Maroun 150g Build Thread

[maroun.c]

Time for some FTS, these are 1-2 week old so before I lost my copperband butterfly and Hyppo tang. Also these were lit by only two 150 W MH on lt side and middle of the tank hence the shadow on the RT. I already added a 250 W MH in the middle and no longer have this shadow. should be getting pics by this week and posting them later on.

with the stand and canopy showing

View from Rt side

 

[maroun.c]

Some shots with only Fluorescents white and actinic. these should improve when I get T5s for white and actinic Supplementation.

Finishing processing a full rundown of all the corals I have to post soon followed by more recent FTS.
Any suggestions on moving my corals after seeing their placement on FTS is welcome.

 

[melev]

I like it the way it is now. I know you've been battling some issues, but overall the tank looks like it is set up nicely.

Your center section looks like a lot of rockwork. Perhaps you could create a low spot between the center and the left section, where the neon green coral is (in the actinic shot).

 

[maroun.c]

Those are still to be covered or replaced by rocks with corals or have corals fixed on them. I still have to get few more corals but I'm giving the tank some time to mature and stabilize before doing so. I previously got a great deal on many corals that I could not skip but for now I'm just waiting for 1-2 more months and after that I guess I'll try to add few corals. hopefully I'll get to find a few show pieces to give the tank a new look. So far I have some LPS that make it different than the all Softie look I'm used to hopefully some SPS additions will soon follow.

 

[GSMguy]

tank looks good, the carpet anemone looks happy.

 

[michika]

Its got a nice drop off look going on. Are their a lot of caves and passages for your fish that we can't see?

What is the tiny tang featured in a few of the photos? Kole?

 

[maroun.c]

Nick,
The carepet is looking very good indeed. It was near totally bleached when I relocated back from Dubai and it took only a couple of weeks of heavy feeding (and corecting the lighting and flow issues that I came back to find in the old tank) to start recovering and it did recover very fast.

 

[maroun.c]

Catherine,
Yes there are lots of openings and some caves for the fish to go through. Also all the back is opened for them to do laps or stay behind the rocks if they chose to.These don't show very well on the FTS will be posting pics of the LT Middle and RT side of the tank soon so these can be seen better.
As to the tang, it was IDed as kole tang, Bristletooth tang, or Blue eye... I've had 3 of those over the last 5-6 years, one of them died when I was in Dubai, Another One was either eaten by the carpet or taken by the clowns to it and this one I had since 7-8 months now. Great tangs, used to get along fine with my hyppo, not really the nicest colours but very efficient in cleaning rocks and glass which he does all day long non stop. Always have this happy face on him:

 

[maroun.c]

I found these on my night inspections few days ago. all three are now in my refugium waiting for ID and for info if they are good ones or not:
Got one of this snail

And found two snails looking like this:

Also saw one of these frequently at night time on the back glass, Left it there as I still have not seen it on the rocks?

Thanks for any info.

 

[maroun.c]

I can also see around 25-30 of these very small dots on the glass they move from day to day but no movement can be seen by watching them. they are the same size of a dot and seem to have a Shell appearance.
Could these be snails? that would be very good as they are expensive around here and survival rate is low for snails due to longer shiping times...

 

[michika]

The bristletooth is adorable. They are one of my favorite tangs, they clean amazingly well and always seem to get along with everyone in the tank. I've never seen a blue eye before, and I love it!

I have no idea about the snail IDs though, sorry.

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12871299#post12871299 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
I found these on my night inspections few days ago. all three are now in my refugium waiting for ID and for info if they are good ones or not:
Got one of this snail

And found two snails looking like this:

Also saw one of these frequently at night time on the back glass, Left it there as I still have not seen it on the rocks?

Thanks for any info.

The first one looks like a possible whelk - I'd remove it.

The second one is probably a cerith or even a Margarita snail - totally fine.

The third is a Chiton - totally fine. As is the Astrea snail to its right.

You can find these on my ID Page; turn off your pop-up blocker. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12871322#post12871322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
I can also see around 25-30 of these very small dots on the glass they move from day to day but no movement can be seen by watching them. they are the same size of a dot and seem to have a Shell appearance.
Could these be snails? that would be very good as they are expensive around here and survival rate is low for snails due to longer shiping times...

Those are tiny filter feeders. They are tiny feather duster-like worms that live in a calcified home they build themselves. Spirorbid Worms - good guys.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks Marc.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

I have to step on Marc's ID for the first time

The second is possibly some type of Margarita snail- but not a Cerith.

Three is a Black foot Tiger Trochus- not an Astrea.

Your tank is beautiful btw!

 

[melev]

Did I say Cerith? I meant Nerite. Or more likely Margarita.

Trochus - could be. Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

[chrismunn]

your tank looks really nice maroun.c

you mentioned your calcium and alkalinity not changing in days, and you also mentioned having a calcium reactor on a tank with no stony corlas. do you have a calcium reactor running on this tank? because if so thats the reason for your unchanged ca and alk...

if no reactor, it may be due to magnesium in the system, which from what i understand is good. ive been having some magnesium issues in my tank and have come to find that the more magnesium in the system, the slower your calcium and alkalinity will precipitate out of the system. i dont know where the magnesium in your system would be coming form if that is the reason, but ide guess it to be from your salt mix?

i read an article on it about 10 minutes ago. here it is if you care to take a read.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Marc, I take my job very seriously

 

[InsaneClownFish]

double thanks to 4th of July and my sister's "special" dell...ummm hot pink laptop...enough said

 

[Reeftanks6]

Great looking tank!