red macro algae :D
pulsating zinnia
pipe organ
mushroom
a molly ;)
aaand a medusa worm!
08 January, 2011
Pictures!
we found the ball anemone eating today, and could see the shell of a stomatella snail it was eating. As we watched (and took pictures) the anemone dropped the shell of the snail :)
<-picture 1
<- picture 2
picture 3
and finally, the shell is dropped :)
06 January, 2011
New Year :)
the far left is a margarita snail, top right is a blueberry gorgonian frag, middle is the feather duster, middle right is a cerith snail, and bottom left is one of the clownfish :D
well it has been a while since I posted-sorry everyone!! There's a lot that has happened since the last update! We have 2 percula clownfish living in our tank- as well as three mollies (the fourth died this morning D: ) and last week- surprise! - I found 10 mollie babies! They are now living in our quarantine tank as the clownfish seemed to think they would make a tasty snack. Recently we purchased a small blue gorgonian coral, as well as two feather dusters from Aquarium Concepts. One of the dusters split and the large piece dropped from the tube, while the other is happily enjoying his new home :). The pulsating zinnia has split into 6 seperate pieces now, and the pom pom zinnia has let of multiple growths as well. The green mushroom we purchased as one of our starter corals dissapeared within a week of purchase, but has (Gasp!) reappeared and anchored itself to an old snail shell. I recently discovered a small anemone in the tank-turns out it is a ball anemone. These anemone's are interesting because they have a toxin on the end of their tentacles similar to that of a jellyfish. So no touching this guy ;) (although I'm assuming it is unlikely he would have enough toxin to harm a human, I would rather not take any chances!) There is a large pink growth which we believe is a type of macro-algae (the best guess some of our contacts have made based on descriptions and pictures). We also have large amounts of baby snails roaming the tank now :). Well I suppose that is all for now-happy late Christmas and New Year!
19 February, 2010
THANKS TO HAMILTON TECHNOLOGY!!
Here is the tank with the new lighting system-couldn't have done it without Hamilton Technology's Cebu Sun lighting! :)
We only had to make one change in the parts sent by Hamilton Technology. They included 3-inch screws to mount the light stand. These were too long and would have stuck out about 2-inches too far. In addition, there was no way to ensure the screw would remain stuck-through the hood after the glass cover was in place, which had to be installed before the legs. To fix these issues, we purchased shorter (~1 inch screws, some nuts, and lock washers. We slid the screws through the holes from the inside then held them in place with a nut, installed the lens, then stand brackets and used the original knurled knobs to hold the legs in place. In all this is a very well made lighting system and the customer service has been OUTSTANDING!! Ask for Dave when placing your order, he is great to work with.
Rock Setup
For this rock i used a rubber glove, blew it up, and then shaped the rock mixture around it :)
here is the current rock set-up, planning on keeping it like this. Its hard to see but the rocks on the bottom dont touch the sand except in a few places.
here is the current rock set-up, planning on keeping it like this. Its hard to see but the rocks on the bottom dont touch the sand except in a few places.
Making the Plenum
making the plenum-we used pvc pipes and the plastic to put it together. It works as a filter to the tank.
The screen works to keep the sand from falling below the plenum.
The screen works to keep the sand from falling below the plenum.
Rocks
We used Aragonite sand and the shavings shown above for the rocks :)
Here are some pictures of the rocks and how i made them :) They are made of white sand, cement, and plastic shavings. You mix the sand, cement, and shavings together and then use sand (shown in the boxes) to shape the rocks. I let the rocks dry in the sand for about two weeks before taking them out.
2-2-10
(1) GE Reverse Osmosis Preplacement Filter discounted by Home Depot ($25 dollar store credit donation :D)
2-17-10 (equipment)
(1) 48" Cebu Sun Lighting System discounted by Hamilton Tech. Special thanks to Dave!! It really is a small world :)
2-17-10 (equipment)
(2) boxes of O-rings (to help improve suction from power jet) bought from Home Depot
2-17-10 (equipment)
-(2) Hydor Koralia2 pumps
-(1) API marine water test kit
-(1) Digital thermometer
-(1) API ammonia test kit
-(1) API pH test kit
all donated by Pet Extreme, with a special thanks to Rick!!!
2-27-10 (equipment)
Repair of ICECAP 660-009 ballast, repair cost donated by ICECAP, Inc. even though ballast was no longer under warrenty :)
6-11-09
The tank was loaded today! It is now full of sand and the rocks are set up, waiting to add everything else :p
6-4-09
Today we made the plenum to go in the tank :) The plenum works as an under gravel filter for the tank
4-11-09
The second batch of rocks were removed today, we now have all the rocks needed to set up the tank. :)
3/7-3/21/2009
My dad and I started making the rocks. Carib Sea aragonite gravel, cement, and plastic shavings are all mixed together to make the rocks. Making the rocks like this allows less live rock to be harvested from the ocean, and will help the natural reefs to thrive.
2-12-2009
Today we purchased the tank that will be used for the coral. It is a 55 gallon, and should work perfectly! The tank was bought already used, and was full of cichlids who are now happily housed in a new tank :)
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