View Full Version : 65g Reef Log
pseudoblond
05-02-2007, 5:46 PM
Yay - my first reef tank log!!
So, I got my 65g acrylic bowfront tank put together, coralife skimmer up and running (turning off while cycling though), seio 620 powerhead up and running, 60 lbs of sand, and filled with water but haven't added salt yet (doing that tonight). I'm getting 65 lbs of cured live fiji rock on Saturday. I'll put up some pics this weekend when I get the rock in the tank. I found a water store just around the corner that sells ro/di water, which is great cuz next closest fish store is 20 miles away. I have 2 pc actinic 65w bulbs I need to replace, but have 2 65w 50/50 bulbs in working order right now, but I'm not using lights until after cycle - I'll end up with 4 wpg. I plan on staying FOWLR for about 6 months (or until I feel comfortable) then I plan to add a few beginner corals here and there.
Whoo - so theres my plan! I can't wait until I get the rock and it starts looking like a "real" tank...you know what I mean....:clap: :clap: :clap:
Nice! I love reading logs. Definitely keep us updated.
Oh yeah, and pictures are a plus...;)
Germanman
05-02-2007, 8:48 PM
sounds great! cant wait to see pics and hear more
pseudoblond
05-05-2007, 11:37 PM
Well, that guy had some sweeeeet live rock, and quite a selection, and he sells fish and supplies. Had quite a few tanks, very nice looking inhabitants - if anyone in the Phoenix area is looking for live rock, you gotta take a look at what he has - starting fiji cured at $3/lb, and has 10 or so different types of LR.
Anyways, first stab at building the reef - theres some things I may change but I like the overall setup.
SG 1023
ph 8.3
temp 80
Will add better pics later, camera outta batteries - these are from my cel phone - better than nothing!
Germanman
05-06-2007, 12:22 AM
cool! looking great! nice set up and start. i like the rock with the large hole in it.
Reefscape
05-06-2007, 7:24 AM
Your off to a very good start indeed...
Niko
pseudoblond
05-06-2007, 12:51 PM
I forgot to put I added a Seio 820 powerhead and the rock I added was 70 lbs total - every single piece I got from that guy and it came to just under $240. I'm having issues with sand moving around with the current, I thought I had 'em angled right but this morning there were ripples in the sand and little sand "puddles" on the rocks. I have the currents collidingin front, and so far I can't find any dead spots...any suggestins on powerhead placement?
And here are some better pics...
Reefscape
05-06-2007, 12:59 PM
like it....like it a lot !!!
Niko
Germanman
05-06-2007, 9:17 PM
wow its looking fantastic!
Longinus
05-06-2007, 9:55 PM
that looks fantastic!
pseudoblond
05-06-2007, 9:57 PM
Thanks!!
**hugz**
Yep, that sure is some "sweet" rock! Nice score!
pseudoblond
05-11-2007, 2:08 AM
The little crab died, but I've got copepods swimming around, I saw a bug with antennae, about 1 cm long, fairly transparent with brown on its back, but it ran before I could get a pic. Here's a few pics of other stuff tho...
nitrates around 5
have to get new ammonia test
ph 8.3
temp 79
sg 1.023
Reefscape
05-11-2007, 2:25 AM
good good good...looking nice....
Niko
pseudoblond
05-11-2007, 2:34 AM
are those little tube things tunicates?
Batmanjay28
05-11-2007, 11:52 AM
I have the samething on a piece of my LR. Like 8-10 tube like things that I had no idea what they where.....then one day they opened up and now they look like little trees.
rlcwgrl
05-12-2007, 1:51 PM
Your live rock setup looks freakin awesome!!! Very eye-appealing! Can't wait to see it finished.
Mgamer20o0
05-12-2007, 8:36 PM
looks great.
rockethippo
05-12-2007, 11:46 PM
What is the white branchy thing on the bottom right?
pseudoblond
05-13-2007, 3:09 AM
What is the white branchy thing on the bottom right?
Its part of my LR
Longinus
05-13-2007, 3:52 AM
By any chance does this guy sell online/ship? I love the rock, especially at that price.
Rbishop
05-13-2007, 7:45 AM
looking good!
pseudoblond
05-13-2007, 4:43 PM
azseabottom.com
pseudoblond
05-16-2007, 3:00 AM
So the tubes on my rock have grown and appear to be some type of button polyp. They have the exact same polyps for sale at LFS...unless you think its something else...
Germanman
05-16-2007, 1:39 PM
yea look like zoos to me very cool!
pseudoblond
05-27-2007, 3:26 PM
Added starter crew last week, 25 hermits 2 turbos.
Ammonia 0 Nitrates <5
Tuesday Added 2 peppermint shrimp
no noticeable difference in test levels
Yesterday added 2 clownfish
Thats enough for awhile, tank handling bioload EXTREMELY well.
Polyps and my thorny oyster hitchhikers are getting bigger, and I'm getting more patches of purple. Green coraline is going nuts!
