30 gal Newbee tank / PICS INTENSE

[Fishy Business]

Im just so proud of my tank and wanted to show it off a little to you guys...


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1137.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1138.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1139.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1140.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1130-1.jpg

[sir_dudeguy]

wow! awsome tank! i like the way you stacked the rock so there's gaps in it..one thing tho..it looks like you've got crushed coral or crushed shells..be sure to keep up w/cleaning that stuff, otherwise food/crap/whatever will get stuck in there and make nitrates. but thats a great lookin tank either way :)

what fish are in it? and whats that big green/yellow thing on the right?

mike

[everl0ng]

definitely a nice piece of work! i really like all the gaps in the rockwork! haha i love the watchman!

[theatrus]

Looks nice :) I love the feather dusters. May want to move that leather off the front though.

Some ideas/thoughts:
- Get a blue/black background. I was running backgroundless for about a year, thought I liked it. Then bought a black backgroun on a whim, looks much nicer now!
- With the right light, that Xenia will grow to be a weed. Be prepared. At the very least its an easy coral to pawn off for other corals :)

[mg426]

i think its very nicely done. Good job !!

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915802#post7915802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
wow! awsome tank! i like the way you stacked the rock so there's gaps in it..one thing tho..it looks like you've got crushed coral or crushed shells..be sure to keep up w/cleaning that stuff, otherwise food/crap/whatever will get stuck in there and make nitrates. but thats a great lookin tank either way :)

what fish are in it? and whats that big green/yellow thing on the right?

mike

Dude, thanks alot man for the compliments. That does mean alot to me since I havent stopped with this tank since inherited in June. When I got the tank (from a co worker) she gave me the water she had already established along with 3 damsels and the carpet anmone. Everything else, I have added.

Here is what I got...

Midas Blenny
Pink and Blue Spotted Watchman Goby
Maroon Clown
Blue Devil Damsel

Cleaner shrimp
Pistol Shrimp
Green Carpet Anemone <---green thing in the corner
Pulsating Xenia
3 Feather Dusters

Clean up crew..
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Emerald Crab
Horseshoe Crab
Cucumber
Various snails and hermits

[theatrus]

Whats your lighting on it?

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915869#post7915869 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theatrus
Looks nice :) I love the feather dusters. May want to move that leather off the front though.



Its actually a carpet anemone...


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1141.jpg

[theatrus]

Got it :) Nice color on it. Has it settled into that spot?

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915895#post7915895 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theatrus
Whats your lighting on it?

Its the 2 bulb "Eclipse set up" with biowheel filtration. Not the greatest lighting but I compensate by feeding the Xenia and the Anemone a little more than usual untill I get the retrofit I want.
In the near future I am upgrading to this (I want more corals)... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300013996042&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=7749067168&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget



I installed a moonlight the other day (blue LED) and I love it. Didnt realize how many little critters live in my tank untill then.
:D Very cool to watch at night!

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915920#post7915920 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theatrus
Got it :) Nice color on it. Has it settled into that spot?

He has never moved from that spot since I placed him in there. He sometimes moves(about an inch) but stays on that rock. At night (with the LED moonlight) the anemone moves his "mouth" very strangly but always keeps his foot established. Very cool to watch.

[theatrus]

Hum, don't buy Jebo/Odyssea/Aquatraders lights. Very poor quality, even though the price is great. I got one myself at first, but its currently junked.

Also, you probably want a fair bit stronger light for the carpet than what you currently have.

[sir_dudeguy]

cool. the only possible problems i see are the damsel and the horseshoe crab...

the damsels may or may not be agressive towards the gobie...i think blennies are a little agressive themselves so i wouldnt worry about that...clowns are a type of damsel, and can also hold their own...the gobie may also be able to but i just dont know about them.

the horseshoe crab tho...i believe they need sand, and they need a ton of space (open sand i mean). so you may want to consider taking him back. also i think that it will quickly outgrow that tank...i was watching jeopardy last night lol, and one of the questions was "What is this animal pictured?" or something like that...idk...i got the answer in about a half second but none of the others did i dont think haha..anyways...the crab was probably bigger than my foot??? it was huge thats all i know.

just a thought

and ya that carpet anemone will move to whereever it wants...i think that if you put a filter return right by it it will be fine, otherwise they'll move to one...just somethin someone told me.

mike

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915965#post7915965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theatrus
Hum, don't buy Jebo/Odyssea/Aquatraders lights. Very poor quality, even though the price is great. I got one myself at first, but its currently junked.

