Zoa Lover Introduction . . .

Hey Josh and Joel, welcome. Sounds like the makings of two awesome setups. I think it's great when reefers step up to introduce themseleves. People are more likely to help you out when or if the need arises I think.

To everyone who has replied to this thread, thanks. I have a request, you have something to contribute to this forum. Something more than just pictures, ID's and named discussions. You can create a thread on what you've learn, what changes you've made as result of your gained knowledge here, everyone has a question, idea, concern, thought, opinion, theory, observation, a new gadget, an update, etc etc etc. Looking and lurking is fine, but your added participation is needed. In case you missed what I am saying, it was an open invitation to share something, anything. Or, just reply to something already posted. What-ah-ya-say?

Don't know what to say? Go to the top of the page, look to the right just under the page numbers and above REPLIES - VIEWS, click on the search this forum button. You can search on thousands of issues, topics, discussions, ideas, feedbacks and concerns. Much can be gained from utilizing this option. Here you can find background info on an issue, question or concern, or, if can help to formulate your own questions. Maybe you have an issue and no one has replied quick enough, go to the search and find the answer in seconds. Looking forward to hearing from all of you ladies and gents. :bounce2:

Mucho Reef
 
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Hello, my name is: Rob (Perched Urchin)
I've been a reefing for: two and a half years, with 25 years of FW previous to that.
My current system is a: 90G brick (36x24x24) LPS/Zs&Ps/lots-o-fish reef, 40G breeder frag tank and 75G sump with everything automated via Apex.

with a: GEO Jungle (beckett skimmer, kalk reactor, calcium reactor, media reactor). Beckett is Reeflo Tarpon powered, everything else run by a Reeflo Dart.

and the following lighting: 2xAI Sol Blues on the DT, 4x24w ATI Sunpower on the frag tank (soon to be replaced with an AI)

with: 2xMP40wES on DT and MP40w on frag tank

and: did I mention lots-o-fish?

I joined RC for: research, research, research. Next to a couple local guys, RC has been my main source of information for everything from deciding on a tank builder to which QT process I should use to what camera to buy to take pictures of the tank.

and to learn: anything I ever need an opinion on about reefing

as well as to share my: experiences as I have built the system, kept various livestock and planned and executed projects and changes to my system.
 
Hello, my name is: thesilence87

I've been a reefing for: about a year, I started with a 30g Hex tank and quickly learned why no one really does that for a reef tank.

My current system is a: 40 breeder that has been up for about 6 months

with a:

and the following lighting: a 55 LED (52x RB & CW mix, 3 UV) dimmable chinese black box

with: a Koralia 750gph powerhead and CPR BakPak2 with a MJ 1200 pump.

and: a mix of softies, zoas, palys, lps, sps, and two ocellaris clowns that host in a frogspawn.

I joined RC for: the ability to post in the threads I lurk and read regularly.

and to learn: how to better encourage coral growth, progress in the hobby while minimizing spending, and read about things I have yet to learn.

as well as to share my: love for colorful corals and my dislike for the extreme pricetags some of them bring.

I've been reading for about a month, but I finally registered, so hi :).
 
Perched Urchin said:
Hello, my name is: Rob (Perched Urchin)
I've been a reefing for: two and a half years, with 25 years of FW previous to that.

25 years FW, awesome. Dedicated huh?

My current system is a: 90G brick (36x24x24) LPS/Zs&Ps/lots-o-fish reef, 40G breeder frag tank and 75G sump with everything automated via Apex.

What fish do you have?

with a: GEO Jungle (beckett skimmer, kalk reactor, calcium reactor, media reactor). Beckett is Reeflo Tarpon powered, everything else run by a Reeflo Dart.

Can you share some details about the Dart?

with: 2xMP40wES on DT and MP40w on frag tank

Were the MP's an upgrade? Do you like them, pros/cons?

and: did I mention lots-o-fish?

Yes, LOL.

I joined RC for: research, research, research. Next to a couple local guys, RC has been my main source of information for everything from deciding on a tank builder to which QT process I should use to what camera to buy to take pictures of the tank.

and to learn: anything I ever need an opinion on about reefing

as well as to share my: experiences as I have built the system, kept various livestock and planned and executed projects and changes to my system.
Click to expand...
 
