Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank
- Thread starter monsinour
- Start date
socalnano24
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank#post_3310310
So with these algea eaters, does that mean i will need to cut back on the size of my CUC, assuming these guys make it past the first couple of weeks?
And no, $4.99 a pound at a LFS would be a dream for those pieces of rock. It was more than that, but not by much. I did get 3 different kinds of LR. One of the kinds, not pictured, I did pay $4.99 for. When the dust settles I will take a pic of the tank and post it pointing out the 1 piece that has the hole in it that was $4.99 a pound.
By the looks of it you got some very primo live rock. I haven't seen that variety except maybe in my concientious aquarium guide book as example pictures; and a lil over 4.99 isn't bad at all. The primo around me is 7.99 and definitley has about half the diversity in it. btw try to take a break on exposing it to air; everytime it gets exposed to air some of the corraline can die of; and any sponges risk getting air bubbles trapped in their tissues which would cause dead spots. Do you have tank pictures in the other albums?
[Correction: Oops the damn forum sent me to the first page and I didn't see the 18 following pages of your thread! lol
]
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank#post_3310310
So with these algea eaters, does that mean i will need to cut back on the size of my CUC, assuming these guys make it past the first couple of weeks?
And no, $4.99 a pound at a LFS would be a dream for those pieces of rock. It was more than that, but not by much. I did get 3 different kinds of LR. One of the kinds, not pictured, I did pay $4.99 for. When the dust settles I will take a pic of the tank and post it pointing out the 1 piece that has the hole in it that was $4.99 a pound.
By the looks of it you got some very primo live rock. I haven't seen that variety except maybe in my concientious aquarium guide book as example pictures; and a lil over 4.99 isn't bad at all. The primo around me is 7.99 and definitley has about half the diversity in it. btw try to take a break on exposing it to air; everytime it gets exposed to air some of the corraline can die of; and any sponges risk getting air bubbles trapped in their tissues which would cause dead spots. Do you have tank pictures in the other albums?
[Correction: Oops the damn forum sent me to the first page and I didn't see the 18 following pages of your thread! lol
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319608
well, the LFS has a test kit be Serra, are those any good?
edit: or should I get another API test?
They're fairly decent. Some people complain about the ease of use. The only big complaint is similar to the complain people have with API Phosphate test, it doesn't read low enough.
I wouldn't go out and buy yet another kit, I would just replace your nitrate kit. The kit I have found to be most reliable is SeaChem for nitrates.
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319608
well, the LFS has a test kit be Serra, are those any good?
edit: or should I get another API test?
They're fairly decent. Some people complain about the ease of use. The only big complaint is similar to the complain people have with API Phosphate test, it doesn't read low enough.
I wouldn't go out and buy yet another kit, I would just replace your nitrate kit. The kit I have found to be most reliable is SeaChem for nitrates.
monsinour
Active Member
well no one around here sells the seachem tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. I got an individual nitrate test from API and took another reading, it came up lighter orange, but definately not yellow. so inbetween 10 and 20. I also got some salt. they didnt have the IO reef salt mix so I got some NeoMarine salt. I read the package and it seemed to be a good salt. Anyone have experience with it? I also got the biggest magfloat cleaner and boy, does that thing work well. My daughter saw some neons and aparently this time, as opposed to all the other times I have pointed them out to her, she loved them and asked for a pair. So her tank is complete with inhabitants. For us, they happened to have Trouchs snails in stock. Well, the normal ones were out of stock but they had a "scarlet rimmed" trouch in stock so I got that one. I also wanted to test what a turbo would eat so I got one of those and put it into the fuge. If the turbo cleans the walls of the fuge, he is going into the DT. The sale was over and the bubble coral was sold, so I have to break it to the missus that we will have to wait until they get another pink bubble coral in stock. It was hard to not get the purple firefish and bring it home. Guess I have to wait until next weekend. Before I do another large water change, I would imaging I should start to introduce the new salt gradually yes? Or am I being way too noob with this?
edit: I keep reading that everyone's clowns have claimed a corner or a certain spot in the tank. My 2 clowns swim all over the tank, from front to back from side to side, from one rock to another. Is this good or bad?
edit: I keep reading that everyone's clowns have claimed a corner or a certain spot in the tank. My 2 clowns swim all over the tank, from front to back from side to side, from one rock to another. Is this good or bad?
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319671
Before I do another large water change, I would imaging I should start to introduce the new salt gradually yes? Or am I being way too noob with this?
