Tour of my 600gal reef system(aka the puddle)

[Conesus_Kid]

Tom-

What is the coral towards the top of the aquarium between the neon green hammer and the RBTA? I've never seen anything like that before.

Also, could you tell me about the gracilleria? I have chaetomorpha in my refugia, but haven't heard of the gracilleria before.

Thanks!

 

[Henry Colf]

UNBELEIVEABLE!!!!!!!! Man Tom,your tanks are really amazing.

 

[dreaminmel]

I'm just beside myself right now and speechless... If I had a hat on it'd take it off to you right now. If I ever have any cash burning a hole in my pocket I know one of the people I'll be pm'ing for frags.

By the way... can I just say how jealous I am of how organized your basement is? Another hats off on that too...

 

[Capt_Cully]

I'm officially offering myself up for adoption Tom.

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13516563#post13516563 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Conesus_Kid
Tom-

What is the coral towards the top of the aquarium between the neon green hammer and the RBTA? I've never seen anything like that before.

Also, could you tell me about the gracilleria? I have chaetomorpha in my refugia, but haven't heard of the gracilleria before.

Thanks!

The brown with green rim is a colony of Palythoa grandis grown from a single polyp. The polyps are quite large about 1.5 inches in diameter. Hardy and a bit hard to find. The other green enrusted coral in the backround is a Hydnopora bonzai. I've not seen another one of these.

I mispelled it . It's Gracilaria a red algae commonly raised for human food in Japan and Hawaii. Tangs love it too. It does well along side chaetomorpha for me, I think the Protoreaster lincki (Chocclate Chip star) munches it . I normally wouldn't keep that star but I'm using it for food for a harlequin in an other tank.

 

[tmz]

Your kind words make the effort worthwhile. I am privileged to be able to play with these beautiful creatures and to have discussions with you folks.

 

[tmz]

There are also plenty of sponges and such in the open rockwork, paricularly in the 90 g which help with nutrient management. I think that about does it for biofiltration.I'm considering adding even more chaeto refugia space or perhaps an algae turf scrubber dyi project in a constant effort to keep PO4 down. There are obout 40 fish in the 500+ gallon system so feeding is a must and then comes nutrients. Nitrate is undetectable but phosphate hovers around .1 to .15 even with gfo and using moe gfo is expensive.


Chemical filtration:

I use gfo via two(tlf) reactors.

Carbon is placed in a fluval 404 along with polypad. this unit also peovides flow through the uv on the 120g.

There is aslo a dyi carbon box in the sump and some polypad.

Mechanical filtration:



As noted above the flubval 404 feeds a 40w uv sterlilizer on the 120 g. There is an 18w sterlilizer plumbed to the 90g and a 39 w plummbmbed to the 89g.

The skimmer is an Asm 4x rated for 450 gallons. I may add another at some point.

From time to time during maintenance I will use a filter sock.

 

[redbj]

Tom,

your pm is full. If kyou ever frag that bubble coral let me know.

Your tanks look amazing!

 

[talon4x4]

Absolutely a work of art Tom!!! I'm still in awe at how neat, clean and organized your basement is.

Your torch coral has great color, I've got to get one of those!!

 

[tmz]

The neon green torch is WNY's famous Todd's torch. I got a single head frag over a year ago. I promised on pain of a tank crash that I would not reveal the name of the seller. Thanks for the compliment.

 

[Aquarist007]

fantastic setup Tom-----I continue to learn from you every day, a great mentor and respected reefer.

BTW
the plastic tote---I went through one in two weeks by adding some Haitian rock to it---a sharp corner pierced it right where those folds or indents are in the bottom.

 

[Reeftanks6]

Great set-up. Those are some really nice tanks keep up the good work

 

[Kent E]

Tom, I need an aiptasia eater but don't want to lose any corals. Can you tell me what this guy eats?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13623341#post13623341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kent E
Tom, I need an aiptasia eater but don't want to lose any corals. Can you tell me what this guy eats?

Kent--using fish or species of fish to eat aptasia is not a sure thing

aptasia can be killed by using Joe's Juice if you have a little of it and taking the rocks out and scrubbing them if you have a lot of it

BTW
very nice looking tank--do you have a whole shot of it?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

cap'n-
Kent has a 1,000 gallon aquarium and the rockwork isn't removable.
He needs an Aiptasia predator

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13623341#post13623341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kent E
Tom, I need an aiptasia eater but don't want to lose any corals. Can you tell me what this guy eats?

^-=\Kent ,The butterfly is a Forcipiger longirostris(big long nosed butterfly. I have not seen it eat any aiptasia and don't think it is known to so so, It does not bother corals either.It picks pods all day and feeds well on mysis,bloodworm,brine and cyclopeeze. This fish has a very small mouth and is typically ahard to keep . I think I was lucky to find one that eats well.

The other long nosed butterfly Forcipiger falvissimus which has a shorter snout may eat aiptasia but it's not repeorted to do so. It will eat soft and stony polyps in the wild.

Scott, the tak in the picture is one of mine and is shown elsewhger in the thread.

 

[Kent E]

The above pic is O-mazing!

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13624300#post13624300 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
cap'n-
Kent has a 1,000 gallon aquarium and the rockwork isn't removable.
He needs an Aiptasia predator

wow -- fantastic----I still would like to see more pics of it however

How about Atlantic Green Filefish as predators of aptasia

 

[tmz]

Reef tanks 6 and Kent E. Thanks for your comments.

 

[tmz]

Time for more of the tour. It think we finsihed bio filtration last time ,so I'll move along to the rest of the tanks in the basement but first a few more pictures of the 89 g as Scott (Cap'n_hilynur) requested.

new flasher wrasse Parcheilinus filamentosus

Halichoeres iridis (radiant wrasse)