Also, you probably want a fair bit stronger light for the carpet than what you currently have.

Did you see the photo of my carpet? :D I think I am one of the lucky few that beats the normal odds of this hobby when it comes to the anemone. This guy has been in this tank for about a year. I have only had the tank since June. I compensate for poor lighting with good food for him. ;)

Why is that lighting Im looking at very poor quality?

[kau_cinta_ku]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915983#post7915983 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fishy Business

Why is that lighting Im looking at very poor quality?

the tank looks great keep up the good work.
as for the lighting your looking at well lets just say i hope you have good home owners insurance as they tend to start on fire:D

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7915972#post7915972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
cool. the only possible problems i see are the damsel and the horseshoe crab...

the damsels may or may not be agressive towards the gobie...i think blennies are a little agressive themselves so i wouldnt worry about that...clowns are a type of damsel, and can also hold their own...the gobie may also be able to but i just dont know about them.

the horseshoe crab tho...i believe they need sand, and they need a ton of space (open sand i mean). so you may want to consider taking him back. also i think that it will quickly outgrow that tank...i was watching jeopardy last night lol, and one of the questions was "What is this animal pictured?" or something like that...idk...i got the answer in about a half second but none of the others did i dont think haha..anyways...the crab was probably bigger than my foot??? it was huge thats all i know.

just a thought

and ya that carpet anemone will move to whereever it wants...i think that if you put a filter return right by it it will be fine, otherwise they'll move to one...just somethin someone told me.

mike

Horseshoe crab is temporary (has always been) but I think I will return it before I planned initially. I agree with needing more room. It was a "newb impulse buy"...shouldnt have got it...but the $9.00 price tag was calling my name and I wanted an addition to my clean up crew. But yea, its going back soon.

As far as the damsel....actually pretty calm and cool. Again, I am one of the lucky few that beat the odds of the saltwater statistics. :D

And the anemone never moves his foot (stays attached right where it is) but at night under the blue LED he moves his green part of his body almost like his is talking. :eek1:

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7916005#post7916005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
the tank looks great keep up the good work.
as for the lighting your looking at well lets just say i hope you have good home owners insurance as they tend to start on fire:D

Say no more. You are now officially on my christmas card list!! I will take that link out of my favorites NOW.

Thanks bro. Do you know of any good quality "retro fit" lighting for my hood? I want to keep the hood.

PS: I am a insurance claims adjuster for a living....so I deal with these type of accidents all the time. Dont want to be on the other side. :mad2:

[nickterp]

Please read this FAQ on carpet anemones: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemsysfaqs.htm

The anemone is probably just barely surviving in that setup. Just the fact that its surviving does not mean its doign well or that you are beating the odds. Its not so much "odds" as it is "basic requirements" for certain anemones.

Besides that, the tank looks great! Sorry to be a downer, but this is the best place to get some real advice, cuz the LFS employees will never tell you these things ;). Good luck!

[kau_cinta_ku]

wooo hoo a christmas card:p
didn't mean to scare ya, i have just read and seen alot of those fixtures burn up and don't want others to have that kind of prob.

as far as good retrofit's check out www.reefgeek.com and look at their tek or icecap T5HO's great lighting (very bright, bulbs last twice as long as other bulbs, and use little elec.), a little more spendy that what you were looking at but alot safer also:D

[theatrus]

www.hellolights.com has some good retrofit kits for CF, T5 and MH. I'm running the MH setup myself on the ARO electronic ballasts. No problems here :)

About the Jebo lights: the MH light kits are known to start fires or at least really smoke the house up due to their ballasts. The CF lights aren't as fire problematic (they do get amazingly hot though, at least mine did), but the bulbs in all honesty are terrible ("actinic" is some cruddy blue color, no fluorescence going on, and the light output looks dim compared to others setups). By the time you replace them, you're paying the same price as a decent retro kit anyway.

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7916027#post7916027 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nickterp
Please read this FAQ on carpet anemones: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemsysfaqs.htm

The anemone is probably just barely surviving in that setup. Just the fact that its surviving does not mean its doign well or that you are beating the odds. Its not so much "odds" as it is "basic requirements" for certain anemones.

