Heyy newbie here

[shamanofsexy]

New Member. Was browsing through forums and came across this one and the monster of the 899 gallon tank caused me to register to see the pictures of it.

Im a complete newbie at Marine fish been keeping tropical for 3 years and my 240l (60 gallon) tank is currently cycling to become marine.

 

[johnr2604]

Welcome to the club:up:. James's tank is definetly a beast. Read learn and ask questions. Their are a lot of knowledgable people on here.

 

[ricksconnected]

welcome

 

[keithb]

Ello Gov-ah-na!

 

[spike]

Welcome!!!!

 

[hayabusa72]

Welcome!

 

[shamanofsexy]

Right time for an update on my tank.

Started out putting in the substrate at the bottom then just letting it filter for a whille then added the rock and switched on Protein Skimmer.

Now today i decided to scape my rock and thats where were up to at the minute

 

[salt reefer]

nice.doing great welcome to arc.

 

[shamanofsexy]

API Test strips not sure on reliability of the results but ive got :

PH - 7.0 (not good)
KH - 180
GH - 180

Nitrate - 40
Nitrite - 0.5
Salinity - 1.28 (rose to 1.30 after adding the rock so another water change and should be back down to the 1.25)

 

[shamanofsexy]

Here we go test kit purchased (Red Sea Marine test lab) (Also bought so Alkaline solution to raise my PH

PH - 8.2
Salinity - 1.024
N02 - 0.05
N03 - 20

 

[jaustin]

Do not use Alkaline to raise PH. Adding Alk will only raise PH temporarily. For example, if you dosed an amount of ALK to buffer PH from 7.8 to 8.1 you will have raised alk levels from 8.5-9. If you check your water the next day you'll notice your pH is back down to 7.8. So you dose the same amount of ALK giving you the 8.1 PH but now your ALK is 9.5 and the ALK won't fall unless you have alot of corals using it.

See where i'm going with all this. Go to RC and search for PH in the reef chemistry forum, there are many articles that will help you raise PH without using any chemicals.

 

[shamanofsexy]

I used Prodac Mutaphi M PH +

 

[shamanofsexy]

unsure at the minute keep changing my mind.

The initial idea was a voilitan's lionfish but they need a 55 gallon tank and mines a 60 so with all the rockwork then im probably just on 55 gallon and dont like being the minimum. so unsure fishwise now.

Coralwise i just want mushroom i love the blue green and orange ricordea mushrooms.

and a few blue and red hermits.

 

[shamanofsexy]

Affectedhalf;450594 wrote: HEY, welcome! :thumbs:

I would also, completely, paint the back black! It will look much much better Or possibly blue.... It will also help to make your fish stand out more.

was going to but this tank isnt going to stay reef forever. Because when i finish uni and move into my own home im going to upgrade my marines to a 300 gallon an i currently have an Axylotyl (8 inches) in a 30 gallon tank so he will probably be about ready to be upgraded at the same time into this one.

And ill have a empty 30 gallon to do a nice nano reef in

 

[coralking]

i think that axylotli are so cool

 

[shamanofsexy]

Heyy added 1st livestock 2day.

4 - Red Dwarf Hermits
1 - Blue Dwarf Hermit

Will try and get a pic up but there hiding at the moment.

In regards to other live stock ive decided to go the direction of having inverts aswell as fish and coral.

Saw a realy nice Coral today but i cant seem to find what it is. The Price under it said Green Xenia but there were alot of corals in the tank and after looking up Green Xenia it wasnt that one. It looked like a cut out of grass but with thick worm sized blades of grass that were all pale. Any idea apologies for no picture didnt think to take one in the shop. If it elps the coral was classed in the easy(hardy) beginners section.


Regarding fish (Pretty sure of)

2 Occilaris CLownfish
1 Cleaner Wrasse
Neon Damselfish

Possibles
My LFS also has some tiny Regal Tangs (3in) that im tempted with to get till it grows to big for my 60 gallon then i have an excuse for a bigger tank hmmmm....... the possibilites.
Badgerfish

also i saw a fish that was half blue half yellow but the pattern in the change of colour was more like a lightning bolt down the fish rather than the straight line you get with the gramma's.

Inverts

Mosaic Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
Boxer Shrimp

Need to look into a few more additions for the clean up crew aswell.

Trying to look for more brightly coloured corals that will compliment the colours of the fish. Aswell as figuring out what this mystery Coral was.

 

[shamanofsexy]

Finally decided on my lighting. Thanks for all your help on it guys even though i think ive questioned every type now.

The lighting i have decided to get is Aquaray Aquabeem 500.

Its LED lighting giving out 50K for 12w of power. Just need to get paid to buy them now.

Will be getting two strips one white and 1 mixed White and Blue.

 

[shamanofsexy]

Latest update for the tank.

Still only the 5 hermits in thus far.
Car insurance and tax and m.o.t have stopped me buying the lights which has stopped me getting the 1st corals never mind eh.

PH - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - Crept up to 20
Ammonia - 0

Salinity - 1.026 - Strange this salinity has raised without a water change :S and all the top up water has contained no salt yet its gone up?? Any ideas

Water change in the morning going to do 10% just to bring that salinity down more than anything.

 

[shamanofsexy]

Added 2nd stage of live stock 2day (Well in process of its currently floating in bags)

Added Two Domino Damsels
and a Boxer Shrimp

Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - Still 20 but its because of the contents of my filter (i had a biomechanical filter set up running along side a Berlin method not clever so have taken half the Ceramic Rings Half the BioMax out of the filter and replaced this with a large piece for live rock from my tank and will remove the other half in a week when its time to wash it.
Ammonia - 0

 

[shamanofsexy]

Latest Update from my tanks.

Lighting attached and fitted. Aquaray lighting 2 Blue Reef strips and White reef strip. Looks sooo much better now. Had to customize the hood a bit for it though. Hood completely removed and now two pieces of wood held together by the strips holds my lighting above the tank.

Boxer Shrimp now extremly happy being Fed mysis never seen him jump for his food before =)

Domino Damsels enjoyign all the empty space and swimming through the rocks.

3 remaining Red legged Hermits now keep going over to the empty shell of there fallen Comrade and inspecting its emptyness.

Lone Blue Legged Hermit is having fun swapping shells has done it twice where he's changed into another smaller shell then returned to his big one.