Austin goes Rimless - Dudester's 203g mixed reef

[mratner]

A.G.E or ELOS?

 

[Dudester]

I picked up some frags yesterday from the office tank after the meeting. I probably won't get much more from that tank for my home tank, since I don't want to duplicate the same livestock, but there are some sweet corals in that tank and I'd be a fool not to get some of them. Most of them will be shown in the following photos. I mounted most onto KZ frag plugs, which attach to weighted bases. They can be moved around the tank safely and without being blown around until a 'happy' spot is found, then the tops simply pull off of the bases for permanent mounting.

Here's a full tank shot, actinics only. I need to scrape the coralline off of the back.

And while we're in actinic mode, here is a cluster of new frags.

Acro turaki

birdsnest

milles (ORA rose and another one)

efflo

Lights all on. This ricordea is in my avatar and is the 2nd coral I ever purchased some 3 years ago. It only recently became happy in my tank since the change from the 30g cube.

more to follow ...

 

[Dudester]

I mentioned I've had some improved coloration recently. Here's what I mean. There's also been some growth, it seems .

Miyagi tort, 1/13/08

4/20/08

acro tenuis, 1/13/08

4/20/08

green slimer, 1/13/08

4/20/08

blue tip stag, 1/13/08

4/20/08

 

[Dudester]

cali tort, 1/13/08

4/20/08 - still not yet dark blue, but getting much better

Beneath the toadstool you can see a new gorgonian.

In the background is the Leng Sy cap, looking mighty fine.

I got this acro frag from Austin Aqua Farms a while ago. Here it was on 1/13/08

4/20/08, sorry, different angle, but the same angle is above with the gorgonian.

 

[Dudester]

Here's the Hawaiian flame wrasse. See if you can find him in these photos.

This is the achilles tang. Don't worry about the spots you see, that's stuff blowing around the tank as I did not turn off pumps for any of these photos. There is absolutely no ich and he's gaining weight nicely. His color is as black as black can be.

Here's the full tank, all lights on.

Right side.

 

[Ccondo]

Dudester, what do you use to scrape the back?

 

[Dudester]

I use a Kent Marine scraper, and if there are tough areas I'll use a razor blade.

Oh, and by the way mratner, A.G.E. or Elos is up to you. They both have their benefits, the biggest difference being the PVC bottom on A.G.E. tanks and the 'all parts included' with Elos.

 

[chrismunn]

was that your office tank that was fetured at last saturdays ARC meeting that i so stupily missed?

i had a complete brain fart on that one! the whole week i had planned on going to my first meeting and seeing the big office tank. come saturday i went on my normall routine and then at 3pm it hit me! :lol: that was stupid!

 

[TriggerHappyDude]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12374435#post12374435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
I use a Kent Marine scraper, and if there are tough areas I'll use a razor blade.

Oh, and by the way mratner, A.G.E. or Elos is up to you. They both have their benefits, the biggest difference being the PVC bottom on A.G.E. tanks and the 'all parts included' with Elos.

And the PRICETAG!

 

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12379103#post12379103 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
was that your office tank that was fetured at last saturdays ARC meeting that i so stupily missed?

Yes it was, Chris. But don't beat yourself up - you can drop by anytime to see it.

Mike

 

[erics3000]

your frags are looking good...

 

[Dudester]

Thanks Eric, I appreciate it bud.

 

[GSMguy]

hey mike i posted a plumbing question in my thread that i hope you can help with.

TIA
Nick

 

[Dudester]

answered

 

[dcmander]

looks great...i really like how you used the closed loop to minimize equipment in the tank, but then you have a big wave box there! has anyone found a good way to hide these but still get the effect? or do you have to mount them right in the front on the side?

 

[Dudester]

Thanks for your feedback, dcmander.

Sure, there is a way to conceal a wavebox, and that's by installing it externally. I'll be doing this with my next tank. Check out this thread where Steve (Jar*Head) shows his idea for an external wavebox. This achieves the best of both worlds, IMO.

 

[Purple Haze]

Nice frags. I'm surprised that ric hasn't multiplied into a large colony in two years.

 

[Dudester]

Thanks Purple Haze. That ric has endured all imaginable forms of torture and quite frankly I'm just happy it's still with me. It has only now begun to multiply, but unfortunately it is currently surrounded by a GHA bloom that I'm dealing with.

 

[chrismunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12385205#post12385205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Yes it was, Chris. But don't beat yourself up - you can drop by anytime to see it.

Mike

one of these days i might have to take you up on that. my wife works like 30 seconds around the corner from your office and i occasionally swing by to pick up the child. maybe ill drop in sometime?

 

[Dudester]

Please do ... but you're gonna have to talk to me