Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Well I haven't really done much posting on here and I've just finished upgrading my saltwater tank so I figured I might aswell let all you guys have a look. It isn't very big or anywhere near as cool as some of your guys tanks, but it is almost twice as big as my old set up and I like it. I've had saltwater tank for about 2-3 years now (still very much a beginner though), but haven't really been into the reef sides of things. All I was into was having clownfish, their anemone and a cleaner shrimp. I also ended up getting a rock blenny...just coz they're awesome. I now also have a small blue and yellow damsel aswell as a wicked baby blue tang. Over the past couple months while looking at your posts I'm really keen on getting into the whole coral side of things, but my lighting really ins't up to the job (4x 15w fluro's, 2 blue 2 white). Although I do have a staghorn frag and birdsnest frag (I think thats wht it is called) and have had them for a few months. They aren't dying but aren't growing either. I am looking into purchasing a 150W MH atm and using it with my 4 fluros. In terms of filtration etc. I don't have a sump, didn't have the money or the time to set one up. Although when I get a bigger setup there will deffinately be one. I am running a fluval 103 and 203, a 1200lph power head, a weipro SA2014 skimmer run by 3600lph (thats what it says on it but i seriously dought it) pump. now for the pictures, sry about the quality my camera isn't the best: Whole view of the tank: Middle area of my tank with my clownfish hogging the lens. BTW can ne tell me whether these are percs or occilaris(sp?), they were sold to me as percs but i'm sure they are the occilaris ones: Some leathers, pollups and mushrooms: My staghorn and hammer coral: Another cool leather I like, seems to be growing quite well since I moved him and my rock blenny is hiding in that pic to...can u see him? : And my anemone. It's very small and has been shrinking due to not wanting to eat. He used to eat every once in a while in my old tank but hasn't eaten yet in the new one. I try to feed him pink shrimp bits about one a week but he hardly takes it and i end up giving them to my cleaner shrimp. Can any one help me on this? you can also see my birdsnest on the right, with its rock covered in red cyno. If you have any questions on my tank i'll be happy to answer them if i can and any suggestions are more than welcome. Cheers, Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 It looks very clean, suprised you don't have much coralline algae for running that long. You have done well to resist the temptation of adding a new fish every month :lol: :lol: What are your parameters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuzza Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Water chemistry plays a big part in growing hard corals as much and even more then light.But a MH would Still be a valuble upgrade.Do you have a sump and what sort of filter if any.I would take out 90% of the sand and just go for a sprinkling for good looks as this can play a part in future water quality problems.How long have the rocks been in for?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 And my anemone. It's very small and has been shrinking due to not wanting to eat. He used to eat every once in a while in my old tank but hasn't eaten yet in the new one. Hey Nic, do you know what type of anemone it is? How long have you had it? I have this one: I have had it for about two years. Heteractis magnifica. Probably one of the hardest anemones to keep. Was the size of a dinner plate when I brought it. Had shrunk to the about 10cm across. Since I moved it into its current tank it has doubled in in size. Heaps of light, great water quality, heaps of flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 I bought seafood mix from countdown to feed my anemone. baby octopus (anemone loves), squid (nothing eats, so throw away), mussel (goes down well) as does shrimp and clam. Costs $8.00 for 500 gram froozen. Get value Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 my new tank has only had fish in it for about 3 weeks, and I have only had my blue tang for 2 weeks...I am thinking of getting another fish in the next coupe of weeks, still no idea what...looking at a royal gramma or six line wrasse(sp?) or even a small school of chromis(like 3), really not sure. But that will probably be it after that coz I don't want to overstock. My last water tests showed that my pH was 8.1-8.2 nitrites and nitrates were 0 and my ammonia was greater than 0 but less than 0.25 I only have those test atm so I have no idea what my KH or Ca etc is and to skuzza... no I don't have a sump but I listed what filtration I have at the begining of my post. Whats the reason for having less sand? I was always under the impression that having sand helps with the stability of the tanks chemistry in the same way that live rock does? Am I mistaken or is this one of those things that comes down to personal preferance? About half of the rock in this tank was from my old tank which had been in there for about 2-3 years and the other rock I bought and nitrified it myself over about 5 weeks with help of a rock or two from my old tank and some old sand and some filter media(grey ceramic ring type things). All the rock from my old tank has only been in this tank for about 3 weeks. Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 do you know what type of anemone it is? How long have you had it? ...Heaps of light, great water quality, heaps of flow. No i have no idea what it is and i've had it for about a year I think it used to be about twice as big. do you think my lighting could be a problem, although it is about 10cm from the surface of the water and right in the middle of all my fluros? I bought seafood mix from countdown to feed my anemone. baby octopus (anemone loves), squid (nothing eats, so throw away), mussel (goes down well) as does shrimp and clam. i'll try get some of those when I next go to the supermarket, how big do u recon the chunks should be that I feed it. At the moment the pieces that I try to feed it are smaller than a cm in diameter Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Yep add a halide if you can plenty of bargains on trade me at the mo. weird the comment on squid as its just about pure protein and most things love it, feed just a fingernail size piece it will eat what it needs & discard the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Is it sitting on the rock like my one? If it is, odds on it is a Heteractis magnifica. If it is, then it will need a truckload more light combined with tons of flow. There habitat is reef slopes on prominent solid structures - your classic finding nemo anemone. They like to climb high for the light and current. Distinguishing characteristics - tentacles of uniform thickness and do not taper at the tip - sometimes tips are slightly swollen.Contrasting column colour is destinctive (red,purple,pink with brown, green, blue or purple tentacles). Mine had a very purple base and brown tentacles when I got it. When disturbed the anemone "balls up" showing just the colourful column with a few protruding tentacles at the top. - The Reef Aquarium Vol2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Yea, i'm bidding on a halide as we speak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Is it sitting on the rock like my one? It has tucked itself into a little crack in the rock, i'm not usre if that is what you ment but it seems as though he is stuck in there for good Distinguishing characteristics - tentacles of uniform thickness and do not taper at the tip - sometimes tips are slightly swollen.Contrasting column colour is destinctive (red,purple,pink with brown, green, blue or purple tentacles). Mine has lost a lot of colour since I have bought it. Now it is just a browny colour pretty much exactly like you see in my pics. I remember when I got it the tenticls were slightly purple, the tips were green and the base of the foot seemd to be slightly red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lti Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 looking good nic! makes me wish i had fish in my tank... or at least something more interesting than oysters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Thanks luke. Yea I can't wait till you get fish, your tank will be awesome. Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 hey nic, looking good, get on the right track from day 1 and you'll be sweet. Yea, i'm bidding on a halide as we speak yeah, mine good buy, but of course i'd say that :lol: but honestly, a halide will make a world of difference to your corals. you never mentioned the dimensions of your tank? No i have no idea what it is and i've had it for about a year I think it used to be about twice as big. do you think my lighting could be a problem, although it is about 10cm from the surface of the water and right in the middle of all my fluros? yes, definately. majority of anemones require decent lighting (at least halides in most cases) no I don't have a sump but I listed what filtration I have at the begining of my post. Whats the reason for having less sand? I was always under the impression that having sand helps with the stability of the tanks chemistry in the same way that live rock does? Am I mistaken or is this one of those things that comes down to personal preferance? sand is good, although go DEEP (deep sand bed or dsb) or very shallow, say up to 1/2". preference is shallow especially for beginners as DSB's require a bit of knowledge. i think sand is good, being live it helps with filtration and allows you to keep some life that you could not otherwise keep not as good as LR though due to its porisity. About half of the rock in this tank was from my old tank which had been in there for about 2-3 years and the other rock I bought and nitrified it myself over about 5 weeks with help of a rock or two from my old tank and some old sand and some filter media(grey ceramic ring type things). All the rock from my old tank has only been in this tank for about 3 weeks. get