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25 years FW, awesome. Dedicated huh?
The 25 years of FW was really off and on. I had everything from danios, swordtails, mollies and cory cats as a kid to stuff I caught in our local creek (pumpkinseeds, baby grass pickerel and yellow-belly catfish) and then rift lake cichlids, etc. Once I got married, there had been an "aquarium moratorium" until the kids finally got old enough to ask for fishies. I had always wanted to do a marine system, so I jumped at the chance this go around.

What fish do you have?
In the DT, I have:
blue-green chromis (Chromis viridis)
midas blenny (Ecsenius midas)
longnose hawk (Oxycirrhites typus)
flame hawk (Neocirrhitus armatus)
spawning pair of ocellaris clowns (Amphiprion ocellaris) and 2 RBTAs
yellow longnose butterfly (Forcipiger flavissimus)
green coris wrasse (Halichoeres chloropterus)
exquisite fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus)
mystery wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus)
red fin fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis)
It is rumored that there might be a very well behaved purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) in there as well.

The only aggression I have ever seen whatsoever is from the green coris toward the mystery wrasse at feeding time. The green wrasse has been with me for quite a while and has grown considerably, so he might have to be rehomed before long.

In the frag tank, I have:
six line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
green mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus)
yellowtail damsel (Chrysiptera parasema)
tiny pair of black ocellaris clowns (Amphiprion ocellaris var.) that were raised by one of our local club members.

In "time out" (my sump) is a flame angel (Centropyge loriculus) that I had in the DT with LPS, gorgonians, clams and polyps for almost 2 years with no issues, then one day he decided the polyp in the middle of a tennis ball sized acan colony looked like a good snack. He is going to be rehomed soon.

I feed a lot - mostly homemade "mush" that includes shrimp, clams, oysters, squid, nori, spirulina, freeze-dried daphnia, mysis, krill, broccoli, golden pearls, cyclopeze and selcon - so my GEO skimmer, which would probably handle a system at least 2-3 times the size of mine, is a great piece of equipment.

Can you share some details about the Dart?
The Dart (Baldor motor version) is the return pump for my DT and also feeds a manifold that breaks out to the return for my frag tank and also feeds my calcium reactor, my carbon reactor and my media reactor (when I am running it). There are 2 additional ports on the manifold, one that just has a valve and hose for water changes and one that was running a spraybar into the sump. I didn't want a bunch of separate pumps running reactors, etc., so I went this route. I have the impeller to reduce the flow and to essentially make the pump into a Snapper, but I have never tried it. Not sure if the pump is more efficient with the Dart impeller and then valved back some or with the Snapper impeller running basically full bore.

Were the MP's an upgrade? Do you like them, pros/cons?
I have had the MP40s from the get go and I think they are excellent; however I just recently added the WXM module to my Apex and now they are super-amazing excellent, as I can really mix up the flow programming. I normally run them in reefcrest mode, but a couple times a day they automatically kick over to nutrient export mode to get anything laying around in the tank into the water column and out to my skimmer. After lights out they all switch to the lagoon mode to lighten up the flow a bit. With 2 on my DT, I only need to run them at about 40% typically. They create a ton of flow.
 
Great stuff PU. Do you have any idea just how many reefers you have helped/enlighten by sharing this? That's why I ask. You guys need to share more post like this.

Thanks again my friend and much continued success.:beer:

Mucho Reef
 
Hello, my name is: Kevin (aka turbokev as I used to drag race turbocharged cars)

I've been reefing (IN MY MIND) for: over 5 years now

My current system is an: empty space next to my home office desk where I want to place my future reef tank

with a:
and the following lighting:

I joined RC for: information, research, living vicariously through others tanks

and to learn: all I can about having success so it's enjoyable

as well as to share my: experiences as a noobie to salt water tanks and to share how it goes and to ask for help and guidance along the way


other info: I'm a 48 year old guy, married with 2 great kids (8 and 6..married late) and I've kept freshwater tanks (mainly cichlids) for years.
Now that I work from home full time and have a nice spot next to my desk for a small reef it't time to start planning and building :)
 
This looks like fun, I'll give it a go:

