New TBS Tank

G

gforce2002

New member
Hey everyone!

Just thought I'd introduce myself as yet another satisfied customer of TBS. I've been keeping saltwater for a few years now (fish only with some "live" rock) but have for the last couple of years been considering/wishing going reef. I had looked at a bunch of places on-line and always wound up coming back to TBS as the main contender. I'm from Canada, so I was a bit concerned with the whole shipping/transport issue, but as it turned out that worked out fine (I had to shipped air to a US airport, picked it up and took it across border myself).

After getting the first batch of rock, I was absolutely amazed - the stuff was literally covered with life - I don't think any actual "rock" was visible! Not only is the rock a better price than anything you can get around here - you can't even GET anything like it around here.

Here's a couple of pictures from the first batch:

This one has a couple of crabs in it, a small white one just left of centre, and what I think is a decorator crab just left of centre near the top (with the bit of macroalgae attached).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2048.jpg
A sponge!:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2050.jpg

I already have picked up and set up the second batch of rock and the rock and extras really have set up a great basis for a reef tank.

Here's my tank so far, although I do plan on moving some stuff around once I get a way to attach some of the stuff to the rocks (any suggestions, by the way?)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/wholetank.jpg

I really want to thank Richard for being so patient with all my questions. I'm looking forward to participating more on this forum to help out with anything I can with my (limited) experience!

A couple more pictures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2053.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2058.jpg

I do have at least 3 (!) mantis shrimp in there (a new one I found is only about a centimetre long), and numerous gorilla crabs (which I definitely want to get out of there - I'm about to set the trap to see what happens!)

Also, if anyone has any suggestions about better spots to place some of the stuff, I'm definitely open to suggestions!
 
Oooo I'm so jealous. I just ordered my Package and should be able to get it shipped next week.

Your tank looks incredible.

Richard has been a big help for me as well. I just got into salt water a little over 3 weeks ago with alot of miss steps and stress, but Richard and these forums have been there every step of the way.

TBS has got to have the best customer service I have ever ever seen.

Good luck with your tank.

SB
 
Well, the condy anemones are no longer in the same place as they are in that picture. They continue to have the wanderlust - until they find their happy place, I guess.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13858046#post13858046 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gforce2002
Well, the condy anemones are no longer in the same place as they are in that picture. They continue to have the wanderlust - until they find their happy place, I guess.
Click to expand...

You sound like a gamer! :D

Your tank is quite nice. You've got it setup for 360 viewing? I like the way you have placed your rocks, too. It looks like there are lots of spots an anemone would enjoy....eventually.

The orange guys in this pic: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2050.jpg look like tunicates to me. And the little yellow ones...Richard told me what those are but I forget now, I think he said some sort of anemone?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13859028#post13859028 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by divemonster
You sound like a gamer! :D

Your tank is quite nice. You've got it setup for 360 viewing? I like the way you have placed your rocks, too. It looks like there are lots of spots an anemone would enjoy....eventually.

The orange guys in this pic: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/DSCN2050.jpg look like tunicates to me. And the little yellow ones...Richard told me what those are but I forget now, I think he said some sort of anemone?
Click to expand...

Yup

little yellow spots are a colony boring anemone!

Richard TBS:rollface: :rollface: :rollface:

BTW off to the keys tomorrow, more meetings in Key West..oh boy...only 1000 miles round trip..at least diesel went down here some.......back Sunday!
 
Nice!

Nice!

Nice to see you made it here gforce.....

Amazing job you did, how far up in Canada are you?

Richard TBS:rollface: :rollface: :rollface:
 
Oh wow - I had that kind of backwards - I thought the orange was the sponge and the yellow were tunicates. Still got a lot to learn! There's LOT of the yellow ones on the first batch of rock.

Nah, not 360 viewing - the room it's in is way too small for that. I actually just placed the rocks wherever they kind of fit without falling over! After I got done, I stepped back and thought - "Yeah, that doesn't look that bad." *laughs*

Oh, and I'm not so much a gamer - but I work for the government, and I find too often I have to find my own happy place to deal with it! So, in that way I can identify with the anemone.

ETA: Hey Richard!!

I'm just outside Saint John, New Brunswick, which is about an hour and a half from the Maine border.

By the way, what is the little blenny-like fish that you included? I don't see him often, but when he does make an appearance he's quite entertaining to watch.
 
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Gforce, looks like you are hooked. I was wondering if you are adding anything to your tank for your corals?
 
I haven't done too much feeding yet. After the first set of rock cycled I was adding a dose a phytoplankton every two days. I've stopped that for now since adding the second batch of rock, but since that cycle is practically complete, I'll probably start that up again soon.

