Myka's 90 gallon build & 3 province move (Pics Feb 6)

[Myka]

Oh wow was I ever frustrated lastnight!! I was trying to drill the rock, insert the acrylic rods, and create a nice rockscape...well, easier said than done! There were a couple pieces that are entirely undrillable (tried masonry and metal/wood bits), I think they were both Tonga branch. I don't know what they are made of, but holy cow they are tough! Anyway, that finished with me putting all the rock back into the tank and going to bed disgusted with it.

So, not much to update...so I will entertain you guys with a very tentative, very rough stocking plan!!

My idea is create a lot of different textures, so I will be looking for coral oddities as far as growth pattern goes to mingle in with the general broad spectrum of LPS I so adore that will make up the bulk of the coral inhabitants. I will also be including pretty much every colored photosynthetic gorgonian (gorgonians, gorgonians, GORGONIANS!!!!) known to man that I can find, which won't be many as most are brown.

Gorgonians (still working on learning the species myself, I believe all listed are photosynthetic):

Eunicea sp
Muriceopsis sp
Plexaurella sp (if I can manage to find a decently colored specimen)
Pseudoplexaura sp
Pterogorgia sp (if I feel confident in being able to provide it's needs, kinda of semi-photosynthetic from what I understand)
Gorgonia sp (if I can find some as I understand their collection is banned, so I would need to find cultured, which I think is rare)



A few of the more interesting LPS species (imo) planned:

Heliopora sp Blue Ridge
Tubipora musica Pipe Organ (white or pink polyps)
Cyphastrea sp including C. decadia, will have several different color variants.
Many various brain corals, as I have a "thing" for them.



A few select SPS species, with the Acro species being mostly deepwater:

Acropora sp 'Bali Tricolor'
A. lokani
A. suharsonoi
A. subglabra (maybe...)
Stylopora sp (looking for an outstanding color specimen)
Seriatopora hystrix Birdnest (of exquisite color).



Some fish plans:

True Percula pair (I have a loner already)
Banggai Cardinals (I still have a female, after the male was eaten by the bubble coral)
Kole Tang (the unusual colored one I already have)
Bellus Angel (that will hopefully keep the female coloring)
Wrasses (Carpenter's? Red Velvet? Long Fin? McCosker's?), either a pair, harem, or single male.
Blue Assessor (if I can find one)
Rainford's Goby (for algae eating)
Green Mandarin Dragonette pair (would like to purchase "used")
1-4 Pearly jawfish (I would like a small harem, but depends on how many other fish find their way into my tank)
Orchid Dottyback pair (maybe not with the Assessor...will have to check some info)

Who knows what else. Probably not even all of these...I will see how it comes together, and how the live rock manages to process the nitrates. I have more ideas, but that's all I can come up with for now. I would prefer to buy the fish from other reefers just because it's one less fish from the ocean.

Oh and CLAMS!!! Lots of em. By processing nitrates, clams may allow me to stock a couple more fish than I normally would as I refuse to keep a reef where I'm battling nitrates constantly.

If anyone has any experiences with a Bellus Angel in a reef this size I would be interested to hear.

[mike31154]

Yoiks, a masonry bit should take care of most any rock like material! Have you tried or do you have access to, dare I say it, a hammer drill to use with the masonry bit? The hammering action can make quite a difference, although it might just shatter the rock too. I know some of my pieces are rather fragile and I've broken several just rearranging them in the tank. The stuff you're dealing with sounds bulletproof though.

Didn't you mention finding some fishing line on some of the stuff? That made me think, could it be that a previous owner of the rock used that to hold it together in some fashion? Anyhow, good luck with that, usally the next day, previous frustrations are forgotten and things tend to work better. You certainly have the build well planned with regard to where you're going and what livestock...

[Lance]

[quote=mike31154;425251]Yoiks, a masonry bit should take care of most any rock like material! Have you tried or do you have access to, dare I say it, a hammer drill to use with the masonry bit? The hammering action can make quite a difference, although it might just shatter the rock too. I know some of my pieces are rather fragile and I've broken several just rearranging them in the tank. The stuff you're dealing with sounds bulletproof though.


I found if you use a hammer drill, start with a small hole and work your way up through the bit sizes until you get to the hole size you want. Less likely to shatter the rock this way.

[Myka]

I do have a hammer drill, but I haven't tried it. Thanks for the idea! I will try on the tough rocks. There are only a few or a couple that are super hard, the rest are really easy to drill.

On my next attempt I will try to incorporate PVC structures and the big black zip ties I bought and forgot I was going to use.

I have a pretty good idea how I want the whole tank to look, so ya I have the inhabitants fairly well thought out. I have a few inhabitants that are "out of the box" for me like the Bellus Angel, and a couple of the gorgonian species that I am unsure about.

[fishytime]

Sounds like a pretty wicked tank...on paper Dont give in to frustration...Im sure happy I didnt.

[banditpowdercoat]

Ya Myka, the Hammer drill will make short work of Tonga, or any live rock. I've been using a Hammer drill all day, Bolting electric Switchgear to the rock wall in the mine all day LOL, So I know it'll drill a hole

[Delphinus]

Your only hope for Gorgonia sp. is from Cuba. The Reef Shoppe and Interior Reef have had them. I got mine from Interior Reef. Haha, maybe I should charge $100 per frag and slow down the financial hemorhaging this hobby causes me.

And .. speaking as someone who adores clams .. I don't think you can realistically expect clams to put a huge dent in your nitrate levels, unless you maybe have an otherwise *incredibly* small bioload.. Sorry - but if it were true, I'd have zero nitrates in my 110g right now and I can assure you that I don't - it's low, however, but I also use NO3 Destroyer...