Hello all,
First, thanks for the information prior to this post. I haven't posted yet, but I've been reading (creeping) on a lot of information before finally registering to give thanks.
I have managed freshwater tanks (yawn) and outdoor ponds (meh) prior to deciding to wet my feet in SW. I was bored, and needed a hobby.
The tank I purchased is a 36 gallon bowfront. I initially decided FO, but I have been very slowly conditioning small pieces of LR to throw in.
Aside from usual tank water testing, I am performing 5-7 gallon water changes per week. I did not start the water changes until the cycle was about complete and after the two damsels were added, and once I started water changes the fish colors deepened and the inverts started moving around a good deal more.
The tank was cycled entirely by table shrimp. The CUC was added after the cycle was complete, with the damsels added soon after. The damsels were not added together, but they get along fine now.
The tanks is an argonite crushed coral bed with sand on top, roughly 2-4 inches deep depending on tank flow and critter activity. The rock (aside from the newly conditioned LR piece) is dead rock with an artificial background the fish love.
Equipment includes 2 Aqueon Quiet flow filters rated at 30 gallons each, one HOB and one internal to the tank, a circulation pump, SeaCrap 100 (retired after a long 3 week period), and a Reef Octopus BH1000.
Inhabitants include 6 bluestriped hermits, 3 narcissus snails, 3 astrea snails, a yellow damsel and a blue damsel. Even after reading about damsels and their aggressive behavior, I chose a damsel tank because I really haven't a clue what is going on, and need a fish that can take a few bloopers here and there.
As I have seen numerous times, this thread is useless without pics. Boom. The first picture is the tank settling after adding some new sand and a water change. You can see the SeaClone, which may have become a 12ga. target. The MaxiJet was spared. The second picture is of the fake decor and the damsels doing damsel things. The third is the LR addition. Seems to have featherdusters and some other creatures onboard. The 4th is the back of the tank, with one snail doing his job. Finally, the last picture is of the best purchase I have made so far: the new skimmer.
Thanks for all of the information, I was able to (kind of) establish a tank without ripping my hair out.
PS: None of you truly conveyed how friggin expensive this can get :beer:
-Nos
First, thanks for the information prior to this post. I haven't posted yet, but I've been reading (creeping) on a lot of information before finally registering to give thanks.
I have managed freshwater tanks (yawn) and outdoor ponds (meh) prior to deciding to wet my feet in SW. I was bored, and needed a hobby.
The tank I purchased is a 36 gallon bowfront. I initially decided FO, but I have been very slowly conditioning small pieces of LR to throw in.
Aside from usual tank water testing, I am performing 5-7 gallon water changes per week. I did not start the water changes until the cycle was about complete and after the two damsels were added, and once I started water changes the fish colors deepened and the inverts started moving around a good deal more.
The tank was cycled entirely by table shrimp. The CUC was added after the cycle was complete, with the damsels added soon after. The damsels were not added together, but they get along fine now.
The tanks is an argonite crushed coral bed with sand on top, roughly 2-4 inches deep depending on tank flow and critter activity. The rock (aside from the newly conditioned LR piece) is dead rock with an artificial background the fish love.
Equipment includes 2 Aqueon Quiet flow filters rated at 30 gallons each, one HOB and one internal to the tank, a circulation pump, SeaCrap 100 (retired after a long 3 week period), and a Reef Octopus BH1000.
Inhabitants include 6 bluestriped hermits, 3 narcissus snails, 3 astrea snails, a yellow damsel and a blue damsel. Even after reading about damsels and their aggressive behavior, I chose a damsel tank because I really haven't a clue what is going on, and need a fish that can take a few bloopers here and there.
As I have seen numerous times, this thread is useless without pics. Boom. The first picture is the tank settling after adding some new sand and a water change. You can see the SeaClone, which may have become a 12ga. target. The MaxiJet was spared. The second picture is of the fake decor and the damsels doing damsel things. The third is the LR addition. Seems to have featherdusters and some other creatures onboard. The 4th is the back of the tank, with one snail doing his job. Finally, the last picture is of the best purchase I have made so far: the new skimmer.
Thanks for all of the information, I was able to (kind of) establish a tank without ripping my hair out.
PS: None of you truly conveyed how friggin expensive this can get :beer:
-Nos
