pics of your aquascaping?

[LovenBama]

I'm getting ready to move the 75g reef tank off of an outside heat baring wall to an inside wall to help with temp issues and want to redo my rock work but really don't know what I wanna do just yet so I'd like to see pics of your rock work so I can get some ideas here is what mine currently looks like...I have about 50-60 more pounds of rock waiting in a 35gal can covered in SW also that I got from doc5454 a fews weeks ago that I plan to use also
left hand side

center

righthand side

 

[LovenBama]

as you can see....It's a bit crowded in there
here's a FT shot

 

[Tomoko Schum]

There are many fabulous looking "Tank of the month" tanks on Reefkeeping magazine. Have you checked them out?

This one is my favorite.

 

[LovenBama]

have not...still kinda new here and learning the ropes but I will check it out...thanks Tomoko...and oh...your new tank is looking super:thumbsup:

 

[doorlady]

you know what mine looks like. Hey, say I'll come and give you lots of advice :blown:

 

[LovenBama]

LOL..yeah right..you will be gone when I do it next Saturday:fun2:

 

[LovenBama]

not lookin forward to it cause I know it will be a looonnnggg day doin the move from start to finish none stop. What are your/his thoughts on water during the move? Should I use all new SW or 1/2 old and 1/2 new to keep from freakin everything out..kinda as if I'm doin a 50% water change :worried2:

 

[doorlady]

I would not do any more than a 50% change. In fact, I would probably do less. But that is just me! I have always thought that rearranging the tank was traumatic enough to the fish without making it worse with a big water change. :fun5:

 

[LovenBama]

do you suggest maybe a 30-35% then?

 

[doorlady]

That sounds much better to me unless you are trying to fix a big water quality problem. :fish2:

 

[LovenBama]

no problem just the tank moving across the room and need to do a water change anyway....should I increase the salinity a little at this time or wait till everything settles down from the move and then slowly increase it?

 

[doorlady]

What is your current salinity?

 

[LovenBama]

1.0235 and thinking you said yours now is 1.03?

 

[doorlady]

Mine is currently about 1.023. I am wanting to get it to about 1.035 or there abouts. I think that you should start slowly increasing your salinity to get it to 1.03 and see how things look. Yes, I would go ahead and start the change during this move.

 

[wpecoul]

Why do you want your salinity all the way to 1.035? That's higher than I've heard anyone ever talk about using. Did you mean 1.025?

 

[doorlady]

1.035 is my goal. I am using some advice from Jim in regards to this in addition to reading about salinity that much of the common live stock seems to be accustomed to in the wild. He says ideally 1.04 (I have no intention of going that high)would be great if you have the proper top off and don't let it spike. I have recently purchased a refractometer and discovered how far off my hydrometer reading was. I thought that I had moved up to 1.035 when actually it was 1.023! So my 1.025 That I thought I had for so long was not accurate.

 

[doorlady]

Will,
Do you think this is based on bad information/opinions?

 

[scubalauren]

I lost my Hippo Tang when my salinty got too high on accident. Wasn't much of an increase either. Just a head;s up. Maybe it wasn't the salinty and just a coinsidence.

 

[wpecoul]

I wouldn't do it. I'd shoot for 1.025-1.027. I suppose salinity may be 1.04 or higher in the wild, but as a purely practical matter, acclimating any new critters or corals would be a huge pain in the rear and very stressful to the animals. And I'm not sure what the gain is from going so much higher when the animals do fine in the 'normal' hobby range.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Are we talking in the same unit? Numbers as high as 30 and 40 seem like you guys are talking in ppt. 40 ppt is like 1.027 in specific gravity at 87 degrees F.

Here's a good article about the variation in natural salinity and temperature by Dr. Ron Shimek:

http://www.reefland.com/rho/1105/reefc7.php