another 55g update

[cocoa_pleco]

heres another 55g update.

Ive finally ditched the fluorescents and got some cheap MH. i wasnt able to get that crazy one coach suggested because i found out its overkill but the reef store is clearing out on coralife MH and 150w ones are only $95, so im picking 2 up friday.

i added another batch of LR, and about 25 more lbs and im at 75lbs, right where i want to be.

and with the new damsel, i was worried the tang would be getting beat up, but the tang is going after the damsel which is good so territories will get established.

i have no bristleworms since my arrow crab eats them for lunch (literally), and only a few aiptasia.

and even with the tank being young, i passed the cyano algae stage and had extremely little of it, and that was pure luck. all of it has left and none established on my sand.

the brain coral is also ready to split, and i will have basically a free coral.

heres some pictures, the pink skunk clown and yellow tang are hard to get because theyre camera shy and fast, but i got a couple of half decent ones.

and i only scrape the front glass of the tank so the tang gets some algae to eat and the arrow crab is able to perch on the powerheads by getting grip on the algae on the sides

[gm72]

Nice! Can you take another wide shot of the tank? I'd love to see what the whole thing looks like now with the added liverock!

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i want to wait until im at a full 75lbs, then it will look AMAZING!

technically right now i only have about 30lbs in the 55g right now since the 25lbs i bought recently is curing in a 20g, and it should be ready soon.

[cocoa_pleco]

well, i'll get a pic of it but it looks bare, and it will look better once i add the 25lbs thats curing in and another 25lbs after that

[gm72]

Diverting the thread a little, but can you enlighten me on what is involved in curing liverock? Why is it done?

[cocoa_pleco]

when its not cured, its "dead", and theres no critters on it. if you put it into a cycled living reef, it causes an unbalance of the bio system and it kinda "cycles", not good. when you first start a reef its best to add the LR all at once since it can sure alltogether in a main tank. but with tanks over 33g, most people cant pay the full $300+ at one time for a full LR stock so you have to cure any extra that youre going to add in a separate tank with a light, filter, and heater and let the critters come.

in the picture, theres literally 6 fluorescent fixtures and i only get 4w/g. on friday i will only have 2 clean looking MH fixtures hanging over the tank, and will have 6w/g lighting


EDIT- and the stand was a great deal. the wood is about 4" thick, and it was a 6ft shelf that is supposed to stand upwards. i bought it at a auction for $40. all i did was turn it on its side, and its sturdy at heck, and doesnt wiggle or move.

and im getting a really good camera soon but im using my phone until then, and my phone is sensitive to light so thats why theres so much white. as soon as i get my full 75lbs LR waaay more corals come. my goal is to get a LR stack up the the height of the top of the powerheads

[cocoa_pleco]

i was able to get a pic of my 55g's cured LR, its very established. uncured looks almost pale

again with my phone things look 110% brighter than life, my brain coral really looks a neon green, not this glowing white thing

[unleashed]

looking good cocoa

[cocoa_pleco]

thanks!

the only things left on my list are way more corals and the coral beauty angel, maybe another odd small fish

[A340]

I love that Arrow Crab, I've seen lots of pictures of them but never one in real life. I never realized how small they are, or do they get bigger?

[cocoa_pleco]

in the picture he looks small, but really when he walks his arms stretch out as wide as the palm of your hand. he has one fat arm under him with a pincher to grab food and clean himself. not including the "radio pole" on his head, his head is about the size of your middle finger nail

theyre near impossible to breed in captivity and naturally are found in the ocean 30-60m deep

[Rue]

It's coming along nicely! thumbs2:

[cocoa_pleco]

and that it is!


friday morning the MH lights come.

[cocoa_pleco]

i got some paycheck advancement so my MH come tomorrow night

[gm72]

LOL! Paycheck advancement.

Cocoa: "PLEEEEEEASE! All of my fish will surely DIE if I don't hang these MH lights IMMEDIATELY!"
Employer: "Okay, okay, just stop jumping up and down, will ya'?" :laugh1blue:

[Futureboy]

looking good cocoa :thumb:

how long does live rock take to cure?

[cocoa_pleco]

the live rock takes a few weeks to cure.

lol, *wraps arms around employees legs* I NEED THE LIGHTS, AND I WONT LET GO UNTIL I GET THEM!

[cocoa_pleco]

ugh, i just called again to hear about there other lights, and it was a new person.

i just wanted the 2 150w MH, and somehow she got to trying to sell me a 48" 2x150w MH fixture with CF, and fluorescents built in for $1200. lol

[cocoa_pleco]

i got the MH, and i got a superpet flyer to. the hagen T-5 VHO fixtures were $30 off!

i got the 24" since i figured a 48" would take up too much room, and at least the MH fixtures came with a bulb. the hagen VHO says in tiny print "bulbs not included"


tomorrow i'll get bulbs for the T-5 VHO

[2manyfish]

Your tank is looking really good Cocoa! thumbs2:

[cocoa_pleco]

the huge store here was sold out of the T-5 HO bulbs, but i was out of town and luckily a small store had some bulbs.