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5K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  tdwyatt 
#1 ·
I'm new to this board and I'm glad I found it.
I am starting a new tank that will be 520 gallons. I have about 5,000 pounds of {REAL}live rock that was collected back in 1995 before the live rock closer in Florida . I have been holding this rock in large holders for all this time so it is cured and free of anything bad including brisle worms . The only problem I have is that this is the best of best rock I cherry picked the rock my self
out of dive trip. So it is going to be hard to build the reef I have really nie arhes and ledges. My question is I have one rock that looks just like a tolit seat I'm thinking that it got thrown down at sea a long time ago it is a perfect circle and I can find a good place to put it in the center
of the tank this rock is encrusted and and I hate to drill a hole in it to see what is inside of the rock. Dose anyone think it is okay to use? This tank will have a sand bed for filter and many sand janitors. I have found that sand dollars make a great adition
to the tank I have them growing in many of my sand vats and they hitched hike in with the live sand as we collected it they must have been very small because we rinse the sand very well when it gets to the surface and loaded on the boat. My husband dosen't think I should worry about it and thinks it is just a odd shape rock. My biggest problem is picking out the rock for this tank I have the cream of the crop to chose from so I guess I will get started today wish me luck.
Sea Ya ,.
P.S. I will have left overFlorida Live rock the real thing....if anyone is in need of some nice shapes ..Hailey
 
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#2 ·
Hailey,
First off, WELCOME


Sounds like you have a piece of elkhorn coral. It will be great! You're right about the sand dollars, I love them too.

Have fun putting the tank together, I know you must be excited. Take pictures, when this is over you won't believe it if you don't have before, during, and after pictures.


We're in Islamorada, where is Santa Rosa Beach? Are we neighbors?

Take care,
Jerel
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply so fast . It is not Elk Horn coral. It is the same rock my dad use to send to Julian Sprung and Scott Micheals and Charles Delbeck back when live rock was legal to harvest. My dad dose have some aquaculter sites now with rock growing but I wanted the real deal. I have sand dollars that are living in one tank that is 6 years old and I don't real feed them any I do use sea water for water changes I'm sure this helps get the food they need. Hailey
 
#5 ·
Jerly,
I ask my father and he said yes he dose know of your Dad. We hung out alot in Grassy Key. Martin Moe and some other people had made some large ponds at a friends house in the keys at first he was going to try to raise the Florida lobster and he wrote a book on Florida Lobster. Way back about 10-to12 years ago. I guess you have read some of his books on marine aquariums we call Skip< Mr. Moe> the mentor of the marine aquariums.
Anyway we had a lots of fun. I can say I have had my fair share of collecting snails and blue leg crabs in the keys. My dad says that his, RS and marine life indorsment is very rare there are only a few of us that have these permits now. The closer of the live rock harvest really put a lot of marine life collectors out of bussiness. Those were the good old days tubs of fresh live rock...
I bet we have crossed paths before.
Sea Ya. Hailey .. I'm putting water in my tank today... <Finally>
 
#6 ·
Welcome to the Board ! and good luck with your tank.

Looks like you live right on the water, according to Mapquest.

So... am I to understand that you have extra rock? What do you want for it?
 
#9 ·
Hi Hailey,

Great to have you here!
5000# of genuine Fla. LR is a real treasure trove! Careful that "Reef Pirates" don't find out where the stash is hidden!

Again, welcome to The Reef Tank!
Dick
 
#10 ·
My tank is almost finished. I have water in my 500 gallon reef tank . I decided to add the Tolit Seat... I checked it outand it was a rock formation that was just a big circle I just I let my imagation run away with me but looking at this 40 pound rock for 4 years got the best of me. I put down 100 pounds of sand and I'm sure I will add more at some time later this summer I did not use as much rock as I thought I would. I am guessing I put 300 pounds in. My dad was not to happpy with me wanting to use sea water for my tank he said his back hurt and he did not want to haul water on his boat but after
begging him and offering to wash his truck for 2 months he took a few friends of mine out on the Bertrum to collect water he took us way off shore to retrive the water he said I had to do it right but I think he just wanted to go Blue Marlin fishing.. It took us 2 days to get all the water . I do live on the water so I was able to pump the water off the boat and that made it alot easier but next time I think I will use instant ocean that was a lot of hard work and my Dad just drank beer and drove the boat we had to do all the work even my boyfriend thought I was crasy not to use instant ocean. But now my tank is very clear and all the jantors are doing fine I put
200 snails and 400 blue legg crabs and 100 scarlet red crabs and 12 sea cucumbers plus many star fish of assorted kinds I like the white and black ones that come in off the rock .I will wait and add sand dollars in about a month.I don't think I will add many fish but I would like a pair of Randall Gobies but they are hard to find where I live. I'm trying to keep this tank very simply. I don't want to be chasing my calicum levels or PH I have found that if you keep it simply thingsare a lot easier I do have a protein skimmer made by EST it is a few years old and I added VHO and Metal Halide lights and have them on a timer my concern is the heat I did not have the funds for a chiller that will come later. I'm only 17 years old and I still have to get a car so the chiller has to wait. Dose anyone see a problem running a tank of this size without a chiller? I do have several fans in the hood and in the sump area. The tank is staying at 76. I will send some pictures as soon as I can this is my dream tank I have been looking at this tank for 2 years dry just waitng for my dad to plumb it for me.
I'm going to the Jr. Olympics Aug 1 --4th
in Norfolk,Va I'm in Taekwondo I hope nothing happens to my tank when I'm gone I do have a friend that is going to top it off for me while I'm gone when I get back I will take pictures for everyone to see . Hailey
 
#11 ·
Hey Hailey,
and my Dad just drank beer and drove the boat we had to do all the work
Isn't that the way it's supposed to be??

It has to be a good feeling to see this tank beginning to shape up. I hope you keep us up to date as it progresses.
One thing, watch out for those Hermits! That many, even in a tank as large as yours, can be very harmful to your snails.
Please read this article by Dr. Shimek about snails, hermits, and other clean up critters: http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/library/articleview2.asp?Section=&RecordNo=166
Good luck in the Jr. Olympics!
Dick
 
#14 ·
Hey Tank owners, I returned from the Junior Olypmics on Sunday and My tank was out of power for two days from the storm and no harm at all.... the natural system has saved me many times.
Due to the storm our flight was delayed and my helper did not know how to get the power going. I got a Gold Metal in Sparring and a Sliver metal in Forms I had a great time and I still can't belive it.
My mother said she would buy me a chiller for doing so good at the AAU Olympics last weekend what a deal. I will email pictures soon. P. S My new tank is going as planned I need to knock on wood...
Sea Ya Hailey Loy
 
#15 ·
Congrats on the wins at Jr Olympics, Reefing and TaeKwonDo are both full time commitments but I have found over the years martial arts have given me the ability to focus on reef keeping. Give up the fight and surrender to the philosophy and its all the same.Waiting anxiously for pics of the new tank. Glad to see successive generations follow tradition, Tho I have only been doing reefs about 4 yrs now I have been into salt water tanks since 75. FWIW I studied Aikido for about 3 yrs, along with smatters of other arts here and there. But its really all the same at the core and the lessons learned go waybeyond the dojo or the street. Good luck and have fun


[ 08-11-2001: Message edited by: Doug1 ]
 
#17 ·
CONGRATULATIONS, HAILEY!!!
Hailey,
That is is quite an achievement!

Also glad your tank made it through your absence. Large tanks can be more forgiving; many smaller tanks have a tough time surviving power outages of more than a few hours due to lack of water movement/oxygenization.
Dick
 
#18 ·
Hi Hailey,

Welcome to the reef tank!

Just an aside, by using the sand dollars in a closed system, the number and diversity of sand critters wil gradually dwindle, as the sand dollars can just about sterilize the sand as they digest their food sources out of the substrate. Many systems, both professional aquarium sizes (is Dr. Adey and the smithsonian systems, etc) and hobbyist- sized, shy away from using sand dollars for this reason, although the sand will look really great (ie white) while they are alive. You are very fortunate to live on the water, you'll be able to add a fresh source of planktonic life to your system on a regular basis, and you will be able to keep many creature for that reason that the rest of us will never be able to keep easily (and also so fortunate to be near Martin and the likes!) I hope your system not only survives, but thrives. You will be able to all but have an open system!!!

Good luck, and congrats on the Jr. Olympics awards!
 
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