What do you mean I'll want to upgrade right away?

[LaurieC]

Diving

Cool, I always wanted to dive the Barrier Reef. But I would rather live there and explore it at my leisure. Always thought being a dive instructor I would eventually end up moving there.
I used to crew liveaboards with Blackbeards Cruises in the out islands of the Bahamas and most of my time spent underwater has been there. Would spend 3 or 4 hours a day under water in the summers.
I highly recommend liveaboard diving. That sharpens your skills so much more when you are doing repetitive dives. All your focus is on SCUBA and not on the minutiae of a vacation.

Could not agree more. The live aboard experience was phenomenal. It is all about diving and everything else is taken care of, so you can really focus on the dives. I did every dive possible. I despertly want to go back to the GBR, was unbelievable. Don't you just love being in the current with the fish--everything moving quietly back and forth in synch. I also love watching one rock and really watching all of the little things that come out when you hover there quietly. Amazing stuff!

 

[LaurieC]

Seahorses

this is a great thread my wife loves it ,i started with 1 tank 90gal mixed, then my wife tracy wanted another so we did 55 gal FOWLR in the bedroom and now we are in the midst of collecting equipment for a 30gal cube that she wants to set up in the baby room for seahorses we have to get it done before march when the baby is due...

I love the idea of the seahorse tank in the babies room. That is just awsome! NYCJoe has a really nice seahorse tank. Loved getting to watch the seahorses move about. They are so graceful and interesting, strangly beautiful creatures. I hope to put a couple in my display fuge. I've been diving for almost 10 years and have only seen one in the wild. They are very elusive and blend right into the seaweed. Makes them rather magical. Love that you have so many different tanks and different environments to watch.

 

[LaurieC]

Purple Up

When my tangs get too big i usually make sushi.

Also, lay off the purple up if you're still dosing it. It's a gimmick. Use a good 2-part dosing system to keep calc/alk/mg in check and your corralline will grow just fine.

I agree. I found this out after I'd bought a second bottle (anyone want a free bottle of Purple Up? lol!). I stopped the Purple Up in early Sept. and started using ESV 2 part along with ESV mag. and Seachem Alk. with the Tropic Marin, but I'm just switching over to the ESV salt system now and already see that I don't have to dose like I was with the Tropic Marin. I found it very hard to keep Alk, Ph, Mag. and Ca parameters on the Tropic Marin once I added the coral. It was a very good salf when I just had a FOWLR. I also found once I added a hermit or two with shells covered in corralline, it began to spread.

 

[Imbarrie]

I used to do some gonzo diving on walls each morning. Going down and exploring the walls geology on the way. I was usually the only person in the water, by the time the other divers were jumping in I would be on my safety stop.
Those were the best dives for me.
I always looked out for the big stuff.
Whale Sharks, whales and of course sharks.

 

[LaurieC]

The Appraiser Is Coming

So, I'm sure like a lot of people, these past couple of years have been a financial struggle for my husband and myself. We are both in the same retail industry and there were a lot of layoffs. My husband spent nine months out of work, until thankfully he could land a new job. Durring this time we blew through our savings and jealously watched as mortgage rates went down, but without us both being employed, weren't able to do anything to take advantage of the lower rates. Finally, hubby has been in his new job for about a year and we decided to look into a refi. Wow has it been a different process than when we bought six years ago. When we bought the place, we got our mortgage in a couple of hours. You want some money, sure, here you go. This time however has been vastly different, we started our application in Aug. and have waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting to hear something. Finally, last week we got the thumbs up on a pre-approval. We just needed the appraisal...

Once the bank decides to move forward, they need everything right away. Everything is a rush. The appraiser called Fri. to say he could come at 9 am Monday morning. I was overjoyed, at long last a silver lining to what has been a lengthy financial slog. I agreed immediately. I hung up the phone and felt like a huge weight was being lifted from my shoulders. Then I got home and surveyed what had once been a lived-in but orderly apartment.

Every single surface in our apartment had been taken over by fish tank stuff: test kits, bottles, nets, containers, timers, measuring cups, pumps, tubing, buckets. Currently there are 5 fish tanks in our apartment. The waiting 90G, the running 55G, the now empty 55G, a 10G QT and an empty 20G high that had been my freshwater tank and is waiting to come with us to VA for Thanksgiving where I'll leave it for my nephew. The wall where the shelves were was jagged and ripped up. Sawdust was EVERYWHERE. There is a huge tub of saltwater and live rock in the middle of the living room with wires to a heater and air pump running across the floor to an outlet. The assembled but not up yet, Maristar lights were on the dining table, covered by a ratty old sheet. And the appraiser who would hold the key to our financial well being was coming first thing Monday morning. OMG!!!!! What have I done???

