Dpolt's Dream Reef -Rimless 75 Triton Method

[1891Bro]

On 3/18/2017 at 1:33 PM, dpoltsdsu said:

It's water change day for the reef. I was able to grab about 25 gallons of natural saltwater from Dan Diego on Friday. So lucky to have that resource. 

I used to buy coke from a guy named Dan Diego, didn't know he was in the saltwater business too!  

This is a fantastic looking tank! Keep the pictures coming!

[dpoltsdsu]

 

 

Well I am ecstatic to say that my Mandarin has already started to eat Nutramar OVA.  I thought it would take a lot longer than a couple of days, but I will certainty take it! 

 

Here is a video of him picking at some fallen food on the rocks!

[dpoltsdsu]

The frag tank is starting to make some progress. While it certaintly does not have the look I envision yet, it is starting to get there.

 

I plan on making some magnetic rock frag racks and putting them along the back wall. I also plan on adding a couple more mangroves and air plants around the tank to get a more land meets water feel to it. 

[Christopher Marks]

Great video capture of the mandarin eating Nutramar OVA! How wonderful. Do you know if it was captive bred?

[dpoltsdsu]

The Mandarin is starting to fatten up! He is starting to associate my turkey baster with food and he is frequenting the front corner of the tank when he gets hungry. It's really encouraging to see a healthy Mandarin as a lot of them at fish stores are just so skinny. 

[dpoltsdsu]

So one of my Acros started to lose tissue around the base over the last weekend and on each day, more and more tissue was gone.  Perplexed, I tested my water and everything seemed to be ok.  A couple of days later, the Acro was all but gone.   Yesterday I noticed that tissue had started to recede around my Neon Green Birdsnest Colony and I began to worry that I may have a problem.  When I got home from work one night, I noticed movement in the Birdsnest Coral and that's when I saw a crab munching polyps off of the coral. I was furious at this crab so I took the entire rock out of the tank and tried to pry it out of a hole.  After about 20 minutes, I finally got it. 

 

This little crab did a massive amount of damage, so if anyone ever observes one that looks like this, get it out immediately.  It looks to be some kind of Gorilla Crab.

 

 

[dpoltsdsu]

The frag tank is starting to look a lot better as it begins to mature.  The more I work with the tank, the more I am starting to go for the beach Mangrove look.  The two Mangroves I have in there have already sprung some more leaves and they are looking better everyday. I have added a rock area that breaks the water surface and I bought a couple of Fiddler Crabs that like to hang out up there.  They have been a very unique addition so far and they have not bothered anything yet!

 

 

[dpoltsdsu]

I have decided to completely redo the frag tank which will include a foam background and some other cool features.  Since that tank will likely be getting a hood, I have decided to incorporate the rock out of the water theme to my 75 gallon reef tank and I am pretty pleased with the result.  I also transferred the two mangroves over to the big reef as well.  I hope that coral and other inverts begin to encrust on the mangrove stalks. 

 

A lot of life around the tank has already started to use the exposed rock as well as climb on the mangrove stalks.    

 

Here are some pictures of the results so far!

 

Hermit Crab on a stalk

 

Cleaner Shrimp on a stalk

 

Fiddler Crabs on the exposed rock

 

 

[dpoltsdsu]

[Christopher Marks]

8 minutes ago, dpoltsdsu said:

I have decided to completely redo the frag tank which will include a foam background and some other cool features.

This sounds cool, I love tanks with custom sculpted foam backdrops! When do you start?

 

The mangroves look great in the 75, another nice element.

[dpoltsdsu]

36 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

This sounds cool, I love tanks with custom sculpted foam backdrops! When do you start?

 

The mangroves look great in the 75, another nice element.

 

Thanks, Mangroves are very underrated in my opinion.

 

We get started this weekend! We just got the last of the materials we need for the wall!

[dpoltsdsu]

The newest addition to the reef is the Flame Hawk! One of my all time favorite fish. They have so much personality. My reef just didn't look the same without one!

[dpoltsdsu]

Another picture of the Hawkfish 

[dpoltsdsu]

I'm going to pick up a Clam today from my LFS. Hopefully I can find a healthy specimen. I have a good spot for it on a rock ledge in my tank.

[mitten_reef]

On 5/21/2017 at 4:34 PM, dpoltsdsu said:

Another picture of the Hawkfish 

Hawkfish are so cool! I don't know why I haven't got one for my tank...checking Liveaquaria now for the general compatibility info on them. I definitely has a 'spot' opened for another fish.

[dpoltsdsu]

2 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

Hawkfish are so cool! I don't know why I haven't got one for my tank...checking Liveaquaria now for the general compatibility info on them. I definitely has a 'spot' opened for another fish.

They are awesome fish. You just have to watch them with Shrimp. They go after shrimp quite a bit!

[dpoltsdsu]

I was able to find a really bright and healthy Derasa clam for 35 dollars at a LFS. What a deal! It seems to have already attached itself to the ledge I have it on so that's a very good sign. 

 

Here is a pic of it this morning. I'll get a better picture soon. Notice the Mandarin begging for some OVA next to the Clam

[mitten_reef]

On 5/23/2017 at 4:06 PM, dpoltsdsu said:

They are awesome fish. You just have to watch them with Shrimp. They go after shrimp quite a bit!

That's probably why I haven't gotten one. I always have shrimp in the tank. 

[WV Reefer]

Just catching up on this thread........

 

The tank is looking great!  I love the Hawkfish. 

[dpoltsdsu]

Suprisingly, it's not just the Fiddler crabs that visit the exposed rock. I've seen a couple of snails move across the rock, and today, my large Zebra Hermit spent a couple hours up there relaxing a bit. 

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, dpoltsdsu said:

Suprisingly, it's not just the Fiddler crabs that visit the exposed rock. I've seen a couple of snails move across the rock, and today, my large Zebra Hermit spent a couple hours up there relaxing a bit. 

 

That's cool. I wondered how many would venture topside.  

[dpoltsdsu]

The Flame Hawk has a new found hobby of getting in every possible picture I take. I hate it and love it. 

 

Here's a couple of his latest..

[WV Reefer]

6 minutes ago, dpoltsdsu said:

The Flame Hawk has a new found hobby of getting in every possible picture I take. I hate it and love it. 

 

Here's a couple of his latest..

 

Thats so funny. I had an Angel that would do the same thing. 

[Travis]

How do you like your CL tank? I am waiting on delivery of a 70g Artisan II. 

 

Tagging along to your thread!

[dpoltsdsu]

20 hours ago, Travis said:

How do you like your CL tank? I am waiting on delivery of a 70g Artisan II. 

 

Tagging along to your thread!

I've been very pleased so far.  The build quality is great and the glass is very clear and the silicone on the seams was done very well.  I also really like the dimensions of the tank. 

 

The one issue I had was the skimmer it came with was not up to par in my opinion but that isn't a tank issue.  I think you will be very happy with it.  Let me know when you get a build thread up on it!