If You Are New to Reef Central, Introduce Yourself Here!

Hello Everyone, the SW experience is all new to me. I have had FW for years and now that I have a steady job I wanted to get into SW. I just started my tank on 10Jan10. I have a 55 gallon, two Maxi jets with wave maker, Remora C Protien skimmer, HOB filter, after cycle two 54 Watt t5's, 80 lbs of LR so far (fiji) and heater. I have not added substrate yet because Im really not sure yet which direction Im going to go. This site has already helped me alot so I figured it was time to join the community.
[welcome] For substrate I would definitely use sand.
 
Been into fish for about 30 years now, mostly FW some SW years ago. Just got into reefs 3 months or so ago. Cycled it with live rock and live sand. Cucled in only 3 weeeks which is amazing to since it took 8 weeks last time I did it. I have a 125 mixed tank with 2 hanging filters and 2 canisters with live rock in them. Also built a denitrator to try out. There is about 100 lbs of live rock in the tank. I look forward to the discussions on this forum.
 
Hi didn't know where to ask this ? Hope its ok here.?!?
How do you post pictures here? I can't seem to figure out how to upload them from my computer. Am I missing something here. I new to this whole forum thing. Never did facebook or myspace or anything like that. Thanks much if you can help!
 
Been into fish for about 30 years now, mostly FW some SW years ago. Just got into reefs 3 months or so ago. Cycled it with live rock and live sand. Cucled in only 3 weeeks which is amazing to since it took 8 weeks last time I did it. I have a 125 mixed tank with 2 hanging filters and 2 canisters with live rock in them. Also built a denitrator to try out. There is about 100 lbs of live rock in the tank. I look forward to the discussions on this forum.
[welcome]
have you given any thought to having a sump/refugium instead of the canister filters? Are you going to have a protein skimmer?
 
Hi didn't know where to ask this ? Hope its ok here.?!?
How do you post pictures here? I can't seem to figure out how to upload them from my computer. Am I missing something here. I new to this whole forum thing. Never did facebook or myspace or anything like that. Thanks much if you can help!
Usually these questions would be fielded in the 'Feedback and Questions' forum. but since your here, you have 2 ways to upload pictures.
1: you can upload your pics directly to Reef Central server. (stay with me here) Click on your name (right above your avatar, it'll give a drop down menu) then click on 'view public profile', over on the right you'll see a box labeled 'album' click on 'show all albums' and then you'll see a button that says 'upload picture' and then you just browse to the location it is on your computer and upload it. the downside to this is that you are limited to the size of the pic that can be uploaded

2: for that reason people start another profile on a photo website (I like photoshop.com and upload the pics to that site.

Now to actually load a picture to a thread. (this works for both ways) When replying to a thread you'll see a square shaped icon (yellow background with mountains and the sun) click on that and paste the url to that box and click 'ok' the picture will now show up on your post.
HTH
 
New Guy

New Guy

Hey everybody my name is Taylor. I am a full time college student in Alabama. I have been in the hobby about 6 months. I have a 20G long Reef tank. I look foward to some of yall helping me out along the way of this addicting/headache of a hobby.
 
Hey everybody my name is Taylor. I am a full time college student in Alabama. I have been in the hobby about 6 months. I have a 20G long Reef tank. I look foward to some of yall helping me out along the way of this addicting/headache of a hobby.
[welcome]
Taylor your right it is addicting and it can be a pain in the rear. :) Glad to have you with us.
 
New Guy

New Guy

Thank. Here's a picture of my hard work so far lol.

DSC00548.jpg
 
Hello Alll

totally green to SW tanks!!! :D

this is what i got:

29g biocube (contains the mechanical and chemical filter)
20g refugium setup (contains natural filtration):
-mangrove area of about 10g
i)at 2" of height is netting: below netting its dark and dead water space
ii) on netting is about 3" of mud
iii)above the mud is lots of green life and pod life growing
-liverock area of 5g
-airation area (sealed) of 2g
-pump area of 3g
2 50W heaters in tank
1 50W in refugium
2/3" height of plenum in main tank

refugium and biocube filter run on seperate pumps completely individually; therefore i am able to use the refugium as a future QT as well

so stoked to get the actual tank running!!!!
 
