September nTOTM- ReeferChick85's 24G CandyLand :)

ReeferChick85 · 09/01/2009, 11:11 PM

Hi everyone!! First off I'd like to say THANKS to everyone who participated in this contest and also big THANKS to the ones who liked my tank and voted for it

Thanks again for giving me this opportunity to showcase my little piece of the ocean!

Intro...

Hi i'm Kat i'm a reef-aholic

I got in this hobby February 2008 pretty much on an impulse buy at the moment and from then on it just turned to a total love and fascination towards reef keeping and the marine world. Finding out what worked in my tank and learning what kind of fish/corals/inverts I could keep was the hard part since I knew nothing and I believed what others would tell me but I learned quickly on what was right and wrong lol! Anyways,after a few months in the hobby I started seeing all these pretty and colorful looking corals and right then and there,was the start of my LPS addiction haha!! I know you probably can't tell but I do like them LOL

It's been over a year and half now since the "birth" of my reef tank and I've made my mistakes,learned from them,still learning everyday and loving this hobby more n more each day!!

Here's some pics of my tank from the beginning til now....(sorry for the bad pic quality but some pics were taken on my camera phone and some on a point n shoot)

That was then....

This is now....

ReeferChick85 · 09/01/2009, 11:12 PM

Tank Info.

Tank: 24G Aquapod
Lighting: 3x40w 17in SunPaq PC bulbs. Two 40watt 420nm & 460nm dual actinic. One 40watt 10k daylight &460nm actinic
Circulation: Koralia 1, Upgraded stock return pump to a Maxijet 1200
Chiller: AquaEuro 1/13hp
Filtration: Sapphire Aquatics Skimmer-24g AP model,poly filter pads on rear chamber,Warner Marine PHOSar phosphate media
-I also have a Nano modular surface skimmer attachment

**My tank is pretty much close to stock since the only things I've really done are swapping the stock return with a MaxiJet 1200 and replacing my stock bulbs and ballast to be able to have a little more intense lighting. But I still have my hood on and I actually prefer it that way. It looks a lot more cleaner to me and plus my dog's hair won't fly into my tank since he sheds like crazy

Maintenance

I like keeping things simple and having low maintenance. That way I have more time to stare at my tank for a ridiculous amount of time!! LOL...everyone has done it so don't try to look at me like I'm a weirdo haha!! Anyways, I have adopted the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) method as some others have and I won't have it any other way! I love the simplicity of having this tank and not really having to worry about much. As long as I keep up with the minimal maintenance I do with my tank,everything is all good. That means regular water changes every 2 weeks,changing the poly filter pad every week, and dose B-Ionic every other day (2.5ml). Very minimal and not complicated at all! Oh and cleaning the skimmer and collection cup is now part of the maintenance routine since I just added the skimmer a month ago.

Here's some equipment pics....

Sapphire Skimmer

Chiller. This was the best investment I made towards my tank. It has kept my temps stable and everything in my tank happy

Lighting. I just recently upgraded to these 3x40watt size bulbs and I couldn't be happier! You can totally see a big difference from my 3x32watt bulbs. Everything just seems to look soo much nicer and my corals seem to love it as well! I'm actually going to be adding one more 50/50 bulb since it looks a little too blue for me. Some days it looks bluer than other days lol! I'm used to a lot whiter so I'll be doing this soon.

ReeferChick85 · 09/01/2009, 11:13 PM

Livestock

Inhabitants...
-Sixline Wrasse
-Yellow Coris Wrasse that has only one eye. Haha he's my special little pirate fish

-Blue/Green Chromis
-Lawnmower Blenny aka Lenny the Blenny. I got him so he could clean up my GHA but he stopped eating the HA and prefers Rod's food or flake LOL! It's ok though,I love this fish! Great personality!
-Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
-3 Peppermint Shrimps I just added a few weeks ago but have been MIA for the last week or so

I did notice my sixline punking them a few times. I was going to take them out the next day but I couldn't find them...sad.
-Emerald crab
-Some Nassarius snails that I see sometimes
-A few Margarita snails
-7 Hermit Crabs
-A couple Stomatella snails that came as hitchhikers as well as other critters that came along. All safe btw.

Here's some pics of my tank friends....

*Check out his busted eye! So sad but he's been doing fine since I got him.

*Look how cute he looks hiding in the cave!

