Steve's Reef Diary - new experience

Thanks - the lfs just started carrying the black aragonite - Steve is getting a little frustrated because of the costs and time (waiting = patience which he has little of) involved - but the tank just finished it's cycle so he has to let it stabilize before he starts adding a whole lot more. He is researching lighting needs of different corals and other critters, so that he can make an informed decision about whether or not to further upgrade in that area. i got him a few good books on reef tanks and the critters that live in them..
 
I think the waiting game you have to play in the beginning is planned. Gives you the time to read and research, but the research pays off becuase most of the time what looks like a way to save money turns out to be rubbish and you have to reprocure the item. The lighting research was my biggest headache. Thanks for keeping your post up...the pictures are terrific and so is the progress.
 
Thanks Almondsaz - what conclusion did you reach on the lighting issue?

Steve added more rock today, and a powerhead. We discovered a polyp and what looks like 2 white fan worms tonight. the chromies look much happier with the increased current.
 
For my 45 I ended up with the coralife 30" compact florescent with moonlights at the suggestion of my LFS. My LFS is only a reef store and that is all they stock - great store. When I upgraded to the 70 gallon I went with Coralife Pro which is the Actinic, MH and moonlights. I am very pleased, I don't plan on a tank full of SPS so one MH is fine and sits in the middle of the lighting fixture. I haven't had any heating issues, so thought about the T5's and the LFS response was always "you could do that also". Really depends on what you are going to keep in the tank ----don't you get sick of that response, eventhough it's true.

I am looking forward to seeing more pics of your very nice tank! One of the bonuses with this hobby to me is the hitchers....I have way to many starfish as hitchers. Last count was at about 12. I found three small feather dusters and hope they make it, they are really facinating.

What kind of powerhead did Steve add? I have Seio and Koralia.

David
 
update: new pics, hitchhikers, livestock, and lights

Well, we have found 4 feather dusters, a button polyp (we think), a starfish, and some other things we can't ID.

Went to the lfs and got tubes to make the second fixture a 50/50. One Actinic and one 10,000 K.

we also bought our first coral, two "sand shifter" snails, and two peppermint shrimp.

posting new pics now, a video shortly. Enjoy

the first 2 pics are of the polyp. 3rd is one of the feather dusters, 4th is a pile of food the hermit crabs stashed. the 5th pic is a full tank shot before we added the coral, the next few are of the coral, as it slowly opened, and the last one is of one of the shrimps.

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Nice zoa colony! Looks like the mint chocolate chips that I bought as well. Check them really well for aeolid nudis and their eggs, and sundial snails. You'll be surprised how much the zoas blend in since they take on the zoa's pigment and the snails are tiny and wedge between the polyps.
 
I appologize - I think the one I ID as the feather duster is really the polyp - I'm tired - but you can see the feather duster, if you look close in # 7 and 8
 
Looks great, nice addition on the zoes. Did you mount them or are they placed on the rock? Wondered if you used the mounting putty or crazy glue gel. I usually wait until I confirm the coral likes the spot I intend to put it before I mount it...I have had to remove one from an unsuitable area, and the putty is much easier than the gel to remove.

THe fourth photo looks like you have an urchin in your tank...do you know what that is?
 
LOVE the reggae in the background and shoot even liked Steve cleaning the glass. The chromis appeared to be trying to dance with the snail at one point. Wonder if it was the same one bossing the peppermint around later.
 
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