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Morbid Florist posted:You think a blackcap and a goby could get along? The more different kinds of gobies I look at I think I could be perfectly fine with a few of them instead of just one "other". They may end up being my pick... Sure. Why not? You can only have one basslet or basslet style per tank (that includes royal grammas). If you do get a BCB, try to get a lower style of fish (something that stays near the bottom of the tank). Do NOT put a Mandarin Goby in there.
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Feb 26, 2009 17:12
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No I've sold myself off mandarins. I had luck with them in bigger tanks but I'm not loving with that here. Once my buddy is done building the stand for this thing I should have pics up in a month.  I think I'm gonna risk the arrow crab and get two different gobies. I'm wondering if I can find a way to keep the arrow occupied enough to not bother looking at the other guys, give him something to pick at all day. edit: live rock question. Say I get a few nice chunks from sealifeINC, let all the hitchhikers shuffle loose and see what's growing on the rock THEN add some cheaper live rock from stores near me. Will stuff from the nice rock eventually start growing on the not-so-snazzy rock? Do they have to touch or will stuff spread by water? christ what 10 years can do to one's memory Morbid Florist fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Feb 26, 2009 |
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Feb 26, 2009 20:41
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Dude not for nothing but I really think you're overestimating the quality difference between rock you buy online vs. rock you buy at the stores. The stuff you buy online may or may not be any better than stuff you buy locally. If you buy rock online from Fiji (for example) and the store you go to carries Fiji as well, it's pretty much the same stuff, populated by all the same plankton and bacteria. The only difference you'll encounter in buying from the stores as opposed to buying online is that you'll be able to hand-pick your rocks as opposed to letting the online seller pick out a few chunks here and there and shipping them to you. Either way, it's liable to be pretty much the same poo poo. As far as hitchhikers, I have to admit that I'm kinda chuckling with that. You're pretty much implying that you're terrified of them and the potential hostile organisms you may be introducing to your tank, and yet you're willing to "risk it" with a known hostile species of crab.  Either way, I also think you're overestimating the danger of hitchhikers. There's just not that much dangerous poo poo that's likely to come in with it (less so if you buy it from the store because it's been in a holding tank longer and will have had more time for hitchhiker dieoff due to starvation), and if you're that worried, just try baiting it and see what happens. To directly answer your question, everything that's in your tank is connected. If the online rock is in the tank with the store rock, then it will eventually be populated (both ways) by the life within your tank.
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Feb 26, 2009 23:14
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Psimitry posted:As far as hitchhikers, I have to admit that I'm kinda chuckling with that. You're pretty much implying that you're terrified of them and the potential hostile organisms you may be introducing to your tank, and yet you're willing to "risk it" with a known hostile species of crab. The only hitchhickers I worry about are fireworms or mantis shrimp, and even then, they're not a big concern (and an arrow crab fucks up fireworms so no big deal). I don't think he's realizing that hitchhikers or their eggs can come on coral frags just as easily as live rock. I've got my share of worms and snails from all sources. Even the fireworms are arguably beneficial -- they'll eat detrius and other poo poo on the rocks / sand. Even if you happen to get a sundial snail, I can't imagine that they'll destroy your zoos faster than you can react to them. However, I will say that half the reason I got an arrow crab was to keep the fireworm population at bay, but I haven't actually seen it touch them. I haven't seen any fireworms in the last few weeks either so hmm. I did watch it rip a spaghetti worm in half, then release it to the wild within the first few days though heh.
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Feb 27, 2009 00:10
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I've heard lots of good things about SeaLifeInc liverock, I say go for it. Seeing what comes out is the best part anyway! Speaking of, I finally got my dwarf seahorses. Holy poo poo they are cute. Not only that, but one of them gave birth in the shipping bag, and now I have mini minis floating around. Decapsulating brine eggs is a bitch. Will get photos of horsies soon.
