Tank of the Month - June '06

[Skipper]

This month we are featuring Oliver Friend's (olliereefer) beautiful reef aquarium:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/totm/images/RChomepage.jpg (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/totm/index.php)

More details can be found here (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/totm/index.php) or by clicking on the picture above.

Congratulations, Ollie!
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<center><font color="#FFFFFF" size="-1">If you'd like to nominate a tank
for Tank of the Month, click <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/newthread.php?s=&action=newthread&forumid=189" target="_blank"><font color="#FFFFFF">here</font></a>
or use the button to the right.</font></center>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="27%"><img src="http://reefkeeping.com/images/nominate1.gif" border="0" title="Click here to nominate a Tank of the Month"> (http://reefcentral.com/forums/newthread.php?s=&action=newthread&forumid=189)
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[bmac]

Nice Tank.......Congratulations

[R33f3r]

Beautiful tank! Great job!!!!

[polypboy]

Wow! A beautiful tank indeed. As a UK reefer, great to see a UK tank that can rival the best out there. People need to realise that putting a tank like that together in the UK is no waaaay as easy as elsewehere - a lot of those corals are pretty tough to find down our way.

Any tips on where to look for a similarly LPS obessed britreefer?

[hgbarwick]

Love your tank! Congrats!

[god910]

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow... Hands down my favorite TOTM in quite a while. Definately the way I'm going to be heading in my 210g buildup. Absolutely b-e-a utiful. Cheers!

[slowECUdiver]

thanks again RC for picking a TOTM that is "minimalistic" ! i have seen some beautiful TOTMs running gigantic systems with more electronic components than i can count, but this one really reaffirms the fact that all the fancy systems and components don't make a good reef tank, it is the OWNER that makes it so.

Reef on, olliereefer!

[Flobajob]

Thats one amazing tank! I second polypboy too - good to see someone British winning totm.
Just one thing though - in the article it mentions that the total volume including the sump is 235litres, but using the dimensions of the tank alone (not including the sump) the total volume appears to be substantially more than this (the dimensions are 3'x2'x2' = 90gallons = 340litres).

[XxMutedYouthxX]

Beautiful tank man... that Flameback Angel doesnt pick on any of your sps?

[Atkins]

Well done Ollie, it's a credit to you and all the hard work you have put into it over the past months.

Having seen this tank in person I can safely say it's even better in the 'flesh'.

Just to prove masses of high tec equipment isnt needed to suceed ;)

Cheers,

Marc

[long-time-dead]

Ollie

Congratulations on your superb tank. I know all too well how difficult it is to put a nice tank together in the UK.

What you tank shows more than anything is that careful planning and good tank husbandry is paramount to success. The simplest of guidelines for all but difficult to follow by many.

May your polyps be plentiful !
LTD

[gearbox]

Great tank, you must have spent a lot of time finding those corals within the UK.

[vessxpress1]

Great tank Oliver. I love the lighting on this tank. Really brings out great color in everything. So much for all the " Has to be SPS dominated to win totm" comments.

Not to take away anything from any of the huge ,awesome, super technical tanks I've seen on here with fish rooms that look like they've been put together by NASA, but I'm also really happy to see a very beautiful, more simple set up win it this month. This was actually one of the few diagrams I've been able to figure out on one of these in a long time. lol

Great coral selection too. Hopefully the hobby will start catching on a little more over in the UK so it won't be so tough for you guys to find stuff. Looks like Oliver will be able to seed many tanks with frags in the years to come.
Congratulations.

[tcb7019]

Absolutely stunning! Congrats!

[TrojanScott]

Beautiful tank! Congratulations, well done.

[Mushroom Boy]

Wow, that is a fantastic aquarium! Congratulations and keep up the great work - it's stunning!

[reef125]

Very nice tank. One day my tank will look this well.

[KAZEKY]

Congratulations! nice Thank!

[spe934]

Very nice. I am glad to see a tank not crammed pack with sps for a change (not that there is anything wrong with that!).

