Altohombre's 46 Gallon Showcase Showdown!

[Altohombre]

First off, I have been lurking and posting here since Christmas so some of you know me and have helped me greatly. I especially want to thank Reeffreak, Bifferwine, Fatman and Yote for your quick responses that I check about every 5 mins it seems.

Secondly, my screenname although it is in spanish is not my heritage. It simply means Tall Man in spanish which happens to be my height (6'5") and ironically my last name (Tallman) :bounce:

Thirdly, my first name is Matt

Fourthly, I don't have a camera so pictures will be non existent until I can drive home to my parents house to do my taxes and will steal my dads digital camera.

Lastly, I am excited to say that I took a water sample into my LFS and the water parameters checked out and with the help of a very active member of New Jersey Reefers Club and part owner of the store I picked out two Clownfish to start my tank with. One being a True Percula about 1.5 inches long and the other being a Ora Black True Percula about 1.5 inches. We put them in a small container together and they didn't even flinch in terms of fighting each other even when food was added. Tentatively I am calling the True Percula "Fezz" (from That 70's Show) because he was very hyper and ate all the food like it was candy. Plus the name "Fezz" always makes me laugh. The Black and White I am calling "Oreo" at this time but it seems to be a very common name for that fish. I may think of a new one.

 

[nudy6969]

cool, he black clown fish look very nice.

 

[reeffreak]

Great names for the clownfish.Good luck with them and don't forget pics,pics,pics!!!

 

[cthegame]

Hey Matt, Nice you officially meet you, my real name is Alex. I believe you're the first i have met on a first name basis on here.

We want to see pics!!!

 

[Altohombre]

I'll get some pics as soon as I can get home. The two clowns have paired up like I couldn't have expected. At first meeting the one was very hyper and the other very docile and they didn't even pay attention. Now they are swimming and doing everything side by side. I really hope these two will live.

Anyone have any tips on how to keep the outside of the tank clean? I have been spraying windex on a paper towel and going in circular (wax on, wax off) type motion, but every time it still gets smeared. Maybe because of the inside to outside temp difference.

 

[yote]

Its about time you started a showcase thread Mat.:mrgreen:
Good luck with your clowns and remember to take it slow.

BTW,I'm Joe,but all my friends call me Yote.

 

[yote]

To clean the glass.I use a wet wash cloth.Wipe it down.Let that dry(it'll spot up like crazy)then go back and wipe it down again with a soft,dry cloth.

 

[Altohombre]

thanks for the cleaning tips. Yote is that as in coyote? or just yote?

 

[jhnrb]

waiting for the pic's

 

[Bifferwine]

Hi, and good start to your build thread. I'm Sarah. But everyone here calls me Biff or Biffy or Bifferoo or something of that nature... Congrats on your new fish.

 

[fatman]

My real name is David, but I do not have friends so most people just call me hey *sshole. I really am pretty antisocial. I have spent the majority of my adult life in Alaska (34 years), with no neighbors for many miles (18 years). Just a lab, a plant room and aquariums. However, I move into the city to go back to school so I try to make efforts at being a human being albeit with very limited social skills. Vinegar and water make a very good non toxic glass cleaner. Vinegar contains a low concentration of a natural acid (acetic acid). Most Windex contains ammonia and antifreeze. I use crumpled newspaper to polish the glass surfsce after cleaning it with vinegar. The glass seems to literally glow. Is that poetic or what?

 

[Melonbob]

I use a wet rag, no soap or anything. then I polish with one of those fake chamois. Works like a charm. I tried the windex too, spraying it on a towel first, but it smears like hell. I think the windex can't handle the saltwater.

 

[Melonbob]

Oh, BTW I am running a 46gal too, take a look at my pics in the build thread

 

[yote]

thanks for the cleaning tips. Yote is that as in coyote? or just yote?

Some hunting bubbies started calling me Yote after I called in a pack of coyotes using my natural voice one night.It stuck like a tick on a dogs ear.

 

[yote]

I should have though about the newspapre trick David.Use it to clean the windshield in my truck.

 

[Melonbob]

Yote, you wanna hunt, you have to come up here.......Gods country I tell ya!

 

[fatman]

Oh I forgot to explain the simple chemistry behind the use of vinegar. Calcium carbonate is dissolved by acid, hence the vinegar. That white stuff you generally see on your glass is calcium carbonate, just like you get around water fixtures if you have hard water. Most organics break down right well in acids too. That about covers anything that came from your tank that gets on your glass. Cigarette smoke and that kind of filth doesn't get around my tanks. I would have to put the sucker who smoked around one of my tanks up against a wall and shoot him! Yeah I quit smoking years a go. I also quit drinking, drugging and marriages, but I would allow those things around my tanks, as long as they things being done by me.

 

[Altohombre]

Any recommendations for the next fish to add in like a months time. I would like a full spectrum of colors and I enjoy active fish like most of us do. I have an interest in a diamond goby to sift the sand and give action to the lower region of the tank. I also have interest in the Coral Beauty, but I am finding that its not as beautiful as people say it is. The colors are somewhat dull instead of vibrant like I would expect. However I do like its overall shape.

 

[fatman]

I like the Bicolor Blenny as it spends a lot of time out in the open and is brightly colored (blue/light blue).

 

[Melonbob]

The coral beauty really does "pop" with colour under the right lighting