Howdy!

[R34dawn]

Howdy! and welcome to 3Reef....Nice tonga branch

[bmshehan]

The rock doesn't need to be off of the backwall, just the front and sides since you will want to look through them. Also, make sure that it is VERY sturdy, resting on the glass on the bottom (sand sifting critters down the road might dig under the rock and knock it over) and wont tip. Some snails are very prone to rearranging LR for you! Glad to hear that you don't trust the LFS's advice, only bad things and bank account drains happen quickly in this hobby! Ask lots of questions and research! Oh, I almost forgot, WELCOME to the best sw forum on the net!!

[TritonsGarden]

Originally Posted by Ash and Mike

Thanks for the warm welcome! ^.^
And to Tritonsgarden: Do you think that the rocks shouldn't be against the back wall as well, kind of like free standing in the middle? (Only reason I ask is that we would probably have to zip-tie everything if we did it that way...and we don't really want to disturb the tank too much.) Thanks for the compliment about the aquascaping, you have no idea how long we thought it over >.< lol

The back wall is a matter of preference. I never clean mine but some do. Even if you never clean it, some space behind the rock allows better overall flow in the tank. I wouldn't worry about the back so much since you've put so much time into that aquascape. The ends definitely need to be cleaned.

Jack

[wareagle35031]

welcome to 3 reef, there are lots of smart people here, and they are very interested in whats going on in your tank and will be more than willing to help you out. oh and keep the pics coming

[Uvajed]

Originally Posted by Ash and Mike

Hey there, Ash & Mike here, we are getting into the salt-water reef tank thing... Ash has had a reef tank before and maintained it for about a year and half before she had to move. Mike on the other hand is new to this, but is very excited to learn!

We bought a whole set-up from our LFS. 55-gallon tank w/ hardwood stand, glass tops (lid) with a pretty spiffy light (it was not in stock so the store special ordered it for us--we are on a "lender light" until it comes in.)... We bought a mix of live rock, both cured and a few uncured pieces. Most of it was from Fiji, and we also scored some live rock "branches."

What we have in it right now:

2x 3-Striped Damsel Fish
1x Neon Goby (Small)

Our LFS said that we should wait about 2 more weeks until we start looking towards live corals and some other fish. They said that the Damsel fish were good "Starter" fish and would help with the cycling of the tank.

Here's a picture of it:

I've been wanting to get some branches, not a minimum 25 pounds on line though. And, my "Mike" is getting into the fish thing as well. Although I'm brand new, he's learning as I learn. Welcome aboard! Your tank looks good!

[Uvajed]

Originally Posted by lunatik_69

Welcome to 3reef my fellow Reefers. Keep in mind that cycling periods CAN last up to 12 weeks, so before you add any livestock, please test your water. Tank looks good. Let us know if you have/need any Q's answered. Luna

I can confirm Luna's post, it took 10 weeks for my algae to form. I even posted comments about it. Luna is a reliable source of info IMHO.

[Uvajed]

Originally Posted by Ash and Mike

We spent close to $3,000 for the initial set-up, the light that we are waiting to come in is what we splurged the most on though... that and the rock itself was about $12/pound. But all well-worth it, it will be something that will remind Ash of home (Hawaii) when the winter arrives, and the outside weather is -50 or so..lol

I started my tank mid April. I'm pushing $2000 (shhhh, don't tell hubby the exact price, hey honey, look at the cool PJ cardinals I got.........), and I'm trying to watch my money. Thank Goodness for the stimulus check! I've totally reinvested into the economy! LOL, Next is lighting, T5's, then the corals etc. The rock was a killer, I have 90 pound of fiji rock, 80 pounds of sand. I'm so happy so far with the results.

[Daniel072]

Nice looking tank. Great to see reefers up in Alaska. ( I always wanted to live there.)