kendrid
03/12/2013, 08:34 PM
Hello everyone. I am new to the reef world but not fish. I have had a 90g discus tank for two years now along with a 20g planted (dirt substrate) livebearer tank. The 20g planted has been torn down and the fish donated and the 30g put in it's place.
While discus don't need RODI water I have used it the entire time I've had them. I have a 55 gallon drum that fills when I want to do a water change. I branched it off so it can fill another bucket for making saltwater.
Since my tank is rock and water right now I will start off showing you what I've done with my discus.
This is Bandit. When he's ****ed a black bar will show going vertically through his eyes.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/7261974306/" title="Eruption Leopard Discus by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7261974306_581ff96dc1.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="Eruption Leopard Discus"></a>
This is Scorpio, my biggest fish:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/7261972438/" title="Blue Scorpion Discus by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7261972438_cd8fefc0f7.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Blue Scorpion Discus"></a>
Peppermint Patty laying eggs:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/5851705582/" title="Male discus fertilizing eggs by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5146/5851705582_d6f85d30ce.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="Male discus fertilizing eggs"></a>
Phoebe the cat watching dinner. She is already watching the empty 30g.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/5924378908/" title="We are not your dinner by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6027/5924378908_69d189be1d.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="We are not your dinner"></a>
Goldie:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/6682584321/" title="Albino Discus Fish grazing by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6682584321_eaf97de1d9.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Albino Discus Fish grazing"></a>
Here is my 30g rockscape so far:
http://i.imgur.com/di2RxPwl.jpg
I have 15 pounds of rock from ReefCleaners. I also used 20 pounds of Caribsea Arag Alive Fiji Pink. I know some think live sand is a scam but I can verify that my sand is alive. When I opened the bag it smelled exactly like the dirt from my planted tank. My tank has been running for two days now and we already have a worm friend:
http://i.imgur.com/qdDN0cbl.jpg
It has 'feelers' on the front and it appears to be sweeping for food. It hasn't moved so I don't know how big it is.
I have also found two pieces of feces - at least that is what it looks like. They are a quarter inch long, black and thin. Pretty much like guppy feces.
I also have some diatoms forming on the bottom of some rocks.
When I was arranging my rock tonight I noticed this at the bottom of one piece:
http://i.imgur.com/XujmXQdl.jpg
I don't recall that hole being there. From a side view it's a tube and it is a darker color than the rock.
My plan is to add ten pounds of live rock this Friday. I am debating it because the tank is already starting to cycle on it's own with the sand. I could order or pick up a few more pieces of dry rock and let it go. Opinions?
The lighting will be a Reefbreeders Bridgelux LED light. I was going to move my T5HO 4 bulb fixture (24" bulbs) from my discus tank but I had forgot that the fixture is 30" wide. It looks dumb over the tank so I left it over the 90g (works really well centered) and I will get the LEDs.
To leave off my first post, here is a parasite that was inside one of my discus. I can't wait to see what a reef tank will bring... :)
http://i.imgur.com/GDjBbM8l.jpg
My maintenance plan is a 5g water change every weekend. I do a 50g change on my discus tank every week so doing another 5 is no big deal. I have an Apex Jr on the discus tank and eventually I will probably add an outlet bar for this tank. The tanks are 15' apart but from what I've read a long USB cable should work fine.
I am looking into DIY ATO units since I know I will need one soon.
I will continually update this thread with my (slow) progress. In two weeks I am leaving on a nine day vacation to the Caribbean so a fish sitter will be watching my discus and this tank's cycle. Once I get back I hope the cycle is complete so I can add something.
While discus don't need RODI water I have used it the entire time I've had them. I have a 55 gallon drum that fills when I want to do a water change. I branched it off so it can fill another bucket for making saltwater.
Since my tank is rock and water right now I will start off showing you what I've done with my discus.
This is Bandit. When he's ****ed a black bar will show going vertically through his eyes.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/7261974306/" title="Eruption Leopard Discus by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7261974306_581ff96dc1.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="Eruption Leopard Discus"></a>
This is Scorpio, my biggest fish:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/7261972438/" title="Blue Scorpion Discus by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7261972438_cd8fefc0f7.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Blue Scorpion Discus"></a>
Peppermint Patty laying eggs:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/5851705582/" title="Male discus fertilizing eggs by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5146/5851705582_d6f85d30ce.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="Male discus fertilizing eggs"></a>
Phoebe the cat watching dinner. She is already watching the empty 30g.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/5924378908/" title="We are not your dinner by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6027/5924378908_69d189be1d.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="We are not your dinner"></a>
Goldie:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceyandkevin/6682584321/" title="Albino Discus Fish grazing by kevitra, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6682584321_eaf97de1d9.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Albino Discus Fish grazing"></a>
Here is my 30g rockscape so far:
http://i.imgur.com/di2RxPwl.jpg
I have 15 pounds of rock from ReefCleaners. I also used 20 pounds of Caribsea Arag Alive Fiji Pink. I know some think live sand is a scam but I can verify that my sand is alive. When I opened the bag it smelled exactly like the dirt from my planted tank. My tank has been running for two days now and we already have a worm friend:
http://i.imgur.com/qdDN0cbl.jpg
It has 'feelers' on the front and it appears to be sweeping for food. It hasn't moved so I don't know how big it is.
I have also found two pieces of feces - at least that is what it looks like. They are a quarter inch long, black and thin. Pretty much like guppy feces.
I also have some diatoms forming on the bottom of some rocks.
When I was arranging my rock tonight I noticed this at the bottom of one piece:
http://i.imgur.com/XujmXQdl.jpg
I don't recall that hole being there. From a side view it's a tube and it is a darker color than the rock.
My plan is to add ten pounds of live rock this Friday. I am debating it because the tank is already starting to cycle on it's own with the sand. I could order or pick up a few more pieces of dry rock and let it go. Opinions?
The lighting will be a Reefbreeders Bridgelux LED light. I was going to move my T5HO 4 bulb fixture (24" bulbs) from my discus tank but I had forgot that the fixture is 30" wide. It looks dumb over the tank so I left it over the 90g (works really well centered) and I will get the LEDs.
To leave off my first post, here is a parasite that was inside one of my discus. I can't wait to see what a reef tank will bring... :)
http://i.imgur.com/GDjBbM8l.jpg
My maintenance plan is a 5g water change every weekend. I do a 50g change on my discus tank every week so doing another 5 is no big deal. I have an Apex Jr on the discus tank and eventually I will probably add an outlet bar for this tank. The tanks are 15' apart but from what I've read a long USB cable should work fine.
I am looking into DIY ATO units since I know I will need one soon.
I will continually update this thread with my (slow) progress. In two weeks I am leaving on a nine day vacation to the Caribbean so a fish sitter will be watching my discus and this tank's cycle. Once I get back I hope the cycle is complete so I can add something.