My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics

The new fuge looks great! I love the mangrove idea. How is the boxfish doing in the main tank?

Jacob

Thanks! I'm really pleased with how it's coming along. It actually looks better than I thought it would. Now I just need to get some macro (other than chaeto) for it and a pair of Bangai cardinals and or some some horses for it. I also need to seed it with some pods. I'm sure I still have pods in my system but I am looking to build the population back up.

The new Cowfish is doing really well. He's staying away from my corals unlike the one I sent back to Jim's and he also eats from my hand. He seems to recognize me as a food source. Everytime I put my hands in the tank, he is right there where as most of the other fish scramble. He's actually nipped me a couple times. When I feed the fish, I usually hand feed him an extra piece of frozen mysis. That said, he's getting more aggressive with his feeding habits and has no issues challenging other fish for a bite to eat. He's now chasing food with better accuracy. Man are they dumb though!
 
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Beauty rebuild of the fish load.A thought crossed my mind.If you ever have another wipe out (hopefully never) would you throw in the towel or start again? Just curious because I know someone who had 2 wipeouts and he's done. He'd been at it about 14 years. Thanks
 
Beauty rebuild of the fish load.A thought crossed my mind.If you ever have another wipe out (hopefully never) would you throw in the towel or start again? Just curious because I know someone who had 2 wipeouts and he's done. He'd been at it about 14 years. Thanks

Thanks! I am very pleased with how things have worked out.

That is a VERY interesting question you posed. I don't think I could ever throw the towel in. I've been in the hobby too long and giving up on it would be a lifestyle change that I just don't see myself making. I love the ocean and marine fish and having a piece of the ocean in my home is just a part of life for me. When I bought my home back in 1997, there were 3 criteria. Number one was a place for my tank. Number 2 was a 3 car garage for my cars and number 3 was a great place for my home theater. All 3 are still very important to me and certainly ingrained in my lifestyle.

In my 27 or so years of being in this hobby, I've only had two disasters that resulted in mass casualties. One was an ich outbreak that could have been avoided as it was the result of a large water change with cold water that should have been heated. The other was the most recent bleach incident. Given that both incidents were avoidable I'm certainly not deterred in least and certainly won't make the same mistakes twice. Nor will my son! :thumbsup:

After being in this hobby so long, it's easy to become complacent and take for granted what you have or the success you have. Something like the events that happened with my tank certainly can (in my case) make you appreciate not only the fish you have or had, but also the success and relative stability of your system. If anything, I am more vigilant and enthusiastic than ever and appreciate my tank and it's inhabitants more than I can ever remember. In my case, I have a new found appreciation of my livestock as well as the stability of my system. It's fast recovery really allowed me to reflect on all the things I have done right with the system and my preparedness for the unexpected. As such, I have a level of enthusiasm towards my tank that I have not had in a long time. I find myself looking at it much more frequently and I pay much more attention to my livestock as well. If there were ever any silver linings in my disaster, that would certainly be one of them.
 
Thanks for response. Well for one thing I know nobody with such an elaborate system as yours. There is a lot put into it, and that cannot be a decision you could take lightly. Ofcourse your success over the years is a testimonial to your commitment. Cheers
 
Thanks! I am very pleased with how things have worked out.

That is a VERY interesting question you posed. I don't think I could ever throw the towel in. I've been in the hobby too long and giving up on it would be a lifestyle change that I just don't see myself making. I love the ocean and marine fish and having a piece of the ocean in my home is just a part of life for me. When I bought my home back in 1997, there were 3 criteria. Number one was a place for my tank. Number 2 was a 3 car garage for my cars and number 3 was a great place for my home theater. All 3 are still very important to me and certainly ingrained in my lifestyle.