Im having problems taking pictures of the tank, the pics come out so dark and muddy colored...my tank is very bright, any suggestions?
Reefscape
05-27-2007, 3:30 PM
looking very nice indeed....
Niko
pseudoblond
06-01-2007, 2:29 AM
Green chomies!! Yay!!
They're so pretty...
pseudoblond
06-29-2007, 3:00 AM
Added some neon green zoos, red and green mushrooms, and some pulsing xenia. The xenia is so trippy to watch. My buttons aren't doing too well after my light died and it took a week and some days to replace, but they look like they're coming back. Also got some nassarius snails...I like how they poke out of the sand. There's purple popping up everywhere in little patches. Its coming along nicely, I think...
awesome set up! very nice progression. keep us updated
Reefscape
06-29-2007, 4:36 AM
starting to look really nice...especially with the various colours of fish and coral now in the tank...
Keep up the good work...
Niko
rlcwgrl
06-29-2007, 1:29 PM
Very nice, can't wait to see the end result!
jojo22
06-29-2007, 3:28 PM
Don't know how I missed this so far but it is coming along great.
pseudoblond
06-30-2007, 1:29 AM
Thanks! I'm loving how its coming along...
saltydunc
07-01-2007, 4:25 PM
looking good mate
pseudoblond
07-04-2007, 9:37 PM
Redid the LR and added some Green Star Polyps and a really pretty purple/blue mushroom. It needs to spread!!!! I like the look of the tank better now, and the flat rocks are great for keeping my corals high in the light.
Germanman
07-05-2007, 10:30 AM
its really getting there! looking very good!:)
Reefscape
07-05-2007, 10:52 AM
Some great new corals introduced there...tank is looking just fine...well done...
Niko
Tikidude
07-05-2007, 11:44 AM
The tank is really looking great! Keep updating us.
pseudoblond
07-14-2007, 6:58 PM
Red Mushrooms, and my GSP is growing and happy! Green Ricordia is doing good. My yellow watchman came out to investigate what I was doing...he cracks me up. My purple coraline is going crazy!!
The photo is a bit fuzzy but the aqua mushrooms look like they might have a flatworm infestation.
Batmanjay28
07-14-2007, 10:51 PM
Your tank is looking great. What corals do you have in there right now?
pseudoblond
07-19-2007, 2:13 PM
Corals So Far: Neon Green Zoos, Green/Orange Zoos, Green Star Polyps, Purple Tonga Rhodactis Shroom, some type of Red Shrooms, Green Rhodactis Shroom, Striped Shrooms...thats it for awhile!
Can anyone tell exactly what type of shrooms is the cluster of reds with the frilly green edges? (3rd pic) They're about 3-4 inches across right now, very cool...
Shrooms shrooms shrooms!!
With my tank crawling with pods, felt good to add a Coral Beauty...he's freakin' awesome and very fun to watch...also 3 Nassarius snails and a skunk shrimp.
doing 15% wc every 2 weeks
sg 1.026
ph 8.2
amm 0
nit 0
temp 78
Everything has stayed very stable, haven't seen an ammonia spike since first fish added, lots of pods, some tiny white brittle stars. Dosing phytoplankton for my oyster and featherduster, they've grown A LOT.
:dance::clap: :dance2: :clap: :dance: :clap: :dance:
Not sure you saw it before, but these shrooms look like they might have a flatworm infestation:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24288&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1184452697 (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24288&d=1184452697)
Tikidude
07-19-2007, 2:19 PM
Looking awesome!! I love all the different shrooms. I can't wait to get some color added to my tank. It makes all the difference in the world.
I think the reds might be Actinodiscus sp. but you could try asking Jojo, I think he knows much about mushrooms.
pseudoblond
07-19-2007, 2:46 PM
That pic is an old pic, took it before dipping. Worms came right off, haven't seen a single one in the tank. Thanks for the fyi tho!
Ya, I do think they're actinodiscus...they're fierce under the actinics!
Oh good! Your mushrooms are so gorgeous I'd hate for those things to win out.
pseudoblond
07-19-2007, 3:02 PM
They are definitely upset tho...worms have been gone awhile, and they have yet to fully expand. Everything else is full and growing. I moved them to a lower flow spot in the tank to see if thats what was bugging them, they seem a bit more relaxed but not completely chilled out yet, I'm keeping an eye on them.
What kind of flow do you have them in? I think they prefer low flow.
pseudoblond
07-19-2007, 3:21 PM
They're in low flow...I just took this pic, the big one is looking more relaxed but the little ones look puckered, and the zoos on the side won't fully open. Can't find a specific reason why, so just giving them their space for now.
Looks fine to me, would be far worse if it was cupped.
pseudoblond
07-19-2007, 4:31 PM
good :D
pseudoblond
08-04-2007, 12:38 AM
A little update...got some new polyps, they're kinda cool, everything is starting to get really colorful. Got a pic of my shrooms eating brine shrimp, all puffed up, way cool. GSP going nuts, and zoos are growing at about 2-3 polyps a week. And the brown zoos on my lr came back to life, but not multiplying yet.
