Greetings

[weep no more]

Hi, everyone. I just posted my first messages in the New Hobbyists Forum. I was so happy that people really cared to help me with questions about how to set up my post. I am so excited and can't believe that I have finally found a place that I can talk about my interest in this fascinating hobby! I guess I am considered to be in the Nano section since my tank is a 29 gallon. Is that correct?

 

[thomas712]

Your tank may be classified as a nano, but you are certainly free and welcome to post and reply in any of the other forums that you see fit. Just post in the forum that you believe your question belongs in...ie..If you have a question about disease then post in the Disease and and Treatment forum..Live rock in reef forum..you get the idea...
Is that what you meant?
Thomas
By the way:
Welcome to the board

 

[weep no more]

Great, Thomas712. Yes, I was hoping I could do that. I am really thankful to find this board. I have been all alone in this hobby here in my hometown for many years. I'm anxious to learn from such experienced people as yourself.

 

[weep no more]

Thanks, DVSKIN! It seems so strange to be getting messages from you guys that I have been reading about for so long.
I really am excited because this is the first time I have participated in a message board of any kind.
My family gets tired of listening to me with the fish stories sometimes.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by Weep No More
Thanks, DVSKIN! It seems so strange to be getting messages from you guys that I have been reading about for so long.
I really am excited because this is the first time I have participated in a message board of any kind.
My family gets tired of listening to me with the fish stories sometimes.

Trust me I only participate in 3 message boards - this one, a local fish board (in KC area) and the one for my fantasy football league.
I know all about the fish story stuff - but my little girls love it!!
Post in as many forums as you feel appropriate!
So what are you going to do with your 29 Gallon? FOWLR? REEF?
Just curious and you are always welcome here in the Nano section regardless!!

 

[weep no more]

Hi, overanlyzer. I am wanting to have a combination of fish, live rock and corals. I haven't had much help for the past 8 years and have had to lose a lot of money and poor little fish. I have effidently been given bad advice. I have lost a seahorse, mandarin goby and a gorgeous blue trigger fish.

 

[weep no more]

Sorry for spelling your name wrong, overanalyzer, as well as the word "evidently". I'll have to slow down and check my work before I send it.

 

[weep no more]

I am really suprised that I have done as well as I have and even have fish at all. No one has ever told me that I needed turbo snails or hermit crabs to help with the detritus. I learned that information from this board. I guess the only thing that has saved my tank and fish has been my willingness to work really hard keeping it clean by vacuuming often.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by Weep No More
Sorry for spelling your name wrong, overanalyzer, as well as the word "evidently". I'll have to slow down and check my work before I send it.
Not a problem ... hey I used to be a HS teacher (English) and I rarely double check my work here .... not the best example
So you are looking @ a 29 gallon reef tank - sweet!
What kind of lights do you have and what do you have in the tank right now??
What kind of filtration?
Heaters?
Powerheads/water movement?
Uhm that should be good for now to help give you some ideas we need to know what ya' got!

 

[weep no more]

Overanalyzer, I can't seem to get the lighting system that will do the job that I want. I really want the nice reef tanks that everyone on here has displayed. I have the Coral Life 10,000 k lights and a 50/50. I will check the boxes that they came in to check the brand names and specifics of wattage. I have an automatic glass heater tube that extends into the water along with a grounding prop attached for the tang. I have two powerheads attached to an undergravel filter and a hang on canister filter in the back. I'll show you a picture that I have sized. I'll try to resize some closeups.

 

[overanalyzer]

OK nice looking little set-up - what do you have in the tank right now in terms of inhabitants??

 

[weep no more]

Ok, even though I have read this board long enough to know that I will be in big trouble, I will tell you what I have. I know that according to the expertise of the veterans here I am way overstocked; but, surprisingly I have only lost 1 damsel ( I know 1 is too many) in the past year.
1 Blue Hippo Tang, 1 Yellow Tang,1 Yellow Tailed Damsel, 1 Black Domino and 1 Clownfish
I just recently purchased 10 Turbo Snails, 10 smaller snails( I forgot their specific names), and 5 hermit crabs.
I have about 10-15 pounds of live rock (far from my goal ) and about 2-3 inches of the type of coral looking gravel(is it called argonite?)
I really don't know why they are living and growing so well for me; but, they are beautiful and I adore them!
I really think they may be surviving so well because I put so much time into keeping the tank vacuumed well since I have the underground filter. I also frequently change the carbon filter in the hang on canister as well.

 

[overanalyzer]

Wow ... the tang police are going to be all OVER you .... luckily the Nano section is not as patrolled ...
OK - first - you need to think about making some changes (not that you HAVE to make changes - but I think you should).
1. Remove tangs - get store credit!! Will help you towards your goal of more quality LR.
2. Decide now if you really want to spend so much time vacuuming the tank. If yes then be prepared to vacum the heck out of it for hte rest of it's existence (with the UG filter you will be pulling down major detrius into the crushed coral). If no - then think about a major overhaul of the tank. Maybe get a bag or two of sand and go with a nice sand bed look or think about a bare bottom tank. Right now in my 20 I have a 4-5 inch sand bed and if I had to do it all over again in that small of a tank I'd go with just a shallow sand bed layer ...
3. plan out what you exactly want in your tank ... the more LR you add the less swimming room but the better you filtration capabilities. With all those fish you are basically building to a huge nitrate blow-out. Not saying it will happen soon but eventually you will see levels rise, then one of your fish will stress (most likely one or both of those tangs) then you will see ick or some other fish disease (HLLE, Popeye). All of a sudden you will have a bunch of sick fish (the damsels and clown are pretty resilient - but still they are overcrowded). Then your tank will start having isseus and if one of those fish dies and you don't catch it right away - your ammonia spikes and adds to the stress - then you could see a tank wipeout ...
Granted that is a worse case scenario - but think of it like this - take a walk in closet - add 5 junior high school kids and 3 coffee cans to use as toilets. Feed the kids regularly, vacum the carpet often, run a nice air filter and you still have a mess ....
(wow - I sound like a tang policeman ...)
Seriously - plan what you want then start taking action ... if you want those tangs - buy a larger tank (I mean like a 125 gallon tank for both of those guys) .....
You have great habits, you care for your fish ... but please don't tempt fate!

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by FranknBerry
I'm a little concered about the furniture that you're using for the stand. The weight of your system is probably about 300 lbs. Not the sort of weight I would trust that furniture to hold....
Damn good point .... at first glance I thought is was a wrought iron stand ....