[Agu]

Very Nice :thumbsup:


I also like that it's a simple setup ...........

[Phorax]

Impressive tank mate. You have given me some great ideas for my tank as it is similar to yours.

[newbiebob]

ollie you must tell where you got all those corals from dude . i have no joy in essex and you must let me into how you get everything nestled in so close to each other.

[82SC]

wow now that is something...inspiration

[tom obrecht]

Congrats!! Well done!!

[Dollarbill]

Incredible................

[Steven M]

Verry nice tank! Can you tell me what the name of the coral is in pic 38?

[Skipper]

Hydnophora sp.

<img src="http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/totm/images/38.jpg">

[sammy33]

I am partial to softies and LPS so your reef strikes a certain bone in me. Love it! :D

[lepion]

wow very nice tank, and amazing colors for a reef without mh...


good exemple of not going super size in lighting...:bounce2:

[blu0honu]

wow! really beautiful! it's great to see other 3x2x2 tanks (assuming the volume/dimensions discrepancy was a typo... was it?).
Also, the sump looks amazingly compact and well organized.

[Dr4g0nf1y]

The tank looks fantastic... did anyone notice the length of that Tiger Tail? 17"! Woah!

[Kinetic]

Is it 3 feet long or high? it says in the article that it's 3' x 2' x 2' but in the text it says you went with a 3 feet tall tank? it looks more 3' long?

[blu0honu]

the proofreader must have been ... on vacation :rolleyes:
the tank is obvioulsy longer than it is tall, so it must be 3' long ...

[Art_Vandelay]

Great pics.. awesome job

[Skipper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7518397#post7518397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blu0honu
the proofreader must have been ... on vacation :rolleyes:
<img src="http://planetsmilies.net/tired-sleeping-smiley-17391.gif"> Will someone wake me when math class is over? :p

























Gonna have to fix that.... :)

[Jeremy Blaze]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7518097#post7518097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kinetic
Is it 3 feet long or high? it says in the article that it's 3' x 2' x 2' but in the text it says you went with a 3 feet tall tank? it looks more 3' long?

I was wondering the same thing.

Very nice tank!

[Skipper]

It's fixed now.

[Kinetic]

in that case, I can now post: NICE TANK!

btw I'm setting up almost the same size of a tank, 36" x 25" x 25" with a basement sump setup =)

yours is definately motivating! great work!!

[ecotoxlady]

First of all, amazing tank! I wondered if you can tell me what sort of success you have with keeping shrimps in a tank with your banana wrasse. I have wanted to add shrimp to my tank desperately but was told that the wrasse would likely eat them. Have you had any problems with this? Thanks in advance for the reply :)

[Sooners]

What is the actual size of the tank? On the one hand it says 3' x 2' x 2', but then later it says it is 2' tall.

[Sooners]

Ooops. Nevermind. I see the correction.

[NanoCube-boy]

Wow you tank is nice. Hey what corals do you spot feed besides the Tubastrea? That's a lot of food you to you tank, you don't get a lot of bio loads?

[Shroom King]

Beautiful tank! And, just a thin layer of sand and no refugium. And, no nitrates/phosphates??? Some on this board would argue that's impossible, glad to know it isn't.

[NanoCube-boy]

I agree with Shroom because that's a lot of food for 23 gallon tank. Feeding daily. Though you do that a skimmer, I bet that would help a lot.

[Bkndsdl]

Awesome tank!!:eek1:

It is definitely a hit with me, because it's a tank that I could afford. The megasystems are great, don't get me wrong, but here is a tank that probably fits most of RC's members' budgets, not just in equipment, but in the tank inhabitants as well. There are no super-rare, ultra expensive corals or fish.

Again, awesome tank!:thumbsup:

[SanFranTodd]

You can really keep all that stuff under <200w of lighting?

Looks like I need to ditch my MH's !

[NanoCube-boy]

n/m i read it wrong... the sunp is 23... haha

[VeneReef]

What a Beautifull reef tank! that´s just the way I want it too, lots of colors and keep it simple, Amazing!

