NEW PICS!!!

[playa0069u]

here is what my 10 gallon looks like with a 55 watt 50/50 on it... <b> <b>

unfortunately, it got to 84 degrees so now it looks like this <b> <b> it has a no 15 watt daylight on it which i what i was going to use anyways so w/e I AM going to use two of them though because as you can see the back of the tank isnt lit up lol.

here is my 1.5 or so gallon pico I am probably going to take it down and put everything in it in the 10 gallon well not everything but anything alive and the 1 piece of bought LR. the right side is all gulf rock i found at the beach... i am hesitant to put it in because of the beach stuff. is it ok to use?
and here is my hermit crab i found at the beach... and id?

here is my starfish that came on the LR, well actually he was already in the back somehow lol but any id on this? starfish arm lol




there is also a red fuzzy starfish, id on that? no stripes.

and last but not least, my LR with all the crap on it. Should i pull off the macro algae and orange sponge or no? There is also a white bulgy sponge on the back...

[playa0069u]

oh ya here is my corul that is practically dead that came on the LR
id???


also, do i need to leave lights on while the tank cycles? or will all of my coraline die without it.?

[Reef_Angel]

I answered the question about cycling your tank assuming that someone gave you some live sand out of their already cycled tank. A tank that they started from scratch without taking anything from the ocean. Now I'm reading another question from you and seeing the pictures of your new tanks. To my dismay, I see all the things have been taken directly from the ocean. I'm not trying to be rude, but CAPTIVE REEFING is all about trying to save the reef by doing a great deal of captive breeding. We strive here at Captive Reefing to encourage people NOT to steal the life from the ocean, seeing as our Reef's are growing more endangered all the time from people who illegally harvest reef life and sell it. I believe that it is against the law in many areas to take rock, sand and reef life out of the ocean. May I ask if it is illegal in your area? I know that many people do it anyway. As for identifications of what you have in your tank, there are many things there that I can't identify, either due to poor photography which is common as reef critters can be difficult to photograph, or the fact that some of those things pictured are not commonly sold in a Local Fish Store=LFS and more research would have to be done. The reason LFS's don't carry certain species is because they are possibly very dangerous or just plain illegal to harvest. I can however identify the culpera plant growing on the rock with what you're calling sponge next to it. I can't see the "sponge" well enough either to say that it's definitely a sponge. It likely is. Did you hold that rock up out of the water when you harvested it? If you did, and the orange stuff is a sponge, you may likely have killed it and it will die off over time in your tank. Your white crab...I've never seen before. It could be a good reef inhabitant, or it could be something that will eventually dine on any other inhabitants that you add to the tank (from an LFS=Local Fish Store) I say this because I'm hoping you intend to continue your new hobby by going through stores, and taking the time to do a lot of reading about how to set up a reef. As I stated in the other response to your cycling question, we are more than happy to help you. There are many references online like our site that will help you, and literature beyond your wildest dreams. Do your research and make a decision on how you wish to continue with your tanks. I hope you don't intend to keep taking ocean life that makes it's home there. Please leave the reef to grow. Reefing done in a captive environment may cost you, but we all pay a price to learn and enjoy a hobby as fascinating as having your own reef. You'll really have more of a full understanding as you keep these animals alive, just how much effort it takes to keep them, and also why your fellow reefers are so adamant about how reefing is conducted.

People find coral, fish & other critters that they know nothing about, and try to mimic their environment... not knowing what they've even captured, what it's related to, what it eats, what temperature the water needs to be, how much filtration is needed, rapid flow from a power head or med, light or dark, what coral & fish can even cohabitate with the selection you happened across...and I'll stop there because that's a lot to know & think about right there. There's so much more involved. Do you know that a bite or sting from some of these creature are very deadly, and there isn't much help at your local hospital or poison control center. There are a few cures that may or may not work, but even if you find a hospital, or make it there on time, would you be able to identify the reef animal that may have bitten you.

Lastly, You may also realize that in the ocean reef, these creatures are at the mercy of whatever predators wants to end their lives so their own life can continue. I believe it's called the "circle of life". The reef is an amazing place, and should be left to grow so the "circle" can continue. Please consider starting over and creating your own reef. You'll be so amazed at what can happen with a glass box, some clean reef sand, one dead fresh shrimp and some RODI=Reverse Osmosis De-Ionization water, some rock from your LFS, and watch some real magic begin. You will have so much respect for the reef and the life the grows there, than you ever thought possible. You'll find some real good friends here as Captive Reefing, that will walk you through this amazing process with patience, and great respect! Angel :angel1:

