FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Looking good there Matty,

But that is all I can say, as I have no clue about the dark side.

One more thing though - quite some interesting wall paper there

Hope it works out well for you,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

and a new shroom:


mattyboombatty attached this image:

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

The overhang in the middle:

mattyboombatty attached this image:

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Some pics from today:

Full view:

mattyboombatty attached this image:

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

LF - Thankfully it hasn't been in there long enough to become fully entrenched. So I'll manually remove the big clump(green stringy algae in the front of the sump in above pics) and try to even get rid of the roots(brush down any rocks it has perched on). This stuff is really invasive and can grow back from seemingly nothing I guess, so it may take a while to get rid of. While doing a good job of nutrient export - it has its drawbacks.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

How do you plan to get rid of the coulerpa? Will you have to strip the sump down?

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks deb, If you need help setting your tank up in the future I'd be glad to help!

I'll try to take the lighting into consideration, but I don't plan on getting any delicate corals for a long time. So any changes I make in the lighting would be minimal. For now though I'm trying to get used to it.

It's too bad that the chromis get a little too big for my measly 30G tank. Otherwise, I would definitely get those...or maybe the blue reef chromis, which are awesome.

I got another 5 lbs of VERY porous rock (forget the name already) and changed around my rockwork. I think I'm really close to what I want it to look like now. I'll post some pics as soon as the batteries charge(and the dust settles).

In the last week or so I've been getting some pretty nasty algae which my cleanup crew isn't keeping up with. I've read though that this is to be expected, so I'm not freaking out yet.

I've also read recently that coulerpa(sp?) isn't the greatest macroalgae for use in the fuge. What I've read is that it can reproduce sexually on a large scale and can travel from the sump to the main tank and take over there as well. I really don't want this to happen, so I'll be trying to get rid of all of it from my sump.

Last edited by mattyboombatty at 20-Oct-2005 12:35

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hi matty

Nice set up happening
You give us freshy's hope
I tend to agree with you on the 'blue' look. (although I have seen some beautiful tanks with that look).

I think you need to determine what corals/sponges (clams etc) that you want before you put them in and deal with your lighting prior to introducing them.
Only because I think if you put in some lovely corals and they start thriving with the blue lighting and then suddently change the spectrum you could end up with certainly a sudden change in those inhabitants and possibly even disastrous results. I think (Someone in the Reef section should be able to help you out here)

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know that I think you tank is looking way-beautiful and I hope when I'm better in the future to be able to follow in your footsteps with my current 4' x 2' x 2' tank. Your leap is inspirational

Deb
BTW: A school of blue/green chromis would be nice
& PS: sorry this went to the other post in error first too




In wildness, nature is not human-hearted!

LF - Marine tanks are WAAAAAY easier than a successful planted tank. You are actually trying to grow algae . In all seriousness though, I think you could handle it with some reading.

Nano Reefer - Thanks! I'm still trying to get the perfect 'scape. I'll probably end up jamming another 5-6 lbs of rock in there.

The crab unfortunately isn't an emerald crab, that would have been nice. First it's brown, without a speck of green anywhere, and second, it's got big ol' hairy legs.

So I've been thinking about the stocking, and these are the fish I like - not the final stocking list by any means.

Royal Gramma

Yellow assessor

Yellowhead Jawfish

Pajama Cardinal
Banggai Cardinal

ocellaris clown

Any of the flasher wrasses
six/twelveline wrasse

rainfords goby
Green or yellow clown goby
neon goby
Blackray shrimp goby

Purple firefish

1-2 gobies of some sort are a MUST for me, as I really like them. I think I might get a couple/few yellowhead jawfish for my refugium (DSB). Everything else I'm still undecided about.

I don't even think I'm going to touch the corals list yet, except for some pulsing xenia and maybe some hammer coral, they tend to catch my eye. Otherwise I have no idea where I'm going with that.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

looking good realy like the aqua scape!!! the crab looks like a manthraemerald) crab generly very good for your tank.

Matty,

I think it looks already very pretty.

