Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

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Blue Tuxedo Urchin

Small update and a couple pics.

So do these Urchins always look like they are a trash can?

The next picture is of the two black "blobs", they are getting bigger and it looks like they are killing the coral on the rock.

I have 2 corals that didn't make it, I have to go back and look at the pictures to identify which ones. One of them had alot of polyps and the other not so many. The snails, crabs and Fire Shrimp are all over the place.

I put a turkey baster in to see if I could get rid of some of the hair algae on the Urchin and to try to "blow or suck" off those blobs. I even tried to push (scrape) them off with the turkey baster, I swear they are like the song, Stuck Like Glue Baby Baby, I'm Stuck On You. LOL.

Been working alot, haven't been on much. Come the end of April beginning of May I will be working 20 days in a row, gonna be a bear to keep up with just the top off's and pwc's. Everyone other time, I flood cause I forget to turn the faucet off cause I fell asleep. Funny thing, I have bought the level thing a ma bobber and don't have enough brains and umph when I get home to install it.

I've been active when riding, I pick up my new bike Friday, I can't wait, cause when I'm done riding, I am filled with energy, and I will get the basics out of the way lickity split. :)

When's the group buy start? Anyone know? (Carey? LOL) Also what happened to the friend on line/offline list?
 
Group buy is set for this upcoming tuesday. if you want in send me your info. :-D

Glad youre feeling well and the tank is doing well. :)
 
Major Update

for me anyway. Since I finally have some of my rock back in the tank, I'm putting the sand back in (I am taking pictures at various points), question is:

Should I start a new thread with a rebuild?

Also the 2 pictures of the "black mysterious blobs" were/are sponges. Are they safe? I actually tried getting them off as I said earlier and they are justa thriving and getting bigger, I hope they don't kill the coral with them.

I have an ATI Purple Plus and ATI Aqua Blue Special and 2 Truelumens 12KK Power White. The two Truelumens have turned "yellow" or at least I just noticed that.

I'm going to toss the 12KK Truelumen's out and replace them, what would be good to replace them with? They will turn on at the same time as the purple and aqua blue specials?


So Should I start a new thread????

Any input/thoughts/imho's totally welcome. Though if you do answer (as far as lighting) please give me your reasons, it will help me to understand lighting more.

As always :thanks:all for following and giving me so much fantastic help.
Getting late so here is a picture of my new aquascape. And then there's...dum dum dum dum Jaw's AHHHHHHHHHH run for your lives....whoops swim for your lives!!!!!:ROFLMAO:
 
wow everything looks great!! do you like your emperor filter? sponges are absolutely fine, they are filter feeders. its great that it survived and is doing so well!
 
Thanks :), whacha think of my Jaws slo mo clips hehehe.

We still have one week for the group buy right?

For those out there who have an eshopps overflow to sump. About what size return pump would I be looking at?
 
wow everything looks great!! do you like your emperor filter? sponges are absolutely fine, they are filter feeders. its great that it survived and is doing so well!


Sorry forgot to answer your question, now I understand why I have empty answers LOL.

Yes I do like it. Right now it's sitting on the 20G with filter floss and carbon (I think) I forgot. I know filter floss is in there.

Still working on rinsing and putting the sand in. I haven't decided how deep I'm going yet. Right now I'm mixing sand with what I had. I didn't want to get the rest of it out when I realized I forgot the sand LOL. Besides if it was ALL sand then I think it would get too packed down. Don't know how much I'm gonna mix (definitely more sand than crushed coral for the bottom layer, but I do want to do a layer of crushed coral and then another layer of sand. Jeez sounds a little like lasagna.

It'll all get mixed around anyway:lol:

Gotta get, Gotta get, Gotta get get get going. Alarm goes of in 2 1/2 hours. I swear there is just not enough hours in the day.
 
Update w/video

Well, I have one corner of my rockwork giving me a few problems, as soon as I can get it then I'm going to finish filling with water and cycle the tank.

I noticed my Acropora had RTN, so I did a quick frag last night. They did spew their slimy stuff around a little bit, and I fed too so that's the stuff floating. I had issues with a few other things also but they I've decided to leave in the tank. And in the back you can see I have a 2nd mushroom growing :)

My Urchin is cleaned up, I plucked the green hair algae off him, ewwwwwww.

Here's a video I took last night, (I fell asleep while it was uploading). I'm not experienced at all in this so don't rip on me too much for the lack of quality. :)

 
Aww I love the firefish! Mine is never out of his rock, wish he'd be more social like yours. lol

And can i say, holy purple batman! You have some serious coralline going on in that tank! Everything looks happy and healthy though so thats a good thing.
 
