To start over, or not to start over

[oneradtek202]

So mark (cully) and i were talking today and he put an idea in my head, as he usually does. he asked a question that got me thinkin. If you could redo your system, which corals would you want to keep in the new tank that you already have. 5 came to mind. my rainbow stylo, loisette, tort,green stylo and frogspawn tree. whats left is a qhole bunch of stuff that is in there making my tank a pain in the butt to maintain (alk/ca levels, nutrients etc.) so my original plan, a year or 2 ago was to eliminate a mojority of rock that i had and just have alot of open swimming space and 2 small separate islands with high end corals on them. i think the idea of less is more would be great for my stocking.


so here i am left wth the idea of selling off a majority of all my corals and rock and starting fresh. i have 2 tanks connected to my sump currently, so i would move my fish temporarily out of the 100 and into my 40 breeder while things get switched over. disconnect my 100 gallon off the sump and tear it down and restart. this would involve removing everything and cleaning out the tank, new sand and new rock in the bottom. selling off my corals (except the ones i want to keep) and starting new. i am not sold yet on this idea, but the idea of a nice open space tank really makes me happy haha. any thoughts?

 

[Jacwil]

Well of course it's what YOU want to be staring at that really matters, Brandon. That being said, I really like open 'scapes, but that's me. I don't care for the "rock wall stuffed with corals" look, honestly.

Can't wait to see what ya come up with!

 

[oneradtek202]

ha well im thinking more of a time thing, and a hassle thing haha

 

[FSU3NOLES28]

Well of course it's what YOU want to be staring at that really matters, Brandon. That being said, I really like open 'scapes, but that's me. I don't care for the "rock wall stuffed with corals" look, honestly.

Can't wait to see what ya come up with!

Sure talked me outta that when i did my scape.

To quote you... "That walls a comin down!!!"

 

[Randrew215]

Knowing that those are your thoughts makes me nervous. When I set up my first tank it was FOWLR and couldn't understand who would go through the fuss of keeping corals. Then I went LPS, thinking that SPS would be crazy. Now I'm going SPS. I (and my bank account) would like to hope to eventually be satisfied with a tank.
The shots of your tank that I've seen are crazy nice. THERE'S a tank I could be satisfied with! Cully's just trying to dupe you into filling his tank with your robust colonies. I vote stay the course.

 

[spinoleo]

Imo what you would like do also high end stuff is what you like not what other people like.to be honest (let the comments come) I don't think a todds torch is worth the money people are paying.do what you want you will be looking at the tank 99% of the time

 

[jeremyjoslin]

Knowing that those are your thoughts makes me nervous. When I set up my first tank it was FOWLR and couldn't understand who would go through the fuss of keeping corals. Then I went LPS, thinking that SPS would be crazy. Now I'm going SPS. I (and my bank account) would like to hope to eventually be satisfied with a tank.
The shots of your tank that I've seen are crazy nice. THERE'S a tank I could be satisfied with!

Exactly what I was thinking. I always thought SPS were just colored twigs (if you're lucky and work on them everyday). Now I'm planning a monster tank highlighting SPS with you (Brandon) being a formative force in my evolution...

But if you do end up changing things around, I got dibs on the anemone and clown combo

 

[FSU3NOLES28]

Exactly what I was thinking. I always thought SPS were just colored twigs (if you're lucky and work on them everyday). Now I'm planning a monster tank highlighting SPS with you (Brandon) being a formative force in my evolution...

But if you do end up changing things around, I got dibs on the anemone and clown combo

Knew it wouldnt be long before people were calling dibs on things!

 

[oneradtek202]

no its mainly the issues that my tank is starting to have being so full of stuff! i would like to keep it limited to a few really nice colonies im really happy with. for an example of what i want it to look like, look at this

 

[aaronlp]

IMO i think itd be cool to redo your tank...i have have 3 island in my tank so my fish can swim free a lot more than the tanks where its just a wall and theyre stuck in the front where in mine they can hide in the back if spooked...but int YOUR tank and YOUR decision for what you think would be best and whats worth the time...the island stuff is pretty cool too, draws a lot of character to the tank!

 

[aaronlp]

IMO i think itd be cool to redo your tank...i have have 3 island in my tank so my fish can free a lot more than the tanks where its just a wall and theyre stuck in the fron wherei n mine they can hide in the back if spooked...but int YOUR tank and YOUr decision for what you think would be best and whatas worth the time...the island stuff is pretty cool too draws alot of character to the tank!

and seeing your tank in person like i have the corals you have would be freakin sweet to have on islands!!!:beer:

 

[FSU3NOLES28]

no its mainly the issues that my tank is starting to have being so full of stuff! i would like to keep it limited to a few really nice colonies im really happy with. for an example of what i want it to look like, look at this

Before i read up i thought that WAS your tank... I was going to ask where the issue was.

I love that setup.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

start over!

start over!

and gimme that green Stylo

 

[Capt_Cully]

I will buy all your old colonies. You left out lokani.

Having done the massive box of sticks myself, I can sympathize with your position. As RandyO once said, "kaboom". Most large SPS systems eventually tip over and implode.

"From the Forrest itself, comes the handle for the axe". This is a song lyric that makes me think of SPS dominated systems. Their growth is in an inverse relationship with the volume of water in which they reside. As you get a beautiful reef like yours, the water volume and flow are greatly decreased. Ad to that the allelopathic warfare that is going on in that depleted volume. I can only imagine what your supplement repletion rates are at this point.

This is all just personal theory sans scientific evidence. I know that familiar feeling of chasing alkalinity, magnesium, calcium etc. As your efforts become like that of a field mouse preparing for winter, your stress increases because in the balance lies your reef.

My personal story. Sold off the massive amounts of corals I'd grown. Move to new house. Choose new tank. I chose a tank such that I could have a minimalist approach to aquascaping. But its overall size allows for a huge reef in an even more huge body of water. My plan and desire is such that even when my colonies reach gargantuan size, there will still be a huge, uninhabited water collumn, surging in a gyre around it. That's why my new aquascape is shaped like a wedge. Also, as I describe this, it makes me realize I'm describing Gary M's tank design. His theories on this either mimic my own or he's got other notions that are at this point beyond me.

Anyway, when it comes to trying your hand at SPS, from what I've found, there are a myriad of, now, common specimens. Monti caps and digis, validas, slimers, torts etc etc. Having grown this out into large colonies, we develop an affinity for specific ones and wind up with some that are space fillers, but in our hearts, mundane. Having had success, having fondness for some harder to find corals and some of the common ones, my new tank will become an exclusive tank of corals I fancy. Not a place to grow corals with the intent on fragging for cash. A collection fro myself and the discerning eye.

Those are my thouggts with regard to your query Brandon.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Double post

 

[Capt_Cully]

Triple post

 

[oneradtek202]

its interesting because mine DID start off as a island scape, then it filled up so much it made it look like one big wall

 

[Capt_Cully]

Quadruple post. GD Droid....

 

[oneradtek202]

haha no it was the server, it was backed up so you musta tried sending a few tiems to get it to go, even my comp was on freeze for a good 15 minutes tryin to get the site to work.

mark i completely understand your point of view. thast where i might be heading, but it will be such a hassle but i think in the end, it would be worth it.

jeremy, sorry not selling off my clowns and rbta with nem crab combo. sorry bud, but i would have a extra rbta if you want that.

i wish that tank was mine! its something im aspiring to!

 

[Capt_Cully]

If I go back far enough, I'm certain I can find where I posted this exact same topic. I've been where you're at buddy. Its not easy to come to terms with. I sold my house to have a new reef. Don't tell my wife.