Introducing....my new tank! 40g Breeder

[cody6766]

The chalice is doing well. It started to bleach out a little when I switched to the TEK light, but I shaded it for a while and then reduced the lighting down to 4 bulbs for the time being. It's back to looking great. It's developed a new eye since I got it, but hasn't grown in total area.

The biocube only has a few zoas, shrooms and ricordea. I'm seriously debating stocking it as a Gulf Biotope through local collections. All I need to keep it legal is a $25 fishing license. If I don't do that it will hold a yellow headed jawfish, zoas, yumas, and some LPS (euphylia, duncans, etc.). I'm hoping to get out and collect a local blenny or goby...maybe even a jawfish. The rest will be gorgonians, nems, macro algae and anything else interesting that I come across. It'll be a cheap work in progress no matter what happens.

Oh, I dont know if I posted it here. The BioCube stand is holding the power for both tanks and the ATO for the 40 breeder. It really freed up some space in the big stand and made access to everything much easier.

 

[Tim Plow]

Great looking system

 

[cody6766]

Thanks Tim.

I made a few changes over the last couple of days. First, I ditched the frag tank in favor of a cryptic fuge. The frag tank was doing nothing but trapping detritus under the egg crate and holding a few algae covered zoanthid frags. They'll get a thorough scrubbing and dip and will be moved to the biocube. I tossed about 15-20lbs of LR in what was the frag tank and seeded it with a few sponges from my sump. hopefully this will become an invert haven and keep the water a little more clean. As of now I have half of the drain flow running through the cryptic fuge but I may close off the other side and make it all of it.

The other change is a minor one. I noticed my cyphastrea completely encrusted the rock the frag was glued to so I glued it to another rock. This stuff is a freakin weed! Luckily it's a good looking weed I can think Greg for this plague since he was the one that sold it to me, haha. Oh! Also, my plate is continuing with it's baby making. there are a few of the extra mouths that are beginning to become little circles apart from the main tissue. They're eating when fed and always nice and puffy. If you can buy a fungia that has been lightly damaged I would recommend it. This is another reproducer from Greg's frag tank.

 

[chaderic26]

(formerly life support for anybody that knows/cares)

I remember life support. We used to call them alcohol swabbers. I'd always see them swabbing oxygen masks down. Thats the job to have.

 

[cody6766]

Haha, the pilots do their own here. The people in the shop take care of all the inspections and repair work on all of the flight gear though. I do a lot of go-for stuff and a lot of filling files and shelves...you know...Lt work

 

[chaderic26]

ha, I know all about Lt work. Pensacola is a great place to be. I used to love it. Have fun.

 

[cody6766]

Here are a few updated pics. The aquascape just wasn't working for me so I went in and changed it again. I pulled one big rock out and put it down in the cryptic fuge below.

The color is off by a decent bit. It was heavy heavy blue and i tried to cut some of it out. use your imagination! haha.

My clam is happy, healthy and growing.

Most, if not all of the water issues have cleared up. The acro STN has ended and I have 2 small acros holding on. PE is next to nothing, but the tissue has been coloring back up. I stopped vodka dosing and am now back to only adding 2 part and water changes. That got rid of the excess bacterial 'snot strings' that were in the tank. My montis are coloring back up (notice the bleached green tyree cap coloring up) and both have great PE. My LPS are all happy and healthy except that chalice that looks like it took a sting from either a favia or a mushroom/ric. I'm not exactly sure what hit it, but it took a heavy punch. Hopefully it will recover.

So, as of now I'm just sitting idle and maintaining. Once I see some much improved growth I'll add a few more pieces and maybe a new fish, but I'm in no hurry. I do have plans for something red in the tank, but I'm not sure what. I'll have to do some research. I want to keep it about the same size as the other fish, so no flame angels. Also, I'd be worried about my LPS and clam with a flame. A wrasse would likely jump or do battle with my yellow coris wrasse, so....oh well.

 

[cody6766]

I couldn't stay out of the tank and moved some stuff around again. I've been wanting a more minimalistic aquascape and am closer to what I've been wanting. I pulled 2 more rocks down to the fuge and moved the center structure to the right.

 

[happysak]

Looking good Stop remodeling:hammer: You are giving me reasons to keep moving my rock around

 

[twelvejewelz]

Tanks beautiful love the aquascape.
how do you like the 36" 6 bulb TEK fixture ? Im thinking of setting up a 40gallong breeder and am looking into the lighting now. I have a 4 bulb T5 on my 20high nano and i feel its not enough light. The 40 breeder is the same height as my 20 do you think its enough light for the SPS to get optimal color?Im actually looking into the same fixture you got. Thanks

 

[cody6766]

Looking good Stop remodeling

Thanks! I'm done for now. The tank is doing well and I'm pretty happy with it now.

how do you like the 36" 6 bulb TEK fixture ?

