My 1 yr old mix reef - Now ~3 yrs old

[map95003]

My tank is a few days over 1 year old, it's growing slowly but getting there....here are a few pics.

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2206d1249762032-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-dsc_0123_1.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2207d1249762049-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-rs_dsc_0126.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2208d1249762075-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu1_dsc_0009.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2209d1249762097-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu2_dsc_0012.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2210d1249762118-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu3_dsc_0010.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2211d1249762387-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu4_dsc_0029.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2212d1249762408-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu6_dsc_0040.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2213d1249762422-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu7_dsc_0033.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2214d1249762437-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu9_dsc_0139.jpg

http://www.************.com/forums/attachments/reef-discussion/2215d1249762451-my-tank-1-yr-old-today-cu10_dsc_0025.jpg

[lenny8671]

pics ddont work

[Fish_wiz2]

I don't know if it is just my PC but i don't see any pics?

[JonnyD91]

you cant link those pics from another forum bc they need authentication to bee seen. in other words we would need to be registered on that site

[map95003]

sorry about that guys...the pics showed up for me even after I logged out of the other forum so I thought they would work for everyone...I'll trying uploading them to the RC photo gallery later today, I don't like using the RC gallery because it's limited to 50k file size...I'll try shrinking the pics and give it a try later.

Anyone have any other suggestions for posting the pics...like maybe a good free site that you use to post pics and link from RC?

[Jadams]

Just upload the pics to Photobucket, and then copy/paste the direct link codes it give you in the thread

[map95003]

ok, lets try this again...I'm using photobucket...



http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU7_DSC_0033.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU9_DSC_0139.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU3_DSC_0010.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU2_DSC_0012.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU10_DSC_0025.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU4_DSC_0029.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU1_DSC_0009.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0143.jpghttp://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0123_1.jpg

[map95003]

a few more...
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0123_1.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/RS_DSC_0126.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU6_DSC_0040.jpg
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CU8_DSC_0017.jpg

[map95003]

someone please let me know if you could see the pics now. thanks.

[illsquaddotcom]

Yes we can thanks nice ones too.

[barnett8]

Very nice tank! How has the carnation coral done for you?

Also, what lights are you using?

Thanks.

[map95003]

thanks...

I've had the carnation for almost 2 months now and it's doing OK (knock on wood), I don't target feed or anything.

I'm running 6x54w T5's on WorkHorse5 electronic balasts and ATI bulbs.

[robs.mark]

fantastic, how long have you had the hippo for? he looks very healthy.

[100%hydrophylic]

nice tank!

[map95003]

I've had the hippo for ~11 months now, he's my favorite fish, very active and friendly...I know he'll need a bigger tank in a few years...perfect reason for an upgrade:)

[map95003]

Been a while since I updated this thread. My tank is now 2 yrs and 4 months old, here are some updated pics...

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/FTS2.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/FTS1.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/CloseUp.jpg

[joejoe1055]

nice

[joejoe1055]

whats your favorite piece?

[Frogmanx82]

Very nice. So did the carnation not make it? Those are so tough from what I hear.

The tank looks very clean. Do you scrape the back glass? How big a problem is it keeping the xenia under control? And how big is the tank?

Pictures are great, but a little detail on your system would be nice if your going to go through all the trouble of posting them.

[Everyones Hero]

That's very nice. It's nice to see some good sized colonies instead of 30 or 40 little plugs for once.

Are you dosing a 2 part or using a Ca reactor for your calcium needs?

[map95003]

nice
Thank you

whats your favorite piece?
Not sure I have a favorite, I like different corals for different reasons but if I had to pick one from this tank I would say the orange monti, because when I bought it as a frag, it bleached and I pretty much tossed it out (back of the tank), I was cleaning the back glass about 6 months later (maybe even longer, I don't remember) and it was bright orange/pink, now it's trying to encrust everything it could reach.

Very nice. So did the carnation not make it? Those are so tough from what I hear.

The tank looks very clean. Do you scrape the back glass? How big a problem is it keeping the xenia under control? And how big is the tank?

