oOoOo_Only Encrusting Monti Tank Online_oOoOo

[foo_dog]

A bit of history...I have lived in apartments all my life and move a couple of years. With my most recent place, they told me the biggest tank I could have 25 gallons, which meant re doing my tank. Something that I have always struggled with moving tanks so much is dealing with managing to keep the fragile acros intact.

Knowing that I would need a new tank, and starting from scratch with a much smaller tank with less space and at some point I would be moving again, I decided on an only encrusting monti tank. Nothing else...only encrusting montis, this would take care of two things: 1st grow out space, I will only need to worry about making sure there is a decent amount of rocks for the coral grow out on and 2nd, when I move again, it will be very, very easy to move with out worrying about busting up branches of acros.

The more and more I thought about it, I really think the idea of just encrusting montis...will be really cool and a bit different.

The main fish will be Orange Spotted Filefish (harlequin filefish).

The tank will house the following corals (all will be here in 4 days - Dec. 7th, 2011)
-Superman
-Sunset
-Pokerstar (already in the tank)
-Dino Egg Monti
-Reverse Sunset
-Sunrise
-Aquaman
-Rainbow
-Gilbert grape
-Joker star
-Electric Grap
-Peaches and Cream
-Strawberry Feilds
-Mystic
-LA Lakers
-FFF Blue Polyp
-Reverse Superman
-Grafted purple and red monti
-Undata

Corals still wanted;
-Northern Lights
-Fire engine
-Hawaiin Punch
-Montipora foveolata


Fish
-Orange Spot Filefish
-Possum Wrasse
-Fairy Wrase (already in tank)
-Tailspot Blenny (already in tank)
-Sand sifting goby (already in tank)
-Percs
-Leaopard wrasse
-Pearly jawfish

Tank Specs & Info.
-18x18x18 .5" Euro Braced Envision built
-Single overflow
-Black backing
-Sump below

Skimmer - SWC 180 (yes I know its big, but I like to feed and keeping orange spots, I think i will be feeding alot, to make sure they eat and stay healthy, once weaned from live SPS)

Lights - All LEDs 22" off water's surface
- 2x 20k
-1x Par 38 20k
-1x Ebay adjustable light
-3x Blue LED stunner 12"
-3x Magenta LED stunner 12"

Water Movement
Tunze 6055 on a controller
Tunze 2x 6045

Aquamaxx CR-1 calcium reactor
Ozone w/ protoype avast marine reactor
Two little fishies kalk reactor
Carbon and GFO is used as well

Neptune Aquacontroller Pro

Elos Osmocontroller

Dosing
Tropic Marin Pro Elements A- & K+
Esstential Elements
CoralVite
Stroni and Molyben



Here are some shots of the tank- You will see the pokerstar and on the rock and the sand bed ( split the main part of its base, in order for it to grow over the base and frag up), You'll also see a yellow/gold monti with purple polyps, and a plating monti that is up for sale as it was sold as in encrusting (super cool, nuclear green polyps and when it colors back up blue/green base).
(Pics are just some quick ones and all the different light combos throw the camera's WB into a tailspin, LOL)

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them and I will be updating with starting frag shots, fish added, growth etc.

 

[chefzif]

You are really going to load all of those coral in this tank? They will not have any room for grow out.

 

[foo_dog]

You are really going to load all of those coral in this tank? They will not have any room for grow out.

I disagree, there will be plenty of room for these corals to grow out.

There is a lot of real estate for the coral....

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[veloboy]

It will be interesting to see who wins once they start touching each other. I like your set-up, looks great!

You might consider branching montis too though, lots of real estate not being utilized with encrusting only montis.

 

[MammothReefer]

orange spot file fish eat acropora, porcilipora not montis in my experience.. so they won't have anything to be weend off us, also this is a really small tank for that many fish. encrusting montipora are also fast growers. The leopard wrasse, and the file fish are both bad ideas imop..

 

[foo_dog]

orange spot file fish eat acropora, porcilipora not montis in my experience.. so they won't have anything to be weend off us, also this is a really small tank for that many fish. encrusting montipora are also fast growers. The leopard wrasse, and the file fish are both bad ideas imop..

Ill have a frag rack That have acros on it and actually files have been known to eat montis, I've done my research over the last year.

I've owened numerous leopards and have done fine...over extended period of times, even witnessed courting behavior...

The fish list is fine...trust me. Most of those fish take up very little space or need it.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[foo_dog]

It will be interesting to see who wins once they start touching each other. I like your set-up, looks great!

You might consider branching montis too though, lots of real estate not being utilized with encrusting only montis.

Thank you...finally a non negative comment this board has gotten bad...

I don't want to grow branches out to have to worry about them breaking in moving at some point...thus no acros, but who's know I might break down...LOL.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[phenom5]

I don't think people are trying to be negative, but that's a lot of corals for a pretty small tank. My rainbow monti would take up at least 1/2 (probably more) of your rock, and it ain't showing any signs of slowing down.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

 

[foo_dog]

I don't think people are trying to be negative, but that's a lot of corals for a pretty small tank. My rainbow monti would take up at least 1/2 (probably more) of your rock, and it ain't showing any signs of slowing down.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

Then you have a great rainbow colony, yours is about 15"x15"? That's a big colony...no idea how long it took to get there...but I think I have some time before that happens for me years actually...by then hopefully ill be in a bigger tank...