[mutts]

the macro is Halimeda Plant

from liveaquaria
"The Halimeda plant is a green calcareous macroalgae found within tropical oceans worldwide, and is a beautiful decorative plant for a marine aquarium. The irregular oval segments of Halimeda appear as several small green coins glued from end-to-end, forming a chain. For this reason, Halimeda may also be called the Money Plant. Calcareous algae deposit calcium carbonate in their tissues, and require a sufficient calcium level in the aquarium in order to thrive.
Halimeda are generally hardy in a marine aquarium, and few fish will feed on it. It is not an invasive plant that will cause harm to close neighboring corals or invertebrates. In addition to light, it requires a sufficient level of calcium to grow. They are not as tolerant of high nitrate or phosphate levels compared to some other algae. They also do not tolerate extensive pruning."
"Quick Stats
Care Level: Moderate
Light: Moderate
Water Flow: Medium
Tank Conditions: 72-78&#176;F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Color Form: Green
Reef Compatible: Yes
Ideal Supplements: Calcium, Iron, Trace Elements
Origin: Hawaii
Family: Halimedaceae "

I have one and like it alot so I'm on the side of letting it stay in your tank. Becareful if you decied to prun it though. It is very picky about how much you take off it.

Thats all I can help with.

[playa0069u]

I'm sorry u missunderstood me a little bit i think. i realize thatyoyu are upset thati took it fromt he wild but it is not all from the wild. The small 1.5 gallon tank has 2 small, the size of my fist, rocks that i grabbed from green key beach. this beach is the dumpiest beach I have ever seen. It is about as long as my house and nobody goes there except rednecks and stoners (and me when I was bored) anyways i grabbed a little water a handful of sand and found 1 small rocksand some rubble. The 10 gallon tank is all bought, well not bought but... not collected form the ocean stuff. aragonite sand from a friends old tank(not live btw) dried base rock from a redneck who through a bottle through his tank and then gave it to me, and bought LR. and a cup of sand (less than a cup) from a generous LFS. I would never rob a reef of all of its inhabitants, i was just bored and saw some small rocks washed up in a mangrove and grabbed them, while walking away, i saw the CUTEST little hermit crab and couldnt resist... sorry bout that lol but he is white with brwon lines and i also caught a bigger one but they didnt get along so i brought him right back, I was careful not to let him touch anything that didnt come from the beach so i wouldnt bring anything bad back to the beach. This is all in the 1.5 gallon.. THE TEN gallon is nothing from the ocean. i was just wondering if the hermit crab and the bought LR from the pico could be put in the nano... i mean if it was safe to. ANYWAYS there is a white bulgy sponge on the back of the LR in the 10 and i was wondering if it was ok. i tried to keep the lr submersed th whole time i took it out for maybe 30 seconds

[dsfdbutterfly]

I think you are comming along and well on your way of owning a saltwater tank! Angel brings up good points that we all have to be mindful of. I don't think that you have stepped over any line that any of us haven't done while at the beach. I know I have a few jars of sand and some shells (some that had inhabitants at the time) from beaches I've visited.

My advice at this time would be to keep an eye on the LR in your 10 gallon. Don't remove anything until it smells bad or generally appears to be dead. Sponges in all their glory are always a good thing to have. If it is dead then they usually just melt away in the water (what doesn't dissipate you can try to remove if it is dead).

My second thing would be not to mix what you got at the local beach and what you are trying to make for your 10 gallon. The composition could be totally different and cause a crash of your system or many other problems that would take me forever to list. Watch it in your pico if you choose and see what happens. Its a small enough tank that if things don't go right after a couple of months your not too invested. Then again it may go wonderfully and you can share your experience with us.

If you can keep the plant growing I would keep it. Plants in a reef tank are a great addition as well as helping keep things balanced. Since it's not a nucience algae your ahead of the game. Good luck with it and keep the pics comming. I like how you set up your tank. Hold on cuz if you thought you were hooked before it only gets worse once the tank is wet!

Angie

[JustDavidP]

Halimeda is very sensitive to water quality. It also shocks if there are abrupt changes in Calcium. You'll know if this happens...it just tends to break apart, branch by branch, and melt away.

D

[playa0069u]

ya it looks like crap soo... BUt should i have the light on during the cycle? i mean if i ignored the halimeda... i heard it will just kick up lots of algae. If i leave the light off will my coraline die? also look at my picture, the nano. on the top in the middle there is a purple thing. I just saw it move today and it stuck out a squashed oval tube thingy. it didnt move persay, but it opened a little. what do i do with this? wont it die because of the low lighting? if it does die wont my ammonia go nuts? btw thanks for all your help guys. I am also on coral forums, and you guys are SOOOOO much nicer and more informative than them.

[JustDavidP]

IMHO...unless you have real problems with Cyano, Hair Algae etc, I am not a fan of dark cycling. It made my cycle longer. Probably because of the die off from the macro and other stuff that needs the light.

[lReef lKeeper]

i agree with JustDavidP on this subject. IME it took my tanks longer to cycle also !!

IMHO...unless you have real problems with Cyano, Hair Algae etc, I am not a fan of dark cycling. It made my cycle longer. Probably because of the die off from the macro and other stuff that needs the light.