Mr. Regal....." wow, look at me go now". :lol: Good job Christy.

Wow, Christy!! :smilecol:

:dance: Congratulations... tank looks amazing, you are one determined girl. :wink: Ya, girls rock. :bounce:

um.. I don't see any VHOs on thoes lights.. what are you trying to pull saying your done??:mrgreen:

Steve

Well the VHOs are 6ft long, the ones in my 90 are only 4ft so.......

Basically I've run out of money. The ushios are stupid bright on the HQI ballasts and I'm liking the bulbs as they are. When I have more money and the inclination I'll likely add either the VHOs or a LED light bar.


Thanks for the comments guys! :biggrin: It was a long day yesterday. I forgot how much I truly hate aquascaping. I can never replicate my "vision" (especially when some of the rocks have encrusted corals).

Got most of my frags mounted. Couple are still in the frag rack as I haven't decided where they belong. A couple I think might be "doubles" so I'll wait them out and see what they do.

Still haven't seen the candy hogfish. I'm starting to get pessimistic. The gramma was out today though and the lavender is starting to feel more comfortable now that there is nobody harassing him.

A better full on photo. We put some of the kitchen together today so I can finally get a decent shot from in front of the tank :razz:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../feb272010.jpg

Spent some time on Tuesday night tearing half the tank apart looking for the candy hogfish. I finally found him yesterday, under the catwalk. Fish jerky :cry: I guess he didn't make it over to the tank in the rock, I heard him flipping about in the rock and moved it over quickly but I guess he dislodged himself and landed on the floor and I missed it in the rush to get everything moved over. I'm pretty bummed about that and curse myself once again for my stupidity.

Wooooo.... me likey. :mrgreen:

Your hippo looks so small now :-) I'm glad to see he kept his purple though! :lol:

That's gonna look sick as it all grows out! Nice job with the rocks.

I've been meaning to update this but you know what they way, its worthless without photos. So I finally found time to take some photos :razz:

It didn't take long for the cyano to set in, less than a week I'd say. It came over from the other tank. Didn't help that I had most of the powerheads off for the wrasse, although turning them back on doesn't really blow off the cyano, they're not that kind that is affected by "slow spots". I have both red and green, the tank looks like christmas in a really grungy sort of way. Makes taking photos difficult due to the number of bubbles that refract the light making any picture I take look like complete a$$ so no tank pics until I resolve that (it sucks because the tank looks nice to my eye, I take a photo, its completely overexposed due to the bubbles, then I turkeybaste all the bubbles away, then have to wait for the tank to settle down because there is freaking cyano flying everywhere, then I forget to take the photo. The next day, the bubbles are back. Rinse. Repeat. I'm tempted to chemi-clean the whole thing but I love how hard my skimmer is working and I love my coral coloration so... yeeeah).

The tank also has other issues, namely:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8325.jpg

Who seems to enjoy picking at my midas blenny while he sleeps. I found a rather large lesion on the blennys dorsal yesterday. This morning I found him dead in his sleeping hole, the crab having a nice light snack. I tried skewering him with a fondue fork but he's a crafty bugger.

Oh and these little beauties, I think I know the source of these, my own damned fault:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8335.jpg

I'm hoping the wrasse develops a taste for them.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/Img_8386.jpg
Wow that photo did NOT take well to cropping :razz:

Since last I posted, I've added the Aquatronica ATO that came with my controller. Previously I used my trusty float valve gravity fed by a topoff bucket but I decided to go "high tech" for this one (mostly because the float valve was pretty much done, I replace it yearly). Its working out nicely.

I purchased a vortech mp40 (non-wireless gen1) but haven't added it to the tank yet because 1. not sure where I want it to be, I just can't decide and 2. it didn't come with the little rubber disk for 3/4" glass (that is being shipped to me right now, it just got lost in the shuffle). Yeah I know, new toy and its not being played with. I've already taken both the wet and dry sides apart just for fun :razz:

Ok enough talking, gratuitous photos!