In other news, I've decided to try to catch a few of the gorilla crabs using the bottle type trap with a little bit of scallop as bait. Within 1/2 hour (!) I had already caught the BIG one (about 2" across with legs) that I had spied hiding out near the back of the tank. I caught another one within the next three hours so I replaced the bait with fresh and am going to leave it overnight to see what happens. I was most concerned with that big one since at that size he could wreak some serious havoc. The rest I've seen are pretty small, but I'll see if I can get a few more.
 
sounds great, you will love this rock i still find stuff all the time that I didn't know I had. also I had to rehome some stuff to my bigger tank sisnce my TBS tank is small. But it is doin great. I had some whelks and got them out fast, but missed 2, they are like little desrtuctors to the rest of the snails. I finally got my mantis shrimps out with 2 different versions of bottle traps. I found a way to anchor the bait in with a bamboo stick. made the not pay attention to me coming to grab the trap out lol!
 
Dtech can give some more detail on the trap you used to catch the Mantis? I have tried the inverted plastic bottle trap but no luck with the Mantis but have caught a few gorilla crabs.

Thanks
 
I made them inverted bottle style. The first I left the bottle cap on and made a little flap in the curved part of the bottle, then I put a rubber band around it, propped it open a bit with a small piece of bamboo scewer right in the pathway. Put the bait in and put the top in. This one worked on the smaller shrimp. The anchored one I started out the same but I put a skewer through the bottom of the bottleand skewered a shrimp, then tide the shrimp on with some fishing line. I left the top off and had no slits i this one, then when I placed it in the tank I made it so the shrimp would have to go down into the bottle then up to get to the food. This one I put in on the weekend in the morning and sat down to watch some tube, after a couple of hours I looked over and saw the shrimp tryin it's hardest to ge the shrimp out, I picked up the trap and got him. He was about 2 1/2" long. With the food above the doorway like that when the shrimp panics to get away it can't do it easily so it gives you time to yank it out. I made another with a flap partially glued over the bottle cap hole that worked on several of shrimp and even a couple bristle worms for a friend> that one just glue a clear flat piece half way around the opening with it covering the entire opeing, it makes an easy one way door.
 
I am thinking about doing the same thing. Pick up in the US and cross Border with package.

What experience did you have at the Canadian Border? Did you declare? Any problems?

Thanks in advance.
 
Beautiful looking tank so far!

It's nice to see a tank with only FL natural corals and rocks (so far at least). Are you planning on doing a FL biotope? Everyone starts with whatever rock, and then throw whatever corals and whatever fish in the tank that they like. Its hard to find a nice biotope themed tank... Regardless good luck catching those shrimp. Some people have suggested, that at least for crabs and maybe the shrimps, using a double or triple shot glass with some food in the bottom, and place the shotglass at the bottom of the hole the mantis lives in. They can get in but can't crawl up the glass. Maybe they can swim out? I duno, but it's supposed to work for crabs at least.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14054848#post14054848 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefWreak
Beautiful looking tank so far!

It's nice to see a tank with only FL natural corals and rocks (so far at least). Are you planning on doing a FL biotope? Everyone starts with whatever rock, and then throw whatever corals and whatever fish in the tank that they like. Its hard to find a nice biotope themed tank... Regardless good luck catching those shrimp. Some people have suggested, that at least for crabs and maybe the shrimps, using a double or triple shot glass with some food in the bottom, and place the shotglass at the bottom of the hole the mantis lives in. They can get in but can't crawl up the glass. Maybe they can swim out? I duno, but it's supposed to work for crabs at least.
Click to expand...

I've kept my tank FL biotope. It makes an excellent teaching tool. It took a bit of research to get fishes that fit in, but it's been alot of fun.
 
I'm actually taking another route. I'm going to try and go with everything aquacultured or tank-raised for my tanks.

Only problem is I want a Citrin Goby and can't find one tank-raised anywhere.

SB
 
Hey everyone! Sorry for the absence - it's just been very busy around Christmas. To BillyBee: I didn't really have any trouble crossing the border, but I had checked with the local border people directly and they told me that there is no problem bringing back marine rock, so I just didn't really make a big issue of it when I came back (already knowing there was only tax on it). I can't say for sure how your local crossing would react though, so it wouldn't hurt to check specifically.

I hadn't really thought about the biotope idea. It's intriguing and I'll have to think about it.

The tank is doing okay, I believe - there are a couple of issues/questions, though. I did lose a couple of the critters - one of the condy anemones didn't make it, and the long legged spider crab (?) died as well. (Or, maybe it didn't and it was just a shed shell - haven't seen it since, though.) Also, a sponge died which I promptly removed. All tests for ammonia, etc. are now zero or low.

However, I have had a bit of outbreak of algae. There is some of the green "hairy" algae here and there, although it's not prevalent. My bigger concern is a fair bit of growth of "red" algae (or cyanobacteria, perhaps?) which is covering the glass in places and has given some of the rocks a bit of a dull colouration. It is very thin on the rocks (and is not everywhere), but it gives the tank a less "alive" look for sure. Smaller worms and other things on the rocks seem to be surviving through it though.

Should I be concerned about the red algae? I've been using only RO/DI water for all additions and changes. Also, I've been running an AquaC Remora Pro skimmer on it since day 1. Thanks for your help, and sorry for not getting back here sooner!

ETA: The nice little stand of Caulerpa Mexicana that I had has been completely devoured by the hermits.
 
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