Rehype Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Alright, I have loafed enough... tonight I will post some pics of where the tank currently stands (already started gluing corals down). It isn't looking perfect, but I might as well document it from start to finish, rather than just take pics when it is looking prime. At least that way, everyone can see what the corals looked like when they were originally placed in the tank, and how they grow over time in said placement. Good to have for my own records methinks. So this is what it looked like prior to me gluing things in place. I also decided not to use ALL of the montipora caps that I have, some are currently in the sump until further notice. Looks great so far TJ.. Link to comment
lilmatty5dimes Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 that looks great. awesome job so far. Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Looks good. If you think it looks good now, gimme six months and you'll never get your jaw off the floor again Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Quick update:I took a snap of the tank prior to placing and gluing down corals tonight. Nothing too fancy going on, but thought it would be good to document.Also,Thanks to Ecotech's video of how the Reef Link can be used with Vortech pumps, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase one. I also picked up an Eheim auto feeder and micro pellets; I intend to keep some small schooling reef fish and wanted a way to feed them small amounts consistently over the course of the day. Hopefully this makes for healthier, more resiliant fish in the future. You'll notice it is currently sitting directly above the MP40; the pump helps pull the food underwater and spread it around so it is evenly dispersed across the tank and doesn't immediately find its way to the overflow. Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 I am looking for opinions,What is your favorite purple or deep blue colored staghorn? I already have green and red/pink but am still looking for a killer, wide branching staghorn. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I got a Turquoise stag from Harry's Frags. When it arrived it was certainly a bright turquoise. Dipping changed it to poop brown. It is slowly coloring up and is currently a deep green. He also has a blueberry staghorn that looks great. Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I highly recommend the weitei anthias for drop dead gorgeous schooling fish that do well in small aquariums. I have a school of 10 in my 40 breeder. They love to hang out front center and bask against the flow. I may have spelled their name wrong but Live aquaria has them on sale for $25. I'm traveling now but will shoot you a pic ASAP. I got a Turquoise stag from Harry's Frags. When it arrived it was certainly a bright turquoise. Dipping changed it to poop brown. It is slowly coloring up and is currently a deep green. He also has a blueberry staghorn that looks great.Harry's frags suck , according to me and Jedi Joe. Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 I got a Turquoise stag from Harry's Frags. When it arrived it was certainly a bright turquoise. Dipping changed it to poop brown. It is slowly coloring up and is currently a deep green. He also has a blueberry staghorn that looks great. I am in Canada, so it is difficult to order anything online; I personally avoid it all together. Do you know what species of acro they are? I can always have an LFS order it if I can get the species I was actually looking into Acropora exquisita which is pretty commonplace for teal acros. I highly recommend the weitei anthias for drop dead gorgeous schooling fish that do well in small aquariums. I have a school of 10 in my 40 breeder. They love to hang out front center and bask against the flow. I may have spelled their name wrong but Live aquaria has them on sale for $25. I'm traveling now but will shoot you a pic ASAP. Harry's frags suck , according to me and Jedi Joe. Tank is only 25 gallons (24 x 15 x 16) so a school of 3" fish is a no go. Love those Anthias though! Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Quick and dirty cell pic of the current coral placement! Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Just picked up an adorable little juvenile Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia commonly referred to as a 4-Line Wrasse. Taking pictures is going to be difficult while it settles in, so here is a google photo for reference. Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Tried to get a photo of the new wrasse, but it refuses to sit still for a moment. Instead, I took tank pics and some macros of the polyp extension I currently have. The SPS seem to be quite happy, so I have that to be thankful for!Honestly, I am just so happy to be past that algal hell and onwards to coral purchasing and placement. And some current FTS for good measure. Not everything is in its final resting place, but the ball is rolling. Link to comment
exactlyobp Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Nice setup! Very clean and sleek looking. So no weird algae coming back at all? What do you think it worked the best, CUC, manual removal, blacking out, WC, (or all of the above)? Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Nice setup! Very clean and sleek looking. So no weird algae coming back at all? What do you think it worked the best, CUC, manual removal, blacking out, WC, (or all of the above)? It was the combination of all 3 factors. Manual removed made the algae short enough for the snails to eat, and black outs prevented it from growing while the snails grazed. Every time I did manual removal followed by immediate two day blackout, I would see the snails clean off a large patch of it that would not grow back. After three cycles of this, they had removed it from all of the rocks. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 TJ, what is the shorter branching SPS coral in the back - the one that looks purple with green polyps? Also, I'm totally jealous of the branching formations. Those are staghorns? I can't get mine to grow tall and branchy. My coral formations are usually bushy and dense (choice of the species I have) but even the Bali green slimer is bushy. I have a california tort which started STNing so I fragged it and it's a short stick now, but growing. Link to comment
BattleAthletics Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Really cool overflow! Last time I was on this thread you said it be a softies tank, what changed? Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 TJ, what is the shorter branching SPS coral in the back - the one that looks purple with green polyps? Also, I'm totally jealous of the branching formations. Those are staghorns? I can't get mine to grow tall and branchy. My coral formations are usually bushy and dense (choice of the species I have) but even the Bali green slimer is bushy. I have a california tort which started STNing so I fragged it and it's a short stick now, but growing. Which SPS are you referring to exactly? Not sure which one is purple with green polyps. If you mean the bushy branching SPS just above the red cap on the 'low' end of the tank (where the rocks slope down to their lowest point), I am fairly certain it is Red Convexa. As for the branching formations; I've been really picky about which specimens I get; I may not actually have the correct names of certain species since I am focusing on shape first, followed by color. I will ID them as best I can for you though Really cool overflow! Last time I was on this thread you said it be a softies tank, what changed? I am not sure if you were reading this thread when you say that, because this tank has been SPS destined since it's conception. Maybe you were on my old 30 breeder thread? That one was meant to be softies starting off; ended up being a mixed reef that lived a very short life. This particular system is pretty much an experiment in reef scaping for me, and a way to practice and hone my skills. I doubt I will have this tank much longer than 2 years tops before I set up a new system. Link to comment
BattleAthletics Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Which SPS are you referring to exactly? Not sure which one is purple with green polyps. If you mean the bushy branching SPS just above the red cap on the 'low' end of the tank (where the rocks slope down to their lowest point), I am fairly certain it is Red Convexa. As for the branching formations; I've been really picky about which specimens I get; I may not actually have the correct names of certain species since I am focusing on shape first, followed by color. I will ID them as best I can for you though I am not sure if you were reading this thread when you say that, because this tank has been SPS destined since it's conception. Maybe you were on my old 30 breeder thread? That one was meant to be softies starting off; ended up being a mixed reef that lived a very short life. This particular system is pretty much an experiment in reef scaping for me, and a way to practice and hone my skills. I doubt I will have this tank much longer than 2 years tops before I set up a new system. Right it was a low budget build correct? Man I can't keep up with all the threads nr anymore :-/. Link to comment
TJ_Burton Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Right it was a low budget build correct? Man I can't keep up with all the threads nr anymore :-/. It started off that way, and ended up being a full blown TJ style DIY project. I actually repaired a Solaris for that tank, and then purchased the Gen 2 Solaris... and then sold everything. Ha! Link to comment
BRADYBUNCH7 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 LOVE THIS TANK Love the green slimer Link to comment
BattleAthletics Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Lol it wasn't even that long ago! Got any constructive criticism for my build? Link to comment
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