thefishdude

Stunning shots Connie :drool: soon....

Alrighty - 3:35am Here is a link to a tank that I really like. I have read that the clownfish is a good idea for a beginner and seems to be quite popular and readily available. However, it is everything else you see in the picture that I am hoping to achieve. http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.p...rt=1&thecat=507 Would this be considered a FOWLR setup? If not what would this be called? Is there anywhere that discusses the bio cycle of a SW tank? What is "live" in the live rock and what does this do to replace the biofilter of FW tanks? From what I have gathered through my search - barebottom with lots of flow seems the way to go. I would however like to see a thin layer of aragonite such as you mentioned Albert. Would a system such as this need a skimmer to get the process started? Could one get away with this to start: tank/salt/rock/hydrometer and add the lighting, skimmer, and aragonite once finances permit?

Yes thanks Josh... Boy you weren't kidding :shock: Lots of reading to keep me busy tonight

Thanks for the help Albert and Connie I suppose just like everything else in this hobby, there are no hard and fast rules. Some people prefer using X theory and others seem to only have success using Y theory. I am going to have to do some hard research here tonight into just what I want and start looking for used equipment. I really appreciate your invitation to come in store for explanation Albert but I am currently sans vehicle and no where near your location. If this changes in the next little while I will come in for a chat. I guess that I will start by signing up to RC and have a look around. Im definately in no hurry to get started, and from what I have read thus far this will probably increase my success down the road. More questions to follow Im sure Im on nights right now so this means lots of "research" time... Cory

:drool: #3 :drool: All great pix but 3 is tre nice...

This was taken from your link albert - this is where I was led to believe a deep live sand bed IS the filter SO CONFUSED

Does barebottom just mean no sand? Would this include live rock? Why would this be easier? I was led to believe it was the sand that is the bio filter in a SW setup. I want to get started on a SW tank that I will be happy with in 18 months. If this means starting as barebottom that is fine, but I could also skip the $200+ skimmer. I can do water changes until I can find one on sale. What happens when it comes time to move? After spending the next year and a half getting this tank to where I want it, If I have to move, is this going to throw me back to day 1 again? If this is the case, this project might be better left until I own a house. Thanks again for the help CORY

Very Cool - great pic :thumbs:

The first thing that I do to driftwood after getting it home is a general cleaning. This gets all the mud and other goodness out of the cracks and crevices of the wood. Next I either boil it or if it will not fit into a pot on the stove, I put it in the bathtub and add boiling water to it. After letting it soak for a few hours I take it out and scrub it down again. Next I repeat the bathtub trick and just use hot water from the tap with a very small amount of bleach. I let this soak for a few days, repeat this process again without the bleach, and then its ready to go. As for the pics above, this is just how I happened to set up the tank. I set it up differently every week using a tickle trunk full of goodies such as large rocks, fake plants, and a number of pieces of driftwood. Sometimes there is a large rock holding down the wood, sometimes the wood is just wedged in so it doesn't pop out. In this case, like you say johnsmith - the two pieces on the ends are holding down the piece in the middle. This is the reason for not using java moss. This coupled with the fact that the 2 times that I tried it, the majority of it ended up in the AC intake. I also would like to have it covered but for me it just won't work. And as for Moogle - to each their own I suppose. I have two setups going right now - the first is the one pictured above, the other is a 55 gallon full of Mbuna. If I was asked to, I would definately choose keeping a happy, healthy pet that has room to stretch out over having a tank full of fish that look pretty but fill the tank. Having said that - I am looking for something else to put in with KANG, but I'm not gonna rush out and buy something that is going to be lunch for him anyway. You must have patience young grasshopper...

Very good link Albert - thanx Iam definately interested in a reef tank - probably more interested in the coral than the fish. As far as this PC lighting as I believe it is reffered to - Is this just a high output flourescent or are we talking something different entirely? What kind of cost would I be looking at if I could install myself? As far as skimmers go - is this necessary as a first dive into SW (I read on some other board that it isn't), or is it something that I will regret not getting down the road? What kind of unit would be applicable (size and cost wise) for a 25 gallon tall tank (make & model) ? Thanks again for the help CORY

Im gathering information for a 25 gallon I have sitting here. I am interested in delving into the world of SW. However, cannot find information on what equipment would be necessary. Would a regular AquaClear 20 and a AC50 powerhead do the job? Anything here I need to worry about? I'm thinking of building a canopy for it which I hope to put in either 1 or 2 x 50W fl. lights in - would this be adequate? (2w or 4w / gallon) Anyone have any pics of a 20-30 gallon SW tank? Is there anywhere out there that lists the different types of SW options and the requirements for them? I had a brief look around canreef and other sites but there is nowhere that really simplifies for the beginner. Lots of questions for the experts out there. Who wants to take a shot at it?

:& Thanx very much..... Indeed it is a little bare without Blackie in there causing trouble - sometime down the road I may be looking for a new home for Rammy and get something else in there with KANG - like maybe a female :hey: Not sure - so many possibilities....

90 Gallon 48" x 24" x 18" Substrate - Target PFS Filtration - AC500/Fluval 403 Powerhead - AC70 Heating - 300 watts Background - Black Cloth Lighting - Dual 48" Fluorescent Tubes KANG 12" Astronotus ocellatus / Tiger Oscar RAMMY 12" Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps / Sailfin Plecostomus

I like to remove the rocks every month to month and a half and re-arrange. Helps to cut down on aggression (everyone has a chance at the new caves) and it gets all the junk out of the cracks and crevices. I know that some people never change the rockwork in their tank but I prefer to keep it new and creative. Either that or I haven't found the perfect arrangement yet.. :shifty:

I scored a few great pieces over the summer due to the flooding this June. Great year for collecting....

Now I know first hand.... Thanks for the sympathies - To be perfectly honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the fish, but did not have the heart to give it up to an LFS to sit in a 25 gallon tank until someone out there felt guilty enough to "rescue" him. It means I can now get something in there that I would like to see. The day that KANG goes will be a sad one for me though -

Blackie, the smaller of my two oscars decided the grass was greener on the outside of the tank and proceeded to jump ship. I noticed a dark colored lump in the middle of the living room floor this morning when I woke up. Couldn't even tell what it was until I walked right up to it - there he was all shrivelled up and dead... :cuss: Suprising thing is that the space available for him to slip out was only about 2" wide. Looks like I'm gonna have to get new glass cut so it doesn't happen again. KANG, my other oscar just has to share his space with the pleco now. I suppose this is as good a time as any to look at getting eels in there with him... Anyone have eel's for sale??? RIP BUDDY ->

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

Diddo....

Great pics of great fish dude..... :drool:

can't beat the price - just picked another one up for myself http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/pro...fromSearch=true edit: link didn't seem to work - fixed.... edit2: at the time of the post it was on sale for 10

Very Cool - would love to see more video....

I used this stuff in a 25 gallon with a nice group of velvet swords a few years back and they loved it. Being a livebearer, the large amount of fry that came about were able to hide in amongst the cracks and crevices of the chips. I never removed any fry from the tank and had a very high success rate. Still have the chips and plan on using them someday....

Love to see some video of those guys....

Is this - The same as this - http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=2611&hl=niger Themz Monsters.... The link doesn't have pics since the move but I remember it being HUGE! Rudy - got any of those kickin around? Nice Score and keep your eyes out for a Big home... :thumbs: