Pictures would be Great

J

I am still interested :D Just got my RO unit today. Dang do these things take along time to make water hahahaha. I am having second thoughts about my loop too. Not because it wont work, but because I am having a heck of a time finding something of suitable size for a sump that will fit in the base. Still wana see your tank full :D

Yeah I wish the RO units could make water WAY faster!

Here are a few pics. This is not the final aquascaping at all but I just wanted to get some of the rock in there. I have 300 lbs. total LR but will not use all of it I don't think. Right now I have about 100 in the display and I will keep about 100 in the sump and refugium I think.

The glass is a bit foggy and as you can see, I still have not put the doors on the stand or canopy! That I will do today.

The water level is also a few inches low because I am not running the sump yet. I have to make a few changes after taking out the closed loop. Right now I only have the 2 Koralia 3's in the tank and they are not too bad.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00673.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00671.jpg

Hey, this may be a stupid Q, but I should have all my water ready in buckets before getting my LR and LS? I am going to have to have it shipped on the bus from JL. could I get away with half filling my tank before ordering the rock?? Just be like 2 days for my RO to make enough water I think. Just wondering how much time I have with the LR.

Lookin great BTW I allready want a larger tank, like yours.

Yeah I would have saltwater ready for sure. You could do just half your tank or really just as much as you need to keep the LR wet. Then just keep some flow going with a powerhead or airstone. I guess you would most likely need a heater too. The longer your LR is out of water, the longer the cycle will take generally. I would try to put it straight into saltwater that is the right salinity and temperature if I were you. Good luck! When do you get your LR?

OK, thats what I was figuring. Not meaning to hijack your thread or nothin. Dunno when I'll get my LR, still working on getting a sump. Was planing on using my present FW tank for a sump, but we cant afford to upgrade the FW tank, so I'm lookin for a 15-18g tank I can use

Well the tank is starting to look good. I added about 40 more lbs. of LR to the display and also a few more kinds of macro algae. I am looking for as much macro algae as possible to make this a "planted" tank. Unfortunately, its hard to find a wide variety of macro algae so far. J&L pretty much just had the usual suspects. Anyone who has any ideas of where I can pick some up, please let me know.

I am also looking for stocking ideas...So far this is what I have in the tank:

Porcupine Puffer
Green Spotted Puffer
Long Nose Hawkfish
Carpenters Flasher Wrasse
Yellow Tail Damsel

I was thinking of a Flame Angel and maybe a few Anthias but Im really not sure. All I know is, no tangs and no fish that get over 6" because I want the Porcupine to be the biggest fish in the tank and hes looking like he may not be a huge porc. His growth is really slowing down now that hes about 6". I figure he will most likely reach only about 10" which I guess is pretty common for them in captivity. Anyways, fish ideas would be great!

I also have another decision I have to make...Do I keep my Snowflake Eel? Right now he is in another tank by himself but the goal is to have only one tank. Im very hesitant to keep him in this new tank because he is getting so big and he really makes a mess of the sandbed and rock work. I love this eel but he can be a bit of a pain. The other problem is that he is very aggressive and my Hawkfish is quite small still. Im worried that the eel will eat any small fish I want to keep in the tank...:neutral:

Tank Pics
 

Few updated pics of aquascaping and fish...Ideas welcome! Again, camera phone pics, so quality is not great.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00700.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00695.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00696.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00691.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00689.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00687.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00699.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/DSC00683.jpg

OK, that last one, what is that???? I kn ow, I sound dumb LOL, it's a puffer, right? Daughter's eyes lit right up when she seen the pic. na d I am still new at identifyin LOL

Lookin awesome BTW

Hahaha, yeah its my puffer when he puffed up! He was angry because he wanted more food and I would not give it to him. There are two pics of him there. This puffed one and another where he is not puffed.

Well we have decided to change skimmers. My fiance is not so crazy about the PM Bullet being in our living room beside the tank and Im not either. It does not fit under the stand though because the stand is somewhat short and the skimmer return has to be above the water line of the sump.

I am on my way to pick up an ATI BubbleMaster 200 to replace the PM. I have heard nothing but good things about these and it will fit in the sump and under the stand. Hopefully this will be the last skimmer for a while!

I have also added two more fish to the tank from QT...A 6" Golden Head Sleeper Goby and a 4" Orange Lyretail Anthias. In our other QT, we still have a few more fish for the tank and then that will be it I think. Just looking to find macro algae still...

Are you still debating about your eel? I would probably say that it/he shouldn't be in the big tank with the smaller fish.

Oh no more debate. He has to go to a new home soon. Im just holding on to him as long as I can (as long as he is comfortable) because I really really like this eel. But no we went in a different direction with this tank and it is much less aggressive than before. With the Stars and Stripes dying, that took away a huge chunk of the tanks bio load and like I said, we decided to go with smaller fish. Kind of all started when we found the cutest little Flame Angel. Hes about the size of a toonie! Very cool little fish. Hopefully he will behave once he gets bigger.

I also got the bubble master 200 home and set up today. What a quick, easy skimmer to set up! And powerful. Im impressed already. I have to work out the water level in the sump still for it but that will take some experimenting I think. Anyone have advice with these skimmers???

Do you have lids ? I had two hawks and they both jumped, and I have 4inch euro brace. Tank looks great.

Yeah I have a canopy that he should not be able to jump out of. It has a mesh backing that fits tight to the tank. I also have the eurobracing actually but I assumed he could easily jump that. He has not shown any signs of jumping but I guess they usually do not...they just do it one day!