112 gallon mixed reef is looking like a reef again

OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Started the big cutback yesterday :

1604587712246.png


Using the toothpick method I was able to attach about half a dozen basically colony sized frags to plugs and they all seem to be holding so far. I also removed a bunch of pom pom xenia which is just floating around in my frag tank. I think eventually I am going to do a tank just with pom pom xenia. I may have an expensive Acanthophyllia, Goniporas, all kinds of stuff but I do still like the simple corals. Another coral I removed a lot of was the plain clove polyps and I moved the rainbow cloves which have never really grown much up to the top of the tank.

It's going to be a mess for a while but in the long term this will be an improvement. I'm going to try and find a few pieces of rock to add and maybe attach 1 or 2 to the overflow because the corner in front of the overflow has pectinia, hammer and elegance all touching each other..
 

jaihutcherson

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 10, 2020
Messages
120
Reaction score
72
Location
dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here is the short version of the long story.
Almost a year ago I made a big move of over 700km to a rural environment. No more weekly trips to various LFS ect. No more bleach down the drain and unlimited amounts of salt water for that matter..

I had a 180 mixed reef, a 90 gallon garden eel tank and a 112 gallon that was my old display tank that was basically a display fuge with a carpet anemone that I was paranoid would eat my fish. Some other cool stuff like a pair of masked swallow tail angels, achilles tang ect.

Tearing everything down was hell I gave the garden eels away because it was much easier to just rinse out of the sand then try and and set that up again.. The reason was I did not move right into my house. I spent about 6 weeks at my parents house with all my livestock in the 90g tank and some other holding tanks. Achilles wasted away but killed a bunch of other fish first. A tank I had a bunch of LPS in mostly euphillias melted away. Masked Swallowtails died too.

It wasn't just the livestock. Tanks took a beating. The first thing I did once I did move in was get outlets installed where the tank was going. By chance there are concrete pillars under a spot that perfectly fit my 180. Got it's own breaker / gfci's then the 180 itself broke. It had just been moved around too many times, too many times I moved it around by myself. Thankfully old 112 was still around. This was my first big display tank a miracles tank purchased in 2006. Even getting the 112 back up was a hassle and a half. First my sump wouldn't fit under this tank. I actually knew this but forgot about it until I was setting it up. Fine I have another sump that will fit but guess what skimmer won't fit in that sump.. On and on stuff like this went but again I had another skimmer so everything worked out more or less.

It's now been going for about 8 months without any real issues. I run it barebottom, all the detritus goes into one corner and change approximately 10 gallons of water a week. 10ml of diy nopox per day and since it's not packed with corals I usually just dose alkalinity 1-2x a week. Now that I have a couple sps I may have to start daily dosing again. Hopefully because if something is consuming it means it's growing.

I have 2 issues, one of which I can cure but haven't gotten around to, the other I just live with :

Hey! Great post. I really appreciate the transparency in your post; troubles, issues; accepting responsibility, etc. I have had similar experiences in the past 6 months with my 150g mixed reef as well as my 280g predator. A move, a crash, and many more tiny set-backs have taken a toll. Seeing in such detail others are struggling too and how they have kept standing, overcome, and maintain positive gives me additional strength. Keep up what looks like great work to me!!!
 

Chlorinated

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
551
Reaction score
493
Location
Acton, MA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Started the big cutback yesterday :

1604587712246.png


Using the toothpick method I was able to attach about half a dozen basically colony sized frags to plugs and they all seem to be holding so far. I also removed a bunch of pom pom xenia which is just floating around in my frag tank. I think eventually I am going to do a tank just with pom pom xenia. I may have an expensive Acanthophyllia, Goniporas, all kinds of stuff but I do still like the simple corals. Another coral I removed a lot of was the plain clove polyps and I moved the rainbow cloves which have never really grown much up to the top of the tank.

It's going to be a mess for a while but in the long term this will be an improvement. I'm going to try and find a few pieces of rock to add and maybe attach 1 or 2 to the overflow because the corner in front of the overflow has pectinia, hammer and elegance all touching each other..
If i lived even remotely near by i woukd take one of those "frags" off your hands in a heart beat. Im sure the rest if your tank will appreciate the trim.
 
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Most of those leathers managed to detach. I think I will try a basket with rubble if I can squeeze a basket into my frag tank, or maybe those frag gripper frag plugs. For now they are fine floating around.

Doing a water change this morning and this is a prime example of why one day I want a taller tank. At least 30" so I can have tall corals. Sure it will be a pain but it will look great.

1605710008593.png
 
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0


This came up in my facebook memories. A video I shot of the tank 11 years ago + 1 day.

