Looks really good. Are you using any sort of photo lense?
Reef Casa Studio 12 Rescape!
- Thread starter Reefing_Toronto
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Reefing_Toronto
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Reefing_Toronto
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That’s pretty awesome. They say rock flowers usually find a spot and stick to it
Reefing_Toronto
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Well.. this hobby is nothing if not humbling. I made the decision over the last week to redesign this tank. There are a few reasons for this:
I really like the tank itself and find it very easy to maintain. The Reef Casa Halo light pairs really well with a tank this size and the corals really pop. The random flow generator was also a great add on and helped to eliminate dead spots in the tank.
I am really happy with the rock structure that I built and am going to use that in my redesign. I also really like the corals that I have chosen and most are doing really well. My blasto garden has been a bit of a failure.. I think it is getting too much light.
I am going to keep the rockflower anemones but I don't think I would add them if I was totally starting from scratch. I did find that placing a favia next to the one that I wanted to move caused it to "run away" and clear the spot that I wanted to use for my hammer garden. I am going to use the space that used to have my blastos for a Hellfire torch coral and placed the blastos in lower light areas of the tank.
The mushrooms seem happy where they are and I am going to just leave them alone. I added some zoas and an open brain coral that I will leave on the sandbed.
I think it mostly came down to not accounting for the different lighting needs of some of the corals that I chose and placing high light and low light corals too close together. Learning a new tank is always an adventure and I really think that this new setup is going to correct some of the mistakes I made the first time around!
I really like the tank itself and find it very easy to maintain. The Reef Casa Halo light pairs really well with a tank this size and the corals really pop. The random flow generator was also a great add on and helped to eliminate dead spots in the tank.
I am really happy with the rock structure that I built and am going to use that in my redesign. I also really like the corals that I have chosen and most are doing really well. My blasto garden has been a bit of a failure.. I think it is getting too much light.
I am going to keep the rockflower anemones but I don't think I would add them if I was totally starting from scratch. I did find that placing a favia next to the one that I wanted to move caused it to "run away" and clear the spot that I wanted to use for my hammer garden. I am going to use the space that used to have my blastos for a Hellfire torch coral and placed the blastos in lower light areas of the tank.
The mushrooms seem happy where they are and I am going to just leave them alone. I added some zoas and an open brain coral that I will leave on the sandbed.
I think it mostly came down to not accounting for the different lighting needs of some of the corals that I chose and placing high light and low light corals too close together. Learning a new tank is always an adventure and I really think that this new setup is going to correct some of the mistakes I made the first time around!
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Reefing_Toronto
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So I have a love/hate relationship with torch corals. I love seeing them look amazing in the store and I hate seeing them slowly die in my tanks. My history is :
Green torch in a Fluval Sea under stock lighting- died
Purple torch in Innovative Marine 20 under AI prime - dead.
NY Knicks in a fully loaded Red Sea Reefer 200xl under G5 Radions - dead
So here I am trying one last time.. picked up a gorgeous torch and am going to try it in the Reef Casa with the Halo light. Fingers crossed !!
Green torch in a Fluval Sea under stock lighting- died
Purple torch in Innovative Marine 20 under AI prime - dead.
NY Knicks in a fully loaded Red Sea Reefer 200xl under G5 Radions - dead
So here I am trying one last time.. picked up a gorgeous torch and am going to try it in the Reef Casa with the Halo light. Fingers crossed !!
IMO torch corals are way harder to keep than people think they are. Perfectly healthy looking torches can melt heads for no obvious reason. They need a mature system (we knew this 30yrs ago but somehow the hobby has forgotten). Hammers and frogspawn are way easier and much more forgiving.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
That’s what I’ve heard…. I’m going to try one last time!
Reefing_Toronto
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Some big changes this week.
Yesterday I picked up a NY Knicks (I think) torch and a huge birdsnest frag. The tank is really starting to look full and I'm really happy with the reworking of it. My blastos seem much happier where I moved them to... I think they were just in too much light.
I still have a rockflower anemone that has settled where I would like to put my flowerpot corals but he doesn't seem like he wants to move so I think I will have to work around it.
I really hope that the torch does well.. it looks really great under the Halo light on a blue spectrum. I think that maybe because I can't do much in the way of fine tuning with the light or return pump I won't stress it out by constantly changing flow and lighting to find a "perfect" combo and just leave things alone!
I definitely am going to have to move the candy cane coral before it gets stung. Assuming the torch survives I am going to build an acan garden around the bottom of it, since the stem is a bit long but I don't want to try and cut it and risk doing damage.
For the first time I think the Studio 12 is starting to look full and I'm really happy with it!
Yesterday I picked up a NY Knicks (I think) torch and a huge birdsnest frag. The tank is really starting to look full and I'm really happy with the reworking of it. My blastos seem much happier where I moved them to... I think they were just in too much light.
I still have a rockflower anemone that has settled where I would like to put my flowerpot corals but he doesn't seem like he wants to move so I think I will have to work around it.
I really hope that the torch does well.. it looks really great under the Halo light on a blue spectrum. I think that maybe because I can't do much in the way of fine tuning with the light or return pump I won't stress it out by constantly changing flow and lighting to find a "perfect" combo and just leave things alone!
I definitely am going to have to move the candy cane coral before it gets stung. Assuming the torch survives I am going to build an acan garden around the bottom of it, since the stem is a bit long but I don't want to try and cut it and risk doing damage.
For the first time I think the Studio 12 is starting to look full and I'm really happy with it!
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Looks good and healthy!
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
For now ! I’m hoping that having it in a simpler tank will prevent me from stressing it by messing around with settings too often !