Hello, my name is: Clark

I've been reefing since 1994, but freswater experience ranging from cheap stuff to live-plant tanks with ciclids and discus tanks since the early 80's

with a: 28g JBJ NanoCube LED Advanced, HOB-1 skimmer, MP-10, DA reefkeeper, MiniArctica chiller. I really enjoy this little tank, but I miss my 58 gallon reef that I had for years before a major move.

and the following lighting: current tank has the stock JBJ LED Advanced, but I'm on the verge to a major mod and custom hood to switch to a Radion

I joined RC for: To glean as much knowledge as I could from the experiences of others. Any meager success I've managed to muster with my current SPS tank is entirely due to the knowledge I've picked up on this forum. Thanks guys!:beer:
 
Hello, my name is Amy and my handle here on Reef Central is SaltyJo. Jo for my middle name, and salty because... well you know. I am always in my tank.:)

I've been a reefing for a little over six years now and started with a 29 gallon setup in my office at work. I developed my affection/addiction for zoas when a coworker who saw my tank,and was a reefer himself, brought me in 3 little frags of what I thought were the most amazing glowing green corals. He said "I swear you will not be able to kill them!" and he was right!

Since then, I have upgraded several times, and my current system is a 150 gallon tall with over 32 different types of zoanthids and palys to include rastas, raptors rainbows, blue hornets, captain americas, people eaters, spacemonsters, fire and ice, bam bams, eye of jabbas, sunburst, green baby packers, a bunch that I have forgot the names of, and a ton of those glowing green palys that were originally given to me. I also have several other corals and livestock to inlcude frogspawn, torches, colt leather, acans, favia, orange and green capricorns, and a yellow gorgonian. I still love my zoas and palys the most.

I also have a beautiful rose BTA with a spawning pair of Onyx Percula Clownfish which I have had for my entire reefing career. I also have a PJ Cardinal, a yellow watchman goby, a sunshine chromis, a blue mandarin, and a harem of yellow bellied hippo tangs that I have raised since they were the size of M&Ms!!!

In this current set up I am running a 30 gallon sump with a ASM G-2 Protein Skimmer, a Coralife 6x UV sterizlier, Phosoban reactor 150 and a JBJ ATO that I have on a 10 gallon reservoir.

The lighting I am currently running is 2 250W metal halides and 4 T-5 lights as well as 6 led moonlights.

I joined RC for a source of information to learn everything I can about the hobby. Even though I have been a member for a year I am still learning everyday as well as sharing my experiences in raising clownfish. I was semi sucessfull earlier in the year raising them and posted my progress. I have learned so much from the people on here and they are always supportive and helpful.

I look forward to sharing my future progress and continuing to learn from you all.
 
Hello Clark and welcome aboard, thanks for the introduction and the background info. Have a quick question. Why the mini chiller, is it because of the Texas heat?

MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
 
Hello Amy, long time? Thanks for sharing and wow, what a progression you have made over the past 6 years. Have you experienced any setbacks with the new 150 ? Could you share why you chose to run a sterilizer for those who might want to learn from your progression? Thanks and again, welcome.


MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
 
MUCHO REEF said:
Hello Amy, long time? Thanks for sharing and wow, what a progression you have made over the past 6 years. Have you experienced any setbacks with the new 150 ? Could you share why you chose to run a sterilizer for those who might want to learn from your progression? Thanks and again, welcome.


MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
Click to expand...
Thanks Mucho!

I have had few set backs with the 150. Because it is so tall it creates quite a challenge reaching the bottom! I have had a couple of expensive frags come loose off the plugs that I have had to go fish for. :headwally: I have learned to glue them really well so it doesnt happen again.
In my old set ups I have never ran a sterilizer. My sump for my 150 is so much bigger and I really wanted to do things up right. I got advice from my neighbor who has a 250 gallon reef and read alot about them on here and decided to put one in. From the begining, I have seen less water cloudiness and less diatom algae while my tank was cycling. So far with every new component added I have only seen positive results like healthy fish and corals that are quickly growing.
 
MUCHO REEF said:
Hello Clark and welcome aboard, thanks for the introduction and the background info. Have a quick question. Why the mini chiller, is it because of the Texas heat?

MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
Click to expand...

Oh definitely! There are plenty of places in Texas with moderate temperatures; but my part of texas experiences huge variations in outdoor temperature within a year-- from a few degrees below zero to many days of 110 degrees plus. So even though my house is built like a fort and stuffed with insulation, the only way for me to maintain constant aquarium temperatures is to have a strong heater and a good chiller hooked up at the same time and regulated by my DA reefkeeper (just to make sure they dont both come on at the same time ;) ). In fact, my chiller ran almost constantly all summer. It was running today as a matter of fact!
 
turbokev said:
Hello, my name is: Kevin (aka turbokev as I used to drag race turbocharged cars)

I've been reefing (IN MY MIND) for: over 5 years now

My current system is an: empty space next to my home office desk where I want to place my future reef tank

with a:
and the following lighting:

I joined RC for: information, research, living vicariously through others tanks

and to learn: all I can about having success so it's enjoyable

as well as to share my: experiences as a noobie to salt water tanks and to share how it goes and to ask for help and guidance along the way


other info: I'm a 48 year old guy, married with 2 great kids (8 and 6..married late) and I've kept freshwater tanks (mainly cichlids) for years.
Now that I work from home full time and have a nice spot next to my desk for a small reef it't time to start planning and building :)
Click to expand...


Hey Kevin, thanks. Must be nice to work at home and enjoy your system?

Thanks again for sharing.


Mooch
 
Hello, my name is: Kevin

I've been reefing for: about 2 yrs.

My current system is a: 72 gal Bowfront mixed reef with primarily zoas/palys, montiporas and a few LPS. But my passion is zoas/palys.

lighting: DIY LEDs (CREE RB/CW on controller)

I joined RC for: the wealth of experience. Ever day I learn something new, and I do my best to keep track of other people's experiences that may help myself and others in the hobby.

I spend most of my time either in this forum or New to the Hobby and Discussion forums.

Mooch, thanks for this thread and glad you revived it.
 
Hey Kevin, welcome, and thanks. Much respect for coming here and the other forums to listen, read and learn the ins and outs of reefing. I promise you it will pay off in the short and long term.

Here's a tip, if you have some spare time, just pick a topic or word etc regarding something you want to know or maybe even and issue, and do a quick search in this or any forum. You will be shocked by all of the past post from some very knowledgeable reefers both past and present. Some really good stuff out there to read my friend.

What is the most important or appicable thing you've learned of late?


MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
 
Scopus Tang said:
Mucho suggested that somebody piggyback off of his newbie introduction thread, so here we go. I know a lot of the regular members who are posting here in the zoa forum I really don't know that much about. All of us play a very important roll in keeping this forum alive by posting questions and concerns, as well as by posting up information. So if you're an active member of the zoa forum here on RC, it would be great if you could take just a minute to introduce yourselves. Tell us about your system and what you have thus far. That gives an opportunity for those we are sharing with to look and see a little about us as well.

Scopus Tang

Hello, my name is: GREG LURZ

I've been a reefing for: 1 YEAR 7 MONTHS

My current system is a: 55 GALLON MIXED REEF OF MOSTLY SPS AND ZOAS

with a: MODDED SEACLONE 100 SKIMMER

and the following lighting: 4X54 WATT T5HO NOVA EXTREME 48" GIESEMANN BULBS, 15K BLUE PLUS, ACTINIC PLUS, PINK PLUS, ACTINIC PLUS

with: TWO MJ 600 CIRCULATION PUMPS EACH @ 750 GPH

and: DIY FUGE WITH CHAETOMORPHA AND LR RUBBLE

I joined RC for: THE ABILITY TO BE A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY

and to learn: EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT REEFING FROM OTHERS IN THE HOBBY AND WHERE BETTER TO DO IT THAN HERE WITH YOU GUYS!

as well as to share my: EXPERIENCES IN MY REEF TANK TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

Looking forward to sharing with and learning from all of you.
Click to expand...
 
Hey Greg, good to see you here and sharing that.

Do you harvest your CHAETOMORPHA? If so, how much and how often?

What kind of return pump are you running underneath in that fug?

Thanks again for sharing and welcome.


MUCHO REEF
TOTM - August 2003
 
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