As far as I can tell I still have 2 corals and 1 fish from back then. The tank has had 2 crashes since and one long distance move but still going strong.
 
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Last day of November... Monthly update. I have cut back some corals but as soon as I cut them back they grow in again. Part of the big problem is I do like all these "pest" softies, but I don't like them growing over my expensive LPS frags. I plan on doing more cutting but I tend to take this slow because this is my display and I enjoy watching the tank as a whole. I'm not overly worried about a single coral or fish. When I get like that and something happens it can be very frustrating and upsetting.

Speaking of upsetting I lost my flame hawkfish to dropsy of all things. I did post about her last week but he basically just swelled and swelled until he finally past away.

I have ordered a few fish, one I am very excited to get. The others are basically cheaper filler fish. With just 5 fish in this tank though it desperately needs more action. Here are some pictures and I will post a video update shortly.

_MG_4862.JPG



_MG_4835.JPG


Generally I don't frag unless overgrown but since I am cutting so much back I might snip (saw) the right corner of the pectinia off. Since it actually has some value, and the sweepers can reach a lot of corals despite the distance between them.



_MG_4854.JPG


These guys get a lot more light with less leathers above them.



_MG_4855.JPG


Still packed!

_MG_4857.JPG

_MG_4851.JPG


Given that even though the tank is disease free my flame hawkfish went out pretty quick. I thought it was a good idea to get a nice shot of my naked clown whom I've had more than 14 years. She is looking a little "old" these days but hopefully still has many years left in her!

_MG_4842.JPG
 

Attachments

  • _MG_4839.JPG
    _MG_4839.JPG
    153.1 KB · Views: 36
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1607043099980.png


Normally I won't post about my fish until they go through QT but I am so excited to have this Labouti. I bought one in 2007 and quickly became one of my all time favourites. I haven't had a wrasse in some time as I used to be seriously addicted to them... Now I just think about getting more lol.
 
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So the above Labouti died the 2nd day in QT. I have no idea why, he looked perfect. He acted perfect but just dropped dead. After waiting 10 years to get another I was pretty devastated. That being said I am over it now. I just don't have good luck with wrasses anymore. I don't know why. I think I will do an extremely modified QT for the next ones I get which hopefully will be within the next year or 2.

I did FINALLY do my first in person coral shopping of 2020 just before the year comes to a close. The closest reef store is about 3 hours from me so even though locally the pandemic has not been too bad traveling is off the table for the foreseeable future. Still the store got a relatively small Indo shipment so that was enough for me to go check it out. Picked up some really interesting NPS, which normally I do more of a soft quarantine of but I took a chance and skipped that in order to put them in my sump where they could get several feedings a day. 2 are doing great. The 3rd is an unidentified NPS which I am hoping is a warmish water dendro. Given it's the dead of winter the tank peaks at 77f so it hopefully isn't too hot for it. That being said I don't plan on placing it in my reef until it opens, if it opens. I have gotten limited feeding response from a variety of foods.

The other recent interesting thing was my big pocillipora had some STN/RTN going on. After 4 antibiotic dips it seems to have stopped. If you're interested in what the heck it was and my treatment you can check this thread out.


Today being the day after Christmas is Boxing Day in Canada - normally this is the biggest reefing day of the year, discounted corals and fish, lining up real early at the fish stores, then having dinner with my extended family. Even without the pandemic that wouldn't happen this year since it's now been 4 years since I moved away to the middle of nowhere. Still boxing day is exciting even if I'm just ordering salt, RO filters and other consumables online. Took the reef photos yesterday and will add a video later today as well.

Do you think I can jam in some branch rock so I have more spots for corals? Or is this it? I do have a few things to add to the tank I already have, but it's looking real real full. Now I have been saying this for years, yet somehow I always find room. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Other than more fish though I feel like I may have squeezed all I can out of this reef.

fts.jpg


2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
7.jpg
133231083_10164921928645227_4798499334098182105_o.jpg
 

Schweezy

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
84
Reaction score
70
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Wow. I want my tank to look this “average.” How in the world do you get your purple whip gorgonia to grow like that. I’ve had mine for three years and it’s barely grown.
 
OP
OP
andrewkw

andrewkw

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
2,895
Reaction score
6,834
Location
Ontario, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Wow. I want my tank to look this “average.” How in the world do you get your purple whip gorgonia to grow like that. I’ve had mine for three years and it’s barely grown.

I pound it with flow, and even though it's photosynthetic it does get a fair bit of small particle food, ie reef roids ect. One day it needs to be lower and in a 30" tall tank so I can let it get really tall.
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Killer reef!!!
 
Back
Top