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  1. 02-06-2017 #1
    cpv0310
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    Starting over again.. 90G Reef tank

    Hi all,

    I am starting over again. Had a 120g I bought off someone else as my first tank. I was new, did not study as much as I should, and the tank I bought was also a bit of a misconfigured monster. Six years later and a pump failure has led me to start over.

    Knowing more now than I did then, I downgraded to a 90g with a 30g sump. Brought over the best of the remaining live rock, a little live sand with some new sand, and the last two fish from old setup. For circulation, the power heads I had in old tank have slowed down a bit even after a good cleaning. I bought two new ones for constant water circulation and the two older ones I use on timers to give some alternative turbulence in some potentially dead areas. Also added in some bleached out coral pieces I found on a beach in Grand Cayman, just to give some different shapes.

    This time around, I want to go slow with a plan so I can eventually build out my own reef with corals, sponges and other fund stuff.

    First big question I have is around the live rock. I know I am starting with a mixture of bare rock and some lightly live rock. I want to add in some nicer rock to fill out the setup. Looking at the attached picture,
    https://1drv.ms/i/s!ArkbKcwKkRmnieApBLOvypQY4AaU-A


    How much more live rock should I buy? Is there a recommended dealer?

    Chris
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  2. 02-06-2017 #2
    Clownfish Chris
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    Chris, it looks like you have a good amount of live rock. I would look at opening it up a bit. Make sure there is lots of flow between and through the rocks. All of the local sponsor shops should have a good supply of rock. If you do buy more, look at flat shelf rock.
    Chris
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    Marine Aquarium and Reef Society of Houston
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  3. 02-06-2017 #3
    sneezebeetle
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    Good luck on your new build :-)

    I agree, try opening things up a little. Someone once told me "the less rock you actually have on your sandbed, the better" Opening things up will help promote good flow and eliminate dead spots :-)

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    Deanna Horning
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  4. 02-06-2017 #4
    cpv0310
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    Thank you both. I plan on getting some flat pieces tomorrow to help spread things out. Locally, is there a store that has a lot of live and dry rock? I know Fish Gallery has a box of live rock.

    I am also wanting to get a few pieces of live rock from somewhere to get some more variety in the tank
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  5. 02-06-2017 #5
    sneezebeetle
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    Ocean Life and FJW have a large selection and are very friendly and helpful, not to mention they are MARSH sponsors and paid members can enjoy a small discount. My personal favorite for LR however is Fish r Us, they are not sponsors, but have a large variety with alot of life :-)

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    Deanna Horning
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  6. 02-06-2017 #6
    SantaMonicaHelp
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    Hi cpv0310,

    Welcome back
    The tank looks so lovely...How is it going so far?
    Do you plan to add any fish?

    Zhenya
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  7. 02-06-2017 #7
    Fish Keeper82
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    On the South West side of town Infinity Fish keeps a 200 gallon tub full of live rock. City Pets also has a big selection.
    -Josue
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  9. 02-09-2017 #8
    cpv0310
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    Thank you all! I made some updates based off the feedback. I did pick up 2 flat rocks from FJW (Awesome shop!). I also did some rearranging of rocks to open up more space with what I have. Here is a pic of it-
    https://1drv.ms/i/s!ArkbKcwKkRmnieAq0mPt1iSzstX3Uw

    I was wondering, I saw a tank at fish gallery (woodlands) that had a wall of live rock on the back. That is a look I like because the back of the tank is painted black but I am wondering if there are issues with that king of setup?
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  11. 02-09-2017 #9
    cpv0310
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    Right now, I have 3 damsels in the tank along with 5 turbo snails and 11 red legged hermit crabs. The tank has been going now for a little over two weeks.

    Is this enough life going in the tank to start things up or do I need to add some more?
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  12. 04-18-2017 #10
    reefling
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    Quote Originally Posted by cpv0310 View Post
    Right now, I have 3 damsels in the tank along with 5 turbo snails and 11 red legged hermit crabs. The tank has been going now for a little over two weeks.

    Is this enough life going in the tank to start things up or do I need to add some more?
    That is plenty. You could honestly just dump some food in there and let it rot to get things started. Usually 6 weeks is more than enough time to cycle.

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    Corey Ingram
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