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WhiteReef · 03/03/2010, 10:15 AM

The package arrived yesterday. Here are the notes on it.

Prep:
Get the boxes, open the boxes, act like a kid at Christmas, stair at all the wonderful stuff, wonder where all of it will fit, and get to work. I realized that the boxes were leaking, so thanks to a good suggestion from my wife all the LS and LR went into the tub (still in their plastic bags). All of the other stuff when into the refugium to acclimate. Oh, and take pictures to remember the experience and to document the fun stuff I received.

I started out by removing ~1 inch of sand off of the top in the tank. I used a ladle and medium bowl to remove the sand trying not to stir it to much. It is currently in a separate tank for anyone who is interested. Then I remove out several pieces of rock from my tank and put in with the sand with enough water to cover the rock. Also removed anything that I had on the sand bed.

Setup:
Took the sand a bowl full at a time to replace what was removed, and then some, into the tank making sure to not put in the dirty water the sand was in. After that it was a battle to just watch the water cloud up. Used my filter sock to help remove the silt and junk from the water, and added in about 5 gallons of fresh mixed salt water to replace the water that was removed. Also added a good amount of the live sand to the refugium. After about an hour or so the water was clear enough to start putting in the rest of the stuff.

I put in the snails and hermit crabs first, and did the snail rescue procedure to save them from the lovely hermit crabs.

Carefully put in the rock into the tank and refugium. I did not have time to work on the rock structure, so it went in as best I could at the moment. Then I just started putting everything in. I made sure that the sponges were never exposed to air, and did about the same thing for the gorgonians. Then I tried to place things as best I could so they would not harm each other.

All through out catching any of the rock crabs I could. Also I made sure to remove anything living from the bag and put them into the tank.

Due to it getting past midnight and almost 1AM I had to just leave things the way they were. Today I will be working on getting the stuff where I want it, but we all know that it can sometimes take awhile (weeks/months) to get the structure how you like it.

Items received ... much more than what I asked for.
Orange tree sponge
Red tree sponge
(2) orange cluster sponges
(2) red cluster sponges
yellow branching sponge
yellow ball sponge
blade gorgonian
candelabra gorgonian
silver gorgonian
(2) tiger gobies
zebra tail blenny
serpent star
several snails
several hermit crabs
shells for the hermit crabs
(2) sea cucumbers
peppermint shrimp
Halimeda & various caulerpa
(2) flower anemones
at least 25lbs of live sand
more than 50lbs of live rock
Lots of hitch-hikers

03/03/2010, 10:15 AM	#10
WhiteReef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Magna, UT Posts: 87	The package arrived yesterday. Here are the notes on it. Prep: Get the boxes, open the boxes, act like a kid at Christmas, stair at all the wonderful stuff, wonder where all of it will fit, and get to work. I realized that the boxes were leaking, so thanks to a good suggestion from my wife all the LS and LR went into the tub (still in their plastic bags). All of the other stuff when into the refugium to acclimate. Oh, and take pictures to remember the experience and to document the fun stuff I received. I started out by removing ~1 inch of sand off of the top in the tank. I used a ladle and medium bowl to remove the sand trying not to stir it to much. It is currently in a separate tank for anyone who is interested. Then I remove out several pieces of rock from my tank and put in with the sand with enough water to cover the rock. Also removed anything that I had on the sand bed. Setup: Took the sand a bowl full at a time to replace what was removed, and then some, into the tank making sure to not put in the dirty water the sand was in. After that it was a battle to just watch the water cloud up. Used my filter sock to help remove the silt and junk from the water, and added in about 5 gallons of fresh mixed salt water to replace the water that was removed. Also added a good amount of the live sand to the refugium. After about an hour or so the water was clear enough to start putting in the rest of the stuff. I put in the snails and hermit crabs first, and did the snail rescue procedure to save them from the lovely hermit crabs. Carefully put in the rock into the tank and refugium. I did not have time to work on the rock structure, so it went in as best I could at the moment. Then I just started putting everything in. I made sure that the sponges were never exposed to air, and did about the same thing for the gorgonians. Then I tried to place things as best I could so they would not harm each other. All through out catching any of the rock crabs I could. Also I made sure to remove anything living from the bag and put them into the tank. Due to it getting past midnight and almost 1AM I had to just leave things the way they were. Today I will be working on getting the stuff where I want it, but we all know that it can sometimes take awhile (weeks/months) to get the structure how you like it. Items received ... much more than what I asked for. Orange tree sponge Red tree sponge (2) orange cluster sponges (2) red cluster sponges yellow branching sponge yellow ball sponge blade gorgonian candelabra gorgonian silver gorgonian (2) tiger gobies zebra tail blenny serpent star several snails several hermit crabs shells for the hermit crabs (2) sea cucumbers peppermint shrimp Halimeda & various caulerpa (2) flower anemones at least 25lbs of live sand more than 50lbs of live rock Lots of hitch-hikers