# Progress Pics



## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

Okay, here are some crappy pics from my camera phone. finally got my skimmer workin and its suckin up massive gunk just after 12-13 hours of run time.

here's a little lagoon type formation i attempted on the far left side of the tank
View attachment 66788


ran out of ideas for the right side so i just placed randomly. i'm going to change this later
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tank shot. as you can see, i have assloads of rubble everywhere. not quite sure what to do with them since i don't have a sump yet. for now i guess i'll just have them in a heap.
View attachment 66790


another thing, i have a bunch of live rock dust and other stuff scrambled all over the sand bed. should i net all that crap out?


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

the dust and particles (not the rubble) on the sand bed should be syphoned out. chances are they will prolonge the curing and give you some annoying algae outbreaks in the future. definately hold on to that rubble. it really comes in handy. looking good so far. keep posting updates!


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

looking good hyphen


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2005)

Nice rockwork!

--Dan


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## vanz (Sep 11, 2003)

Looks cool so far. Fishes are going to have a lot of swimming space.


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## Fish Finder (Mar 25, 2005)

looking sweet what kind of fishes are you thinking of geting?


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

thanks for the compliments folks. not too sure if i like the aquascape yet. i'm sure i'm going to change it around again soon.

fish finder: my stock list is going to look something like this...



















and i'm looking for another active fish that i can keep that also adds color to the tank. something like a wrasse. but i'm also planning on keeping an urchin and some inverts.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

man i love your rock work you have done, lookin great man.

a fuzzy dwarf lion







. thoes guys are great, extremly hardy. they become very personable. mine is always beggin for food. as far as wrasse's go, stay away froma lunare wrasse, when they get older they snap and will kill everyhting in your tank. mine is a complete psycho

J-Rod


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## Fish Finder (Mar 25, 2005)

why dont you get a short bigeye? nice red fish. her is the link to a pic and there care.
http://dannyboy17.proboards40.com/index.cg...read=1117820849


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

awesome looking fish. to be honest, i've been really considering a community tank. not sure yet. i like the idea of some smaller colorful fish with a lot of cleaners.


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## Fish Finder (Mar 25, 2005)

if you need some idea's come go check out these profiles on fish. There are 80 fish profiles there. You will see fish there also that you prob have never seen before. If you see one you like and you doin't know where you can get it just ask me i know where you can find them.
http://dannyboy17.proboards40.com/index.cg...=marinefishprof


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## TormenT (Apr 1, 2004)

isnt that purple fish like 400$


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## Jebus (Feb 29, 2004)

Nice tank looks like your off to a good start.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

the purple fish is just a different variation of the scorpion fish. i probably wont get that one, but i most likely will get a scorpion unless i decide to go with a community.

fishfinder: will do. danny told me to check out nso but it totally slipped my mind.

jebus: thanks







all the help i've been getting definitely got me started.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

hyphen,
i would go with the more out in the open bright fish if I were you. i think i would be disappointed if i had a 60g with only a couple of fish that mostly just blob around.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

Genin said:


> hyphen,
> i would go with the more out in the open bright fish if I were you. i think i would be disappointed if i had a 60g with only a couple of fish that mostly just blob around.
> [snapback]1084819[/snapback]​


got any suggestions? that's primarily what i was aiming for.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

1 dwarf angel (coral beauties or flame angels are just stunning), 3-5 chromis for some high water fast action, 1 flame hawkfish (they are cool little guys), and 2 clown fish.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

awesome! i'm gonna look into those


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## Fish Finder (Mar 25, 2005)

i would do 3-5 fire fish ($10.99EACH) since they swim around togather. 2-3 baby lookdown's ($29.99 EACH) since they are also schooling fish. every tank should have a Algae Blenny (11.99 EACH). also a Chevron Tang ($75 - $125 EACH) would be a nice adition to the tank and won't fight with the outer fish. and if you can find them get two Flavirostris Butterfly's ($39.99 EACH) ((these are the hardest of all the butterfly's on the market. I say these fish will make you tank nice and collerfull)).


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i did some research on the lists of fish you guys have generously given and am really confused as to what i want. i really want them all. my main issue is keeping these fish for life. would i realistically be able to keep 3-4 fish that reach 8-10" for life?

as for my tank:

1. i did a 15% water change just to get some of the debri out of the tank. the messy bottom was really starting to irk me.

