Monks 55g Macro Display (Pic Heavy)

[drunkenmonk]

Current Full Tank Shot

Hi, I started this tank a couple years ago and around september of last year I decided to turn this into a macro display tank. Here is Photo evolution of the tank as it progressed to its current state.

9-9-11

11-4-11

1-12-12 This is after a massive trimming and Rock re-landscaping

Fish

Blue Devil Damselfish (female)
6 Line Wrasse
Orange Spot Goby
Inverts

1 Porcelain Crab
1 Candy striped Pistol Shrimp
1 Peppermint shrimp
1 White leg hermit
6 Blue leg hermit
100 Dwarf ceriths
15 Larger certihs
1 Fighting conch
15 Nassarius snails
2 Astrea snail

Couple unidentified snails.

Coral

Branching Hammer Coral
Balanophyllia
Blue Ricordea Florida
Green Ricordea Florida
Pink-yellow Ricordea Yuma
Purple Mushrooms 10


Macro Algae

Nemastoma
Red Grape (botryoladia)
Red Titan
Dragons Breath (halymenia sp)
Halymenia pseudofloresii
Flame Algae
Gracilaria Hayi
Gracilaria sp antother
Gracilaria sp
Blue Ochtodes
Halimeda

Sargassum
Grape Caulerpa
Caulerpa Serrulata
Fern Caulerpa
Suction Cup Caulerpa
Codium
Ulva
Chaeto



Im always looking for more macros, if your selling something I dont have send me a pm maybe ill buy it or we can do a trade :flower:


Ill post close up shots of the macros in the next post or two very soon.

Comments and Crits are welcomed. If you can think of anything that would go great in this tank let me know im always open to suggestions!

Also the Six line Wrasse is about to be evicted. She is getting pretty aggressive with my other fish, and I would like to add some more gobies. So shes got to go!

Future Fish additions i would like to add:

Couple Clown Gobies - Yellow/Green
Green Banded Goby
Red Spot Goby - Pair
Gold Neon Eviota Goby - Pair
Court Jester Goby
Fire Fish
Blue/Green Chromis - 3


Fish I would like but am not sure of:

Red Mandarin
Scooter Blenny
Royal Gramma
Dwarf yellow Angel
Red Elongated Dottyback

Also I like the Sailfin/Lawnmower Blenny but im not sure if I would wake up with any Macro Algae left lol.

Inverts I would like to add:

Pom Pom Crab
White Anemone Crab
Anemone Shrimp
Clam - Crocea/Maxima Not sure on the species yet
Couple BTA's

All suggestions are welcome :beer:

 

[drunkenmonk]

Heres some more Pics of the macros and tank:

Blue Ochtodes

Gracilaria Hayi

Gracilaria

Codium

Suction Cup Caulerpa

Sargasum

Orange Spot Shrimp Goby - He is paired with a Candy Strip Pistol

And some random pics of the tank:

More in next post

 

[drunkenmonk]

Image dump

 

[drunkenmonk]

And a couple more

 

[rick12]

i like it! what are you using for lighting and skimming etc.
do you have to dose anything special to keep all that macro growing?
thanks

 

[jarrod13]

WOW! That's gorgeous!! I have some c. prolifera I'd be willing to trade, I need some red macros ;-)

 

[drunkenmonk]

Rick12 I have 4x54w HO T5, 2-10k 2-actinic blue.
Filtration is a 200g ph Canister
No skimmer

I dose kno3, iron & manganese, iodine, trace and Minor elements

jarrod13 Im trying to stay away from any more caulerpa but im sure we can work something out for some reds

 

[jarrod13]

let me know

 

[Bosha]

I really like the variations of macros you have. What are your water parameters like? Is it true that macros like "dirtier" water compared to that of a ULN SPS tank?

 

[drunkenmonk]

Thanks Bosha, yes macros like dirtier water. I try to keep my nitrates around 5-10. If I dont then the Macros stop growth and start to die. Especially with caulerpa in the tank, it uses up the nitrates quite fast and grows over an inch each night in any direction it can lol.

Now if you only had a couple macros in your tank you would be fine without dosing. But since mine is a Macro dominant tank I have to dose because of the mass of algae in my tank.

Josh

 

[xian]

Have you had your codium long? Any issues? I've never had any luck with them.

 

[drunkenmonk]

I have had the codium for 4 or 5 months, I just had to split it in half it was getting a bit big.

I order some Macros from Gulf coast ecosystems earlier this week and got them in today. I ordered some sargassum, C. barbata and a red sampler. Some of the reds im not sure what they are so im going to number the photos so maybe someone can tell me the names!

Sargassum

C. Barbata

1

2

3

4

5

Pic of some GSP I got from a local reefer yesterday.

 

[joejoe1055]

tank looks good
i had some of those mystery red macros before like to know there names as well

 

[drunkenmonk]

Hello guys, I ripped out all the Caulerpa, im tired of dealing with it!! I also moved some rock around and added a new fish to the tank, I hope she behaves its a lemon peel angel, xfingers. I know they get a bad rep but im willing to take the chance. So far everyone is getting alone great on day 3, so we shall see.

Here are a couple pics:

Full tank shot

Left side

Right side

Angel when it was in the bag

Orange Spot Goby and his buddy

 

[Magnetic Reaper]

i can't argue with your decision but i find there's missing a bit of green or maybe something else. it seems a little uni-colored or maybe a little lacking in variety?

i was originally planing on getting mostly red macro for my tank but i think maybe red macro + coral might be a better combo for me.

i do love your red macros though and the new aquascape is awesome

 

[91Atrac]

Can't say more than amazing work!!

 

[Devaji108]

Ahh very nice!
I too liked a bit of the green the Caulerpa gave, the fern caulerpa was really a nice look. was it hard to keep? did it spread fast?
I have a new build going a 75 DT and a 40br that is going to be a macro tank. once it done with Qt my DT fish love the look of the macro tanks!

 

[drunkenmonk]

Yes I agree it is too red, I have 9 different red macros atm. Im adding coral to it slowly but I also think I need to find a couple more green macros. the C. Barbata will be nice when it grows in but maybe another green or 2 will workout.

The Caulerpa was just a pain, it grows so damn fast that I had to trim every couple days or it would take over. I left one leave of it just in case I changed my mind lol.

Devaji that sounds like a nice build, I hope to see pics of it soon.

 

[Devaji108]

^ yeah it going to be a few months , maybe by then some of your macro's might need a good trimming...I'll defiantly need some
thanks for sharing love all the pics and please keep us posted on the progress.

 

[Bosha]

I think the C. Barbata is my favorite thus far.