Dawn On The Reef

[charlie2005]

Big C
Did you wash the Biorb media before you silicone it to the egg crate?

Cheers

 

[BigC]

Nope, but I did give it a good soak in RO (sections) before insertion.
Regards
BigC

 

[littleme1969]

if your frag tank doesnt happen and you want rid of that mh send me a pm i may be tempted!

Sorry Ben Keepin it, just managed to convince er indoors that it would be a good idea, and that was a job in itself
Ok OK
Well guys it all kicked off this morning with the death of a Scooter Blenny and I was contemplating my next move with the aquarium. Spoke to some reefing friends earlier about the viability of owning a Watchman Goby. So just on a whim I headed for a LFS in Belfast after dinner with the wife in tow as she needed some shopping.
Got there and they had a small one in complete with shrimp, a bit pricey so anyway to cut a long story short I stumped up £49 for the pair. (been to Sainsburys with the wife 20 mins earlier and spent £48 on a few bits) Wife gave me one of them looks where all you can reply with is "What". Anyway jobs a good un. I gets home and one of the new Daylight Power Compacts hasn't come on at its usual time. Checked everything and traced it back to the tube connector, Tube had blown and welded itself to the connector. (two bloody mishaps with one stone, well thats just firkin typical) All this while aclimatisation was going on.
I rang another LFS, and luckily enough they had a ballast starter unit in stock, another flight down that bloomin motorway, (I travel the dam thing everyday to work) Got to the LFS and they were havin a bad one too as some snotty nosed kid had left the RO running and flooded the counter area. Must be something in the air today. I got home completed the acclimatisation of the aformentioned livestock and proceeded to rip out the old ballast and replace. I had to use one of the old tubes because I had no more spares. So Its off to the LFS tomorrow again to get another tube. Bloody wallet's on a respirator.
Anyway here's some pics after all that.

Another 2 hours stood over a bucket

Show us yer face

Talk about stickin yer neck out

Exausted
BigC

Aw Sef, I nearly took a sledghammer to the whole thing.
To cut a long story short the shrimp thinks its a JCB (literaly) Bloody re-arranged the sand single handedly throughout the night. 5" blooming high some of them piles were. Burried corals for fun. Come downstairs this morning and I always check the tank before heading off to work and boy did I get a shock... ####.
Anyway come home a 10 oclock and got stuck in. Completely gutted the tank to try and catch that blasted thing. Cornered it and it took a further 2 hours to trap it.
Its now in the sump (solitary confinement) The Goby's back in the main tank. I've given the shrimp it own little pile of sand in the sump and it can bloody well move that around all day if it likes.
Lost a bit of height on the right side of the tank with the LR, So I'll buy some more to accomodate that aspect. Its not the same though. But I hope I can get back to where I was in the next couple of weeks.
Bit peeved at the mo.
BigC

Sorry.. sat her laughing my head off and I know I shouldnt be.. The bit I highlighted in red had me in stitches..lol
Sorry about the blenny but they do better in bigger tanks. Mines still alive and doing really well, fat and plump as ever. I did however loose my square spot anthias the other day with no warning.. no idea why he looked fine.. then dead the next day but that the way it goes.
As for your shrimp..LOL could have told you that. I have one that came in with my live rock and he loves making sand castles.. between him and the Jaw fish I have great fun leveling the dunes
Keep you chin up Big C... these are just minor hickups mate

 

[BigC]

As most of you are aware by reading the thread I wished at one point to convert the lighting to MH. I now have decided against this as I bought some better daylight balanced T5 tubes, which means I get to keep the wooden canopy.
I did buy a second hand MH unit and I am going to use it over a frag tank in the garage. When I got the unit it needed a good deep cleaning but now, as I'm sure you'll agree it was well worth the £60 I laid out for it. I am in the process of refurbishing the unit by replacing the bulb, replacing the old hanging kit with a brand new one and also I am replacing the ceramic terminal blocks within the unit itself as they were corroded.
I think it was a good buy.

I will be doing all the necessaries this weekend and will be starting to build the frag tank, so the pics of the frag tank build will be included in this thread
Regards
BigC

 

[ben1987]

looks a very neat little light that, exactly what im going to be looking for soon. Hate the ones that are massive and bulky. Nice find.
What size frag tank will you be going for?

 

[BigC]

Yeah it is a nice little unit and it did scrub up well, should have seen it when it arrived (very grubby). I would not have sent something out in that state. Give the guy his dues though he did supply a new bulb and a double socket specifically wired to incorp. a timer and the MH. So cant grumble really.

What size frag tank will you be going for?

Something small Ben to begin with 600x600x250 to start with, but hopes to sneak a bigger tank in when shes not looking LOL
Watch this space.
Regards
BigC

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Something small Ben to begin with 600x600x250 to start with, but hopes to sneak a bigger tank in when shes not looking LOL
Watch this space.
Regards
BigC

LOL I knew it was only a matter of time

 

[BigC]

Shush Barney she'll hear ya! LOL

 

[xxBarneyxx]

lol what you didnt mention was the unit of measurement. Thats in foot isnt it

 

[ben1987]

You planning on any SPS at all then?

 

[seffieuk]

BigC creeping through door with monster tank, 'well dear, it's just for frags' big smile on his face.


Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

i dont think you can creep with a 200 gallon tank in tow

 

[Ludwig Venter]

To put a damper on this very interesting discussion, Just wondering if you've seen anything interesting in the book???

 

[seffieuk]

i dont think you can creep with a 200 gallon tank in tow

He might give it a go though

Seffie x

 

[BigC]

OH what are you lot like, you are all gonna be sooooo very disapointed, its only a small frag tank, not Davy Jones'es Locker.

To put a damper on this very interesting discussion, Just wondering if you've seen anything interesting in the book???

Hi Ludwig, I keep it by the bed M8 and reading it mostly on Sunday mornings. The nomeclature has changed somewhat since it was published but the care and general info remain valid. I'm interested in Gorgonians and there is quite a good section on those. Thank you again for letting me have this, I like collecting books, Nothing like wondering round a good bookstore, I even bought some books in Brisbane whilst on holiday and was overweight with the baggage comming back, of course she blamed the books. LOL
Thanks again Lud.