Things never move as fast as you hope do they? This was supposed to be a simple upgrade from one tank to another. I worked around the clock this weekend--well except for a couple of hours where I walked down to check out Drinkmorewater's gorgeous 180G tank (I have tank envy), but Sunday night rolled around and the apartment still looked like the backroom of a fish store. Thankfully my husband cooked (he makes a very yummy roast chicken) while I scrambled around doing laundry, feeding the dog, the fish and despertly trying to get a couple coats of primer on the walls so they at least looked white. 8:30 pm and I'm still rolling out primer while my husband sits a couple feet away watching the Sunday night football game, eatting what's left over from the Halloween candy bowl. I got one coat up when he starts complaining about the smell of the paint. You have to be kidding me? We opened a window, turned on a fan, but yep it was getting pretty toxic. My luck last night would be the first really cold night of the year. We put on a couple of sweaters and shivered waiting for the smell to dissapait. I thought wow, this primer really smells a lot stronger than the paint I used on the stand. After getting the second coat up, I went to wash off the primer that was all over my hands, my check, splatterd on my arm and a dot right in the middle of my nose. Nothing came off. Huh??? Turns out I had been using oil based primer. I asked my husband's advice about getting it off. He turned from the football and said: "turpentine." It was 10 pm. Ug!

Well, with the primer on the wall and dry, this morning we could move the 90G off the floor and into the tank space. I was able to put the lights over it and throw everything into some rubbermaid tubs and shove it in the closet, so by 8:30 am the apartment had been transformed if only for the hour that the appraiser would be looking it over, snapping photos for the bank. I apologized for the mess, "We are just moving into a bigger fish tank and are in transition." I smiled. He complimented the tank, said how he thought fish tanks were cool and moved on to check out the bathroom. He left promising word in three days and I went to work with white primer on my nose. Reefkeeping has become my life

 

[Imbarrie]

Pumice stone may work as a last resort.

I had the same problem with Gorilla Glue the Sunday before a networking session. My hands were black from the glue. I sat on the couch with a pumice stone and a bucket. My hands felt really strange after.

 

[LaurieC]

Purple Tang

I kept a 20G high freshwater tank for 30 years before starting my reef tank in Aug. It was my uncle who got me interested in tropical fish. He kept a wall of fish tanks and visiting was like walking into a fish store--he had tank after tank all hooked up together--something like five 20G tanks on the top row and another five 20G tanks on the bottom row. Each tank contained a different community of fish and to a little kid, it was wonderous. When my family visited for the holidays, driving all the way to NJ from TX, he would take me to the LFS and let me pick out a fish or two to add to his tanks. My first fish was a guppy with a brightly colored fan tail. It was exquisite. Looking back on it, my uncle was a wonderful, interesting person, but maybe a bit odd since he was also (at 40) still living with my grandparents and keeping all of these fish in his bedroom upstairs. Never-the-less this is where my love for fish keeping started.

Ten years ago, I became a rescue diver and started to think about a saltwater tank. I was really intimidated by it though and thought only restaurants, offices, major cities and people who could afford to hire others to take care of the tank kept saltwater aquariums, but I let my freshwater tank go and I had to decide if I wanted to start over with another freshwater tank or go for it.

As you know, rule of thumb with freshwater is one inch of fish per gallon. I had just brought home a 55G tank. I'd never had a tank so big and I was really psyched about all the saltwater fish, I'd be able to keep. My first stocking list looked like this:

Lion fish
Frog fish
Snowflake eel
Purple tang
File fish
Clownfish
Butterfly fish
Pederson's shrimp and anenome
urchin
starfish
Christmas Tree Worms

Then I started researching and realized that this would have resulted in a real mess and 55G in salt is not at all like 55G in fresh. I also learned that tangs (and few others on my wish list) would do much better in a bigger tank. I think the seeds for the desire for a larger tank may have been sown even before I got my first Chromis. So I ditched that stocking list and started over: chromis, cardinals, clowns, gobies...until I decided to upgrade to the 90G. I could get a purple tang for my 90G!

I won the purple tang at the frag swap and was over-the-moon. I was so, so excited--you would have thought I'd won a million dollars. Sadly, the tang was rather stressed, showing signs of ick and I got some advice to drip acclimate the tang. He still seemed a little stressed after the acclimation, but getting used to the QT tank and was checking things out and good at 2am. I went to bed and found the tang dead at the bottom of the tank in the morning. I was heartbroken. I was so dissappointed, but I also felt horribly responsible and plus I know a lot of other members would have liked the purple tang. It was a VERY LOW DAY.

