Hello From Southern England

[APG78]

Yip spot on

Ah, that learning curve eh? lol, well done - all fixed. Wife can now hear the TV. All is good. Helps if I look at the diagram properly too perhaps, school boy errors much?

Thanks!

Oh - also took delivery this morning of 21.5Kg of live rock - lots of worms in the rock, even found a tiny little crab in the bottom. Scooped him up and he's in his new home, the refugium. Hope that's okay for him?

Did also find a claw of some kind, maybe there is something else lurking, minus a claw. Looks like crab again. Hope so, I'm getting excited with all this new life.

Need to brush up on what's next - salinity, ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrite checks. looking for the spike, change the water... will look it up again. got distracted with pipes, rocks etc.

Oh, forgot the camera last night - it was at work... doh. Will get some pictures. I'm thinking I could do with another 20Kg of rock, looks a little bare in there. Don't want there to be enough room for the plastic toys I'm being pestered to put in there for her... bubbles-bubbles-bubbles...

you could put some pipe cover on the pipes? im likeing your tank. also those mini anenomes are aptasia they are bad for corals so i would burn them with a soldering iron or when the tank is cycled buy some peppermint shrimp.

Hi - thanks. Just hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew, so to speak. More than I understand. But its a learning game I believe? Think I'll go for the shrimp - not going to go for the lion on this setup, so they should be safe. They'll clear them off then huh? Cool. I don't think I'll be getting any corals or inverts just yet though.

Cheers, Al.

 

[Morri]

This hobby has a very steep learning curve but its very rewarding The best tip I can give is read lots and ask lots

The Next few weeks will be testing Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate once these have settled down for a few days its time for CUC.

A good mix makes a good CUC start small and grow with your stocking try and avoid exotics to start stick with hermits, nassarius and Trocheous

 

[APG78]

This hobby has a very steep learning curve but its very rewarding The best tip I can give is read lots and ask lots

The Next few weeks will be testing Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate once these have settled down for a few days its time for CUC.

A good mix makes a good CUC start small and grow with your stocking try and avoid exotics to start stick with hermits, nassarius and Trocheous

Thanks - I'm sure I've got pleanty to ask. Can't wait to see our "children" in the tank enjoying their home!

 

[APG78]

More rock received this morning, nice and early, before work. 21.5Kg with the box and wet news paper surrounding the rock, all inside plastic back surrounding a Styrofoam case. Didn't have the camera this morning, left it work last night. But here are some photos.

This heavy lump wasn't as porous looking at I'd like, or a purple, but didn't stick as bad as it looks. Guess it just needs to grow more?

Little bit with some nice looking growth:

And here's where I popped the little crab that came with the LR, it was VERY small, about 1cm, and orange. Should be nice and safe in here, and should be happy with my plant life in there. Food for him???

Also took a couple readings, rest to do later...

PH was 8.0
SG was 1.0240, was at 1.0220 before adding the rock.
Ammonia 0 > 0.25
Temperature 24°c/76°f

Also moved the Durso round, seems a bit better.

Getting there!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Looking good. The temp seems a bit cold though but this may be ok depending on your livestock choices. I run mine around 26/27c, others run slightly warmer and others silghtly cooler but min I would recommend would be 25/26c

Got some nice sized bits of LR there and a lot of potential for scaping them. A lot of my LR is smaller bits and trying to make and decent structures with them is a nightmare.

I wouldn't worry about feeding the crab. they are quite good at finding food and he will probably be happy eating any detris and algae that will build up in there.

 

[APG78]

Looking good. The temp seems a bit cold though but this may be ok depending on your livestock choices. I run mine around 26/27c, others run slightly warmer and others silghtly cooler but min I would recommend would be 25/26c

Got some nice sized bits of LR there and a lot of potential for scaping them. A lot of my LR is smaller bits and trying to make and decent structures with them is a nightmare.

I wouldn't worry about feeding the crab. they are quite good at finding food and he will probably be happy eating any detris and algae that will build up in there.

Hi - I replied last night, and when I went to use the spell checker, I didn't copy and paste my text and lost it. Doh! Anyhow, I went ahead and tried a test, just to see if I can use it - easy enough. Ammonia was 0<.25, Nitrite was 0.3 and Nitrate was 5. Rocks settled in nicely, they arrived early morning direct. Didn't have my camera at the time, left that at work... it was all wrapped up in wet newspaper, adding to the weight - all weighed in at 21.5Kg - worked out to about £11! So I won't bother with another shipped load. The missus was NOT happy with it, because it's rather dense/heavy. First 3 bits were selected from LFS, they were nice, lots of growth on them. Box had I think 8 or nine chunks.

Also found a crab claw in the bottom of the transport box, poor guy - wonder if the rest of him made it on board. Exciting stuff putting that all in the tank, hoping nothing bites ya! Few worm looking things on the rocks, and we also got a tiny little crab, orange, about 10mm wide. He's in his new home in the refugium. Hope that's ok for him?

And I've just realised I'm repeating myself. Guess I need more coffee?



Well, last night we did some aquascaping. That was scary, hitting the side of the glass with a heavy lump of rock! Guess you'll only do it once?

Last night - also added some thicker substrate to break it up a little.

Also found this guy in the sump. Hope he doesn't try eating our crab!?

Heavy enough on the right, so it shouldn't topple, but not finished there yet:

Left side:

Left corner:

We've also got the T8 lighting attached to the hood, with any luck, I won't end up with broken glass in the tank - depends on the DIY skills I guess. Here it is all closed up and ready to cycle.