2. i also did a little rework of the right side of the tank while clearing the back center wall.

right side
View attachment 67139


tank shot
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i'll try to get batteries for my digi cam soon, i've been slackin off.

and a question: i've been developing very sparse but broad areas of brownish fuzz. it looks like dust particles sticking to the glass and it's all over my liverock. i assume it's brown algae. i've also read that it will die off when the rock is done curing? should i worry about this right now?

another question: my rock seems a lot more bland than some other people who also purchased new live rock. should i be worried about this?

aaand lastly, i'd like to dose some kalk for coraline algae growth. would now be a good time? would the effects of calcium dosing be worthless without better lighting?


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

keep the lights off while it cures and the brown algae will go away. Its from extra nutrients in the water it's normal to get it but can get out of hand fast. Green hair algae will follow if the nutrients are still high and you are supplying it with light. Waterchanges is all you need to do right now to keep up demand of trace minerals, and rid the excess nutrients. You have just rock and that will not take much up just yet. It will color up in time. I always let new rock cure dark for 6-8 weeks or longer if i can. Its called cooking rock.
I should ask what are nitrate and phosphate levels?


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

thanks, it was as i suspected.

as for tests, i haven't gotten my test kits yet. i was planning to buy them over the weekend but i slacked off and got drunk instead :/ i'll be purchasing test kits within the week.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2005)

hyphen said:


> awesome looking fish. to be honest, i've been really considering a community tank. not sure yet. i like the idea of some smaller colorful fish with a lot of cleaners.
> [snapback]1083879[/snapback]​


You sound like me a few months ago. Predators just dont do it for me any more!











hyphen said:


> i did some research on the lists of fish you guys have generously given and am really confused as to what i want. i really want them all. my main issue is keeping these fish for life. would i realistically be able to keep 3-4 fish that reach 8-10" for life?
> 
> as for my tank:
> 
> ...


Here comes the algae! Have fun.

--Dan


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

my stock list idea:

1 pakistan butterfly fish
4 black bar chromis (maybe 5?) they only grow to 2".
undecided between 1 longnose hawkfish or a flame hawkfish
1 coral beauty
1 clown (undecided on type)
several cleaning inverts. one type of snail i was looking at was a tiger cowry.

would this work? all fish stay under the 6-7" mark, so i'm thinking it wouldn't be overstocked. suggestions, input?


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

sounds good to me. considering the size of the tank and the size the fish will grow to then i'd say you'd be okay.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

eexcellent. some folks on rc also told me that they've successfully kept some soft corals like mushrooms and some zoas with NO fluorescents. i may consider giving this a try later on, after i add my fish stock.


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2005)

hyphen said:


> eexcellent. some folks on rc also told me that they've successfully kept some soft corals like mushrooms and some zoas with NO fluorescents. i may consider giving this a try later on, after i add my fish stock.
> [snapback]1088472[/snapback]​












I wouldnt, your $ though.

As for the stocking list, the Flame and Longnose Hawks will eat your inverts. Other fish are good though!

--Dan


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## Blitz023 (Feb 19, 2004)

looking good, another victim of the dark side hehe


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i really got sick of the transparent background. it's bad enough that i don't have a sump to hide the equipment, but being able to see the skimmer and my wall was nasty. so, i decided to take some left over black matte board that i had and make a background. pretty simple, just used an exact-o to cut it to the right shape. and now the black equipment doesn't stand out so much.

before:










after:

View attachment 67955


to do:

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT DAMN PLAID DRAPE ON MY STAND!!! i'm open to suggestions


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i've also been considering using my old penguin 125 filters just to hold the extra live rock rubble. should i run it with or without the bio-wheels?


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

without bio-wheels. nice background decision, it looks great. live rock is a blessing in salt water tanks. it looks badass and really does some great biological fitration.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

my gf let me borrow her camera so i could take some shots of the tank. also, i redid my rockwork again. i took most of the rubble and crammed them into 3 tiny penguin 125 biowheel filters. they're all running without the bio-wheels. it'll have to do until i get the resources to build a fuge/sump. either way, i'm still not happy with the rockwork







someone help!

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side note: when i get paid i'm going to hit costco and buy some PC floodlights. i read somewhere that they come with 6500k bulbs and only cost $10!


