The Journal Of A Marine Beginner

[mark7616]

I have 20kgs in my rio 180 check out my pics there are various ones dotted around and you will see how much you get for 20kgs mine is fiji.

 

[sophos9]

Righty!

Picked up the live rock today, 20kg looked a fair bit but we bundled a bit more and walked away with 25kg instead...

I've piled this up with lots of gaps at the back of the tank, the powerhead from the filter is point diagonally down to create additional flow around the back. The formation also has lots of gaps to allow current through the rock wall.

You can see that there is about 8 good positions for some coral when the time is right

Anyway, post up what you think - any comments about how much room to leave around the back of the rock?

"Rock in a box"


Front Shot


Side Shot for Space


Another Front

 

[shibby]

looking good, most people say leave enough room at the back to get a magfloat round i beleive so its easier to clean n all!

looks nice and full of liverock! miens looks empty in comparison.

now sit back relax and get hitchiker spotting, its addictive ... ooo feather duster ... that snails moved ... it gets addictive abit, maybe its just me

 

[mark7616]

I did exactly what you did when I first put my rock in with it on the sides but trust me it will do your head in when the algea starts growing its up to you but I wiould go for a mound in the middle here is a couple of pics of how I had it layed out and what I changed it to also having a mound gives you loads of corals spots.

How I first had it

Then this

2 months later

 

[sophos9]

looking good, most people say leave enough room at the back to get a magfloat round i beleive so its easier to clean n all!

looks nice and full of liverock! miens looks empty in comparison.

now sit back relax and get hitchiker spotting, its addictive ... ooo feather duster ... that snails moved ... it gets addictive abit, maybe its just me

Looking forward to it! Just been browsing the typical types of hitch-hikers you get, some of them are strange!

I did exactly what you did when I first put my rock in with it on the sides but trust me it will do your head in when the algea starts growing its up to you but I wiould go for a mound in the middle here is a couple of pics of how I had it layed out and what I changed it to also having a mound gives you loads of corals spots.

Thanks for the advice... What is the problem with algae on the sides, was considering letting the algae grow over the sides and just keep the front clear

Usually, how long is it before things start appearing, is it light dependant?

 

[mark7616]

I saw a crab within 10 mins but had all sort appearing some things still are now.

 

[sophos9]

I saw a crab within 10 mins but had all sort appearing some things still are now.

Did you buy your LR cured?

 

[mark7616]

Yes it was cured.

 

[sophos9]

Nitrites tested today, as expected they have significantly risen to 4ppm - Wont bother measuring ammonia as , no point

Has been confirmed that there will be no Lion Fish, too heavy bioload and the problem with it eating the others

Just to answer a couple of questions, the rock was from Fiji and the positioning of the skimmer is such that the skimmed water falls into the Juwel Filter chamber, this stops the creation of micro-bubbles.... which is good

 

[shibby]

goodo lionfish are beautiful but i like my clownies just as much and i also want small wrasse etc which a lionfish would gobble up!

and spotted any hitchhikers yet?

after a day quite a few feathers, snails had appeared on my figi rock, and a aiptasia

 

[sophos9]

Hi

Cannot really see anything different yet although there is something which I'm sure was not there yesterday... Have not seen anything crawling either ha ha

 

[sophos9]

Just a question on temperature....

In the next two weeks I'm looking to put an extraction fan in the hood (same as the ones in your PC's, this work well with my tropical tank), want to baseline the current temp then measure the difference extraction makes

I have two methods to test temp, one is a electric temp probe, the other is a stick on job. The probe measures 30C whilst the sticky side of tank one measures 28. If the tanks temperature peaks at about 31C dropping to about 27C overnight, how much of an issue will this be?

 

[ox5477]

I saw a crab within 10 mins but had all sort appearing some things still are now.

Ya, thats why you gotta love lr. Little creatures just start crawling out. Withing 1 hr of putting new lr in the 30G im cycling, I had four small snails crawling around on the glass and a small star fish on the back glass!!! I havent seen him in a few days but he is the same color as the substarte so he could be sitting right in the front of the tank and I wouldnt see him. anyways, buying lr is light christmas! Fun to see what gifts come out!

 

[sophos9]

Well as of yet I'm yet to see any hitch-hikers whatsoever - bit of a shame

Any comments on the temperature?

Cheers

 

[shibby]

my goes up and down alot, 25-28 usually but if i remeber correctly AK has ssaid in a previous post that hishas gone to 30, hard to control temps in the summer! so 27-31 i think should be okay since theres no fish n what not in there anyways.