My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics
- Thread starter slief
- Start date
A_CoupleClowns
New member
Wow that's pretty cool how good that worked. Ultra clear and clean. Nice work.
Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
WOW. What a transfermation. Looks like a brand new tank. Great job.
:beer: :beer: :beer:
:beer: :beer: :beer:
HumphreyBear
New member
I have looked back through but couldn't see this - what reason did you have originally for allowing the coraline to grow? Aesthetics? I'm always curious when I see this.
Also, is this crazing in the joint? (makes for good camouflage for the wrasse!).
Also, is this crazing in the joint? (makes for good camouflage for the wrasse!).
slief
RC Sponsor
Thanks! I didn't like seeing it either although I did get used to it.
Thanks!
I have to admit, I am very very pleased!
The reason it was there is largely because of laziness. Once the stuff starts getting away from you, it's difficult to knock it back. Truth is that I'm pretty used to coraline so it's kind of become something I came to expect. I have had coraline removal pads for a couple years but the coraline had already taken a grip on my viewing panes and it was just so much work that I didn't use them as often as I should have and instead of receding, it continued to grow.
Good eye. That isn't crazing. Fortunately, I have no crazing on this tank even after all these years. What you see is etching on the one side of the tank along the edges. It actually runs around the entire perimeter of that side of the tank but since the tank is drywalled in along the rest of the edges, you can't see it other than the one vertical corner. I've had the tank for over 20 years now and before I moved it to my current home almost 18 years ago, I had the tank up against a window at my previous house. I added an acrylic black back which I siliconed to the outside of the tank on that one 8' side. Behind the black back was a 2" thick foam sheet that was glued to the black piece of acrylic to insulate the tank from the heat of the sun coming through the window. The purpose was both aesthetics and insulation. It served it's purpose at the time.
Unfortunately, the silicone I used to attach the black back to the tank reacted with the tanks acrylic and etched the areas where the bond was. I didn't notice it until I removed the black back when I moved the tank to the new home. Fortunately the etching is only superficial as that acrylic panel is 1.5" thick. As such, there is no structural damage but it is kind of unsightly. I could have sanded and polished it out but it would have left a low point there which would have created some visual distortion when looking into the tank as we would have had to sand well beyond the etched area on the edge to feather it in as the etching is almost 1mm deep. My acrylic fabricator who built the tank for me suggested that it was best just to leave it which I agreed with. Every now and then I think about sanding it out. I've gotten used to it though and it's on the "office side" of the tank which gets less traffic as most of my time is spent in the living room side other than feeding, maintenance and my daily walk arounds. Fortunately you can only see it from the one side and after seeing it for over 18 years, I don't even notice it. Still, I may decide to sand it out at some point in the future provided it wouldn't have any structural impact. The tank is rock solid and visually speaking, it's the only real flaw and it's easy to look past. I obviously wouldn't want to compromise the tanks integrity or create a larger visual flaw that extends into the viewing area.
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slief
RC Sponsor
Tank looks brand new!
Corey
Thanks! I am very pleased with the results. It looks better than it has in a long long time!
Here are some random fish pictures from yesterday.
One of my Banggai's is holding. This is a regular occurance.
My Leopard Wrasse.
Naso
Vlamingi
Unicorn & Fox Face
slief
RC Sponsor
I really need to stay out of certain threads.. Largely as a result of a particular thread, I just now picked up a yellow tail Tamarin wrasse along with a female Mandarin to pair up with my male Mandarin that I've had for a year and a half. I figured he was lonely and needed a mate and already planned the Mandarin but the Tamarin was a spur of the moment decision. Fortunately, I've got Vivid Aquarium who has a very nice variety of healthy fish a couple miles from my office and when I saw the Tamarin and saw it eating frozen mysis, I couldn't resist. He's very fat and healthy and the fact that it was eating frozen mysis was quite a surprise.
Tomorrow I've got some 30,000 + live copepods of the tiggerpod variety arriving from Algae Barn which will bolster my healthy pod population further. I'm sure my wrasses, Mandarins and pipe fish will be in heaven..
Tomorrow I've got some 30,000 + live copepods of the tiggerpod variety arriving from Algae Barn which will bolster my healthy pod population further. I'm sure my wrasses, Mandarins and pipe fish will be in heaven..
A_CoupleClowns
New member
How big is the Vlamingi? Exceptional coloration on that guy.
Nice new addition btw!
Nice new addition btw!
slief
RC Sponsor
Thanks! The Vlamingi is about 8" long and VERY fat. He will make a great mean if dooms day ever happens! :thumbs:
Just finished my acclimation. The new Tamarin Wrasse started eating within a few minutes of going in the tank and much to my surprise, did not go into hiding. None of my other wrasses bothered it either. My Leopard could care less and my Melanarus was remotely curious for a couple minutes. The other wrasses didn't even notice it..
My big male Mandarin found the new female Mandarin within minutes. Not sure how that happened so fast in a 480g tank but they immediately paired up and the new little female is following my male all over the tank. Hopefully that is a sign of things to come. I'm hoping they end up breeding. My male has been the sole Mandarin in the tank for over a year. One of my friends has a Mandarin pair and his female is regularly pregnant. Time will tell but thus far, I am pleased with the new additions.
The happy new couple.
The new Tamarin Wrasse in his new home. He and the Borbonius seem to have found eachother.
Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
The wrasse looks good. I've always wanted one of them. Their color is striking.
slief
RC Sponsor
He's pretty cool. I have a few more on my want to buy list including a Twistii, a Kuiters and a Blue Star Leopard.
Bjorn,
I can't say yet. I only got him yesterday but he was out foraging until my lights went off last night so hopefully that will be the status quo. I'm getting ready to head to work now and my lights won't start coming on for another hour or so. As such, I will have a better idea of it's habits this weekend when I am not working.
