First Saltwater Tank! 90g Reef

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:38 PM

Hey guys, just picked up the tank on Wednesday! It's 90g, we bought it off of Kijiji for $1000, and it came with all sorts of SPS corals, a few leathers, two photosynthetic gorgonians, six sun coral polyps, zoas (they seem really tiny though?), and equipment. Man, those zoanthids are freakishly small, though. Each polyp is only a third of a centimetre in size, so I really don't know. Again, the guy hadn't been feeding his corals, so maybe they'll start growing larger.

Wednesday was a freaking nightmare setting everything up. The tank was super cloudy because we had to put all new sand in it, so by the time we put the live rock in we could only see an inch or so into the tank. Putting the corals in was so stressful because we had no clue whether we were piling them on top of each other. I accidentally brutalized the poor montipora (in my defence, I thought it was just some sort of spongy coralline growth on the live rock). Anyways, I acclimated them carefully and all that jazz, then I just about had a meltdown when the temperature in the tank spiked. Those metal halides are just a nightmare! I want to get rid of the halide on the right and replace it with an LED to help with the heat.

Right, so I beat up the corals a bit because I couldn't see what I was doing, not to mention the live rock they were on weighed a ton. Anyways, checked on them this morning, and all their polyps were opening up! I wanted to make up for their stressful ordeal yesterday, so I fed them some Reef Roids and gave the sun coral some mysis shrimp. The sun coral gobbled down the food and is out again, wanting more, so I think I'll feed them a bit more tonight (they were being starved at their old home). Everyone's brightening up too, so I think they're happy.

I rearranged the live rock again since I can actually see in the tank now, and I'm really proud of how good of a job I did! I've never arranged live rock before. Ooh, I'll have to post pictures later! Anyways, I tried really hard to provide I decent amount of "floorspace", as I'm planning on buying two pairs of dragonface pipefish to try to breed. I also created a ton of caves with the live rock. I also tried to create a lot of "depth" and "texture". I hope everyone makes it. My dad's in charge of monitoring the parameters, so if something goes wrong, we'll know who to blame.

Oh, I guess I should tell you some of the critters I'm planning on getting:

Two pairs of dragonface pipefish
A pair of firefish
A pair of Banggai cardinalfish
A pair of Ocellaris/false percula clownfish (my parents said we have to get them -_-)
A pair of yellow clown gobies
A pair of black clown gobies

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 01:42 PM

Set up and add corals all in one day? That's bold. I will be anxious to see some pictures. Are you looking for any advice or have any questions? Don't be afraid to ask. We are all here for that!

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:44 PM

When I first set it up:

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:44 PM

Darn, did the photo post? I can't see photos on this website, so heck if I know.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 01:45 PM

Nope. Try again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddscau

Darn, did the photo post? I can't see photos on this website, so heck if I know.

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:46 PM

http://s994.photobucket.com/user/ted..._2888.jpg.html

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:46 PM

Well, close enough.

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:48 PM

Here's what it looks like now:

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 01:49 PM

Looking good keep us updated.

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:49 PM

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 01:56 PM

Oh, as for putting the corals in, the guy was selling his whole setup, corals and all.

When I came down this morning I noticed one of the gorgonians had shed. Scooping coral skin out of the tank isn't exactly the first thing I want to do when I get up. Anyways, I blew all the loose skin off of him with my target feeder, and he was looking pretty pathetic. However, when I was feeding my sun coral the gorgonian's polyps started coming out, so I guess he wasn't feeling too bad.

The sun coral...the guy told me it has five polyps, but it turns out one of them has a conjoined twin (no, I don't mean it's branching off), making six polyps. Like the two polyps occupy the same hard skeletal tube. The twins only peek out part way, and are pretty small. Is it normal for them to have "twin" polyps like that?

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddscau

Oh, as for putting the corals in, the guy was selling his whole setup, corals and all.

When I came down this morning I noticed one of the gorgonians had shed. Scooping coral skin out of the tank isn't exactly the first thing I want to do when I get up. Anyways, I blew all the loose skin off of him with my target feeder, and he was looking pretty pathetic. However, when I was feeding my sun coral the gorgonian's polyps started coming out, so I guess he wasn't feeling too bad.

The sun coral...the guy told me it has five polyps, but it turns out one of them has a conjoined twin (no, I don't mean it's branching off), making six polyps. Like the two polyps occupy the same hard skeletal tube. The twins only peek out part way, and are pretty small. Is it normal for them to have "twin" polyps like that?

Those are non photosynthetic. Make sure you are feeding daily. They are likely splitting. I don't know how they'll handle the water change. They are some of the most difficult corals to keep I hear and they are too risky for me.

