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HighlandReefer
09/10/2010, 03:21 PM
Due to back problems, I have been forced to brake down my 110 g. tall tank which requires me to almost dive into the tank to reach the bottom. :lol:

I have been pondering the different possibilities regarding starting a new tank & what type of coral I want to put into it. I want to have lots of fish in this tank which results in problems as you all know.

I'm leaning toward starting off as a Fish only with some live rock. Install a large refugium with macro & then carbon dose from their to get all the nutrients under control. Perhaps put sea grass in which means I need a higher nitrate and phosphate levels. This would most likely exclude sps. Add corals last. Or I could forget the sea grass and try to go sps.

Any thoughts? :)

HighlandReefer
09/10/2010, 04:32 PM
I am contemplating trying a little experiment to start with. Put in a regular sand bed 4" deep & mix PCL pellets into the sand per the Instant Ocean patent & then dose vinegar which seems to work better on anaerobic bacteria. I would try this before installing a refugium. I'm curious how well this would handle nitrates and phosphate on its own.

wickedfish
09/10/2010, 09:23 PM
Sounds interesting tagging along Cliff, I wondered where you were. Well I hope you feel better. I threw my back out 5 months ago the day we brought my daughter from the hospital a few days after she was born, I changed 20 g's of water, 10 on the first 90 and 10 on the mixed reef and the next day... nothing. couldnt even get into bed much less out I fell trying to get to the restroom luckily had a good stash of soma and other garbage and after a few weeks strong as an ox. Anyway I wish you luck with the tank and your back.
Best Regards,
Esteban

HighlandReefer
09/11/2010, 09:11 AM
Thanks Esteban. :)

I was always a diy person when it came to gardening and aquariums. I had an operation on my back & it now prevents me from doing many things I have enjoyed over the years. I just need to rethink how I plan things to limit the physical part. Using proper chemicals in the garden certainly aids in weeding. Now I need to plan the tank to limit the physical parts. :lol:

mesocosm
09/11/2010, 11:17 AM
Greetings All !


... I have been pondering the different possibilities regarding starting a new tank & what type of coral I want to put into it. I want to have lots of fish in this tank which results in problems as you all know. ... Any thoughts? :)Many thanks for the PM, Cliff ... always good to hear from you. :beer:

I can't get too deep into this because I'm getting on a plane Tuesday morning that will (... hopefully ...) land me at Kahului airport, and I've got to finish the first phase of the warehouse's fish system before departure, but nonetheless I have three words you may wish to ponder ...

... Mesophotic Reef System. :spin1:

Here's a general background article ...
http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/climate-a-ecology-16/mesophotic-reefs


You won't have wild light technology & electricity costs, you'll have a built-in excuse to indulge yourself in all the feeding & filtration techno-toys that your budget will alllow, you'll get to dabble with organic carbon supplementation methodologies to your heart's content, you'll get to significantly contribute to the NPS husbandry database, and because the system would already be configured to manage a high nutrient load due to the corals' feeding requirements ... you'll be able to have all the fish bioload that the system's size can carry.

Welcome to my madness ... :hmm4: :spin3:



HTH
:thumbsup:

HighlandReefer
09/11/2010, 11:41 AM
Thanks Gary for the reply. :)

How would I acquire these coral, sponges & other mesophotic species?

Sounds very interesting. ;)

mesocosm
09/11/2010, 11:58 AM
Greetings All !


... How would I acquire these coral, sponges & other mesophotic species? ... Many of the kinds of corals that are collected from a 'mesophotic' zone (... or from a depth transitioning from a photic to a mesophotic zone ...) are commonly available in the trade right now ... Tubastrea, Dendrophyllia, and Archohelia are prime examples, along with the full range of Gorgonians, Sponges,Tunicates, Crinoids, Echinoderms, and filter-feeders.

If 'mesophotic reef system' is too uncomfortable of a techno-babble leap ... think "NPS-Hybrid System". :spin2:


HTH
:thumbsup:

HighlandReefer
09/11/2010, 12:14 PM
Thanks. Good information to get me started in these realms. I'll have to do some data mining. :D

Enjoy Kahului. Sound like a lot of fun. :)

HighlandReefer
09/11/2010, 12:38 PM
This is a beautiful tank:



http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/images/stories/totm/sept10/FTS_lg.jpg



I like it. :D

austin93
09/11/2010, 07:47 PM
Why not just get a shallow rimless tank? Would simplify maintenance substantially and make for an impressive display. By being shallow you would keep the total volume down and still have a large surface area for lots of fish. Also gives you a lot of options for the future. Sps, clams, tangs, etc.

HighlandReefer
09/12/2010, 07:57 AM
Good point. ;)

Genetics
09/12/2010, 11:13 AM
Mescocosm brings up an interesting prospect. If you go mesophotowhatitscallit you could use less lighting, keep your tank cooler, and play around with organics.

If it were me, I would look at low electric costs for a FOWLR. T5s and a few VHOs. Get a decent skimmer on it and a dosing pump for vinegar. Then you can add all the fish you want and adjust your dosing accordingly. Also, with the multitude of fish you could maybe start dabbling with NPS corals.

HighlandReefer
09/12/2010, 02:55 PM
Thanks Nate. ;)

Sounds exactly where I am heading. Lots of fish to play with for a change & NPS coral to play with should keep me occupied for some time. The fish will make the little lady happy too. :)

I have an Etreme 300A skimmer & a Reef-Filler dosing pump. I will need to purchase some T5s and a few VHOs, since I have been using metal halides. I have a new used tank with stand which is 125 g. which should provide plenty of space to work with as well & I plan to set it well away from the wall so I can walk all the way around it. Looks like I won't need my chiller anymore which will be a big savings as well.