In my 27 or so years of being in this hobby, I've only had two disasters that resulted in mass casualties. One was an ich outbreak that could have been avoided as it was the result of a large water change with cold water that should have been heated. The other was the most recent bleach incident. Given that both incidents were avoidable I'm certainly not deterred in least and certainly won't make the same mistakes twice. Nor will my son! :thumbsup:

After being in this hobby so long, it's easy to become complacent and take for granted what you have or the success you have. Something like the events that happened with my tank certainly can (in my case) make you appreciate not only the fish you have or had, but also the success and relative stability of your system. If anything, I am more vigilant and enthusiastic than ever and appreciate my tank and it's inhabitants more than I can ever remember. In my case, I have a new found appreciation of my livestock as well as the stability of my system. It's fast recovery really allowed me to reflect on all the things I have done right with the system and my preparedness for the unexpected. As such, I have a level of enthusiasm towards my tank that I have not had in a long time. I find myself looking at it much more frequently and I pay much more attention to my livestock as well. If there were ever any silver linings in my disaster, that would certainly be one of them.

Well said!!!! :thumbsup:
 
Happy New Year everybody!

A bit of an update. The tanks are doing well. Only one minor issue is my Scott's Fairy Wrasse. I think it has a swim bladder issue as it's been swimming tail down for the last couple days. It's still eating but it's not very accurate when targeting food. Yesterday I decided to move it to my large refugium below the tank. I did that for two reasons. One, the flow in there is such that I can easily target feed him without competition with other fish. The second reason is that having him in tank below my display will make it easier to remove him should he not make it.

I got a new light for my little display fuge. As much as I like the Kessil 350 that was loaned to me for testing, it's smaller source creates large shadows with with mangroves. I also don't feel that it was bright enough when I toned down the blues. I ended up finding a good deal on a lightly used Maxspect 120 watt 12K Razor. After setting it up and dialing in the color, ramp up and ramp down, I have to say that I am kind of impressed with this little light. It's bright, the color is more conducive to a refugium (compared to the Kessil) and it has much better spread without the shadowing. I may end up adding a couple 5000K or 6000K lights to augment the lighting or just tone the blues down more on the Maxspect should the Marco algae that I am adding not thrive.

I've been picking up some coral frags that were growing on the bottom of my display and transplanting them into the new little tank. It's really starting to look good and not having those little frags all over the bottom of my display will make it easier to do a good vacuuming in my main display tomorrow. I also have a shipment coming in Friday with some Marco and a sizable clean up crew from Reef Cleaners for my main display. Since I've been feeding much more due to the fish population, I've been seeing more nuisance algae than I like. The bleach incident wiped out most of my CUC so it's time to get that back in order.

None the less, here are some new shots of the little tank. I will probably take some new pictures of the main display Friday if not this weekend.

Here are some shots of the new display fuge with the new light.
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Quick questions (maybe not quick) about mangroves...

1. Why do so many reefers get them? Aesthetics? Nutrient removal? I have read they are not terribly efficient at removing nutrients. Also, their roots can penetrate silicon seal, potentially creating a real problem. They are very beautiful plants though!

2. What do you do with them after a few years? They will eventually grow too large to be supported by nearly all private collectors. Trash them and start over? I really don't have a problem with this, just curious. I assume they grow rather slowly.

I am not making any judgements about those who keep mangroves. I think they are quite a nice addition. Just looking for some input and opinion. I actually am thinking of getting one or two for my sump/refugium but would like more practical information before I proceed.
 
Quick questions (maybe not quick) about mangroves...

1. Why do so many reefers get them? Aesthetics? Nutrient removal? I have read they are not terribly efficient at removing nutrients. Also, their roots can penetrate silicon seal, potentially creating a real problem. They are very beautiful plants though!

2. What do you do with them after a few years? They will eventually grow too large to be supported by nearly all private collectors. Trash them and start over? I really don't have a problem with this, just curious. I assume they grow rather slowly.

I am not making any judgements about those who keep mangroves. I think they are quite a nice addition. Just looking for some input and opinion. I actually am thinking of getting one or two for my sump/refugium but would like more practical information before I proceed.

Good questions. I've had these mangroves for 3 years now. They were growing in my primary refugium below my tank although their growth was a bit stunted as a result of the covers on that sump.

Mangroves do remove nitrates and other unwanted stuff from the water but they do so very slowly as they grow very slow. I think most reefers who realize that they grow slow get them for aesthetics and bio diversity more than anything else.

When these outgrow my system, I will list them in the local So. Cal section here at RC and give them away. I actually have two more left in my refugium below and will be getting 5 more tiny ones tomorrow. Some of those may go in the tank below and others will go in the new display fuge.
 
Just got a nice sizable cleanup crew shipment from Reef Cleaners. Lots of snails and hermit crabs. Great service from them Reef Cleaners! I also received a nice shipment today of macro's and pods from Reefs2Go. Also excellent service from them. Both are great vendors and assets to this hobby!

The marco's sure made a nice addition to the new fuge. Hopefully the clean up crew does well in my display as I have been seeing some new algae in my display that I would prefer not be there.
 
Hey Slief. I just finished reading your thread. I had seen the videos from Jim all before but I am just recent on reef central. When I read your post just after the [incident with your son] my heart dropped. Things like that....you just don't know how to respond after the initial adrenaline.... I hope you work it out, and he comes to be a trusted part of the family again soon. On the other side you and the tank seem to have bounced back quickly so that's a silver lining. To have that much invested in animals and then have to do it all over again....
Mabee the change in focus turned out to be a good thing. It's always been one of my dreams to have a LARGE tank. My inner reef-junky wants a thousand gallon reef tank with a few other satelite tanks plumbed into one large remote filtration system. Having dream tanks like yours for inspiration is what keeps us going until we finally dive into our own dreams. Thank you...:bounce1:
I like your tank. SPS dominant tanks seem too sterile for my taste. They don't seem healthy to me. Like always on the verge of having a major outbreak from a minor imbalance. I also prefer to have motion in my tank from animals that [go with the flow].

Will you be upgrading the lights anytime soon? I bought a set of radions a few months ago. I have them running at about 120 watts combined and they weigh about 10 pounds total with the hanging kit. They are hugely controllable through the Apex, or just the default program and I really enjoy mine. Glad you got the damsels out of the tank. Some people have nicknamed theirs JAWS:fish2: Whose idea was it to put DAMsels in our fishtanks anyway....:blown: Have you looked into carbon dosing your tank at all. Bet you have since you seem to know all the other tricks of the trade. I suspect some vodka in the tank would have let you keep your sand bed nice and thick:thumbsup: I have about 3-5 inches of pure white sand in mine,and the pistol shrimp especially loves it... Get a nice big school of anthias for us, and don't skimp on the pictures K...I'm pullin' for ya. we're all in this together.
Thanks
Daniel:wildone:
 
P.S. Get yourself a GoPro. I have some filters and a macro lense coming for mine next week followed by a weeks dive trip in Couracou. It's a great system and anyone active in the water should have one...:wildone:
 
Hey Slief. I just finished reading your thread. I had seen the videos from Jim all before but I am just recent on reef central. When I read your post just after the [incident with your son] my heart dropped. Things like that....you just don't know how to respond after the initial adrenaline.... I hope you work it out, and he comes to be a trusted part of the family again soon. On the other side you and the tank seem to have bounced back quickly so that's a silver lining. To have that much invested in animals and then have to do it all over again....
Mabee the change in focus turned out to be a good thing. It's always been one of my dreams to have a LARGE tank. My inner reef-junky wants a thousand gallon reef tank with a few other satelite tanks plumbed into one large remote filtration system. Having dream tanks like yours for inspiration is what keeps us going until we finally dive into our own dreams. Thank you...:bounce1:
I like your tank. SPS dominant tanks seem too sterile for my taste. They don't seem healthy to me. Like always on the verge of having a major outbreak from a minor imbalance. I also prefer to have motion in my tank from animals that [go with the flow].

Will you be upgrading the lights anytime soon? I bought a set of radions a few months ago. I have them running at about 120 watts combined and they weigh about 10 pounds total with the hanging kit. They are hugely controllable through the Apex, or just the default program and I really enjoy mine. Glad you got the damsels out of the tank. Some people have nicknamed theirs JAWS:fish2: Whose idea was it to put DAMsels in our fishtanks anyway....:blown: Have you looked into carbon dosing your tank at all. Bet you have since you seem to know all the other tricks of the trade. I suspect some vodka in the tank would have let you keep your sand bed nice and thick:thumbsup: I have about 3-5 inches of pure white sand in mine,and the pistol shrimp especially loves it... Get a nice big school of anthias for us, and don't skimp on the pictures K...I'm pullin' for ya. we're all in this together.
Thanks
Daniel:wildone:


Thanks Dan! I've thought about dosing but frankly, my tank does great without it. As for the sand bed, I've had plenty of sand over the years and frankly, I prefer the more sterile clean bottom. Plus there is less risks of scratching my acrylic.

