started tank today

[MrSculpin]

I got my husband to come with me yesterday to the fish store.. We saw a Dragon Gobie, very cool, it looks like it smokes with the sand coming out.
They had a gobie there too that seemed to live with a shrimp in a hole. That was neat to watch.
Back home we keep staring in the tank, waiting for it to cycle! We see red legs we think belong to a star fish, centipide looking bugs, the large one is grey, the tiny one
is red. We also see this odd flower like looking thing on the rock. I'll have to post a pic, and some white stuff, looks almost like a marshmallow squished into the rock.
Its starting to expand. :shock:

 

[gas4544]

I recently started a 30-gallon reef myself. I have been cycling 45 pounds of live rock for a week now.

How is your tank coming along?

Gary

 

[MrSculpin]

I recently started a 30-gallon reef myself. I have been cycling 45 pounds of live rock for a week now.

How is your tank coming along?

Gary

Pretty good. Its been going almost three weeks now. I've been reading lots, asking dumb questions. Posting on this forum.
I did get two fish yesterday. My LFS had said my rock was already cycled so I could get something sooner.
Had my water tested there. I hate my test kit, wish I would have gotten something else easier. But it tests close to the fish store's readings.
I have 15 lbs of live rock and I added another 20 of dry base to that.
Id like to get a crab and snail soon. I have some brown algae on some rocks and some of the sand. I hear that is normal.
I had planned to do a live rock, fish only tank.. but the more I get into it the more Id like to add coral which meands a new light..

 

[dieden]

and also alot more flow, don't forget that....

 

[MrSculpin]

and also alot more flow, don't forget that....

True I did forget that.. one thing at a time I guess..
I was going to start a small tank in my office.. little ten gallon for some algae and pods. Its in a sunny spot and likes to grow all kinds of things. Its freshwater now.
In place of a refugum for the moment.

I need to research the lights for the 29 gallon. I think that is next on my list.
And my fish need to settle in. The gobie is hiding and the cardinal is doing fine.

 

[Falcn]

I've just gone through this whole process. Kicked mine off on 1st August and these guys gave me some fantastic help especially with the water parameters.

I've now got a solid and stable reef, a little bare of large corals as yet but lost of little frags all growing and splitting nicely. I've just started to introduce a few fish so I'm now seeing a little activity too.

Expect ammonia spikes, algae blooms, more spikes, lots of water changes. Eventually it starts to settle down nicely, but go SLOW ..... REAL SLOW. It will pay off in the end

 

[Sascha D]

Pretty good. Its been going almost three weeks now. I've been reading lots, asking dumb questions. Posting on this forum.
I did get two fish yesterday. My LFS had said my rock was already cycled so I could get something sooner.
Had my water tested there. I hate my test kit, wish I would have gotten something else easier. But it tests close to the fish store's readings.
I have 15 lbs of live rock and I added another 20 of dry base to that.
Id like to get a crab and snail soon. I have some brown algae on some rocks and some of the sand. I hear that is normal.
I had planned to do a live rock, fish only tank.. but the more I get into it the more Id like to add coral which meands a new light..

Think of it like this. The people at the LFS are like door to door salesmen that stopped driving around. They will blow smoke up your skirt all day long if they think they can sell you something. Some people you can really trust and most you cant. I just dont want to see you get burned like I have been.

SO anyway What kind of fish did you get? Exciting huh? I love this part hehe! :badgrin:

 

[MrSculpin]

Think of it like this. The people at the LFS are like door to door salesmen that stopped driving around. They will blow smoke up your skirt all day long if they think they can sell you something. Some people you can really trust and most you cant. I just dont want to see you get burned like I have been.

SO anyway What kind of fish did you get? Exciting huh? I love this part hehe! :badgrin:

Yes its scary on the LFS, you wonder...
I told them what I wanted in the end, and was told what would work and what would not. That is always good I think.

I only got two fish.. going slow.. I got a cardinalfish and a gobie. The goby is a red banded hi fin one. He is hiding, but I did see him dart out from under a rock today to snag some shrimp. I wanted a small clown but the store was out, and I really liked another fish, forget the name, it was purple with a yellow tail.
Kevin said it was a picky eater so I got the other one.

I wanted a crab of some sort and snail and would like to move into some coral and plants.. later.. not enought light now.