evolved's 190g DSA Reef: Wrasse Retreat

[evolved]

Hi Hunter! Guess who's blogging now

Uh oh... Hey trouble!

But you're posting, not blogging. Meh, details.

 

[Dowtish]

zibba, you should seriously consider putting very small watermarks on your photos.

 

[evolved]

zibba, you should seriously consider putting very small watermarks on your photos.

+1 here. I foresee the johnsoni photos traveling places.

 

[zibba]

I put my initials on there "eZ" in the lower right hand corner. I didn't want them to distract from the fish. Right now I've exceeded my bandwidth on photobucket so no one can see my pictures, lol. Opps...

Think I should redo the watermark?

Regardless, I know a pretty good attorney....

 

[richfavinger]

Outstanding! And the actual thank I am thinking about! :xd:
I'm really tossing up between the DSA 135g and 190g... (Old house, floors, apprehensive of weight)... Though I did have a 125g for a few years in the spot I'm considering w/jacks to be safe. Be it, 190g is just a little more weight!

How do you like your over-flow / drain setup?
Hows the stand? Always a big sticking point because of the darn center braces and sumps! Did you have the sump in before the tank or after? And would a suitable sump fit via the doors with the tank in place? Also, does the cost of Starphire do it for you, dod you notice vs your 120g? And my last question, any regrets on the 27" height over your 120g? Lighting, reach ect...?

Sorry for all the questions, LOVE the tank!!!

 

[evolved]

Thank you much for the compliments; I'll comment piecemeal.

Though I did have a 125g for a few years in the spot I'm considering w/jacks to be safe. Be it, 190g is just a little more weight!

Just 500lbs or so.

How do you like your over-flow / drain setup?

I like it; had no problems with it at all once it was all set.

Hows the stand?

Still pleased here too. No issues. I even discovered out the doors on it are removable a few months back! :doh: (Quick release hinges)

Always a big sticking point because of the darn center braces and sumps!

Bear in mind though, I had opted for the overflow left of center. The standard center overflow wouldn't have had this issue.

Did you have the sump in before the tank or after? And would a suitable sump fit via the doors with the tank in place?

I put it in before the tank, but it went in through the front doors just fine. Something bigger would have easily fit through the doors as well.

Also, does the cost of Starphire do it for you, dod you notice vs your 120g?

I don't recall how much extra I ended up paying for the 3 sides of Starphire, but I will say I will NEVER have a tank again WITHOUT it. I have colors that I couldn't hardly see before, if at all. HUGE difference.

And my last question, any regrets on the 27" height over your 120g? Lighting, reach ect...?

It's only a inch taller than what I had before, so it wasn't that big of a deal for me. That being said, I'm 6'2" and I can just barely reach the bottom now; step-stool required. I wouldn't want anything deeper.

Sorry for all the questions, LOVE the tank!!!

Thanks again.

 

[Mrfresh]

Very very nice

 

[evolved]

It's been a year now with this upgrade.

So let's get everyone up to speed. And you know how I can blabber on. Bear with me.

Losses in the past 6 months; I'd rather not total them all. Quite a few LPS and a handful of SPS (more on that in a minute). One fish (melanurus), but a few fish additions (more on that in a minute too).


First, the LPS woes. Why? Unfortunately, I wish I could tell you. The best culmination I have is some of them starving (lack of nutrients - who knew I could have that problem?) and mainly a bacterial or viral issue. I lost all my acans, and almost all my chalices (including the big red w/ yellow eye showpiece I had in the center). That chalice from the center I did everything I could on; dipped many times, in everything I could think of, fragged off the skeleton and edge of dying tissue & glued the exposed edge of the skeleton - twice. Nothing stopped it. It basically "looked" like something not visible just kept attacking it and spreading from the initiation site. Sort of like white banded disease, but without any "jelly". Just death spreading across the colony. Other "fleshy" LPS died the same way. It seems to have ceased now and things are stable again, whatever it was.


Next, the SPS woes. Ready? I have acro eating flatworms (AEFW). Yes. Me. I said it. How did I get them? No idea. I've always been very careful; never have I added a plug from someone I didn't trust (I know, that's not much of a warm fuzzy either). I keep a log on this tank, and unless I've had them for a very long time and never knew it (possible), I would have to track them to a maricultured hoeki I picked up from DD. I can't point the finger at them, because there's no way to be certain. That's just my best guess. I cut off the colony and pitched the entire mariculture base, before I ever dipped, let alone add, the coral to my tank. But all it takes is one to sneak in...