That said, it's been a while since I've done an update. My fish population is at an all time high. I've added more than a dozen scooter blennies of various colors, several more fairy wrasses, a few more engineer goby's, a larger clam, a few sand starfish and I forget what else. I've got upwards of 60+ fish now. I need to update my fish stock list and do a count. Frankly I've lost count after the last few groups of fish that were added. The good thing is that all of my fish are doing very well. My cardinals are spawning, a couple of my flame angels appear to spawn though I don't know if they are having any success, my ORP is hitting 380 without Ozone which is nice. I can honestly say the tank is doing better than ever.

I took a bunch of new pictures yesterday which I need to sort through and upload to photobucket which I will do later today. I will then post some picture updates and maybe a video update as well.
 
Glad to see your update. We both suffered some losses approximately at the same time except mine was done on stupidity. My tank has recovered and has been stable for over a month now. But its good to see you posting again.
 
Sounds great! I wonder if the change in seasons contributes to unwanted algae? I noticed that only at the end of winter I have a single battle with cyano then a few weeks later the start of hair algae. Then after adding the additional crew it's gone.

Love the macro btw! Your tank is really looking and doing well since the incident :) I hope that equally so are you and yours!
 
Glad to see your update. We both suffered some losses approximately at the same time except mine was done on stupidity. My tank has recovered and has been stable for over a month now. But its good to see you posting again.

Sorry about your losses. Sadly, it goes with the territory. Glad you are back on track! I got a new car (2014 Corvette) so I've been spending too much time in the Corvette Forum of late! I need to get caught up with your thread as it's been a while!

Here is an updated stock list.
4 Engineer Goby (sole survivor plus 3 new small ones)
3 ocillarus clownfish
1 percula clownfish
1 Lemon Peel angel
3 Flame Angels
1 Bellus Angel
1 Naso tang
1 Lieutenant tang
1 Vlamingi tang
1 Unicorn tang
1 Mimic Lemon Peel tang
2 yellow tail blue damsels
1 fox face
10 brown scooter blennies
8 Red scooter blennies
1 lawn mower blennies
7 PJ cardinals
4 bangai cardinal
4 royal grammas
2 mandarin goby's
1 six line wrasse
1 Hoevens Wrasse
3 Blue Sided fairy wrasse
2 Clown Fairy Wrasse
1 McCoskeri Flasher wrasse
2 tricolor fairy wrasse
1 Pyramid Butterfiy fish
1 Flame Hawk Fish
7 Chromis
1 Long Horn Cowfish
2 cleaner shrimp
2 coral bandit shrimp
1 harlequin shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 giant RBTA
1 smaller RBTA
2 Clams
3 sand starfish
1 brittle starfish

Wow, this is the first time I've done an actual count in a while but that is about 77 fish not including shrimp, starfish, clams etc and I am fairly sure I am not including a few fish. As I edited this list, I do need to make sure I still have my mimic lemon peel tang. I don't remember seeing it recently but then again, since I was not looking for it specifically, I could just be forgetting about it. Other that a few fish I may not have included, this list should be pretty much spot on.
 
Sounds great! I wonder if the change in seasons contributes to unwanted algae? I noticed that only at the end of winter I have a single battle with cyano then a few weeks later the start of hair algae. Then after adding the additional crew it's gone.

Love the macro btw! Your tank is really looking and doing well since the incident :) I hope that equally so are you and yours!


I've always suspected that certain algae creeps up in certain seasons. I've felt that way for years. Cyano being one of those and you are right, it always seems to pop up in the spring/late winter. I have a bit of it in my refugium as well as on one rock in my display but nothing I am worrying about. I am however due for a carbon and GFO change.
 
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