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:15 PM

Sun corals are my FAVOURITE coral, so luckily I knew that already

(but keep the advice coming!). The guy was only feeding them once or twice a week, so they've been begging me for food. Yesterday and today I fed them frozen mysis in the morning. Today, I decided to give them an additional feeding at 1. I gave them some chopped silversides and spirulina enriched brine shrimp for their second meal today. They look absolutely stuffed, so I don't think I'll feed them anything for supper. They're really good eaters, though.

Man, I should post a picture of the gimpy little zoas. Honestly, I feel bad for them. The one zoa colony is occupying the top, sides, and partially the bottom of this little chunk of rock, so some of them are unfortunately covered with sand. I keep trying to put it on some live rock, but the current keeps knocking it down.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:17 PM

I am guessing your rock was from the old tank. You said your dad was doing the tracking on parameters?

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:18 PM

Here's the zoa colony. I honestly don't know why the tank looks so blue in this photo. The lighting is actually really clear and warm, not blue. Weird.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:19 PM

Some phones just take blue pics. I am guessing iphone?

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:20 PM

Yep, the live rock is completely cycled and has been in the tank for...many years according to the guy we bought it from. The corals are used to the lights, temperature, salt mix, etc., so they've opened right up and are colouring up nicely. Hey, do you know what that soft anemone-like coral is at the top in the centre?

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:21 PM

Yes, iPad.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:22 PM

Apple products tend to see blue more. Just an observation. Send a pic of what you are IDing. How old are you?

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:24 PM

I'm...22. Yes, 22, I keep thinking I'm 23 for some reason.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddscau

I'm...22. Yes, 22, I keep thinking I'm 23 for some reason.

Keeping track of your age get harder as you get older.

That looks like a devil's hand leather. Maybe. Google some images and compare. You'll know in a few days cause it will pop tiny green polyps out if it's that.

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:35 PM

Ah, yes, that's what it is. The polyps aren't coming out, though. Hmm, it looks like it's starting to shed. Well, if it's anything like the gorgonian, I guess it's polyps will come out once it's done shedding. Pain. In. The. Butt. I hate scooping out the skin >_<. Well, I can't just let it float around, injuring the other corals. Plus, one of the sun coral polyps was trying to eat some skin earlier, so I had to suck it out of its mouth with my target feeder.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddscau

Ah, yes, that's what it is. The polyps aren't coming out, though. Hmm, it looks like it's starting to shed. Well, if it's anything like the gorgonian, I guess it's polyps will come out once it's done shedding. Pain. In. The. Butt. I hate scooping out the skin >_<. Well, I can't just let it float around, injuring the other corals. Plus, one of the sun coral polyps was trying to eat some skin earlier, so I had to suck it out of its mouth with my target feeder.

I have a toadstool leather and the "skin" gets devoured by my tang. If it did not get consumed, I would just leave it. Food for something

Maggie

teddscau · 05/11/2018, 02:39 PM

Hmm, I heard that it could potentially harm other corals. There's a heck of a lot of acropora in the tank, and I can't imagine they'd be too thrilled if the skin landed on them.

Maggie321 · 05/11/2018, 03:01 PM

Like I said my tang eats mine...

Maggie

05/11/2018, 01:38 PM	#1
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	First Saltwater Tank! 90g Reef Hey guys, just picked up the tank on Wednesday! It's 90g, we bought it off of Kijiji for $1000, and it came with all sorts of SPS corals, a few leathers, two photosynthetic gorgonians, six sun coral polyps, zoas (they seem really tiny though?), and equipment. Man, those zoanthids are freakishly small, though. Each polyp is only a third of a centimetre in size, so I really don't know. Again, the guy hadn't been feeding his corals, so maybe they'll start growing larger. Wednesday was a freaking nightmare setting everything up. The tank was super cloudy because we had to put all new sand in it, so by the time we put the live rock in we could only see an inch or so into the tank. Putting the corals in was so stressful because we had no clue whether we were piling them on top of each other. I accidentally brutalized the poor montipora (in my defence, I thought it was just some sort of spongy coralline growth on the live rock). Anyways, I acclimated them carefully and all that jazz, then I just about had a meltdown when the temperature in the tank spiked. Those metal halides are just a nightmare! I want to get rid of the halide on the right and replace it with an LED to help with the heat. Right, so I beat up the corals a bit because I couldn't see what I was doing, not to mention the live rock they were on weighed a ton. Anyways, checked on them this morning, and all their polyps were opening up! I wanted to make up for their stressful ordeal yesterday, so I fed them some Reef Roids and gave the sun coral some mysis shrimp. The sun coral gobbled down the food and is out again, wanting more, so I think I'll feed them a bit more tonight (they were being starved at their old home). Everyone's brightening up too, so I think they're happy. I rearranged the live rock again since I can actually see in the tank now, and I'm really proud of how good of a job I did! I've never arranged live rock before. Ooh, I'll have to post pictures later! Anyways, I tried really hard to provide I decent amount of "floorspace", as I'm planning on buying two pairs of dragonface pipefish to try to breed. I also created a ton of caves with the live rock. I also tried to create a lot of "depth" and "texture". I hope everyone makes it. My dad's in charge of monitoring the parameters, so if something goes wrong, we'll know who to blame. Oh, I guess I should tell you some of the critters I'm planning on getting: Two pairs of dragonface pipefish A pair of firefish A pair of Banggai cardinalfish A pair of Ocellaris/false percula clownfish (my parents said we have to get them -_-) A pair of yellow clown gobies A pair of black clown gobies

