HI..New to the area... a little advice appreciated!

natblack · 05/31/2007, 11:52 AM

HI.. just moved into the Tampa Bay area a few months back and have a few questions...

First, are there any really good LFS that you guys would recomend? I live in Palm Harbor, and anything close by would be a help...

Second, for my move I had to break down by AGA 92 gallon corner freshwater... (I'm sure you can guess by my presence here that I've decided to start over gain with saltwater this time.)
The cover and hood that came with the tank were super for the freshwater - but I'm at a loss as to how to light the tank for saltwater. I get the impression that it's going to be a royal PITA because of the tank shape. The tank is in the front office in the house and I'd rather not have a whole lot of clutter or a bunch of pendants hanging from the ceiling... Any recomendations would be appreicated! I'm planning to go with my focus as fish with "The Package" from TBS for the true natural look and the benefits of the bio filtration. I need the right light set up to keep the life that will come on the live rock alive and thriving...

Third, chillers... does everyone in FL run a chiller due to the heat? I don't love AC and don't run it until I get pretty uncomfortable. I think my threshold might be higher than the critters I'm hoping to have inhabit my tank.

Just wondering at this point. I might try to get everything set up and see how the temp levels out for quite a while before I look at throwing anything in there.

Fourth, what's the thought on collecting NSW in the area? It seems almost crazy not to do so with the gulf so close?! Is there a particular place that's better or safer? A place to stay away from at all cost?

Fifth, anyone have "the package" from TBS? Love it? Hate it? I kinda like the idea that the rock in the tank won't have had to travel too far and the life on the rocks will be natural to the area, not a mish mash of assorted corals,etc from all of the globe. Since we're so close is it safe to assume that a local pick up of the package can be made vs paying to have it shipped?

phew... I think that's it for now...sorry for the long post but I want to do this right the first time

college429 · 05/31/2007, 12:37 PM

First go here: http://ichthythings.com/
IMO this is the best local fish store in the Bay Area.
There are other that are good as well, Marine Depot on Hillsborough is ok.

Many people like myself build their own tall canopy to mount lights. If you are not keeping alot of sunlight needing corals you won't need alot of light.

You don't need a chiller, if you aren't keeping alot of light needing coral.

Again if you aren't keeping alot of sensitive corals you probably can use natural sea water.

I believe you can pick up your package from TBS, I think you have to make an appointment.

mflamb · 05/31/2007, 01:02 PM

I agree, FAOIS is a great store. There are others in the area also.
Determine what livestock you want to keep and then provide the correct light for them. What are you wanting to keep???
Some folks here use chillers. Your light selection, pumps, skimmer, and hood design will have an impact on heat.
I don't know of anyone that collects natural seawater on this coast. Folks do it on the east side. You definitely don't want bay water.
The only complaints that I hear about TBS relate to various hitch hikers...crabs/mantis, etc. Everybody seems to like the rock and life on it.

ladyfsu · 05/31/2007, 01:43 PM

Another place that is local for rock is the guy who sells live rock for GARF. He is located in Lutz which is fairly close to you. http://www.floridaliverock.com/

alfa1023 · 06/01/2007, 05:13 AM

Welcome to the area.

I have a 92 corner reef tank and my lighting consists of one 36" T5 fixture and one 24" T5 fixture - so a tad less than 250 watts in total. I have no problem growing various softies (mostly lower in the tank) and SPS (up high). I prefer the slim look of these fixtures rather than a taller hood. And with the T5's, I get away with using fans to keep my tank temp in the 80 to 81 degree range.

As to NSW - that is all that has ever been in my tank, from original fillup two years ago to and including weekly 15 to 20 gallon water changes. I usually go anywhere from 10 miles to 30 miles offshore (Gulf of Mexico) to get water in conjunction with a fishing/diving trip.

boydx6 · 06/01/2007, 05:40 AM

Welcome,
I bought a package from TBS for a small tank and was extremely pleased with it. I did have 1 gorilla crab that came with it. I also got a condi (sp) as well as a rock anemone. There were several different types of sponges and tunicates on the rock. There was also a lot of cup corals on there as well.
Richard at TBS is a great guy. He allowed me to pick it up local. The second batch that I got from him was brought in the same day that I picked it up. It is all transported completely submerged in sw so there is very little die-off. He is going on vacation for a month in Thailand starting on the 4th of June so you may have to wait till he gets back if you pick it up.

natblack · 06/01/2007, 09:32 AM

Thanks to everyone for their replies & advice!