Recovered Pocilipora damicornis
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8356.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8360.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/Img_8353.jpg

Recovered Cyphastrea decadia
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8351.jpg

Current favorite
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/Img_8352.jpg

Second recovered P. damicornis and partially recovering yellow acro
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8363.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8382.jpg

Clams are back in the tank, yep they're being snacked on again. I'm suspecting the regal tang, it was likely him all along. Their mantles are out and healing somewhat so I assume as long as I feed the fat bastard often enough he might leave them alone. Oh and best shot of the lavender tang I could get (fast little bugger).
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8385.jpg

Gorgeous lavender! :)

FWIW. The pellets should starve out that cyano, if you're looking for an excuse to hold off on the Chemiclean for the time being..

Yeah I'm hoping they'll get the job done. Just have to be patient I guess :wink:

Lookin' fine Christy!
After the pellets clean up the cyano it's clear sailing for you. (fingers crossed)
After the issues you've had lately you're due for some good times. :biggrin:

Looks like it's going to look spectacular, can't wait for the FTS.

Still no FTS, that will have to wait till the sun sets. Got some other pics though :mrgreen:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8361.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8378.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8373.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/Img_8362.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/Img_8364.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8347.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8348.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8374.jpg

lovely little clams there Christy:wink:.....

Weird, I could have sworn I posted a FTS in here. Wonder where it ended up? :confused:

you have two of the same pics in that post.....probably forgot to "copy" or "copied" the wrong link:wink:

no that was supposed to be another clam. Damn I gotta get more sleep! :razz:

FTS from yesterday. I hope I didn't post it in someone elses thread or something

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../Mar212010.jpg

Hmmmm. Bare bottom and a nice clam!


oops sorry! Couldn't help myself. :redface: My bad!

LOL I think you're in the wrong thread Lance. Fishytime's thread is two down :razz:

Hey! that was un-called for:neutral:..........................but true:twised::biggrin:

Maybe that's the problem. I've read too much of his thread and it's rubbing off on me........(must keep mind out of gutter........ must keep mind out of gutter)

being a perv is not a learned behavior......that is something that is instinctive, so dont blame that on me Lance:razz::lol:

Oh. Well I guess I may have to check myself into pervs-anonymous. Wonder where Tiger went to?

LOL I think Tiger is far past what "pervs-anonymous" could do for him.

Good luck with that! :lol:

:rofl2:

The FTS looks great Christy :biggrin:

fishy you and Leah are the Can reef's Perv's we all know that:lol:

So I was fiddling with the camera in manual mode. That "overexposure" on the top of the larger corals is really frustrating to deal with. I really do need to get a book on photography, if I could just stop spending money on tank stuff for 5 minutes. Anyway, I think this is one of the better tank photos.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../mar282010.jpg

Since last I posted I picked up a squamosa clam (cream color with brown stripey bits), he's very camera shy and doesn't like to position himself in any sort of photogenic state so just imagine what he looks like until I can get him to behave himself. Currently he is between the two islands, I don't think he likes all the flow, but his mantles is out and happy. Oh I did manage to get a photo, here he is in all his glory!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8430.jpg

I also got an orange shoulder tang. I've wanted one of these for about 3 weeks. LOL, they weren't even on my radar until the LFS got one in that was a yellow juvenile with the beginnings of the "shoulder" marking. Of course by the time I realized I wanted it, it was sold. Then last week they got an adult in and promptly put it in their display tanks :confused: This week I had them order one in for me. Yay me! Course the lavender went to town on it. Nothing major, just chasing and waving their butts at each other. Of course they're both Acanthurus. I'm usually really good about researching new livestock. For some reason I was thinking the Lavender was a Ctenochaetus (don't ask me why as its clear as day, looking at the two of them). Anyway, its day 3 and things are calming down and the shoulder tang is out and about. Every once in awhile the two of them race by and then it calms down again.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8502.jpg


I installed the vortech. I think the bearings in the dry side are going as there is quite a bit of chatter when you ramp it up past about 50%. I keep it as low as it can go or its just too noisy. It gets the job done and all the fish love that corner of the tank to get their exercise in the current. I'm hoping to replace the wet side as soon as the money tree starts budding again. I've been pruning it rather liberally lately :razz:

