January 2014 Tank of the Month
 

<b>This month we are featuring Mike & Terry Lauderdale's (prop-frags) 300 US-gallon SPS dominated Reef Aquarium.</b>


<img src="http://www.reefkeeping.com/joomla//images/stories/totm/Jan2014/ftssm.jpg" alt="" border="0"><br><br> <br> More details can be found <a href="http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/141-tank-of-the-month" target="_blank">here</a>.


Congratulations, Mike & Terry!


Also check out the <a href="http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/" target="_blank">Reefkeeping Blog</a>!<br> <br> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><table style="WIDTH: 431px" align="center" border="2" bordercolor="#006699" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td bgcolor="#006699" width="73%"><center><font color="#ffffff">If you'd like to nominate a tank for Tank of the Month, click <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/newthread.php?s=&amp;action=newthread&amp;forumid=189" target="_blank"><font color="#ffffff">here</font></a> or use the button to the right.</font></center></td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="27%"><a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/newthread.php?s=&amp;action=newthread&amp;forumid=189" target="_blank"><img src="http://reefkeeping.com/images/nominate1.gif" alt="" border="0"></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Thank you Mike and Terry for sharing your beautiful tank with us.
Happy New Year! :D

Congrats Terry and Mike! It's certainly deserved and represents the TOTM well! It also proves that collaboration among SOs can work in this hobby LOL

Congrats Terry and Mike.

Congrats, well desreved honor.

Best write-up I have ever read!!

Congratulations. Beautiful tank.

+1! Very well done - Congratulations!

Congrats! Beautiful tank.

Well done. A stunner of a tank for sure!

Just curious and forgive me if I missed it in the article, but: what salt mix are you currently using, and where is the Garf Bonsai (the purple acro with green polps) placed in the tank relative to the MH lamps?

Thanks for sharing, and awesome pictures!

Joe

+2

Congrats on a very well deserved honor. I've seen this tank before in person and as good as the pictures are, they don't even do the tank justice. Very happy for you all.

I could not say it better. Truly an inspirational tank, thank you for sharing it with us.

Wow, excellent tank, excellent detailed write-up, excellent video's with text overlay explaining the set-up.

Congratulations!!!! Job Well done.

MODERATORS: Please fix the link from the ReefKeeping.com TOTM page. It is linking to the forum/thread for last month's TOTM. The link is at the bottom of the page.

I had a quick question about the Fuge and the Prop Tank. I noticed that you are overflowing into the sump. Is that gravity feed, or do you have a pump sending the water to the sump? If so, was it hard to find the right balance as to not overflow the prop tank?

Thanks everyone!

Thanks Joe. We're using Aqua Craft salts (Marine Environment for our 300g reef, and Bio-Sea for Terry's nano). We met their CEO at MACNA in 2012 and decided to give them a try. The corals have shown good growth and coloration response since the change and so after about 8 months it's safe to say that we're really pleased with it.

The Bonsai pictures I think you are referring to in our writeup is actually acropora secale:

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/images...ps/coral13.jpg

That one is up high and gets blasted with high light/high flow. Our bonsai coral is actually down low and getting low light/moderate flow. Terry will try to get a decent shot of that one and post it here for you to take a look at. We're still not sure of the species of the bonsai.

The prop tank is fed by the main return pump and gravity feeds back into the 150g vat.

Good catch. We missed that error. Another example of how helpful this community is. Thanks!

Very Nice especially with the Sand Bed in the Front between the Sand and the Glass being very clean.

I simply do not know why people do not clean their Sand Bed.

It seems every month the Tank of the Month has a ton of Algae in the sand bed.

Hello, It takes one minute to clean.

Just stick your hand in there.

This is a pet peeve of mine. I would never show anybody a picture of my tank with algae in the sand ever let alone Tank of the Month.

Here is a perfect example of what I mean just look at last month's winner.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/joomla/in...k-of-the-month

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....k-of-the-month

Another Beautiful Aquarium except for one thing all the Purple and Green Slime in the Sand Bed.

Take one minute to clean it for the pictures.

I mean you won the most prestigious award in Reefing and how much time do you spend on your system but you cannot clean the sand bed?

You are probably the first winner I have seen to have a nice sand bed.

I know it gets dirty but you have pride and took the time to clean your sand so Kudos to you.

Sorry for Ranting.

Congratulations, the Aquarium is very beautiful.

Thanks for the info! I have two pieces sold to me as GARF and they both have growth more like your secale. Are there any defining characteristics you have found between the Bonsai and the Secale?

and . . .


Not to take away or distract from your TOTM thread, but I just had to say that "That Fish Guy" hurt my feelings. I was Apr. 2013 TOTM, and my sand was clean :eek: I think :wavehand:



http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5119da51.jpg

Congrats Mike and Terry! Outstanding tank as always.

Yes congrats Mike and Terry! Been loving this reef for a long time! Wish I lived close! HA!

Joe we got your back! LOL!

Outstanding setup and aquaria I really enjoyed all the information you provided. I do have a question that I was not able to locate. Do you feed your Sps anything? Also in blown away with some of your Sps coloration are you dosing anything?
Many thanks and simply stunning tank wow wel deserved congrats.
Michael

I apoligize if I hurt your feelings.

I just looked up the April Link.

Your Tank is Flawless and Beautiful - Very nice sand bed.

You get my vote for Tank of the Year (If there is such an award).

I am just saying most people do not bother to clean it for this prestigious award that most reefers would die for.

congratulation Terry and Mike. So Beautiful.

Wow. What a great set up and story. Thanks for sharing so much!!! SOOOOO Beautiful!!

Excellent tank. Congrats!

Absolutely Amazing! Congratulation, well deserved!!!
Just inspires me on what I want my aquarium to look like.