ReeferChick85 · 09/01/2009, 11:13 PM

Corals

-Variety of acans
-Blastos:Purple with green centers. I have a 2 polyps of the PPE blasto but he got stung by accident from my scoly so he's in the back healing

-2 Scolymias
-Cynarina:My center piece in my tank.
-Green Nepthea softie
-Some favias:Christmas favia,Prism favia,Baby's Breath,Purple and green favia
-Green Bubble coral
-Some chalices: Pink Watermelon, Red Watermelon, Emerald Mummy Eye,BGM,Red chalice,Rainbow one and a Pink one.
-Orange Fungia Plate coral with blue tips
-Reddish/Pink Folded Brain
-Some different Zoas & Palys
-Some Yuma and Florida Rics

*I'm not really into the "street names" that some corals are tagged with but that's the names I was told when I acquired them...If it looks good I'll take it haha!!

Here's some pics of my corals....

Top half of my tank...

Bottom half of my tank....

Reefer08 · 09/02/2009, 12:38 AM

Congrats on winning nTOTM!!!

HomeSlizzice · 09/02/2009, 12:46 AM

Very Nice, I'm jealous and you should be proud!

Helfrichs Chic · 09/02/2009, 12:46 AM

Very nice! Love to see reefer chick out there making sweet looking set ups!

Johnny C · 09/02/2009, 02:18 AM

The colors of your coral are insane... W

W!

You've got something truly special... well deserved. Congrats on nTOTM!

Sugar Magnolia · 09/02/2009, 06:21 AM

Wow! Congrats to you! Your tank's colors are amazing!!

Jadams · 09/02/2009, 07:54 AM

Congratulations Kat!!! LMK, when I can come over and buy frags of all your corals

DSR · 09/02/2009, 07:56 AM

You rock! Nothin' much else to say there lady... congrats..

Darkstar22 · 09/02/2009, 08:00 AM

Totally psychedelic.....Darkstar crashes pouring it's light into ashes.....Some Grateful Dead playing, all the lights off in the house except your nano....Beautiful tank! Congrats!

murphreef · 09/02/2009, 01:15 PM

Ridiculous colors Kat congrats and keep up the nice work!

CurvBall · 09/02/2009, 02:05 PM

Tank looks good, well done.
What camera did you use for the new photos? Curious to know what software you used for image sharpening too.

jackson6745 · 09/02/2009, 02:14 PM

What a wonderful mix of LPS. Those scolys rock!!!! Congrats!

lucas73 · 09/02/2009, 02:39 PM

Congratulations Kat,very vibrant and healthy.Your tank is stunning,love the wide array of colors.

aww_419 · 09/02/2009, 04:16 PM

Very nice, that cynarina coloring is amazing, one of my favs.

got2envy · 09/02/2009, 07:38 PM

I want all your LPS coralz

Congratulations Kat!!!

A TOTM well deserved and I so happy I got to see some close ups girl!
all I can say is WOW!!

Maria

dan10342 · 09/02/2009, 08:14 PM

Congrats Kat!

Quote:

I like!!!!!

-dan

ILoveReefer · 09/02/2009, 09:57 PM

Wow, your tank is amazing. I really don't think I have ever seen a reef tank with so much color. Congratulations ReeferChick

Henryreef · 09/03/2009, 10:24 AM

Your reef tank is sweet! So much color and beauty, congrats

zoadude · 09/03/2009, 04:25 PM

Don't know if there are any words in existence to describe your tank.
But I will give it a futile try.
Fabulous, extreme, fantastic, awesome, sweet, magnificent...

tahiriqbal · 09/03/2009, 04:54 PM

LOVELY....................Stunning looking tank there Kat....welldone

Wildcatreef · 09/03/2009, 05:02 PM

Wow! Candy Land never looked so sweet.

ReeferChick85 · 09/04/2009, 05:23 AM

Aww THANK YOU sooo much everyone for all your kind words!! I totally appreciate it and I'm glad you guys like it

Thanks again for checking out my tank!!

Vibrant colors are what attracts me to these corals I've chosen. I kinda have the "shiny ball syndrome" but instead for me it's "pretty corals syndrome"!! hahahaha!! The new lighting I'm currently using has definitely made everything pop a lot more and just more vibrant even in person. Although as I mentioned above,I'm planning on adding a 4th bulb which will be a 50/50 just to even it out a bit. It can look a little blue to me at times and I'm used to a lot whiter so I'm planning on adding that bulb but I'm in no rush haha! My corals seem to love it tho