Now as I see you guys are doint it great in UK too.. ;) I would like to know if anyone could help me knowing of some places to buy live rock, corals, etc.... in Spain? I will be moving to Tenerife soon and will have to star all over again, So some hints advice will be very appreaciated.

Thanks for the Help!, Great reef taNK!

Alfredo.

[imareefer21]

very nice tank congrats

[nterry]

Do you have an open top on your tank? Or do you have it covered with something?

[Olliereefer]

Hello all
Thankyou all so much for your comments it means alot to me;)
And sorry about the tank size problem too:o

ecotoxlady: I've had no problems with my shrimps and banana wrasse as he is well feed!

nterry: i have a hood on top of the tank which my lighting is fixed but has plenty of ventalation.Hope this helps
Thanks all again
Ollie:rollface:

[vanmo92]

Love that tank!!!

[ZoeReef]

Ollie, Astounding tank. Oh to have just one of those corals, but I'm just getting going.

Can you help me here? From the article:

My feeding regime usually consists of two cubes of Mysis/brine shrimp added daily with additional flake food, Cyclop-eeze and phytoplankton. Many of the corals are target fed with sliced silversides.

Yet nitrates are zero. How do you manage both? Thanks.. Andy

[Olliereefer]

Hello zoereef
I feed 2 cubes every other day !!! and i feed flake food every 6 days instead of the frozen.The silversides are feed to the brains scoly's one or twice a week and when i do feed the frozen it's also feed to the corals(sun corals etc) as well as the fish.
Hope this helps
Ollie

[ZoeReef]

thanks Ollie

[marinemanmercer]

WOW what a beauiful tank skipper,really striking colours from the corals and your lighting looks spot on

[Skipper]

Thanks! However, it's Ollie's tank, not mine. :D

[marinemanmercer]

Oh sorry Skipper:rollface: Well done Ollie a very nice setup.

[Olliereefer]

Thanks:o :D :D

[fishtk75]

What coral is that is that a yellow sun coral and how do you take care of it I had one put it did not keep ?
Also I am newbee so what do you feed every one in the tank to grow?

[Olliereefer]

Hello fishtk75
Yes the yellow coral is a sun coral (pic 5)and i feed it brine shrimp and mysis and i try to feed every polyp.These do require feeding every other day to stay healthy and to bloom for most of the day every day.
Also good water perameters are a must.
Hope this helps you out.
Ollie

[Ixthys]

Very nice!

How long have you used UV on that tank?

[fishtk75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7639090#post7639090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Olliereefer
Hello fishtk75
Yes the yellow coral is a sun coral (pic 5)and i feed it brine shrimp and mysis and i try to feed every polyp.These do require feeding every other day to stay healthy and to bloom for most of the day every day.
Also good water perameters are a must.
Hope this helps you out.
Ollie

Thanks
i have problem with coraline growing on them.

[Jayvin]

nice

[erichrhom.com]

Great looking tank! I love the color contrast! Could you please tell me what the coral in pic #15 is? I have one exactly like it and don't know what it is!!

[outta names]

Wow!! :thumbsup:

[Skipper]

Picture 15 is a Blastomussa wellsi, I believe.

[erichrhom.com]

Thanks Skipper!

[lawrenceparrish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7537870#post7537870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SanFranTodd
You can really keep all that stuff under <200w of lighting?

Looks like I need to ditch my MH's !


I agree--wow under 200W of light is astonishing!!!

[fla_spearo]

Very nice tank. Shows patience and love. I only hope to have mine looking as good soon.

[blennymower]

You're tank is not as impressive in terms of equipment as the other TOTM. Never the less it is at least as impressive if not more, mainly because the few equipment you use and how beautiful it is. One thing that got my attention is the amount of light you use. If im not mistaken you use three 14K 39 watt plus two 30 watt actinics. This is what? ~190 watts? Having said that I noticed you kept some (sps)acroporas, I thought you could only keep those with halides or at least a lot of watts?