Holly Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hi everyone! I'm a newbie to the hobby but already hooked. We're about six months into our first marine (reef) tank. I was just introduced to PNWMAS after discovering Fanta-Seas this week. =) Great site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome Looks like youve got the equipment to do GREAT things : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hi Holly! Welcome to the group. Your 180g Acrylic sounds like a nice beginner tank. We are having a meeting Sunday, so let us know if you want to be on the Evite list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hello Holly! Glad to see you found the site. Hopefully you will enjoy it and find it and the people here helpful and glad to help. Sounds like you have a great set-up. Take a look around and have fun and if you are interested in becoming a member of the club....don't hesitate to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H20cooled Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yes welcome! Nice setup, even if you cannot make the Nov meeting definatly try to make it to the Dec one, there will be a good frag trade and sales. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 yeah the november meeting is at Saltwater Fanta-seas, so you know where it is. Welcome to the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome to PNWMAS.ORG!! Hopefully you will find what ya need here. Check out our calendar for future events. Later Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome Holly, Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 THANKS everyone!! We hope to be at the Sunday meeting. Can't wait! I hope/plan to join the club .. =) I never knew there was such a reef group around the area.. It's good to know. Seems like Portland's lucky, compared to other areas, as far as reef resources go... See you Sunday ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 PS Manrow - I've already decided that acryllic is BAD for reefs (IMO). Mine's scratched and I spend tons of time removing them. I won't buy anything but glass again. It's all a learning curve, I guess... Flyguy - 'nderstanding women = nailing jello' - HA HA!! great quote Lowman - LOVE the quotes... That's a Scottish flag!.. Love it .. Husband and I were married in Scotland.. My maiden was MacDougall .. =) You guys all sound like a great group! Can't wait to meet you all .. Thanks! H~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome. I hope you like it here at the PNWMAS. We have a great group of hobbyists here. That's a very nice setup you have there. Patrick at Fanta-Seas has a wealth of information, you are lucky to have him near you. If you have any questions, just fire away. That's what we are here for. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome to the site!! Now how about some pics!!?? Miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome...yes we are very lucky with all the stores we have around and all the local members...Do not be shy on the site...ask questions, chat participate...the more the better...Also every monday night at 8pm, there is chat time! you will find the button towards the bottom of the page, that is good fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanz Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Wow, six months??? 180g Acryllic, 200lbs LR 750W 10K MH, 624W T5 Actinic 46g sump/refug, MRC MR-2, 96W T5 Sun K2R Ca reactor, 1/4hp chiller, 250W heater Wavemaker w powerheads & Tunze Watchman goby, 2 purple firefish, 2 PJ cardinals Maroon clown with BTA Misc crabs, shrimp, janitors Softies & LPS right now AquaController Pro III Looks like you were in the hobby for years!! Welcome to the site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Thanks Vanz! I researched and planned for about a year before we did it; however, no amt of research is equivalent to having reef people you can actually talk to (which we didn't have at the time). Right now we have a chronic phosphate problem. We lost our 3 SPS, an LPS and a soft already. No amt of phosphate remover, water change, or overhaul has helped. I only have star polyps, PPE, sinularia, frogspawn, flowerpot remaining (I'm amazed they're doing as well as they are). Hair algae completely covered my tank, and all the beautiful coralline is gone. Patrick's been trying to help us out. My husband and I did a 100gwater change about two weeks ago, and it didn't help at all. Phosphates were still off the charts. Last week, Patrick came out, and we gutted the entire tank, drained all the water, removed all the sand, put in all-new sand and water, washed off all the original rock, then replaced some of it with new Tongan LR... It didn't even take the edge off the phosphates. No change at all. The tank now looks like a brand-new set-up again--clean and hair-algae-free, but barren. Rowa, phosban, and phosguard haven't helped at all either. It's frustrating to have a chronic issue that we can't get to the bottom of. Not sure where all the phosphates could be coming from. My husband thinks it's leaching from the original rocks, since we removed everything else. Who knows at this point. Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate zero. Anyway, this is the tank, as plain as it is. Pic was taken this morning. (At least my fish and inverts are doing well. Saw a peppermint shrimp loaded with eggs the other day!) =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 RO/DI have you checked it's output, Have you changed the di FILTERS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Our RO/DI is only about 2-3 months old, and we've only ever used it for top-off. (FS did the initial tank fill-up). The RO/DI water's been phosphate-free thus far. I now test it before adding any Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barleychown Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Welcome! What are you feeding? Are you adding any phyto? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Thanks! Not now (phyto), but I did once in August: a tiny drop of both phyto and zoo. Not since then, though. It seemed to be too messy. I feed once a day, about 1/3 of a cube of Mysis (they eat it all in about 2-3 minutes). I only have six small fish. Now we're getting cyano. I went to Fanta-seas today and loaded up on macro (for the tank, not the sump; sump already has some and it's getting full). If the macro starts to take over the tank, I'll just remove some and take it back to Patrick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Holly where did you get the water to initially fill up your tank? I think your husband is on the right track. The phosphate is more than likely leaching from the rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 It was a LFS, but the rocks and water were perfect for about 4 months. (I tested it all the time, being a paranoid newbie). What can you do to remove it from the rocks other than continue to skim and change water? Eventually, it has to leach out. Esp with the amt of Rowa we've been circulating in the reactor and Phosban in the sock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 You can always 'cook' the rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nu2reef-n Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Welcome to the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 NU2 - lol @ the smiley beating its head Mike - Good idea, but what can I do with rocks that already have corals firmly attached to them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Break them off..........sucks I know but it'll work. Just think you can start all over AGAIN!!!!! hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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