FarmerTy

Stocking list is done so at the most, I may put some choice SPS frags, or large LPS colonies, or some high end zoas. But not anytime soon because I want the tank to be stable before I do anything else with it. That way I can also take time to setup a QT for the newer additions.

Hi all, Broken frags a plenty. Green hydnophora (greenest thing in my tank, and that's without LEDs!) $5/frag (anywhere from 1" to 2" a piece) -some still available, $10/frag (3 pieces that are huge! Like 3-4" long) -all large pieces pending Warp Speed Monti - eye catcher with the bright green polyps on a dark brown base, $10/large frag (4" x 3"), got 2 available, I'll throw in the smaller pieces for free if you buy a large one. -all pending Green birdsnest - easy starter SPS, bright green, polyps that flow in current, $10/frag (multibranching 2" frags) -all pending SPS bases - I snipped a ton of SPS right off their bases. $20 for all the bases (we're talking tricolor valida, cali tort, raspberry limeade, strawberry shortcake, unknown tabling acro, blue/green insignia). Warning, these are in varying degrees of being ticked off since I shut down my CaRX on the old tank. Even if only 2 make the transition, it's worth it! -sold Red/orange cap - $5, size of a cereal bowl, parts of it are dead from when I put my acro in there for the bowl to hold it but most alive and well.

bump

It's good to have other SPS peeps in Austin! Good looking tank Sam!

Where'd you get those zoas Ceastman?

Wait, the tang and wrasse show was going to be the unofficial name of my tank! All my frags are pretty Sascha. I love all my children the same.

Otherwise, once ammonia and nitrite hit zero, slowly increase the bioload and give the system time to adjust to it.

I would add sand now, ghost feed your tank (basically feed like you have fish but obviously don't... you can buy plastic fish if it makes you feel less crazy), run all your equipment (skimmer, heater, etc), then add the rock once the water clears (clarity-wise, not cycle-wise), and leave it alone for a month other than topping off water. No lights, unless you want to grow algae. For cleanup crew, add them as you need them or else they will die. Nassarius snails eat dead carrion or fish food only, not detritus. I would wait until you have fish in there before adding nassarius snails. I guess your ghost feeding will take care of them but they really serve no purpose until you have fish in there. They could help stir the sand at least if that is a goal of yours during the cycle.

Are you planning to just do a quick swap of tanks? Or a slow transition?

I'm actually at hoarding capacity with what I got now, so I think I might start collecting cats. The powder blue is awesome but it does have a reputation of being a bully, even to fishes way bigger than it. I would recommend if anybody gets one, 1) have a giant tank, 2) for it to be the only tang or 3) have so many tangs that it can't single one out to pick on. Just ask Dapettit, he's got a 4" powder blue beating up his 8" hippo tang.

I would rinse as best as you can but don't kill yourself. Either way you'll be cycling the tank. Between the skimmer running and the long time before it finishes cycling, it'll be a non-issue when you are ready to slowly add stock. Go to my build thread and on the second or third page, you'll see my chocolate milk tank. It's currently holding fish and corals right now with no real issue. No water change either. The skimmer did pull out a bunch of gunk and the rest settled into the sand.

The fish were mainly for the wife but I'm becoming more of a fish guy these days. Mainly because I am stocked with the corals I want so the hoarding mentality has switched to fish now.

I was aiming for 2", didn't factor in for my overflows though using their calculator and it came out just a tad deeper. I had some old metal window screen laying around the house so I cut it to fit. I'm sure a walk around Home Depot should find you what you need.

Thanks Rob! Most have been fairing well. There was STN occuring in the old tank but I have just cut and transferred to the new tank and most of it has stopped. I still have that watchful eye out though!

I used 4 40-lb bags of the special reef grade sand and it gave me a good 3" in my 215-gallon tank (72" x 24" x 28").

Good news! Can't end it on that note. All major corals have been transitioned to the new tank and acclimated nicely. Parameters are the same on both tanks so I didn't think it would be that stressful at all on the corals. I've gotten a majority of the live rock I am keeping in the new tank. Just 4 more large rocks and that should do it. I'll cook the rest of the smaller rocks and eventually work them into my sump for additional biofiltering capacity. Also, with all this destruction in the old tank, there's going to be a reaping of frags for sell. I'll post later today and maybe it'll work out for meeting people at the February monthly meeting or at the Austin Aquarium. I'm hoping to finish moving everything into the new tank by this weekend and start the process of bringing over all my reactors to the new tank and shutting down the old tank. Target goal is to shutdown before March 1st as the person buying my tank will be picking it up that day!

I've been little exhausted lately. You know what they say, when it rains, it pours! So, my paranoia over my non-braced tank is taking over and I am having a heck of a time getting a welder out here to make the frame I want. No real rush because I at least have clamps on the tank but I would like to get this taken care of. I'm sure it's mostly my paranoia but the thought of Oceanic building a giant tank with no middle brace... then repaired by a non-expert as myself... has got me thinking I'm pushing the threshold a bit. Hopefully this gets resolved soon. Also, what turned out to be a simple addition of new fish to my new tank has turned into a giant ich party! I'm in the camp where I believe ich is always present, as long as the fish are healthy and not stressed, they can usually resist it. Throw 6 large fish in a new environment and you won't believe how quick that ich spreads. Good thing is that they are all eating like pigs and I've been soaking nori/food with selcon/garlic to help their battle. I'm sure they'll all get over it but it still stresses me out to see them covered in ich like that. Luckily all the little fishes in the old tank are symptom free, as much as I have been moving rocks and breaking things in that old tank. Lastly, my STN of certain corals is still somewhat there but a lot less prevalent. It is only happening now on 3 corals, but as soon as I cut the STN'ing portion or put superglue on it (for portions I can't cut), it seems to stop. Just got to keep my peepers out and stop it quick before it goes anywhere. That's all the bad news I have for now.

Heck yeah! You're the man George! I guess after 11 years of reefing, I should see what my par values are!

Just think of it as a free workout... lifting bags of sand and tons of live rock!

I didn't have any issues. I'm not too worried about the minute amount of chlorine/chlorimine that might into the in tank. Either way you have to cycle the tank. Throw some prime in there if it eases your mind. I would lean on putting the sand in there first, especially if Patrick has been seeding your rocks for you already. That way the resulting sandstorm doesn't choke out any life that has seeded on the rock already. Also, I'm a klutz so having a sandbed on the ground as insurance for me dropping a large piece of rock would make me feel better. I know you have acrylic so its not as big of a worry in that department.

Get a 5-gallon bucket, drill some holes at the bottom, put in a fine mesh screen, and blast away with the hose!

I'd go ahead and toss the sand in there now if I were you. Might as well have a giant sand storm of particles all at once then have to wait for it to clear two separate times.

I would say normal with salt mixes are concerned. Give it a day or so more.

Lenver, I'd check the first post again. I think it was mentioned that it was more of a behind the scenes tour and that kids and spouses may be bored if that doesn't interest them.