I'm also trying out some N/P Biopellets. I'm hoping they'll take a bite out of the cyano (which you can see in almost every bloody photo...:2gunfire: ). I don't recommend the phosban 550 reactor for this. It seems the TLF people are pretty short sighted in the design and its for slow flow for phosban only. I've had to modify it (removing the top plate and flipping the bottom plate so that the tube part dangles at the bottom, then put a piece of mesh at the top to slow the flow exciting to build up some pressure inside to get everything moving) as well as put ridiculous amounts of flow through it to get the pellets to jostle about. Oh well, thats what I get for trying to save a buck I guess.

Gratuitous eye candy! As you can see, I have some cyano (just a bit :rolleyes:) and some flatworms. Don't look any closer than that. *sigh*

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8470.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8488.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8435.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8422.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8432.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8434.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8478.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8500.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8523.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8498.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8521.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8539.jpg

Christy, your tank is looking great! I find taking pictures one of the most frustrating parts of reefing as I just can't get it, but your pics are looking good! If I may ask, what is the fish in your second to last photo. It looks to be an angel but with all your SPS I was doubting it.

Anyways, I get to Nanaimo about every 6 or 7 weeks for business and would love to see your tank some day.

OMG Christy, your tank is looking so absolutely AMAZING!

Sure, give me a shout when you know you're coming and we can set something up :biggrin:

Thanks Sarah! I'm hoping in about a year or so my tank might be on par with yours :biggrin:

Looking fine Christy! Isn't all that extra real estate fun? The pellets will clean things up for you. I had some cyano and within a week of starting the pellets it was gone.
PS: How's "Ol Purple Pants making out with the two new Tangs? He was king of the castle for so long methinks he might be a little put out. Of course the new tank helps, he probably doesn't think of it as his yet.

Actually he could care less. I think he's pretty happy with all the extra feedings I've been giving the tank lately for the new fish (and to keep him from chomping at the croceas). I'm not so sure the red stuff is cyano. Its pretty tenacious and is wavy in the current like red wheat fields. Anyway, I finally got the pellets set up "properly" so we shall see if they get the job done or not.

Yes, looking good!

I was thinking the same thing in a year or so...look out.

Did you end up branching off your return?

I did, didn't take any photos though, its pretty standard, kind of ugly as I had a heavy hand with the PVC glue (no water is escaping from those fittings!). I see what you mean about maybe needing a valve going to the tank though, I think if I add another reactor or something I will be pushing it and need to add that valve to slow the water going to the tank.

Update
 

Requisite Tank Photo:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...pril232010.jpg

The tank is coming along, still have the cyano and the green slime algae. I'm about . <--this close to chemi-clean-ing the tank. Those NP biopellets just aren't doing much. I still scrape the glass every 3 days or so.

Corals are doing well. My croceas are still nice light snacks for the regal tang. I notice he's started in on my teardrop maxima as well. Jackass.

My husband was in a building mood so I got a nice workbench for the tank room.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8619.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...0/IMG_8618.jpg

I just coralsnow/MB7'ed the tank before taking that photo in case you were wondering :wink: I'm also trying that to get rid of the cyano.

Anyway, the tank room is totally coming together and for probably the first time in my reefing history, I actually feel organized! Crazy stuff!

Side effect of the organization. I thought I'd move my computer from one side of the tank to the other so I could put it on that bench (previously it sat on the catwalk on the right hand side of the tank. This required the move of the USB cord that connects my aquatronica to the computer. Somehow the USB plugged into the other powerbar trips the whole thing and everything turns off. Using a different USB slot I can get it to "not trip" but then the controller doesn't recognize anything and doesn't send information to the computer. After unplugging it from the powerbar, everything is hunky dory but I can't check any temperature or pH graphs on the computer, nor can I check on the controller remotely because the program doesn't recognize the controller. Sadly, returning the USB cord to the exact same spot it was working in previously doesn't fix the problem. Awesome. :rolleyes: