Tank of the Month - July 2004

[reefcrazed]

Thanks for posting those pics, they came out pretty darn good. Since I switched salts the only thing I really noticed life wise is perhaps more pods and unidentified little things crawling and swimming around in the tank especially noticeable at night. I also have noticed that my Kh remains a bit more stable with Crystal seas compared to IO. I also had a problem with a bad batch of IO in the past and lost a handful of things. Guess I was just looking for a reason good enough to try something different.

 

[Cnecktie]

Great reef and I think I like your pond just as much!

Congrats to a world class reef

 

[stevejvan]

1st. AWESOME! only word to describe.

2nd. Did you ever figure out what caused your tank to crack? Thats a scary thought!!!

 

[reefcrazed]

The first tank cracked because the movers supported the back of the tank in the center with ONE dolley (or whatever you call those things). When they went to tilt to tank to lift it, it cracked. However, after I got the new one, I was told by the manufacturer that the aquarium is fine because the back glass is actually 3 pieces of glass. One is a 1/4" thick piece of mirrored glass, one is a 1/4" piece of dark blue glass and then the outermost piece of glass was a 1" thick supporting piece of glass. The peiece that actually cracked was the innermost blue piece of glass. I have since sold that tank and the new owner has it now up and running with no problem. That was probably the best deal on a tank anyone has ever gotten!

 

[stevejvan]

oh okay! Thanks

 

[majesticangelfish]

That is one fantastic system!

 

[wildangel_04]

OMG i LOVE your tank, it's my ultimate fantasy tank! Someday...just someday (i keep telling myself!) my husband loves it too!!!

 

[reefcrazed]

Again, thanks for all of the kind words. In a way, you have all helped indirectly to achieve this beauty.

 

[danbremlndz]

great tank, just had a few ?'s

great tank, just had a few ?'s

awsome tank man, I have been into FW fish for about 1 year, I recently got bored and looked into SW fish. I started a SW tank about 3 months ago and am finding myself addicted already. I started out with a 20g long and got this great opportunity and bought a 30g tank with original lighting and a stand for $25. So I transfered everything into the 30g which was not much, just 16lbs of LR, the sand, 5 fish and the cleaner crew. I am already thinking of going BIG, I am buying a house in the next 6 months and I was thinking of buying this beautiful 135g tank from pet smart with stand for about $900-$1000, after reading about your experience with your 150g tank being only 18" wide and I am asuming not enough room, I am thinking twice about getting this tank. I would like to go as big as your tank, but I know I cannot afford it unless I sell one of my cars!!! was your 150g not wide enough?? I would like to stay around 200g or so, what would you recommend as far as dimentions?? what would you recommend from your experience that you would do? Once again awsome work, I would probably get rid of my TV if I had a tank like yours!!!

any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks

 

[reefcrazed]

I would never go less than 24" wide nor more than 30" deep unless I can literally get in the tank to clean the glass. 18" wide just seemed way to shallow from a depth perspective of looking in at the tank from the front to back. I believe wider is better than higher. Just my opinion.

 

[rjwilson37]

danbremlndz: I am getting a 180g for my next tank, they are 72x24x25 which is a nice sized tank you can do alot with.

 

[turbluh]

Awesome tank!! I like the mixed corals!

 

[reefcrazed]

My main goal was to get a tank large enough tto have this mixed reef that you see here today. Aside from there being too many corals, I believe this reflects pretty closely a natural reef habitat (minus nuisance animals except and predators of course). I have been diving in Fiji and in Australia in the North Coral Sea and the pictures you see today are my best recreation of what I saw then.




Okay I am full of BS, but it sounded good didn't it? I really have been to Fiji and Australia diving though. Awesome experience. I was thinking to my self underwater, that would be sweet in my tank... and that ....and that and that......

 

[finding nemo]

Reefcrazed, thats what I like about it to, a mixture of what you see in the ocean,( I have never dived ) but I have seen pictures and videos of what it looks like. Something moving, (anemones and xenia) as well as hard corals.
This tank needs to be tank of the year for all to learn from. Its the first one I have really loved that is TOTM.

 

[reefcrazed]

finding nemo- Thanks man, that really mean al ot to me. My goal was to create a mixed reef where everything was thriving and not competing with one another. Although now that the tank is settled, I do have some coral spats, but that is why I am always fragging and selling frags cheap. Help others while keeping my reef sustain good balance.

 

[finding nemo]

Your sure welcome, from Karen, lol, maam will do fine, hehehe, as I said, yours is the best TOTM I have seen. The most natural I have seen, hope you take the time to go see my rose tank, its the red WWW on top of my post

 

[twd4]

Beautiful tank and awesome system. Looking at it gives me more motivation to dump another few grand into this hobby.

 

[polskp]

Absolutely Brilliant!

 

[my2girls]

A fantastic tank! Love the look of XM 20Ks. Not only are the pics great but your story was interesting to read. Great job!

 

[Ger]

Beautiful tank...I bet it looks even better in person. Have you always had the XM20K?