New tank on a budget (1 Viewer)

[dale333]

Dale in a completely new system sps corals, even beginner friendly ones aren't recommended. Start with just fish and a small clean up crew. Youtubers make it seem like the insta tank idea is the way to go, and if you have the knowledge and funds to do so, go for it. Based off what you said, this is budget friendly..go slow. Don't waste money on all the additives, especially coraline. It will get into your tank via frag plugs and snail shells. Bacteria in a bottle is great to get started but again, slow and steady wins this race. We all want that perfect show tank now but you will get there and be more successful in the long run "tanking" your time ?

Thank you for the information. I'm really not in any hurry.

I'm currently not working. Government contracting, contract disputes, I'm not going to get into it, hopefully I'll get back soon.

I need something to get my mind off not working.

 

[Subsea]

It was about two years before I PCS'd to Korea. When I came back home, the percula clown was the only fish left. The tank was filled with green algae, it was sad.

Ok, maybe not SPS, The two different keep me confused. Main point is easy coral.

Dale,
Are you still active duty? As an Air Force crew chief on Puff the Magic Dragon, I served four 90 tours in Cambodia between 1966 -1970. When I discharged, I wasn’t fit to be around people and I buried myself into going to college at The Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston, where I started my first marine aquarium. That was 52 years ago and I have not come up for air.

Consider starting a FOWLR (fish only with live rock). However, to maximize the investment of diver collected live rock, do not add fish for 90 days.

Note: live rock will have coral on it, sometimes visible, More important, diver collected live rock & live sand bring in biodiversity of micro fauna & fana which process organic & inorganic nutrients to feed live food to hungry mouths.

Check out these hitch hikers,

Gulf Live Rock.com

gulfliverock.com

I get live rock from Gulf of Mexico 10 miles west of Tampa Bay in 30’ of water.

Gulf Live Rock.com

gulfliverock.com

We hand pick every piece of rock to ensure that it will make a beautiful piece of live rock. Most of our rock was dumped several tons at a time by a crane off of a large barge on our lease site in the summer of 1996. So you can image how much marine life has grown on it over the last 25 years. We also have a newer section on our lease site that we add rock to periodically. This ensures that we will have quality live rock for the years to come. The rules for depositing rock have changed science 1996. We now have to deposit the rock 100 pounds at a time in baskets which have to be lowered with a rope to the ocean bottom by hand. A diver then arranges the rock by hand for the best possible growth on the bottom of the ocean. These new rules require a lot more hard work, boat gas and man hours.

We own and operate a 25 foot Dusky that we use to deposit and harvest our live rock with. Once we harvest the live rock it is brought to our main facility located in Tampa, Florida and it is stored in our 1800 gallon holding system. We have helped set up thousands of salt water aquariums, so if you need help with yours please contact us. Thank you for choosing our company for your live rock and other aquarium needs

 

[Subsea]

@dale333
Until I read the Natural Reef Aquarium by John Tullock, I was back & forth with different styles of reefkeeping.



“Debunking the myth that reef aquariums need to be wildly expensive and technologically complex, John Tullock offers a new, radically simple approach to producing beautiful, captive microcosms.
Using live rock and live sand as part of a natural filtration system, the home aquarist can now create vibrant reef tanks that are biologically stable and simple to maintain.
With Tullocks suggestions, the reefkeeper can now mimic natural habitats such as a Florida Keys Lagoon, a Caribbean Turtle Grass Flat, an Indo-Pacific Deep Cave, or a Red Sea Patch Reef. With more than 200 color photographs and illustrations, Natural Reef Aquariums provides inspiration for both beginning and expert marine reef hobbyists.”

I have three systems set up as Caribbean mixed garden lagoons. The bottom 55G tank is 3 months set up.

 

[decimal]

Lol happens all the time,

SPS = Small Polyp Stony coral. Hard skeleton with small polyps. Requires lots of light and flow. Special diets, expensive supplements, expensive frags, easy to kill. Examples are acropora with brand name strains like RR Fruity Pebbles, WWC Bill Murray etc.

LPS = Large Polyp Stony coral. These have less requirement for flow and light. Much more resistant to changes in water parameters. Examples would be acans, blastos, micromussa, scoly’s and so on.

There is another category referred to as “Softies” these would be no stony skeleton like zoanthids. Zoas are easy to keep, don’t have a lot of requirements and still have “brand names” like gorilla nipples and other comical invented names that somehow elicit a wallet drawing reaction from shoppers laying down big $$.

What Is the Difference Between Stony & Soft Corals?

