Tank has now been up for a YEAR! Figured i'd take some pics

[yannicksjh]

Title says it all. Its finaly been a year since i put water and rock in my tank. Ive done many small aquascaping changes through out the year (espacially towards the top). I also lost 99% of my SPS a couple months back so it has been quite a hill climb to get it back on track and looking the way it does today (So please don't mind all the frags!) Here are some full tank shots from various angles, a few coral shots, a couple equipement shots and i pretty good shot i found of my Sargassum in one of the pics (so i blew it up since he's one of my favorite fish along with my magnificient foxface).

APRIL 18/08:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/SA400011.jpg

NOW:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P10205871.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020581.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020572.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020585.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P10205631.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020534.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020549.jpg

And a few more coming:

[yannicksjh]

Here's few more:

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020546.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P10206111.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020627.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020594.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P1020613.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P10205401.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh161/yannicksjh/P10205531.jpg

Just a side note that i turned the lights on just to take the pics last night(so i wouldn't get any ambiant light) So lots of the LPS's are closed up and fish are sleeping! And please don't mind the bad pics as they were only taken with a point and shoot.
Thanks for looking. later

[BWine]

Looks great! :thumbsup:

[Overland04]

The pictures look great!.. You got a killer setup!

May I ask what did you use to keep your rocks in their position? Just balanced, pined, or glued together?

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14841601#post14841601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Overland04
The pictures look great!.. You got a killer setup!

May I ask what did you use to keep your rocks in their position? Just balanced, pined, or glued together?

I used just a little of that special aqua cement (sorry forgot the exact name, its been ayear since i last used it) and alot of trying different pieces all over the place to make a puzzle. I've never had any rock slides and every rock is very sturdy. thanks

[fufu]

so clean! I like it very much. Amazing how all that coraline fully encrusted the rocks.

[airdog67]

nicely done

[daudelus]

I like it alot, especially the way it looks like you are just going to let it naturally fill in over time... good job!

[ser_renely]

way to go :) keep it up

[Capt_Cully]

Sargassum Trigger. Very nice!

You've got some incredible coralline in that tank. Really nice progression. Can't wait for "year 2's" pics!

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843083#post14843083 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daudelus
I like it alot, especially the way it looks like you are just going to let it naturally fill in over time... good job!

I'm obviously going to slowly add some more SPS's to fill in some big gaps but I also don't want to over do it and let it grow in as you mentionned. Maybe a few more acans too! Is was very dissapointing loosing alls my SPS's a couple months ago and having to start over (tank would have looked alot better and more natural by now). thanks for the comment!

[Sugar Magnolia]

Beautiful tank and I LOVE all that coraline.

[yannicksjh]

Everyone that comes over or see's my pics always mentions my coraline and how much of it there is (how every rock is completely covered where there is light). They always ask me HOW did you do it. To be honest i'm not very sure exept that i keep my params very stable, Cal-Alk-Mag (at first with the 2 part and now with the reactor) and some good lighting. Other than that "who knows", but trust me that glass doesn't keep it self clean and free of the coraline. Thanks for all the compliments. For all the time we spend on these tanks and hobby, its somtimes nice to hear that all the work is paying off!

[daudelus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843214#post14843214 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yannicksjh
I'm obviously going to slowly add some more SPS's to fill in some big gaps but I also don't want to over do it and let it grow in as you mentionned. Maybe a few more acans too! Is was very dissapointing loosing alls my SPS's a couple months ago and having to start over (tank would have looked alot better and more natural by now). thanks for the comment!

What caused the loss of all your SPS?

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843353#post14843353 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daudelus
What caused the loss of all your SPS?

To this day i'm still not 100% sure. Could have been a combination of things. Possible culprits were:
-Tried 400watt Radiums for a couple months (too much light) and heat issue?
-Was making my own 2 part ang got scepticle of the calcium chloride that I was getting of a local reefer???????
-Some sort of bug (but to this day have yet to see any) plus the patern of the loss was showing signs of getting eaten
-"New tank syndrome" What ever that means, but was told that by a few members. Meaning too much too fast!
-Nitrates?
-Too much instability or swings with my ALK, Cal?

Would have been real nice to find out what happen exactly. My params were always pretty stable. When i say instability with my ALK and Cal they were never very drastic and always with in range. So after many water changes, going back to 250Watt halides, getting the temp swing down to 2 degrees and a max of 81.4, adding a calcium reactor, I decided to try out a few frags. Everything seems OK now, but if i ever see signs of that again, i'll be sure to send as much as i can to my buddies QT tanks and try to save them. It definatly cost me alot of $$$$$$$.

thanks

[crvz]

The tank looks really good. I, too, look forward to the year two pictures. ;)

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843627#post14843627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crvz
The tank looks really good. I, too, look forward to the year two pictures. ;)

Me too, LOL. I can't wait for it to fill in. Looks so bare right now. Hopefully by than i'll have some nice growth if i don't run into any problems again. thanks

[Creade]

I'm not sure that Ive had that much coralline growth on any tank. 1 year, 5 years, etc.

