Setting up a Reef in Vietnam

[NeilFox]

Some newer corals

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a634/NeilFox007/26 May/FTSHalide_zpsf948007a.jpg

It's getting there. Still not very old. Things should start moving along now. I had a little Dino outbreak that was a small setback but at this point it should be expected. I am making up a background board that should enhance the appearance a little. I put the two hammer colonies together on one side to make some rome for SPS. The Zoas are now starting to activate so I hope the will begin to cover the rock on the left. I may have double posted a few pics.

 

[biggles]

Looking good mate. I think it's actually harder to photograph reefs well than it is to keep them sometimes lol. I love that purple nem - making room for more SPS sounds good to me considering the stuff you have available at your LFS's :thumbsup:

 

[NeilFox]

Looking good mate. I think it's actually harder to photograph reefs well than it is to keep them sometimes lol. I love that purple nem - making room for more SPS sounds good to me considering the stuff you have available at your LFS's :thumbsup:

Thanks Biggles. Very true about the photography. I am always dissapointed with the outcome. I actually know little about it.

I would actually bin some of the LPS as the colonies are massive but the wife would kill me! I have a huge hammer colony that takes up a quarter of the tank. You need to go round the corner to see the whole thing.

Problem with the LFS is the Missus want's to tag along and bring back something pretty for herself. That's how I ended up with the Sea Apple! LOL. Actually that thing is great and really cool. Don't believe what you here about Sea Apples.

 

[Rudimenta]

Hi Rudimenta, sorry I didn't see your message sooner. I was out of town and this post got buriead. Where in HCMC are you. Send me a pm and I can give you more info or even hit som LFS with you. I know a couple places that can help.

Regards

Neil

Yep still here, received a humongous water chiller a few weeks back, still looking for a tank solution, no options in hcm for an low iron glass solution yet

 

[NeilFox]

Yep still here, received a humongous water chiller a few weeks back, still looking for a tank solution, no options in hcm for an low iron glass solution yet

Hey Rudimenta

My tank isn't low iron, just regular glass. I am sure they have something here, it's just a matter of finding it. Like everything else, once you locate a place everything else on the same street will sell the same thing. Have you been to Nguyen Thong st in District 3. There are alot of tank builders and fish shops there. You will need some pretty good Vietnamese skills to get your ideas across though. Son Ha Aquarium shop would be the best place to start.

 

[NeilFox]

I thought I would add a few more pics to make it interesting. Here is a FTS from just after cycleing. Note the bleachead out Elegance on the top

You will see and elegance shell on the lower right also. Here is a FTS from a few days ago.

The Elegance is looking good now. The little shell is making a comeback and is to the left of the big Elegance. These guys were freebies from a LFS. I had to give them a try.

 

[NeilFox]

Here are a couple more recent pics:

Cute little Zoa and Shroom place

Here is the right side. I placed the two hammer colonies together

 

[NeilFox]

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I would like to take some cuttings off the Halimeda and etsablish them in different places around the tank. They really fill things in and give a very natural look IMO. That stuff is all over the reefs here.

 

[NeilFox]

Monti with a flash

This is interesting but blurry. I took this at night. The Hammer is looking really healthy. All of the heads are connected by living tissue.

Nice formation for the Zoas to cover.

 

[NeilFox]

I have been doing a little rearrangeing. My sump is now completely full of rocks! The tank has alot more open space and I added the second powerhead for more flow. I will just be waiting for now to let things grow.

No other modifications so far. If I had a build thread it would be about the most boring on here. I don't even have my lights on a timer LOL.

 

[biggles]

Nice pics mate, you're as bad as me fiddling with your reef trying to constantly improve things That elegance is thriving, i always see them in great numbers at my LFS's as they're common and popular - personally i think they look like something a cow regurgitated after a hard night on the booze........ that's just me
I have to plug my lights in every morning and turn them off at night even though i have new digital timers in the cupboard somewhere - it's basically that i can't be stuffed reading how to program them lol.

Waiting patiently for the post rock fiddling pics...........

 

[NeilFox]

Nice pics mate, you're as bad as me fiddling with your reef trying to constantly improve things That elegance is thriving, i always see them in great numbers at my LFS's as they're common and popular - personally i think they look like something a cow regurgitated after a hard night on the booze........ that's just me
I have to plug my lights in every morning and turn them off at night even though i have new digital timers in the cupboard somewhere - it's basically that i can't be stuffed reading how to program them lol.

Waiting patiently for the post rock fiddling pics...........