Thanks, the carnation is very hard to keep. I noticed it wasn't doing well and I gave it to a friend who has a non-photosynthetic tank. It recovered and is doing great in his tank, but he feeds it multiple times per day...I didn't have the time for to do that. I do scrape the coraline off the glass, I prefer a clean look. The xenia was my first coral and I like the movement in the tank. It hasn't been a problem over the years. The tank it a standard 75g with a 55g sump.

That's very nice. It's nice to see some good sized colonies instead of 30 or 40 little plugs for once.

Are you dosing a 2 part or using a Ca reactor for your calcium needs?

Thanks, it's great watching frags grow into large colonies, it's even more fun fragging them and getting your money back, at least that's what I tell my wife :):). I dosed 2-part for a while, then I switched to kalk for a while...didn't have much time to spend with the tank and ended up getting a Ca reactor. I still prefer 2-part but the reactor works best for my schedule right now.

[pwwfish]

You have a beautiful tank. I see your toadstool and frogspawn did grow a lot.

[Jack01]

yep I can see the pics

[polyp02]

Very exciting. Can't wait for my 75g to get to this point I was already pondering into spending the cash and buying full grown colonies instead of frags. A LFS clerk said that it would take 8 years for my corals to grow the sizes you have. So, what kind of lights are you running MH or T5's? I have 4 T5's and don't see much growth but its only been 7 months and just got a leather coral. Also what are your water parameter and photoperiod(plus light mixture). Thanks

[m2434]

That looks outstanding, what an improvement! Very nice aquascaping too. Usually, when we talk about aquascapes, we are referring largely to the rocks, but in your case, I can't see any :lol: Really, though, much better without them IMO....

[map95003]

Very exciting. Can't wait for my 75g to get to this point I was already pondering into spending the cash and buying full grown colonies instead of frags. A LFS clerk said that it would take 8 years for my corals to grow the sizes you have. So, what kind of lights are you running MH or T5's? I have 4 T5's and don't see much growth but its only been 7 months and just got a leather coral. Also what are your water parameter and photoperiod(plus light mixture). Thanks

Coral growth depend on lots of different factors, water quality, lights, food, etc. I like watching my corals grow, I got the 2 large frogspawns about 6 months apart, less than 2 yrs ago. One had 4 heads and the other had 7...they currently have ~ 35-40 heads each, and I fragged them a few times in the past to make back the $$ I paid for them. For lighting I have a 6x54W T5HO setup, 8 hours total photo period (4hrs with 4 bulbs and 4 hrs with all 6 bulbs). Water parms: pH 7.8-8.1, Alk 10 dkh, Ca 440, Mg ~1300, SG 1.025, Nitrate 0, Phosphate shows up in very small amounts sometimes.

That looks outstanding, what an improvement! Very nice aquascaping too. Usually, when we talk about aquascapes, we are referring largely to the rocks, but in your case, I can't see any :lol: Really, though, much better without them IMO....

Thanks, I ran out of space...time for a bigger tank. lol.

[map95003]

I was looking for a compact camera to carry around when my DSLR is not practical. Came across the Kodak SLICE, for the features and price I figure I'd give it a shot....other than short battery life, I have to say...not bad. I've been playing around with the HD video, here's a clip...I recorded it at 720p, not sure what happen when I uploaded it to youtube...check it out in 480p if possible..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2sqFsK2LE7I

[Lynnmw1208]

very nice! just the look I was going for! I hope to have my tank look like that in the future. What kind of powerheads are you using? you have such a nice flow :)

[kingfisher62]

Truely amazing! Everything looks so freakin healthy and vibrant!

[duncantse]

Beautiful tank you got there! Are you running skimmer? It looks like your sump doesn't have any space for one.

[Dadekster]

Very nice tank. Love how everything has grown in and it says a lot about your husbandry to keep things alive over a long period of time. :)

[lisafoster]

Wow that is a beautiful tank so vibrant.

[map95003]

very nice! just the look I was going for! I hope to have my tank look like that in the future. What kind of powerheads are you using? you have such a nice flow :)

Thank you, I have 2xKoralia4's & 2xKoralia1's. For returns, I have MAG9.5 as the main and a MAG7 as backup which also serves as my simi-automated water change pump.