But thanks for inspiration of giant colonies in my tank.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[MammothReefer]

Ill have a frag rack That have acros on it and actually files have been known to eat montis, I've done my research over the last year.

I've owened numerous leopards and have done fine...over extended period of times, even witnessed courting behavior...

The fish list is fine...trust me. Most of those fish take up very little space or need it.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

Good luck man, I was one of the first people to keep these fish years back. I know what I had to do to keep a pair alive. Either way, it's your $$$, still a ton of fish for a 27 gallon tank. Especially when a couple of them have very unique dietary needs.

 

[MammothReefer]

Then you have a great rainbow colony, yours is about 15"x15"? That's a big colony...no idea how long it took to get there...but I think I have some time before that happens for me years actually...by then hopefully ill be in a bigger tank...

But thanks for inspiration of giant colonies in my tank.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

Sunset is the one you have to worry about.. My sunset went from a pinky nail piece to 6x6 blob of doom in like 8 months, and that was with a few screw ups where I almost killed it..now that it's hit this size it's growing even faster.

I also got a "super man" type monti, and a pink sand dollar at the same time all 3 corals are in the area of the tank, the sunset has grown I'd say 10x as fast as the other 2.

 

[foo_dog]

Good luck man, I was one of the first people to keep these fish years back. I know what I had to do to keep a pair alive. Either way, it's your $$$, still a ton of fish for a 27 gallon tank. Especially when a couple of them have very unique dietary needs.

Your Matt? The next fish in the tank are the files, none will be added until I get a pair weaned...or maybe just go with one...but there are others out there That are having success, so I'm hoping for the same results...I'm aware of what the fish require and the time, food, energy and everything else needed.

As for a LT of fish..maybe, 2 of the fish stick to the bottom, the possum and the blenny use very little swim room...the files, clowns and the leopard are the ones that use the room...and a very small set if pics Really don't use much...I do a 20% water change weekly and my skimmer is rated for 150 gallon heavy loaded tank...so I think ill be OK...but fish will be added slowly and I nay stop after some time...who knows.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[foo_dog]

Sunset is the one you have to worry about.. My sunset went from a pinky nail piece to 6x6 blob of doom in like 8 months, and that was with a few screw ups where I almost killed it..now that it's hit this size it's growing even faster.

I also got a "super man" type monti, and a pink sand dollar at the same time all 3 corals are in the area of the tank, the sunset has grown I'd say 10x as fast as the other 2.

That's super good to know...ill make sure I give it more room...

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[MammothReefer]

Your Matt? The next fish in the tank are the files, none will be added until I get a pair weaned...or maybe just go with one...but there are others out there That are having success, so I'm hoping for the same results...I'm aware of what the fish require and the time, food, energy and everything else needed.

As for a LT of fish..maybe, 2 of the fish stick to the bottom, the possum and the blenny use very little swim room...the files, clowns and the leopard are the ones that use the room...and a very small set if pics Really don't use much...I do a 20% water change weekly and my skimmer is rated for 150 gallon heavy loaded tank...so I think ill be OK...but fish will be added slowly and I nay stop after some time...who knows.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

Not sure who Matt is, when I decided to give it ago there was one other guy that had a website about keeping them in his well grown out reef setup. I had a 500 gallon system at the time which had 3 separate tanks. What I would do is go to the wholesalers and buy large browned out porcillpora for cheap. (like 5$-10$ a pop), and rotate them between displays. I never tried to ween them on mysis. My tank was big enough, and I had enough SPS that it wasn't an issue with all the porcillpora I provided.

 

[foo_dog]

Not sure who Matt is, when I decided to give it ago there was one other guy that had a website about keeping them in his well grown out reef setup. I had a 500 gallon system at the time which had 3 separate tanks. What I would do is go to the wholesalers and buy large browned out porcillpora for cheap. (like 5$-10$ a pop), and rotate them between displays. I never tried to ween them on mysis. My tank was big enough, and I had enough SPS that it wasn't an issue with all the porcillpora I provided.

I see...yeah there is a Guy named Matt, who has successfully weaned a ghost amount onto frozen and others have done the same...he's done so well, he had an article about it in coral magazine. Others have followed his methods and had great success with...I'm hoping the same will happen for me.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[MammothReefer]

I see...yeah there is a Guy named Matt, who has successfully weaned a ghost amount onto frozen and others have done the same...he's done so well, he had an article about it in coral magazine. Others have followed his methods and had great success with...I'm hoping the same will happen for me.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

Ah ya I saw that article, that all happened during my "break" from reefing. Good stuff makes me want to do it again, however my current tank is all frags right now, it would be to easy for a wish to kill off a single colony

 

[reefereef]

I have a rainbow that was .5"x1.5" and was placed in my tank 3 wks after it was setup, 4 months later it is now about 6"x6" and growing very quick. Good luck with the tank.

 

[Grim Reefer]

Id say pick only the best on your lists and u mite be ok depending on what u pick sweet setup though...