rid of the ceramic media, only good for freshwater tanks. you will need additional test kits once your tank has cycled. i would not add another fish yet til ammonia reads 0. strange that you're reading ammonia and no nitrites or nitrates though? anyways, once its cycled, you will need Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium) and kH (alkalinity) test kits - especially if you are considering keeping hard corals. If you win my halide, I'll give you a container of kalkwasser (limewater) which you'll need to keep Ca and kH levels up (until you decide to either continue with kalk, use a calcium reactor or dose additives) All this depends on the type and number of corals you keep of course and how regularly you do water changes as well but kalk is probably the easiest starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 you never mentioned the dimensions of your tank? Off the top of my head I think my dimensions are 900Lx450WX430H sand is good, although go DEEP (deep sand bed or dsb) or very shallow, say up to 1/2". I have up to an inch in places is that still alright, or should I take some out? get rid of the ceramic media Should I have any media in my fluvals then? or just use them for circulation? I'll check my water parameters again tomorrow and post them up. At the moment I am using the red sea calcium 3+ and some coral grow from red sea too. If you win my halide i'll try :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Good one Nic I like it. You may be surprised to hear this but I think your hammer coral is actually getting too much light! To test this, move it to the bottom for a couple of weeks (in a low flow area), and see if it looks better for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Off the top of my head I think my dimensions are 900Lx450WX430H 150W halide will be perfect for that depth (and I'm not just saying that!) I have up to an inch in places is that still alright, or should I take some out? thats fine, just leave it Should I have any media in my fluvals then? or just use them for circulation? use the fluval for carbon. carbon cleanses the water and makes it clearer, cannister or fluidised filters are good for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Thanks for the advice wasp. I have moved my hammer to the bottom of my tank, where there isn't mich flow. I'll see how it goes. Rechecked my water parameters and what i got was: pH: 8.2 Nitrites: 0 ppm Ammonia:between 0 and 0.25 ppm Nitrates: between 0 and 5 ppm And I tried to feed my anemone again this morning and it ate a nice big bit of shrimp, well actually it wasn't that big but I'm so glad he ate it :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted June 24, 2006 Report Share Posted June 24, 2006 Just curious Nic, how's it all going now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickle Pickle Posted June 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 Alls going well Wasp! Going to pick up my 150W MH sometime in the next week. I'll post some more picks when its up. I also bought another anemone today, just couldn't resist it...only $50!! I'm probably going to be aquiring a 4 foot tank soon :lol:, holes drilled for over flows, with hood and stand. So another upgrade might be in order during these holidays! I have no idea where i'm going to keep it, prob under the house untill I do upgrade or until one of my flatmates gets so irritated with all the fish tanks and the increasing power bill that they move out and I can have my own fish room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 I'm planning on paying an extra $30 a month in power to keep my flatmates happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 Suckers! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 Suckers! what do you do to keep the "flatmate happy(wife that is)"? $ 30 seems very cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 What do I do for her? I let her live another day! Isn't that enough? Just kidding :lol: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 Alls going well Wasp! Going to pick up my 150W MH sometime in the next week. I'll post some more picks when its up. I also bought another anemone today, just couldn't resist it...only $50!! Are you running MH at the moment? Anemones almost all need a lot of light, would pay to keep a close eye on the new one, if it was cheap it might be because it has had a hard time and lack of light wont help. If it dies and you don't see and remove it quickly it could cause big problems. Also they need really good clean water, and your parameters aren't that good yet. I know it is hard to resist but maybe you should do a bit more research, before you spend. I have a "phone a friend" policy now because I have done similar in the past. If I can't get the advise I need I go away a hit the net. $50 is only cheap if it lives. Do you know what type it is? If you do some one might be able to tell you if your water parameters and light are going to be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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