09/01/2009, 11:11 PM	#1
ReeferChick85 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 896	September nTOTM- ReeferChick85's 24G CandyLand :) Hi everyone!! First off I'd like to say THANKS to everyone who participated in this contest and also big THANKS to the ones who liked my tank and voted for it Thanks again for giving me this opportunity to showcase my little piece of the ocean! Intro... Hi i'm Kat i'm a reef-aholic I got in this hobby February 2008 pretty much on an impulse buy at the moment and from then on it just turned to a total love and fascination towards reef keeping and the marine world. Finding out what worked in my tank and learning what kind of fish/corals/inverts I could keep was the hard part since I knew nothing and I believed what others would tell me but I learned quickly on what was right and wrong lol! Anyways,after a few months in the hobby I started seeing all these pretty and colorful looking corals and right then and there,was the start of my LPS addiction haha!! I know you probably can't tell but I do like them LOL It's been over a year and half now since the "birth" of my reef tank and I've made my mistakes,learned from them,still learning everyday and loving this hobby more n more each day!! Here's some pics of my tank from the beginning til now....(sorry for the bad pic quality but some pics were taken on my camera phone and some on a point n shoot) That was then.... This is now....

09/02/2009, 12:46 AM	#6
HomeSlizzice Angelfish/Wrasse Nut! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,006	Very Nice, I'm jealous and you should be proud! __________________ Baby, I'm like that item on the top shelf that you just can't reach. Current Tank Info: 24 Gallon Aqaupod, and wanting an upgrade

09/02/2009, 02:18 AM	#8
Johnny C RK Magazine Staff Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Northeast Posts: 4,072	The colors of your coral are insane... WW! You've got something truly special... well deserved. Congrats on nTOTM! __________________ "...the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonders forever" -Jacques Cousteau

09/02/2009, 06:21 AM	#9
Sugar Magnolia Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 11,759	Wow! Congrats to you! Your tank's colors are amazing!! __________________ Adrienne Anyone complaining about the speed now? Current Tank Info: 40 Breeder, Nova Extreme Pro 6x39w T5, HOB refugium, HOB filter

09/02/2009, 07:54 AM	#10
Jadams Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 4,019	Congratulations Kat!!! LMK, when I can come over and buy frags of all your corals __________________ Jeremy

09/01/2009, 11:12 PM	#2
ReeferChick85 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 896	Tank Info. Tank: 24G Aquapod Lighting: 3x40w 17in SunPaq PC bulbs. Two 40watt 420nm & 460nm dual actinic. One 40watt 10k daylight &460nm actinic Circulation: Koralia 1, Upgraded stock return pump to a Maxijet 1200 Chiller: AquaEuro 1/13hp Filtration: Sapphire Aquatics Skimmer-24g AP model,poly filter pads on rear chamber,Warner Marine PHOSar phosphate media -I also have a Nano modular surface skimmer attachment My tank is pretty much close to stock since the only things I've really done are swapping the stock return with a MaxiJet 1200 and replacing my stock bulbs and ballast to be able to have a little more intense lighting. But I still have my hood on and I actually prefer it that way. It looks a lot more cleaner to me and plus my dog's hair won't fly into my tank since he sheds like crazy Maintenance** I like keeping things simple and having low maintenance. That way I have more time to stare at my tank for a ridiculous amount of time!! LOL...everyone has done it so don't try to look at me like I'm a weirdo haha!! Anyways, I have adopted the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) method as some others have and I won't have it any other way! I love the simplicity of having this tank and not really having to worry about much. As long as I keep up with the minimal maintenance I do with my tank,everything is all good. That means regular water changes every 2 weeks,changing the poly filter pad every week, and dose B-Ionic every other day (2.5ml). Very minimal and not complicated at all! Oh and cleaning the skimmer and collection cup is now part of the maintenance routine since I just added the skimmer a month ago. Here's some equipment pics.... Sapphire Skimmer Chiller. This was the best investment I made towards my tank. It has kept my temps stable and everything in my tank happy Lighting. I just recently upgraded to these 3x40watt size bulbs and I couldn't be happier! You can totally see a big difference from my 3x32watt bulbs. Everything just seems to look soo much nicer and my corals seem to love it as well! I'm actually going to be adding one more 50/50 bulb since it looks a little too blue for me. Some days it looks bluer than other days lol! I'm used to a lot whiter so I'll be doing this soon.

09/01/2009, 11:13 PM	#3
ReeferChick85 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 896	Livestock Inhabitants... -Sixline Wrasse -Yellow Coris Wrasse that has only one eye. Haha he's my special little pirate fish -Blue/Green Chromis -Lawnmower Blenny aka Lenny the Blenny. I got him so he could clean up my GHA but he stopped eating the HA and prefers Rod's food or flake LOL! It's ok though,I love this fish! Great personality! -Skunk Cleaner Shrimp -3 Peppermint Shrimps I just added a few weeks ago but have been MIA for the last week or so I did notice my sixline punking them a few times. I was going to take them out the next day but I couldn't find them...sad. -Emerald crab -Some Nassarius snails that I see sometimes -A few Margarita snails -7 Hermit Crabs -A couple Stomatella snails that came as hitchhikers as well as other critters that came along. All safe btw. Here's some pics of my tank friends.... Check out his busted eye! So sad but he's been doing fine since I got him. Look how cute he looks hiding in the cave!

