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2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Brooke 
#1 ·
Well, it's 7:00pm and we haven't even started aquascaping yet. AAAAAAAAaahhhhhhhhhhh!! We picked up the fish we were getting last night and they are happy in their 18g rubbermaid container, along with a huge torch coral and some rock. This morning we got the tank. Here's a brief outline of the day so far:

9:00-pick up tank
10:00-get home. Jon installs GFCI (he should have done days ago) and realizes with the wiring in our 50+ year old house, that there was no ground on that circuit
10:30-1:30-Jon installs new electric wires to the breaker box and installs the gfci
(Brooke watches Tennis)
1:30-3:00-We leveled the stand. Took the sump out of our 100g tank, removed a brace from the back of the stand so we could slide the 4' sump in, and then moved the sump into the stand.
3:00- Talk Jon's dad into breaking his back and the 3 of us move the big glass tank on the stand. Man glass this thick is heavy.
4:00-7:00-Brooke cleans bubble algae off all of the rocks, catches the fish, etc. No bristles in my fingers!! Yeah!
Jon was busy going to home depot for some final plumbing stuff and cleaning the skimmer, return lines, etc.

I've read this somewhere before, but now I believe it. The return lines on this tank were clear plastic and were coated inside with a coralline-like algae/sludge. I think its best to use opaque or black pipes/tubing for the tank, especially if you light the sump to keep algae from growing in the lines.

So, so far, so good. I didn't catch the dottyback till there was 2 inches of water left in the tank and we removed the very last rock. What a bugger!

So, now a break and then its aquascaping time. I'll try to post a pic later!

Brooke
 
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#4 ·
Yeah, Rick...this is great fun...head to toe saltwater. I have that fresh ocean smell!

Jerel- Good advice. Since I watched tennis half the day I'm not too tired yet. Jon is letting me take breaks since I'm still sick. We'll probably get the plumbing checked out tonight, let the water settle, and finish scaping tomorrow.

Can't wait till the dust settles and we can turn the MH on and scare the neighbors.....fun!

Brooke
 
#5 ·
(he should have done days ago)
I want to get in my side of the story, someone needs to work, and I have been getting over a very bad cold, which I gave to Brooke and fun stuff like mowing

All in all beside the 3 hourelectrical detour it has gone fairly well.
Jonathan
 
#6 ·
Hi Brooke & Jon! This is where a time out may be in order and see where you are at and pick it up again later. You want to feel fresh and clear minded as you progress. Words I would have trouble living by because I get very anxious and want it done now.
It sounds like things are moving along and hope there will not be too many hidden obstacles in your path. I bet through all the hard work and chaos, you are getting just a wee bit excited!! Johnny
 
#7 ·
Hi Brooke,

Looks like I am not the only one who has been busy last night/today. Ready for this?

4 pm yesterday - call US Air to verify my LR from paragon is in route. Find out plane is delayed 4 hours. B'tch and complain about them not re-routing perishable items on express delivery. Guy at airport says they are closed all weekend. B and C again about death and such if I have to wait till tuesday. Guy says to call back in a few hours.

8 pm call airport guy again. Missed the flight AGAIN!! Call 800 number and raise hell with them. They call around.. get guys in Pittsburgh. They promise to have it out on first flight in am. 800 lady says they will call at 7 am to let me know.

9 pm Call Paragon.. Mike is as livid as I am.. consoles and soothes me.

7 am today.. get call from US Air. They say it will be in at 11:30 am. I say thank you and go back to sleep.

12 noon. Arrive at airport.. counter people have no idea what I am asking for. Demand they call contact name I have. They reach her. She says it hasn't arrive. I go ballistic, call 800 number again. I rant and rave about them telling me it will be here etc and its not. They call pittsburgh, guy says it missed the flight, wasn't brought to him on time. I ask to be transferred to him, I ream him. He tells me it was US Air's fault not his, he is US Air Express. Tells me he personally put it on the 1pm flight. (Stop conversation so lady at ticket counter can threaten to call security if I don't watch my language.. I ignore her but tone it down some.. she storms off.)

1pm..I drive back home to get 30 gallon tank and some lunch. Call Mike again and we console each other. I call 800 number and raise more heck just to make sure they understand that I am not happy (in case they are dense). Lady promises to take it up with regional director on Tuesday. I offer to teleconference with him... she says she will ask if he will be willing. Offers to send me claim form for shipping costs that she will make sure it gets refunded. Give her my fax and phone number and ask her to call airport and make sure to call me when it arrives.

2pm get 30 gallon, big bottle of DT's and head back to airport. Get call on the way, plane has landed, they are checking.

2:15 get stuck in traffic, someones sled has decided to spontaneously combust on freeway.. choke and weeze as I go by (rubber neck of course).