Truely amazing! Everything looks so freakin healthy and vibrant!

Thank you

Beautiful tank you got there! Are you running skimmer? It looks like your sump doesn't have any space for one.

Thanks, I have a 55g sump. I run a ASM G-2 modded skimmer but I shut it down a few hours a day because the water gets too 'clean'...I also have a 7" DSB/fuge with lots of macro algae that takes care of most of the filtration.

Very nice tank. Love how everything has grown in and it says a lot about your husbandry to keep things alive over a long period of time. :)

Thanks, I spent the time up front and set this one up 'right' from the get go. I've done it wrong many times in the past which required lots of long term husbandry. With this tank I use a mag float to clean the glass once a week, do a 10% monthly water change and try to test my parms at least twice a year (more often if any of my life stock shows any signs that something might be wrong). Other than that, I just have to feed the tank.

Wow that is a beautiful tank so vibrant.

Thank you.

[superman0440]

what size tank is this

looks great

[map95003]

what size tank is this

looks great

Thanks...it's an overgrown 75 w/ 55 sump. I'm working on an upgrade to a larger tank. Now sure what happened to my video on YouTube, doesn't work anymore so I re-uploaded it. Here's the new link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1cpPQ2GLwo

[Dono]

What controller or timer do you use for your powerheads?

[map95003]

What controller or timer do you use for your powerheads?

I have an old ACII that I've been using for years, I have a DC8 hooked up to it to control lights, temp & pH but I'm not using it to control my power heads, they are always ON.

[meatball87]

Very nice tank thanks for sharing

[map95003]

Could a mod please edit the Title of this thread? Add " - Now ~3 yrs old"
some recent tank pics...

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_1197_1.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_1220_1.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_1139_1.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_1135_1.jpg

[RBTA99]

wow just amaze how much changes in 1 yrs very impressive

[Lynnmw1208]

Nice! What is the big coral on the very left side? I LOVE it!! I love your frogspawn too :) it's so enormous compared to my little frags :lol:

[Ducati 911]

That Toadstools outgrown that tank :lmao: , if you sold/traded/fragged it, It would leave LOTS of room for some nicer corals. That being said, your tank looks incredible!

[map95003]

wow just amaze how much changes in 1 yrs very impressive

Thank you, I'm always amazed when I compare before and after pics. I also wonder what it would look like if I had a bigger tank that I didn't have to frag every few months.

Nice! What is the big coral on the very left side? I LOVE it!! I love your frogspawn too :) it's so enormous compared to my little frags :lol:
Thank you, it's a toadstool, one of the coolest ones I've seen and I've fragged it many times over the last 3 yrs.

That Toadstools outgrown that tank :lmao: , if you sold/traded/fragged it, It would leave LOTS of room for some nicer corals. That being said, your tank looks incredible!

Thanks. I like that toadstool, that's the reason it's still in the tank. Nothing against all SPS tanks but I prefer a tank with movement and the large, bright pink, w/ long tentacles and wihte tips toadstool sitting infront of a powerhead create quite a bit of movement. It's cool to watch and has paid for most of the other corals in my tank because I've fragged it so many times.

[Ducati 911]

Nice I like the toadstools too, good way to make some of your money back. Ive heard larger toadstools produce more bioload than 2 or 3 big fish?? any truth to this?

[map95003]

I read and heard lots of stuff...but in this hobby one of the things I learned years ago, not all tanks are alike, so our experience with various livestock varies. I don't have any problems with anything in my tank as long as certain corals are not touching eachother, and as you can see I keep a mixed reef. I do run carbon 24x7 so I'm sure that helps a bit.

[ange062]

Awesome looking tank! Cool to see progress over YEARS instead of weeks or months like is typical. The changes have been dramatic.

[vitodog]

Great looking tank. I like everything you have in there. What species clams are those and how long have you had them?

[Crush Coral]

Looks great. Wish I could get that kind of growth in my 75!!!! Which supplement do you use for magnesium?

[Garage1217]

Outstanding tank! Very impressive!

[map95003]

Sorry for the late responses everyone, been a while since I checked in.

