Finally Got my first tank up and running

[Ram_Puppy]

Well, after months of false starts I finally bit in and started up my 30 gallon hex. THis is my first marine aquarium.

I have 3 inches of live sand in the bottom (live sand as in the kind you purchase wet at Austin Aquarium) along with some base rock and a very nice 17 pound piece of Tonga live rock (more to come.)

I decided this week was going to be the week that I added my first inhabitants, and that was going to be an orange Calcinus elegans (the orange version of hte electric blue hermit.) I am dead set on my tank only containing species found in the pacific, and I am not ready to make a large order of livestock over the net yet, and sadly, finding pacific crabs seems to be a hard thing to do in san antonio. BUT, I was very happy to hear upon a chance phone call to Texas Tropicals that they were expecting some electric blue hermits in that day, the blues didn't come in, but the oranges did. So when I called back I reserved 4, 2 for me, two for a friend. My friend got there at around 5 and got his, and I showed up around 6:45 just before closing (when I got off work.). Would you believe some jerk just grabbed the bag the crabs were floating in, somehow hid them, and walked right out of the store? no new crabs for me.

I then made the mistake everyone does, I was desperate to add something to the tank, and one of the guys at texas tropical convinced me that emerald crabs come from all over the world, including the indo-pacific, that they only eat problematic algae, and so on. Now, I have done a TON of research and was pretty sure this was a carribean/atlantic species... but I let him, and my desire for something to watch in the tank get ahold of me, and I bought him. Well, I got home last night, and did a little research, turns out, as far as I can tell, They are only native to the carribean atlantic. I am a tad bit peeved. (I have been going to that store for a long while.)

Anyhow... I will probably end up giving the emerald away to my buddy brian in a few weeks, for now he can keep the algae under control. But as I said, I am trying to be as region specific as I can, and this guy doesn't fit in... :(

Oh well... win some lose some... :)

[kaiser]

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!
Sounds like You are having a good start on it.

[TAXMAN]

Thats sucks. If thier like that, why hold anything at all. Let me know if you need to get rid of the Emerald crab. I think I want one for the new tank. Just in case your buddy doesnt want it.

[Ram_Puppy]

well, the tank has cycled... now i just need to find some pacific species crabs to go in it, I have been looking for dwarf zebras, electric blues and oranges, and the halloweens they have on live aquaria. I want to put a porcelin in, but I have heard they are filter feeders and think the tank is probably to young for that. Other than the porcelins, I haven't seen anything locally that is pacific. (Snails need to be Trochus and Strombus) Dangit, why did I ever convince myself to only do indo-pacific?

well.. it should look awesome when it's up though... two more nice sized pieces of live rock should complete my tower of live rock... but the tanks geography is allready looking cool.

Now, I just need to get and add the CPR, Remora, SCWD, and the Halide light. (I am still building the canopy.)

[matt]

You might consider looking at IPSF, as all their livestock is indo-pacific. I've always had a positive experience with them, but man do you pay for the stuff.

[adamRS80]

Just wondering why you're going to be using the CPR and the Remora? Is the CPR going to be an aquafuge or a BakPak? You might considering building the aquafuge yourself if that's what you're refering to when you said CPR. They are really simple and I think just about anybody could do it. If you were planning on using a BakPak and a Remora I would say that's probably overkill and you could save yourself some money.