After doing some more hunting online yesterday, I think I came up with a solution for my lighting issue -

- The Current USA Dual Satellite 24-Hour Lighting System 36":
2x96 watt SunPaq with Lunar Lights & Fan
Dual Daylight 6700k/10000k : 1 x 96 watt
Dual Actinic 420nm/460nm : 1 x 96 watt
Lunar Light Moon White : 1
Product Dimensions : 36.75" x 7.25" x 2.5"
Total Watts : 192 watt

Both space and budget friendly, the only question I had left was "is it enough light to keep the critters on the TBS live rock alive and happy?" So instead of wondering I went ahead and wrote to Richard at TBS with my tank dimensions and proposed lighting solution. His answer this morning was:

Hiya
You have plenty of light to keep my rock alive......the gulf is a dark
place,,,,,you will be Ok with what you have!

I am off to vaca till end of June..

see ya!
Richard TBS

Phew... that's at least one thing I can definitely add to the shopping list. Unless someone here of course has had a bad experience with Current USA lighting and wants to tell me about it....

natblack · 06/01/2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by alfa1023
Welcome to the area.

I have a 92 corner reef tank and my lighting consists of one 36" T5 fixture and one 24" T5 fixture - so a tad less than 250 watts in total. I have no problem growing various softies (mostly lower in the tank) and SPS (up high). I prefer the slim look of these fixtures rather than a taller hood. And with the T5's, I get away with using fans to keep my tank temp in the 80 to 81 degree range.

As to NSW - that is all that has ever been in my tank, from original fillup two years ago to and including weekly 15 to 20 gallon water changes. I usually go anywhere from 10 miles to 30 miles offshore (Gulf of Mexico) to get water in conjunction with a fishing/diving trip.

A 36" + a 24" was what I had in mind at first too... so I was on the right track at least

I think if I go ahead with the Current 36" I mentioned above I always have some space behind it to add on if I decide to add some more light later. Cool.
It's great to hear from someone with the same tank (and also from Palm Harbor, no less) - I'm pretty excited about getting it up and running. Have any photos of yours?

10 to 30 miles offshore huh? So I shouldn't roll up to Sunset Beach anytime soon with a bunch of 5 gal buckets? I'll have to start hitting up the neighbors who have boats

Thanks!
Natalie

natblack · 06/01/2007, 10:02 AM

Now onto the fun part... fishies for the tank!
I'd appreciate any advice that you have to offer on my "Fish Wish List" below. I've tried to stick with species that are a bit more 'beginner friendly', I hope. I know there's no inch of fish per gallon rule like there is in freshwater so I'm pretty much guessing at this point.
Please let me know if you think this will be overstocked in my 92 or if from your experience there are fishies on the list that just won't get along. Advice on stocking order? I'll take that too...

Is there a fish that I've overlooked and you think is the coolest and I need to have one? Let me know - you're talking to a saltwater noob here!

2 Ocellaris Clownfish - False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
7 Blue/Green Reef Chromis (Chromis viridis)
1 Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
3 Spotted Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
1 Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
1 Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops)

These guys will be housed with 100 lbs live rock, live sand and the requisite clean up crew that comes with the TBS package...

And somewhat on topic... I'm trying to make some final decisions on sump set up and debating between a two chamber set up (to house skimmer, heater, return pump) and a three chamber (skimmer, fuge and return). Are there any fish on my list in your experience that would be happier in a system with a fuge? At this point I'm leaning toward going simpler and just housing the equipment in the sump... I'm here to learn, so let me know if I'm making a mistake now!

Thanks again all!
Natalie

alfa1023 · 06/01/2007, 11:09 AM

Natalie,

Sorry - but no good pics of my tank. As you may know, the bowfront glass on the corner tanks really does not make for good photos.

I would shy away from the water right off Sunset Beach. All the houses around here not to mention Howard Park contributes lots of nasty stuff in the near shore water. I have used water from as close in as a couple of miles off Anclote Island, but only during the extreme high tides (much like we are having right now).

In my opinion, that is too many fish for a 92 gallon corner. But again, just my uninformed opinion. In my tank I have a tomato clown, yellow tang, royal gramma, two very small yellow tail damsels and one small blue damsel and I consider my tank overstocked. The clown and the tang both have nearly outgrown my tank and eventually will need to move on to a bigger tank.

