bbatman99 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 This is my first go with SW. I decided on the 39g Cadlights Signature tank. I'm having a hard time deciding on the placement of the LR. I don't know whether to keep the rock low or stack it higher (these tanks are 19.5" tall). I had an outbreak of ich with the first batch of fish so I decided to focus on reef first and then introduce fish later. 30 lbs LR 3rd chamber fuge w/ chaeto CUC Nass, Astrea, and Turbos Hermit crabs Cleaner Shrimp Carpet Anemone No corals yet but soon (I'm thinking just softies and LPS for now). Thanks, Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Nice looking setup. The aquascaping is kind of all dependent on what you plan on keeping and how much room you would like for coral grow out or fish swim room, etc. I personally like to stack high and leave the sides pretty open so that cleaning is easy and there are more vertical spots for coral frags. Great start! Garrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 Yeah, I'm not sold on the rock being lower...I'll probably try stacking it higher. After having this tank for a while I don't think I would buy this one if I had a do over. I personally like the tanks that are shorter but longer better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 You may want to look for some different shapes and try to bridge some pieces and create caves. My first set up was more of a "pile" and did not allow for good flow thru and behind the rock. I ended up tearing it down eventually and placing it so now i can see thru to the back in several places Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredknack Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 That tank has a lot of potential. What Smann had to say was really solid. I would try to create caves an a canyon through the center. Even in a small space it can be done. You will love seeing your fish swim through the canyons. When I had a 29 gallon tank often the new fish would quickly show white spots. I learned that if you add some Marine-Max to the tank it helps. It worked well for me. http://tinyurl.com/cgpq3v With fish showing signs of trouble I added almost half of the bottle, 8oz, to a 29 gallon tank and never had a problem after that. That volume is far more than the label suggests but it helps knock out the problem. The labels recommendation is more of a maintenance dose. I now have a much larger tank and this product probably would be to spendy to make a difference. That is why a quarantine tank is helpful so that you can use products like this without going broke. They claim that it is reef safe and copper, chemical, and drug-free. I got this tip from Woody at Seahorse and I am convinced he knows what he is talking about. Here is a video of my 29 gallon BioCube. Another thing that really helped that tank was the use of very complex live rock that I think came from figi. Rather than being a solid rock shape it is shaped like coral and offers natural mini caves for critters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 Thanks guys...Fred, I like that LR in your old Biocube. I would much rather have that than the pieces I got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredknack Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 If you can buy a small chunk whenever you see a complex hunk at the store. That way you can spread the financial pain over a longer period and also just get the perfect specimens. My tank took forever to evolve but It is worth getting the live rock looking the way you like just in case your corals take to long to get established...as in my case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Tank Update - 1. Changed the aquascape around 2. Added a Koralia 3 for more flow (now I'm contemplating a vortech wavemaker). 3. Added a false perc, purple firefish, bi-color blenny, yellow watchman, and a pistol shrimp (both of which went MIA). 4. Tuxedo Urchin 5. My first coral - a nice zoo frag from Bob http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp325/bbatman99/Aquarium/067.jpg[/img]"] http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp325/bbatman99/Aquarium/065.jpg[/img]"] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Nice S. Gigantea. How long have you had it and where did you get it? I agree on the LR though, you need some pieces with more shape. Looks like what you have is pretty much rounded off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 I've had the anemone for 5 months now and I got it from SWF. The moment I threw my clown in the tank he made a b line to his new home, it was classic! Are there any cons to adding new LR to a tank that already cycled? Thanks, Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 As long as it's cured rock It wont be a problem. Glad to hear the nem is doing well for you. Not too many hobbiests have had much with them, myself included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Who carries the more porous LR? What about the aragocrete that GARF sells? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Does anybody do LR trading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Your rock looks pretty porous to me. You just need to get some branchy shapes. SWF has good shaped pieces right now but I'm not sure what is left. Nothing wrong with the aragocrete, have you thought about making your own? dsoz made some pretty nice pieces not too long ago. If you get some dead rock, you can clean it real well. It will not impact your system if it's clean. Usually boiling/scrubbing dead rock a few times and letting it sit in the sun for a week will get it SUPER clean. It takes some time for it to look good though. Either way once you get some pieces to work with, it is pretty easy to get a structure going. Once you get the main pieces set, use smaller pieces to fill in the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 I'm getting a little concerned about the size of my carpet anemone. I was told it would maybe double in a year. In 5 months it's probably tripled. Will this carpet be too big for a 39g before long? If so, would I be better off with a RBTA instead? [/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Yeah, they'll do that It will take up most of the tank in a few months @ the rate you suggest. Is that a different pic from the one above? YGPM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbatman99 Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 Same picture, I'll take another one when the nem is at his fullest. If I swap the carpet out with a RBTA, do you think the Ocellaris would host it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krux Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 clowns love roses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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