Vicarious Cynic

Some of my critters

Royal Gramma and Purple dart fish

Candy Cane - with plenty of epoxy. The bright green clenched one on the lower right is now splitting!

Torchy! (rock2)

Zoas

Picked one up today - green with an orange center. So dang pretty I picked it up on impulse. Put it in the sand in the corner of my tank - looks nice. What have I got myself into? Any cautionary tales or words of wisdom to share?

Thanks!

Just came back from Nautilus with a new tube anemone and a small frag of zoa's. Have em floating for temp, then a little acclimation and in they'll go. I'll write more about my tank in a bit, and post up some photos of critters new and old (old being 3 1/2 months).

I started my tank with 2, 2 bulb 24" t5's. Nice start, now three months in I'm wanting to up it a bit. Looking at an AquaticLife fixture, will likely switch out the bulbs. Question now is 4 bulbs or 6. My tank is only 40 gallons (long). No immediate plans to upgrade, but those 75 gallons sure look nice. If I ever did upgrade to a 75, would a 4 bulb T5 be enough light to reach the bottom for say... a clam?

Other thoughts on lighting are welcome - I like lots of info before choosing.

P.S. - Paypal came through for me. I'm in the club!

D & D takes too many social skills.

bah. or rgrcrain will. I'll still come up for the cloves.

I'll take the purple death too - make it worth the trip up. It'll be someday the week of the sixth - gotta look at the kids school schedules (they start that week) I'll pm you. Is there a day or time thats better for you?

I'd like the cloves, my tanks only 3 1/2 months old but I have torch and a candy cane that are healthy and growing. I'm passing through Portland tomorrow, for a wedding with a van full of kids. I have the week of the 6th off and would come up and get them then. What do you think?

I'd love to be added.

Friday morning bump. Other thoughts?

bump for a Friday. Thoughts and opinions?

Thinking of upgrading to a 4 bulb 4' t5 (from two- 2bulb 2' T5's) Was looking at these online. Anybody use these? Opinions? How do they compare to ATI?

http://www.aquaticlife.com/t5ho/index.html

It's my birthday today, and my better half said "I'm getting you the new light you want, but you need to pick it out" (the benefits of being married for 10 + years).

I have a 40 gallon breeder, with 2 - 24" 2 bulb lights (Aquatic life with giesemann bulbs).It's my first tank and is doing well (I think) three months in. Would like a 4' light with 4 t5 HO bulbs. Would like to have the bulbs on two timers, and have some moonlights (maybe - sounds cool, open to opinions). Eventually I'd like to add an anemone, and a clam. Currently have a torch, a candy cane, a couple of zoa, a star polyp and a finger leather - plus a purple dart fish and a royal gramma.

Any suggestions for lights I could look at? Thanks!

Thanks dsoz. I'll keep my eye on them. If they do keep growing I'll (try to) do just that. Nothing like learning by doing!

Here's their Craiglist posting from May. I e-mailed it to myself at work so I'd remember to call them!

New Store open in downtown Springfield. The Nautilus Tropical Fish is specializing in aquatic treasures from around the globe. We have Old World and New World exotics and a beautiful selection of high quality corals and inverts. Aquariums, powerheads, skimmers, filters, you name it we should have it. Mon-Sat 10:30-6:30, Sundays 12:30-5. OPEN LATE FRIDAYS DURING THE SPRINGFIELD FARMERS MARKET 3-7, WE'LL BE HERE TILL 8PM FRIDAYS. COME ON DOWN BRING. 541-344-FISH(3474).

Guy named Aaron open the Nautilus. Another guy named Jay (I think) works there. It's between 8th and 9th on Main. I've been in there a few times, bought two zoa frags, a 5 head candy cane and a one head torch. All are alive and thriving in my tank. Very conversational - much more personal than the store on 11th in Eugene. I'll post back with the number in a bit, have it written down somewhere....

I'm just using an iphone. Last years model at that. So, I should watch for splitting heads. I can do that. Thanks!

My dream - this is the year the wheels come off the trojan.

1) Oregon

2) Eh, who cares.

10) USC

Newb. 1st zoa's.

Started my first tank in May. Added a torch about 3 weeks ago. It's looking good - fully extended, about 6" under the top of the water. First picture is the torch - notice the lovely display of excessive epoxy. First time - at least it stuck to the rock. Second picture are some nubs that I haven't noticed until yesterday. I'm not sure if I just never noticed them, or if they are new heads forming. I guess my real question is how do I know when my torch is growing new heads?

Thanks for the thoughts. Yea dsoz. I'm onto that. I emptied my protein skimmer, and my canister filter. I top off about 1/2 gallon of fresh every day or two.

I have two 24" t-5 ho lights. Both with a daylight and an actinic. They were a deal when liquid sunshine liquidated. Still would rather have the shop near downtown, but hey. At some point I'll upgrade to a 4' 4 bulb fixture. I'd like to add an amenone and a clam, but will wait for better light. As for flow, I've got a Koralia 1 and some other powerhead. One on each side of the tank, pointing up roiling the water. The canister filter is pointed into a corner to get that 'Foof' effect (that's the technical term). I'm using Rod's frozen, and sometimes give a little poof of that near the candy cane and the torch.

Membership, eh? Do I get invites to BBQ's and frag swaps with that?

Did some maintenance tonight - cleaned the protein skimmer and canister filter - added a bunch of new salt water to make up the difference. One of the heads of my candy cane is all clenched up - cool how green it gets when closed. I've got these stuck to the side of a rock about 6" from the top of the tank and they look healthy to me. Polyps out, nice wide spread when the lights are on - darker color when closed than when I brought them home.

Any good candy cane tips for me? (Other than "Don't use so much [language filter] epoxy next time!" - at least they're on there solid!)

Nice Response - thanks!

My first tank - a forty gallon long. Have a royal gramma and a purple dart fish, as well as a couple of zoa frags, a finger leather, some green star polyp, as well as a small candy cane (5 heads) and a torch (one head). Have a couple of 24" T5 HO's with two bulbs each (96 total) - two actinics, and two daylights. My next big upgrade will be a 48" 4 bulb (anybody have a lead for me?).

Learning slowly, keeping it simple. Have a Fluval 305 with carbon and biomax, as well as a remora skimmer. Small CUC of 6 or so hermits, 2 turbos and 2 nassarus. Might be a small brittle star hiding in the 50 lbs of live rock. There's an emerald crab I see once in a great while.

I'd love to meet some Eugene reefers, here a shot of what I have started.