If you can do both a sump and refugium setup, that will pay dividends in the long run on tank health. I have both cramed in the space under my tank and have good luck with overall tank health. I used an old wet dry filter as my sump, and a Walmart tubberware container as my fuge.

triggerfish1976 · 06/01/2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by natblack

2 Ocellaris Clownfish - False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
7 Blue/Green Reef Chromis (Chromis viridis)
1 Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
3 Spotted Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
1 Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
1 Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops)

These guys will be housed with 100 lbs live rock, live sand and the requisite clean up crew that comes with the TBS package...

Natalie

I would seriously consider not going with the tang as they grow very fast and will quickly become to big for that tank. You also may have issues with the long nose hawk and the neon gobies. Hawks tend to eat small fish and shrimp as they get bigger.

05/31/2007, 11:52 AM	#1
natblack Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 36	HI..New to the area... a little advice appreciated! HI.. just moved into the Tampa Bay area a few months back and have a few questions... First, are there any really good LFS that you guys would recomend? I live in Palm Harbor, and anything close by would be a help... Second, for my move I had to break down by AGA 92 gallon corner freshwater... (I'm sure you can guess by my presence here that I've decided to start over gain with saltwater this time.) The cover and hood that came with the tank were super for the freshwater - but I'm at a loss as to how to light the tank for saltwater. I get the impression that it's going to be a royal PITA because of the tank shape. The tank is in the front office in the house and I'd rather not have a whole lot of clutter or a bunch of pendants hanging from the ceiling... Any recomendations would be appreicated! I'm planning to go with my focus as fish with "The Package" from TBS for the true natural look and the benefits of the bio filtration. I need the right light set up to keep the life that will come on the live rock alive and thriving... Third, chillers... does everyone in FL run a chiller due to the heat? I don't love AC and don't run it until I get pretty uncomfortable. I think my threshold might be higher than the critters I'm hoping to have inhabit my tank. Just wondering at this point. I might try to get everything set up and see how the temp levels out for quite a while before I look at throwing anything in there. Fourth, what's the thought on collecting NSW in the area? It seems almost crazy not to do so with the gulf so close?! Is there a particular place that's better or safer? A place to stay away from at all cost? Fifth, anyone have "the package" from TBS? Love it? Hate it? I kinda like the idea that the rock in the tank won't have had to travel too far and the life on the rocks will be natural to the area, not a mish mash of assorted corals,etc from all of the globe. Since we're so close is it safe to assume that a local pick up of the package can be made vs paying to have it shipped? phew... I think that's it for now...sorry for the long post but I want to do this right the first time

05/31/2007, 12:37 PM	#2
college429 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 851	First go here: http://ichthythings.com/ IMO this is the best local fish store in the Bay Area. There are other that are good as well, Marine Depot on Hillsborough is ok. Many people like myself build their own tall canopy to mount lights. If you are not keeping alot of sunlight needing corals you won't need alot of light. You don't need a chiller, if you aren't keeping alot of light needing coral. Again if you aren't keeping alot of sensitive corals you probably can use natural sea water. I believe you can pick up your package from TBS, I think you have to make an appointment. __________________ college429

05/31/2007, 01:02 PM	#3
mflamb Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pasadena, Texas Posts: 8,435	I agree, FAOIS is a great store. There are others in the area also. Determine what livestock you want to keep and then provide the correct light for them. What are you wanting to keep??? Some folks here use chillers. Your light selection, pumps, skimmer, and hood design will have an impact on heat. I don't know of anyone that collects natural seawater on this coast. Folks do it on the east side. You definitely don't want bay water. The only complaints that I hear about TBS relate to various hitch hikers...crabs/mantis, etc. Everybody seems to like the rock and life on it. __________________ Click on my red house to see my 390 and 300 build thread. Those are my last 2 tanks in Tampa. Now in Pasadena waiting to buy a house to set up my next tank....anemones and clowns...probably a 3x3 150 gallon.

