Pictures of SPS over 7 years old please [Archive]

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p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 03:05 PM

ingtar_shinowa

08/14/2010, 03:16 PM

you gotta have a good regimen for new corals. I play fast and lose, but I dip EVERYTHING that goes into my tank, then I visually inspect every frag, sometimes with a magnifying glass (my 20/10 vision usually is fine) Then I take some toenail clippers and cut at anything weird on the plug. I also only get frags from vendors I trust and can see lots and lots of feedback from as well as pictures of their facility. I talk to them too.

If i was pro, I would remount EVERY coral I get and house it in a QT tank prior to introducing it into my systems. I have picked up 100 frags maybe over the past 3-4 months and have received no hitchhikers except one micro brittle i saved from the dip. I've killed hundreds of pods, astrinia stars, stomella and vermetid snails. You just have to be up on what you get. I also get small SPS frags vs colonies as they are a lot easier to inspect and I'm a terrible reefer that doesn't keep my parameters perfect all the time (colonies RTN a lot more often when introduced than frags)

ingtar_shinowa

08/14/2010, 03:18 PM

PS, he only coral have lost so far is a purple haze encrusting monti that I bleached, but it might come back. Plus my blue voodoo got comped by a blenny for a month until the blenny starved, I think it will be all the way dead in a few weeks. Just go slow and have alot of safegaurds against critters! Beautiful tank btw!

Amphiprion

08/14/2010, 03:51 PM

It wasn't 100% "sps," but my old reef housed such corals for well over 7 years (even at the date of this pic):

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z107/Amphiprion_photos/Picture002.jpg

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 04:08 PM

I think my biggest problem was wild colonies, I dipped and inspected all but obviously didn't get an egg tucked in a tight spot. Thank you for sharing I hope others will follow.

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2528.jpg

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2577.jpg

wickedfish

08/14/2010, 04:26 PM

What is that stuff?

fishdoc11

08/14/2010, 04:57 PM

I still have corals I aquired ~ 9 years ago. Most SPS I have I have had for at least 5 or 6 years. They have been restarted from frags a couple of times during moves and one AEFW episode when I lost all of my SPS but they are still with me:)

rigleautomotive

08/14/2010, 05:08 PM

I have many over 10 years but here is a few I can find pics of easily

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q46/rigleautomotive/yellowtort2.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q46/rigleautomotive/midtankpillar.jpg

This validia is over 10 years old

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q46/rigleautomotive/validia.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q46/rigleautomotive/blstage.jpg

Sarementosa table in back is over 10 also

Gary Majchrzak

08/14/2010, 05:24 PM

I am currently starting to rebuild are system after a two year tear down due to pilot error, AEFW and all the other reef invaders. We permanently build this system in our home, hoping to grow a long lived captive reef. I am starting to have my doubts about longevity in SPS. Please help with new inpirational pictures and advice.

pre death

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2354.jpg
beautiful aquarium!
(My wife agrees)

Never give up.
We've all had many and various setbacks at one time or another. Scleractinian ("stony" corals) are some of the most amazing and beautiful animals on the planet IMO. Their fragility is worth the risk of growing them in an aquarium and (furthermore) makes them that much more desirable to pursue IMO.

fwiw the "oldest" corals in my system include a 14 year or so old Acropora. Scleractinian corals can and do outlive many (most?) other reef animals if you can keep environmental conditions optimal.... something you obviously already know.

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 05:31 PM

What is that stuff?

ACRO EATING FLAT WORM EGGS

My favorite attribute of the AEFW is it's ability to absorb or eat (not sure which) the coral's zooxanthea alive (if I understand this correctly) and mask itself making it nearly impossible to spot. At that point they already have offspring that are ultra microscopic and also able to reproduce even then.

I derived at this after removing and quarantining 20 small colonies for a year. I researched all the way back to TRACY GRAY'S tank to find some resources to fight the micro reef terrorist.

I basted the corals daily and preformed weekly dips, a variety of TM PRO Coral Cure, ReVive, Coral RX, and even the debated fluke tabs.

About 7 of the sps pieces found new homes so I could take a several year mental and financial break.

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 05:37 PM

beautiful aquarium!
(My wife agrees)

Never give up.
We've all had many and various setbacks at one time or another. Scleractinian ("stony" corals) are some of the most amazing and beautiful animals on the planet IMO. Their fragility is worth the risk of growing them in an aquarium and (furthermore) makes them that much more desirable to pursue IMO.

fwiw the "oldest" corals in my system include a 14 year or so old Acropora. Scleractinian corals can and do outlive many (most?) other reef animals if you can keep environmental conditions optimal.... something you obviously already know.

Thank you for the encouraging words .
Gary your tank is one of my favorites on Reef Central!

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 05:58 PM

I started a thread without checking for typing errors (our not are), this has always bothered me, anyway LOL:rollface: Thank you for the solid examples it won't offend me if others are willing to share.:thumbsup:

TheDean

08/14/2010, 05:59 PM

Thank you for the encouraging words .
Gary your tank is one of my favorites on Reef Central!

It's nice to see people in it for the longhaul. Beautiful tank, I'm sure the next system, even with the very same equipment, will be even better. Keep faith.

