ZEOvit/200G Build Journal - 34G Solana

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

So things are really going to be changing with the tank.

My fiance and I have decided to change it to a FOWLR and set up a much smaller reef. For one, I am going through Puffer withdrawal. This is the first time in about 12 years I have not owned one and first time in about 6 years I have not had a saltwater puffer.

Secondly, the big reef is just way too much work for me after only a few months. Its consumed my life a bit and I just don't like spending so much time on my tanks. I also feed my fish as much as they want, all day long and thats not working out so well with the sps, even with ZEO.

And lastly, the cost is just adding up way too much. Just maintaining calcium and alk right now is insane. Weekly 30G water changes are getting old and costly.

Oh and I have a friend who needs a good home for both his Porc and Golden Puffers.

So I am building (or maybe buying) a cube tank this weekend. Somewhere under 30G. Keep my favorite corals and sell the rest. The cube will be skimmerless/sumpless and NO fish. Just a few shrimp. I will be able to load the FOWLR up with fish.

Cube will just have a dosing pump for two part and an auto top off. Thats it.

Anyways, big changes this weekend and I will try to take pictures along the way.

No more ZEO at all of course. If anything, I will go to vodka dosing on the FOWLR to keep nitrates down.

[pterfloth]

Let me know what sps you are selling. I really like some of the pieces you have!

[karazy]

the cube sounds like a good idea.

you should make a 24x24x18 for a cube. its an awesome size, and good for controlling flow. (i know its a little bigger than what your looking for)

no fish? aww come on man! how bout a pipefish?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by karazy

the cube sounds like a good idea.

you should make a 24x24x18 for a cube. its an awesome size, and good for controlling flow. (i know its a little bigger than what your looking for)

no fish? aww come on man! how bout a pipefish?

Yeah that would be nice but the only problem is I don't have room where i want to put it.

Pipefish could be cool too. I would have to see about flow though since this will be an sps tank and might be a little too much for a pipe. Your tempting me though cause I have always wanted one!

I am not to concerned with fish for the cube since I can get my fish fix with the 200!

We'll see. I am pretty sure plans will keep evolving and changing over the next few days. All I know is that the big tank will be FOWLR and I will keep a smaller tank for coral.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by pterfloth

Let me know what sps you are selling. I really like some of the pieces you have!

Sure I will. But to be honest, I will be keeping most of the nicest ones

Although I may just keep frags of a lot of them and sell the colonies. I prefer to watch stuff grow.

The hope is that between selling my wavebox and some coral, it will pay for the new tank

[JDigital]

Ohhhh sad news... I really liked your reef man... its a great looking tank.. FOWLR's just seem to lack something IMO... (corals! haha)

Anyways, good luck with the switch..

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by JDigital

Ohhhh sad news... I really liked your reef man... its a great looking tank.. FOWLR's just seem to lack something IMO... (corals! haha)

Anyways, good luck with the switch..

Well I am way more of a fish guy and a small coral tank will easily keep me happy. Puffers in the big tank will also keep me very happy.

A much lower electric bill will keep my fiancee happy. Not to mention the savings in salt, additives and ZEO. To be honest though, using cost as an excuse isn't really fair. It's not like I can't afford the tank.
Plus she has never actually complained about the cost...hahahaha.

Its all around just better for us. Not to mention its looking like I will be moving to California next year in summer (fiance and I both have job offers down there....hers is to work on a very high budget film and we can't turn it down) and I don't want a huge reef to take dismantle.

Really in the end though, I think having my friend say he wants me take the Golden Puffer is what did it. I really want him!!!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Might have been a false alarm.

My fiance came home today and was like 'What??? I thought we had decided the big tank WAS STAYING as the reef!'

Im not sure where we got mixed up but she is pretty much against it being an 'ugly FOWLR' (her words). Apparently she thought we were putting the Golden Puffer in the reef...riiiiiiight.

Anyways, she says absolutely no to a second tank until we buy a house one day.

Oh well...looks like those of you who were kind of disappointed will be relieved

I will have to take some new pictures soon of the new aqua/coralscape since the last rock slide. Especially since apparently the tank is staying as is.

Why am I slightly disappointed????

[karazy]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Why am I slightly disappointed????

2 words. no pipefish.