Rock came ...

[Miggo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10481340#post10481340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TikiDan
Just buy a tang

It's on the list after the tank stabalizes a little after part 2 comes. The way it's going there should be some left for a whole fleet of tangs. It grows faster than the weeds in the yard.

 

[HowardW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10481340#post10481340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TikiDan
Just buy a tang

Unfortunately, buying various tangs, a foxface, a seahare, a nudi, snails, emerald crabs, or any of the other critters people typically recommend buying to eat their micro or macroalgae is seldomly the answer. In fact, many times the fish or critter will only make things worse by not only showing no interest in eating what you want them to eat, but excreting waste which further adds to the nutrients in the tank fueling the algae growth even more.

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10481288#post10481288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Miggo
Yeah, it's out of control. I've taken some out. It seems to stay away if I get the roots out, but if it breaks off without getting the root, it comes right back.

I'll be more aggressive in my plucking, and throw it in the fuge. That's a good idea with the toothpick or skewer. It's just hard to get at without access from the front of the tank. The other side is just as bad.

Maybe I'll post some before and after weeding photos. I do want it out because it is overgrowing things, but i didn't want to take it out if it keeps the tank healthy. Being new at this I appreciate the help and advice you guys give.

Just make it a weekly part of maintenance.....leave some, harvest some....is very beneficial to your tank....but do not let it get out of control...like mowing your yard......

Richard TBS

 

[Miggo]

Sounds like a plan. It was just bothering me because there were featherdusters and things that I hadn't seen before and now it all starts getting covered up. Oh well, mowed a bunch of it.

This is an after picture of the left side of the tank to compare with before. I did the rest of the tank too. I put it in the fuge. If I shouldn't have done that, let me know. Thanks much for the responses.

Hey Richard, I heard somewhere you were sending some grilled up dolphin to people. You can just send a piece of it along with Part 2 next week.

 

[voodude]

Hey Miggo ... just saw your latest ... You probably have 3 kinds, grape-like Caulerpa racemosa, feathery Caulerpa sertularoides, Caulerpa taxifolia, and Caulerpa mexicana, and the solid-bladed Caulerpa prolifera.
95% of the grape I had is gone (by itself). The prolifera (small round leaves on the fat runners, is the easiest to keep back, but the feathery (mexicana mostly) is a bugger. Best way I found is when doing a good size wter change is to just get in there with good fingernails!:lol: My mantis only whacked me once when I got too close to his house:hammer: Once you get it under control, it pretty much stays put if you trim it every 2-3 weeks. It's a real good nitrate controller. Not sure about scowii, but I also have a good dose of hair algae, but that is easy to keep back. Looks kinda neat waving in the flow if you keep up with it. I'll see what my new stuff has for me on Monday. Doing a 30G FOWLR. Gonna make sure to rinse it with seltzer this time. One gorilla I still have is now about the size of a silver dollar. Been baiting it and should be able to get him with the long tweezers (or the bar-b-que fork!:lmao: ) ... When u get part2 and get some scaping done with all of it, you'll never know where to look first ... Good luck and have fun.:dance:

 

[Miggo]

Gees, I'm learning things, but having fun doing it. For whatever reason I was trying to pull it out and leave the prolifera. The feathery Mexicana sure is a #$%$$# (I mean bugger). Does seem like it'll be better if I keep up with it.

Wish you wouldn't have said that about the shrimp. I had aquaman gloves on though, so it was some protection. I know there's two mantis, that I've seen them both at the same time, but I think there's at least 3. I was playing tug of war with one and a piece of cooked shrimp on a stick one night. I couldn't pull him all the way out though, he'd let go. I tried a couple homemade traps, bottle one etc. I ordered an X-terminator to see how that works. I'd like to try to catch them alive, because they are kind of neat.

Never had a problem with the gorillas though. Maybe because one of the mantis' looks between two and a half and three inches long, and the other is right around 2 inches long. I don't have the guts to poke around in there with my bare hands, (I know, what a wuss).

Good luck with that gorilla. Sounds huge. Looks like the beginning of next week for my Part 2. Make sure you post pictures for us when you get it in.

Thanks again for everyones comments.

 

[voodude]

Mantis was an "OH-MY-GOD" thing when I started, but it hasn't really caused any trouble and is actually my buddy now. When I feed the trigger I have, he comes out on the rock and looks at me like "where's mine" .. I feed it.. with LONG plastic tweeezers and he grabs hold like there's no tomorrow .. interesting way it eats too...gets the shrimp,krill, whatever all rolled up like a tube and then chomps it down!. Hope u have better luck trapping than I did ... (or most people on here!) .. I gave up

 

[Miggo]

Pat 2 came ...

Pat 2 came ...

Gees, we're just stunned. I think Richard got my order screwed up and sent me someone''s 500 gallon Package. First of all, all the rock was top notch, as ususal for Richard.

He didn't just throw in a couple extra things, he stuffed a whole box full of extras. There was tons of different things. Plus there was a bunch of cool stuff on the rock. And if it was like Part 1, new things are going to be popping out daily.

All the things in the pictures are extras. I am very new to this and would appreciate any help Id'ing most of this stuff. Also, if someone could tell me what is in pictures 6 through 8, and if the picture of the crab in picture 9 and 10 that I shook out of the rock is reef safe. I also do not have a clue as to what the fish is in picture 11. Maybe Richard could help me out.

