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01-28-2005, 09:09 PM
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#1
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 305
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Live Rock has arrived....How's the Aquascape? (Pics)
I got my 40lbs of live rock yesterday from Liverocks.com (20lbs Key and 20 lbs Gulf). Was supposed to be here on Tuesday...but they had to move it to Thursday due to the weather up north last weekend. They nicely called me and appologized...but they did not want their reef creatures to become a statistic.
I had taken Tuesday off from work for the delivery...but I could not take Thursday off. My wife would have to haul the 40lbs in and put it in the tank. I checked the website frequently with the DHL Waybill number and called my wife frequently. Finally...I saw that DHL had delivered it...and hour ago! I called my wife...who did not hear DHL come...as they just put the box in the snow and left.
I called her...and she quickly brought it in...she told me that she saw no heat packs as I had hoped...and it was only 5 degrees in Maine yesterday...I guess it was too warm in Florida to add them. She opened it up..and the first thing she saw was a BIG BLACK HAIRY WORM that was about 4 inches long...it was at that point she said she couldn't do it...so I decided to come home for 30 minutes....and just unpack it....
The rock..looked like...well...gray rock. A little smell to it...but less than I though. Was nicely packed. The sizes were perfect! It was like I was there with Mike and Zack and pointed to the pieces I wanted. I carefully picked it up...and placed it in the tank. After I put the rock in the tank...my wife said "why did they spray paint the rock?" It was not until I had it in the tank when I discoved the colors...orange, pinks, purples. It was great! There was a brittle star still moving in the bottom...and I rinsed the plastic bag clean. I put in one rock...SNAP..SNAP...SNAP! "We have a snapper", I said...fearing a Mantis..I saw a Pistol Shrimp come out the the rock...(but I found the/a pistol later dead in the tank). Very little was dead despite the cold. Crabs...snails...and yes...EVERY AIPTIASA ANEMOME had to live! I did not aquascape much...as all I had time for it to put it in the tank.
When I came home...the rock looked entirely different all ready. The Anenomes numbers TRIPLED! I have at least 30 Aptaisa (5 BIG and the others quite small) ...the first invert I will add to the tank...4 Peppermint Shrimp for Aiptaisa control. I am thinking I need to get some "Joe's Juice" for the big ones. I CAREFULLY moved the rock...hoping I would not get stung...and I did not. I could not believe how clear the water became overnight. My CPR Bak PaK that I thought was not working well....has given me about a cup of skimmate in 24 hrs!
I am wondering what everyone thinks of the Aquascape. I would LOVE any recommendations or suggestions to change it:
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90 Gallon Fresh Water Planted w/ CO2:
7 Brilliant Rasbora, 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Dwarf Neon Rainbows, 1 Red Tailed Shark, 2 American Flag Fish, 4 Skunk Botia Loaches
40 Gallon Breeder Salt Water: 4 inch DSB (2/3 Agaramax & 1/3 Sea Flor), Bak Pak 2R Skimmer w/ BBX, 2 x JBJ PHs, Coralife Lunar Aqualight (2x96w), 30lb Base Rock and 40lbs of Live Rock.
Inhabitants: Purple Firefish, Pygmy Angel, Lawmower Blenny, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, Pistol Shrimp(HH), 1 Emerald Crabs, 3 Porcelin Crabs(HH), varying amounts and varieties of hermit and snails.
3 Gallon Eclipse:
1 Goldfish (won free at a fair...cost $50 in equipment)
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01-28-2005, 09:14 PM
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#2
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 11,423
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Looks great 
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~Cindy
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01-28-2005, 09:16 PM
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#3
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Lompoc, Ca
Posts: 1,313
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looks pretty good !
Great Job !
And I don't think they can sting you...
I may be wrong...
The Shrimp wo'nt eat the big boys...
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01-28-2005, 09:30 PM
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#4
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,346
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Nice looking rock!