Awesome looking tank! Cool to see progress over YEARS instead of weeks or months like is typical. The changes have been dramatic.

Thanks, years ago I couldn't wait for frags to grow out....now things are just growing into eachother, wish it would slow down a bit until I setup the bigger tank.

Great looking tank. I like everything you have in there. What species clams are those and how long have you had them?

Well they were 2 derasa clams, I got them about 2 inches in size and after about a year their growth took off...I recently got rid of one at 13", I kept the smaller one which is now 12"

Looks great. Wish I could get that kind of growth in my 75!!!! Which supplement do you use for magnesium?

Years ago I had a Ca reactor, then I switched to Kalk when I setup this system ~4 yrs ago, switched to 2-part about a year later....but then I got strapped for time and switched back to the Ca reactor 2 yrs ago. I use caribsea media and I dose lugals (iodine), that's it. I don't target feed corals but I have tangs do corals get their fair share of food.

Outstanding tank! Very impressive!
thank you.

Here's a few update pics of the tank, they are a little over a month old...the tank has since gone through a 9 day power outage but it recovered well.

Tried attaching my pics from photobucket like I always do but for some reason RC keep changing the path to the pics resulting in broken links...what's the story RC mods? I'm guessing it's because it has "R2R" in the photobucket URL, RC is replacing it with "clay-boa". This is one of the reasons I don't check in here often, too many unnecessary controls by the site.

Sorry guys, but I wouldn't be uploading my images to a different album on photobucket just because RC has an issue with "R2R", check out my pics on "R2R" if interested...you might even like the site and stay there :)

[Mod Note] Sites that appear on our censor list are there because they have come on here and repeatedly violated our [ua]. Please do not circumvent the censor. Thank you -Dino, RC MOD

[sneaton]

does your melanarus wrasse mess with your shrimp?

[brandon429]

I was about to ask why the substrate has no pocketing or coralline growth yet there are fish in the tank and growing sps.

[brandon429]

also, why not just post pics on here/. ive used tons of rc's free space. pics may not be huge but they are free and hosted right here?>
mainly we just want an update of a ~4 year old tank?

[map95003]

does your melanarus wrasse mess with your shrimp?

He's actually a huge 6-line, very aggressive to anything new I add to the tank...so I don't :)

I was about to ask why the substrate has no pocketing or coralline growth yet there are fish in the tank and growing sps.

Coralline only grows on the glass and I scrape it once a month. The rocks are covered with corals so not much coralline growth there. I don't do any maintenance on the sand.

also, why not just post pics on here/. ive used tons of rc's free space. pics may not be huge but they are free and hosted right here?>
mainly we just want an update of a ~4 year old tank?

Ok, I'll give this a shot again, I just don't like the fact that RC think they need that much control...but I'll let it go :) I renamed my photobucket album, removed "clay-boa" if that would make RC happy.

These pics are actually over 2 months old, they are from the R2R Oct ReefSpotlight...
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/Reef%20Spotlight/DSC_1734.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/Reef%20Spotlight/DSC_1720.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/Reef%20Spotlight/D7K_1565.jpg

[brandon429]

they are amazing. Im amazed the sandbed stayed white, had no detritus incursion, snail poop, fish poop mid breakdown etc but if your current and mechanical filtration are exceptional maybe they are keeping it in suspension/fixing it before it hits bottom. Just an unusual character in 3 year old tanks Ive seen a lot of them. Your coral growth is 10 of 10 man.

Yea RC will never get into the realm of free poster control, each board is on a continuum for reasons legal and philosophical. Ive had many a mis spells forever locked in an rc thread :) but its worth it so far.

[map95003]

they are amazing. Im amazed the sandbed stayed white, had no detritus incursion, snail poop, fish poop mid breakdown etc but if your current and mechanical filtration are exceptional maybe they are keeping it in suspension/fixing it before it hits bottom. Just an unusual character in 3 year old tanks Ive seen a lot of them. Your coral growth is 10 of 10 man.

Thanks. The tank has good flow, however there is so much life in my sandbed any food or poop that hits the bottom is gone within minutes.

