Tank of the Month - June '05

[CAreefer]

On those 4" vents are bathroom vent fans that are reduced down to 4". IIRC they were 280 cfm or so. I also have 2 4" muffin fans on the upper cabinets inside the house. Honestly this doesn't work as well as I had hoped. I am doing some reworking to see if it gets any better. One side note to venting into the garage, all exposed tools and other metal objects have started to rust and show oxidization. I feel a chiller is in my future. If you have anyway to vent outdoors other than the garage, I think that would be a better option. My biggest concern with that would be winter time temps as it gets into low 20's here regularly.

CAReefer

 

[Al Slick]

I didn't read the whole thread, so I don't know if this has already been asked, but When you said that the skimmer is pulling a gallon of dark nasty skimmate every two days, are you sure? When a liquid is looked at, it looks darker if you are looking through more of it, so if you are looking at it from the top of a bucket instead of a very small collection cup, it may look very dark, but it is really what others consider to be lightly tea colored. I'm not saying your wrong, I was just amazed that that much skimmate could be pulled from a tank.

 

[tacocat]

Ron, I finally get your avatar now.

CA, what stores do you recommend in the area? I stop by Aquatic Adventure and All Star in SLO (I picked up a sweet echino there). Am I missing any?

 

[saberry]

CAReefer, great tank. You've obviously put your heart in it.

You mentioned you've been using Zeovit since December. Could you post a pic taken before that time? I'm interested in seeing what kind of difference it makes in a tank that already has excellent husbandry.

Congrats!

 

[joefish]

That is one amazing tank !:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I don't know how I have not seen your tank before , But it's one I'll never forget . You just shot up to one of my top 5 favorite tanks .

Congrats CAreefer on a excellent TOTM .

 

[sjdyer]

Nice tank.

What are your findings on the Zeovit system?

Also where did you get your Zeovit reactor and media?

 

[Marco Mansano]

Hello!!!

Congratulations, your tank is very beatiful!!!!

Do you had onde sailfin tang or desjardini tang?

TankÃ"šÃ‚´s!

 

[ericgreathouse]

Questions

Questions

Awesome tank!

I have a LeMar tank and the back bracing doesn't go all the way accross. Can you elaborate on the problem you are having? I'm not sure what you mean by deflection.

Also, my sump is in the garage. Do you park a car in there? Does the car rust? Do you worry about the car's exhaust polluting the tank?

 

[CAreefer]

Al Slick- I wouldn't exactly call 2 gallons a small collection cup. I run my skimmer relatively wet. And if your skimmer is efficient, you know about the smell.

tacocat- Matt and those guys at Aquatic are about the best around. Basically in my mind, they are the only ones. There is Wet Pets in A.G. but.........

Joefish- Thanks, but I still don't think my tank is all that. It is still quite a ways from where I want it.

Re Zeovit- It is effective in lowering nutrients, specifically P04. I've been following that thread and got lost days ago. Growth increased dramatically, but that wasn't my goal. Colors in most corals improved, some just got lighter. Very little effect on the macro algaes (good and bad). I have this strange plating brown algae that still grows pretty quickly. Hair Algae is finally almost gone and the main reason I started Zeo in late december. But perhaps the increased husbandry played a large part in that. Would I recommend it? Do your research and make your decision. I use it, and probably will continue. I have lost only 1 Acro since starting. It was a large, quite healthy colony that virtually RTN'd overnight. I can't say it was Zeo related, but can't say it wasn't.

Marco- The tang is the Zebrasoma veliferum, not the desjardini. I like the desjardini's that I have seen lately, but got the one I have 6 years ago, and he has grown from just over an inch to his current size in my care, and I just can't get rid of him to get a prettier one. (still convincing my wife I'm not gonna trade her in either. LOL)

Eric- basically the glass is bending at the end of the brace. Hard to describe. I have since learned that they will no longer build any tank greater than 30" in either height or width with anything less than 3/4" glass. And thus doubling the price. My wife parks her firebird in the garage and it is mostly plastic. No rusting problems thus far. I have no water in the garage (yet) just the ballasts, exhausted heat, and soon the chiller. I do plan on putting a prop tank out there, but am hesitant because of the car exhaust, and other things floating around in the garage.

Thanks all
CAReefer

 

[Rebel]

I have been trying to identify and locate the type of acro that you have on the right side--the one with the long skinny branches. What type is that and where did you get it?
Thanks,
J

 

[Skipper]

Hey Rebel. Looks like a blue-tipped staghorn from here.

 

[Rebel]

Thanks skip--and I would agree--but there are a lot of corals that go by staghorn, aren't there? Also, are the long branches typical of the coral or the tank environment? Most of my staghorns branch heavily and look more bushy--I am after something that will grow long branches before splitting into another branch.
Thx

 

[CAreefer]

Not sure which one your asking about Rebel

this one?

Close-up of Coralite structure

or this one?

I am really no help on I.D.'s tho. Same with growth habits in the wild. I do know that both of these pieces grow extremely fast in my tank and hold their colors well.

 

[CAreefer]

Also, for a sense of scale. This is a 12" ruler among the branches.

CAReefer

 

[ReefWaters]

CAReefer,

great pics.

Is that Stream in the last picture pointing directly into that colony or is it blowing past it? Im looking into Streams but havent seen one personally. Im curious how the flow pattern really works in the tank. I know it is spread out and not consentrated like a powerhead but does it get blocked by objects like rocks and corals or does it flow through and around them? Do they really move water on the oposite side of the tank?

Keep up the great work. Congrats.

ReefWaters

 

[shells]

truly awsome tank!!! congradulations!!
beautiful pics too, what kinda camer do you have and what
are your parimeters??

thanks,:dance:

 

[Skipper]

Shells: from the article...

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 79-81Ã"šÃ‚º
Specific Gravity: ~ 1.025
Calcium: ~ 400 ppm
Alkalinity: ~8 dKH
Magnesium: 1350
PO4: undetectable w/Salifert
NO3: undetectable w/Salifert

 

[CAreefer]

Reefwaters, the stream blows across in front of the colony. and yes, they do move water on the opposite side of my 6' tank. The flow through and behind the rockwork is not that great. Moreso due to placement of my Streams (both point towards the front of the tank. I do get some movement deep in the rocks, just not as much as I would like.

Shells, thanks for the kind words. Camera used for the pictures is a canon powershot A95 and a nikon D70. See skips post regarding params.

Thanks again.
CAReefer.

 

[Rebel]

Thanks for the pics Marshal, and for the ruler as well--it really shows the scale. Actually, I was referring to the first one, but both are impressive. I am just looking for something with long branches (mine always fork/branch off after 2-3 inches or so).
Sent you a PM.
Jason

 

[shells]

skipper and careefer,
sorry for the confusion, i was wondering the parameters i was
refering to where from the camera...