PorkchopExpress
New member
Hello, my tank is now a little past 1 month old so I decided to created my tank thread. I've always wanted to start a saltwater tank but always got discouraged after asking friends what they thought about saltwater tanks and getting the same old "it's very expensive" and "it's a lot harder than a freshwater tank". I took the plunge and got the tank on 4/19 after reading and researching on and off for the the past year.
After reading all the positive reviews about TBS I decided to mail Richard and get some live rocks from him. The process was as easy as can be and the first shipment of rocks came on 4/23. The live rock and sand I got was teeming with life. I even got a lawnmower blenny hitchhiker in my shipment!
My first time aquascaping ever:
Unfortunately with all the good life on the rock, there were some bad. I also got a few gorillas which I removed whenever I saw them which was fairly easy and some cirolanid isopods. At times I would catch 8 or 9 isopods at night and in the morning then see only 1 or 2 the following night. But they're fairly easy to catch with a turkey baster as well.
After about a week or so, my tests were at the right levels so I contacted Richard for my 2nd shipment. Some choppy waters prevented him from getting the 2nd shipment to me that weekend but was able to the next weekend on 5/14 which, coincidentally was my bday. The 2nd shipment was everything every one else had raved about. Richard throws in a lot of extras that he really doesn't have to since you're really only buying rock and sand. But you get so much more like corals, sponges, anemones, plants, and even better live rock than before!
I call him Frank the Tank because he's huge!
Flower anemone?
I also have spotted 3 porceleins in the back wall but can't get a good enough pic. My peppermint shrimp just hides all day, he never ever comes out. There are tons of worms, copepods, amphipods, featherdusters, spaghetti worms, and just various life in the tank now.
I did get 2 giant parasitic isopods in this last shipment and perhaps even more cirolanids since I caught 8 one night then 9 the following morning then only found 2 last night. I'm waiting to starve them all out before I add any fish.
All in all, even with my cirolanid problem, I don't see why anyone would buy rocks from anywhere else. Richard is easy to get a hold of, very friendly, and just gives you free stuff for rocks that are really alive. I've gone to the LFS and seen about their rocks. It's just not the same.
After reading all the positive reviews about TBS I decided to mail Richard and get some live rocks from him. The process was as easy as can be and the first shipment of rocks came on 4/23. The live rock and sand I got was teeming with life. I even got a lawnmower blenny hitchhiker in my shipment!
My first time aquascaping ever:
Unfortunately with all the good life on the rock, there were some bad. I also got a few gorillas which I removed whenever I saw them which was fairly easy and some cirolanid isopods. At times I would catch 8 or 9 isopods at night and in the morning then see only 1 or 2 the following night. But they're fairly easy to catch with a turkey baster as well.
After about a week or so, my tests were at the right levels so I contacted Richard for my 2nd shipment. Some choppy waters prevented him from getting the 2nd shipment to me that weekend but was able to the next weekend on 5/14 which, coincidentally was my bday. The 2nd shipment was everything every one else had raved about. Richard throws in a lot of extras that he really doesn't have to since you're really only buying rock and sand. But you get so much more like corals, sponges, anemones, plants, and even better live rock than before!
I call him Frank the Tank because he's huge!
Flower anemone?
I also have spotted 3 porceleins in the back wall but can't get a good enough pic. My peppermint shrimp just hides all day, he never ever comes out. There are tons of worms, copepods, amphipods, featherdusters, spaghetti worms, and just various life in the tank now.
I did get 2 giant parasitic isopods in this last shipment and perhaps even more cirolanids since I caught 8 one night then 9 the following morning then only found 2 last night. I'm waiting to starve them all out before I add any fish.
All in all, even with my cirolanid problem, I don't see why anyone would buy rocks from anywhere else. Richard is easy to get a hold of, very friendly, and just gives you free stuff for rocks that are really alive. I've gone to the LFS and seen about their rocks. It's just not the same.
