NERAC Spoils

[FalsePerc]

The only thing I bought at NERAC was an Acanthastrea echinata from Reefdom, but I ended up coming away with a whole lot more. Nobody bought the last of my little 3 gallon tanks, so I ended up taking that home plus a bunch of frags that Joe very generously allowed me to keep.

The tank was 3 gallons and employed a mini power filter for circulation and 1x 9w 10,000k & 1x 9w Actinic PC bulbs for illumination. Sure, that should be able to keep most corals, but I had a lot of sps and no place to put them, so today I made some modifications...

First, I set up the tank with the standard water, sand, and light.
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/1.jpg

Next, I laid all of my frags out and prepared them to be glued.
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/2.jpg

The corals' new home.
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/3.jpg

Best glue. Ever. From Ray at EverythingReef.
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/4.jpg

The end product.
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/5.jpg

As the glue dried, I got out a MaxiJet 400 I used as a return for my refugium for a while. I stiuck it in the tank, then I took a light I had layign around - same wattage/bulbs as the stabndard light, different design. Using strings, I even hoisted it to the same height for even light distrubution. That's 36w of light and around 130x turnover on a 3g tank.

After that, I added the coral rock, threw in one blueleg hermit and some asterina stars, and fragged my Christmas Favia, Green Zoas, Purple Polyped Birdsnest, and GSP and put those guys in there, as well.

Finished:
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/6.jpg
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/7.jpg

Size Comparison
http://www.findamentals.com/images/3.13.06/pico/8.jpg

[Julio]

nice setup!!

[VinnyTheIcepick]

That looks really good! Just stay on top of the water changes and top off every day and that rock should turn out fantastic.

[kevin21]

wow mike, you made it very nice! :thumbsup:

those tanks were so cool, and you were giving some crazy offers toward the end of the conference.

good luck with it. :)

[jnfallon]

To quote fat bastrd - I crap bigger n' that. :)

Good job Mike, good to see you.

[Evergreen]

Hah that is awesome- now we can bring aquaculture right to our desks at work!

[FalsePerc]

Thanks, guys. Glad you all enjoy it. It was really fun to build and shows a lot of potential.

If enough of the club was interested, I don't think it would be too difficult nor too costly to hold a mini reef workshop of sorts. Perhaps this is something to consider for one of those speakerless meetings.

Mike