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Feb 27, 2009 04:08
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I think I'm gonna spend my tax returns on a saltwater setup. Buying all the components together seems to get ridiculously expensive. Does anybody have any opinions on the nano cube kits? I was thinking about getting this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18192&pvid=71049&productnum=0033096 Anything in particular I would need to add to that setup if I were to get one? I will be buying an RO/DI unit as well, so my initial expenses are already getting a little out of hand. I'm looking at near $1,000 without even getting to fish or live rock.
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Feb 27, 2009 04:38
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U.S. Barryl posted:I think I'm gonna spend my tax returns on a saltwater setup. Buying all the components together seems to get ridiculously expensive. Does anybody have any opinions on the nano cube kits? I was thinking about getting this one: That's a good one, with that light you should be pretty unlimited in coral choices. The only thing I'd keep an eye on is those lamps tend to get pretty hot, so you might want to look into upgrading the fans in the hood.
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Feb 27, 2009 04:44
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I agree that they do tend to be pretty hot. I would actually be a little bit more comfortable with a 75W HQI bulb over that tank, but then they couldn't scream about having so many watts per gallon (which is an absolutely meaningless metric anyway).
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Feb 27, 2009 06:08
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U.S. Barryl posted:I think I'm gonna spend my tax returns on a saltwater setup. Buying all the components together seems to get ridiculously expensive. Does anybody have any opinions on the nano cube kits? I was thinking about getting this one: I have a 24g AquaPod (very similar) but with 2 32w florescent bulbs. I wanted to get the HQI but now that I think back on it, I'm pretty glad I didn't. Even with 2 32w bulbs, the hood gets *hot*. I upgraded the fans and modified it a bit for better airflow and it still gets ~80 with like 68F ambient air temp. If you want that type of lighting, i'd recommend a hood-less light setup. I can't think of any coral that you'd want to put in a 24g tank that won't work with CFLs.
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Feb 27, 2009 08:40
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Shh  .. It's cycling.
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Mar 1, 2009 02:46
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:Shh They don't usually turn radioactive when cycling. 
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Mar 1, 2009 03:13
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It does in the nuclear power plant beach biotope.
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Mar 1, 2009 03:35
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:It does in the nuclear power plant beach biotope. Will you be keeping the rare Three Eyed Clown Fish?
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Mar 1, 2009 04:01
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And a Moorish Idol that doesn't die!
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Mar 1, 2009 04:35
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:Shh Your cycle will be a lot less painful (smelly) and fast if you don't use your lights. Not to mention you'll have less crap algae growing in it at the end.
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Mar 1, 2009 05:54
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Went diving and tide pooling today and caught some cool stuff. Didn't take pics but I caught a fairly large boxfish and some hermit crabs. I gave the boxfish to a friend while my tank cycles. I hope the hermit crabs will do ok too. There are also tons of starfish and other things that are really nice here but I doubt I want a lot of those species in my tank. Also saw tons and tons of brittle starfish but wasn't sure if they were tank-safe. Vigilantly Vigorous fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Mar 2, 2009 |
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Mar 2, 2009 00:50
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:Also saw tons and tons of brittle starfish but wasn't sure if they were tank-safe. Depends on the color. I believe black ones are ok, Green ones are definitely not.
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Mar 2, 2009 04:04
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All of em were black. I thought they were just a bunch of hairy worms till I turned a big rock over and saw 3 or 4 huge ones just bunched around. Next time I go I'll be sure to get one.
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Mar 2, 2009 04:12
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Here is what I'm hoping to have in my tank but I want more opinions from experienced aquarists on how it will fare. Lawnmower Blenny Copperband or Sailfin butterfly Vagabond Butterfly True Percula Clown Blue reef Chromis or Blue Damsel Brittle starfish Yellow Tang The "or"s are one or the other. Whatever I can find first or whatever would be more suited.
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Mar 2, 2009 20:40
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:Here is what I'm hoping to have in my tank but I want more opinions from experienced aquarists on how it will fare. Is the the sailfin butterfly supposed to be a sailfin tang? I've never heard of a sailfin butterfly. I wouldn't use a Zambrasoma sailfin tang if only because how huge they really are. I had one in my 120 but had to take him out becuase he was getting too large and aggressive. I don't personally know anyone who has successfully kept a copperband butterfly, but I don't know if this is a universal issue. Definitely be aware that is a more difficult fish to keep, don't even bother if the one at the LFS isn't eating frozen foods yet. The Vegabond butterfly is kinda iffy if you're planning on this being a reef tank. He's likely to nip at clam mantles and attack snails or shrimps. Reef Chromis are great inhabitants who won't cause any trouble. Damsels will be much more aggressive though and most people end up removing them becuase of it. Brittle stars are great detritivores. Watch out for the green brittle star though, they known to eat any fish they can catch. Yellow tangs are great, I know how many gallons your tank is, but the yellow tang is usually a great addition so long as he has plenty of swimming room.
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Mar 2, 2009 21:48
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I meant Longnose Butterfly http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=216&parent_category=4&category_search=61&root_parent_id=4. The brittle star I will catch myself and all I have ever seen so far are black ones. Thanks for the words of advice, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wait on the copperband until I have a bit more experience and I find a good opportunity.
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Mar 3, 2009 00:47
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Am I the only one slightly uncomfortable with the idea of collecting wild? On the other hand, even though I try to always buy captive-bred, I know some species are only wild-caught. Though I suppose it's better to collect a single animal yourself than to buy the one that survived out of hundreds from the ocean to a LFS.
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Mar 3, 2009 18:12
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I'd be uncomfortable about collecting from the wild just because I'd be afraid of parasites and whatnot. This of course, is completely stupid considering the fish that are in my tank that were wild caught have just as big a chance of having said parasites.
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Mar 3, 2009 18:15
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I'm probably gonna keep an eye on whatever I get in a separate tank for a night or two. Won't be that difficult considering the benefit. The nice thing about just buying from the store is that they usually tell you if it's eating or healthy.
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Mar 3, 2009 20:22
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:I'm probably gonna keep an eye on whatever I get in a separate tank for a night or two. Won't be that difficult considering the benefit. The nice thing about just buying from the store is that they usually tell you if it's eating or healthy. Depending on your LFS that might not mean much though. I always ask to actually see them feed a fish in front of me if I have any concerns. I don't really have any problems with personally collected specimens, the only issue I can see is that if the hobbyists reached a point where it was extremely common for them to collect their own specimens it would be difficult to regulate over harvesting of a particular species. I wouldn't be worried as the hobbyist though, like Psimistry said a lot of the fish at the LFS are wild caught and can have the same problems as the ones we would catch ourselves. I'd prefer tank-bred for any species it's available for because they have a better survival rate in our tanks.
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Mar 4, 2009 00:01
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Where do you collect from Ludnix?
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Mar 4, 2009 00:46
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And finally, some seahorse photos. A newborn Dwarf Seahorse! So teeny!  A Seahorse riding a pencil urchin, with my Bluestripe Pipefish in the background.    Here's a Seahorse looking a little   This is my current desktop background.   And also, my Harlequin shrimp. 
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Mar 4, 2009 01:23
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ludnix posted:I'd prefer tank-bred for any species it's available for because they have a better survival rate in our tanks. This is absolutely correct. I don't even mind paying more for tank-bred specimens as they are usually so much more adapt(ed and able) to tank life. The problem is that so many species are not being tank bred either due to an inability to do so or it being financially unfeasible.
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Mar 4, 2009 02:05
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The harlequin shrimp are beautiful. Too bad I've only seen the red variety here.
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Mar 4, 2009 02:12
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:The harlequin shrimp are beautiful. Too bad I've only seen the red variety here. Got mine from LiveAquaria. They actually have a mated pair for sale right now, and I'm very tempted, but I'm pretty close to my invert limit in my little tank.
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Mar 4, 2009 03:14
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:Where do you collect from Ludnix? I don't collect because of my location. I'd have to run a cold water tank and the chiller costs are just too much. If I lived a litte south though I'd have not problems doing it. Those are some awesome sea horse pictures Hood Ornament.
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Mar 4, 2009 05:04
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I picked up the essentials to start the tank up but I ran across something I'd never heard of before. My only option for sea sand was this stuff that claims to already be cycled, and that it will cycle a tank in a day. I'm skeptical to say the least. I figure at best it could drive me down to a week with the addition of live rock tomorrow. Anyone know the scoop on this poo poo? Would it at least create enough of a cushion to throw in a hermit crab when I'm buying live rock tomorrow?
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Mar 6, 2009 19:56
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Morbid Florist posted:I picked up the essentials to start the tank up but I ran across something I'd never heard of before. My only option for sea sand was this stuff that claims to already be cycled, and that it will cycle a tank in a day. I'm skeptical to say the least. I figure at best it could drive me down to a week with the addition of live rock tomorrow. My cycle was about a week with Arag-Alive sand, ~40lbs of mostly-cured liverock and a few yellowtail damsels. The rock was transported wet, so no dieoff should have occurred with it. I'd just suggest that if you're buying rock locally, transport it in some 5 gallon buckets with a bit of water (doesn't need to be full, the sloshing should keep it wet). I actually never noticed an ammonia spike, just nitrates (was only checking ammonia for the first few days, then had a diatom bloom), so I checked the other levels. I added 10 hermits, 2 astrea, 1 turbo and 2 nassarius snails within the first few days of the tank. Only lost 2 hermits to my arrow crab, and 1 nassarius snail to unknown reasons, everything else is going strong as ever, so I wouldn't worry about your CUC during the cycle.
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Mar 6, 2009 20:08
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Wow you had an arrow take out hermits? I thought they only went after fish. That's another strike against one 
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Mar 6, 2009 20:27
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Morbid Florist posted:Wow you had an arrow take out hermits? I thought they only went after fish. Yea, mine is heading back to the store this weekend. I haven't seen my bicolor blenny in a few days either, which I fear that the arrow took him out too. which (may) bring the arrow kill count to: 2x hermit crabs two spot goby bicolor blenny
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Mar 6, 2009 21:36
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gonna make myself a ceph tank mmmm baby gonna make a ceph tank
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Mar 6, 2009 21:46
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as halfway crooks posted:gonna make myself a ceph tank mmmm baby gonna make a ceph tank Hope you've got a REALLY tight fitting lid.
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Mar 6, 2009 22:10
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Psimitry posted:Hope you've got a REALLY tight fitting lid. Why, they can't get into much trouble http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/03/a_box_full_of_o.html
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Mar 6, 2009 22:32
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I don't know if I should be confused or frustrated but my Ammonia has showed little to none ever since I put my LR in. Two days after there was a small Ammonia spike but since then it has been 0. Nitrite didn't show up but there was Nitrite. I'm gonna give it another week before I test again. Should the skimmer be on though? It's putting out a lot of nasty stuff.
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Mar 7, 2009 06:15
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Vigilantly Vigorous posted:I don't know if I should be confused or frustrated but my Ammonia has showed little to none ever since I put my LR in. Two days after there was a small Ammonia spike but since then it has been 0. Nitrite didn't show up but there was Nitrite. I'm gonna give it another week before I test again. Should the skimmer be on though? It's putting out a lot of nasty stuff. Everything I've read suggests you shouldn't run the skimmer during the cycle otherwise it will slow the process down. Ultimately it won't make a difference in the long run of your tank, but it might help the cycle speed up by turning it off. Usually you do a large water change directly after the cycle to remove the nasty stuff and then start skimming.
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Mar 7, 2009 15:19
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