Hey, you're they Brandon with the pico vase tanks on YouTube? Gave me this crazy idea of building a vase :lmao: It was a fun project but I got bored with it after about 8 months...here's the last pic I took before I sold it...

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_1168.jpg

[brandon429]

it had a clean sandbed too

:)

yes I remember you now from that pic you and I like to lock up coral bandeds in iso lol

your tank was great I commented on it, the anem is exceedingly rare in established picos.

[Chubby]

What does ur Cuc consist of.

[map95003]

What does ur Cuc consist of.

I added a CUC almost 4 yrs ago when I setup the system, an assortment of snails and hermits. I don't think I have any hermits left, I know I have 2 snails that clean the glass and a few nassarius snails (~4) in the sand...thousands of bristle stars and lots of life in the sandbed.

[Dino]

Ok, I'll give this a shot again, I just don't like the fact that RC think they need that much control...but I'll let it go :) I renamed my photobucket album, removed "clay-boa" if that would make RC happy.

Its not about us "thinking we need that much control". :) Sites that appear on the censor list have gotten there by coming on HERE, and repeatedly violating our [ua]. When a continued pattern of abuse appears we really only have limited options, censoring is pretty much the last step. Please don't circumvent the censor. Thanks.

-Now back to your regularly scheduled thread. :) Pretty tank BTW.

[map95003]

Its not about us "thinking we need that much control". :) Sites that appear on the censor list have gotten there by coming on HERE, and repeatedly violating our <a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/user-agreement">User Agreement</a>. When a continued pattern of abuse appears we really only have limited options, censoring is pretty much the last step. Please don't circumvent the censor. Thanks.

-Now back to your regularly scheduled thread. :) Pretty tank BTW.

Hey Dino, thanks for the complement on the tank. Also thanks for the explination on blocking my photobucket album, I would never link to another site and has no reason to circumvent anything, however I don't see why RC would have a problem with it's members linking to pics in a photobucket album that has nothing to do with your competitor's site. I am a member of that site and other members mention RC all the time in threads on that site and no one has a problem with it....sounds like RC is the only one with the issue. Don't take this the wrong way, I know lots of members that wouldn't voice their opinions with the fear of being suspended from RC...as you can tell, I'm not one of them...suspending me from RC for voicing my opinion on what I think is wrong would only result in me never coming here again and I wouldn't loose one second of sleep over it :beer:

[allsps40]

Nice tank. I love the soft colors and mix of corals. Cool little pico.

[Dino]

Hey Dino, thanks for the complement on the tank. Also thanks for the explination on blocking my photobucket album, I would never link to another site and has no reason to circumvent anything, however I don't see why RC would have a problem with it's members linking to pics in a photobucket album that has nothing to do with your competitor's site. I am a member of that site and other members mention RC all the time in threads on that site and no one has a problem with it....sounds like RC is the only one with the issue. Don't take this the wrong way, I know lots of members that wouldn't voice their opinions with the fear of being suspended from RC...as you can tell, I'm not one of them...suspending me from RC for voicing my opinion on what I think is wrong would only result in me never coming here again and I wouldn't loose one second of sleep over it :beer:

Its a software based censor so words that are on the censor list are automatically replaced when you click "submit reply". :) Only reason your pics were blocked is because a censored word was in the file name. Same as if any of the long list of profanity words was included in a file name.

I don't wish for this thread to stray off topic though so I'll just leave it at that. I just wanted to straighten out any misconceptions. :)

[cdrewferd]

Amazing tank you have going there. Hope my hammer, and soon frogspawn, grow like yours.

[joejoe1055]

tank looks so nice love your growth

[map95003]

Nice tank. I love the soft colors and mix of corals. Cool little pico.

Amazing tank you have going there. Hope my hammer, and soon frogspawn, grow like yours.

tank looks so nice love your growth

Thanks for the comments guys. I haven't made changes to the tank in a few years, I'm starting to get bored of it...some days I even consider selling it all. Hoping to move to a new home next year, hopefully building a bigger tank will spark my interest again.

[map95003]

My tank has recovered from the 9 day power outage we experienced the end of October. Most of the dead corals have been removed...on the good side, the corals are coloring up again and there is a little more room for them to grow again.

