Criticize my tank! 120 gal garden reef

[whatcaneyedo]

This system has been running for 2 years but much of the livestock I've had for up to 4 years. I define it as an overstocked predatory garden reef tank.

So rip me a new one and criticize my tank!

120 gal ~120 lbs live rock, 60 lbs sugar sand
55 gal sump
20 gal fuge with 3" dsb, caulerpa and some odd red kelp looking algae on reverse lighting

Equipment:
AM Oceanlight 2 250W 13K Giesemann MH (10 hours) and 2 3' T5 actinic (12 hours)
PM Bullet 2 skimmer with Iwaki 55 pump
1300 gph little giant return pump
OM supersquirt
Mag 12 running in tank spray bar
PM Ca Reactor
Milwaukee pH controller monitor
Tunze osmolator top off
DIY kalk reactor
AM biotherm heater and controller
phosban reactor for carbon
airwaterice RO/DI

Chem:
seachem salt, gravity 1.025
Alk 10 dkh
Ca 400 ppm
Temp 78 F
Mag 1300 ppm
pH 8.0-8.3
Nitrate 2ppm

Maintenance and feeding:
10% w/c weekly
1 tbls kalk weekly
1 cup carbon changed weekly
filtersock changed every 3-4 days
Formula one or marine cuisine daily
nori and silversides or krill every second day

Livestock:
Volitan Lionfish
Snowflake Moray
Purple Tang
Tomatoe Clown

Sebae anemone
2 crocea
2 maxima
derasa
green brittle star
blue linkia
tiger tail cucumber
tube anemone

4 zoanthus colonies
Kenya tree
anthelia
green star polyps
2 ricoria

hydnophoria
3 montipora
6 acropora
2 pocillopora
pavona

duncan
trumpet
favities
galaxea
fungia
2 acans
4 euphyllia
2 platygyra
trachyphillia

 

[ghstrider]

that is one sweet tank... i see nothing wrong

 

[Tballa]

That tank is amazing!

 

[flashyleopard]

I see a very well thought out and healthy system.My personal taste would involve thinning out the large mass of polyps ont he back glass to give your other corals in front of it better definition to the eye.I prefer smaller ''nano'' fish even in larger set-ups, with the medium angel or surgeon fish for good measure, but that lion would have to go and no doubt your attatched...I've had an affinity towards them myself, just like my smaller, community fish better in a reef.I might also relocate the anenome, so it wasn't int he front of the tank, since it is so large....some clams would look very nice in the foreground.Those are just opinions, I don't even have a tank and there is nothing wrong with yours the way it is...different strokes for different folks is all.:rollface:
I hope my up and comer looks as good, when it has a year or so on it.Great tank.

 

[flashyleopard]

Since I couldn't see the pic while posting, I glanced at your tank again and see there really is nowhere to relocate the anenome,without rearrangeing the rock and corals, so scratch that.Also, the polyps on the back will look awesome right where they are, just try taking sections and repositioning them to fill in the whole back....what a nice backdrop!!!I would just be wary that corals of similar color placed in front of it will wash out, like the one acro at the top.I would just position similarly colored sps toward the front and brighter pinks,greens,and what not towards the back, so they will be seen against it.I would add some clams to, cause I like em...not cause your missing anything.Such a nice set-up there.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

lol... there are 5 clams. They're in the picture and in the list. 2 crocea, 2 maxima and a derasa. The anthelia growing on the back glass is going to get stripped out one of these days... Its just a matter of finding someone who wants it. I like it but theres so much of it also growing in the rocks the whole tank is looking too pink for me. I also want to cut back on some of the other corals so that as this all grows in I have fewer but larger colonies. But its so hard to decide which ones to get rid of!

 

[Hop]

It is a great looking tank:thumbsup: Nice work!

 

[Andrew]

Looks good :thumbsup: I just think the lion is too large for a 120.

 

[awestruck]

Um, can you say gorgeous!!!

I agree w/Andrew regarding your beautiful Lion though, s/he would probably be happier in a larger tank.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12699531#post12699531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Andrew
I just think the lion is too large for a 120.

I agree... I've tried to keep the aquascape reasonably open and other fish to a minimum to give the lion more swimming room. My dream tank right now would be a 225gal 2'x2.5'x6' which I plan to setup in 2 years time.

 

[gea0119]

I think your tank is very colorful and exceptionally nice

 

[grizzleymatt]

nice tank dude

 

[flashyleopard]

I did find all 5 clams, after some closer scrutiny.I like seeing clams and fungia in the foreground on the substrate in nice, open, bright set-ups, like you have there.I would keep them where they are and just add more.....one can never have too many clams right:lol: Really hate to make suggestions to anyone, as any tank is an accomplishment and a testament to someone's skill and dedication, and as I mentioned, what I like to see, is different than others like, so it isn't really fair to say anyone should do anything to a tank, that they are happy with and that they like.I would love to have your tank in my livingroom.Of course I'd tweak it to my satisfaction, but that would not be very far at all from what you have going now and I have been told I have very expensive/fickle taste....and no money to back it up

 

[Jay Fortay]

That is a HUGE tomato clown, any more pics of her?

 

[spectrascott]

Sweet looking set up:thumbsup: Dont see anything wrong with it either. After seeing this cant wait to see what you could do with a bigger one

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Fantastic layout and a ginormous lion

I wouldn't touch or add a thing. Enjoy!

 

[Spartanman22]

I have the same anemone and clown host and like exactly the same size

 

[Screename_116]

Sweet tank, I like huge corals!

But what is a garden reef?

 

[reefermike1]

since u want criticism i dont like the xenia on the back wall, it immediately took my eye away from the rest of your tank. other than that i love the tank, looks very nice. and i think the lion is fine in there, they usually just kinda hover in one spot anyways ime.

 

[yellowsubmarine]

this is pretty close to what i want to do, all the fish i really like would be classified as predatory, great job!