Brand Newbie needs some show and tell (pics)

[sickman]

Hello everyone, first time here, looks like a great forum!

I just got my first tank about 6 days ago, it's a 37 gallon "tall" tank (30" tall). The LFS guys were great with everything except helping me pick out live rock, and helping me with specific advice on what to watch for.

So I grabbed a digital cam and snapped some pics (boy it's hard taking clear pics of stuff in your tank).

Each pic is numbered, and when you click the thumbnail it bring up a fullsize image with a question above it, If you could take a sec to help a green newbie out and answer some of these questions, that would be great, when reffering to a photo just say what photo # it is. Should be fun for some of you veterns :p

here's the link to the photo gallery:

http://www.davidsicherman.com/new-tank/

please help me :)

[Viper9]

Gice us some stats on your tank, flow, pumps equipment ect.

Bill

[sickman]

37 gallons glass tank

1Millenium 2000 wet-dry multifilter (160gph)

1 cyclone BackPak2 skimmer (rated up to 60 gallons doesn't say GPH)

1 PowerSweep oscilating power head (270gph)

1 Aqualite deluxe series double linear strip 1 Actinic Blue 03 lamp, 1 10,k sun lamp.

a $40 heater

a plastic hydrometer


30 - 40 pounds of fiji and carribean and something else live rock

an inch of argonite

-- I think that's all I got.
:smokin:

[thrlride]

I think you need a little more circulation and more live rock. You ought to head out to ebay and look for a refractometer, they are worth the money. Here is a link: <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3804657258&category=26237" target=new>Here</a>

What type of lighting do you have?

[sickman]

Originally posted by thrlride
I think you need a little more circulation and more live rock. You ought to head out to ebay and look for a refractometer, they are worth the money. Here is a link: <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3804657258&category=26237" target=new>Here</a>

What type of lighting do you have?

I'll check out the auction, that's the same thing I saw the guy at the LFS use, so it must be good.

I have the flourecent plastic hood that came with the tank (a throwaway from what I understand) and a 2 65watt (130 watts) dual strip lamp with fans in it, 1 is a blue light, the other is a flourecent sun lamp, here's a link to it:
http://secure.microbyte.net/virtual/webaquatics/onlinestore/detail.cfm?ID=CL53102&storeid=1

[DaveJohnson]

#1 - the sponge goes in the outflow tube (from the skimmer back to the tank) to trap bubbles
#1 - your collection cup is way too low. The bottom lip of the cup should be about 1/8th of an inch below the water surface. From the picture it looks a good 1" or more below the surface.

#5 - fan worm on the right. Good filter feeders, should multiply and you may get some in the substrate (that is if nothing eats them)

#6 - pineapple(?) sponge - not real sure of the name but I have tons of them in my tanks, usually in the shaded areas. Harmless filter feeders.

#8 - looks like various colors of coralline algae & perhaps sponges. You'll probably see some colors of coralline disappear and others become more prevalent depending upon your lighting (certain colors seem to prefer certain lighting intensity/color temp)

Cheers,
Dave Johnson

[sickman]

about the circulation, how much more do I need? The power head in there is taking up alot of tank realestate, I was thinking about taking it back for a smaller one!

I want to get another huge chunk of live rock, but the local selection here sucks, so I am looking for a local collector that maybe gets a private stash in once in a while that is better.

It's $10 to $12 a pound at the LFS, and the pieces range from barren to bumpy with a little algae on it.

[sickman]

Originally posted by DaveJohnson
#1 - the sponge goes in the outflow tube (from the skimmer back to the tank) to trap bubbles
#1 - your collection cup is way too low. The bottom lip of the cup should be about 1/8th of an inch below the water surface. From the picture it looks a good 1" or more below the surface.

#5 - fan worm on the right. Good filter feeders, should multiply and you may get some in the substrate (that is if nothing eats them)

#6 - pineapple(?) sponge - not real sure of the name but I have tons of them in my tanks, usually in the shaded areas. Harmless filter feeders.

#8 - looks like various colors of coralline algae & perhaps sponges. You'll probably see some colors of coralline disappear and others become more prevalent depending upon your lighting (certain colors seem to prefer certain lighting intensity/color temp)

Cheers,
Dave Johnson

sponges haves mouths like that? Didn't know that. The pic is a bit fuzzy, but it looks kinda like a perfectly shaped translucent rose bud with that hold at the top.

All the "fuzz" that's growing on everything, is it bad algae or something? Any one know of a page that has something like "These are the things that do bad stuff to your tank" with pics? lol.

[thrlride]

Ouch! They are really gouging you for LR. I paid about $6.00 at my LFS. I would say add another 15 to 30 lbs of LR. With circulation you really want about a 10x turnover in your tank. Scratch that, you have about 10x now.

[Highntight247]

I had one of those oscilating pumps in my 35 gallon, never did do much good, kept getting clogged up. Ended up replacing it with 2 aquaclear hagen powerheads, one on each side of the tank.

[sickman]

Originally posted by thrlride
Ouch! They are really gouging you for LR. I paid about $6.00 at my LFS. I would say add another 15 to 30 lbs of LR. With circulation you really want about a 10x turnover in your tank. Scratch that, you have about 10x now.

$6 is a good price. I guess I should be looking for some online shop with good Live Rock.. any suggestions?

[sickman]

Originally posted by Highntight247
I had one of those oscilating pumps in my 35 gallon, never did do much good, kept getting clogged up. Ended up replacing it with 2 aquaclear hagen powerheads, one on each side of the tank.

you're the second person who told me my powerhead will break soon, maybe I should just take it back now:(

[Highntight247]

It didn't break. It just clogged up, would start oscilating slow, had to keep taking it out of the tank to clean it.

[sickman]

Originally posted by Highntight247
It didn't break. It just clogged up, would start oscilating slow, had to keep taking it out of the tank to clean it.

heh, I don't wanna be reaching in there all the time, I got sensitive skin, kinda burns.

[Highntight247]

know what you mean. I just went with the hagen powerhead, works much better. IMO