Thomas describes the major difference between soft corals and stony corals.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[dale333]

Dale,
Are you still active duty? As an Air Force crew chief on Puff the Magic Dragon, I served four 90 tours in Cambodia between 1966 -1970. When I discharged, I wasn’t fit to be around people and I buried myself into going to college at The Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston, where I started my first marine aquarium. That was 52 years ago and I have not come up for air.

Consider starting a FOWLR (fish only with live rock). However, to maximize the investment of diver collected live rock, do not add fish for 90 days.

Note: live rock will have coral on it, sometimes visible, More important, diver collected live rock & live sand bring in biodiversity of micro fauna & fana which process organic & inorganic nutrients to feed live food to hungry mouths.

Check out these hitch hikers,

Gulf Live Rock.com

gulfliverock.com

I get live rock from Gulf of Mexico 10 miles west of Tampa Bay in 30’ of water.

Gulf Live Rock.com

gulfliverock.com

We hand pick every piece of rock to ensure that it will make a beautiful piece of live rock. Most of our rock was dumped several tons at a time by a crane off of a large barge on our lease site in the summer of 1996. So you can image how much marine life has grown on it over the last 25 years. We also have a newer section on our lease site that we add rock to periodically. This ensures that we will have quality live rock for the years to come. The rules for depositing rock have changed science 1996. We now have to deposit the rock 100 pounds at a time in baskets which have to be lowered with a rope to the ocean bottom by hand. A diver then arranges the rock by hand for the best possible growth on the bottom of the ocean. These new rules require a lot more hard work, boat gas and man hours.

We own and operate a 25 foot Dusky that we use to deposit and harvest our live rock with. Once we harvest the live rock it is brought to our main facility located in Tampa, Florida and it is stored in our 1800 gallon holding system. We have helped set up thousands of salt water aquariums, so if you need help with yours please contact us. Thank you for choosing our company for your live rock and other aquarium needs

No, I only did 10 years and got out. Thank you for your service!

 

[dale333]

Lol happens all the time,

SPS = Small Polyp Stony coral. Hard skeleton with small polyps. Requires lots of light and flow. Special diets, expensive supplements, expensive frags, easy to kill. Examples are acropora with brand name strains like RR Fruity Pebbles, WWC Bill Murray etc.

LPS = Large Polyp Stony coral. These have less requirement for flow and light. Much more resistant to changes in water parameters. Examples would be acans, blastos, micromussa, scoly’s and so on.

There is another category referred to as “Softies” these would be no stony skeleton like zoanthids. Zoas are easy to keep, don’t have a lot of requirements and still have “brand names” like gorilla nipples and other comical invented names that somehow elicit a wallet drawing reaction from shoppers laying down big $$.

What Is the Difference Between Stony & Soft Corals?

Thomas describes the major difference between soft corals and stony corals.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Yes, Zoas was one of the corals I was thinking about!

 

[dale333]

 

[dale333]

Ok, though I do like the look of the holey rock, I'm not liking what I'm reading about it in saltwater tanks. I found someone selling Ocean holey rock and mostly human made Ocean holey rock. It was in a tank, I've washed it off. Anything special I need to do to put it in the tank? I'll be removing the TX holey rock. I'll make sure the rock is sifted to the bottom of the sand.

 

[decimal]

It will help cycle your tank. don’t let it dry out. It needs to stay wet for the Bacterial colonies to survive.

 

[dale333]

It will help cycle your tank. don’t let it dry out. It needs to stay wet for the Bacterial colonies to survive.

Ugh, it was in a tank but has been dried out, it was in wooden crates when I bought it.

 

[decimal]

Ah.. well, if it’s really totally dry, I think it’s lost. I would soak it in saltwater for a couple of days and clean it with a pressure washer (if you have one) or at least a hose and put it back in the saltwater for another day. After that shake it out in the water it’s been sitting in and place into the display tank.

 

[jrounding]

I’m probably a little late to the post here, but I have some rock in my garage. You’re welcome to have some. It was given to me by ADG and is from customer tear downs. They said it is real reef rock. If you want some come pick it up. I’m in Missouri City. PM me.

 

[dale333]

I’m probably a little late to the post here, but I have some rock in my garage. You’re welcome to have some. It was given to me by ADG and is from customer tear downs. They said it is real reef rock. If you want some come pick it up. I’m in Missouri City. PM me.

I'd definitely like anything you're willing to offer. I have some real and man-made coral but a little more would be nice. Thank you.

 

[jrounding]

I'd definitely like anything you're willing to offer. I have some real and man-made coral but a little more would be nice. Thank you.

Let me know a day that works for you. I’m off weekends and work from home quite a bit.