Thanks alot man, all the stuff is incredible, words don't do it justice. I still have some re-arranging to do, pick some things that the power heads blew around, but anyway, here are the pictures to Part 2.

Thanks again.

 

[liverock]

Re: Pat 2 came ...

Re: Pat 2 came ...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10534166#post10534166 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Miggo
Gees, we're just stunned. I think Richard got my order screwed up and sent me someone''s 500 gallon Package. First of all, all the rock was top notch, as usual for Richard.

He didn't just throw in a couple extra things, he stuffed a whole box full of extras. There was tons of different things. Plus there was a bunch of cool stuff on the rock. And if it was like Part 1, new things are going to be popping out daily.

All the things in the pictures are extras. I am very new to this and would appreciate any help Id'ing most of this stuff. Also, if someone could tell me what is in pictures 6 through 8, and if the picture of the crab in picture 9 and 10 that I shook out of the rock is reef safe. I also do not have a clue as to what the fish is in picture 11. Maybe Richard could help me out.

Thanks alot man, all the stuff is incredible, words don't do it justice. I still have some re-arranging to do, pick some things that the power heads blew around, but anyway, here are the pictures to Part 2.

Thanks again.

Hey, most excellent job on aquascaping that tank!

That is one awesome looking tank!

The crab is a frilly deco crab.....neat critter....will decorate with the plants.....the red crab is ok..unless seeing him do something he is not susposed to do.......and the fish is a tiger goby.....and the crab under the rock is a decorator sponge crab with live sponges growing on him...

Seems Midwest airlines did a good job and got it on the early flight for you......just keep an eye on the ammonia levels for a few days.....I like the way all the gorgonias came out so quick, that means you have excellent water quality!

Keep us posted

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com

 

[tangafish]

WOW miggo your tank is awesome, no one could ever imagine you just sit that tank up..it looks like it is been established for a long time with all the gongorians and sponges and awesome rock. All of the gongorians would have to be my favorite they give it so much more dimension and yours are huge! I can only imagine your reaction when you opened all your boxes up..bet the neighbors could hear ya yellin :lol: I know I would. you did a great job aquascaping it for sure that is probably the hardest part because you dont want to cover up anything good. Cant wait to see it what else comes out over the next couple weeks..that is tbs for ya, full of wonderful unexpected surprises. great pics! keep us posted.

 

[Miggo]

Thanks for the kind words. We're very new at this and were just stunned when we saw all the extra stuff. I'm having trouble getting the things to stand up straight and keeping the powerheads from knocking things over.

I'm hoping the little goby grows up and pops out once he gets bigger. My daughter found one mantis shrimp so far, but we haven't seen them being a problem, so they're just another addition to us. The frilly deco crab is pretty cool when you see him. Moves around alot. Looks like a little plant or something.

Saw something kind of cool today. Don't know if it's a ghost shrimp or not. For some reason I thought they were more transparent, whereas this one looks more white. Kind of neat looking. Sorry about the poor picture, I'll have to see if my wife can take a better one with her camera.

 

[voodude]

That's a morph casing from a peppermint shrimp ... as they grow they shed their entire shell .. it will disintrigate ... I have 3 and I think are now full size ... I used to find them all the time

 

[Mr James]

After seeing Miggo's liverock, I know more than ever that I need to order some from you. WOW!! I could live with just what I saw in that tank and not want another coral. The pooper is that I moved even FURTHER away from Tampa Bay, about 2000 miles north of Crestview, FL, where we used to live. Oh well. I guess location doesn't matter right?!?

 

[wintercool97]

WOW :eek1:that is gorgeous! I always knew that I would order from TBS when I got an bigger tank going. Now I am half way there! This just confirmed my decision, I will be ordering soon!! I just hope mine looks half as good as yours, great tank:beer:

 

[Miggo]

I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's kind of cool too, because just like part one, after a few days, you start seeing new things that you didn't realize were there.

I do have a problem and maybe people that have more experience with this than me (ie. everyone), can help me out. I have trouble with powerheads blowing some of the larger things over. Is there something that people do to secure these to the bottom. I've tried burying them in the sand etc. but they eventually work there way out and blow over. I've heard of a type of gell type epoxy/glue. Can I go to the LFS and buy a couple little pieces of rock and glue the base to this rock? Then the weight of the rock would keep it in place.

The things I mean are larger pieces like the tree type sponges and gregorians. Thanks much for everyones help and nice comments.

 

[HowardW]

It's not the best idea to plant gorgonians and tree sponges in the substrate IMO, the gorgs you can use a 2-part reef epoxy to secure the bases to rocks, and for the tree sponges they can be secured into a crevice in the rocks or use gel super glue......both should get very good flow and the gorg should also get good light.

 

[Miggo]

ok, thanks. The gregorians were attached to little rocks at the base and stand up ok. I guess I was kind of afraid of hurting the tree sponges just wedging them in the rocks. I'll try that.

 

[HowardW]

<<< ok, thanks. The gregorians were attached to little rocks at the base and stand up ok. >>>


GORGONIANS :lol:

 

[Miggo]

Thanks.

 

[CT1258]

Aha!!

Now we know where all those chants come from.

Chuck T