Hello Alll

totally green to SW tanks!!! :D

this is what i got:

29g biocube (contains the mechanical and chemical filter)
20g refugium setup (contains natural filtration):
-mangrove area of about 10g
i)at 2" of height is netting: below netting its dark and dead water space
ii) on netting is about 3" of mud
iii)above the mud is lots of green life and pod life growing
-liverock area of 5g
-airation area (sealed) of 2g
-pump area of 3g
2 50W heaters in tank
1 50W in refugium
2/3" height of plenum in main tank

refugium and biocube filter run on seperate pumps completely individually; therefore i am able to use the refugium as a future QT as well

so stoked to get the actual tank running!!!!
[welcome] it is a good feeling to go from the "planning" stage to the actual "doing" stage
 
Hello Alll

totally green to SW tanks!!! :D

this is what i got:

29g biocube (contains the mechanical and chemical filter)
20g refugium setup (contains natural filtration):
-mangrove area of about 10g
i)at 2" of height is netting: below netting its dark and dead water space
ii) on netting is about 3" of mud
iii)above the mud is lots of green life and pod life growing
-liverock area of 5g
-airation area (sealed) of 2g
-pump area of 3g
2 50W heaters in tank
1 50W in refugium
2/3" height of plenum in main tank

refugium and biocube filter run on seperate pumps completely individually; therefore i am able to use the refugium as a future QT as well

so stoked to get the actual tank running!!!!

[welcome]

suggestions for stocking(not all :eek1:)
2 fire gobies
2 bangii cardinals
2 clowns
1 flame hawk
1 carpenter wrasse
1 purple dotty back
2 anthias or 2 blue green chromies
1 yellow watchman goby
 
New to RC -- with some frustrations

New to RC -- with some frustrations

:bounce2:Hi all, given the length of this thread I doubt I'll receive any responses but I've decided to give it a try. Yep, I'm a newbie to RC. I've been enjoying SW aquarium life for about 17 years but have only recently decided to get "more serious" about it. A few months ago, I had to replace my 70 gal DAS tank due to uncontrollable leaks. I now have a 125 gal DAS tank containing about 100 lbs of cured rock (most transferred from my old tank), some great looking, mature leathers, several recently added mushroom colonies and zoas. Fish pop consists of an "ancient" velvet damsel (5.5") an equally ancient (3.5" vertical stripe damsel, a flame angel, long-nose hawk, flame hawk, clownfaced wrasse, fairy wrasse. A large yellow angel that used to lord over the tank died suddenly without any apparent reason yesterday. Very sad. Since getting the 125 I've tried with very limited success to add a number of mushroom colonies as well as zoas and a substantial reef cleaner crew. To my dismay, the bright red and blue 'shrooms have not lasted more than a week or so. The zoas are not opening and are showing signs of dissipating. The green and purple 'shrooms (in contrast to the reds and blues) have done well so far. Other softie varieties don't last long at all. Water quality (according to my experienced tank caretaker of several years) is excellent -- with all the correct parameters. I'm beginning to think, however, that lighting might be a problem and/or that salt quality might be a problem. I really love mushrooms and having color in my tank. Given the several "death" experiences the past few months tho', I'm reluctant to acquire any new critters. Suggestions? You'll not hurt my feelings.
 
firstly welcome to the forum :)

sounds like the parameters are different from what the soft corals are usually used to, perhaps the salinity is at a different level, perhaps the overall params need to stabilise before they will settle down as the tank is brand new and they came from a estabished tank, flow could be an issue with the mushrooms, they hate flow, what is the lighting now/ and what was it before?