Here's the good news with them; so far it's manageable. I've been using KZ Fatworm Stop coupled with their Coral Booster now for about 4 months, and I do think that's helping. I'm also "blowing" off all the SPS at least bi-weekly, but I do think I should be doing that more. As far as I can see, they only have a strong hold on two colonies now. The other SPS seem unaffected. Some acros never were affected, for that matter. They seem pretty selective in what they like. I believe the KZ products are helping, as a few acros I once saw some bite marks on have healed and shown no more.


Next up, fish news. I lost my melanurus a few months ago, likely to an internal issue. He was quite bloated for several weeks, and I was a bit concerned. But not knowing what the specific problem is, means I don't know what to treat for. And then one day, after being bloated for weeks, he was back to normal size one morning. Weird. A few weeks later, he was bloated again, but not as big as he once was. Then he went missing, and I found a body in a couple days. Dunno. Death happens.

In the new addition department, I added another female johnsoni after my pair was spawning so well (recall the video here which Advanced Aquarist ended up showing). She was so tiny, and made me realize how much the other two had grown since I had received them. All three are doing well, but now I have one stunning terminal male, another terminal male, and a submale. :-/ So much for females. (If it isn't broken, don't fix it?)

The other new addition, and possibly much more exciting, is my Paracheilinus attenuatus. One from the dream list, that one. He was sourced from someplace I don't normally buy, and therefore I QT him for ~8 weeks. He had flukes and later developed ich, but both of those were dealt with. He's doing great in the DT now; exceptionally bold. He also had quite the color shift within a week of adding him. He turned nearly black down the back; you'll see in the photos I have coming.


Last bit of "blog" talk. The Red Bell's Pincushion Urchin I had died a while back. He starved. No idea what that species eats, but it didn't grow in my tank. The Red Tuxedo continues to do fine. I still have the abalone; neat ugly critter he is, and quite the workhorse. And I also have a Blue Linckia that's going strong 7-8 months now. But come to find out, Linckia's are mostly nocturnal... Regardless, it's a species I've always wanted to keep, and planned to do such in this tank. I felt it would be large enough and offer enough of the unknown the species needs, and so far so good. But we know I can't really know that for certain until I get to two years or so with him.


Alright, enough chatter. Time for the eye candy. And there's some good stuff y'all haven't seen yet.

 

[evolved]

I'll start with the attenuatus. But I apologize for not having a "great" photo(s); these are the best I could manage.

In the acclimation box:




With flash:



And here's how he looks now, with the black he developed shortly after being in the tank:

 

[evolved]

Full tank shot, half's, and ends; because who doesn't like those?

 

[evolved]

Round and round we go.

A chalice (still brewing) and an acan echinata:


Who likes rainbow plates anyway?




And this itty bitty red one


Bored yet? Those 4 plates all via Aqua SD.

A "new" Jason Fox favia I nabbed at MACNA; amazing under actinics. Looks less impressive here. Aqua SD Symphyllia in the background.


Tyree Pink Lemonaide. Lineage from either Dan Rigle or Jason Fox (I'd have to ask Trent).


Garrett's Loripes; acquired from Jason Fox at MACNA.


This big colony of brown acro has a story. I grew the whole thing from a "freebe" monti-looking thing. It came to me as just encrusted tissue on a 1" plug. It looked like a monti, and had the coloration resembling a Sunset Monti. Then it grew into this big brown acro. I keep it around thinking someday it will turn pretty. Or maybe get the green polyps back it once had.


Tyree Undata, slowly returning to the giant I once had.


Granulosa. Can it grow any slower?


Duncans. One of my oldest corals. Upwards of 100 polyps; I once started with 3.


Aqua SD Rainbow Milli. When it grows up, at least (on the left). Backup frag of Scripps Milli on the right; look like I'll be needing it too.


One last thing on the rack before I move on; a backup frag of the branching pink cyphastrea I've had a long while.

 

[evolved]

We're not done yet.

