So its been awhile
It's been awhile since my last post...needless to say we have been busy and the news on the Salty hasn't been good. We lost them all....all "Nemos" even the fat and juicy ones....DEAD! We went away and things weren't lookin so good over Christmas. And when we came...there were 2. Now there are none. So needless to say been a bit discouraged to say the least....
Down to 1 Nemo; we happened upon some help. We had been told of this couple in town who do a lot of work with salt water tanks and fish. But the guy who told us preferred not to give us their name as 1) he would lose some business and 2) he said that the Mr. wasn't very friendly and outgoing. YAY RIGHT! So we happened along their phone number from someone who works in the same shop. Called them up and then went to their place to check them out......WOW...no really WOW WOW WOW. Not friendly??? SUPER nice people. Lynnie and Ken...oriental couple really cool. They have 6 75 gallon salts, 1 30 gallon salt...and get this (ok think in your mind...all in their garage that is fully heated and decked out with 1 couch, 1 loveseat, coffee table, lamps plants etc...kind of like a real living room) a 500 gallon acrylic reef!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable. So the first night we are there just learning...unfortuneately they misjudged who did what with our tanks and I was shown around the pretties...while Larry got the huge information chat...backwards I do all the tank chemistry while he watches...but he is good at water changes...so the first night we are there for over 3 hours!!!!!
Then they came to our house to do a consult on our tank.....quite a bit out of whack, our Nitrite is too high, our dK is way too low, we don't have enough current, our protein skimmer is way too small (Thanks alot Cora) we need to be "turkey basting" the rocks and stuff, cut down our lighting times as our algae is completely out of control. and a few other things on water changes etc. Wow Saltwater 101 all over again. And how long did we visit this time? Another 3 hours...thank God for Mom as she is very patient and watches Zachary all the time...Whew!
So on track we go with a list of chores on the tank.....We schedule them to come back a week later and do ALL the necessary chores that they told us to. All my testing etc....in the meantime Rick and Jen come up for a visit...and Rick the new hobbiest...ok whose tank is it??!! hee hee, wants to check out their setup. We told him he would be amazed. So off the 4 of us go...Jen Rick me and Larry to see Ken and Lynnie. Needless to say Rick and Jen were lovin the tanks! And hey gave us another excuse to drool...thanks to Mom again for babysittin! Another 2.5 hours at their place...and they are scheduled to come to our house for a recheck tomorrow!!!!
Oh, just to say "Jacques" the shrimp, the 2 red bulb anemones, 2 giant feather dusters and the Frogspawn Coral are all alive and doing very well. The last Nemo even with our new tank plan died...sad sad day.
Ken and Lynnie came back the next night...checked our levels and all is FANTASTIC!!! except of course the kit I was using for ALK (dK but different readings) was freakin WRONG!! kept telling me I was really low so I'd add more buffer and really when Ken checked it out I was really high! We went from 6.6 (ideal for our tank is 10) to 14.8. WOWOWOWOW not high enough to kill stuff but still way too high...so bought a new test kit from them. Now all results will be good. Their prices?... amazing! We could have saved a good buck on our lighting from them and will save a ton on other stuff we buy from them. So with regular water changes and maintenance changed ALOT the tank is swimming along nicely. Bit boring cause there is no fish but soon, very soon Ken says we have to try fish. Needless to say I am a bit scared to...have lost a lot of fish now....eeeeck.
Oh yah, bought 2 powerheads from them to get the current up. They dropped them off (they drop stuff off to you whenever you need it...they are just so nice!) and stayed for a visit ... of course! Was only about 1.5 hours but they are just so neat and man does she LOVE Zach.....he thinks shes pretty nice too...actually hugged her! So she was in her glory she loves kids but doesn't have any. Other than her fish of course.
Next is to upgrade the skimmer which they are going to do.....and they are also going to take out all our liverock, anemones, feather dusters, coral and Jacques and rearrange so that the tank has a better flow pattern and not so many dead spots.
Our plan for fish;
1-2 Clown fish...not sure if they will be false or true percula or a Maroon, or a black one...will have to decide
1 Blue Linckia starfish
1 more skunk cleaner shrimp
1 Kole Tang
1 Lawnmower blenny
1 fairy wrasse
Maybe a clam or two...not sure
and maybe another coral...not sure on that either.....
In the big picture....Larry (ok and I) want a 180-250 Acrylic to have a reef tank downstairs and just have it teeming with life...but not yet...have to go slow Larry... right Larry?!
