Just making small talk

M

Mark75

New member
Don't get me wrong I am loving getting a reef tank back together, but I am not happy with my tanks direction or should I say the lack there of! This tank has been setup for 4 months and I want to start over. I have not been selective in my livestock and my tank is ending up looking like a lfs display tank. Don't get me wrong I like all my corals just maybe not all in the same tank. I think my tank lacks class? Does that make sense? I see pictures of these regal sps tanks with interesting aquascaping and choice corals, my tank is a wall of liverock with 15 of the most commonly available frags arrange in no such order. I regret purchasing T5 lighting. I know sps can and do look great under T5's but it seems easier with metal halides and I miss the shimmer lines! Okay, I feel better.:D
 
lol I think this belongs in the "what would you do different with your tank" thread... :D

I go back and forth between liking t5's over MH's... I think I've finally come up with my solution... We'll see...

As far as all these "regal sps tanks with interesting aquascaping" you have to realize the size of most of these tanks... Most are 200g plus, or oddly shaped, so that you have dimension to work with... That is what I didn't like about my 125, I hated the fact that I had a LR wall across the back... A 75 can quickly become the same if it is overloaded with LR...
 
Yes the size of my tank is very limiting (30 long), I am mentally building a tank that will cure my problems hopefully. I am thinking 36x24x20 or something like that. Maybe my 30 will make a good frag tank. lol
 
Either that or sump... ;) I like the 30 breeders (36x18x12)... They make a good sized frag tanks... :D
 
That is what I have, a 30 breeder. Hey, you calling my display tank a FRAG TANK, thems fighting words!!!!! LOL
 
Oh!!! Well, MH's would somewhat be overkill on a 12" tank... What's wrong with your t5's??? How many bulbs???
 
Now come on guys,
I've had BIG one and little ones, and they all have their problems.
My experience tells me that the smaller that they are the harder it is to be sucessful.
And some times you just have to accept what you have and be happy with it.
Mark is there some way you can use what you have and rearrainge what you have to make it look better?
This is my 29, and this is about version 47...
1985HPIM1359-1-med.JPG
.
But this was it about 18 months ago:
198529_OG_RS2.bmp
. I wish I could make this picture the same size as the first one.
Just a little bit of a change?
 
What the heck is that taking over to the left??? Xenia??? Are your Clarkii's model citizens??? Or do they light you up too???
 
The old set up had a huge finger leather on the left, and on the right there was a huge sarcophyton(sp?).
And they said that you could not grow anything under PC lights!!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11130854#post11130854 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
Oh!!! Well, MH's would somewhat be overkill on a 12" tank... What's wrong with your t5's??? How many bulbs???
Click to expand...

4 -39 watt Nova Extreme. Everything I put under it turns white, zoanthids, ricordeas, sps, I never had this problem with halides. When I had this tank setup a few years ago I had a 250 watt metal halide pendant and all my corals had great color. I am not sure it is even my light causing this but something is causing all my corals to turn white or at least pastel. I have some red people eater zoanthus that have been in my tank less than two weeks and I am watching them turn white! At this rate they will be all white by Saturday.
 
You have to acclimate your corals to your light, if you dont, they will bleach. You have a heck of a lot of light for a little tank. Try raising the lights up about 6-8"s, with what, I dont know.
 
Don't worry. You're far from my start, upgrade and disappointment.

I went from 55g to 300g and dumped thousands $ on everything to make my 300 work. It didnt work... disappointment. I now have a 30g that love. Not perfect, but so much better (and that's considering a 8ft view of the tank vs now 2ft). Like my wife says, size doesnt matter, it's what's growing on the rocks that counts.:lol:

take under consideration :beer: helped with this reply
 
Patience is the key; we all seem to start off with the wall of rock with a few common stick frags randomly placed throughout. I think we all also go through the, what if questions concerning lights and second guess ourselves about tank size. I went from a 10 to a 30 to a 75 and then a 120 and now my 240. If I had it my way I would go even bigger but I think I'll stay with this tank for a while.
Here is a pic of my 120 when it was first started.


:bum:
ArtsTank.jpg
 
Heh, if you've ever been to Aquarium, the "rock wall" seems to be the method. They make it look good, though.
 
I am never happy with my tanks! As soon as I get one setup I am thinking about my NEXT one. No matter how my current tank looks I am still learning and maybe I can eventually turn that information into a great tank.
 
Personally, I like the process of designing and building more than I do the sitting and watching. I are an enjineer, after all. Even so, I was really happy the other day when a friend who knew nothing about the hobby came by my house and commented how good my tank looked to my wife (who he knows hates my hobbies -- whatever they may be -- unless I take up house cleaning and repair as the love of my life).
 
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