Here's a short video, it was recorded with my Samsung Galaxy SII so not the best quality but not bad for a phone.

Note: Watch vid in HD (720P) if possible. Also, ignore the power cord at 1:45, every thing still not back in it's correct place yet :)

http://youtu.be/Wign0K1j7ZM

[ascitone]

Tank looks amazing. And I love the Toadstool.

[map95003]

Tank looks amazing. And I love the Toadstool.

Thanks. I'm surprised the toadstool made it through the power outage, it was falling apart and didn't open up for almost 2 weeks after. It's not as big and bright as it use to be and the tentacles are not fully extending yet...but it'll get there in time.

[map95003]

a few pics taken this about 2 wks ago...
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0068.jpg

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0059.jpg

[Charley Diesing]

Love your tank, good job bro.

Can we some equipment? :D Refuge, sump, etc :D

[jc-reef]

I love how that cap is reaching straight up to the water surface...very very cool!! You have a really nice nice looking mixed reef.

-----

[Reef264]

What a super tank, have you ever thought about putting a pic of it blown up on a billboard?That is not a Good idea, everybody would crash on the freeway staring at it!

Bottom line, you have a dream tank!Congrats!

[rogermccray]

Very nice tank! I like the look and movement of a softy tank as well.

[nsyahron]

very nice mixed reef tank!

[todd141]

I'd like to know the bulb combination you have. I really like the look.

[map95003]

Love your tank, good job bro.

Can we some equipment? :D Refuge, sump, etc :D

I love how that cap is reaching straight up to the water surface...very very cool!! You have a really nice nice looking mixed reef.

-----

What a super tank, have you ever thought about putting a pic of it blown up on a billboard?That is not a Good idea, everybody would crash on the freeway staring at it!

Bottom line, you have a dream tank!Congrats!

Very nice tank! I like the look and movement of a softy tank as well.

very nice mixed reef tank!

Thanks everyone...I can't wait to move to get a bigger tank, the current tank is overgrown to the point where corals have no more room to grow without killing their neighbors.

@Charley - I'll post a pic of my sump shortly

@Reef264 - Billboard? that would be cool, especially if it's on my way to work. But there is a video out there on Amazon, this secnic videos company paid me to record my tank last year, it's a sharp video but the colors are washed out, and they only showed the left side of the tank. I think the video would have made a bigger impact if they had some movement, maybe fading into different scenes, etc....but it's not bad, here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/BluScenes-Scenic-Aquarium-1080p-Blu-ray/dp/B006AYZ18Q/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1328105738&sr=8-14

Here's a pic of my 55g diy sump/fuge/dsb:

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/Reef%20Spotlight/DSC_1574.jpg

[shayna123]

Love your tank. That vertical cap is awesome, never seen one grow like that. How did you get it to do that? Im glad your tank made it through the blackout, did you have a generator? That was a really rough week. How is your toadstool doing? I love it. If you ever frag it again I would definetely be interested in buying a frag from you, I live in Agawam. Best of luck with your tank. Hope you stay in the hobby, you have a real talent.

[Poolman21]

Great looking tank!

[robertifly]

Really Really great looking tank and equipment if I got it right is:
Sump - refuge with cheato, sand, rock. Skimmer, TLF - running carbon, Cal. reactor
Lighting - 6 X 54wt. T5. 8hr photo period. What combo bulbs?

SWEET TANK!!! Thanks for sharing.

[map95003]

Love your tank. That vertical cap is awesome, never seen one grow like that. How did you get it to do that? Im glad your tank made it through the blackout, did you have a generator? That was a really rough week. How is your toadstool doing? I love it. If you ever frag it again I would definetely be interested in buying a frag from you, I live in Agawam. Best of luck with your tank. Hope you stay in the hobby, you have a real talent.

Thanks. Surprisingly the tank recovered from the 8.5 day power outage. The toadstool has still not fully recovered, but it's getting there. I'll let you know the next time I frag it.

I'd like to know the bulb combination you have. I really like the look.

