSTER MO_FO! he must be 3 inches across with claws that could crush a small ford. I decided to put him in the refugium, because I had a feeling he would soon be interested in more than just algae. He and my unknown hitchhiker crab can battle it out for control in there.

 

[JE's Reef]

Blair,
Here is a pic of my tank.
Je

 

[ZOKU]

Sorry for the newbie question... but what is the debate with using hermit crabs? I thought the scarlet-legged hermits were fairly passive and reef-safe?

 

[mille239]

John, you tank looks sweet! color me impressed!

ZOKU, having hermits in the reef is as big a debate as going bare bottom or having a deep sandbed; there is an endless number of arguments for both. Many people (myself included) have had hermits withot any problems, but decided to go without them because I know they can take advantage of a downed snail, and kill them for their shells. Since I have tons of snails, I didn't want to risk having hermits. There are also reports of them tasting corals and various polyps when they can't find enough algae, detritus, what not to eat.
So with that said, I will just say its personal preference. Thanks for checkin out my thread!

 

[new2u]

Wow man, looks great and your aquascape is making me reconsider my idea of two islands, any bigger shots of it? My 120 is cycling with my new LR and i stand to transfer everything soon, possibly next satruday.

 

[mille239]

Thanks new2u! I am really happy with the aquascaping; I will be sure to post some better tank shots tonight. any pics to share of your up and comming 120 system? I'd love to see it.

 

[new2u]

I'll try and take some tonight, i'm nearly finished cycleing, but i cant seem to get rid of this obstinate little presence of ammonia, its been in the same place forever... Its going through its algea phase too, i'll go and take some.

 

[rbrice020378]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7071907#post7071907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mille239

On another note, I found a crab the other morning, that I have never seen before! (I have not gotten any new live rock in over 3 yrs, and this is the first I've seen him)!!!!

I posted in another thread looking for an ID, but can't find the link, so here is the pictures... he's about the size of a quarter, and has orange markings on his carapace, orange/brown claws, and hairy legs.

If you didn't get an answer to your crab question I think I have one.

I believe that you have a juvenile Shame Face Crab.

This can be a very nasty fella when it gets bigger. I had a FOWLR tank a few years back and my wife bought one. She thought he was soo cool. Only the shop she bought it from didn't tell us anything about it. I saw him when I got home and everything was fine. The next morning when I got up I noticed that a bunch of my rock had fallen and that my Yellow Headed Sleeper was gone. When I found the Crab he was wearing the Sleeper's head as a hat.

These things will kill fish, corals and knock down your rocks. They will be sure that they are the only thing in the tank and with them knocking down rocks you could always come home or wake up to a wet floor.

May be okay to keep in refuge for awhile but I would be ware.

 

[mille239]

yikes. if that's the case, I'm glad I got that crab out of there!! thanks for the tip!

 

[mille239]

Well it's comming up on 2 weeks with no updates, so I believe I am long overdue. (though you'll have to wait until tonight when I get home to post pictures)

I have the cabinetry almost completed, and it is looking really nice. Really compliments the room! I also got a few new frags including a nice looking superman monti (though small, will grow fast I hope), some fire-n-ice zoanthids, a few blue ricordias, and a green polyp monti which is spectacular, though I don't know the name of it.
All inhabitants are doing great, and with the lime-water reactor online with the auto-top off, my pH readings are a steady 8.16 in the AM and 8.28-8.35 when lights go out at midnight.

My softball sized wad of chaeto has almost completely filled the 30 gallon fuge now, in just over 3 weeks online. It is definately due for trimming.

Other readings:
Salinitiy = 1.026
Amonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates= <5
Calcium = 390
Alkalinity = 9 dKh
(don't have a magnesium test yet)

Diatoms had come and gone in less than a week, and the zillion snail eggs have began to hatch (though I don't see any offspring, nor did I expect to)

The only last piece of equipment needed is the calcium reactor, but due to summer projects pending, will have to wait until fall.

I am soooo excited to really begin stocking this tank.. the next additions will be either a powder blue tang, or a school of blue-eyed anthias.

Anyone with a school of these anthias, I'd love to see a pic!

 

[mille239]

Ok, finally some Pics!!!

First off the auto-top off I put together:

 

[mille239]

Now for the facing of the tank enclosure!! (I still have the baseboard molding and the trim around the tank to install, but you get the idea)

A full tank shot:

Some coral and fish pictures (again, sorry for the bad photography):

My new green polyped monti:

My Blue Zoo's: (from old system)

More zoo's:

 

[mille239]

My green and orange Monti cap. frags:

My new superman monti frag: (picture does NOT do it justice)

And lastly, my trusty ol' foxface:

Soooo what do you all think of the project so far??? (now I'm broke and can't afford to stock it... ha ha ha)

 

[mille239]

Oh, and I have to throw in a before and after shot for comparison!!

 

[Fish'InMN]

So, when are you having that tank-finished party? :celeb1:

Looks great! All those doors are deceiving, you'd think there was tons of storage space back there. Instead, you find the whole nine yards of goodies. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you.

Cheers,
Marty

 

[gkarshens]

Wow! What an improvement! The wood work looks great.

 

[mille239]

Thanks guys! It does give the impression there is a lot of storage space behind those doors but believe you me, it is packed!

Also I forgot to mention cooling: I installed two 4" 80cfm fans (virtually silent) from radio shack in the upper vents that are on a timer to go on when the halide lights go on, and shut off approximately 1 hour after they do. The temp. of the tank has not moved, is a constant 79-80. I have an extra bathroom fan I may install in the celing within the enclosure which would vent even more air into the attic (or better yet out of the house with minimal duct work) but I am going to wait and see how the tempertures fare going into spring/summer. Note I do not have central A/C, but the house stays fairly cool, reaching the upper 70's on the hottest days. I do have a window A/C unit I can also set up in the window right next to the tank if necessity calls for it.

 

[reverendmaynard]

Great Job! Looks fantastic!

I'm surprised you got such a good shot of your foxface. Mine freaks out and hides when I get out the camera. Hell, he hides if I even look at him too closely! :eek1:

 

[mille239]

and the party is next month Fish'InMN: free cover to those who bring frags!!!