05/31/2007, 01:43 PM	#4
ladyfsu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pasco County, FL Posts: 1,751	Another place that is local for rock is the guy who sells live rock for GARF. He is located in Lutz which is fairly close to you. http://www.floridaliverock.com/ __________________ Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!!! Current Tank Info: 55-g at home, and lots at work

06/01/2007, 09:32 AM	#7
natblack Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 36	a few things figured out... at least for now... Thanks to everyone for their replies & advice! After doing some more hunting online yesterday, I think I came up with a solution for my lighting issue - - The Current USA Dual Satellite 24-Hour Lighting System 36": 2x96 watt SunPaq with Lunar Lights & Fan Dual Daylight 6700k/10000k : 1 x 96 watt Dual Actinic 420nm/460nm : 1 x 96 watt Lunar Light Moon White : 1 Product Dimensions : 36.75" x 7.25" x 2.5" Total Watts : 192 watt Both space and budget friendly, the only question I had left was "is it enough light to keep the critters on the TBS live rock alive and happy?" So instead of wondering I went ahead and wrote to Richard at TBS with my tank dimensions and proposed lighting solution. His answer this morning was: Hiya You have plenty of light to keep my rock alive......the gulf is a dark place,,,,,you will be Ok with what you have! I am off to vaca till end of June.. see ya! Richard TBS Phew... that's at least one thing I can definitely add to the shopping list. Unless someone here of course has had a bad experience with Current USA lighting and wants to tell me about it....

06/01/2007, 05:13 AM	#5
alfa1023 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 348	Welcome to the area. I have a 92 corner reef tank and my lighting consists of one 36" T5 fixture and one 24" T5 fixture - so a tad less than 250 watts in total. I have no problem growing various softies (mostly lower in the tank) and SPS (up high). I prefer the slim look of these fixtures rather than a taller hood. And with the T5's, I get away with using fans to keep my tank temp in the 80 to 81 degree range. As to NSW - that is all that has ever been in my tank, from original fillup two years ago to and including weekly 15 to 20 gallon water changes. I usually go anywhere from 10 miles to 30 miles offshore (Gulf of Mexico) to get water in conjunction with a fishing/diving trip.

06/01/2007, 05:40 AM	#6
boydx6 Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land O'Lakes,Fl Posts: 2,164	Welcome, I bought a package from TBS for a small tank and was extremely pleased with it. I did have 1 gorilla crab that came with it. I also got a condi (sp) as well as a rock anemone. There were several different types of sponges and tunicates on the rock. There was also a lot of cup corals on there as well. Richard at TBS is a great guy. He allowed me to pick it up local. The second batch that I got from him was brought in the same day that I picked it up. It is all transported completely submerged in sw so there is very little die-off. He is going on vacation for a month in Thailand starting on the 4th of June so you may have to wait till he gets back if you pick it up.

06/01/2007, 10:02 AM	#9
natblack Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 36	A few new questions... Now onto the fun part... fishies for the tank! I'd appreciate any advice that you have to offer on my "Fish Wish List" below. I've tried to stick with species that are a bit more 'beginner friendly', I hope. I know there's no inch of fish per gallon rule like there is in freshwater so I'm pretty much guessing at this point. Please let me know if you think this will be overstocked in my 92 or if from your experience there are fishies on the list that just won't get along. Advice on stocking order? I'll take that too... Is there a fish that I've overlooked and you think is the coolest and I need to have one? Let me know - you're talking to a saltwater noob here! 2 Ocellaris Clownfish - False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris) 7 Blue/Green Reef Chromis (Chromis viridis) 1 Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) 3 Spotted Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) 1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto) 1 Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) 1 Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops) These guys will be housed with 100 lbs live rock, live sand and the requisite clean up crew that comes with the TBS package... And somewhat on topic... I'm trying to make some final decisions on sump set up and debating between a two chamber set up (to house skimmer, heater, return pump) and a three chamber (skimmer, fuge and return). Are there any fish on my list in your experience that would be happier in a system with a fuge? At this point I'm leaning toward going simpler and just housing the equipment in the sump... I'm here to learn, so let me know if I'm making a mistake now! Thanks again all! Natalie

06/01/2007, 11:09 AM	#10
alfa1023 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 348	Natalie, Sorry - but no good pics of my tank. As you may know, the bowfront glass on the corner tanks really does not make for good photos. I would shy away from the water right off Sunset Beach. All the houses around here not to mention Howard Park contributes lots of nasty stuff in the near shore water. I have used water from as close in as a couple of miles off Anclote Island, but only during the extreme high tides (much like we are having right now). In my opinion, that is too many fish for a 92 gallon corner. But again, just my uninformed opinion. In my tank I have a tomato clown, yellow tang, royal gramma, two very small yellow tail damsels and one small blue damsel and I consider my tank overstocked. The clown and the tang both have nearly outgrown my tank and eventually will need to move on to a bigger tank. If you can do both a sump and refugium setup, that will pay dividends in the long run on tank health. I have both cramed in the space under my tank and have good luck with overall tank health. I used an old wet dry filter as my sump, and a Walmart tubberware container as my fuge.