Front to back:
ATI Blue+
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue+
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue+

Great looking tank!
Thanks

Really Really great looking tank and equipment if I got it right is:
Sump - refuge with cheato, sand, rock. Skimmer, TLF - running carbon, Cal. reactor
Lighting - 6 X 54wt. T5. 8hr photo period. What combo bulbs?

SWEET TANK!!! Thanks for sharing.
I think you got it right lol. See bulb combo above.

[robertifly]

It is refreshing and encouraging to see such successful tank with what I consider minimalist equipment by today's reef tank standards. Your tank rivals or is better than many that have more expensive setups, equipment, and time involved. And as far as water additives you just add iodine and regular water changes? Sorry for questions but your system is "simply" great and yo're doing without leds :).

[map95003]

It is refreshing and encouraging to see such successful tank with what I consider minimalist equipment by today's reef tank standards. Your tank rivals or is better than many that have more expensive setups, equipment, and time involved. And as far as water additives you just add iodine and regular water changes? Sorry for questions but your system is "simply" great and yo're doing without leds :).

Thank you. I've done the gadget overload on my previous tank and it was a nice tank, but over the years I've learned that high-end equipment don't necessarily make a tank. With this tank, I went as simple as possible and tried to cut cost without impacting the results in the tank. I only dose lugals (whenever I remember) a few times a week and I try to do 15% WC every 6-8 weeks but lately it's been slipping because of my busy schedule. I use to dose 2-part but due to lack of time I hooked back up my Ca reactor. I also dose Mg after a WC. Personally I think the less you mess with the tank, the better the results.

[gmate]

Love the tank, keep up the greatwork. Come to the Frag Farmer's Market in March the CTARS club is hosting it you won't be dissapointed, we're only a state away in Connecticut!

[robs.mark]

Very nice, great husbandry paid off, the hippo still looks great too!

[map95003]

Love the tank, keep up the greatwork. Come to the Frag Farmer's Market in March the CTARS club is hosting it you won't be dissapointed, we're only a state away in Connecticut!

Thanks. I was thinking of taking a ride to the Frag Farmer's Market....but I don't have any more room in my tank. I'm trying to sell my house so I got rid of all the clutter I had, including most of my spare tank equipment...next time.

Very nice, great husbandry paid off, the hippo still looks great too!

Thanks. The hippo is getting big, hopefully he can hang in there for a few more months. I have a 180 but I'm waiting till I move to set it up.

[PistolShrmp]

Epic tank, congrats it looks great!

[map95003]

Epic tank, congrats it looks great!

Thank you

[map95003]

Recent pic...

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0035.jpg

[FinnBarr]

Awesome tank! I know it was awhile ago, but is the mandarin still around?

[MichaelDavid]

Recent pic...

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/map95003/DSC_0035.jpg



Nice tank. You keep it clean. I can't see one spot of coraline algae on the glass. Haha

[ReefPharmer]

all i can say is wow. What a super tank. You may want to photoshop the tangs out of there tho before some of our more 'zelous' members start the "75gal is too small for tangs" discussion.

[map95003]

Awesome tank! I know it was awhile ago, but is the mandarin still around?

Thanks. No, I had to get rid of the mandarin, she was competing with my 6-line for pods. She's now nice and fat in my friends 300g tank.

Nice tank. You keep it clean. I can't see one spot of coraline algae on the glass. Haha

Thanks, I like the clean glass look. I run a mag float across all glass surfaces once a week, this is enough to avoid any coraline scraping.

all i can say is wow. What a super tank. You may want to photoshop the tangs out of there tho before some of our more 'zelous' members start the "75gal is too small for tangs" discussion.

Thanks. I was never one to follow our made up rules. Not trying to be cocky but the few that came at me about the tangs, I've simply asked them to show me their tanks and tangs that are so much happier than mine....haven't came across anyone yet that was able to prove that, almost everytime it's been the reverse :) that said, my tangs are getting big and I'll be moving soon. If I do stay in the hobby, I'll be setting up a larger tank. I've been in this for about 13 yrs and sometimes I just get bored with it, been thinking about getting out. Haven't made a serious decision yet.

