Just placed my order
 

I just placed my order for a TBS package!! I can't wait!!

I have been out of the hobby for a few years, and just bought a Oceanic Bio Cube 14 Gallon Nano Reef Tank on a whim!!

When I get "the package" I'll send pictures!


Take Care!

Well, I'm on day 5 of the cycle with the "package" from TBS.
Here are some pictures I got after the tank cleared up a bit.

This little guy is now in the hands of another:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2116.jpg

Not sure what this is... But it's pretty!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2122.jpg

Hitchhiker: got a couple of these.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2123.jpg

Hitchhiker: got a few of these!! Very nice!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2129.jpg

Anybody know what these white tube like things are?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2130.jpg

All this stuff, and this is just the "base" rock!! Can't wait to get the good stuff in, on the next shipment!!
Here is my tank and all 14 gallons of it's glory!! LOL!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/DSC_2132.jpg

I believe the second picture is of cup coral. I have two in my tank and they are awesome. Seem to grow pretty quick. It's fun to watch them catch and eat the frozen mysis I throw in.

I can sit and watch those snail all day. They bury themselves in the sand and sometimes get brave and go up the side of the tank.

Great looking tank and keep an eye out for the decorator crabs they have a big personality and seeing what they put on them next is a hoot. One put a piece of macroalgae on his head like crown was the funniest thing to see.

SB

Sorry I tend to spend hours infront of my tank. hehe

Cup Coral!! Thanks!!

I have seen (sort of) two crabs in the tank... But really don't see them much. The claws look to be from the "good crab" crowd. But they haven't came out to play long enough to ID them for real!!

Update: 02/02/09

Early Sunday Morning, I tested my water, and found for the 3rd day in a row Ammonia, and Nitrates were at 0:

Email to Richard around 10:00am... Said I'm ready for my second shipment, and thinking to myself. (self) It's Sunday, Super-bowl is on tonight, and my tank looks like it has made it through it's first cycle... Life is good... Richard will get my email monday morning, and I will pick up my 2nd shipment Monday or Tuesnight night after TBS ships it.

AROUND NOON I GET AN EMAIL FROM RICHARD!! :confused:

He says, 2nd shipment will be on flight xxx tonight at 6:00pm!!

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1: Does this guy ever stop working!?!?

Well at that point, the super-bowl didn't seem like that big of a deal! :rollface:

Went to the airport, took home 2 REALLY heavy boxes.. Thinking how is all this going to fit into my little 14 gallon tank?

Got home from the airport around 8:00pm, and by 2:00am this is what my tank looked like:

Holy Cow Richard!! You have once again, out did yourself!
I will NEVER buy rock from anyone else EVER again!

TBS doesn't sell live rock, this is LIVING Rock!!:

Richard:
Thanks again for everything!!


Enjoy the pictures!

This is what the tank looked like around 10:00pm last night:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2191.jpg

This is what it looked like this afternoon, when I went home for lunch:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2195.jpg

Ohhhhhhh... All the pretty colors!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2197.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2199.jpg

Sponge Bob!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DSC_2201-2.jpg

I will post more when I get a chance... This was just a lunch hour, let the dog out, and snap some fast pictures of the tank!

Richard!!! Thank You!!
Roger

I could use some help with an ID on these?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2202.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2205.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2206.jpg

This little guy opened almost the moment I put him in the tank:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2207.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2213.jpg

Want to be friends?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2217.jpg

Nobody will find me under here!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...9/DSC_2218.jpg

Awesome Tank
 

That has got to be one of the best aquascaping jobs I have seen done with a nano....amazing...makes me want to get one for the living room. Do you think I could get some good rock and critters for it?

Richard TBS:rollface: :rollface: :rollface:::D

That would be fine with me Richard... As much as you have help me out, I would gladly help you with a few photos. :)

Yeah... I think you know a guy that could get you some good rock!!

I will have to agree. That is one incredible tank!

SB

Also I think most of what you wanted ID'd are sponges.

Thank You, and Yes... Richard sent me a PM, and ID'd the sponges, and the Jewelbox Clam.

I was really up WAY past my bedtime last night just watching the night life...

Just beyond cool!!


I have my next purchase in mind...

HQI lighting:

Now for the big question.... Which one?

I'm thinking this one?
Current USA 150w Sundial with Actinics

Any thoughts on if that's a good light or not.
Of course, I will loose my moonlights, so I'll need a moonlight then also?

