Location
Union Square, NY
Rating - 100%
90   0   0
Sounds like you have a good plan in place. At the swap, if your tank is fully cycled and you are ready for corals, try some zoanthids, LPS, or toadstools (sarcophytons). They are really easy to keep and will add some nice color to your rock. Add fish really slowly as that is usually what causes a tank to fail (actually it is the overfeeding of fish that causes the nitrates/ites to rise too quickly). Get small fish, they are cuter!

Also, for the seahorse, take your time getting to that. My wife kept them for about 18 months in a 15g tank with no fish. It is a little hard to get them to eat frozen brine or mysis so you will probably be buying a lot of fresh brine (enrich with selcon). If you get lazy, you won't get the food as much and the seahorses will die. They are amazing creatures, but try your hand with the corals and a few small clownfish and gobies first.

Also, unlike a lot of people on this site these days, I still recommend 1-2 critters per gallon (hermit crabs or snails). They die, but they keep the tank very clean and if you are a new reefer they will give you more wiggle room with overfeeding and other phosphate/ammonia issues. Basically they will eat up all your mistakes, when you stop making them, they will die off to a natural level.

Good luck!
 

nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
So the holes have been drilled!! Thank you so much Jim....everything is coming together slowly. I have been filling the tank since yesterday....soon...I can feel it....:) My house is now not covered in boxes and looking like a real working fish tank! Thank you to everyone who has been making this happen for me. Ming has been a super huge help..he definitely knows sooo much, and is willing to share his knowledge....It is an exciting time.
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nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
I actually started filling the 59 Gal yesterday. It should be all full and running tonight. I am just not crazy about my aquascaping so I have to play with it a little bit. I am waiting on the overflow box and the piping as well. Hopefully by the end of the week I will be filled up!!!!!! Woo Hoooooo
 

nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
So thanks to the help of so many of you on the board I really feel like I am have come along so far from where I was before I started. I really am learning, appreciating and enjoying the process and hobby that I picked to embrace. Thank you to all the great people I have met who provide me with all their knowledge and love of the hobby so generously. It is an exciting weekend. Ming(Thank you so much Ming, you have been a huge help) and I are working very hard to get the tanks up and running this weekend. I am picking up my canopy today(Thanks Jonathan), and my lights and vortech tomorrow.(Thanks Jim, HOF) Here are a few shots of the preliminary aquascaping for the 59gal. Hope you like. More pics to come soon.

Thanks to all and happy holidays!!
Nikki

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nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
Yes it is marco rock...been curing for over a month...month and a half...they were big and we broke some of them down. The big plate was cherry picked. Jim provides excellent service, and will work for beer...:)
 

nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
O I am taking it slow for sure. Ming gave me 2 pieces of live rock to help with my cycle as a member of this board suggested. So now my cycle can get really in gear. Thanks for the comments!! :) Its an exciting time.
 

nikkibabee

Advanced Reefer
Location
Chelsea, NYC
Rating - 100%
56   0   0
Thanks Kathy, I just finished aquascaping the cube and the lights will be be put on tomorrow. Picked up the canopy last night from Jonathan. Of course my camera broke...have to repair. As soon as that is done I will post pics...:-(
 

jejton

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
How does the marco rock compare to live rock? Will it eventually be colonized and do the same job ( if mixed with live rock )?
 

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