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i also found that bastard damsel that's been hiding. looks like he's taken up residence in a dark little corner. and, as you can tell by the pics, i have a nasty little algae outbreak. i got my water tested and i'm in the clear. i'll be adding a snail and a fish later this week. most likely a dwarf angel or a pair of clowns.


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## mr.bearhasyourlady (Jun 1, 2004)

looking good bro...


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

it might not even be algae. it may just be some debris from the rocks and rubble. i bet it comes right off the glass if you brush it away. i like your rock work. i think it looks cool and the possibilities for coral placement will be amazing.


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## Jebus (Feb 29, 2004)

Also look for some metal halide floodlights they work good also.

w/e i think your rock work is awsome but u could make a giant arc. or an overhanging cave.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

genin: yeah, that's what i'm really starting to think it is. after seeing pics of brown algae, i really doubt that this is it. it does indeed wipe right off. and thanks for the compliment on the rockwork. it means alot. especially so since this is my first attempt at liverock aquascaping...or any sort of serious aquascaping in general (most of my tanks were bland).

jebus: i'll definitely look for those. i'm heading to costco on thursday and i'll see if they have any metal halide floodlights. that'd be awesome if i could find some uber cheap ones. penny pinching for teh win! and thanks to you for the compliments as well









as for my tank, i stopped by fumi's tropical fish today to see what sw stock they had in. pretty awesome collection, they had baby triggers, tomato and perc clowns, assorted eels, boxfish, sharks, filefish, puffers, hawks and more. i really didn't wanna leave, lol. but, i think the employees were gettin pissed because my gf and i were taking forever. anyhow, acquired 2 new tank inhabitants:

sorry about the crappy pic. i wasn't able to take pics when i acclimated because i was in a hurry to leave the house. but, i caught him sleeping in the corner opposite to the damsel. the coral beauty was in the dark so i couldn't get good pics without using flash.
he's an active f*cker during the day though, and a hefty eater. he ate a cube of brine shrimp right after i put him in the tank.

View attachment 68205


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i also added a turbo snail. a bit easier to photograph since he just sits there sucking on the glass








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questions:

1. what should i feed the snail? since the brown crap on my glass doesn't seem to be algae, should i be dropping in wafers or something?

2. is brine shrimp a good staple for the damsel and angel? i was going to buy some marine flake food but wasn't sure if i should've. what, if anything else, should i supplement their diet with?


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

nice hyphen

1. what should i feed the snail? since the brown crap on my glass doesn't seem to be algae, should i be dropping in wafers or something?
nothing, the live rock will have plenty of stuff on it for him to eat.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

henry 79 said:


> nice hyphen
> 
> 1. what should i feed the snail? since the brown crap on my glass doesn't seem to be algae, should i be dropping in wafers or something?
> nothing, the live rock will have plenty of stuff on it for him to eat.
> [snapback]1097384[/snapback]​


awesome, thanks


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

ah yes, i am green with envy of your CB angel. that is my favorite angel. i will live vicariously through you. i would just make sure that you try and feed the angel a mix of food. try formula one or two flakes, green seeweeds, and the brine should be spirulina enriched.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2005)

hyphen said:


> questions:
> 
> 1. what should i feed the snail? since the brown crap on my glass doesn't seem to be algae, should i be dropping in wafers or something?
> 
> ...


First off, dont get the flood lights. They will cost almost as much if they are MH, and will be half the quality. I bet he was thinking of halogen, which is a definite no-no.

1. The snail will survive on organics inside the tank. If you want to supplement, try lettuce.

2. Brine shrimp is basically water. There is nothing to it. A good supplement would by Phytoplankton or mysis, which you can find in the frozen food section at your LFS.

--Dan


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## 0123 (May 18, 2004)

i mix up frozen foods like mysis shrimp... ocean plantkon.. cyclop eez... with a couple kinds of flakes... some pelets... and some garlic

throw it in the fridge and it lasts a couple days


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

i also use cyclop-eez and spectra + for small fish. my clown loves those and will gobble them up from my hand... literaly, she comes up and takes them right from in between my thumb and pointer finger.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

lookin really good man. just watch your cb . its a delicate species and you have to watch your water level all the time.

