One year update (75 gallon Reef)

[SoonerFan732]

I just passed the one year mark with my first saltwater tank and I thought I would share a few pictures. I picked up almost everything in the tank from various members of COMAS (besides the fish and shrimp). Thanks to everyone! I started out with rock and sand that was setup in someone else's tank for awhile.

I just spent the last 5 months going through horrible algae problems (Cyano, diatoms, and hair algae). I have cleaned up the tank quite a bit in the last two months. I don't have any pictures from that time but the hair algae was EVERYWHERE. It was growing on my corals (killed a few) and on every rock. I am glad to say the tank looks so much better now.

My favorite item in the tank is the RBTA. You can see below what it looked like when I first got it and what it looks like now. That tiny little anemone is now 8 anemones. The picture of the right side of the tank has all eight anemones shown. Its hard to tell since four of them all come out of the same cave during the day.

The last picture is of a Maxima. I have had it 9 months now. It has more than doubled in size from when I first bought it. I don't have any pictures of it from when I first got it.

Full tank shot (1 year ago)

Full tank shot (now)

Left side of the tank (1 year ago)

Left side of the tank (now)

Right side of the tank (1 year ago)

Right side of the tank (now)

Middle of the tank (1 year ago)

RBTA as a new arrival (1 year ago)

RBTA (now)

Maxima (now)

 

[djc1026]

The tank looks great. I wish I could keep a BTA, but my maroon is just too rough, I've had two that she has just torn up within 2 months.

Dave

 

[SoonerFan732]

Thanks Dave! My clowns are pretty easy on the anemones, but the clowns are also small.

The RTBAs are one of the few things that seem to grow quickly in my tank (besides the GSP and branching hammer). They have killed a few corals that were living on their rock pile. That's why I separated the rock piles (they started crossing over to the left side of the tank). Since I removed the bridge between the two rock piles they have stayed on the right side.

 

[captbunzo]

75s are such a great size for a tank...

Looking good!

 

[aaparkr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7450514#post7450514 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by djc1026
The tank looks great. I wish I could keep a BTA, but my maroon is just too rough, I've had two that she has just torn up within 2 months.

Dave

I thought it was just my inexperience (and lack of lights), but my Maroon (Premnas Biaculeatus) beats smaller btas to death and I can't afford one big enough for this 8 year old clown.

I too have a 75, but you have done much better with yours than I.

Tony

 

[MyMonkey]

Wow.... Very nice. What lighting do you use?

 

[SoonerFan732]

I use the Orbit 65Wx4 PC fixture with four 65W 10000K/Actinic bulbs (SmartPAQ). I have been using this fixture and bulb combination for about 5 - 6 months with good results.

 

[djc1026]

SoonerFan, that is pretty impressive for 260 watts of PC only over that 75.

aaparker, my maroon is only 3-4" and I got a BTA that was about 8" across when open, she beat it to death as well.

Dave

 

[MyMonkey]

Nice. Love the look of PC's.

 

[Dtking]

Thats sweet,.... i cant wait to get my 44 gal started.... if i decide to move, how hard is it to move a tank like that?!

 

[SoonerFan732]

Thanks again everyone for the comments!

Dtking,
Well I can tell you I moved the tank 3 times within a month (all within the same house however due to recarpeting). It wasn't bad. I can't comment on moving a reef to another house, but I am sure several COMAS members have done it. Maybe they will give you some insight.