Another log of a Newbie starting out with TBS rock! - Page 7

dwculp · #**151** 11/08/2004, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scuba Oz
Nice pics, I do have a couple q's since I am thinking heavy on this TBS stuff. In your pics, I see crushed coral. I thought they said the sent you a sand bed?, which leads to my second question, how deep is you sand bed for the "package" they sent you.

Just wanted to know so if I order this stuff, I want sand, not coral

I looks like crushed coral but is not. It is has a grain size between sand and CC. It is sand directly off the ocean botttom, and contains tons of creatures. Each handfull I scoop out contins worms, crabs and other creatures. I like the look of it better than pure sand and much better than CC as there is all sorts of color in it from white to black and pinks. Total depth is about 1-2 inches.

dwculp · #**152** 11/09/2004, 08:23 AM

Parameters:

pH 8.2
SG: 1.024-1.025
Temp: 25
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5 (The test seems lighter today, nitrates may be going down!)
PO4: 0 - 0.1 (This test IS lighter today, not reading 0, but not 0.1 either)
CA: < 400 (I have been dosing Reef Complete and Reef Calcium to get the CA up).

Everything looks good! The water level is a bit low so I need to go buy some makeup water. I use distilled water, but will buy a RO/DI unit after Christmas. I figured the cost of water changes using distilled water vs. buying an RO/DI unit, especially after getting the 75 gallon FO and it would pay for itself in a matter of a few months!

dragonfly72 · #**153** 11/09/2004, 09:46 AM

dwculp, first off...great thread!! The rock is beautiful stuff, I love all of the critters.
Second off....JMO..the coral that everyone says is a cup coral or sun polyps I believe is Galaxea. I have it in my tank and looks exactly like yours. Research it a bit, there are different species of it so look at a few different pictures. They also call it crystal rock or moon coral.
It likes to be hand fed exactly as you are doing and it will put out sweeper tentacles and will sting corals that are around it if it isn't being fed enough. Mine prefers med to high water flow.

Good Luck with your tank!

Scuba Oz · #**154** 11/09/2004, 09:54 AM

FYI DW, I found a nice RO/DI on E-Bay for $80, 6-stage 110-125 gpd, cant remember exactly the rating. I will try to find the page again and link here for you too see. Thanks for the info on your sand bed. Tank is looking great, bet your having a blast

dwculp · #**155** 11/09/2004, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dragonfly72
dwculp, first off...great thread!! The rock is beautiful stuff, I love all of the critters.
Second off....JMO..the coral that everyone says is a cup coral or sun polyps I believe is Galaxea. I have it in my tank and looks exactly like yours. Research it a bit, there are different species of it so look at a few different pictures. They also call it crystal rock or moon coral.
It likes to be hand fed exactly as you are doing and it will put out sweeper tentacles and will sting corals that are around it if it isn't being fed enough. Mine prefers med to high water flow.

Good Luck with your tank!

I did a bit of research and I am not sure about them being Galaxea, the pictures I have seen on the web look nothing like my pictues. I will do some more in depth research later tonight when I have more time!

dwculp · #**156** 11/09/2004, 01:08 PM

How about some crab pictures!

I submitted these pics to the Ask Dr. Ron forum hoping he can get a positive ID on it. He blew through a patch of hair algae today like it was nothing, wish he would wander the tank and do that!!

reverai · #**157** 11/09/2004, 05:24 PM

And with 80 hermit cards you likely won't any snails in a few weeks. In the wild you might find one or two two hermit crabs per square yard in a reef settting. Imagine 80 hungry hermit crabs who are all looking for new homes in your tank....

Steve

dwculp · #**158** 11/09/2004, 05:30 PM

I am not sure, but I think something new grew on my rocks, one of the rocks has this orange tubular stuff all over it that I do not think was there before. I know it is hard to tell from the pics but can any ID it?

dood68 · #**159** 11/09/2004, 06:23 PM

no idea teach, you got me on that one.

The_fishkeeper86 · #**160** 11/09/2004, 07:09 PM

Well first off great job so far

. I hope your thread becomes as long as wooglins (60 PAGES!!!!) Im just a newb and am getting some tbs live rock soon for my 55

While im thinking about it i got a hitch hicker anemone one my live rock i got from my lfs(I only got 2 pecies cuz it was "dead live rock")but the cool thing was it surrived the CYCLE i cant belive it could do that I am thinking now its a pest anemone it has a light brown body and dark brown tenticles its bout 3'' long too an id would be great ty and great job again

jbucholz · #**161** 11/09/2004, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dwculp
I am not sure, but I think something new grew on my rocks, one of the rocks has this orange tubular stuff all over it that I do not think was there before. I know it is hard to tell from the pics but can any ID it?

Your mystery animal is a compound or colonial sea squirt or tunicate. Here is a link to an article about tunicates.

Tunicates are hard to maintain in our systems. They generally don't get enough of the bacterial food they need and simply fade away.