J-Rod


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

thanks all. btw, what exactly is cyclop-eez? i've seen in mentioned quite a few times. anyhow, today i went to the the fish store that brian (redragon) works at. didn't buy much, just a container of Formula TWO. the damsel doesn't really like it, but the angel gobbles it up.

i also went and bought a 65w (puts out 500w) compact fluorescent light. 6500k. not much, but it's a little more than what i have now. if i can wire this one properly then i'll be buying a couple more. it only costed $9 + tax.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

so i've got a plan set in mind for lighting. since i'll be experimenting with an anemone to prove that they don't need extreme light setups, nor do you need to spend billions of dollars on lighting, i've decided to put out a lighting scheme.

my situation: i want good coralline algae growth, good colors to show on my fish, and be able to grow small amounts of macro algae in the tank. at the same time, i want keep light to a minimum so i could see if anemones could thrive in less-than ideal conditions. yes, thrive, not just survive. i also want a nicely lit tank that will be suitable for photography. with that in mind, i've come up with this idea for lighting:

3x 65w compact fluorescent lights @ 6500k
1x 18" fluorescent actinic blue
1x 13" fluorescent actinic blue

while this is more light than just plain 20w fluorescents, it isn't nearly what is recommended to keep an anemone.

now, some pics:

the unwired floodlight. i admit i was a little intimidated as i haven't worked with wiring before (other than fiddling with buzzers and fans when i worked @ radioshack). not to mention the instruction manual had NO instructions on wiring. needless to say, it worked on my first try and had no problems.

what i used: 1 flood light from costco bought for $9, 1 power plug torn off from an old (and worthless) deionizing unit.
View attachment 68376


the end result is very pleasing. here's a tank shot. all 3 lights are on, fluorescents and the flood. you can see the very obvious difference. i'll be using those fluorescent fixtures for actinic lighting in the front. when i buy 2 more flood lights, they will be mounted to a beam of 1x4 screwed to my wall.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

also had a question. i noticed that i'm getting these little red growths. they look like buds. not sure what they are though. they're in small patches on different pieces of lvierock.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

cool lighting idea. i don't know what the red buds are but at least they look cool


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2005)

hyphen said:


> so i've got a plan set in mind for lighting. since i'll be experimenting with an anemone to prove that they don't need extreme light setups, nor do you need to spend billions of dollars on lighting, i've decided to put out a lighting scheme.
> 
> [snapback]1100262[/snapback]​


hyphen, on a tank of 55g, you could spend about $180 US and have enough lighting for most corals...

--Dan


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

DannyBoy17 said:


> hyphen said:
> 
> 
> > so i've got a plan set in mind for lighting. since i'll be experimenting with an anemone to prove that they don't need extreme light setups, nor do you need to spend billions of dollars on lighting, i've decided to put out a lighting scheme.
> ...


i'm not trying to keep corals...


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

a little update. while i don't want to go full reef (i know that i can't dedicate enough time and money) i don't want to have just fish. within the next few weeks i think i'll have my tank fully stocked.

4-5 chromis
4 hermits
3 snails (nassarius and trochus). my turbo actually died the second day that it was in the tank.

i've also decided that i'm going to be adding some easier soft corals. probably just a couple patches of zoas and a rock or two of mushrooms. my main concern is keeping anemones with the zoas and shrooms. i don't want any stinging going on. i tried isolating my condy to a rock in the center by leaving the large rock alone with no bridges. but, it still managed to find a way off.

with that said, does anyone have suggestions or input?


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

remember when I had a condy hyphen? it moved all over and then had a death match with my elegance coral. condys love to move.


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2005)

hyphen said:


> a little update. while i don't want to go full reef (i know that i can't dedicate enough time and money) i don't want to have just fish. within the next few weeks i think i'll have my tank fully stocked.
> 
> 4-5 chromis
> 4 hermits
> ...












Those damn Condy's eh?

Well, I have it worse. My LTA has planted itself on the front panel of my tank..

--Dan


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

yeah, the sneaky bastard. so far, he doesn't seem to wanna move from the new spot. he's been there for several days and is hosting the clown.

genin, what happened with the elegance coral? who won?

i guess this is a dillema everyone has to deal with if they wanna keep corals and nems in the same tank :/


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

much to my suprise the elegance won, but not without having to tuck its tentacles in for a day to do some healing. the elegance was much larger than the condy though.


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## yeayea123 (Feb 12, 2005)

hyphen, in the third and fourth pics of the 'red buds', it looks like if the growths could be mushroom coral.


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## Fresh2salt (Jul 16, 2004)

Nie setup


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