Andrew_Murphy
08-04-2007, 12:46 AM
I like your coral beauty he/she is quite ummm beautiful. :)
i_limantara
08-04-2007, 2:06 AM
i like tank... you really good in SW
Rbishop
08-04-2007, 6:57 AM
Very sharp!
Great shot of the corals eating. We have a thread in the reef forum for photos just like you should add it to the mix.
pseudoblond
08-05-2007, 2:35 AM
Got my first ricordia from a local reefer!! I also got some chaeto for the back of the tank (until I get my sump/fuge put together), and moved some stuff around. Got some cool pics under the actinics, and just some random shots of crabs, my thorny oyster, the chaeto, my shrimps...
Rbishop
08-05-2007, 8:25 AM
Absolutely great!
Almondsaz
08-05-2007, 9:31 AM
Your tank looks great, you were very fortunate with the rock you picked out...they are all really interesting. As for your powerhead placement...I have my Seio 620 on one side pointing to the front and get the ripple in the sand, reminds me of low tide and gives the tank a more natural look. Just my quirky preference.
I can't wait to see your tank as it progresses. TOTM for sure.
Grins
08-05-2007, 10:46 AM
Nice zoas!
pseudoblond
08-06-2007, 11:17 AM
Your tank looks great, you were very fortunate with the rock you picked out...they are all really interesting. As for your powerhead placement...I have my Seio 620 on one side pointing to the front and get the ripple in the sand, reminds me of low tide and gives the tank a more natural look. Just my quirky preference.
I can't wait to see your tank as it progresses. TOTM for sure.
Wow - thanks!!! I'm pretty happy with it myself. :P
pseudoblond
08-10-2007, 10:00 AM
new frogspawn, free frag from a local reefer...still acclimating, but doin' good so far! My clowns have taken quite an interest in it...
Got some new zoos, including Blue Tubs, some red/yellow (not shown), some purple/green, and some red/blues.
Also got some blue clove polyps, but they haven't opened yet. I'll post a pic when they do, they've only been in the tank a few hours.
Great new frags! I'd move the mushroom further from the zoas so you don't have one winning the war over the other.
pseudoblond
08-22-2007, 12:23 AM
Some new pics of zoos, pipe organ coral, frogspawn, my ricordia and actinodiscus shrooms, some red/yellow zoos and my green rhodactis/zoo rock, my green zoo rock with my yellow watchman goby, my palythoas, and the tank in general...some of the pics came out kinda dark, experimenting with the camera...
pseudoblond
09-02-2007, 3:17 AM
Rearranged some stuff. The GSP was starting to wander, so I had to isolate it. Put my little zoa frags all on a big rock, so hopefully they'll cover it and it'll be an awesome rainbow zoa rock. My original brown hitchhiking zoas came back, and are starting to grow new polyps.
Beautiful zoa colors but I WANT your ricordea florida. That blue is to die for.
Reefscape
09-02-2007, 4:10 PM
some stunning corals you have there....great shots...thanks for sharing..
Niko
ChangDriX
09-02-2007, 5:44 PM
awesome tank! definatly gives some of us some ideas to strive for!!
pseudoblond
09-16-2007, 3:13 AM
Got my first clam!!!!!! Crocea Clam, it is soo pretty, we'll see if he moves to a new spot. I hope he stays close, I like where he's at.
Also added a branching hammer coral.
Reefscape
09-16-2007, 5:17 PM
Clam and tank are looking superb....lovely colours on the Crocea....
Niko
clown-lover
09-16-2007, 6:02 PM
Man all these clam pictures is making want to go get one.. Sigh.. Why can't I have an unlimited bank account? :)
pseudoblond
11-03-2007, 4:21 PM
Sad news - clam had a parasite and died. Caught it too late. I'm going to wait longer before I get another, very sad...
I found my first bristleworm - it creeped me out soo bad!!
Got a bta for my birthday! Some new pics...stylo, bta, tank shot, shrooms/zoos, candycanes, bristleworm, rics...
sg 1.026
temp 78
trites/trates 0
amm 0
phophates 0
dkh 11
and..150w DE 14k Halide!! Yay!!
sorry to hear you lost the clam
clown-lover
11-03-2007, 7:59 PM
Me too.. That clam was AWESOME.. Did you figure out what it was?? BTW Still LOVING the rest of the tank.
pseudoblond
03-09-2008, 12:33 AM
Whew...changed a lot! Got rid of some stuff, got new stuff...I'm really liking my growing ricordia collection. Added a 6 line wrasse and a few lyretail anthias. I'm gonna be sticking to softies and LPS, with a few SPS (monti's, etc) here and there. My clowns are now defending the entire front of the tank. They're big enough to feel their teeth when they bite - annoying!!!
Currently running 150w 10k halide with 2x54 T5. Its really bright. I hate my camera.
Loving that blue ricordea florida!