daveonbass's 58g SPS tank

[daveonbass]

Hi again, I just wanted to create this thread to show all the ups and downs I've had in this hobby JUST from this one tank. It's my third major salt water tank (read: non nano/pico), I'll post pics of its two predecessors.

I'm not being rude...but I don't expect a lot of comments except from people that know me (franklypre). The reason why is because this is mainly a new thread to document the start and current status of this tank. And I just wanted to do this for myself. Also at the time of starting this thread I just finished getting my growth and colors back in the tank...so I'm kinda proud of it again. But of course all comments are always welcome and I look forward to banter between anyone with comments and questions.

Quick summary, the tank is 58G with a small sump. It has a DAS EX1 skimmer, and currently has only one mp10 (had two). I am currently dosing Pappone' to feed the corals, and it seems to be working now that I have figured out the best way for "me" to dose it. I also add Ca, Alk, and Mag as needed after testing, and I'm looking to upgrade to a 3 part doser soon to take care of all this on a more regular basis (stability).

Lighting has always been a 6 bulb ATI Powemodule and I currently run 5 blue+ and 1 purple+. I have not always used this combo...but it's what I'm using while starting this thread. Last note; this tank was started with the intent of always being an SPS tank...it did not strt this way as I didn't have any SPS to begin with...but my original purpose and goal was to turn it into an SPS tank...so far it's a mixed tank and I'm happy with the growth of all my corals that are currently in it.

Those are the basics, so now onto the pictorial timeline.

First tank after I began to reef, 37G. 1/9/05

Clowns, candy cane, and the ONE POLYP that is above the right clowns tail are all still with me.(all the rock too) 1/9/05

1/3/05, My second tank is started for a dwarf eel, tank was started around this time, the 37g was already mature by now, so I guess I started reefing in 2004.

4/5/06 I had moved and got bad hair algae. this is before a WC...

...this is after. It was a long battle.

9/28/06 After almost 6 months of dilligence, the tank was back to a very healthy small reef. I was proud again, but wanted something bigger.

I loved this little tank...but it was time to plan for the next bigger tank with SPS.

 

[daveonbass]

2/16/07 last pics that were good before it started to go down hill and I never recoverd this tank.

moonlights

10/4/08 The tank was slowly dying and I never knew why. But I had begun to plan for a bigger tank.

2/20/09 testing out the new light for the 58g tank

2/23/09 Moved some remaining corals and a sick clown to a 6g nano for holding till the 58g was finished.

2/23/09 after drinning 6 holes for a closed loop I'm installing. ended up not really using the CL that much. oh well, live and learn.

finished...

3/5/09 finished the DIY stand, and added water for the first time. notice the 6g holding tank.

 

[daveonbass]

3/16/09 sump finished, and salt added. finally put the sick (now fat) clown and some test corals into the tank for the first time with one piece of liverock for cycling.

...like a boss

7/2/09 initial aquascape is finished and I don't like it...even without the hair algae.

all corals die within 24-48 hours from bleaching. I've never had a light this powerful.

7/27/09

 

[daveonbass]

10/1/09 the rocks have been rescaped, and I like it better. More fish added, and some corals are starting to show progress, also added a RBTA (begining of a new chapter)

I had just posted a thread on how the nem was loving it's new placement...

and then that night...
10/2/09 the SOB decideds to move...

but the clowns finally found the RBTA and haven't left since. Also notice that I got my first larger SPS...a green stylo (bottom center) and a red monti cap (far right behind the rock on the sand) also got the MP10s in this pic.

 

[daveonbass]

the monti and the stylo died after about a week...well I thought the monti died.

8/23/10 got my first SPS to not die (recieved it earlier). it was a schmear of a sunset monti but it was one of 15 corals in a frag pack that I got to live. Still one of my favorites.

8/23/10 got my first 3 SPS frags from Franklypre and still have them today.

10/30/10 red cap is mounting a come back

11/3/10 got a red planet and a pink with teal polyps milli

12/8/10 Around december my Bangaii's had babies finally. so cute...so I must be doing something right.

3/9/11 FTS, rock has been added, and reworked. Biopellets are now in use and working. I have just come back from my first NextWave in Dallas and had a bunch of awesome and healthy frags. looks like an SPS tank is forming.

sunset growth and red cap is back from the brink

 

[daveonbass]

7/2/11 resurrected the 37g for the RBTA and nems. they were to agressive and stung my SPS so I gave them a dedicated tank with an LED fixture I won at a raffle.

8/11/11 Modified my ATI PM to have a bar with 2 3W moonlighs from Rapid LEDs

things were good that year and I had good growth and color till I had financial trouble and couldn't afford to keep up with everything.
12/27/11 I noticed that the colors had all gone pastel and faded, and the growth had stopped for a few months...so then I started a thread. I also had a tank crash before this pic, and lost many of my favorite fish...I eventually was down to the two bangaiis and then I added a Kole Tang to help get rid of the algae...and he was a life saver in that department.

 

[daveonbass]

all the help I got to get my tank back to normal was documented here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2110547

But eventually I got everything back up to par with the growth and colors I wanted and now we come to current pics...

