"OverKill" Reef - My Bathroom Nano

[jcohen9999]

First a reasonably current picture:

 

and then a slightly older picture (by a few hours) showing the location:

 

Now the specs:

 

Tank:

26 Gallon AGA Bowfront drilled for 2 -1" and 3 - ¾" bulkheads

Approx 40 lbs of LR

 

Hood:

Aquactinics.com MH Hood (1 - 175W 20K Ushio Icecap e-ballast with 2-24W T-5 pure actinics ) (6/15hrs)

2 - 3 LED Autolumination.com fixtures as moonlights (24/7)

 

Closed-loop:

Iwaki MD-70RLT thru a T for 2 outputs (3/4" SCWD turned out to be a POS; 1" SCWD on order) (approx 1100 gph with head)

 

Refugium:

100 gallon Stock Tank (3/4 full)

Approx 300 lbs of Southdown (6-7" deep)

Macro Algae

2-65W LOA PC fixtures (12 hrs offcycle from main tank)

 

Sump:

100 gallon Stock Tank (3/4 full)

Approx 50lbs of LR

Nautilus Reef Poseidon Skimmer w/ Dolphin pump

Mag 18 or GenX PCX 40 Return pump (depending on cleaning cycle) (approx 300 gph with headloss)

MRC CR-2 Calcium Reactor

Aqua Logic SS Controller (connected to a rag-tag collection of heaters include the Titanium wand from Won Brothers heater)

"The Sentry" from reefdosingpump.com topoff from 30 gal Rubbermaid container containing saturated limewater

 

Offline/Stand-by Equipment:

Phosban Reactor

Aquanetics 30W UV Sterilizer

AquaSafeCanada RO/DI Unit

Lots-o-Oceanic salt

 

Maintenance:

Approx 28 gallon water change every 2 weeks

Continuous saturated limewater dosing (300 ml/hr) to replace Approx 2 gal/day evaporation

 

Some history:

I started this tank on 03/13/2004 with the initial plumbing and about 3 months ago, after there were more corals than water in the DT, I took out most of the corals, fragged the good stuff, and, in effect, started over. the rest of the gory details are here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=337387

 

Next Steps:

Get more frags!

[lakshwadeep]

Please convince me that hippo tang has been photoshopped and is not real...

 

The rest of the tank looks nice. Except, I don't know how you have enough time to watch it in the bathroom.

[reefdan]

i see the tang in both pictures.

 

dun dun DUN...

[Lalani]

It's not photoshopped... you can see it in the second pic too.

[el fabuloso]

I'm not gonna give you crap over the tang because everyone else will. Where's the 100g sump? I wanna see it!

 

Edit: Nevermind, I just checked your thread on RC. Very clever setup! Nicely done. Too bad people are going to flame you for that tang.

[dopamine]

wow, can we see the refugium?

 

I like that rock cliff. Is it a bridge laying on both sides or is it mounted to the back wall? I have wanted to get a thin piece like that and redo my rockwork but mounting the rock onto the back wall for support and create a shelf type twist down to the main bulk of rock.

 

You could then house something sweet like sun coral under there and it would look real appropriate....hmmm uh oh, the hamsters are warming up.

[noobofreefs]

Really now? After 4+years of membership I would figure people would know all about the tank popo...and with all that stuff in it he seems to know what he's doing...

 

but that is a sweet set-up

[lakshwadeep]

I'm not gonna give you crap over the tang because everyone else will. Where's the 100g sump? I wanna see it!

 

Check his reefcentral thread.

 

Really now? After 4+years of membership I would figure people would know all about the tank popo...and with all that stuff in it he seems to know what he's doing...

 

but that is a sweet set-up

 

Even our archnemesis forum has some concerned person. The rebuttal is classic:

 

Originally posted by Vinnie71975

Ok im not the tang police but i gotta say im a bit Peeved I want a Hippo and a yellow tang but i refuse to get them because my 4ft long 55g tank isnt big enough for them, those fish need at least an 8ft long tank for swim room Both can get to be 12inches long or bigger and to cram them into a little 26g Bowfront No MATTER WHAT THE TOTAL VOLUME is just plain wrong and CRUEL!

 

 

I respect your right to voice that opinion and hope you'll just leave it at us agreeing to disagree on this point.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...04#post11710404

[skimmerdude]

Seriously, WTF? Just plan on keeping the tang in there until . . .? I have never flamed anyone for keeping a tang in a small tank, but EVERYONE should know better.

 

With your 100g fuge, is that where the tang usually lives?

[Maco]

ya everyone look at his RC thread a 175 gallon slump wow i think the tangs going to be fine for now like the tank a lot just dont let the tang police get to you

 

edit ok sorry yes i do agree that the tang needs more room to swim it just that i dont want to scare off a new N-R member

[noobofreefs]

Check his reefcentral thread.

 

 

 

Even our archnemesis forum has some concerned person. The rebuttal is classic:

 

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...04#post11710404

That's sad...tangs need lots of room to swim so it really doesn't matter about the total volume of your tank. They get pretty big for fish that can be safely kept in aquariums and are very active. So I don't quite understand the logic behind the "I have enough total volume to keep a tang" argument...

[skimmerdude]

Why is there always someone who says "DON'T LET THE TANG POLICE GET TO YOU" keeping tangs in small tanks is really an issue, and is offensive. Like keeping a human in a 2x2 foot cage, they will grow to the size of their cage, right?

 

I bet this guy has a larger tank and the tang is just visiting, but it is too bad that so many tangs end their lives this way : (

[Longinus]

I think you guys all missed the part where the tang swims through the plumbing down into the sump when it needs some space.