[Dadekster]

Still a very nice tank imo. Those plates are next in line to take over the tank. Once they hit that size they take off fast :p The tangs look healthy to me, plenty of places to hide. Your 180 should be fun, you plan on doing anything different or using anything you learned from this tank?

[rl225]

amazing tank. I hope mine will look that good one day

[nolanrob123]

That is a beautiful tank.

[nolanrob123]

How BIG is that clam???

[igot2gats]

I know I sound like a broken record with everyone else, but very nice tank.

I know a lot of people don't like GSP or Xenia, but I'm a big fan of flowy corals. Love the action going on in the pics.

Keep up the great work, and sweet pics.

[map95003]

Still a very nice tank imo. Those plates are next in line to take over the tank. Once they hit that size they take off fast :p The tangs look healthy to me, plenty of places to hide. Your 180 should be fun, you plan on doing anything different or using anything you learned from this tank?

If I do stay in the hobby after I move, I'll be setting up the 180 and moving everything over. As far as what I would do different, I'll probably build a new lighting system with T5HO being the primary and LEDs being secondary (I've been testing LED for a while now and the results are still not what I'm able to achieve with T5s...I know not everyone would agree with me, just my opinion :).
I'll most likely stick with the DSB/Fuge approach but go bigger. I don't think I'll add any more rock than I currently have, give the fish some room to swim and corals some room to grow. I'll definitely be adding more tangs...a powder blue, a few more yellows, maybe some anthias

amazing tank. I hope mine will look that good one day
Thanks

That is a beautiful tank.
Thanks

How BIG is that clam???

I had 3 of these clams, they were about 2" but after about a year their growth took off. I got rid of the others due to lack of space. The last time I measured this guy he was 11"

I know I sound like a broken record with everyone else, but very nice tank.

I know a lot of people don't like GSP or Xenia, but I'm a big fan of flowy corals. Love the action going on in the pics.

Keep up the great work, and sweet pics.

Thanks. My previous tank was a stick tank and even though it looked OK, I was bored with it (no offence to anyone into all SPS). This time around I decided to go for some movement, it's easier to maintain and not so hard on the wallet.

[Dadekster]

If I do stay in the hobby after I move, I'll be setting up the 180 and moving everything over. As far as what I would do different, I'll probably build a new lighting system with T5HO being the primary and LEDs being secondary (I've been testing LED for a while now and the results are still not what I'm able to achieve with T5s...I know not everyone would agree with me, just my opinion :).
I'll most likely stick with the DSB/Fuge approach but go bigger. I don't think I'll add any more rock than I currently have, give the fish some room to swim and corals some room to grow. I'll definitely be adding more tangs...a powder blue, a few more yellows, maybe some anthias


If you are thinking about all that you'll set up another one and with your skills it would be a shame if you didn't ;) I just took my tank down about two weeks ago so I could build a divider wall and make it an in-wall display. I've gone ahead and went with AI Sols after running T5's so I am curious to see how they'll work out so hearing your opinion on me gives me a bad feeling but we'll see. I am going with several tangs, fairy wrasses and chromis this time around myself. Good luck with your future tank. :)

[Reefahholic]

Very beautiful!

What kind of lighting?

[map95003]

Sorry everyone, haven't checked in here in a while. We sold our home and the new owners wanted the tank with the home (including everything in it). We left it behind 3 months ago and I decided to get out of the hobby for now....I'll try to checkin from time to time to keep up, maybe someday I'll setup another system but for now I'm too busy with other projects, I don't miss the hobby too much either.....yet:)

[Charley Diesing]

Its been about a year since your last FTS! We need a new one! :D

[map95003]

Its been about a year since your last FTS! We need a new one! :D

I no longer own the tank, it was an in-wall setup, sold our home last June and the new owners wanted the tank and everything in it....had to make the hard call of leaving it behind, but maybe someday I'll setup another tank...bigger and better :)

[Charley Diesing]

I no longer own the tank, it was an in-wall setup, sold our home last June and the new owners wanted the tank and everything in it....had to make the hard call of leaving it behind, but maybe someday I'll setup another tank...bigger and better :)

Wow thats almost sad. It was like such a developed piece of reef.

I wonder how the new owners are handling it... :P

can't wait to see the new and improved! :)