A week ago a purple tang was posted for sale in the marketplace. I jumped on it and made arrangements to pick the purple tang up on Friday. All week I looked forward to bringing home the purple tang. My husband was getting sick of hearing about the purple tang. I left for the wilds of NJ for the pick up, but I was stopped cold at the Holland Tunnel. I sat there for an hour, not a single car was moving. I've been in traffic to get out of the city, but this was unbelievable. I called the owner of the Purple Tang to let him know what was up and we decided I'd call in another half hour. That went by and still no one had moved. I couldn't get out of the city. Turned out there had been a terrible motorcycle accident and no one was getting through the tunnel for hours. The owner of the tang was going out of town, so we said we'd reconnet this week.

I got in touch with the owner of the Purple Tang, but he decided that when he got home and put the tang back into his tank that he really liked the way the fish looked and wanted to keep it. No money had been exchanged and he was very apologetic about it, but it was ok with me. I mean who would want to part with such a gorgeous fish anyhow?

So back to the start of my story, it turns out that the owner of the Purple Tang is the owner of the very same LFS that my uncle used to take me to all those years ago as a kid when we'd visit my grandparents in NJ from TX! How amazing! I haven't had a chance to get out to the store yet, but I will and I wonder if I'll recognize it or at least the block. I can't wait to meet the owner. So the Purple Tang didn't turn into an addition to my tank, but the addition to my life that the Purple Tang made represents so much more.

Oh, and by the way, I saw a Red Sea Sail Fin in Drinkmorewater's tank on Sunday and now I'm torn between a Red Sea Sail Fin or Purple Tang. They are both Zebrasoma so putting both in a tank most likely wouldn't work out. I'll have to decide which one. Funny how things work out.

 

[afernandez]

lol reminds me of my father who loves yellow tangs and wanted to put 3 in my 55 lol was willing to pay for them lol

 

[aznt1217]

Nice story. I just refi'd my place as well and it is a KILLER process and the upfront fees could've bought me a sweet reef tank with all the flux capacitors. In the end it's worth it though.

Also in regards to the tangs. People will kill me for saying this but it can be done. Arrange your rockwork properly, make sure the size differential isn't too crazy, and introduce at the same time and you SHOULD be okay. I've done so much stuff people would hang me for but it's been okay so far.

If you see my tank thread you'll see what I mean. I am OBSESSED with angels lol.

 

[LaurieC]

Algel Fish

Nice story. I just refi'd my place as well and it is a KILLER process and the upfront fees could've bought me a sweet reef tank with all the flux capacitors. In the end it's worth it though.

Also in regards to the tangs. People will kill me for saying this but it can be done. Arrange your rockwork properly, make sure the size differential isn't too crazy, and introduce at the same time and you SHOULD be okay. I've done so much stuff people would hang me for but it's been okay so far.

If you see my tank thread you'll see what I mean. I am OBSESSED with angels lol.

Oh, so pretty, I had a freshwater tank of all angels. What kind do you have and how do they do with corals and other inverts? I've been talking to a vendor about a Goldflake Angelfish, but haven't heard price yet (gulp). Angels are majestic for sure. I read an article about a huge all-angel tank, but can't find it now. Sounded really neat!

Ug about refi fees, we are only just starting the fee part. Will be glad when it is done and done! I swear the first time, they didn't care about anything and now, you have to practically give them your dental records.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Ug about refi fees, we are only just starting the fee part. Will be glad when it is done and done! I swear the first time, they didn't care about anything and now, you have to practically give them your dental records.

that's why i have been getting requests for dental records recently.....people are refinancing!!!!......lol.

nice story about the purple tang. it was also my first tang.....she's been with me for over 5 yrs.??? now.
i also have 2 other tangs, an achilles and a hippo.(tang police take note...they are in a 40 gal. breeder....lol...no...they are actually in a 200 gal. display tank.)
sadly the hippo is getting rather big and will need to go to a bigger tank in the near future....but on the positive note, she's going to my friend's 300 gal. display tank....about 15 to 20 min. away....so i can go visit quite easily :smile:

 

[aznt1217]

I had... 3 angels in my 72 Bow, unfortunately one pissed all the fish off and they all ganged up on him and he died. Anyway... the ones that are in here now are great together. I have a Regal Angel and Flame Angel (both added at SEPARATE times)

So far with Corals and Inverts they have been good. When I bought the regal though he had a appetite for Duncans. Although now that has subsided (thank God). lol.

 

[LaurieC]

tomtooth, you are too funny!!! Congratulations on 5 years with your Purple Tang. That is really wonderful to hear. Also, good to see what tangs the purple is getting along with.

aznt1217, love the photo! Those are some beautiful fish! Glad you got the one off the Duncans. How'd you do it?

 

[LaurieC]

Why Isn't Anything Ever Easy?

