Just got some new additions for my fish tank

[Ponch]

Much better! Looks great.

[SLOW REVO]

Thanks,
Now i need to decide what fish.
I just put a couple of damsels in it to cycle the tank.
So far all the levels are good.

[Biodragen]

Okay let me know when you are ready

BTW all
For Reef tank
If you ever get a used tank---find out if COPPER was ever used.
YOU DO NOT want it if it was especially for a reef tank.
It will kill corals even if you cleaned it out to eat out of it.
Copper bleads out of the silicone seams for glass and for acrylic same deal there.

[SLOW REVO]

It will be a new tank.
What do you think about sea clear tanks.
http://www.casco-group.com/USFS-seaclear.html
Im working on opening an account with them

[SLOW REVO]

OK, Tank is ready for some fish.And maybe some live rock.
Just wondering if anyone has ordered fish over the net and had them delivered.

[Ponch]

Yeah I thought my water was cloudy, it was just the glass needed a cleaning so I went thru it with a paper towel and now it sparkles lol

[Biodragen]

It will be a new tank.
What do you think about sea clear tanks.
http://www.casco-group.com/USFS-seaclear.html
Im working on opening an account with them

I am not a big Fan of Clarity Plus tanks.
They are UNDER engineered.
I have a client now who has a 225g tank.
the Acrylic is only 1/2" thick all around the sides
The tank bows well over 3/4".

For the money have one made by pros and have it made overkill on thickness.

[SLOW REVO]

I am not a big Fan of Clarity Plus tanks.
They are UNDER engineered.
I have a client now who has a 225g tank.
the Acrylic is only 1/2" thick all around the sides
The tank bows well over 3/4".

For the money have one made by pros and have it made overkill on thickness.

Who do you recommend? (for tank)

What type of sea salt do you use?

[Biodragen]

I used Instant Ocean Salt---that is what the Shedd uses

As for a tank
Log onto http://www.reefcentral.com
go to the CMAS=Chicago Marine Aquarium Society
Post the question on who a good acrylic tank maker would be.
You do not want a DIY person--you want a reputable Company, I can tell you there is back log up to 8 weeks before they start one.
You can also look up User SaraB and ask her where she is getting hers from.
Hers is a 225 Acrylic 3/4 thick sides and 1" top and bottom.
It is about $2200 for it but I may be wrong and it could be glass with special materials for the vewing panes--I forgot what it is called but it allows for better color viewing as standard tanks have a green tint to them.

[snakebite46]

Bio, quick question. I put some live rock in about 1 1/2 weeks ago and wanted to put some fish in. Well, I got wrapped up in some other stuff that kept me away from the tank. The tank has green algae along the bottom of the glass. I checked water levels (ammon, nitrate, nitrite, etc etc) and everything is still good. Will it still be safe at this point to add fish and a cleaning crew ?

[Biodragen]

Bio, quick question. I put some live rock in about 1 1/2 weeks ago and wanted to put some fish in. Well, I got wrapped up in some other stuff that kept me away from the tank. The tank has green algae along the bottom of the glass. I checked water levels (ammon, nitrate, nitrite, etc etc) and everything is still good. Will it still be safe at this point to add fish and a cleaning crew ?

This depends.
NO2 and NO3 along with Amm have to be zero.
Still after reading at zero wait a week or check daily.
What you are experiencing is called Algea Bloom.
Which is your live rock curing. You will get the green and then you will go to a brown color.
What you need to do is keep the glass cleaned as much as possible. Vaccume the sand bed of the algea but try your best not to disturb the sand bed, I mean stirr it up.
I myself what I have done is after I go through this bloom and levels check out---I wait 2 more weeks to be absolutly sure I have finished the curing process.

Now if you need to add more LR---now is the time to do it. If you keep adding each week all you are doing is extending the curing process and essencially you kind of start over and it depends on how much you add.
So try to get all you rock in the tank to start. Then wait any where from 3-8 weeks for the curing process to finish. You may find that the nitrate and nitrite will swap readings back and fourth.

FWIW
I know things get busy buy at this early on you have to make the time no matter what even if it is at 10 at night or midnight. Get the time in whenever.
It pays big time to do so. When starting out it can be a real PITA but when things stabelize you can lax a bit on the routine but not by much. Maybe a day at the most. As time goes on you can go 2 or 3.

I will PM you my # so you can call me if you need to.

[snakebite46]

Thanks. I have 28lbs of rock in a 24gal tank. I was told that's perfect for the size. Supposedly the rock was already cured. I'll give ya call if I got more q's

[Biodragen]

Yeah I would say you are good then.

When they say cured---it really is not fully cured cuz if it was you would be paying more than you did--almost double.
It is actually partially cured---it comes right from the ocean and during this time it is set in a hugh pile for a day or two with water being sprayed on it.
Then it gets processed, boxed and shipped..By the time you get it---it has been out of the ocean for 4-5 days and just kept moist.
Hence the curing comes in again because you are bringing it back to full life again. The brown stuff is dead algea per say.

Just sit and wait this out. It is in your best intrest to do so.
Patience is what will give you a great tank---you rush it--nothing but headaches---I know from my own pushiness.
I would say keep monitoring your parms, watch them bounce around alot and that is when you know you are close. If it sits idle at the same parms--you have a ways to go yet.

[SLOW REVO]

I put some live rock in the tank a couple of days ago that a friend gave me.
it was out of water for over a month, And today i noticed it was getting some small blooms

[Biodragen]

yep

but when it was drying out it had a smell to it---nasty stuff

[SLOW REVO]

do i need to feed it with something

[t to the maxx2]

Just bought 9 more lbs of live rock. And a one armed coral banded shrimp. Got the 1armed shrimp for 9 bucks, since it was missing the arm, and the 9 lbs of rock for 3.99 a lb.

[Ponch]

How much the shrimp be if it had all it's arms?

[Biodragen]

do i need to feed it with something

Feed what?

[MX_KEVIN]

Just bought 9 more lbs of live rock. And a one armed coral banded shrimp. Got the 1armed shrimp for 9 bucks, since it was missing the arm, and the 9 lbs of rock for 3.99 a lb.

My coral banded lost its arm but it grew back. Must of had a fight with the mantis shrimp I had in there.

[Biodragen]

Hey Kevin

Put a crawfish in there with the mantis---you will have a kewl show

[t to the maxx2]

Make sure to get video.
Tomarrow I'll get a vid of me feeding goldfish to our 3 foot zebra eel(I think its a zebra eel, ill get a pic)

[Ponch]

I was in math class and got to watch some fish eat a goldfish, had half of the thing hangin out of it's mouth!

[t to the maxx2]

[SLOW REVO]

Feed what?

The live rock