Thanks don't ask me how it's doing, cause I've not a clue, I guess they are just taking care of them selves. Right now, I'm topping off when I remember, feeding about every 2 days when I remember, Turning the lights on OR off if I remember. I dont' even remember the last pwc, over a month now, I think, heck idk. I'm going around in circles so much I've no clue about anything any more. Maybe I should crawl into the tank with them, I don't know if they are all happy though, Mr. Purple with his color face makes him look like he's ticked off and ready for a fight all the time.

Kewl idea.....Maybe Mr. Purple and I can change places. LOL not, wish I could just though.
 
You sound down Buffy, please don't be. :-D

Just look at your happy critters and smile inside because you've done a great job with them.

How are you coming as far as moving everyone and being "finished" so to speak?
 
My purple firefish is very proud of himself and stays front and center almost all day. His only enemy is a purple pseudocromis.

Why are you manually turning lights on and off? I will send you a timer if that would help.
You have come a long way kid...I must admit, in the beginning I was worried about you, but you seem to have persevered.
Keep your chin up... Life is good if you can stand all the pot holes.
 
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cheer up buffy, your an inspiration to me. just take a look at your tank and you know its worth it.

if you are thinking its getting a little too much for you to take care of, try automating it a little more. a few light timers, ato, things like that. if you really want to get things done easily, get a apex controller. you can control things from your computer!
 
Thanks everyone, it's just well nevermind.

I have a timer but it's a hassle so I'm not using it til everyone gets moved.

I have the tank full of water, 2 heaters and 3 pumps cause I'm mixing water in the tank since there's nothing in it.

I'm hoping to start to cycle tonite, if I have enough salt in that is, otherwise about 12 hours after I hit 35 salinity to be sure it's mixed and test to verify it's where I want it then cycle. I'm hoping they will be moved this week then I start working on the building the sump.

I'm going down to madison today 2 1/2 hour drive or so to a fish store down there I had found. They have lots of coral too so I may buy something.....been spending too much...supposed to make you feel good with your new...whatever..not me, heck I don't even look in the bag when I get home.

Talk about shopping, one of my Fire Shrimp horded food in it's claws (?) last night, and when one got lose he snatched it up fast and held on to it. I swear he acted like one of my brothers who puts his arms around his plate like some one was gonna take his food.....that's what he did, wish I had a video of it. I actually got a chuckle from it, first one in weeks.
 
my fire shrimp does some weird stuff too. when i put my anywhere near his little cove, he goes rambo and crawls up my and trying to eat my thumb.
 
my fire shrimp does some weird stuff too. when i put my anywhere near his little cove, he goes rambo and crawls up my and trying to eat my thumb.


LOL that's funny.

Ok so I had a shopping spree today.

I bought my spring time cycling gear and I bought 3 leather corals, 3 gobies and ok ok yell at me, my daughter talked me into it....A green mandarin. Gonna cost me an arm, a leg and then some to keep it fed. I did see him eat mysis (sp) shrimp while I was there.

I gotta finish acclimating them and get them into quarantine and then dip the corals. I'm exhausted (yipee sleep no dreams or stress) and broke.

I got some cool pictures of my fire fish and fire shrimp. Got the staring contest shot and got my fire shrimp hording a veggie round.
 
Buffy said:
LOL that's funny.

Ok so I had a shopping spree today.

I bought my spring time cycling gear and I bought 3 leather corals, 3 gobies and ok ok yell at me, my daughter talked me into it....A green mandarin. Gonna cost me an arm, a leg and then some to keep it fed. I did see him eat mysis (sp) shrimp while I was there.

I gotta finish acclimating them and get them into quarantine and then dip the corals. I'm exhausted (yipee sleep no dreams or stress) and broke.

I got some cool pictures of my fire fish and fire shrimp. Got the staring contest shot and got my fire shrimp hording a veggie round.

Nice pickups. I can't wait to see the 75g put together with the coral.
 
Nice pickups. I can't wait to see the 75g put together with the coral.


I second that. LOL. I just started the cycle on the 75 this morning :), hopefully won't take too long but I'm not counting on it.

Little guys in QT are not eating :-(

The 3 corals are opening up.

Pictures soon.

Gosh I still gotta buy stuff......Anyone know where I can get a decent quantity of LIVE copepods for a decent price? (I lost all my books marks and having to start that over too).
 
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