A lithophyllon. Bad picture. Orange with blue polyps.


That symphyllia you saw a minute ago. Another bad picture. Yay; I'm awesome with this capable camera.


I made sure I did NOT loose this echinata; worth a lot to me (sentimental). And the chalice in the foreground has a story too; I grew it from an pinky-nail size freebee.


THE Space Invader Pectinia. Another MACNA score. It's noticeably growing, too.


Malibu Favia (Reef Gen). It really has yellow polyps.


A bowerbanki I nabbed for far less than I was willing to spend. Purple on the polyp centers. Don't be angry Jerry!


Diploastrea. Pretty, but nasty sweepers.


About those sweepers... (purplelicious cyphastrea)


Are you noticing my Pocillopora problem yet?

My orange yuma garden. Although the photo focus is on the yellow leptoseris with a green rim on the right. A Jason Fox buy from MACNA 2012.


Bling-Bling cyphastrea. Jason, MACNA this year.


Jason Fox Raspberry Cheesecake. MACNA 2012. Finally growing.

 

[evolved]

Yeah, I have a Pocillopora problem.

Still not done here; 2 photobucket pages to go.

This acro excites me. And it's doing awesome; wait until I get a top-down of it sometime. A. suharsonoi.


Sunset milli. Although it doens't look like it now (it did and I promise it is).


Organ Tort. The. Slowest. Thing. Ever.



Now, if you're eating or drinking, set it down for the moment.



Blasto Wellsi


And it's yellow neighbor.


Lobo. Recovering, but looking much better now. I had it in the back-left corner, and it was dying. Not enough light.


I've had this fungia forever; one of the brigest things in the tank. And it LOVES where it's at in this tank; growing and expanded all day long. Doesn't hurt the Tomini's corner of relief is right next to it.


A newish acan, was the first "canary" I bought after losing those I had.


And one of the MACNA rainbow acans I picked up this year next to it (WWC).


Another WWC rainbow.


And the last one of those (crappy picture).


Front and center


Bird of Paradise, speciosa, rainbow stylo, red planet


Orange pavona (finally growing nicely, after I've had it for years), more red planet


purple psammocora


ORA hawkins


ORA belina


Jason Fox Robin's Egg (MACNA 2013)


ORA Bird of Paradise


Horrida



So who needs Pocillopora?

 

[evolved]

The massive green birdsnest. Grown from a frag. It's so dense now, it's created it's own deadspots.


See?


My gold torch isn't so happy or pretty these days. Dunno why. Too much flow perhaps, no where else to put it.


The root of all evil rainbow pocillopora


The branching hammer is another long-time coral of mine. Started with 3 heads. Hi Mr. Earlei.


A newer maricultured acro. It's turning nicer than it looks.


Oh yeah. That giant purple stag thing you saw earlier. Actually this is one I'm proud of; grown from a frag too. Interestingly, I gave a chunk to a friend, and it's morphed to teal under his Halides. Looks totally different.


Pagoda cup. Another oldie.


That's Echinophyllia mammiformis behind it. Not the most colorful, but very rare.


Superman cyphastrea. Meteor-shower morph.


A. tenuis


Cali tort


Ultimate stag, Jason, MACNA 2013


Sand Dollar monti. In a hard spot to photo.


Setosa


Branching cyphastrea


My love/hate coral. Tyree Chilli Pepper Monti


A better photo of one of the new rainbow acans I showed earlier


acan rotundoflora

 

[evolved]

Here's another maricultured acro that a picked up a while back. It was much lighter at purchase, but I really like what it's turning into. The blue/purple was non-existent at purchase; it was teal.


I'll close with these last two; messing around a bit.

 

[zibba]

What an update!!! The tank is coming along really nice. Looking forward to seeing it in person soon.

And....uhhh, we need to talk re: A. suharsonoi & that crazy blasto! Holy moly.

 

[evolved]

Thanks!

I told you so on that suharsonoi. The blasto will have to wait until it's actually growing, however.

 

[Aquaph8]

It's about time slacker

Everything's looking great Hunter. Sorry to hear about the troubles but it looks like your bouncing back well. Amazing how fast the last year went by.

 

[eliramos]

wow that tank is gorgeous man! you still have your shrimp i had a melanarus and almost lost all my shrimp