Suggestions?

I was thinking of getting the Sunpod HQI that is LEDS and the HQI but you lose out on the dusk and dawn effect but gain the moonlights.

If they had different power cords for the blue and white LEDs I would have been sold. I would have used the blue for dusk and dawn and then the whites for moonlighting. However they are independent switches and would have to be done manually, I like my timers.

SB

Isn't there one that has timers one it? I have just started doing research on them... But I thought I read about one that had HQI, LEDS, and Duel timers. Would that work?

Oh!! I just re-read your post... You want to use half the LED's for one time, and Half the other time..

Gotcha.

That sounds perfect... Now we just have to find someone who makes them.

I'll let you know if I find anything!

Take Care
Roger

<<< I have my next purchase in mind...

HQI lighting:

Now for the big question.... Which one?

I'm thinking this one?
Current USA 150w Sundial with Actinics

Any thoughts on if that's a good light or not. >>>



IMO a 150W halide w/actinics is way overkill for a TBS 14g nano tank, not to mention the heat.

It works out to about 10.7W/gallon. I read on here about people having way more then that.

I'm thinking about Clam, and Hard Coral.

What would you suggest... Would the 70w systems be okay for those things?

Thanks for the input!

<<< It works out to about 10.7W/gallon. I read on here about people having way more then that. >>>


Those would be people keeping primaily the very highest PAR requiring SPS corals and/or clams, and that much light is not required nor desirable for anything except those types of tanks IMO, especially smaller and shallow tanks. With few exceptions, keep in mind that most life on TBS rocks are at the far other end of the scale and are mostly non-photosynthetic filter feeders coming from nutrient rich and turbid waters in the Gulf.

Okay!! Well, I'm thinking (don't have them yet!) But thinking about a clam, and trying SPS in this system...

You think the 70w MH systems would do the trick?

It's been my experience by reading about those starting a nano tank that the one mistake they make is attempting to turn a small tank into an 'everything under the sun' tank.......TBS rock, critters, gorgs, sponges, fish, soft corals, LPS corals, SPS corals, clams, fish, etc, etc, and it tends not to work out longer term. Another mistake I always read about is those trying to add way too much to their newly set up tank too soon before the tank has a chance to mature for at least a few months.

For the lighting, if you feel you want or need to run MH's then I would go easy on the wattage and adjust your tank to them slowly over a couple weeks. Coralife and the Viper make MH clip on tank setups where you can also adjust how high the unit sits over the water. Would also be a good idea to add more flow like an additional Koralia Nano or two IMO.

Thank You for your comments, and suggestions! I'm one step ahead of you on the Koralia Nono. (1 already on order!)

After reading a few posts about about Nano's and some of the trouble people have gotten themselves into... I think I will just sit back, with what I have right now, and see how this goes for a while:

TBS rock
1 fish
soft corals
critters
sponges

Hold up on the *PS coral, and clam. OH! and hold on the light upgrade.

The problem with the nano tank that I see so far... Is everything is so much cheaper then doing something for a large tank. So you want to try all the stuff you couldn't afford to do with the larger tanks. So I can easily see where people can really jump into a I WANT TO TRY EVERYTHING type of thinking!

Thanks for the input!!

I'm going to go stare at my awesome little TBS Nano now!! :)

Just wanted to give a quick update on the nano package:

WOW!!! :eek1: Is all I keep saying!! This tank is incredible!!

Thanks Richard!!


So far, I have spotted:

2 very small Porcelain Crabs
1 small Red Mithrax Crab
1 very small Star
1 Urchin, Pincushion
3 Keyhole Limpets
2 Spaghetti Worms
4 Cup Corals
3 Really Pretty Tube Corals
a bunch of Barnacles
a few Chaetopterid
And what I thought was a just a rock, turned out to be a really large: Jewel Box Clam!! Too Cool!!

The tiger goby is quite the little character!! Very fun to watch, and doing quite well.. He is a little shy... But really comes out when food is in the tank!

The Decorator Crab is also a treat to watch.. picking up things from the rock and placing it on his back!.. Too funny!!

The kids and I have spent HOURS just watching this little 14 gallon tank!!

Thanks again Richard for what has turned into the family TV!!

I will get some more pictures posted soon!

If anyone has been having any doubts about ordering "the package" from TBS... Just PM me!! There is so much life on these rocks... It's almost like seeing a different tank every day... You just keep finding more and more everytime you look!!

AWESOME!!