3/18/12

Rainbow monti

sunset monti...same original plug I broke back off once it hah encrusted on the rock, this is a frag for a new placement and an unknown acro

a new clam

I even have a healthy frag rack now from good growth

idaho grape

that darn Red Planet never really did much in my tank...oh well it's still neat

 

[daveonbass]

acans (I know...not SPS)

a cute cyphastrea that is growing fast

pssamacora? (sp?)

a baseball sized birdsnest (from Franklypre)

setosa (franklypre)

one of Franklypre's original acros I was given

Things to note...
the green palys on the bottom left...are all from the ONE that I had that was in the second pic with the clowns...they are tough. The candycane in the middle is still from the first one I ever bought...it's gotten bigger and smaller and once down to just about 3 heads...and now it's nice and happy. The larger birdsnest had grown into a monster...if anyone wants some just PM me. The CL system I built is almost never used...I just do it when I need to add heat to the tank in the winter. I had one of the breeding bangaiis die (male I think) and one of the surviving babies is now in this tank and loving becoming a big boy...he's in the center.

Future plans include but are not limited to:

Making and adding a bigger sump; a 20L, so I can fit the skimmer "in" the sump.
removing the Biopellets that seem to have stopped working.
continued use of Pappone'
adding a frag tank 24"x24"x8" to the right of the tank and then methodicly removin most if no all of the LPS and making room for more SPS.
I may decide to upgrade to all LED lighting.
and of course adding more fish slowly to the tank till I get that fish poop (ie coral food) level just right.

please feel free to follow along and comments are always welcome.

dave

 

[franklypre]

Very well put together, I saw it last night but figured I wouldn't clutter up the timeline. Those caps are really taking off and getting colorful, along with everything else. BTW I need one frag of all of it, LMAO. We should get together this weekend, maybe bring your buddy with the 150.

 

[ganjero]

Really good progression pics of your reefing experience.
- I think your dates are off in you first two tanks, Tank 1 1/9/05 then Tank 2 1/3/05 and tank 1 was already matured? (just wanted to point that out)
- Amazing recovery from the HA, shows people it can be done.
- Were you successful raising the fry of the cardinals at all?
- I read in your other thread and this one that you think the biopellets stop working and I believe you concluded this because your NO3 has been at the same reading for some time now. I know they help with NO3 and also PO4 and maybe that's why you don't have any PO4, aren't you concern if you remove them your PO4 will go up fast?
- Finally, your are getting some really nice colors. Another successful recovery for you, great job.

 

[RobbReef]

congrats on your come back.

 

[daveonbass]

Really good progression pics of your reefing experience.
- I think your dates are off in you first two tanks, Tank 1 1/9/05 then Tank 2 1/3/05 and tank 1 was already matured? (just wanted to point that out)
- Amazing recovery from the HA, shows people it can be done.
- Were you successful raising the fry of the cardinals at all?
- I read in your other thread and this one that you think the biopellets stop working and I believe you concluded this because your NO3 has been at the same reading for some time now. I know they help with NO3 and also PO4 and maybe that's why you don't have any PO4, aren't you concern if you remove them your PO4 will go up fast?
- Finally, your are getting some really nice colors. Another successful recovery for you, great job.

The dates are correct. The second tank with the dwarf eel had just been started at that date...but the pic of tank one was after about 8 months of it being set up already. Tank one was already matured in the pic...tank two was new but the pic was a little before the mature pic of tank one. (confused yet?)

Thanks, HA was a struggle, and I almost stopped reefing. But even the algae was kinda neat. Plus I have never had an issue that bad with it since; I feel because I learned my lesson.

I did keep one bangaii fry to maturity...he is the little one in the final pics. They are now a pair. I hope that these two breed soon.

As for the biopellets, I have considered that they are working...but i have very little po4 intake to the tank...AND, the main point, is I've never had po4 in my salt tanks. Ever. I cwn test my dirty tank with the nem in it and it may have 120ppm of no3 but 0ppm of po4. Posphate was not present before the pellets were implemented, and my nitrates do go up, so they most likely are not being kept at bay by the biopellets. Now, ask me why I still can't pull the trigger on removing the pellets...that's the real question.

Thanks for the look...I hope to keep posting positive progress in tje months and years to come.

 

[MammothReefer]

Great job Dave! It's cool to see the history and progression of your tank!

 

[daveonbass]

Thanks, I know it may sound corny to some, but its hard for me to just talk about this current tank without showing the history of how/why it came to be. Since its got a lot of the same rock, its like the evolution of the first tank. It grew up.

But those older pics are done now...and onto the sps. I think my biggest concern right now is the GSP and the green polyps over growing too much and stinging my sps. It's happening a little but I'm keeping it at bay.

 

[hatfielj]

Good job, you've really come a long way! Tank is definitely heading in the right direction now.

 

[daveonbass]

Thanks everyone, if I could only get that Red Planet to act right.

 

[NatureNerd]

Daveonbass - nice tank. I like where you put the monti's. All the corals look healthy and growing in very well. It's also cool that you managed to raise one of your cardinals.

 

[daveonbass]

Thanks...I love those monti's too, I think they will grow out and be epic. Only problem is they are creating a lot of shade in a high light area and will block some glued down acros some day. :/

 

[franklypre]

I'd move the monti caps to where the green button polyps/shrooms/GSP are, you seem to want to collect all the kinds and that would give you enough room to do so without taking up that high light area. Just my .02 I know you don't like to move stuff around alot but better now than later. I got a frag of what I'm hoping is true red cap for you, it's managed to keep it's color well so far.

 

[daveonbass]

They seem to be growing best there...so why fix it if its not broken?