Just got my LR!!

[minnick22]

i just received my LR today and put that all in i also got a Korilla powerhead nano its up and working hope to get a video of it soon. probaly next mon ill grab a few snails mybe a crab. Any crabs i should and shouldnt get?
also a lis of cral that doesnt need much light or are hardy?
thanks
Dustun.

[Bergy]

a list of coral??? that would be a dictionary/encyclopedia????


hows about loookin at www.liveaquaria.com  and or www.zoaid.com   


typcially zoanthids and leathers/soft corals need less light, although there are some exceptions, just like there are some sps and hard corals that may not like light... or need light


i have some 'purple deaths' zoanthids that hate light... i.e. they turn colors from purple to red/brown...

to get them to turn back to purple, i need to move them to the bottom of the tank and even under an overhang... pretty much devoid of light...

[minnick22]

ha ok i just got an emrald crab idk how to setup my LR i have it stacked up in a corner agnist the filter and it slopes down to the middle into rubble than in oppistite corner there is a bigger rock and few med rock in front. try and get pics up trying to find rec tho.

[minnick22]

also noticed a green steem like a plant coming out of the LR should i pull it off? its on a few.

[Bergy]

aquascaping = the art of stacking rocks

gotta get into bonzai mode, and just get the picture of a reef in your mind and then try to find rocks and stack them just like the picture...


also, the rocks should be easy to break in case you need/want to have some smaller pieces.... but typically larger pieces work better...  and keep in min d that you want to picture what the tank/rock will look like in three years+ from now... so most of the rock will prolly be covered with algae or corals... or both..

as for the green thing, not sure what it is, but it sounds like a macro algae.. which will be good for water quality but some macros will grow uber fast and cov er up and grow over things wyou might want to show off...

[minnick22]

alright ill just take it off its on there pretty good.
and yea just cant get it the way i like YET!! will keep trying afraid ima smash the crab tho lol

[Bergy]

the crab will move if he feels threatened, so dont worry bout him too much..


no need to press or apply lots of pressure when stacking, just rest them in place... and yea, it is hard to get it just right... but, i suggest trying something, and letting it be for a few days, so you can both, evaluate what it looks like, and how well it stays in place and not falls...

but, at some point you will have to just accept what you got as it can never be 'perfect'....

[minnick22]

yeah i will find a way soon.
what type of stuff should i test for?
and whats a good tem to keep it around my temp goes up and down from 76 to 82 i cant get it to stay the same.

[Just_Greg]

think of stacking rockwork as a puzzle.  besides the visual part of it, there's a way that each rock "fits" that is stable.  i usually lay out what i have to work with, get a basic idea in my head, and try stacking them.  be sure to try rocks in various rotations and angles.  pretty soon, you'll start to "see" how they fit.  i always give each piece a good wiggle to make sure it's stable.

as for you temp swings, that seems like a lot. 

are we talking day/night swings or thruout the day? 

what equipment are you running? 

what turns on and off? 

is the tank in a room that heats up? 

does the tank get sun?