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Aaron
Tank: 90 Gal SW Reef in the making
See my info for setup and inhabitant details:
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01-28-2005, 09:39 PM
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#5
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Aquarium Advice FINatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Posts: 602
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Wow! Looks awesome!. I'll be doing the same thing shortly - a 20/20 mix from LR.cm. Did you call them to discuss the order or did you order online?
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30 gal standard 55 lbs LR, 60 lb live sand, 10 gal sump/refugium. Urchin skimmer, mag7 pump, 3 x 96W PC combination 10,000K/actinic bulb, 2 blue LED moonlights
SG 1.024, temp 79.5, pH 8.4
Livestock I added:
1 skunk cleaner. 12 hermits: red, scarlet, blue. 15 or so assorted snails. Discosomas, Ricordia, Rhodactis mushroom corals, chaetomorpha (sump), 1 feather duster, Montipora digitata, Montipora capricornis, Montipora hispids. assorted zoos, Xenia, Kenya tree coral, green Sinularia, green star polyps, branching hammer coral, bubble coral, Devil's hand leather. Yellow chromis, purple firefish.
Hitchhikers: the usual suspects :crabs, bristles, urchin, mantis shrimp (now in exile in mantis tank)
List of possible/likely newcomers:
Feather duster. PJ cardinal, Bangghai cardinal, Firefish goby, Clownfish, Neon goby, Yellow watchman goby, Orchid dottyback. Various corals.
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01-28-2005, 10:50 PM
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#6
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 305
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Midiman,
Actually...I just PM'd Zack here on the AA forum. Told him just that I wanted a 20/20 mixed order...he gave me a price and I paid him via PayPal. I could even pick the days in advance I wanted it shipped. If you want a mix...I would send him a PM. The Website Cart option seems to give a higher price when you are ordering a mix, Zack has also mentioned this to me also.
I couldn't be more happy! I saved 40% from any LFS in the area and got rock like I have never seen before. I have never seen rock this good in any LFS in my area. Not to mention the life.
I could have done without so many Aiptasia Anenomes...but it comes with the territory. It was funny...I was SO excited at first by the anemones...until I found out they were more of an "enemy" than an anenome. Hopefully a few Peppermint Shrimp and some Joe's Juice will take care of that problem.
I LOVE the fact that I used the hirocks.com base rock so all of the live stuff can stay on the surface.
WC
__________________
90 Gallon Fresh Water Planted w/ CO2:
7 Brilliant Rasbora, 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Dwarf Neon Rainbows, 1 Red Tailed Shark, 2 American Flag Fish, 4 Skunk Botia Loaches
40 Gallon Breeder Salt Water: 4 inch DSB (2/3 Agaramax & 1/3 Sea Flor), Bak Pak 2R Skimmer w/ BBX, 2 x JBJ PHs, Coralife Lunar Aqualight (2x96w), 30lb Base Rock and 40lbs of Live Rock.
Inhabitants: Purple Firefish, Pygmy Angel, Lawmower Blenny, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, Pistol Shrimp(HH), 1 Emerald Crabs, 3 Porcelin Crabs(HH), varying amounts and varieties of hermit and snails.
3 Gallon Eclipse:
1 Goldfish (won free at a fair...cost $50 in equipment)
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01-28-2005, 10:54 PM
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#7
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 305
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P.S. I just tested my Ammonia after I added the rock...still registering 0 (zero). I cycled the tank FIRST with the base rock and a cocktail shrimp with trying to have has little of a cycle as possible when I added the live rock to perserve the life on the rock. Has been 30 hours...and my plan has worked so far!
WC
__________________
90 Gallon Fresh Water Planted w/ CO2:
7 Brilliant Rasbora, 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Dwarf Neon Rainbows, 1 Red Tailed Shark, 2 American Flag Fish, 4 Skunk Botia Loaches
40 Gallon Breeder Salt Water: 4 inch DSB (2/3 Agaramax & 1/3 Sea Flor), Bak Pak 2R Skimmer w/ BBX, 2 x JBJ PHs, Coralife Lunar Aqualight (2x96w), 30lb Base Rock and 40lbs of Live Rock.
Inhabitants: Purple Firefish, Pygmy Angel, Lawmower Blenny, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, Pistol Shrimp(HH), 1 Emerald Crabs, 3 Porcelin Crabs(HH), varying amounts and varieties of hermit and snails.
3 Gallon Eclipse:
1 Goldfish (won free at a fair...cost $50 in equipment)
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01-28-2005, 11:10 PM
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#8
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AA Team Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,833
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It looks super!!!
LR.com is the best. Congrats!! 
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01-29-2005, 12:23 AM
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#9
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Prosper, TX.
Posts: 1,297
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Awesome WC! Congrats.
Mike
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01-29-2005, 02:56 AM
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#10
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Aquarium Advice FINatic
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 754
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Well done!...especially the pre-cycling. You'll be rewarded with lots of unusual life which will require sorting the good from the bad later.
As you've placed the rock on top of the sand bed, don't be surprised if the rock tends to settle into the sand a bit. In fact, you might want to consider placing some small pieces of PVC under the rocks to prevent this.
Looks really great!
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01-29-2005, 04:06 AM
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#11
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: santa cruz california
Posts: 325
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looks fabulis. i love the colors. 
__________________
there once was a kid named colin. he looked just like a gorilla. his name wasn't magilla, because it was colin.
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01-29-2005, 11:16 AM
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#12
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Aquarium Advice FINatic
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 562
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Glad to hear everything went ok. I'm excited for you and me because I'm about to order some myself.
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01-29-2005, 04:04 PM
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#13
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Savage, MN
Posts: 7,889
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Your rock looks great!! I especially like the lamp in the tank 
__________________
Some people are like slinkies...they serve no real purpose yet can still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!:p
Have a great day! Brian
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01-29-2005, 05:56 PM
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#14
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 243
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looks real nice -- the coraline will grow well.
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01-29-2005, 09:50 PM
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#15
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Aquarium Advice Freak
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 305
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lando
I especially like the lamp in the tank |
Thanks...I wanted them to have something to read by...just in case their 192 watts were no quite enough. Sorry...my first pictures of the tank..but next time...the lamp will be turned off! 8O
Thanks for the great comments on the tank! I am finding more life ever day! Before bed I site there with the moon lights and a penlight looking for new stuff!!
WC
__________________
90 Gallon Fresh Water Planted w/ CO2:
7 Brilliant Rasbora, 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Dwarf Neon Rainbows, 1 Red Tailed Shark, 2 American Flag Fish, 4 Skunk Botia Loaches
40 Gallon Breeder Salt Water: 4 inch DSB (2/3 Agaramax & 1/3 Sea Flor), Bak Pak 2R Skimmer w/ BBX, 2 x JBJ PHs, Coralife Lunar Aqualight (2x96w), 30lb Base Rock and 40lbs of Live Rock.
Inhabitants: Purple Firefish, Pygmy Angel, Lawmower Blenny, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, Pistol Shrimp(HH), 1 Emerald Crabs, 3 Porcelin Crabs(HH), varying amounts and varieties of hermit and snails.
3 Gallon Eclipse:
1 Goldfish (won free at a fair...cost $50 in equipment)
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01-29-2005, 09:53 PM
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#16
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Aquarium Advice Activist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: phoenix arizona
Posts: 193
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I've had my lr for about six weeks now, I still find new stuff everyday. Have fun watching. It looks great!
__________________
55 gal. reef. Coralife lunar lights 4 x 65, 120 lbs live rock. Remora skimmer, 3 power heads. 2 tank raise false percula,2 pajama cardinal,hermits, snails, Xenia, leathers, mushrooms, polyp frags, yellow sea cucumber, And last but not least - the miserable mantis.
Terry
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01-30-2005, 10:49 AM
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#17
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Aquarium Advice Addict
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Savage, MN
Posts: 7,889
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Quote:
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Sorry...my first pictures of the tank..but next time...the lamp will be turned off!
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Don't worry, I have a ton of pics of my reflection in the glass of my tank of me taking pics of my tank...
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__________________
Some people are like slinkies...they serve no real purpose yet can still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!:p
Have a great day! Brian
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