Oh yah and for fish...buying from Ken and Lynnie only as they are all Q'd for at least 14 days but usually up to a month or longer. Very very cool!
Down to 1 Nemo; we happened upon some help. We had been told of this couple in town who do a lot of work with salt water tanks and fish. But the guy who told us preferred not to give us their name as 1) he would lose some business and 2) he said that the Mr. wasn't very friendly and outgoing. YAY RIGHT! So we happened along their phone number from someone who works in the same shop. Called them up and then went to their place to check them out......WOW...no really WOW WOW WOW. Not friendly??? SUPER nice people. Lynnie and Ken...oriental couple really cool. They have 6 75 gallon salts, 1 30 gallon salt...and get this (ok think in your mind...all in their garage that is fully heated and decked out with 1 couch, 1 loveseat, coffee table, lamps plants etc...kind of like a real living room) a 500 gallon acrylic reef!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable. So the first night we are there just learning...unfortuneately they misjudged who did what with our tanks and I was shown around the pretties...while Larry got the huge information chat...backwards I do all the tank chemistry while he watches...but he is good at water changes...so the first night we are there for over 3 hours!!!!!
Then they came to our house to do a consult on our tank.....quite a bit out of whack, our Nitrite is too high, our dK is way too low, we don't have enough current, our protein skimmer is way too small (Thanks alot Cora) we need to be "turkey basting" the rocks and stuff, cut down our lighting times as our algae is completely out of control. and a few other things on water changes etc. Wow Saltwater 101 all over again. And how long did we visit this time? Another 3 hours...thank God for Mom as she is very patient and watches Zachary all the time...Whew!
So on track we go with a list of chores on the tank.....We schedule them to come back a week later and do ALL the necessary chores that they told us to. All my testing etc....in the meantime Rick and Jen come up for a visit...and Rick the new hobbiest...ok whose tank is it??!! hee hee, wants to check out their setup. We told him he would be amazed. So off the 4 of us go...Jen Rick me and Larry to see Ken and Lynnie. Needless to say Rick and Jen were lovin the tanks! And hey gave us another excuse to drool...thanks to Mom again for babysittin! Another 2.5 hours at their place...and they are scheduled to come to our house for a recheck tomorrow!!!!
Oh, just to say "Jacques" the shrimp, the 2 red bulb anemones, 2 giant feather dusters and the Frogspawn Coral are all alive and doing very well. The last Nemo even with our new tank plan died...sad sad day.
Ken and Lynnie came back the next night...checked our levels and all is FANTASTIC!!! except of course the kit I was using for ALK (dK but different readings) was freakin WRONG!! kept telling me I was really low so I'd add more buffer and really when Ken checked it out I was really high! We went from 6.6 (ideal for our tank is 10) to 14.8. WOWOWOWOW not high enough to kill stuff but still way too high...so bought a new test kit from them. Now all results will be good. Their prices?... amazing! We could have saved a good buck on our lighting from them and will save a ton on other stuff we buy from them. So with regular water changes and maintenance changed ALOT the tank is swimming along nicely. Bit boring cause there is no fish but soon, very soon Ken says we have to try fish. Needless to say I am a bit scared to...have lost a lot of fish now....eeeeck.
Oh yah, bought 2 powerheads from them to get the current up. They dropped them off (they drop stuff off to you whenever you need it...they are just so nice!) and stayed for a visit ... of course! Was only about 1.5 hours but they are just so neat and man does she LOVE Zach.....he thinks shes pretty nice too...actually hugged her! So she was in her glory she loves kids but doesn't have any. Other than her fish of course.
Next is to upgrade the skimmer which they are going to do.....and they are also going to take out all our liverock, anemones, feather dusters, coral and Jacques and rearrange so that the tank has a better flow pattern and not so many dead spots.
Our plan for fish;
1-2 Clown fish...not sure if they will be false or true percula or a Maroon, or a black one...will have to decide
1 Blue Linckia starfish
1 more skunk cleaner shrimp
1 Kole Tang
1 Lawnmower blenny
1 fairy wrasse
Maybe a clam or two...not sure
and maybe another coral...not sure on that either.....
In the big picture....Larry (ok and I) want a 180-250 Acrylic to have a reef tank downstairs and just have it teeming with life...but not yet...have to go slow Larry... right Larry?!
Oh yah and for fish...buying from Ken and Lynnie only as they are all Q'd for at least 14 days but usually up to a month or longer. Very very cool!
posted by Sarah at
11:50 p.m.
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