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-   -   Porting established 40gb into 30g shallow. Advice? (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166550)

cculos 05/05/2012 02:24 PM

Porting established 40gb into 30g shallow. Advice?
 
Hey guys, it's been a while since I've posted on here. This is a part build thread part advice thread, so I'll be adding pictures consistently. I'll be brief with the background:

I have a reef tank at my office that's been running approx. 10 months. It's a 40g tall tank with a quad bulb t5 lighting setup and an old-school wet/dry setup. I also have a shallow frag tank (24 / 24 / 12" tall) that's 30g. Brand new setup, same quad bulb t5 fixture. I'm no stranger to reef tanks, and this frag tank has been running for ... probably about 4-5 months now with nothing but a CUC and live sand (dad was going to go in on it with me but backed out and money was tight, so it sat in the basement).

Anyway, my reason for this thread is because I have to move out of the office over the course of the next 6 weeks, and as a result I need to move the tank. Since the frag tank is a newer setup (sump / filtration is much better), I'm going to be ditching the 40g setup. However, some of the live rock will be making the transition, as will the clean up crew, fish and corals. Whatever I can't fit into my 30g will go into my fathers 125g Fish only tank. And, most importantly, I will be running both t5 light fixtures on the shallow tank. This will give me about 6w per gallon of light output, which is more than sufficient for even SPS and clams, from what I've read.

So, I'm looking for examples of how to handle the aquascaping. Since the tank is square, I'm not sure if I want to have rock along the back, or on tiny islands throughout the tank (my original idea). Here's the stock that needs to make the transition:

- Torch Coral (5-6 heads on one stalk)
- Frogspawn (3-4 heads on one stalk)
- 3" round disc of green goniopora
- 6" disc of ORA Sprung Stunner chalice coral
- 1" disc of ORA Sprung Stunner (must have come detached from main colony when I moved the coral, it's thriving)
- 4 head bright green candy cane coral
- 3 rhodactis mushrooms on a single rock
- about 6 different zoanthid rocks between 1" - 4" in size
- Mushroom rocks
- Orange Ricordea Yuma (about 4") not attached to anything (damn thing)
- ORA Green Toadstool (about 3" tall, 3" head diameter)
- 4" mushroom rock with various colored mushrooms attached.
- 2 Head duncan coral

Fish:
- 2 Green Chromis' (about 1.5")
- 1 Engineer Goby (not sure if I'll keep him though)
- 1 Percula Clown (may try to mate, but he's about 1.5")

Here's some reference shots of the existing tank:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Hg5izPMKaI9EeO95KA6qVtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iJmjuSlYWck/T0An0urK34I/AAAAAAAAAJI/pZpD5QRvGcg/s800/IMG_1270.JPG" height="449" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105428867059699857843/OfficeTankShots?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Office Tank Shots</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0hzBa9Y2p1WYiMKadRUHYNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mfOIwiJzxHw/T0An4DbSghI/AAAAAAAAAIU/jjNqqfqn318/s800/IMG_1274.JPG" height="449" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105428867059699857843/OfficeTankShots?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Office Tank Shots</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RJN7EVxv87GvnSQx543sA9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eLUqKnOtfi8/T0An_YKjCfI/AAAAAAAAAIw/89MJ8kXmRYE/s800/IMG_1286.JPG" height="449" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105428867059699857843/OfficeTankShots?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Office Tank Shots</a></td></tr></table>

Let me know what you guys think! I'll be posting images of the shallow reef setup soon.

cculos 05/05/2012 08:25 PM

Edit:

Here's the target tank it's going into:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yioMzQ3E47lYCHqojSmYldMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fLvthQQi3Yc/T6WoG6irFnI/AAAAAAAAAWg/XAKQfxMlElM/s800/IMG_20120505_181848.jpg" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105428867059699857843/30gShallowReefBuild?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">30g Shallow Reef Build</a></td></tr></table>

pompeyjohn 05/06/2012 03:12 PM

I am guessing that is the Deep Blue 30? I have the non reef ready version. I'll try to get a picture of my rock work for you. I tried lots of different combinations, and ended up with a bommie style. In such a shallow square it is hard to avoid dead spots with a lot of rock.

As for the coral placement. That torch could be an issue.

cculos 05/06/2012 08:49 PM

Thanks for the input.. might I ask what a "Bommie" style is? Also, I'm a bit nervous about the torch under so much light, so I think I may run actinic blues on the second set of lights for a few weeks to allow acclimation. If it comes down to it I may just build an overhang with rock and place the torch underneath it.

And yes, its the deep blue 30 reef ready.

Edit: Nevermind, figured out "Bommie" style. If this thread is accurate:

http://www.thereefuge.com.au/board/t...mystified.540/

I like the Bommie and Gulley styles.

pompeyjohn 05/07/2012 11:05 AM

I never considered that the light might be too much for the torch, more that it could sting other corals. That is the problem I had with mine. What light is that? It looks great.

cculos 05/07/2012 05:32 PM

It's a Solar Extreme quad bulb t5 with built in light. I have two of them, and they both will fit across the top of the tank no problem. I got it from my LFS that doesn't mark up any tanks / lights (live stock is entirely another story though). I think I paid $188 per unit.

pompeyjohn 05/07/2012 06:04 PM

Beautiful.

I hear ya about livestock markups.

I'll follow your build, and help however I can. This looks like it is going to be good.

You should check out Darth Wader, he has a 30 rr deep blue tank as well.

cculos 05/07/2012 07:04 PM

Oo sounds good, I'll have to check it out!

By the way, love the Tobias avatar. hah.

cculos 05/08/2012 02:12 PM

Just transfered over my first ricordea mushroom from the 40g build. I'll get another shot when he opens up completely.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8e0dA8wr3fW1p9VEo3m2zdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-W1ebYoUGLRo/T6l9gryh81I/AAAAAAAAAXE/9_cboB9kN6I/s800/IMG_20120508_160803.jpg" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105428867059699857843/30gShallowReefBuild?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">30g Shallow Reef Build</a></td></tr></table>


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