Al.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Cool, The little wormy guy is a bristle worm. Generally harmless and good clean up crew, don't touch them though the little hairs are sharp as hell and are a nightmare to get out your skin.

Hard to tell from the pictures but how close is the rock on the left to the side of the tank? One thing I learnt the hard way is no always make sure you have another space between the rock and the glass to fit a magfloat through there. Otherwise you end up with patches of glass that you cant clean.

Its scary how much a bit of rock costs isnt it Does look like you have some decent bits there though. Best bet is to look for someone who is doing a tank breakdown as you can then pick it up for around £5/KG

 

[APG78]

Cool, The little wormy guy is a bristle worm. Generally harmless and good clean up crew, don't touch them though the little hairs are sharp as hell and are a nightmare to get out your skin.

Hard to tell from the pictures but how close is the rock on the left to the side of the tank? One thing I learnt the hard way is no always make sure you have another space between the rock and the glass to fit a magfloat through there. Otherwise you end up with patches of glass that you cant clean.

Its scary how much a bit of rock costs isnt it Does look like you have some decent bits there though. Best bet is to look for someone who is doing a tank breakdown as you can then pick it up for around £5/KG

Hi,

I was prettified of getting one of these crawling up my arm on the LR install, I'm a total wimp when it comes to creepy-crawlies. Even if they are the current source of any life in there... Did have what I thought was a splinter, but it was SO tiny. Maybe I crushed him? Seems ok. Maybe something else in the LR, lurking. Should get my red light soon!

Good point, and well spotted. I noticed that this morning - it's against the glass! Ah!!! Oops. Wouldn't have thought of the cleaning thing either. Thanks a lot!

Cheers for the LR tip, I'll have a search in the usual places. Here and maybe the local Friday-Ad?


Regards,
Al.

 

[seffieuk]

Gosh I'm away for a few days due to blooming Ofsted and another new member comes along.......... woo hoo

What a great looking tank and am loving your journel

One point, that rock is on the glass right, not on the sand?

Seffie x

ps

Obviously a man after my own heart - two Bommies

pps I would second the view re: World of Fishes - there is a good pub near there too. There are a couple of good shops down your way

 

[APG78]

Gosh I'm away for a few days due to blooming Ofsted and another new member comes along.......... woo hoo

What a great looking tank and am loving your journel

One point, that rock is on the glass right, not on the sand?

Seffie x

ps

Obviously a man after my own heart - two Bommies

pps I would second the view re: World of Fishes - there is a good pub near there too. There are a couple of good shops down your way

Hi, Thanks. I'll be interesting to come back to this journal in a few years (after my 3rd or 4th tank) and see how it all began.

The left side is actually making contact with the glass, left and the borrom... took a while to move it all around - but the right side I knew I wasn't going to be happy with, so I'll be moving that around and burying it properly onto the glass later today, or this w/e. Easier when someone is guiding you though, perspective judgment is fun in these amounts of water! I also have to move the lot on the left, as I didn't think of leaving enough of a gap for cleaning - doh! newbie error.

OFSTED huh? The boss's missus has to deal with them - 'tis a stressful time I hear - no wonder you have 2 tanks?!

Regards,
Al.

ps - Bommies, that'd be clowns, right? They just seem to interact with each other so well, mostly when paired up in a LFS. On their own the seem to act lonely? Dunno, might be my perception or projection of thinking how I'd feel. Anyhow, they also seem to do a funny up and down dance? So it's gotta be a pair of those.

pps - Pub is a good idea, would have helped after the last $$$ visit.

 

[APG78]

you could put some pipe cover on the pipes? im likeing your tank. also those mini anenomes are aptasia they are bad for corals so i would burn them with a soldering iron or when the tank is cycled buy some peppermint shrimp.

Hi - thanks. Shrimps sound a good idea. Depending on if they'll fit in the lion fishs mouth or not? still totally undecided on what I'm to stock with. With regards to the pipe cover, I've now jammed it in the overflow and it's made a difference, no noise from it at all, just the torrent of water spilling down into the sump, which I can live with. Just feel bad for my brother when he comes round and has to sleep in there. By cover, do you mean add some thin filter type material?

Cheers, Al.

 

[APG78]

God that's hard work, re-scaping! I'm going to get a wide rubber\plastic spade at lunch to move all the sand to one side and place the rocks on the base glass properly. I can't reach the bottom! It's not that easy be a short-#14###... but at least I don't hit my head on rafters, but this is where it will get annoying.

Can anyone think of something safe to move the substrate around with? Plastic beach spade should work? I'm trying to use a new rubber wall paper smoother out I had lying around. Too small.

Ammonia reading last night was 0. But I'm not sure I will see it peaking if I've not got any CUC or fish in there yet?

 

[seffieuk]

Bommies are the two mounds of rocks you have got in your tank

Seffie x

 

[APG78]

Bommies are the two mounds of rocks you have got in your tank

Seffie x

Ah...got ya. That might change though, looking at everyones journals with the wife, think 'we' might want to get something along the back. I'm not keen, but WE might be.

 

[APG78]

Tonights tests:

Ph: 8.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: <0.3
Nitrates: 50
Salinity: 1.0230

Rocks been in about 5 days.
Water temp increasing to 27°c tonight - read it helps to get cycle going?
No aquascaping today, need to get that spade first.