LR Shipment here!! **UPDATED: w/Pics

[RLG2182]

IT'S HERE!!!

My LR got here at my work from LR.com just a second ago... tried to open the box and peek inside, but there's too much water all over the place, I didn't even try to pull the styrophome (sp?) out. They wrote on the box that there was a box clam inside! Grrrrr... I wanna see it! I won't be able to put the rock in until noon today (another 3 hours at my lunch hour).

I'm wondering... an hour won't possibly be enough to put the rock in there & aquascape... what can I do to make sure the rock will stay perfect till I get home at 6? I was thinking I might be able to just stick the rock in there and put it in the bottom of the tank and arrange them when I get back. It's just a hassle cuz I have to take my canopy off and it's kinda too heavy for me to do alone. I have a 22 gal tub of saltwater premixed for my future water change... could I put it in there for a few hours? It's aerating right now, but not up to temp. If I were to do that, could I still use that water in a week or so when I go to do a water change? (salt is expensive here )

What would you guys do? Thanks!!

 

[malkore]

I'd put it in the tank, leave the canopy off (since the tank's empty, right? no fish, no corals, so who cares if the canopy is off a few hours).

 

[RLG2182]

No... it's not that... I made the canopy & it only opens half way. The rocks won't fit in there unless I take it off. It would take two people to remove it & my girlfriend works full time.

The tank has Aragonite sand & 60 pounds of Hirocks already in there cycling. No fish, no corals, but not too much room to stick rock just on the side

 

[revhtree]

I would take the rest of the day off!!!!

No really, I would put the rocks in the tank if at all possible. If not then put them in your future water change supply. Before you do, mix up another gallon or so with hot water and add it to bring the temp up. Add a heater and your good.

 

[RLG2182]

Good advice w/the hot water! That might help things out. I have a heater there... it just wasn't left on the entire time. I'll see if the rocks will fit into the tank... but it might be a stretch. We'll see. I'll just have to empty water out as the rocks will displace a bunch of water.

I wish I could take the day off! I could if I had a good reason Working 100% commission makes it easy to take off w/a good reason. (they don't have to pay you if you're not there!!)

 

[pearsont74]

I concure...take rest of the day off oooo....your looking sick....you need to go home, be sure to take ur LR with you and it will make you feel better...see if your boss will take that

 

[RLG2182]

PHEW!!! 8O

Raced home, had enough time to put the rock into my tank & make sure that it was sturdy. The rock looks AWESOME! Not an inch on it that's not covered with coraline. I called them up and talked to Mike... thanked him and everything for the superb... errr... well... everything.

I saw a few crab looking things crawling around... hopefully they'll survive. When I get home today I'll do the aquascaping. One question I did have though: I'm hoping the LR will seed the base. But a couple of the pieces I got from LR.com were slightly bigger than some of the base rock pieces I have. Will the LR seed base rock if the base rock is on top? Or will the live only seed the base if the live is on top?

I'll take pics once everything is done!

 

[RLG2182]

bump. I get off in 2 hours... wanna get straight to aquascaping!

 

[Fluff]

Tailing along, waiting for pics.........

 

[jaiden]

doesn't matter what's on top. but the LR should be, since it's prettier.

 

[RLG2182]

since it's prettier.

Yah... very true. But a pretty & big rock sitting on a tiny little rock might make things a bit unstable... and a pretty big rock knocking through the glass spilling 60 gallons of water onto my 2nd floor appartment's carpet would be kinda ugly.

I'm contemplating doing some kind of PVC support system... but was just mainly concerned if the seeding-process worked upwards as well as downwards. Anyways... I'm thinking long-term with this, and if everything goes right (crosses fingers) the Base will eventually be covered with some coraline anyways.

 

[SsSarahsS]

I have one chunk of live rock in my tank about 15lbs and the rest is base rock. My tank has been going for about 4 1/2 months and the base rock (veryporus) already has corraline and pods in it (pods hide out in the holes). My live rock isn't on the top or on the bottom it is kind of to one side and the other rocks are around it. I don't think it matters whether is on the top or the bottom because mine is niether.

 

[RLG2182]

Well... it's finally done and situated!! Was really rough trying to get all the rocks to stay how I wanted them too, especially since it was a SAND STORM after a while. I had to take an hour break to let the dust settle!

I checked and my nitrates are around 20. I'll check the other readings when I get home today for lunch. Hopefully after the cycle is over, I can throw in a yellow watchman goby or two clowns... not sure what order I want them in.

 

[RLG2182]

Some more...

 

[pearsont74]

nice set up....

 

[David03]

Looks awesome!!!

What is your set-up... I think that I'd like to do something similar.

 

[RLG2182]

What is your set-up... I think that I'd like to do something similar.

My tank's a 60 gal with a 20L sump w/15 lbs LR rubble.
(2) Overflow boxes
(2) MJ 1200 Powerheads
Euro Reef CS5-2 Protein Skimmer
Mag 9.5 return pump into 2 Loc-Line return nozzles
3" Caribsea Aragamax Oolitic Sand
40 lbs LR.com Keys, 60 lbs Base Rock (hirocks.com)
NO Lighting for now, going with (2) 250W 14,000K Metal Halides too be installed in a couple months.

Still need to make a fish list. Thinking maybe a goby, 2 perc clowns, blenny, and maybe one other fish... small butterfly or something. I don't want a loaded tank.
No clean-up crew yet.

 

[pearsont74]

Do you like 2 overflow boxes? I was thinkin of getting another but wasnt sure cause the one I have is kind big.

 

[RLG2182]

Well, I'm a freak when it comes to symmetry.

A) I didn't like the look of one alone.
B) I won an ebay auction for 2 complete box setups for $20 (no brainer)
C) My return pump was a little large for one box alone, I didn't want to risk draining the sump too fast. I have a ball valve on there just in case, but I'd rather have the higher water flow than not.

So yeah... two are nice... especially in case one fails. My next tank will be reef-ready. But then again my next tank will be 200-300 gallons.

 

[pearsont74]

nice...yeah I have 2 return pumps that will equal about 1000gal so I know I need a 2nd overflow and I also have values on the returns to to adjsut the flow to match the overflow.