Reefing_Toronto
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I picked up the Reef Casa Housekeeper to keep my media organized. For now I’m using chemipure in the bottom and floss in the top. Middle chamber is empty. Holds everything well and will definitely make changing the filtration media easier.
Torch is still doing well! I’m cautiously optimistic it’s going to stay alive !
Torch is still doing well! I’m cautiously optimistic it’s going to stay alive !
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Reefing_Toronto
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A few changes this week. I added an acan in front of the torch to try and hide the stem a little bit.. I havent had much luck with acans in the past but I will give it another try. The torch is still alive after 2 weeks... which I think is a record for me. I fed it some lps pellets today while I did my water change so I will see how it goes!
I also fragged a bit off the green goddess birdsnest to put in my other tank.. it was being shaded so I figured I might as well cut that piece off and use it somewhere else. Apart from that there isn't anything new that I've added lately. But there is some new gear that I'll add soon.
I picked up a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer and a Neptune Apex A3 from Fragbox. The Neptune is mostly for my larger tank but I am going to make it do double duty and automate the pump, skimmer and an auto feeder on the Reef Casa tank as well. March has the patience of a saint, I must have emailed him a dozen times trying to figure out what Apex model would be best for what I needed. I am a bit nervous to set it up but I'm sure it will go fine!
I also fragged a bit off the green goddess birdsnest to put in my other tank.. it was being shaded so I figured I might as well cut that piece off and use it somewhere else. Apart from that there isn't anything new that I've added lately. But there is some new gear that I'll add soon.
I picked up a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer and a Neptune Apex A3 from Fragbox. The Neptune is mostly for my larger tank but I am going to make it do double duty and automate the pump, skimmer and an auto feeder on the Reef Casa tank as well. March has the patience of a saint, I must have emailed him a dozen times trying to figure out what Apex model would be best for what I needed. I am a bit nervous to set it up but I'm sure it will go fine!
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Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
Be careful adding anything near a torch. They sting other corals.
Reefing_Toronto
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The flow seems to carry the tentacles up so I’m hoping it will be ok.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
First things first… Happy New Year!
The tank is coming together nicely I think. The torch is still going strong, which is amazing since I’ve killed one under AI primes and under Radions.. the Halo light is holding its own !
I’m not sure if the Acan will grow at the bottom of the torch though. I think it’s too shaded. Time will tell I suppose. I’ve added a few frags of things I accidentally broke off colonies in my big tank while cleaning it ! I think it will fill in nicely.
I’m really happy with the Apex. I’ve got it set up to monitor my big tank but I’ve also got it set up for a feed mode on the Reef Casa. Huge shout out to the staff at Fragbox for helping me get it set up! I’ve just scratched the surface of what it can do but it was a great purchase.
I think im going to let things grow in for a bit and see what does well where before I add too much more. I’m also thinking of one more fish but I’m not sure… something peaceful. Any suggestions?
The tank is coming together nicely I think. The torch is still going strong, which is amazing since I’ve killed one under AI primes and under Radions.. the Halo light is holding its own !
I’m not sure if the Acan will grow at the bottom of the torch though. I think it’s too shaded. Time will tell I suppose. I’ve added a few frags of things I accidentally broke off colonies in my big tank while cleaning it ! I think it will fill in nicely.
I’m really happy with the Apex. I’ve got it set up to monitor my big tank but I’ve also got it set up for a feed mode on the Reef Casa. Huge shout out to the staff at Fragbox for helping me get it set up! I’ve just scratched the surface of what it can do but it was a great purchase.
I think im going to let things grow in for a bit and see what does well where before I add too much more. I’m also thinking of one more fish but I’m not sure… something peaceful. Any suggestions?
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Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Well I can say that after a few months I am very happy with the Reef Casa tank and light. All the corals are doing great, and I haven't had any issues with die off, lighting or flow. However, when I think back to what my plans were when I started I have changed pretty much everything!
When I set this tank up I was planning on focusing on Rock Flower Anemones, Blastos and other super easy to keep coals. I was going to stay away from euphyllia, especially torches, and wasn't planning on keeping any SPS corals. Well.. my rock flower experiment didn't work out because they keep playing hide and seek and while I still have a few blastos in my tank and really like them I don't think I'll be adding anymore.
After saying I would never,ever get another torch my NY Knicks torch is doing amazing and looks great under the Halo light. I also really like the hammers that I added, even after saying I wouldn't! I am going to keep adding easy SPS corals on the top rock.. am going to just frag pieces off colonies that are doing well in my other tank and will focus on easy to keep SPS like montipora and anacropora. The light is having no problems growing them at about 50% intensity on the blues.
It's funny that sometimes you can have what you think is a super solid plan, only to have the tank go in a completely different (but awesome!) direction.
When I set this tank up I was planning on focusing on Rock Flower Anemones, Blastos and other super easy to keep coals. I was going to stay away from euphyllia, especially torches, and wasn't planning on keeping any SPS corals. Well.. my rock flower experiment didn't work out because they keep playing hide and seek and while I still have a few blastos in my tank and really like them I don't think I'll be adding anymore.
After saying I would never,ever get another torch my NY Knicks torch is doing amazing and looks great under the Halo light. I also really like the hammers that I added, even after saying I wouldn't! I am going to keep adding easy SPS corals on the top rock.. am going to just frag pieces off colonies that are doing well in my other tank and will focus on easy to keep SPS like montipora and anacropora. The light is having no problems growing them at about 50% intensity on the blues.
It's funny that sometimes you can have what you think is a super solid plan, only to have the tank go in a completely different (but awesome!) direction.
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Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thanks ! I’m very happy with the tank… even though pretty much zero of my initial plans worked 
Thanks ! I’m very happy with the tank… even though pretty much zero of my initial plans worked
. It looks fantastic. Keep up the great work.Similar threads
