Hi everyone.

[icedgxe]

Hi, I am new to the forums. I have been gathering information here and figured I would post pictures of my two display tanks. One is a 60g malawi mbuna tank and the other is the beginning of my 90g reef tank. Feel free to ask me details about them. I am not a photographer so bare with me but here are some pics.

60 Gallon Malawi Mbuna tank.

[icedgxe]

The Beginning of my 90g reef tank.

[icedgxe]

[meco65]

Looking good, great start.
And [welcome]

[fishworm]

nice pictures! reef tank is off to a great start.


Love the Mbuna tank. I keep Tanganyikan cichlids myself.

[bethkira2000]

Welcome your tanks are an inspiration I am just starting too, and now I really can't wait to see what your tank looks like as it progresses. Keep updating pics.

[icedgxe]

I will deff. keep updating pics as the tank progresses.

[MTB]

Both tanks look great!

[icedgxe]

thanks a lot.

[jefnalyssa]

Looks like your off to a good start. I'll give you props on the photos. Just a tip if you want to ask questions fill the current tanks portion. It helps alot to know what your dealing with.

[tinmanny]

WELCOME aboard
cool pics
nice teeth do you have them brush daily

[BangkokMatt]

[welcome]
Nice start. However, I really recommend you get rid of your sand sifting star.
1 They eat good things from the sand
2 There won't be enough food to sustain it in a new tank
3 It will die soon and put serious toxins in your tank killing all sorts of things!

[LPDK91]

Nice tanks Welcome To RC

[mg426]

Welcome to RC, By the way Nice Tanks !!!!!

[icedgxe]

thanks everyone.I will look into taking the sand sifting star out. Need to call around to see if I can find him a home. The lfs I deal with should probably take him.

[boomsticks]

That is a very nice looking tank can't wait for updates!

[dskibs]

I am looking to start a reef tank, I would appreciate you telling me how you went through it?

[amazd]

Awesome pictures. What kind of camera did you use?

[killagoby]

I disagree about the star. I have one in my 70 gallon with a shallow sand bed and it is doing great. They do eat a good amount of detrus from behind live rock which you can't syphon out. Great job on both tanks. They look great. What kind of goodies do you have on your reef? Lighting, skimmer, flow, ect.

[BangkokMatt]

Originally posted by killagoby
I disagree about the star. I have one in my 70 gallon with a shallow sand bed and it is doing great. They do eat a good amount of detrus from behind live rock which you can't syphon out. Great job on both tanks. They look great. What kind of goodies do you have on your reef? Lighting, skimmer, flow, ect.

They will survive for some time in an established tank. They eat the 'live' out of your 'live sand'. They don't eat detrus. There is plenty of accurate information on RC about them. People who keep them generally end up regretting it. Good luck with yours
This is from Reefkeeping
"All of these stars tend to exhibit similar behavior. They move across the surface of sediments until they find an area that seems promising, after which they burrow down into the sediment, often rather deeply. While burrowing, any potential food items, and that may be effectively ALL animals, that they can catch are transported to the mouth, ingested and digested. When they are through cleaning the specific area of food, the stars surface to move to a new spot. They will generally not scavenge excess food remaining on the surface, needing instead to collect from below the sediment's surface. These stars need a significant variety of food for good health, and require a lot of food. The amount of animals in a rich sand fauna of a few square meters will support a 10 cm diameter star for no more than few months. Putting one of these animals into a tank with less than several square meters of sediment surface is condemning it to a slow death by starvation."

[Flybynight]

Nice looking tanks. Cant want to see pictures of what it looks like in a year or so.

[killagoby]

Are you sure that was a sand sifting star? It sounds more like a Lyncia.

[samb]

Great pics and tanks. Looking forward to future pics of your new reef tank...welcome to RC.

[icedgxe]

Thanks everyone! The camera is a panasonic lumix dmc-lz5.

For filtration I am running a 20g sump with filter sock, bubble wall, 20watt pc flourescent over Chaetomorpha macroalgae, euro-reef rs-135 skimmer, visa-therm stealth heaters, mag drive 7 return pump. I have two hydor korilia's providng flow inside the tank along with a spilt outlet nozel on the return pipe. For lighting over the tank I am using a current usa sunpod hqi w/pheonix 14k double ended bulbs. 100-115lbs of live rock, 80lbs of fiji pink live sand. ...i am probably forgeting something so if there is any other questions just let me know.

[jefnalyssa]

Sounds like you have a great set up!!!