 

I tell ya, those tangs sure are smart

[jcohen9999]

@dopamine: that happens to be one large but thin piece of rock that's balanced on top of the 2 'towers' on either side creating that tunnel. And yes i have thought a thousand times about getting a non-photosynthetic coral to grow in there but everytime I try it the clowns attack it and either destroy it or break it free. I think they think they will eventually need that area for eggs but that's never happened yet.

 

@ the tang police: Yes I have a tang in there. It's been in there since at least 09/04 (and probably a good time before that before I posted a pic). Anyway, like most, I planned to have a larger tank by now but had so much fun with this tank I decided to forgo it for a while. However, it looks like a prime spot in my den will be vacated soon so the idea of a FOWLR has been revived as a fall/winter project. So, for now, my little yellow-tailed blue damsel will need to continue on only knowing what it has known for most of its life so far since I got it at 3/4".

 

I hope we can get past the tang and talk about more important things like how come my corals seem to grow faster during the first 4 years and now since the re-start things seem to be going much slower? Could it be my change from 10K Ushio to the recent 20K Ushio?

 

Jeff

[Longinus]

=

I hope we can get past the tang and talk about more important things like how come my corals seem to grow faster during the first 4 years and now since the re-start things seem to be going much slower? Could it be my change from 10K Ushio to the recent 20K Ushio?

 

Lower spectrum bulbs give faster growth with slightly worse coloration in some ways, while a higher spectrum bulbs can give better colors, but worse growth.

 

Sorry to get on your case about the whole tang thing, but its a given when you post a pic of a tang in a "nano"

 

I really like your tank though, its a very interesting build and has got me thinking about things I can do once I have a basement to play with

[jcohen9999]

Lower spectrum bulbs give faster growth with slightly worse coloration in some ways, while a higher spectrum bulbs can give better colors, but worse growth.

 

I've have read that but was hoping that the 175W sitting 4" off the water would offset that. The worst part is that I just upgraded to an e-ballast which drove the MH bulb to be even bluer which again will give me better colors but slower growth.

 

Sorry to get on your case about the whole tang thing, but its a given when you post a pic of a tang in a "nano"

 

I knew the risks and tooks my chances. I understand that is not the best choice of fish for this tank. I will resolve that one way or another after the summer.

 

I really like your tank though, its a very interesting build and has got me thinking about things I can do once I have a basement to play with

 

Thank you. I really need to update my sump/fuge pics because I now have more frags than macro in the fuge.

 

Jeff

[Smurf]

Sorry man, GG

[lulaface]

You know, saying the tang has been in there for almost four years doesn't really help your case. You seem to be the typical "Don't worry. I'm planning a bigger tank for it." person that never actually gets around to it. While you've been having fun with the little tank the tang has been cramped and denied the chance to swim freely like it was built to do. You've clearly put a lot of time, money, and effort into this tank, but you are too lazy or selfish to give your fish a more appropriate home.

 

Sorry. It just really bugs me.

[lakshwadeep]

While I applaud that the tang has lived this long, I would like to note that it looks stunted for being so old and still not at the adult length of 31 cm (12"). I agree with lulaface that having this tang for so many years doesn't seem like a strong commitment to getting a larger and more suitable tank.

[nanoty]

I get so damn tired of hearing people b!tch about other people tanks. Why can't everyone STFU and just take care of their own freaking tanks? If he didn't ask you for advice don't give him any and if someone has already done it don't beat a GD horse and keep saying it over and over again.

 

When was the last time someone said, "Oh, ok I'll get that tang out of there immediately".? One Fukin tang police per thread is enough........................

[lulaface]

If someone with years of experience in reef tanks posts a thread showing off his tank, then he has opened the door for both positive and negative comments. If I went into his bathroom uninvited and started #####ing about his tank, then I could see a problem with it. He knew it was coming. He's known for years that he needs to get the tang out of that tank but he hasn't bothered. I'm not giving advice. I'm voicing concern for an animal in hopes that he will change the situation. Or maybe if someone new to the hobby sees this thread they'll see how outraged the community gets when they see a tank like this. So what if the set-up is cool and he has nice rock work and a giant sump. He shouldn't reap the praise without dealing with the criticism.

 

And shouldn't the point be to show people that it is important to say "oh, ok I'll get that tang out of there immediately"? Why wait?

[nanoty]

 

 

Blah blah, STFU

 

 

If someone with years of experience in reef tanks posts a thread showing off his tank, then he has opened the door for both positive and negative comments. If I went into his bathroom uninvited and started #####ing about his tank, then I could see a problem with it. He knew it was coming. He's known for years that he needs to get the tang out of that tank but he hasn't bothered. I'm not giving advice. I'm voicing concern for an animal in hopes that he will change the situation. Or maybe if someone new to the hobby sees this thread they'll see how outraged the community gets when they see a tank like this. So what if the set-up is cool and he has nice rock work and a giant sump. He shouldn't reap the praise without dealing with the criticism.

 

And shouldn't the point be to show people that it is important to say "oh, ok I'll get that tang out of there immediately"? Why wait?

[lulaface]

 

 

Blah blah, STFU

 

Wow. A witty retort. With a cussword acronym. How about if you don't have anything better to do than gripe about people trying to make a valid point, then go away?

[filefish949]

Wow. A witty retort. With a cussword acronym. How about if you don't have anything better to do than gripe about people trying to make a valid point, then go away?

 

you'r new here at nano-reef, that should be in the FAQ, it is a great lil place but that sort of thing is part of our culture

 

valid points are no where as much fun as a good GFY

[nanoty]

Wow. A witty retort. With a cussword acronym. How about if you don't have anything better to do than gripe about people trying to make a valid point, then go away?

 

 

Oh yeah, GFY, if you want to whine anymore about crap PM me so we don't destroy a thread being weiners.