Dougs Reef
 

I switched tank sizes, {slightly}, and in the process wiped out my entire sps collection. Thus a new journal for more than one reason. Besides new tank, most corals are now different. Well that is when I can roust up more frags.

Basically a mixed tank now. First here was my holding system, the old tank sitting on the floor. All was fine in there.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...oldingtank.jpg

Some of the corals

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...ingcorals2.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...dingcorals.jpg

Monitors, etc.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...os/monitor.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...os/control.jpg

After the transfer they looked fine for a day. First a couple frags started to rtn, then more larger ones, until even the larger colonies were on the way out. For some reason a birdsnest frag survived along with my brain coral. All inverts and fish were fine also. My guess is something got in there. Used some flex line for part of the plumbing and despite cleaning it, I think it was bad line. All hard piped now and some of my older flex line.

The new tank is a bit higher. 28in.l by 16in.w by 18in.h. As the stand completely encloses the tank, it had to be taken partially apart and modified.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...standbuild.jpg

Drilled it for same size overflow as last tank with 1.5in. drain and 1.5in Duraso. Also as seen on left side, enlarged the slot for my MP 20 on that side, so it could be higher. Using the fancy super duper woofer for a glass holder. :lol:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...os/stand-1.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...nkvortechs.jpg

Looks good Doug the over flow looks good too with the higher water line you wont have to stare at it too.

Sorry to hear of the mass losses Doug. Good luck with the new build and welcome (again) to the world of build threads.

I think DOug killed them all since I got out of the SPs and have all LPS:lol: He wanted some to trim frags from. It's my turn to come over to your place get the whiskey ready

Thats for sure. It works fine for the Ocean Runner 2500 return but would not want to go much larger. :lol: Perhaps could have been a hair lower.

Thanks Brett. Transfered those corals many times and never a problem. Finally getting some nice growth and colour from them and then poof, just like that. Still think it was the flex line which goes to being lazy to hard pipe it all as it was before. Should have stuck with what worked well and try something different. Either that or purchased the more expensive and most likely safe flex.

Whiskey is always ready. HAH, I raided your tank twice already for frags. :lol: Yesterdays are settling in good. Mushrooms look funny with the screen over them. Really must get a pic of that. Love the piece of chalice. Nicer than my other I have.

Hey Douggles... sorry to hear you lost your fuzzy sticks. :sad:

Thanks Ryan. Always wondered how that happened in all the threads we read with a similar problem. Like most of them, dont really think I have an answer. Going to diversify now. No more acro,s I said to myself. So what do I scarf at Mikes last night, two acro frags. :lol:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...ontrollers.jpg

One of the Vortech controllers and ReefKeeper 2 controller

Ocean Runner 2500 return pump
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01547.jpg

Guess more will have to wait until later. Photobucket really works well tonight....Not.

Purchased a couple of red mythrix to help fight bubble algae. Doing an excellent job I might add. Guess one was reaching into the Votech when I turned it up this morning. Oops. Guess the suction pulled him just enough to nip a claw. Awwwww. Great start to the day. He,s laying on a rock. Dont think he going to make it but will see.

Sorry to hear about your sps, hope the new set up is good to you now. BTW we need a FTS.

I hope your crab makes it.

Sorry to hear about your stuff Doug (great name btw)......once an sps junkie, always an sps junkie......and glutton for punishment:wink:.......hope it goes better for you this go-round man.....

FTS will be soon. I have more to load on PB, of the progression of the tank first, then a full tank shot. Last night just could not load or download from there.

Crab is DOA it appears. Just wondering if its a molt. I believe they molt also?? Looks nothing like my shrimp molts though.

Thanks Doug. {yea, my uncle whom I named after agrees}. This time it will be a mix however, as I already have several lps and some softy frags in there, along with the sps.

The saddest part is I have been finally having success with the sps. Never had a problem growing huge soft corals for the last 20yrs. but never much acro luck, although never tried much until recently. They were all frags from Mikes tank, from the mother colonies, {many of which I grew in another tank before giving them to Mike}.

And I have done so many transfers with never a problem before. My clowns have been moved so many times in the last 7 yrs. they just swim into the bucket when they see it. :lol:

Lumenmax3 pendant with a Phoenix 150w 14k

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/lumenmax.jpg

Sure sure make me wait for the fts :pout: Don't give up on the crab just yet. A couple of weeks ago I did a big tank clean and had some rock out of the water for about 10 min.'s. Unfortunately at the time I did this I forgot I had an anemone crab in there and the next day I saw what I thought 100% for sure was a dead crab body. However a week later I look into the tank and there's my little crab alive and well. So it could very well just be a molt, and just so you know it really did look nothing like my shrimp molts and very much like an intact dead crab.

