If You Are New to Reef Central, Introduce Yourself Here!
- Thread starter JohnL
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Only by 3 and who get up at 2 AM to post anyway. 
TrucknReefer
New member
Hey everyone, been building my 29gal reef for the last 6 months or so and have been pretty successful.. i have a 10 gal sump/fuge that i just got a light for so i can start growin things in there..i have 2 tank raised false perc clowns a handfull of snails and recently just started seeing slugs. a medium sized brittle star and a peppermint shrimp..coral i have a very nice green torch, a rock covered in yellow polyps, some purple shrooms, green candycane, some xenia, 2 small unknown polys, and a very small frag of sort of sps that was thought to be dying by the lfs
Hi Truckn
[welcome]
Sounds like the tank is doing well.
[welcome]
Sounds like the tank is doing well.
JShearer83
New member
Hey Everyone. I'm Jay, and I'm a law sudent. I am pretty new at this, but I did previously have freshwater tanks and one poor attempt at saltwater. I live near the ocean and I love fish, fishing, and surfing. I have read a book or two on marine aquariums, so hopefully I understand the basics. However, as mentioned, I am poor student, so I am attempting to collect my own seawater and my own fish. I want to create a truely local tank. . . yes I know it is a bad idea...but I'm also stubborn. My tank has been running for 2 months now. I collected the seawater and then filtered it with 5 micron filter media. I've collected local snails, crabs, and a few fish. I have done my first water change with more seawater, but I am now considering making my own water for subsequent water changes. I am currently treating my tank with copper and giving my 3 jacks freshwater baths to get rid of the parasites (the fish are rubbing on rocks and they have small white specks on them). I am already learning my lesson for trying to do my own collections! It would be great if anyone had any advice. Any thoughts?
Here is what I'm working with:
55 gal tank
wet/dry sump with bioballs
~30 lbs of rock (no liverock)
one powerhead
32 w florescent (i think) light
*I am about to purchase a protein skimmer...I am considering either (1) a Coralife 65, (2) a Sealife Systems 150, or (3) a Berlin X2 Venturi.
Any suggestions?
Here is what I'm working with:
55 gal tank
wet/dry sump with bioballs
~30 lbs of rock (no liverock)
one powerhead
32 w florescent (i think) light
*I am about to purchase a protein skimmer...I am considering either (1) a Coralife 65, (2) a Sealife Systems 150, or (3) a Berlin X2 Venturi.
Any suggestions?
Hagisan
Preparing to move on...
Hello all!
Hello all!
Hello everyone!
My name is Bradley (aka Hägisan) and new to RC.
I'm just getting back into the hobby after 13 years after assisting a friend start up his first reef tank.
I once owned a custom aquarium and maintenance business that lasted 3 years.
Currently our family has a 30g with breeding pair of Maroon Clowns w/ some anemones, shrimp and blue Damsel, a new 90g reef setup in the cycling process, 14g biocube mini reef, and 10g planted show w/ green high-fin pleco.
Hello all!
Hello everyone!
My name is Bradley (aka Hägisan) and new to RC.
I'm just getting back into the hobby after 13 years after assisting a friend start up his first reef tank.
I once owned a custom aquarium and maintenance business that lasted 3 years.
Currently our family has a 30g with breeding pair of Maroon Clowns w/ some anemones, shrimp and blue Damsel, a new 90g reef setup in the cycling process, 14g biocube mini reef, and 10g planted show w/ green high-fin pleco.
Aquarist007
New member
If you are currently treating your tank with copper you will probably lose all your inverts and the rock will be usless too.
Copper medications should be used to treat fish in a quaratine tank for the reasons above. This will probably cost you to and I feel bad for you on a limited budget.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if the tank was mine I would be starting over with live rock and naturally letting the tank cycle for 3 weeks--then adding inverts etc again.
Hopefully we can help you here from further mistakes or give you other opinions on your situation
[welcome]
Aquarist007
New member
Re: Hello all!
Re: Hello all!
welcome back into the hobby. Imo reef keeping is an addiction for some people. It just takes that first help, first look at a neat tank or fish and you fall off the wagon again:lol:
[welcome]
Re: Hello all!
welcome back into the hobby. Imo reef keeping is an addiction for some people. It just takes that first help, first look at a neat tank or fish and you fall off the wagon again:lol:
[welcome]
Paul B
Premium Member
Jay, Not a bad idea at all. I have always had a local New York tank. It is easier where you are.
You can treat with copper as long as you are just going to put fish in there. If you want to add inverts you will have to change that rock. In time the copper will come out of the rock but where you live I think you can manage to get all the free rock you want.
As soon as you get some good natural food into those fish for a while, your ich problems should be over. You need to de-stress those fish with a secure home and some food that is loaded with oil like live blackworms or fish roe.
It gets much easier in time :smokin:
capo larzo
New member
Hey
I've been viewing for months but only started posting today. Enjoy all facets of the saltwater, first and foremost sharks and rays. I have a 12 foot sharkpool. But I also have my nano reef! Trying to become more and more knowledgable in every niche of this great hobby
I've been viewing for months but only started posting today. Enjoy all facets of the saltwater, first and foremost sharks and rays. I have a 12 foot sharkpool. But I also have my nano reef! Trying to become more and more knowledgable in every niche of this great hobby
Aquarist007
New member
thanks for the second opinion Paul---since they have already started using copper in the display tank I think the inverts already in there will die so they might as well drain the tank and start over with new live rock????
Although I think WK has a more liberal approach to reusing copper loaded live rock?
Aquarist007
New member
wow--interesting--can you post some pics of the sharks and stingrays. While you are at it invite water keeper over for a swim in the tank
[welcome]
JShearer83
New member
I started treating my tank with Mardel Coppersafe about a week and a half ago, the label claims it will not kill my good bacteria. So far all of my crab and snails are fine....should I put activated carbon filter back in to remove the copper? Collecting live rock is illegal from my understanding. I am not trying to keep anything fancy, just local fish, shrimp, crabs, and snails.....Any advice on how to salvage? I really do not want to start over and have to get new rock.
Paul B
Premium Member
That is true, it will not kill bacteria. I don't think it will kill all of the paracites either. Coppersafe is not really a pure form of copper. It is Chleated which helps it be safe for fish and some inverts but it also makes it safe for paracites which are also inverts.
If you used real copper, the snails would be toast almost immediately and the crabs would last a couple of days.
I would use some carbon and you should not have to lost the rock.
Collecting rock from the sea is illegal in most places but where you are the stuff is all over the place on land. You would just have to clean it to use in the tank. It will become live very shortly as long as you have some live rock in there especially being you can use NSW.
If you used real copper, the snails would be toast almost immediately and the crabs would last a couple of days.
I would use some carbon and you should not have to lost the rock.
Collecting rock from the sea is illegal in most places but where you are the stuff is all over the place on land. You would just have to clean it to use in the tank. It will become live very shortly as long as you have some live rock in there especially being you can use NSW.
JShearer83
New member
NSW? Have you heard of people putting rock in the ocean to create live rock? I have a dock and could easily do this. Is it advisable? I appreciate the the help.
There are several companies that aquaculture rock in similar fashion in Florida. Should work fine.
JShearer83
New member
Is there a good place to do some research on doing my own aquaculture rock? I would just tie a rope to my rocks and put them in a fast moving current off the dock, but my novice ideas have been getting me into trouble. How long should I leave them there? Thanks again for the tips!
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