Anyone here have a flounder? - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by levinjac 

Well when you buy dead rock it does have the good bacteria after a cycle but it does not have all the benifets of actual live rock it grows dead and live both grow algey but ded will not produce coraline Dead rock you can have non reef safe fish live you can not they both have there benifits but they will never be the same

 I have to disagree with you. I have added several pieces of dead, bleached, base rock to my 75 over the years, and it does become live rock with coraline algae all over it...  It just has to be seeded by live rock. Critters will inhabit it, etc...
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by levinjac 

Well when you buy dead rock it does have the good bacteria after a cycle but it does not have all the benifets of actual live rock it grows dead and live both grow algey but ded will not produce coraline Dead rock you can have non reef safe fish live you can not they both have there benifits but they will never be the same

That's not true.  Dead rock can grow to be just as live as any live rock.  It will devolop bacteria and it will develop coralline in time.  But you will need to seed it in order to have pods.

my tank if full of "dead rock" about 3/4 of it 1/4 was high quality live rock but i waited months to cycle and for my "dead sand" and dead rock" to become live in my cube. I rushed my 1st salt tank when i was young in college needless to say i wasted a lot of money and fish. Some of the people here can be harsh but no BS its good advise. The forums can be a kick ass tool to build a great tank off the trial and errors of others so you don't make the same mistakes. also its GSXR no gixxer or whatever..I own one my self never heard of a 1000$ super suit or what ever but i dumped mine at 90 + and walked away with out a scratch. But long story short I think your full of shit about your tanks and bikes and stuff good luck. If  i was a betting man I'd say this whole tread was a joke you seem to know enough but ask dumb things to piss people off to then belittle them and such but what ever like i said good luck Im outta here.

That is what im saying it will be dead rock but can become live

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

so even after dead rock grows good bacteria its still considered dead? If thats so, then my question is why do they call it live rock, if its not for the good bacteria living on it?

I have to go to work so I will try and explain quick...

Live rock is called live rock because it has little tiny critters that live on and in it, bugs and slugs not just bacteria.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

i c, so what else can people put in their tank that is a safe surface for bacteria to grow on besides rock? Stupid question I know but j/w

How are you feeling today? I see the suite pictures you posted, it wasn't necessary...but it is a good thing you had it on, those scrapes alone would be horribly painful, not to mention the scars they could leave, I see so many young people on those bikes with no protection at all. So you’re not a dumb person. Onward to tank stuff....

It isn't a stupid question at all...

Rock is the best and cheapest, and no it does not have to be live rock. A single piece of live rock will eventually seed it all.

Old dead coral, lots of tiny nooks for little critters to inhabit when seeded.

Fake coral will seed just like rock.

Your filter pads believe it or not, and of course the substrate.

Even those tacky broken ships and fake skulls will seed like rock.

Just about any solid object you put in the tank...Only one rule, don't put anything in there that may leak chemicals or trace metals.

Also keep in mind if you use these other things in the tank you can't just remove them, since they harbor your good bacteria.

P.S.

I doubt the shark egg will hatch...anyway the shark and the flounder need more open spaces, so you wouldn't want to put in too much of anyting but sand and something in the center of a bigger tank to keep them. I saw a fellow with a 700g tank for his lemon shark. He had a moray eel in there with it and the only rocks he had was in the center of the tank, that's where the eel hung out. because I have seen that setup I mention it as a possible design for your tank.

flounders should be left in the ocean. and that's experience talking. i would get a couple here and there for customers that wanted them ,, and not show up to buy them, so i got stuck with them. i would take damsels and thumb them in the head then feed to the flounders with tongs. and they would still waste away and die. and a shark? i had a bamboo cat shark that was 5 inches in a 180 gallon tank,, within a year he could not turn around properly. they eat massive food and create massive waste.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

Im feeling better today, I can walk alot better. I really want to stay away from the ship wrecks and skulls. I would really love to just pick a nice rock from my stone wall and boil it but I heard that can still leak unwanted minerals into the tank. The design you mentioned is the design I was aiming for from the begining,  tower of rocks in the middle. Ive been looking at the shark egg in the light and there is something moving in there so my hopes are still high. Also how many gallons would be enough to change I was thinking of using a 5 gallon pale and letting some saltwater mix up in that for a day or so. Would this be enough, and how big of a power head would be big enough to put in the pale(how many gps)? Im going to call some of my lfs's to see if i can locate some dead rock.

How are you holding this egg up to a light...you're not taking it out of the tank are you?  It's best to leave it in there, if it happens to start forming a small crack that you aren't able to see then you will introduce air into the egg and can suffocate it.  I'd look into a larger mixing container like a trash can...a virgin trash can that you can mix water in and then pump into the tank with a tube connected to the power head.  It's also best to keep a thermometer in there and get another heater if you have to to match the mixing waters temp with the tanks temp before you put it in the tank.
 

Not saying you have to change out a whole tanks worth of water but when it comes time to make larger water changes it's alot nicer than have to do multiple buckets at a time.

Nice pic

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

I lift it to the top of the tank and glimps underneith, but its never out of water. Wouldent a garbage can be to much of a water change for the shark and fish? Second opinions welcomed

 Glad to hear you are feeling better...

It all depends on if you have problems. Whatever you use, make sure it have never been used before...mark it FISH ONLY and never use it for anything else. This is VERY IMPORTANT to do.

Alright you have a 75g tank. If you are still having a cloudy water issue or any kind of problem at least change 3%, that's 25g...Ammonia spike change 50% That's around 37g

If you are doing weekly water changes and nothing is off, 10g

If you are doing monthly water changes and nothing is off, 25g

Look at it this way, the largest water change you need to ever do would be the 37g so it makes sense to purchase a plastic tub or garbage can that can hold that amount of water. You don't have to fill it each time you do a change, but you want to be able to do a big one if you need to. Mixing up the salt water can be a pain if you have to do it in 5g buckets. One big tub or can and keep track of how much water you have put in will give you a ball park of how much salt to add. Then check the SG after it has cleared so it is totally dissolved. Match it to your tanks SG, If you need more salt add 1/2 cup at a time, if the SG is too high add a little RO water.

A good power head to get is the Petco one, they have a large one and a small one, get the large one it costs $19.99 and it works great for water changes. It churns the water real good and is powerful enough to pump the water up a hose and into your tank, making water changes easy.

For you tank you want two Koralias, One Number 3 and one number 2 would work really well in a 75g. maxi jets are cheaper and two medium sized ones will work fine, they are a pain to get to stay where you want. They use suction cups and the vibration from the power head makes it come lose. Koralias have a magnet and they stay put, as well as being on a swivel to aim them any direction, they are worth the money.

They usualy sell it at petco just ask for water change tubing i think its like 3 dollors a foot

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayner 

I will be going to petco tomarro to pick up the power head. What type of hosing do you use to pump the water through into the tank from the bucket? does a cut garden hose fit properly to the ends of the powerhead?

Go to home depot and take the power head with you to be sure it fits. It's just clear tubing, the fish store will charge 3xs as much for it.

Typically the tubing that fits the petco brand powerheads is the 3/4" O.D. x 5/8" I.D. stuff.