+KeeperOfTheZoo Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Hi Y'all, At the recommendation of Momma (Hi Laura!) I've found the forum and joined. I'm so excited to find a group of 'local' folks that are just as excited about saltwater aquatics as I am. I'm not quite in Austin, about an hour and a half north actually but I'm in Austin all the time. Closest big city, I live real rural. I am very new to having a saltwater aquarium. I've had freshwater for years (have 3 tanks running right now a variety of community fish, gouramis and angels) but literally stumbled into a deal on an established saltwater tank that I just couldn't refuse. I had a week and a half to prepare myself before moving my new tank home. Now I'm learning as I go and aside from putting a LOT of crushed coral down as a substrate (advice from the tanks previous owner) I haven't made any other catastrophic mistakes and I haven't killed anything (knocking on wood). I have a 125g primarily FOWLR tank with a community of mature predatory fish: 2 Sgt. Majors, 4 Orbicular Cardinals, an unidentified damsel (maybe a blue sapphire?) and an 18" long snowflake eel. Since these fish came with the tank I figured I'd leave them in there during my 'break in' period. As soon as I feel like I have half a clue as to what I'm doing I want to switch to reef friendly community fish. Thanks to Laura I have a beautiful little green ricordea (which is doing great!), I also have a cluster of red mushrooms. I hope to increase the 'reef' aspect of my tank very soon here! I'm also looking forward to adding a large variety of inverts. And so the addiction begins. Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rgwiz11 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Hi Liz! Welcome aboard. I joined the site about 2 weeks ago and am still surprised at how much information and free good advice there is floating around. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I've been quick to learn that everyone is very friendly, and always willing to help out another reefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Hi Liz!!!!!!! I am SO happy you joined in!! It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday and your sons are AWESOME You will find all the help, advise and some nice "goodies" for sale right here in the Austin Reef Club. The people are fantastic and I hope you can get to our meetings. Please let me know when you are in Austin again and we can do a "store tour"...bring the boys!! Hope to see you soon and welcome....we'll be worth the trip Laura 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Welcome to ARC +1 on asking question, "No question is a dumb question" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Welcome to ARC +1 on asking question, "No question is a dumb question" Well, the question you don't ask is a dumb question, right? Welcome, and ask away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Hey zookeeper, It is very important that you make as few changes as possible, until you understand what it is that you are doing. Find a mentor who has demostrated stability, longevity and success. Success means different things to different people. While I like the good intentions of people on this site, "good intentions" aren't always best. Might I suggest the "Authors Forum" on Marine Depot. Well respected experts in their field handle questions and opinions. At one time "Mark Twain described an expert as someone who went 50 miles to give an opinion. On cyber space, we have many experts today. You'll have a bodacious day now. Pat C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Hey Liz! Welcome to ARC! Don't hesitate to ask questions. Were all nice people here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Welcome! Mama needs an official recruiting title! Thanks for all the referrals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Welcome! Mama needs an official recruiting title! Thanks for all the referrals! I do's my best All kidding and play aside, I really enjoy all the members of our club...we have a great time at meetings and even more so via our website. We support each other and give the best insight for all questions and concerns. You know I talk to everyone and have a very loud mouth that continually moves, all with the best interest of ARC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 If they dont join the forum she gives them concrete shoes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 If they dont join the forum she gives them concrete shoes!! Now, is that nice Matt? So what if they're trembling as they sign up.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KeeperOfTheZoo Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. Pat, good advice and I'm trying very hard to go slow. Buying the ricordea from Laura was a big splurge. I intended to just buy snails and crabs, but darn I had to get something pretty! I'm not changing much else for a while though. I think my next big change will be getting rid of most of my mechanical filtration and going to a sump with refugium, then I'll switch out my fish (umm... anyone want a bunch of large aggressive fish? anyone?) and then start reef building and... phew... well... it's all in the future! Right now I'm just reading and reading and reading. So, so much to learn. Very nice to know I have a friendly place to ask questions. So, anyone wanna show me how to build a sump? Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Welcome Liz! prof (a member on the board) is good at building sumps and I let you know about some things I've seen in sumps that work/don't work. Prof is about 10 mins from me, so if you come to town, or even if you don't come to town, I'm happy to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Liz, Ckimble has a 265g fish only with live rock tank i bet he mite take some fish from you. or trade them in at the fish store for store credit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hey zookeeper, Instead of sump, might I suggest RDSB. Anthony Calfo would say remote deep sand bed, made from arogonite of of 1-2mm. Look at Athony 's pinned listings on Marine Depot Forum. Use unfiltered water straight from the tank. In an extreme example, fill up a 10 gallon rubbermaid container with a 10" DSB. Allow 1" of water to flow over this sand bed. With such a shallow flow of water, the velocity will cvarry detrius to the next set of remote tanks in the refugium system. For the next part of the system, one needs to process detrius. May I suggest another 10 gallon rubbermaid container as a cryptic zone. Loose rubble/ no lights/ micro inverts, worms, tunicates. After the cryptic zone, a vegetable filter and a DSB comes to mind. The name of the game is "A Question of Balance". After more than 30 years of fighting with the system, I have decided to play ball. Less technology and more biology was the theme of "The Natural Aquarium" by John Tullock. In the RDSB described above, bacteria play nitrification and de-nitrification. Oxydation chemistry and reduction chemistry (Faculative Zone). The rest of the different zones have everything to do with nutriant pathways and cycling (neutralize waste and process food). Pat C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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