My tank from aiptasia to sps

[Crackem]

I've had saltwater tanks for over 20 years. My first was a 55 fowlr predator tank. This tank had groupers, eels, a huge lion fish. Eventually I sold the livestock and now its a fresh water cichlid tank at my moms.

About 10 years ago I started over but this time I wanted to go mixed reef. My girlfriend now wife bought the tank for me for my bday and of course she picked an emperor snapper, dwarf lion, and panther grouper. They had to be returned and a few true perculas were bought instead.

I knew nothing about water chemistry or keeping corals and my tank did not do well. It was over run with aiptasia ( which I thought were cool anemones lol) tons of xenia and another type of encrusting pest i forget the name of. My auto pellet feeder went nuts when i went put of town and I lost most of my fish. It didnt help that my lfs never gave me the right advice, or that i did almost no research on my own.

I got married and the tank and I moved in with my wife and I started over again. Unfortunately I kept the same live rock and sand which is in my tank now, but I seem to have my nitrates and phosphates under control after a lot of equipment additions and upgrades.

Anyways sorry for the book and here are some before and present pics. Once I figure out how to take or crop better pictures ill post more.

Before:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=B4AD04C9-8A0B-4103-AAF2-F74E38F2E148-988-000001454B7B4856_zps91b15529.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/B4AD04C9-8A0B-4103-AAF2-F74E38F2E148-988-000001454B7B4856_zps91b15529.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

My leather is still in my tank but it stopped growing like it used to:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=FBCC94E3-241C-44BD-ACD2-9BB04C67776F-988-0000014562CC5676_zpsb0a046c2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/FBCC94E3-241C-44BD-ACD2-9BB04C67776F-988-0000014562CC5676_zpsb0a046c2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

This is the new beginning after I relocated the tank:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=6542C55B-09EB-4C56-8A68-C9BF69944D1C-988-0000014573E85D83_zpscaa9f8ca.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/6542C55B-09EB-4C56-8A68-C9BF69944D1C-988-0000014573E85D83_zpscaa9f8ca.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Started buying mushrooms and lps because I didn't plan on ever buying one sps let alone over 50 frags that I have now:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=EEB77679-ABC6-40E1-9B7B-6A50875B385B-988-0000014597A24560_zpsaede9c72.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/EEB77679-ABC6-40E1-9B7B-6A50875B385B-988-0000014597A24560_zpsaede9c72.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

This red monti was given to me about 3-4"s and is now growing on the glass:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=CB0757E5-6037-4B63-97A8-1DF02C6B6189-988-00000145A5182886_zps43d83c9a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/CB0757E5-6037-4B63-97A8-1DF02C6B6189-988-00000145A5182886_zps43d83c9a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Warning: pics appear larger than they really are
Strawberry shortcake, setosa, green apple monti, and more :

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=45FBBC1F-19F4-417B-97C7-62BE6F7E0AEF-988-00000145B3EC5C60_zps500b8bf6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/45FBBC1F-19F4-417B-97C7-62BE6F7E0AEF-988-00000145B3EC5C60_zps500b8bf6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Fts: some of my favorites are my vivid ultimate purple cap, I have an original tyree purple monster(copps), lots of tri colors, cornbred purple planet, red planet, and more:

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=00C56102-0BE5-4ED5-A836-1AEB6D3EECB5-988-00000145C52BF773_zps2e1b054e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/00C56102-0BE5-4ED5-A836-1AEB6D3EECB5-988-00000145C52BF773_zps2e1b054e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Thx for looking and hopefully more and better pics to come...

 

[Siptang]

Awesome progression!

 

[Crackem]

Awesome progression!

Thx sip

I'm done adding for now so let the growth begin

 

[Beach Bum 70]

looks great nice job

 

[LoJack]

Looks Great

 

[stagcrazy]

great tank love the elegance it looks awesome. how did u get rid of the aptasia my remedi was taking down the tank nuked the rock and let dry for 2 years lmbo

 

[Crackem]

great tank love the elegance it looks awesome. how did u get rid of the aptasia my remedi was taking down the tank nuked the rock and let dry for 2 years lmbo

Before I restarted I used joes juice I think or aiptasia x which helped but didn't get rid of it all. The best cure for me was buying 5 peppermint shrimp and within 1-2 days it was all gone. I have no idea what happened to the peppermint shrimp tho. I had a flame hawk but had no idea what happened to it until I moved the tank to take my chiller out and found it on the floor.

 

[Biggar]

Looks good, keep us updated

 

[AquamanE]

Awesome progression!

1+ keep up the good work!!!

 

[cadugauch]

I saw this tank in person...great selection and a lot of healthy sps!! Great tank

 

[Crackem]

Thx guys for the compliments
My green slimer is one of my earliest frags and started at about 3/4". It's definitely the acro that has the most noticeable growth with multiple branches now. My vivid ultimate cap also started out extremely small and was very pale and now is about 3"s and a very nice dark purple, one of my favorites. I recently moved it from the back glass to the front of the tank so I could make room for sps frags.

 

[Joshporksandwic]

I hate aptasias

 

[Crackem]

I hate aptasias

I need some photography help, the fts shows the red goni I got from cornbred at the swap, but I couldn't get a good close up.

 

[nitroreef]

great looking tank --- peppermints --

 

[SaltyReefs]

Should grow out pretty sweet!

 

[Joshporksandwic]

I need some photography help, the fts shows the red goni I got from cornbred at the swap, but I couldn't get a good close up.

come by one day with your camera i'll give you a few pointers.

 

[silver17jo]

Love the ssc

 

[Crackem]

Love the ssc

Heres the same pic I just cropped it on my phone

<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/?action=view&current=4FD9510F-DDE5-4E83-9295-96369CAA94D0-1457-0000026DABA1EFCA_zpsb513bf72.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/crackem/4FD9510F-DDE5-4E83-9295-96369CAA94D0-1457-0000026DABA1EFCA_zpsb513bf72.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

 

[Crackem]

come by one day with your camera i'll give you a few pointers.

Awesome thx josh

 

[petzerman]

What equipment did you add?

I have mostly LPS corals and they are all doing great, but when I added 2 branching SPS they aren't doing to well. My sunset monti, green cap, purple cap, and seasons greeting monti are doing fine. just can't grow branching sps and dont know why..

do you dose? if so what do you dose?

how often do you do water changes? Seems when i do water changes the some polyps on the branching sps come out but not to sure.