Freddie's 14 Gallon Reef

[hockeyhead019]

Who wants to do engineering homework when you can look at a reef on your desk instead . I can't wait to get some kind of life in the tank =)

lol i hear that what year and discipline are you?

[frefal13]

Civil engineering, kinda a mix between sophomore and junior haha. I should be a junior but this is kind of a catch up semester because I switched from an engineering technology degree(had no idea what the difference was at the time) to a regular engineering degree. You're electrical right?

[hockeyhead019]

yessir just finishing my junior year now since i do a co-op rotation... i'll work for 8 months now and then do a regular senior year lol

yea man when i get sick of my lab reports i go sit in front of my tank and just stare at it for 20 mins lol

[frefal13]

I do a co-op too! Well two semesters of co-op. I was supposed be be going next semester and then coming back to school for the summer cause thats the way my school does it but I don't think I can do it that way anymore so I don't know when I am actually doing my co-op semesters

[frefal13]

Here are some pictures! This is not what I am actually doing with the rock, I need to figure out what to do with the massive piece, any advice would be greatly appreciated =). I may have to get my hammer this weekend lol




Please excuse my messy desk and the paintbrushes in the picture lol I didn't feel like moving anything

[frefal13]

No comments on my rock yet? Wow!lol Well anyways I decided I actually like the formation the way it is with the huge piece, it isn't really what I had envisioned but when does that ever happen anyways right? I did move stuff around a bit though.

So despite my worries about the rock arriving pretty dry I have both ammonia and nitrite already and they have both decreased in a little over a day so I am pretty happy about that. My concern is that the levels are pretty low, my ammonia was probably around .5ppm last night and its well under .25ppm today. Unfortunately I managed to lose my ammonia color sheet but I do remember that pure yellow is 0 so thats all that counts right lol. So based on the progress I am assuming there actually was BB left in the rocks and it looks like my initial spike is also very small, so with that I have to ask if you guys think my cycle is just going to be short, or if the levels are too small to create a cycle that will even be able to keep anything alive...? Ideas please! =)

And here is my new, most likely permanent rock scape, it is very simple but it still offers caves, dart holes, and areas to perch for my future fish =) not to mention a lot of area for corals too.

[Cliff]

, any advice would be greatly appreciated =). I may have to get my hammer this weekend lol



Please excuse my messy desk and the paintbrushes in the picture lol I didn't feel like moving anything

Have you tried laying the bigger pc in the middle flat across the two smaller ones to make a larger flat surface as well as a hiding spot or two below that.

You always break up that big pc as well. I've had to do that with a few pcs that just could not work with

[frefal13]

I have actually taken a liking to the way I have it set up right now, there are two caves in the sand that the pistol shrimp and the goby could make their home in, as well as areas for dart holes for the firefish. Basically I think my tank of little gobies would have plenty of room and options =)

[hockeyhead019]

looks good.. in terms of your cycle it seems a little too short... try adding some flake food or something and just letting it sit, this will add ammonia as the flakes dissolve and you can see how efficiently your tank gets rid or it.

Another way is to add a snail or two they'll survive a little ammonia and give you cycle a nice slow start

[frefal13]

Yeah Ive been worried about the cycle, I mean it still isn't done yet and who knows tomorrow I could have a lot more ammonia, but based on what I have seen everything is decreasing already.