- Jim

dwculp · #**162** 11/09/2004, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jbucholz
Your mystery animal is a compound or colonial sea squirt or tunicate. Here is a link to an article about tunicates.

Tunicates are hard to maintain in our systems. They generally don't get enough of the bacterial food they need and simply fade away.

- Jim

Thanks for the information! These guys just popped up, I am sure they were not there before as I never noticed them and have been going over photographs of the system and do not see them in photos. Your link did not work, but I did some research on Google, very interesting animals!

H2OLUVSME · #**163** 11/09/2004, 09:30 PM

i have tunicates come and go in my sump all the time. for a while there will be some, then they fade away, then all of a sudden i have tons again.

landon

*edit* i cant help that much on an id for the crab, but i can say that i have two just like it, and they were sold to me as decorators. one has a kenya tree and a sponge, both right on he front of his carapace. the other has horded up the last of my macro, in my 10 gallon, and has to run away from my mithrax crab to keep his decor. very interesting animals to say the least.

dwculp · #**164** 11/10/2004, 10:35 AM

Parameters:

pH 8.2
SG: 1.024-1.025
Temp: 25
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
PO4: 0.1
CA: < 400 (I have been dosing Reef Complete and Reef Calcium to get the CA up).

Everything still looks good! I found another decorator crab, about the size of a dime.

I am getting a 75 gallon FO aquarium in a couple of weeks from a friend of mine. It will go into the classroom also, he had an undulated trigger in it but returned it as it was beating up everything else in the tank. I am going to pick up a Niger trigger and place it into the tank in place of the undulated trigger.

I dropped by a new pet store 2 blocks from my house and he had small (1 -2 inch) niger triggers for $19.99. I dropped by there last night on my way home an d he was out but siad he should get some in today. I asked him if I could pay for it today and pick it up on Sat when I head in to catch up on some work. He said no problem. The trigger will go into my 29 gallon FO tank for awhile to grow out as it would be a $20.00 snack for the lion in the tank right now.

He had some macro algae also, I may inquire as to the type and if it is Caulerpa buy some and stuff the empty chamber of my Bak-Pak 2 on the TBS reef tank with macro algae. Someone on here had mentioned this as a good idea for nitrate and phosphate control.

scorp1on · #**165** 11/10/2004, 02:43 PM

Could the crab be a Sally Lightfoot?

dwculp · #**166** 11/10/2004, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scorp1on
Could the crab be a Sally Lightfoot?

No, I posted a number of pictures on the "Ask Dr. Ron" forum and he stated it was some sort of Majid decorator crab. He doesnt seem to be causing any problems so he can stay, for now.

dwculp · #**167** 11/10/2004, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by H2OLUVSME
i have tunicates come and go in my sump all the time. for a while there will be some, then they fade away, then all of a sudden i have tons again.

The tunicates are gone today

The_fishkeeper86 · #**168** 11/10/2004, 03:31 PM

Do anyof you know if the prices of tbs liverock is differen in the actuall store because i only life 30min from tampa YAY!!!

dwculp · #**169** 11/10/2004, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_fishkeeper86
Do anyof you know if the prices of tbs liverock is differen in the actuall store because i only life 30min from tampa YAY!!!

I do not believe it is any different, you just dont pay shipping is all. You should call them to find out.

The_fishkeeper86 · #**170** 11/10/2004, 04:38 PM

Thank you teach ill check that out

H2OLUVSME · #**171** 11/10/2004, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_fishkeeper86
Do anyof you know if the prices of tbs liverock is differen in the actuall store because i only life 30min from tampa YAY!!!

i would he TBS forum here on RC. ive actually heard a few complaints about the rock in the store. i dont see how that would be possible though. i would much prefer to pick my own.

landon

The_fishkeeper86 · #**172** 11/10/2004, 04:54 PM

Hey,H2OLUVSME you live in Myrtle beach I love that place!

my aunt and uncle live there.

dood68 · #**173** 11/10/2004, 10:03 PM

same price no shipping.
recurring complaint is rock seemed picked over. allegedly they bring rock in,fill orders and when you show up you see what's left over. or could be people build up great expectation's of thousands of pounds of rock and are let down when there is only a few hundred.
but who knows, i havent been there

The_fishkeeper86 · #**174** 11/11/2004, 07:16 AM

o well at least I get to hand pick my live rock at tbs

H2OLUVSME · #**175** 11/11/2004, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_fishkeeper86
Hey,H2OLUVSME you live in Myrtle beach I love that place! my aunt and uncle live there.

ive been here about two years now. its pretty cool. i like the gulf coast though! i went to naples for my honeymoon a couple months back. it was beautiful....my first time seeing the gulf! we tried to stop by TBS on my way home. they usually only see you by appointments during the week. i called them on saturday and they said "stop by monday". we missed them though

. they just had hurricane jean come through, so im sure they had more important stuff to do than sell me a mantis

. FWIW i would rather choose my rock by hand if i had the chance. if they have a few hundred pounds to choose from, there are bound to be some great pieces.

good luck!

landon