I am a fan of gradually changing salts. Some people do it right away. You don't have much corals yet, especially not tempermental corals, so you could do it quicker than say, if you had SPS.
edit: I keep reading that everyone's clowns have claimed a corner or a certain spot in the tank. My 2 clowns swim all over the tank, from front to back from side to side, from one rock to another. Is this good or bad? My clowns swam everywhere for a long time, once they feel comfortable and safe, they'll claim their spot.
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319671
Before I do another large water change, I would imaging I should start to introduce the new salt gradually yes? Or am I being way too noob with this?
I am a fan of gradually changing salts. Some people do it right away. You don't have much corals yet, especially not tempermental corals, so you could do it quicker than say, if you had SPS.
edit: I keep reading that everyone's clowns have claimed a corner or a certain spot in the tank. My 2 clowns swim all over the tank, from front to back from side to side, from one rock to another. Is this good or bad? My clowns swam everywhere for a long time, once they feel comfortable and safe, they'll claim their spot.
monsinour
Active Member
Its my wife's cat and he is trying to get the clowns. THe clowns know that they are safe because of the glass and swim right up next to the glass just to mess with the cat. I am sure in hushed tones behind a rock the one is saying to the other,"Hold my beer and watch this!"
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319801
Its my wife's cat and he is trying to get the clowns. THe clowns know that they are safe because of the glass and swim right up next to the glass just to mess with the cat. I am sure in hushed tones behind a rock the one is saying to the other,"Hold my beer and watch this!"
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319801
Its my wife's cat and he is trying to get the clowns. THe clowns know that they are safe because of the glass and swim right up next to the glass just to mess with the cat. I am sure in hushed tones behind a rock the one is saying to the other,"Hold my beer and watch this!"
monsinour
Active Member
Almost had a CATastrophy. The cat jumped up ontop of the canopy trying to get the fish. Once he realized the the top was sealed and he couldnt get in, he got down. Well we were shooing him down too. Percy hasnt gotten wet yet so we dont know how he would react to water.
Fish + snails + shrimp are all doing well. I noticed that I have some calipura growing on some rocks in the DT. I would imagine that I need to get it off there now before it gets too big? Or should I let it grow to help with the nitrates?
Fish + snails + shrimp are all doing well. I noticed that I have some calipura growing on some rocks in the DT. I would imagine that I need to get it off there now before it gets too big? Or should I let it grow to help with the nitrates?
levinjac
Active Member
happpy BDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319860
Almost had a CATastrophy. The cat jumped up ontop of the canopy trying to get the fish. Once he realized the the top was sealed and he couldnt get in, he got down. Well we were shooing him down too. Percy hasnt gotten wet yet so we dont know how he would react to water.
Fish + snails + shrimp are all doing well. I noticed that I have some calipura growing on some rocks in the DT. I would imagine that I need to get it off there now before it gets too big? Or should I let it grow to help with the nitrates?
I'd let it grow for now. You can always cut it back or remove it if it gets to be too much.
Happy Birthday!
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/340#post_3319860
Almost had a CATastrophy. The cat jumped up ontop of the canopy trying to get the fish. Once he realized the the top was sealed and he couldnt get in, he got down. Well we were shooing him down too. Percy hasnt gotten wet yet so we dont know how he would react to water.
Fish + snails + shrimp are all doing well. I noticed that I have some calipura growing on some rocks in the DT. I would imagine that I need to get it off there now before it gets too big? Or should I let it grow to help with the nitrates?
I'd let it grow for now. You can always cut it back or remove it if it gets to be too much.
Happy Birthday!
monsinour
Active Member
Water test this evening
80
1.025
8.0
0
0
F&k the damn top came off the bottle of #2 and spewed forth all kinds of juice all over my table. I had to clean it up and was ticked that this was the one test result that I really wanted to know. So I did it again, after I put the top back on, and it was ~15. It wasnt 10 and it wasnt 20.
Afterwards, I did a 10 gallon change, well moved the water to the QT. Ineresting to see what the results will be in the morning.
80
1.025
8.0
0
0
F&k the damn top came off the bottle of #2 and spewed forth all kinds of juice all over my table. I had to clean it up and was ticked that this was the one test result that I really wanted to know. So I did it again, after I put the top back on, and it was ~15. It wasnt 10 and it wasnt 20.
Afterwards, I did a 10 gallon change, well moved the water to the QT. Ineresting to see what the results will be in the morning.