Full tank pic

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01704.jpg

Full stand and tank

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01706.jpg

New skimmer still in the box......:lol:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01698.jpg

One of my Fire shrimp

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01720.jpg

One of the cleaners

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01713.jpg

Various coloured mushroom frags, cut from Mikes tank. Some are growing through, others staying under the netting. Will be fun cutting around them.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01722.jpg

Took a few more tonight also. Will post them later. The 800 by 600 size seems better than the couple huge ones I posted. Those are fine on large monitors but I imagine need to scrolled on smaller ones.

Looks great so far. No issues with the two kinds of shrimp together? I thought fire shrimp were supposed to be be fairly aggressive with sharing territory?

YAY FTS!!!!! looks good :mrgreen:

Lookin' Fine Doug! Lookin' Fine!

Yes Doug. The tank is looking nice.

Not that I have seen Tony. That pic obviously was a cleaner, which I have fixed now. :lol: I have two fire shrimp, 2 cleaners and 2 peppermints. Have never seen any aggression. The do have their own sections for hanging out but at feeding time, are usually together chasing down food.

Thanks guys. Just need more corals now. :D

Lobo,s I believe Mike told me.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01717.jpg

Green brain

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01715.jpg

Red brain

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01714.jpg

Some form of hairy mushroom

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01712.jpg

An iMac,

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01709.jpg

:lol: Now how did that one get in there. :lol:

Ah crap, forgot to resize them to 800 by 600. Hope all looking have large screens also.
How come once posted they cant be edited for size. I went back to PB and resized them, then deleted the link during edit and pasted the new one from the PB edited version and the pics stay the same here????

Although I think they look purdy when large. :lol:

Looking good Doug. Why is that skimmer still in the box? No love I tell ya, no love!

Nice lobo, we hardly ever get them around here. Oh and what are you using for bulbs? I'm liking that blue :biggrin:

They look fine to me, sometimes it takes a bit for various servers to catch up. :biggrin:

Ya I know. What the heck good is a nice skimmer like that in a box in the corner. :lol: My old Coralvue is skimming pretty good but I will get around to it.

The bulb is a 14k 150w HQI. The Lumenmax 3 pendant is the difference maker in my opinion. I have ran that version bulb is a couple different fixtures and none looked as good as in this pendant.

I also believe the 150w electronic Galaxy is driving it brighter than my HQI type ballast, which I think is backwards ?

Cant believe I did that. :lol: Added sand to my tank yesterday. May get a pic today. My Rainford goby is happy. He does not have to sift the detritus build up anymore.

Cant say Mrs. clown is similary pleased. Even though I left their area in front of their house and baby making area clean, she is still determined to move it all around. Mind you, she has basically only seen a bare bottom in "her" tank, most of her nearly 8yrs.

Now, I need stupid sand clean up creatures. Hmmmm!!

My new SWC sump. Has fresh water reservoir on right side, float switch and pump. Nice and solid. Black silicon.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01727.jpg

SWC 160 come skimmer. Absolutely dead quiet. Easily adjusts and cleans. Impressed so far.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01728.jpg

Closer collection cup pic. 2 days since last cleaning.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...s/DSC01729.jpg

holy crap how much was that sump doug

$150 Mike. Total volume is about 28g. Float switch and 12v pump was another $79. Decided to use it instead of my new Osmolator, so going to likely sell it.

My Tank is finally doing half decent again, after the sps fiasco. Still grows film algae easily but not like it was. Picked up the few corals I had left from a friend and some frags from his tank, plus bought some nice frags from Mike.

All doing well so far. Received some dandy snails from Kevin @ Red Coral. Making short work of any film algae and as a matter of fact I leave it on the front glass for them so they wont stave. Look like a bunch of compact cars in my tank. :lol:

Not to mention the beautiful acro frag, he sent me. Thanks very much Kevin. Nice order, well packaged.

Going to take some pics soon, when I have 5 min. :D

Alright! Glad to hear things are turning around for you Doug. Nice looking sump.

Great news Doug. What type of snails are they?

I only have 2 large astrea (which I've read are incorectly identified a lot in the hobby so may not be astrea) and while they eat all day they don't make much of a dent on my glass. I could use a few more snails...

Thanks Lance.

I believe they are Mexican turbo,s Brett. I told Kevin any type would do, as I needed to get something on that film algae. These are the largest I have ever had. :lol: Algae cleaning bull dozers.