zotzer's 46G bowfront

[zotzer]

Well, I'm now "official". I have the tank set up, filled, and gurgling away!

 

It was a long day of driving all over Northern Virginia to collect goodies, hauling it all in the house, and moving heavy stuff all around, but it's all done. Well, no lights yet. Will do that tomorrow, as the timer I bought is not going to work. Back to the drawing board on that one.

 

The process was certainly not helped by a two hour power outage right in the middle of my aquascaping. It made me realize that I was glad to have bought the little $10 circuit-sensing battery-powered air pump. If there had been any higher life forms in there, at least it would have provided them some oxygen.

 

I'd post pics, but right now, it's all just a foggy mess. Maybe I will awaken tomorrow morning to a pretty sight.

 

Thanks to Steve(outlaw) for a wonderful deal on the tank, skimmer, lights, and lovely diverse rock! And to Matt (heartbreak) for a bargain on one of his old aquafuges. There was a little panic when I finally turned the power on, as I thought the HOB fuge would certainly overflow. I dialed back the flow, and it seems nice and steady.

 

Question for everyone....how long before this remora starts sending bubbles up to the collection cup? I can see bubbles underneath, but nothing is coming up and over...even with the cup on the lowest setting.

 

Thanks to everyone at WAMAS and this board, for being such awesome resources.

 

I'm also officially POOPED (and wet..)!

 

Tracy

Edited August 26, 2007 by zotzer

[jason the filter freak]

Congrats on getting it up and running. You'll have to do some adjusting on that skimmer to get it to work just right. With the lr in there even if you don't plan on adding "higher lifeforms" any time soon, I'd add just a little bit of food each day to help supply the building bacterial colonies. Good luck glad you decided to join WAMAS! Get some pics up soon.

[zotzer]

Thanks Jason!

 

I can't really find anything to adjust on this skimmer other than the height of the cup. It's still not pushing bubbles up into the cup. I went online and downloaded the instructions. It says it's normal for it not to skim at first (although this is a used one...so I don't know if the same applies), and that having hands in the tank will stop it from skimming due to the oils on your hands. Well...I guess I will just give it some time and see what happens.

 

Water cleared up a bit but has a long way to go. I can only see the basic formation of the aquascape. Looks kind of eerie.

 

I've already spotted a few little critters on the glass, though.

 

Tracy

[zotzer]

So, I guess patience is a virtue that I don't posess. Bubbles are already creeping up the neck of the skimmer higher than even 3 hours ago, so that is good.

 

Stuck a tiny bag of SeaGel in the intake chamber of the fuge (it's the only place I can find to stick any media at the moment..the bag wouldn't fit in the fuge's pre-skimmer), and I can actually make out some detail on the rocks now. Yes, the fog is lifting! This is good, as I still have some rock with nice little corals on it waiting to go in, but I have to be able to see. No worries, Steve. I have them in a bucket of SW with a small pump in there.

 

Matt, if you read this....did you put anything over the overflow section of the cpr fuge, to prevent critters or macroalgae from getting in and clogging up the output? It's the only thing that I could forsee causing this thing to back up and cause a flood. I was thinking of eventually putting some nerite snails in the fuge, and worry about them venturing over the wall to the overflow.

 

Saw two teeny tiny starfish climbing on the glass. This is too cool!!

 

Thanks for bearing with the newbie, all!!

Tracy

[dbartco]

Next step, enjoy!

 

I pass Ashburn everyday on the commute. If youd like some free capnella or sarcophyton frags when everything settles down, let me know.

[zotzer]

Thanks, Doug!!

[zotzer]

Things are really clearing up (although you wouldn't know it by this pic! LOL)

 

Unfortunately, the usb connector for my camera is at the office, so the ol' cell phone shot is the best I could do. I built two "caves" with the rock. I put black aquarium backing on the back side of the tank, so with the poor quality pic, the rockwork looks less open than it really is.

 

Here is my very first FTS ever. Not the greatest, but it's a start.

 

[Rascal]

Looks like you're off to a great start. I like the aquascaping. Nice open look and plenty of room for corals to grow.

 

What pump do you have on that remora? IME the Mag 3 works a lot better than the MJ1200, but it is noisier and bigger too, so it's a bit of a trade off. At any rate, I doubt you have anything to skim at the moment, if you are using cured live rock, brand new salt water, and you don't have any bioload in there so you aren't feeding it. In short, there probably isn't any DOM (dissolved organic matter) to skim.

[Guest Reef Nuby]

nice tank, mate. very stylish. and your "aquascape" (forgive me if im out of context, im new to the terms) is simple, yet elegant.

[zotzer]

Thanks, guys!

 

I awakened this morning to a crystal clear tank with a skimmer full of water...so everything really seems to be kicking into place. I adjusted the cup much higher, and will tinker with it to get the height right. Just don't want it filling up and overflowing when I am at work!

 

It has the MJ1400 pump on it, and is much quieter now than when I first plugged it in.

 

Have to get to work this morning, but will try to get some pics when I get home.

 

All the corals on the rocks seemed to survive, but one xenia...a silvery colored one...is slowest to recover.

 

A really cool little red and black tube worm has emerged from one of the rocks. At first I thought it was a little bright polyp or something, but then discovered that it's actually a teeny tiny feather duster, a little smaller than dime-sized.

 

This is so fun....now I see how one can get so addicted! LOL

 

Tracy

[Guest Reef Nuby]

Thanks, guys!

 

I awakened this morning to a crystal clear tank with a skimmer full of water...so everything really seems to be kicking into place. I adjusted the cup much higher, and will tinker with it to get the height right. Just don't want it filling up and overflowing when I am at work!

 

It has the MJ1400 pump on it, and is much quieter now than when I first plugged it in.

 

Have to get to work this morning, but will try to get some pics when I get home.

 

All the corals on the rocks seemed to survive, but one xenia...a silvery colored one...is slowest to recover.

 

A really cool little red and black tube worm has emerged from one of the rocks. At first I thought it was a little bright polyp or something, but then discovered that it's actually a teeny tiny feather duster, a little smaller than dime-sized.

 

This is so fun....now I see how one can get so addicted! LOL

 

Tracy

 

 

my apologies Tracy, you are indeed a bright young woman with an artistic flair for quarals, and not one of my holigan mates. :wink:

Edited August 27, 2007 by Reef Nuby

[zotzer]

No worries, Nube. Even though I am very much a chick, I can be quite the hooligan when I want to be!

 

The actinics popped on just before I left the house, so I couldn't resist a quick shot with the cell phone. I ended up turning off the skimmer for the day, as even with the cup set high, it had 1/2 inch of fluid in there after only about an hour. When I am home tonight to monitor it, I will turn it back on and tweak it.

 

 

Tracy

[Charlie97L]

No worries, Nube. Even though I am very much a chick, I can be quite the hooligan when I want to be!

 

The actinics popped on just before I left the house, so I couldn't resist a quick shot with the cell phone. I ended up turning off the skimmer for the day, as even with the cup set high, it had 1/2 inch of fluid in there after only about an hour. When I am home tonight to monitor it, I will turn it back on and tweak it.

 

 

Tracy

 

was that a new remora? skimmers need a few days to a week to slime up all of the interior to get good action going, sometimes, especially my remoras. also, if you didn't have a lot of dieoff, there may not be anything really to pull out, which is good. i really like the remora, it's simple and effective. it won't support a really heavily stocked 46, though, so make sure you plan your fish accordingly.

 

looks great! what light is that?

[zotzer]

Hi Charlie!

The light is the Nova T5 fixture. The fans are really noisy, so I'm not sure how long it will last, but it is good for now. It was only run for one month, so it's like brand new.

 

The skimmer is a remora pro, and was also used. I think that's why it only took a solid day for it to really kick in. I just got home and turned it back on, so I can monitor it, and now I understand why I've read so much about "micro bubbles". LOL If it doesn't get better, I will get the pre-skimmer gizmo to pop over it and help cut down on the bubbles.

 

Very cool stuff happening in the tank. A mushroom that was one distinct mushroom when in the bucket, is now almost totally split into a second one. A third really bright green one has also popped up on another rock far away from that one.

 

There is a little grey thing munching on the rock. It looks like a beetle, but his mouth and antennae look like a snail. I have no clue what it is.

 

The little red and black feather duster is already twice the size it was yesterday. Neato bandito. I took some pics which I will post in a bit. I am off to play chemist and test the water.

 

Tracy

[zotzer]

Okay....decided to go ahead and do the pics before I start my chemistry experiment.

 

Here is the latest tank shot, and a pic of the little red worm.....

 

 

[lanman]

That's a nice little feather duster (or xmas tree worm - can't tell from that angle). The grey snail is probably a stomatella varia. http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/s...tella_varia.htm

 

They are good algae grazers, and will reproduce in your tank if nothing eats them.

 

Looking good so far! Time to start your chemistry experiments - how are your numbers?

 

bob

[zotzer]

Thanks Bob!

You nailed it on the snail, but he is more slate grey than brown. Otherwise, that's him!

 

As for the numbers...I like to think I have a good eye for color, but I am now totally cross-eyed.

 

Ammonia and Nitrite results are Salifert. The rest are Instant Ocean brand from their reef kit. Ughh, I think I need to get a new kit. What a pain in the rear!!

 

Salinity 1.024

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - .01 (it was clear looking down from the top, but the very slightest shade of pink from the side)

Nitrate - 0

pH- somewhere between 8.0 and 8.2 (it didn't really match either color precisely)

calcium - 450

Alk - 5 meq/l

 

I think I am going to get all new tests. The two Salifert kits are by far much easier than the others!!!

 

In the meantime, can someone translate? All I know for sure is that the ammonia being zero is good.

 

Tracy

[lanman]

Thanks Bob!

You nailed it on the snail, but he is more slate grey than brown. Otherwise, that's him!

 

As for the numbers...I like to think I have a good eye for color, but I am now totally cross-eyed.

 

Ammonia and Nitrite results are Salifert. The rest are Instant Ocean brand from their reef kit. Ughh, I think I need to get a new kit. What a pain in the rear!!

 

Salinity 1.024

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - .01 (it was clear looking down from the top, but the very slightest shade of pink from the side)

Nitrate - 0

pH- somewhere between 8.0 and 8.2 (it didn't really match either color precisely)

calcium - 450

Alk - 5 meq/l

 

I think I am going to get all new tests. The two Salifert kits are by far much easier than the others!!!

 

In the meantime, can someone translate? All I know for sure is that the ammonia being zero is good.

 

Tracy

The stomatella come in all kinds of colors of white, brown, grey, black, and green.

 

Double-check the Alk... that's really high.

 

Calcium is pretty high, too. Wouldn't suggest adding any two-part for a bit

 

Otherwise - looks great!

 

bob

[zotzer]

thanks Bob! I'll re-do the tests tomorrow.

T

[zotzer]

Here are the new additions....making the best of their time in lock-up.

 

 

I am going to be one of those dorks who names my fish. The female is Kismet and the male is Mojo.

 

Tracy

[zotzer]

Oh, and the diatoms have made an appearance. I'd say that's ahead of schedule, but just in time to give the new snails something to munch on. I didn't go crazy, but got a good mix. Five each: cerith, trochus, nerite and nassarius. We'll see how they do before adding more.

 

They've been floating since around 6:00, and being very slowly acclimated.

[Rascal]

I didn't go crazy, but got a good mix. Five each: cerith, trochus, nerite and nassarius. We'll see how they do before adding more.

 

That is a good mix.

 

I am going to be one of those dorks who names my fish. The female is Kismet and the male is Mojo.

 

At least those are cool names. I am one of those dorks who lets the kids name them. So we have Nemo, Marlin (yeah, I know), Dory, Bubbles, Mr. Brown (for a blue-eyed Kole, named after the Dr. Sues book "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?), etc. . . . We even have one called "Tuckerfish", named by son, after himself. It is a firefish. He was with me when I picked it up from BRK, and held the bag gently in his lap all the way home, so he kind of got attached to the fish.. Of course, making sure the kids are involved and attached to the tank is one of the reason my wife lets me stay in this hobby, so they can name them anything they want as far as I'm concerned.

Edited August 30, 2007 by Rascal

[jason the filter freak]

lock up looks so sad

[zotzer]

Of course, making sure the kids are involved and attached to the tank is one of the reason my wife lets me stay in this hobby, so they can name them anything they want as far as I'm concerned.

 

I can't wait to get my neice and nephew over here, once they are in the tank. They will LOVE it!!

 

That is so sweet...I'm glad the kids have taken such an interest in them. Good for you!!

Tracy

 

lock up looks so sad

 

Should be a lesson to you....don't drink and drive! ROFL

[Connor]

are the clowns a mated pair?