Besides that, the tank looks great! Sorry to be a downer, but this is the best place to get some real advice, cuz the LFS employees will never tell you these things ;). Good luck!

Thanks for your compliment!! But I have to disagree with that my anemone is not in good shape. Believe me, I am not one of those guys who claims to always be right or wont take advice from people. Heck, advice from this site has helped me immensely.

I have been compensating with lack of the "normal" or usual lighting for my Xenia and the Anemone with a great diet untill I get my retrofit for my lights. Not to mention, my anemone never moves around looking for a better spot because it isnt happy with the spot it has.

But thank you for the link because I dont believe I have read that material.

[kau_cinta_ku]

oh yeah, and if your not familuar with T5HO's don't let the watts scare you as a 24'' 24watt T5 will put out alot more light than a 24" 65 watt pc it is due to the individual reflectors

[sir_dudeguy]

wait so do you have the jebo light? if so, imo its not that they put out crappy light, its just that they break down and start fires...i've got a free fixture that someone gave me because it sparked and the wires melted lol.

go for metal halides tho. just check the selling forum and you'll prolly find some nice retro halides there.

[Fishy Business]

Do they have a retrofit to fit my hood I already have? I know I cant go TOO STRONG because my hood will keep to much heat inside my tank. :smokin:

[theatrus]

If you can afford it, I'd recommend a Reefgeek T5 retrofit. Mount the ballasts on the back of your hood on the outside to help control heat.

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7916091#post7916091 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theatrus
If you can afford it, I'd recommend a Reefgeek T5 retrofit. Mount the ballasts on the back of your hood on the outside to help control heat.

Really? Sounds interesting. What is the going price??

[theatrus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7916104#post7916104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fishy Business
Really? Sounds interesting. What is the going price??

About $140 for the "screw it in yourself" kit (http://reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104060.html) and $170 for the one with the endcaps and reflectors premounted to a holder (http://reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104981.html)

[nickterp]

The only reason I thought maybe it wasn't doing well is that Carpet Anemones can grow up to 20 inches, so I was surprised to see one that small that was over a year old.

I think you'll see alot of improvement when you add new lights :).

Good luck!

[Fishy Business]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7917097#post7917097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nickterp
The only reason I thought maybe it wasn't doing well is that Carpet Anemones can grow up to 20 inches, so I was surprised to see one that small that was over a year old.

I think you'll see alot of improvement when you add new lights :).

Good luck!

I see. You are right though, it has grown since Ive had it but not much. What I do, is feed it atleast once a week but sometimes twice a week. When I do upgrade my lighting and it starts to get pretty big, I will have to part with it. Especially in my little tank.
Thanks for the advice. Advice is always welcome and appreciated!!

[Fishy Business]

Some of these photos are before I added my latest LR and changed my aquascape. But here is my lil buds...


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1036.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1096-1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1058.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1009.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_0907.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_0480_1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/BigRook99/IMG_1023-1.jpg

[Mrs.kbmdale]

I like it. Really nice. ......(this may be long winded :o , sorry)I've never seen a watchman goby in a tank with anything other than a sand bed.... So how is your watchman handling the crushed coral?? Any thoughts about replacing the cc with a sb?? I'm really curious as I have a yellow watchman goby too, but I have an almost 6" sb, and he is constantly eating the sand. I know where he has camped out all day because he'll sit in a spot, eating the sand from around him, and as it spills out his gills, it leaves a mound. Every day there is at least 1 mound to flatten out, if not more, so I flatten the mounds every few days, and he starts all over again.

The feather dusters will "benefit" from at least weekly additions of Phytoplankton. I have one(1) feather duster, and I dose phyto 2x a week, sometimes 3. It will also help your pod population.

I wondered too about the anemone, and the reason is this.... The coloring just doesn't look right. It's tooo neon in the actinic lighting, which usually is a sign of bleaching. The coloring of it just doesn't look "solid", almost as if you could see through it kinda. It may be "surviving", but I honestly don't think it is "thriving", big diff between the two. I bet it was a really really gorgeous forest/hunter green to begin with. What kind of foods have you been feeding it? The meatier the better - shrimp, squid, clam, scallops, silversides, etc., chopped not whole.


Keep up the good work and Happy Reefing!
Brianna:rollface:

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Your xenia doesn't need any special feedings, it will benefit most from light, the additions of phyto (which will help everything) and having good stable parameters.