Tank Journal Archive

[ReeferRob]

OK, Vanuatu is coming back online for the USA in 3 weeks so I'm gonna be busier than a 1 armed paper hanger in a gale. There are quite a few pieces coming in over the next month for me and I want to be ready to quarantine them and keep them from public view. I don't really have an area in the shop to do so without building a partition and I REALLY don't want to do that. Since there are no LFS anymore in the area we've also decided to do retail 2 weekends a month instead of 1.

I set the 57 back up, it looks like someone dumped 4l of milk in the damn thing. I will be reusing a lot of extra equipment, I will also be downsizing the return to a DC 3000 or 4000, the 6000 is going to be put on the other system. We'll also be adding 2 more 40 gallon breeder tanks that are 90x45x40cm with that 2 tank system having a total volume of about 400l give or take with a UV to keep the tanks separate just in case cooties come in. I haven't had any issues since I dumped one supplier and he's gone out of business.

 

[Sam Parker]

Keen to see what fish are coming in that you want to keep from public view :D

 

[ReeferRob]

Keen to see what fish are coming in that you want to keep from public view :D

There are a few Centropyge angels they have that I would like to get in. A box from there is about $1500 for the oddballs and you have to get your order in the minute they post an availability if you want anything. I've had a dozen or so people ask me about the Tigerpyge as well and they have those most of the time. The last list I got had 2 Coral Beauty hybrids that I wanted to try with corals to see if they're safe.

I would be pissed if I was in a shop and they kept telling me stuff wasn't for sale. I have to take care of my wholesale accounts first and foremost, they've gotten me to where I am today. Retail is about 10% of my business right now, it'll go up. That's my motivation for doing this and to ensure my display tanks at home stay clean and free of diseases.

 

[Agent M]

I would be pissed if I was in a shop and they kept telling me stuff wasn't for sale.

If its clearly marked SOLD or HOLD FOR ROB I don't find it irritating in the slightest for something to be on view. I say go for it, you're the one that puts all the work in bringing all of this stuff in and deserve it anyway.

Good idea keeping the system isolated from the other tanks if shipments will be coming in regularly.

 

[ReeferRob]

The problem is, I keep the top notch stuff for myself, lol. That's the perk of seeing what came in first. I also worry about cross contamination just from a splash, it can and has happened.

Now I gotta find someone to sneak over to @Wrangy 's place and bag up those corals, throw them in a box and get them on a plane before he gets back home. And be damn careful with that Firetruck or HEADS VILL ROLL!!!

 

[Wrangy]

I'm with Sam! Definitely need to see some photos of the Vanuatu stock once it comes in :D not often the Aussie's get a behind the scenes tour ;) lol

The problem is, I keep the top notch stuff for myself, lol. That's the perk of seeing what came in first. I also worry about cross contamination just from a splash, it can and has happened.

Now I gotta find someone to sneak over to @Wrangy 's place and bag up those corals, throw them in a box and get them on a plane before he gets back home. And be damn careful with that Firetruck or HEADS VILL ROLL!!!

Hahaha you and about every other American that has read any of my many journals has threatened that, I'm screwed if you all gang up and come get me I have been sharing it though so it is safeguarded from loss :)

 

[ReeferRob]

No worries, your corals are safe. Those red acros ship horribly and I'm hoping that the new mariculture place that I started dealing with will be able to grow some for shipping to see if they do any better. If I could get a few colonies here in good shape I'd dedicate a system to them or have one of my customers grow them for me.

 

[Wrangy]

No worries, your corals are safe. Those red acros ship horribly and I'm hoping that the new mariculture place that I started dealing with will be able to grow some for shipping to see if they do any better. If I could get a few colonies here in good shape I'd dedicate a system to them or have one of my customers grow them for me.

They do ship terribly lol it took me 7 months to colour the red back up from when I originally received it! It would definitely be worth the effort if you could get a healthy piece, colony or frag in!

 

[ReeferRob]

If I could get one here that wasn't a coral milkshake in a bag I would. I'm going to try them again now that the weather's cooled off here.

 

[Wrangy]

If I could get one here that wasn't a coral milkshake in a bag I would. I'm going to try them again now that the weather's cooled off here.

Lol well I'll keep my fingers crossed for you then!

 

[ReeferRob]

OK, plans have changed just slightly. I am going to be using 3 40 breeders (150l) instead of 2 so I'll be able to skim off the cream of the crop for us. I'm also going to go look at a Marineland deep dimensions 300 gallon tomorrow. The stands are stained and urethaned so sometime this weekend we'll get the fill. Still need a metric shittonne of plumbing fittings. Plumbing 1 tank is bad enough, try doing it for 3 or more, lol.

 

[ReeferRob]

The tanks are drilled, the overflow boxes are built, gonna cobble it together tomorrow and take some pictures. All that needs to be done is the stand assembled, plumbing installed and filled. I also need to get this acrylic glue off my damn fingers!!! We had to bring the stand into the house in 4 pieces because it wouldn't fit through the door.

 

[Wrangy]

Can't wait to see some pics of the setup! :) Sounds like you've got some fun plumbing times ahead haha

 

[ReeferRob]

Had to go back to the original idea of 2 side by side tanks instead of 3, just not enough room to do it.Tanks were started while you guys were sleeping, about 3am your time. I've been playing with vinegar in the 57, the ammonia broke in 2 days! Gonna try it in the dual system and see if it was just a fluke or if it really does help the bacteria colonize faster. As promised a few pics:

 

[ReeferRob]

Something to be said about vinegar dosing during the cycle, it shortens it considerably. The rock was stuff out of one of the vats, so it was live. 3 days and this one was done too. I WILL be dosing vinegar on all cycling tanks from now on.