Very nice!

[cabrego]

If you don't mind could you describe any thing special you do to keep the tank so clean.

It is really immaculate in my opinion.

[hawkfishman]

looks good man really like the way u step up live rock

[mille239]

What 250W bulbs are you using now?

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843936#post14843936 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cabrego
If you don't mind could you describe any thing special you do to keep the tank so clean.

It is really immaculate in my opinion.

I pretty much just stay on top of it and don't let it get too dirty. I've never cleaned the back glass as you can tell but it doesn't get dirty besides the coraline. I do keep a good supply of crabs and snails and replenish them as needed (when i notice too many have died or got eaten). I also try to remove most of the empty shells. I do stir up the top 1/2" of sand once every week or two. I use a magnet cleaner on the front and sides and about every two weeks i add the blade attachement on it and give it a good cleaning (espacially with all that coraline growth it could get out of hand quick). Thanks

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14844687#post14844687 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mille239
What 250W bulbs are you using now?

I'm just using the 12K Reeflux's with the matching coralife electronic ballast. I know everyone says they are garbage but i don't mind them (i did hear that they really only get good results when used with the proper ballast, which in this case is the coralife electronic ballast). I must admit i did love my 400Watt Radiums on HQI ballast when i ran them for a couple months.

Thanks

[j'field]

Very nice! I love your coraline growth. ;)

Very nice tank.

[mille239]

There must be something connecting the 12K reflux bulbs and excelled coralline growth: Take a look at TOTM for September 2007.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/totm/index.php

Same bulbs with explosive coralline growth (albeit 400 watt bulbs. I know water quality plays just as big of a part)

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14845742#post14845742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mille239
There must be something connecting the 12K reflux bulbs and excelled coralline growth: Take a look at TOTM for September 2007.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/totm/index.php

Same bulbs with explosive coralline growth (albeit 400 watt bulbs. I know water quality plays just as big of a part)

That's funny. I wonder if it possible that those bulbs just have the right amount of light or PAR for coraline growth, LOL (but i dought it since everyones system is different). Another funny thing is that i'm also using the Lumenarc reflectors (only difference is that he's using five mini's and i'm using two full size lumenarc III's). thanks for looking and the comment!

[Map69]

Very impressive. How long did it take you to get the aquascaping the way you like? I am constantly moving stuff around to get the look I want but I can't imagine how long it took you to achieve what you did. Nice job.

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14848801#post14848801 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Map69
Very impressive. How long did it take you to get the aquascaping the way you like? I am constantly moving stuff around to get the look I want but I can't imagine how long it took you to achieve what you did. Nice job.


I used aquacement on the main peices (bigger peices towards the bottom in order to acheive the three main caves) so once those where done I could really only rescape the top half. As you can see from the very first picture i had rock going all the way up. Throughout the year i removed many pieces (now in my sump) giving it way more open look at the top. The pics don't really show it, but it alot more open than it looks (there is alot of open area for the fish to swim behind the rock). My other concern was conceilling the 8 closed loop return lines in the tank. You can easily see the front bottom ones (but at least now they are covered in coraline) but for most part you can not see all the other ones (they are placed in the smaller caves). So, to answer your question i took me a year to get it the way i wanted (just minor changes at a time) and i'm sure i'll change it again!

Thanks for looking!

[barnett8]

Wowzers! Thats a lot of corraline.

[spleify]

Nice looking tank, yeah that coraline growth is awesome. From the first pic to the second, it lookes like you painted it. That what stability will get you.

Great job and keep up the great work.

[yannicksjh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14850324#post14850324 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spleify
Nice looking tank, yeah that coraline growth is awesome. From the first pic to the second, it lookes like you painted it. That what stability will get you.

Great job and keep up the great work.

Thanks. I definately didn't plan on having that much coraline in a year, let alone ever. At first i was always complaning that its taking it so long for it to grow but now I think the tank looks WAY too purple. Hopefully when or if the SPS's ever grow in it will look more colorfull and it will take away from the coraline color. I'm obviously going to add alot more SPS to fill in all the big bare spots but going to leave some room in between for some nice size growth. thanks again everyone!

[yannicksjh]

I would just like to add the NO photoshop was used to enhance the purple color (coraline) in the tank as you can tell by the color of the corals and powder blue tang in the second pic.