05/11/2018, 01:42 PM	#2
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	Set up and add corals all in one day? That's bold. I will be anxious to see some pictures. Are you looking for any advice or have any questions? Don't be afraid to ask. We are all here for that! Maggie

05/11/2018, 01:44 PM	#3
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	When I first set it up:

05/11/2018, 01:46 PM	#6
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	http://s994.photobucket.com/user/ted..._2888.jpg.html

05/11/2018, 01:48 PM	#8
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Here's what it looks like now:

05/11/2018, 01:49 PM	#9
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	Looking good keep us updated. Maggie

05/11/2018, 01:56 PM	#11
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Oh, as for putting the corals in, the guy was selling his whole setup, corals and all. When I came down this morning I noticed one of the gorgonians had shed. Scooping coral skin out of the tank isn't exactly the first thing I want to do when I get up. Anyways, I blew all the loose skin off of him with my target feeder, and he was looking pretty pathetic. However, when I was feeding my sun coral the gorgonian's polyps started coming out, so I guess he wasn't feeling too bad. The sun coral...the guy told me it has five polyps, but it turns out one of them has a conjoined twin (no, I don't mean it's branching off), making six polyps. Like the two polyps occupy the same hard skeletal tube. The twins only peek out part way, and are pretty small. Is it normal for them to have "twin" polyps like that?

05/11/2018, 02:15 PM	#13
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Sun corals are my FAVOURITE coral, so luckily I knew that already (but keep the advice coming!). The guy was only feeding them once or twice a week, so they've been begging me for food. Yesterday and today I fed them frozen mysis in the morning. Today, I decided to give them an additional feeding at 1. I gave them some chopped silversides and spirulina enriched brine shrimp for their second meal today. They look absolutely stuffed, so I don't think I'll feed them anything for supper. They're really good eaters, though. Man, I should post a picture of the gimpy little zoas. Honestly, I feel bad for them. The one zoa colony is occupying the top, sides, and partially the bottom of this little chunk of rock, so some of them are unfortunately covered with sand. I keep trying to put it on some live rock, but the current keeps knocking it down.

05/11/2018, 02:17 PM	#14
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	I am guessing your rock was from the old tank. You said your dad was doing the tracking on parameters? Maggie

05/11/2018, 02:18 PM	#15
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Here's the zoa colony. I honestly don't know why the tank looks so blue in this photo. The lighting is actually really clear and warm, not blue. Weird.

05/11/2018, 02:19 PM	#16
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	Some phones just take blue pics. I am guessing iphone? Maggie

05/11/2018, 02:20 PM	#17
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Yep, the live rock is completely cycled and has been in the tank for...many years according to the guy we bought it from. The corals are used to the lights, temperature, salt mix, etc., so they've opened right up and are colouring up nicely. Hey, do you know what that soft anemone-like coral is at the top in the centre?

05/11/2018, 02:21 PM	#18
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Yes, iPad.

05/11/2018, 02:22 PM	#19
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	Apple products tend to see blue more. Just an observation. Send a pic of what you are IDing. How old are you? Maggie

05/11/2018, 02:24 PM	#20
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	I'm...22. Yes, 22, I keep thinking I'm 23 for some reason.

05/11/2018, 02:35 PM	#22
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Ah, yes, that's what it is. The polyps aren't coming out, though. Hmm, it looks like it's starting to shed. Well, if it's anything like the gorgonian, I guess it's polyps will come out once it's done shedding. Pain. In. The. Butt. I hate scooping out the skin >_<. Well, I can't just let it float around, injuring the other corals. Plus, one of the sun coral polyps was trying to eat some skin earlier, so I had to suck it out of its mouth with my target feeder.

05/11/2018, 02:39 PM	#24
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Hmm, I heard that it could potentially harm other corals. There's a heck of a lot of acropora in the tank, and I can't imagine they'd be too thrilled if the skin landed on them.

05/11/2018, 03:01 PM	#25
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	Like I said my tang eats mine... Maggie