2:30 get call from 800 lady. They have it and are bringing it to the counter now.

2:45 pull into airport (again) get luggage cart for $2 bucks (again). Go back to counter. Lady who threatened security on me glares and me. I smile back. Other lady tells me the box is at the end. I put it on cart, ask if they need anything, she says no and I walk off. Get half way to car... she catches up and lets me know she needs the check from me. I curse to myself, should have walked faster..... yes I knew.. but if they don't ask.... anyway.. walk BACK to terminal. Write check. Luggage lady waits patiently, apologizing for problems. I flirt.. she is cute and it wasn't her fault
Give her check smile again to the other ticket lady who is glaring still. Tell cute one to have a nice day and walk back out and load it up.

3:30 pm on the road.. on the phone with Mike, we are both relieved, but still hot. He says he will follow up on refund from his end. I tell him thats fine, appreciate his help and don't blame him.

4:30 pull in at home. Get tank in the townhouse. Get rock in. Unpack rock .. ooh and awe at quality. Call Mike excited.. great stuff!! Find a rock crab, toss him in a tupperware bowl with water to take to LFS tomorrow. Find another one, spear him with knife make sure he's dead. Pull him out as much as I can. Fine 4 inch long 1/4 inch thick bristle worm (steel blue in color) drop him in 12 eclipse until I get an id on him.

5:30 drain water from 120 into 30. Fill 5 gallon bucket too. Put good stuff in 30, along with fish and shrimp. Can't get them all... pull rock out and put old LR in styro.. chase purple tang.. get him in 30. Pull out another piece of LR see fire fish fall to carpet.. put him in 30.. take head count. Think I got them all...

6:00 Lug 4 bags of SD from garage. Wash it and put it in. Tank clouds up.. swear somemore and freak out a bit. Send first message here


7:00 done.. lock cat in bedroom.. he is eyeing fish too hard. Put lights and lid on 30 and put heater in and thermometer. Go back to tank. Freak out again.. make another post here and answer some.

7:30 wonder about drying LR and snails.. decide to put the LR in stryo back in tank. Turn on pumps.

8:00 answer more posts here. Freak out still... look in bottom of styro.. find a few snails, put them in eclipse.

8 - 10 send a few more messages, relax that jeral says things will be okay... kick myself again for not doing a DSB to start.

10:30 start this post and put load in washer.. relax and let cat out of bedroom. Chase him away from the 30 again.. grrrr..

Sigh.. now I feel better. This is theraputic!!
 
#8 ·
First off, let me say that my hubby is a man of many talents. He crawls under the house to reinforce the floor, he can be an electrician one day and a plumber the next.


Dave- I don't envy what you've been through at all! Makes our day seem like a breeze! Watch your ammonia levels and have plenty of water on hand for changes and you should be just fine! Your tank will thank you for the DSB one day


Brooke
 
#9 ·
Uhhhhhh, Jon, forgery is a no no....

Dave, I hope I have better luck as I have a case of un-cured live rock on order at this moment from Paragon. Holiday, Goverment troubles and all that fun stuff seem to be reeking havoc with shipments or at least potentialy for mine from what Mike is saying.

Jon/Brooke, I'm feeling bummed that I can't come help with the transition. I'm already booked for RenFest tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday I was scheduled to do my own re-wiring job. The reef tank is on the same curcuit as the space-saver mocrowave and keeps blowing the curcuit when running the microwave. Major re-wire job as everything is already finished. (note to others...keep in mind, reef lighting sucks LOTS of watts of power...)

J&B...call or e-mail if ya need a hand...
JJ
 
#10 ·
Hi JJ,

I hope so too. I am sure Mike will do everything from his end as best he can. He has been pretty good with all this, even the constant phone calls. I will have no problem going back to him repeatedly for business. Can't say the same for US Air though. You will love the quality of his rock, it is amazing let me tell you. I lucked out when I started my 120 and got some great LR from a guy locally who had had his tank setup for 20 years or so. The stuff that Mike sent me today is close to that as far as coraline growth goes, but it actually surpassed it with algae, lps and softies it had. He pointed out a blue mushroom that was in one of the rocks and I can't wait to see it wide open and in my (hopefully soon) clear tank. Again, my troubles were the direct result of US Air and not paragon. Matter of fact, I am getting more nassarius from him soon and any replacement tiger trochus from what dies off from this DSB change.
 
#11 ·
Thanks JJ-
Actually that really was me. I didn't realize Jon was still logged in on my laptop.
Sure looked suspicious, though, huh. Enjoy Renfest. All the really hard work is behind us now...hopefully.

The tank is relatively clear this morning. Jon is still snoozing. I feel great. Time to get busy


Brooke
 
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