More progress and a new question. The progress: Cycle started, ammonia at 2.0 right now and just a touch of nitrite already showing last night. Also got my ATO installed and seems to be working well. Lights are on and programmed. It's not as intuitive as AI suggests but it was more tedious than difficult. A few pics taken during the ramp up to full intensity. View attachment 10498 View attachment 10499 View attachment 10500 View attachment 10501 View attachment 10502 Questions: I know I have two pistol shrimp 'cause I saw them while putting the live rock in. How loud can they be? I'm hearing some pretty loud popping sounds, almost like one of the old fashion cap guns we played with as kids....not quite that loud. I don't want to go on a mantis hunt! The other question is do you lose your programming on the Vegas if there is a power outage?
Yea, with a little bit of modification. The three units are linked together with 18" EXT rails as usual. The tank mounts (two of them) are usually attached end to end but I wanted to mount them running the same way as the tank for aesthetic reasons. They each are covering a 2'x2' area so practically I don't think it matters much. I just drilled a hole in the rails half way between the units and bolted them to the tank mounts. Had to cut an 18" rail to center them over the tank without any hang over when viewed from the side.
I can hear my pistol shrimp in the next room with no problem. He's just as loud as the mantis that I had. Hitchhiker crabs will bang on the rocks too, especially at night. Sent from John's Tapatalk
Hiya, IF you're sure they're pistols I wouldn't worry. As John said you can hear them from the next room. However, if you think they're mantis, you really want to try and get them out now before you start adding stuff. Otherwise, they may end up as an expensive meal for someone. Kim/Benton, AR
Well, I know there are two pistols was just wondering if they were capable of making that much noise. Haven't seen the pistols since Wed but I know they're still in there. Just hope they don't have more dangerous company. So far I've had whelks, several predatory crabs and two aptasia so if my luck holds there's probably an mantis in there somewhere.
I like the sleak/modern look with the LEDs suspended over the top. Do you have a glass top on the tank to prevent fish suicides?
Thanks! I have all the stuff to make coverings with the clear 1/4" screen. That will be my next project after setting up my controller. Still have to figure out what to do about the overflow box. I may make a separate cover out of black egg crate for it. Thanks for reminding me. I have 3 wrasses in QT and they are well known carpet surfers from what I read.
Your tank is looking great! The Vagas will retain their programming during a power outage and also during a firmware update.
Thanks roco, I'd love for it to look just like yours some day. Put the skimmer together last night. Got a little frustrated because no matter how I adjusted it it overflowed! After a couple of hours it settled down and this is what the cup looked like this morning. I adjusted it a little and this is what the cup looks like right now. What's the optimum level to run it at? The adjustment knob is marked from off to 1 thru 5 and up to Max. What am I adjusting? The higher the number the lower the water level in the skimmer. Is this adjusting air intake or water flow or what?
Update. Two weeks out of cycle. Algae growing like crazy. Clean up crew (Turbo's, Trochus, Nerites, Haloween hermits) have stripped the algae almost completely from the live rock but only partially on the dry rock. Why would they preferentially eat the algae on one rock and not another? My daughter gave me three small Zoa frags and they are all opening nicely for 24 hours in the tank. Some of the sponges are actually spreading a little. A lot of them have receded a bunch during the cycle. Hope they survive. All the feather dusters have survived....there must be over 50. A few pics.
Update...here's a short video from today. Can't believe how much has changed from just 7 weeks ago. Current stocking list....Two black clowns (A. ocellaris), Yellow Fin and McCosker's flasher wrasse, Velvet Multicolor Fair wrasse, Fire fish (N. magnifica) and Royal Gramma. Corals: Trumpet coral, Long tentacle plate coral, Favites, Frogspawn, Two Acro frags and a leather frag from Reef Splash. A few pitiful Zoas (I don't know why they're not doing well?) [video]http://s47.photobucket.com/user/huntindoc/media/aquarium/vid7-4-13_zps8effc68f.mp4.html[/video]
Thanks John. Long way to go but thanks to the help and encouragement from here (including you) there hasn't been too many hiccups. Next projects are setting up my two part dosing equipment and ordering and setting up the GFO/carbon reactor Cory suggested. I think SPS are starting to grow a little! Calcium usage has increased in the last two weeks. Here's a pic of the next introductions. They get out of QT prison this week. Vrolik's wrasse (melanarus color variation), Linespot Flasher wrasse and Lubbocks Fairy wrasse) New full tank shot
Some coral growth pics. Haven't done a good job of documenting them. First pic is from 9/8, second from 10/14
Thanks Cory, you should be a motivational speaker! Had been kind of disappointed with my progress but after you left I started looking at my pictures and realized my coral really has grown in just a month. Thanks for the advice and encouragement. PS my son asked me what language we were speaking while you were here.
The tank looks really good! I like the aquascape, especially all of the room on the sandbed. That is one thing I learned is a must-have when I build a new tank. I really like LPS, and a lot of my favorite ones prefer the sandbed. It looks like you could get plenty in that tank!