could be a variety of reasons, are you sure there is no ammonia in the system?

good luck with it and keep us up to date with the progress.

oh and we love pictures

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>
 
i feel ya with the questions...lol

i feel ya with the questions...lol

Hello. i am spiritdancer70 i am starting out also..started with a 10 gal...lol 3 days and moved up to a 55 gal...KRAZY right..thats what i am thinking tooo...Just hang in there and we will learn together...i am just with a tank, live rock, live sand, water..and skimmers, heaters, 2 little fans...have got my lights or anything yet..so hang in there. I am glad you ask about the film, i woke up this morning and had it myself.
Hi all,
I'm new to the saltwater tank...I have a 50 gal tank and put in the blowers (2), heater and sugar sand and live sand the other day. Then, I arranged about 30 lbs of live rock on the bottom and added a premixed saltwater solution provided by the experts at a local fish dealership. I added the water and boom! Instant cloudy water! It's been a day now and the sand is starting to settle but I have this foam at the top. What is it? I don't have a skimmer or lights yet but was told I'd be okay for a couple weeks. Can I just scrape this foam out? Help!
 
Hi all,

Always wanted a salt water tank and when a family member offered me the tank at his work I was a little worried because it was 380g - but my wife said go for it! (yeah she's regretting it now)

The original tank had the drains coming off the sides of the tank and the return lines coming up the sides and over the top. Seems like it always had salt creep on it so I decided to find a local guy that builds fish tanks replumb it for me to have an internal drain and return. The same guy is also building me a new sump/refugium since the old one was so tall it was impossible to get into it and do any work.

In the mean time we've had some construction done to our family room/front entry of the house to put the tank. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Currently I only have a few livestock still going strong form the old tank - a coral banded shrimp, a brittle star, and 2 green fish (the name escapes me).

Lights for the tank -
MH lights - 3x Aqua Medic Spacelight EX 250W 10000k
T5 - 4x 48" VHO (2x 420nm, 2x 460nm)
sump lights - 3x 60-LED 6500K 300-Lumen Light Bulb to light the refugium and frag area

Still need to decide on the best protien skimmer, the old one was way too small for the size of the tank.

I have pictures of the projects posted at my faceboook page

I've already had some great advice and look forward to all I'm going to learn.
 
Hello. i am spiritdancer70 i am starting out also..started with a 10 gal...lol 3 days and moved up to a 55 gal...KRAZY right..thats what i am thinking tooo...Just hang in there and we will learn together...i am just with a tank, live rock, live sand, water..and skimmers, heaters, 2 little fans...have got my lights or anything yet..so hang in there. I am glad you ask about the film, i woke up this morning and had it myself.
[welcome]
glad to have you with us.
 
Hi all,

Always wanted a salt water tank and when a family member offered me the tank at his work I was a little worried because it was 380g - but my wife said go for it! (yeah she's regretting it now)

The original tank had the drains coming off the sides of the tank and the return lines coming up the sides and over the top. Seems like it always had salt creep on it so I decided to find a local guy that builds fish tanks replumb it for me to have an internal drain and return. The same guy is also building me a new sump/refugium since the old one was so tall it was impossible to get into it and do any work.

In the mean time we've had some construction done to our family room/front entry of the house to put the tank. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Currently I only have a few livestock still going strong form the old tank - a coral banded shrimp, a brittle star, and 2 green fish (the name escapes me).

Lights for the tank -
MH lights - 3x Aqua Medic Spacelight EX 250W 10000k
T5 - 4x 48" VHO (2x 420nm, 2x 460nm)
sump lights - 3x 60-LED 6500K 300-Lumen Light Bulb to light the refugium and frag area

Still need to decide on the best protien skimmer, the old one was way too small for the size of the tank.

I have pictures of the projects posted at my faceboook page

I've already had some great advice and look forward to all I'm going to learn.
Wow seems like you are starting off with a great tank. Good Luck
[welcome]
 
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