09/02/2009, 12:38 AM	#5
Reefer08 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 2,886	Congrats on winning nTOTM!!!

09/02/2009, 12:46 AM	#7
Helfrichs Chic V Stingray in Cayman Isl. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: St. Thomas USVI Posts: 2,782	Very nice! Love to see reefer chick out there making sweet looking set ups!

09/02/2009, 07:56 AM	#11
DSR Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tulsa Posts: 476	You rock! Nothin' much else to say there lady... congrats.. __________________ So, what woulda happened if I had answered "yes" to whether I was a bot? Current Tank Info: AP24, Sunpod 150, AquaEuro 1/13 chiller

09/02/2009, 08:00 AM	#12
Darkstar22 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Denver Posts: 718	Totally psychedelic.....Darkstar crashes pouring it's light into ashes.....Some Grateful Dead playing, all the lights off in the house except your nano....Beautiful tank! Congrats!

09/02/2009, 01:15 PM	#13
murphreef Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: simi valley Posts: 2,680	Ridiculous colors Kat congrats and keep up the nice work! __________________ Justin Current Tank Info: 25g mixed solana with a DIY 24 / 3W CREE LED set up

09/02/2009, 02:05 PM	#14
CurvBall Triton Lagoon Carer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: an hour outside London, UK Posts: 298	Tank looks good, well done. What camera did you use for the new photos? Curious to know what software you used for image sharpening too. __________________ _Cerven NanoReefBlog - the small side of reef aquariums. Current Tank Info: Triton Lagoon. 45G SPS reef.

09/02/2009, 02:14 PM	#15
jackson6745 Yeah Yeah Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rockaway Park, NY Posts: 5,087	What a wonderful mix of LPS. Those scolys rock!!!! Congrats! __________________ Richard

09/02/2009, 02:39 PM	#16
lucas73 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 545	Congratulations Kat,very vibrant and healthy.Your tank is stunning,love the wide array of colors.

09/02/2009, 04:16 PM	#17
aww_419 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 913	Very nice, that cynarina coloring is amazing, one of my favs.

09/02/2009, 07:38 PM	#18
got2envy hello fishy fishy Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mid-Cities, TX Posts: 878	I want all your LPS coralz Congratulations Kat!!! A TOTM well deserved and I so happy I got to see some close ups girl! all I can say is WOW!! Maria __________________ January 2011 NTOTM Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. Current Tank Info: 10g SPS nano, 40g long mixed reef

09/02/2009, 09:57 PM	#20
ILoveReefer Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cheektowaga Posts: 851	Wow, your tank is amazing. I really don't think I have ever seen a reef tank with so much color. Congratulations ReeferChick

09/03/2009, 10:24 AM	#21
Henryreef Ocean Lover Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 958	Your reef tank is sweet! So much color and beauty, congrats __________________ - Henry Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon Rimless

09/03/2009, 04:25 PM	#22
zoadude Moved On Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 204	Don't know if there are any words in existence to describe your tank. But I will give it a futile try. Fabulous, extreme, fantastic, awesome, sweet, magnificent...

09/03/2009, 04:54 PM	#23
tahiriqbal Sialkot Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Manchester England UK Posts: 676	LOVELY....................Stunning looking tank there Kat....welldone __________________ Tahir Iqbal Manchester UK Current Tank Info: 56cm x 56cm x 56cm

09/03/2009, 05:02 PM	#24
Wildcatreef Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cave Creek AZ Posts: 218	Wow! Candy Land never looked so sweet. __________________ Billy Current Tank Info: 230g mixed reef, Vortech churned, AI Sol Blue lit, Octopus skimmed, Apex regulated, GEO supplimented

09/04/2009, 05:23 AM	#25
ReeferChick85 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 896	Aww THANK YOU sooo much everyone for all your kind words!! I totally appreciate it and I'm glad you guys like it Thanks again for checking out my tank!! Vibrant colors are what attracts me to these corals I've chosen. I kinda have the "shiny ball syndrome" but instead for me it's "pretty corals syndrome"!! hahahaha!! The new lighting I'm currently using has definitely made everything pop a lot more and just more vibrant even in person. Although as I mentioned above,I'm planning on adding a 4th bulb which will be a 50/50 just to even it out a bit. It can look a little blue to me at times and I'm used to a lot whiter so I'm planning on adding that bulb but I'm in no rush haha! My corals seem to love it tho