Vic's 100gal Starphire From Philippines

[bagz727]

nice tank bro!!!:strooper:

 

[twinypalm]

Wow, Nice setup. It must cost a fortune in the Philippines?

 

[mane]

Could you give some more pics/details on the stand? The top looks steel is that metal, or just painted silver? What type of wood, etc? Could you post some more pics? Very impressive set up!

 

[goochesfish]

Wow! What a sparkling clean tank.

 

[mrvicz]

I really like the tank, the way it was designed. It has nice clean look. Those LED lights really bright and give of some nice colour.

Thanks, the LEDs are supplemented with T5 ( 2 ati blue+, 1 kz fiji purple, 1 ati aquablue)

nice tank bro!!!:strooper:

Thanks bro

Could you give some more pics/details on the stand? The top looks steel is that metal, or just painted silver? What type of wood, etc? Could you post some more pics? Very impressive set up!

Thanks Stand has a metal framework painted with herculiner. Then wood is wrapped around it. The light stand/holder is stainless steel. The box (sort of lol) that houses the lights is aluminum. Will post more pics of that soon as well.

Ill post more pics over the weekend. Ive been battling with this nasty trojan virus all week but looks like Im seeing the end of the infection.

Wow, Nice setup. It must cost a fortune in the Philippines?

Cheerio! Nah, not that much. Only the equips and display tank cost much but the rest is cheap. All of the LS I pick em up myself ... from the sand to the LR to the CUC to the LS

Wow! What a sparkling clean tank.

Thanks, I try my best ... hopefully colors would stick since all of my corals are wild caught. So as 99% of all the LS sold here. Difference in my case is I could return them to the sea whenever I want coz I live a stone throw away from a reef

 

[sfboarders]

Those are not even frags they're colonies! :thumbsup:You get them from Manila kabsat or do they have LFS in N. Luzon? How many pesos did those colonies cost you?

 

[mrvicz]

I get them myself kabsat. I do dive so I only pay for the dive fee which is roughly $50. So technically, all of em cost me $50. Some of them I just pick up from a nearby reef where I could snorkel at. :thumbsup:

I only get small colonies, clenched fist big. If its bigger and I really like the specimen, I frag it. Like the dagitata on top

 

[manix man]

I get them myself kabsat. I do dive so I only pay for the dive fee which is roughly $50. So technically, all of em cost me $50. Some of them I just pick up from a nearby reef where I could snorkel at. :thumbsup:

I only get small colonies, clenched fist big. If its bigger and I really like the specimen, I frag it. Like the dagitata on top

Now that's the way to get corals! Congrats on a very nice looking setup and look forward to it growing in.

 

[mrvicz]

3 months .... only t5s on atm. still waiting for my LED replacements

the wife still cant believe that ive become patient with the endless adjusting - readjusting of doses and water changes

... still no fish aside from the two clowns ... they're prolly at the back of the center rock again lol

hope you liked me new pic!

 

[Nebthet]

Wow.. this is a really nice looking tank...
I was wondering, on post #78, acro#4. Do you by chance know the name if this acro?

 

[goochesfish]

how do you harvest the corals? Do you use your hands and break of chunks or do you use clippers? How big is the mother colony compared to what you take off?

 

[zaheda]

Where is the fish? Your tank is awesome man.

 

[mrvicz]

Wow.. this is a really nice looking tank...
I was wondering, on post #78, acro#4. Do you by chance know the name if this acro?

thanks. im sorry but i dont know the ID on the coral youre referring to

how do you harvest the corals? Do you use your hands and break of chunks or do you use clippers? How big is the mother colony compared to what you take off?

depends on the size of the coral. if its as big as my hand, i usually just take the whole colony. i use hammer and chisel and hit the rock where its actually attach so I end up not damaging the coral even at its base. the very big colonies i just use the handle of a plier to carefully chip it away.

Where is the fish? Your tank is awesome man.

thanks man. the fishes (2 clowns) were prolly at the back when i took the picture lol ill try and take one with them in front this week

 

[dvanacker]

Is it legal to take corals from the reef in the philippines?

Im glad that is not legal in the US (and Canada if we had reefs) because I could see people stocking a tank with beautiful corals only to let them die and go collect some more. Or sell them for profit or what ever...many ways to abuse this.

 

[mrvicz]

its in the grey area. but come to think of it, where did those aquacultured corals that you buy and put in your tank came from before they were fragged and started to become "aquacltured"? i know a couple of exporters here in the Philippines who export buckets upon buckets of corals and fishes ... and guess where the big portion of the exports' destination is? -- USA just be glad that you can keep corals at the expense of third world countries.

90%+ of reef keepers here in asia keep wild caught corals. thats the sad truth. i dont know about the reefers who live FAR OFF from the sea but for me, if a coral starts getting ill (polyps not extending for a while, starting to bleach, etc) i return them to a reef that is at waist deep, a good 5 minutes drive from where i live. in fact some of my corals are from that reef.

edit: fortunately, from the first batch of corals that I first put in my tank a good 2 months ago, ive only returned 2 frags/branches of dagitata and a small colony of white colored sps(dont know the id sorry) back to the reef, all the rest have grown and have shown great coloration.

 

[menard]

Vic i like it. maganda. i been away too long. i dont even know the condition of the reefs there now. back in the 80's all still in tact. what about now? there r tons of different sps species in our ocean, may not colorfull as any other sps but the shapes r awesome and rare. find them for me will ya ? i might still have a space for one more or two in my 300. he...

good luck on the build..

Menard

 

[M88A2]

great looking tank you got there. hope my 75 ends up looking half as good. i visited the 100 islands this summer and man...if only i had some baggies with me. looken forward to seeing more in the future, keep us posted

 

[dvanacker]

its in the grey area. but come to think of it, where did those aquacultured corals that you buy and put in your tank came from before they were fragged and started to become "aquacltured"? i know a couple of exporters here in the Philippines who export buckets upon buckets of corals and fishes ... and guess where the big portion of the exports' destination is? -- USA just be glad that you can keep corals at the expense of third world countries.

By grey area do you mean it is not legal but not enforced? Lets not be naive. Coral importation to USA and Canada is heavily regulated. With out regulation it is left wide open for abuse.

Not saying I wouldnt do what you are doing if I was in your shoes, but just knowing that anyone can go and take what they want from the ocean with no one watching and no record is a little unsettling.

Im just glad as you seem to be taking great care of your reef. But I'm sure many are taking corals and are not quite as dedicated as you to keeping them alive. Especially if they come at no cost.

Sorry to get your thread side tracked. Beautiful tank you have there.

 

[Mel-E-Mel]

Tang ina ang ganda pare! Keep up the good work! Wish I was back in the motherland right about now!

 

[sfboarders]

Tang ina ang ganda pare! Keep up the good work! Wish I was back in the motherland right about now!

Rommell!!! I think it's rainy season in the PI right now.

@mrvicz - Your tank is looking better and better kabsat!