Saw the show off thread about Palys and Zoes and decided I wanted to participate so what better time to power up the Maristar! I've been running two Coralife 50/50 15w 24" T8's on my tank since Aug. (writing that, I feel like the guy who shows up to a gun fight with a squirt gun). I put the Maristar together with the new bulbs and the feet and hoisted it up over my 55G. Little heavier than the Aqueon hood that came with my tank! I didn't want to burn up my frags so I moved my frag rack to the bottom, back of the tank and planed to only turn on the T5's for two hours (I also have a couple of window screens over my tank). I pluged in the T5 cord, heard a whirl and then a humming, but nothing else. No lights. Hummm, consult information booklet. It explains that it can take 10-15 minutes for the lights to turn on for the first time. I wait, five minutes, ten, fifteen, twenty. Nothing, but the hum. I check the cord which I have plugged into a power strip and think maybe I need to put it in it's own outlet so I try that. Nothing. I turn the light off, wait, flip it back on, nothing. I don't know why, but I look under the hood. Time to call technical support. Danny answers the phone right away and we begin to trouble shoot:

Q: how old is the Maristar?
A: got it last week.
Q: how old are the bulbs?
A: brand new.
Q: all of the bulbs are brand new?
A: yes
Q: they may have cracked in the shipping?
A: no they were delivered by car

Now Danny pauses briefly then says "hummmm. This is getting weird. Are you sure you have the Maristar on? Is the power button light on?"
I say yes, the bright green light is on and the lamp is humming. Danny asks again, "All the bulbs are new?" Yep, they are all new. Then Danny asks, "Did you turn the bulbs when you put them into the sockets"? Yes, I turned the bulbs into place when I put them in the socket. While Danny is on the phone I unplug and plug the light back in, turn the power on and off. Nothing. Danny then says, "I'm afraid you are going to have to take it apart and check the bulbs. Make sure they are in all the way. You can call back if it still doesn't work". Danny gave me his direct exentension. Points to Sunlight Supply Company for available and very nice technical support.

This means I have to take the light fixture off of the tank, turn it over, unscrew ten screws (with two different screw drivers) on the end of the light fixture to remove the feet, remove two big glass panels and check out the bulbs.

First lesson of the day: only finger tighten screws!

I know I turned the bulbs when I put them in the fixture, so I'm thinking this is going to be a huge waste of time, but gotta do it. I test out the bulbs. They turn all the way around, halfway around and a quarter of the way around. If you turn them all the way or halfway around, you can see the little copper colored prong in the slot. If you turn them a quarter of the way around, no prong, just a little green sheild in the slot. I'd had the little copper prong showing in the window. I felt like Sherlock Holmes, "See Watson, what you want is the little green square"!

I put the glass panels back into place, the metal foot, screw it in, place the light over the tank, plug it in and voila! We have light!

Second lesson: leave your light upside down and plug your light in to test it BEFORE you put it on the tank. And maybe even test it before putting in the glass panels and screwing everything into place.

And oh my, I have neon corals in my tank! I wear glasses which I got when I turned sixteen and didn't pass the eyesight test at the DMV. Before then, I'd been walking around with no idea that I wasn't seeing clearly. Everything in my tank popped like the minute I put on my first pair of glasses. Whoa!!! Unfortunatly, I haven't figured out how to get the neon to show up when I take photos, so you'll have to take my word for it, but those green mushrooms are nuclear.

I feel like I should call Danny back to tell him I got it all figured out and the Maristar is perfect. I wonder if he ever leaves his job for the day still wondering if someone's piece of equipment is working or not, if the customer figured out what was wrong. Maybe Danny has a laundry list of unanswered lighting mysteries. I will probobly call Danny to let him know, but right now I'm going to enjoy just looking at all of the new colors in my tank.

 

[InfernoST]

Whoa!!! Unfortunatly, I haven't figured out how to get the neon to show up when I take photos, so you'll have to take my word for it, but those green mushrooms are nuclear.

Shut the flash off on your camera, the only thing is you are going to have to use a tripod because the shutter is going to stay open for a while and you don't want to move the camera when the shutter is open.

 

[rookie07]

Looking good!

 

[triggerhappy]

This is a good read congrats Laurie.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

the humming is usually from the mh not the t5's. the t5's should fire up right away but the mh will take minutes to warm up....also most will not fire up right away after shutting off or if the bulbs are hot and the circuit may wait for it to cool down a bit first.

 

[LaurieC]

Shut the flash off on your camera, the only thing is you are going to have to use a tripod because the shutter is going to stay open for a while and you don't want to move the camera when the shutter is open.

A tripod...yet another thing to buy. lol! Thanks for tip--huge difference!!! Here's a before and after with the flash off. I'll have a photo on the home page before you know. lol!!!

 

[LaurieC]

the humming is usually from the mh not the t5's. the t5's should fire up right away but the mh will take minutes to warm up....also most will not fire up right away after shutting off or if the bulbs are hot and the circuit may wait for it to cool down a bit first.

Maybe humming is the fan? I don't have MH on yet. T5's did come on right away. It is kind of loud between that and the spray bars for the canister filters. Sump coming Sat. Can't wait!!