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 06:06 PM

phenom5

08/14/2010, 06:13 PM

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2354.jpg

Wow. That is a stunning tank. Good luck with the rebuild, you should definitely start up a thread about it (if you haven't already).

As far as the longevity goes, I think SPS can and are being kept long term. There are so many things that can cause a disaster, but the reward is worth it.

p stegmaier

08/14/2010, 06:28 PM

Wow. That is a stunning tank. Good luck with the rebuild, you should definitely start up a thread about it (if you haven't already).

As far as the longevity goes, I think SPS can and are being kept long term. There are so many things that can cause a disaster, but the reward is worth it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.
I'm shooting for christmas with a cycled tank. I will be starting a rebuild thread in the LTF around the same time. I want to be able display pictures of all the modifications to the original system and why I did it.
This will include lots of pictures to give the advice givers a better understanding of what they are actually giving advice on. Besides I start to go cross eyed after several hours of strictly reading RC page content with no pics!

p stegmaier

08/15/2010, 05:27 AM

ACRO EATING FLAT WORM EGGS

My favorite attribute of the AEFW is it's ability to absorb or eat (not sure which) the coral's zooxanthea alive (if I understand this correctly) and mask itself making it nearly impossible to spot. At that point they already have offspring that are ultra microscopic and also able to reproduce even then.

I derived at this after removing and quarantining 20 small colonies for a year. I researched all the way back to TRACY GRAY'S tank to find some resources to fight the micro reef terrorist.

I basted the corals daily and preformed weekly dips, a variety of TM PRO Coral Cure, ReVive, Coral RX, and even the debated fluke tabs.

About 7 of the sps pieces found new homes so I could take a several year mental and financial break.

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2655.jpg

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/NF4U2663.jpg

Gary Majchrzak

08/15/2010, 06:35 AM

nice system!

You can't possibly tell me that you'd convert to softies! :lolspin:

p stegmaier

08/15/2010, 09:23 AM

Gary I am avoiding it at all costs.

Here is one more picture while the system was still running. The room has being added onto and I have reconfigured some equipment.
It is a very slow rebuild process on a 33 year old construction workers budget, not to mention trying to contain our 2.5 year old boy, and convincing my wife that I won't repeat the same mistakes!

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/_F4U1432-1.jpg

Gary Majchrzak

08/15/2010, 09:36 AM

holy smokes, man.... !

ingtar_shinowa

08/15/2010, 09:37 AM

you have a nice setup!

p stegmaier

08/15/2010, 09:45 AM

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement.
I plan to start off really simple this time keeping the system in FOWLR mode for the first year to create a solid foundation for the SPS to come. I just have alot questions still.

dvanacker

08/15/2010, 04:19 PM

Wow...dont give up....that system and fish room are meant for SPS.

buy_baff

08/15/2010, 04:37 PM

Awesome system!

Gary Majchrzak

08/15/2010, 04:38 PM

my fish room, sump, etc. are crude in comparison to yours.

IMO:
load the system up with pest eating Wrasses and start over with some SPS frags ASAP.

p stegmaier

08/15/2010, 05:54 PM

my fish room, sump, etc. are crude in comparison to yours.

IMO:
load the system up with pest eating Wrasses and start over with some SPS frags ASAP.

Looks like I have large shoes to fill now!:bounce2:

Gary once again thank you for the kind words.

By the way is there a build thread on your current system I have only found pictures the world's greatest captive Emperor Angel in his lovely surroundings. I really would like to see more!

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/Screenshot2010-08-15at65231PM.png

I might of found it!

p stegmaier

08/15/2010, 07:02 PM

Wow this comes across just as inspirational as well.

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr339/paulstegmaier/Screenshot2010-08-15at75647PM.png

Gary Majchrzak

08/15/2010, 07:42 PM

current build thread:
Junior's Reef (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1859075&highlight=junior)

wow- nice find!
As you've already discovered, I've been down and out a couple of times over the years. One thing that I've learned is that you can bounce back and the results are usually better. That's why this thread attracted my attention in the first place :)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/gary334/April_2010a.jpg

fishdoc11

08/15/2010, 08:36 PM

You obviously have the know how and motivation to create an awesome setup and fish room. You can make it back. I would advise being careful to dip any new additions though and make sure to just introduce fresh cut frags with no bases etc....for AEFW eggs to survive. My pics/tank aren't near what Gary's is but here are a few pics of mine over the years to see longevity and what can be done even when setbacks present themselves (which always happens eventually with SPS tanks).

My old 90 gallon. This tank was up for 3 years or so and was upgraded form my original 75:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/fishdoc11/Dsc01676.jpg

120 the day after I moved it from the old 90 in Nashville to the new tank in Knoxville:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/fishdoc11/Dsc01573.jpg

120 after restarting from frags after loosing all of my acros while treating for AEFW's in the second year of it's existence:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/fishdoc11/Sept20072.jpg

Recovering well a little over a year after starting over with acros:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/fishdoc11/DSC_0032.jpg

120 a few months before I tore it down to move back to Nashville, this tank was up for 4 years:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/fishdoc11/IMG_0608.jpg

All my pics are over saturated due to not having a decent camera for tank pics but hopefully that gives you an idea:)

Chris