That Elegance was a Missus addition. Big and Frilly:lolspin:

 

[Rudimenta]

Hey Rudimenta

My tank isn't low iron, just regular glass. I am sure they have something here, it's just a matter of finding it. Like everything else, once you locate a place everything else on the same street will sell the same thing. Have you been to Nguyen Thong st in District 3. There are alot of tank builders and fish shops there. You will need some pretty good Vietnamese skills to get your ideas across though. Son Ha Aquarium shop would be the best place to start.

Yeah I know those shops, I just get the jitters looking at that green glass they are using.

I like your tank, mine will have to wait until I have enough time to sort it all out, in the meantime ill keep collecting the gear.

Are you not keeping any fish btw?

 

[NeilFox]

Rudimenta. I have 11 fish in the tank right now. The aren't photogenic though. I think I may have found some low iron glass also. I am moving to Binh Tanh in about four months. I am dedicating the entire fourth floor to Aquariums. I plan on a few upgrades.

OK a little update. I added a dark blue background since I hate looking at pipes and wires. It's actuallu a decal material that is opaque but not transparent. It would look pretty cool but it is mpossible to apply it with the tank situated where it is. I just reversed it and carfully applied some tape. I also got new t5's. I went with all actinic this time. The daylight appeared to cause some weird algea frowth. I added a bit more substrate also. I also fragged up the big deepwater Acro colony. It grows too fast and was shading itself out. As it was pretty big anyhow the growth is exponential and it started running into some outer corals. I placed the frags on small rocks that I can move around if need be. It wasgrowing at least 1/4" per week. I also took some clippings off my Helimeda and placed them on the other side. That stuff grows really fast also. Now if only my pretty corals will do the same?

I took a couple quick shots, not the greatest but just to give some idea of the progress. My tank is still a little cloudy from a water change and vacuuming the gravel.

Different angle from the stairs.

RS

Here is the LS. You can see the Halimeida cutting and some of the Frags in the background.

Finally a FTS.

Not great pics. I will get some detail shots up in a few days. I am waiting on some better test kits and some GAC. I think NSW gives the water a slight yellow tinge. It could be the green glass though. Still a long way to go.

 

[NeilFox]

Took a few more pics today. These are with the full lighting. The blue is more peonounced in the pictures than in person. Things cleared up a bit after yesterdays water change. I have been doing more than usual since my Ca got a little out of whack using a bad test kit. It was up around 600. It's back around 520 today and my Alk about 7.8. New testers are on the way so hopefully this is a thing of the past.

Flash Pic

Kinda blurry "Macro" shot. This is actually a really nice coral, but my pics don't do it justice. Blu and purple, no idea what its called.

I never posted any shots of these Yuma's. They are looking good and multiplying. One of my better pics so far.

This one shows the new background better.

Here is Big Charlie. He rules the roost around here. Red Fromia Star also. I have 5 small ones. They are really colourful and get around quickly. Reef safe as far as I can tell.

 

[NeilFox]

I thought I would upload a pic of this guy also. He is a little Maxi Mini that came in as a hitchhiker? I only just found him a couple days ago.

 

[Rudimenta]

Nice! Let me know if you really find the low iron glass..

A hole floor, considering more tanks? Or just a nice sitting area plus tank setup?

 

[Tek]

I just got back the states 2 weeks ago. I was in VN for 5 months and only came across one saltwater place in Saigon but they mainly built aquariums. The corals and fish are so cheap there. Their is a guy on youtube from Hanoi with a nice SPS dominated tank.

 

[Rudimenta]

Yes 5 dollars or so for most corals and fish, however equipment is when you can get is extremely expensive. Lots I had to import myself.. Locals run their tanks in different ways then "we" are used to. Lots of improvising.

There are about 5-6 saltwater shops in HCM, all very different and spread throughout the city. It's like the tool street, one shop sells bolts but no screws, because that is next door...

Hanoi is again different not too familiar with it.

Absolutely a great place to have a saltwater tank, I do run a chiller because it's always hottie outside then inside the tank in HCM and power is not cheap.

You can find weird and nice stuff, here is a score recently don't even know what it is

Cheers

 

[Tek]

LOL I can't even tell what that is. I am going back this next June so hopefully I can locate fish street. My GF showed me a website for fish and corals in VN with each around 80-110K. We snorkeled in Nha Trang and Phu Quoc and I would have loved to have been able to take some corals home. Nha Trang had more corals and variety.

Here is the video of the Hanoi tank. The guy must be loaded to have that setup in VN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gRen83oAWc