That's unfortunately all I can say as a freshwater guy

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Here's my lonesome critter - a rock crab or somesuch thing.



mattyboombatty attached this image:

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks Heidi, But you shouldn't dismiss it just cause of the lack of cories, there are plenty of super interesting marine fish - like the jawfish. I noticed there's not a whole lot of activity over here in salty land. I appreciate the replys!

Well I just cleaned some algae and wiped the salt streaks. So this is about how it looks right now. I think I might still need a few more small ppieces of LR to create some front to back depth instead of it looking like a wall. I was hoping to go with the crescent look, I think it's supposed to be called an atoll formation? However I'm not sure if my tank is wide enough for that look.


mattyboombatty attached this image:


Looks blue right?

Last edited by mattyboombatty at 13-Oct-2005 12:59[/font]

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Nice Matty I'm like the rest though and don't know diddly squat about the darkside, except it costs more than I'm willing to spend right now, and I couldn't keep corries in it Otherwise it looks like a great beginning.

What size of tank is it? I have thought many times of tempting fate, just haven't gotten up the guts to do so yet:88)

Heidi

EDIToops sorry how did I miss that it was 2; 30 gallon tanks? Blonde moment I suppose...hml

Last edited by houston at 12-Oct-2005 19:06

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I just got another 8 lbs of liverock last night, so I'm thinking of aquascaping, and as Babel suggested I'll try to hide the overflow box. I'll update with some pics later.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I recently added a background to hide the paisley...

I also tacked on a "door" to my sump to hide the wiring and what not.





and a mushroom that came in on the liverock.

[/font][/font][/font]

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Got my lights today....Dual 96W Coralife PC fixture with one actinic and one 10,000K. It looks a little too blue for my taste so I may go with one 50/50 and one 10,000K in the future.

Any opinions if I might be able to grow some sps near the top? I figured I'd definitely be able to grow lps and softies, but I wasn't sure about sps.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Background coming soon.... unfortunately I can't help much with the wallpaper...stupid apartments.

and eventually I'll be getting around to the aquascaping part. Right now I just kinda threw it all in there. I still need a bunch more before I really try to work on the scape and hiding things.

Thanks for the comments though

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I was going to try hard not to comment on the wallpaper...really I was! ah well...I suppose it can't be helped (*snickers quietly*) .

Cant comment on the darkside much....but may I suggest moving the piece of LR that's on the top left of your scape to the top right where it may help hide some of the equipment better?

^_^ [hr width='40%']
"in any case, chocolate is hardly a rare comodity." said Chaos. "There are planets covered in the stuff"
REALLY?
"Indeed."
IT MIGHT BE BEST, said Death, IF NEWS LIKE THAT DID NOT GET ABOUT. ~ Theif of Time [link=Terry Pratchett]http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link]

So I've finally gone over to the dark side....I have myself a 30G with another 30G sump. In reality there's about 45-50G of water in the system. I have an Amiracle overflow with a Mag-Drive 350 return pump. Right now I only have a shoplight over the main tank, but will be getting some power compacts in the next couple of weeks (money issues). In the main tank I have about 35 lbs. of Fiji live rock, and will continue looking for smaller 1-3 lb peices as this will be my major filtration. I have 2 powerheads which in total are rated to 500 gph.

In the sump I have a refugium that's 13 inches deep with a 4 inch DSB with about 20 lbs of base rock and some macro algae cuttings. I have 30W of NO flourescent over the refugium. I just got my protein skimmer today, from ebay I got an Aqua-C urchin, which I've read some good reviews about.

The tank has been up for about two weeks and right now I have the sp gravity at 1.025, pH @ 8.3, my ammonia readings are at about .025ppm with a very slight reading of nitrItes. I haven't bothered testing anything else yet. Once I toss on the lights, I will start dosing calcium and ALK and will then test for those.

There's nothing in the tank yet, except for a small crab of unknown type....which I can't find. I plan on growing some soft corals and polyps and getting reef friendly fish.

To the pics:
Full tank shot with self made stand and plumbing:


Main Tank:


Sump:


Refugium:


Skimmer:


Another of the main tank:


Last edited by mattyboombatty at 05-Oct-2005 21:32[/font]

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients