My new tank 500G - (84X48X30)

[bleedingthought]

Gresh, will any hydraulic cement work? I couldn't find Thorite but I got 'UGL Drylok Fast Plug Hydraulic Cement' at the hardware store. Any word on whether this would be safe to use? How would I go about checking (which ingredients)?

I'm no pro, but I do have some answers

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... did=993625

Check out that thread, it should help some what

Gresham, I've meaning to ask you this, and maybe Sanjay can chime in with his experience with it too. That thread talks about different cure times and ways to make it faster/safer as far as PH goes but it all seems to relate to making new rocks or using base rock. I'm hesitant to use Thorite, or another 'safe' hydraulic cement, to glue live rock together, and leave it to cure dry for 2 days. I would think that live rock rock would suffer a large die-off event.

Thing is, I'm upgrading tanks and using both the live rock that is in my current tank and the live rock that is in a separate holding container. I wanted to try to make some pillars and some 'bridges' to make things a bit more interesting and roomy. But whenever I start working with the rock, it means that my fish and corals will be held in a holding containers and wait for their new home to be put up. So, I'm trying to gauge about how long it would take from starting to point until putting the fish and the corals back with the live rock in the new tank.

Biggest problem is that I have no experience with this stuff in tanks and I'm somewhat scared that I won't 'cure' it properly and cause problems I'm not prepared to deal with. 8O

Any thoughts, Gresham and Sanjay? Sanjay, can you share what your experience was like and how long you let everything cure dry and if after that you cured it in saltwater for PH adjustment and whatever else I'm forgetting?

 

[sanjay]

I cured my rocks in a separate container. I used the Thorite. It sets quickly, I let it sit outside the water for about 1/2 hr, and when it was safe to move I put it in the curing container, to continue to cure underwater. I have used thorite in the past where we drained a friends 75G tank, assembled the rock in the tank with thorite, refilled it and put all his livestock in. He did not loose anything. I wish I had stuck a ph probe in the water while doing this to really see if there was any significant change in pH.

I know from my personal experience that I have never had any problem with Thorite in a reef tank.

sanjay.

 

[bleedingthought]

Sanjay, how long did you cure it in the separate container?

Thanks!

 

[sanjay]

Sanjay, how long did you cure it in the separate container?

Thanks!

not more than a week after the thorite.

sanjay.

 

[bleedingthought]

Thanks!

 

[sanjay]

Here are some fish that I added last night. got these from my trip to New York for the Manhattan Reefs frag swap. visited 2 really nice stores in Connecticut, Greenwich Aquarium and House of Fins, and picked up the fish (Rollandi and mimic tang at Greenwich Aquarium - Thanks Jason) and Blue Banquillo at House of Fins.

Got a bunch of Rolandi Damsels (7). I am a sucker for small, cute cheap pugnacious fish.

And this really interesting fish, malacanthus latovittatus (blue banquillo). Its a juvinile right now, and it almost mimics a cleaner fish. Hopefully it wont get to its full size in the wild (12-14"). Its got a neat swimming motion.

Over the last week, I have added some other fish to the tank too.
3 dispar anthias
2 Long nose hawk
1 Starry Blenny
1 Vrolicki Mimic tang



sanjay.

 

[bleedingthought]

Those are awesome! Did you catch a picture of the mimic tang?

 

[Len]

What's the fish count up to now?

It's marvelous how all cleaning critters in the wild are stripped

 

[sanjay]

Those are awesome! Did you catch a picture of the mimic tang?

Not yet.. he his being harrassed by the purple tang. Even if I did get a pic of it, it wont look pretty now with the torn fins from the harassment by the purple tang.

sanjay.

 

[sanjay]

Here is the updated fish list and count:

Multiples/Pairs
3 - bellus angels
2 - M. Bipartus
2 - M. Negroensis
2 - bangaii
4 - Kupang Damsels
2 - Yellow Assessors (tank Raised ORA)
3 - Neon gobies (tank raised Atlantis Marine World)
4 - Dispar
7 - Rolandi Damsels
2 - Long Nose Hawkfish

Singles -
1 - Blochi Tang
1 - Purple Tang
1 - hepatus tang
1 - Blond Naso
1 - Midas Blenny
1 - Aurora Goby
1 - radiant wrasse
1 - Starry Blenny
1 - Vrolicki Mimic tang
1 - Malacanthus latovittatus (blue banquillo)

Total Fish Count: 41

With all these small fish, I still have room for more

sanjay.

 

[sanjay]

Here is a few more fish pics.

The bipartus wrasses have grown quite a bit and eat like pigs.

One of the long nose hawk

sanjay

 

[kevindub]

Awesome tank Sanjay. I wish I was so lucky! Maybe some day.

 

[Anonymous]

Are the bipartus wrasses the same thing as the Macropharygodon chaoti? Love the look of those guys. Are they decimating the foraminiferans on your rock?

 

[sanjay]

Are the bipartus wrasses the same thing as the Macropharygodon chaoti? Love the look of those guys. Are they decimating the foraminiferans on your rock?

No they are not the same as Chaoti, these are Macropharyngodon Bipartus also known as Blue Star Leopard wrasse. they are picking stuff from the rocks and sand all the time, not sure what they are picking at. But they are also very good eaters of food that I put in the tank, esp mysis shrimp.

sanjay.

 

[Anonymous]

Let's see some of them new corals you brought home along with those fish

I made it up to HOF and to Michal Moyas as well that monday Greenwich was closed and I was pressed for time

 

[Anonymous]

Are the bipartus wrasses the same thing as the Macropharygodon chaoti? Love the look of those guys. Are they decimating the foraminiferans on your rock?

No they are not the same as Chaoti, these are Macropharyngodon Bipartus also known as Blue Star Leopard wrasse. they are picking stuff from the rocks and sand all the time, not sure what they are picking at. But they are also very good eaters of food that I put in the tank, esp mysis shrimp.

sanjay.

Do they like Arcti-Pods?

 

[Anonymous]

Are the bipartus wrasses the same thing as the Macropharygodon chaoti? Love the look of those guys. Are they decimating the foraminiferans on your rock?

No they are not the same as Chaoti, these are Macropharyngodon Bipartus also known as Blue Star Leopard wrasse. they are picking stuff from the rocks and sand all the time, not sure what they are picking at. But they are also very good eaters of food that I put in the tank, esp mysis shrimp.

sanjay.

Thanks Sanjay. They do look a bit similar, but if anything even more beautiful! good find.

 

[shavo]

hi sanjay I love that wrasse, I was wondering if it is reef safe? how would it be around cleaner shrimp? i looked online and couldn't ome up with much, just wondering if you knew
thanks
shavs

 

[Chubosco]

Once that tank is up and running, you should post a no swimming sign.

 

[Chubosco]

Wow, didn't realize a whole year went by.