My new 600 gallon reef

[jnarowe]

And you probably didn't need heaters with all those pumps! :lol: I have not forgotten more than most people here on RC and in fact my 1000g display reef is my first SW tank.

The learning curve is steep to be sure, and that is one reason why I went with a high volume of water, low bio-load, and built the system components the way I did. I also had NOTHING else to do while I built my system as I was using it as a therapeudic process following my brain dent incident. I have been fortunate that I have not crashed my system, but I owe that to many I have met here on RC:

Marc (melev)
Sherman (sherm71tank)
Steve (Steve Weast)
Weatherson (of course)
Hahnmeister (formerly Herbert T. Kornfeld)
Hop
Scott (spazz)
wooglin
Dale (tniygiants)
H20ENG
Energy...the list goes on and on to the people who helped me with design questions and those who continue to mentor and help troubleshoot when the need arises.

So while I started strong and continue to get good results, it's not so much because of my own experience, but the experience of others that I have distilled into a reef-keeping philosophy. And my personal experience continues to adapt my philosophy to my system and its quirks.

I have been very lucky in that I have only lost very few fish to accidents, and still I am bummed about losing two naso tangs for no apparent reason. They were fine, and then within a week dropped dead. These are the only fish I have lost that I hold myself to blame, except perhaps that my LMB starved after the snails ate all the algal matter in my tank. Unfortunately for it, my system was just too low in nutrients for enough algae to grow and sustain it.

Sorry to rant, but I cannot take full credit for my success.

 

[Goodwin9]

I took some more pictures of the clams in the tank. This time I managed to miss the MH's, but knocked myself goofy on the steel beam above the tank. This first picture is one of the original clams I started with in the tank. I got it from Tangdiver . The second clam I got from him took a journey from the front of the tank all the way back to the rear and is currently sitting happy under the cliffs. I wasn't able to get a good shot of it.

 

[Goodwin9]

Here are some photos of some of the other clams in the tank. Sorry about the quality and clarity..

 

[jnarowe]

They look good. I had one that kept jumping off the rocks and falling into crevaces so I finally just put it on the sand. Then it proceeded to slowly move around the bottom in about a 3 square foot area. I recently moved it into another area up in the rockwork but still close to the bottom, and it has a wicked grip on the rocks. So maybe it has a final home now.

I love those tear drops and have 3 myself. Why is there so much sand in it? I have never seen sand liek that in my clams.

 

[Goodwin9]

Some more...

 

[Goodwin9]

A few more shots...

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10646739#post10646739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
I love those tear drops and have 3 myself. Why is there so much sand in it? I have never seen sand liek that in my clams.

I have a 5" Gold Head Gobie that takes aim at all of my clams..... I wish he would find something else to target practice with....

 

[jnarowe]

that gobie has got to go. I would heat some oil in a 10" saute pan, and net that sucker! :lol:

 

[Goodwin9]

Here is the culprit on a low level bombing run. Check out the leather behind the clam...looks like it is snowing in South Dakota in August...

 

[Goodwin9]

Taking aim at another.....

 

[ReefingBuddha]

I like that little guy... at least he's got character.

 

[jnarowe]

I'd frag him. :lol:

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10644279#post10644279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bbehring
14 clams geeez! I have 2 in mine I seem to be having issues with my Potter's angel and lawnmower picking at them from time to time. Of course my tank is only 55 gal. They never really open their mantles up fully. I'm a little frustrated with this aspect. Did you experience the same with your earlier tanks Goodwin?

I just didn't have good luck with clams in my other tanks. I'm not sure if it was the lighting, or I had something picking on them, but they just didn't last very long. I can't explain why they seem to be doing well in this tank..maybe its the lighting, or more flow....

 

[Cougarman]

Thats a wicked goby. You can pair them up too. you should get a female for that badboy.

 

[LEPRECAUN]

Jnarowe,


You are right!!!!! no heaters needed!!!


As a matter of fact the tank was in the den which was under ground. The room stayed at about 72-73 degrees and I had a hard time keeping the temp below 81-82 degrees

 

[tangdiver]

Chuck, I would say the light....just my opinion. But not enough in the others...

Great shots...love the clams.

Grant

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10648709#post10648709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tangdiver
Chuck, I would say the light....just my opinion. But not enough in the others...

Great shots...love the clams.

Grant

Got to think that you are right. The lobster in the 470 might have gotten them, but the light in the 210 probably wasn't enough and maybe the flow down low. I am saving room for the two big guys if you still have them and they go on sale...........

 

[jnarowe]

actually, IME you don't want too much flow on clams or they won't open up enough.

 

[Bax]

Nice clams, wish I had near the floor space for 14 of those puppies!

J, I think you're dead on about flow. I have a teardrop max up high on my rock work in a high flow area, and a deresa and squammy on the floor sheltered between some rocks. I have about 70x turnover and the max only opens during the MH light cycle, where as the two clams on the floor, where there is less flow, are open as soon as the AM actinics come on.

The deresa and squammy have nearly doubled in size in a year as well.

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10648867#post10648867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
actually, IME you don't want too much flow on clams or they won't open up enough.

You might be right, the one that scooted about 3 1/2 feet in the tank was at the front and moved to the back, where I know there isn't much flow, but it now sits under a ledge where there isn't all that much light..go figure...