The light is fantastic. I really dumps some light in the tank. I've actually been running it with only 4 bulbs because it was bleaching some of my coral. I'm back up to 6 now (as of yesterday) and the color is awesome. I may have to go back down to 4 if the LPS on the floor start to shrink up though.
I think the ideal bulb combo would be a pair of good, low PAR actinic bulbs on the outer 2 places with a pair of Blue+ bulbs, an AquaBlue Special and a Fiji Purple in the middle 4 slots. If you're doing an all SPS tank then you'll be fine with the 6 bulb. My SPS were doing quite well under 4 bulbs (the problems mentioned earlier were water, not light related), so I wouldn't say all 6 bulbs are truly necessary for PAR. The extra 2 help for color though. I may track down some actinic bulbs and see if they do what I need them to do. I've got the white balance on my camera figured out so I'm going to try to shoot some better updated pics tonight.

 

[cody6766]

Here are some of the new pics from tonight. Some of the SPS are still recovering from the issues mentioned earlier. The 2 montis are both Tyree, one being their crazy bright green one and the other a Flower Petal. Hopefully the color fully returns soon.

This pic shows the light and how high it sits off the tank. I have the mounting legs maxed out on height.

Here's the FTS. All the fish are out to some degree in this pic and the one above

This is the orange lobo pictured earlier in the thread...it's trying

My bigger lobo, healthy and happy

and the new favia I picked up recently. not bad for $10

 

[twelvejewelz]

Thats how im running my 4 bulb now and its not enough light for my 20 gallon(atleast i do not feel it is) I have 2 blue plus, 1 fiji purple, 1 aquablue special. Im going to get the 6 bulb then for sure and for the extra 2 bulbs put 2 more blue plus.I may try a GE 6500k to toy with and try it in place of the aqua blue special or fiji purple just to see the effects, thanks though. I really like the aquascape with alot of extra swimming room and the 2 rock structures looks awsome. When all your corals and SPS grow in fully its going to look so sick and natural nice job.

 

[cody6766]

I tried a GLO 6700K bulb and it added some nice touches, but it was just too much yellow. I think it would work well in an 8 bulb light, but I didn't care for it in my 6 bulb arrangement. I think an Indigo Sun would be nice to add to the mix though. I'd like to get one to play with and see what it looks like.

unfortunately we won't be able to see the tank FULLY mature. I'm going to have to tear it down in just over a year for another move. I finish training down here next August and will probably have a couple of months after that before I hit the road for the next duty location. Hopefully I'll have some nice stuff to restart with though!

 

[saltwaterfishes]

Nice.
Looks really clean.

 

[happysak]

Nice corals, Cody. Chalice pictures?????

 

[cody6766]

The chalice is unfortunately a goner. It took a pretty nasty sting from a neighbor (I'm guessing a favia) and couldn't recover. I do have plans to go back to the store I got it from and try to get another frag. They had the mother colony there a few weeks ago, so I'm sure frags are still available. I'm probably heading up today to grab some snails. That will give me a chance to see if they have any cuttings or if they'd be willing to make one for me.

 

[happysak]

Cody, any updates?

 

[cody6766]

Things are pressing along as normal. The acans have doubled since I got them and my SPS are still regaining color. I'm starting to see some encrustation on a broken acro tip I mounted a while back and the fish are happy to boot. I did find my first few aptasia I've seen since moving down here so they got a mouth full of lemon juice via an insulin syringe. That method worked for me in the past, so hopefully the three I killed don't come back.

They cryptic fuge is developing and I"m beginning to see some heavy coralline growth in the DT. My snails are even purple, haha. It looks like the tank is finally settling in after that short bout of new tank syndrome. I didn't think I'd get much of it since the rock has been in a tank for over 2 years, but it's definitely pulling out of it's funk.

I am down to 4 bulbs on the light fixture. 6 is just too much with my light and coral. I'd rather have too much on hand that not enough though. I could always use the same fixture on my 90g that's sitting in the garage if I ever set it up.
I just had a birthday and got a little extra funding from the parents (who knew the b-day cards would still come loaded at 26! haha. I thought I was too old for that) so I may head to the LFS and grab a new coral this weekend. I'm about to get into the thick of my Air Force flight training, so my tank has become more of a pretty chore than an ongoing experiment. I honestly think that's going to be for the best as it will keep me out of it and just let it mature. Damn my meddling hands! haha. The 12hr days haven't started yet, but we're spending about 10hrs in class so far. Next week will bring the longer days in the classroom. When I start my flight phases my time will become even more taxed. I think it will make me appreciate the time in front of the tank more than I have been when I was home all the time. Luckily, maintenance is cake so I won't have to worry about burn out with my heavy work load.

 

[happysak]

Pretty much in same boat right now Waiting game, just staring at sticks.