redsea reefer
New member
very nice lookin tank...
UrbanSage's 270 Gallon in Wall Reef Adventure.
- Thread starter UrbanSage
- Start date
melev
Well-known member
Good to see this tank updated again. So you were thinking about selling the system away? 
The staghorn in the center is truly a showpiece at this point. The coral on the right seem a little pale. How long are you running the lights daily? The maze brain on the left looks gorgeous.
The staghorn in the center is truly a showpiece at this point. The coral on the right seem a little pale. How long are you running the lights daily? The maze brain on the left looks gorgeous.
FlyinggFish
New member
Beautiful tank and beautiful pictures from your trip!
UrbanSage
New member
Good to see this tank updated again. So you were thinking about selling the system away?
Yeah, getting a bit discouraged by my lack of access to an ocean
I was hunting for live rock. Simple, uncured, fresh live rock. Everyone is a snake salesman, promising left and right up front, but when it comes time to deliver everyone is trying to bend everyone over.The pale'ness comes from me running 10,000k XMs. I just changed back to 12,000k ReefLux and the color will come back soon enough. With the ReefLux bulbs however I don't feel I get enough light in the lower part of the tank.... I'll see the pocillopora turn brown soon.
UrbanSage
New member
Try the reeflux 20K Nick, looks about the same as 12K, but better par(They say)
I like them. Good to see your hanging in there
Hi Willy, the next bulb I'll try is a SunMaster Cool Deluxe Bulb.
The open top is called euro bracing. Most places will be able to make this for you.
Travis
10 and over club
What were you trying to accomplish with getting more live rock? If I remember right, you were wanting live rock with all kinds of life and different stuff growing on it. I just don't think that's really possible. Live rock sits at collecting stations overseas for days, or even a week or longer, sitting in tubs with no water baking under the sun. It would be next to impossible to get "live" live rock to South Dakata unless you have some serious connections and want to pay a very hefty amount.
UrbanSage
New member
That was my goal. Some uncured live rock that could seed my sand bed and kick some life into my rocks.
Yeah, that was the conclusion I came to as well.
The disappointing part for me was that I had communicated the willingness to pay for quality to the people I was speaking with. And initially just about all would commit themselves to help me reach my goal. But then when it came time to actually deliver, every single one fell through.
And then I thought why bother. If it really is impossible to get the reef I'd like, simply because I'm in SD. Then I have way too much money tied up in this hobby.
Travis
10 and over club
I think your expectations on the live rock are too high. Might be worth researching how the rock is actually collected. To do what you want to do, you would need to go to one of the rock collection sites 1000's of miles away, train the 3rd world people on how you want your rock collected, have it shipped overnight across the world in water, have people setup at various points along the rock's journey to change out the water, etc. In the end, its probably still going to take about 3 days to get the rock to you and there will be a lot of die-off. And when it's all said in done I would guess you would have spent upwards of $500-$1000 per pound of rock.
Lunchbucket
Premium Member
I understand that you want really good LR...but can't we find decent rock around here to get the tank running right?
In the end will it make that huge of an impact on the tank? I know a lot of people that have used dry base rock and have AMAZING tanks. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how LR is limiting the tank's ability?
Lunchbucket
In the end will it make that huge of an impact on the tank? I know a lot of people that have used dry base rock and have AMAZING tanks. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how LR is limiting the tank's ability?
Lunchbucket
UrbanSage
New member
I don't believe there is anything wrong with high expectations.
I did spend quite a bit of time and energy in pursuing this goal. I from the get-go had set myself up to spend the money required as I knew this would be a costly goal. Where it failed was when sales people had to come through on their initial "promises".
The rock I had selected came from an area where they aren't allowed to harvest from the reef, they have to collect naturally broken off pieces.
The highest priority for me was simply to get a place to repack and ship their newly arrived live rock as soon as possible and let me do the curing.
I don't think this requirement should be tough to fulfill.
I really just wanted uncured live rock shipped to me with minimal delay at the seller.
I can't find decent rock anywhere, it isn't just a Midwest issue, although it definitely isn't made easier by lack of access to handpick pieces around here.
I suspect you and I define "amazing" and "ability" very differently.
The tank I have seems to be really good at keeping fish alive and grow corals without losses. But I don't personally think the tank is a success. I believe I could have gotten closer to a success by introducing live rock with some life on it, while accepting that the system I have created never will support my definition of a "success".
For my view on success, take a look at this thread: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic94112-9-1.aspx
And just to repeat myself. I am not so naive that I believe I can create anything close to what is in that thread. But I do believe I should be able to get closer to it than where I am. If I can not. Then I think I have spent more than enough money on the hobby, at least for the time being.
I told you why not check out Tampa Bay Live Rocks, might not be from the south pacific, but for very little $$. You again could fly into and home from here for under $400.
Fly into Orlando and drive to tampa, ($50 for rental and gas), go to the Tampa rock Store and pick out from what just came from the ocean that day.
He did that for me. I then told you fly it home as luggage. 2 5 gallon buckets with rock and water. Should be very little charge for this. His rock was maybe $10/lb at the highest.
40 lbs = $400......
What was wrong with this idea, hell if you were nice enough I could probably get you to dive for your own rock... but what is in it for me? Have not been treated well in the past, and such?
You could still do this and have it the way you wanted, but you are hard to talk to sometimes.
Good luck
I even think they are a sponser here.
Grant
Fly into Orlando and drive to tampa, ($50 for rental and gas), go to the Tampa rock Store and pick out from what just came from the ocean that day.
He did that for me. I then told you fly it home as luggage. 2 5 gallon buckets with rock and water. Should be very little charge for this. His rock was maybe $10/lb at the highest.
40 lbs = $400......
What was wrong with this idea, hell if you were nice enough I could probably get you to dive for your own rock... but what is in it for me? Have not been treated well in the past, and such?
You could still do this and have it the way you wanted, but you are hard to talk to sometimes.
Good luck
I even think they are a sponser here.
Grant
They are a sponser here....http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/index.html
UrbanSage
New member
You know, you make it really difficult for me to say anything.
I could get into a whole personal attack/defense but I don't think that serves any ones purpose.
Perhaps I can summarize by saying, Don't worry about getting our house key back to us. After calling you a number of times without being called back to discuss key as well as your interpretation of me treating you unfairly. You don't have to worry about it anymore. We had the locks in our home re-keyed.
And if you believe I have treated you unfairly, then I guess we will just stop doing business together. With having spent more than $6,000.00 at your business since finding it I think there won't be a better time.
And that is all I have to say about this. Any continuation of this will not be responded to by me.
Ok I am fine with that, again trying to help.
What is this?
You expected me to bring it to you? Also we agreed you would bring me back a little suprise from your trip?
Man, what ever good luck, and have fun.....thanks for the personal attacks.
Grant:wave:
Dakota Reef
New member
.
Hey, Nick I thought Sunmaster made horticultural bulbs. Is this something new for aquariums? I'm a few months from needing to replace my Reeflux 12k's and while I'm mostly happy with the color was thinking about trying the Reeflux 20k's.
Willy I may need to come see how yours look!
UrbanSage
New member
I don't think they make anything for aquarium use. Borneman recommended the bulb, and from what I can tell, the color is very pleasant.
I don't have the bulbs yet but imagine that mine will be replaced within months. They are a bit spendy though so maybe you should be the guinea pig
