Downsizing from 250g to a 65g Reef

Andrew.oh17

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Messages
140
Reaction score
158
Location
Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
this thread is turning into a picture book.

With life getting a little busier, I downgraded to a 65 gallon reef (from 250 gallons) and focused on growing out some of the corals I currently have. I added a small frag tank in the basement to collect some other interesting corals I come across (mainly chalice). I got rid of all of my large fish, donating some to our local zoo and a local coral farm.

This tank only has a few fish now in the main display: 1 tiny blue tang, 1 banggai, 1 spotted mandarin, 1 ocellaris, 1 small melanurus wrasse.

Below are a few photos - the tank has been up for about ~8 months so far, but most of the corals have been with me for awhile now.

I kept my basement sump (100 gal rubbermaid filled with rock) with a 50 gallon low boy and 30 gallon frag tank plumbed in. Return is a Reeflo hammerhead/barracuda.

Lights in the 65g are Apex Sky and flow is MP40.

DSC_0820.jpg

The above photo was taken when the tank was just set up. Things have shifted a bit since then.
The below photo is a recent photo of the acro that I purchased from a local reefer during a tank teardown. It's growing and coloring up nicely. I'm not sure what it is.
DSC_2928.jpg

DSC_0845.jpg

Photo above is the clown is hosting in the hammer coral from 2021, no stress on the coral a year later. Clown won't leave that area and protects it from any hands reaching in the tank.

The below photo is a blasto colony that I purchased from a local reefer as well. The heads on these are massive and the colors are amazing in person. A purple stylo shades it just enough and it's been doing really well at the bottom of the tank.
DSC_2981.jpg

DSC_2979.jpg

The above photo are a group of reverse fruit loop zoas. Only zoas in the tank.
Below is another side tank shot (my favorite viewing angle).
DSC_0818.jpg


To be continued: more updates on the tank, corals and I'll venture downstairs to give an overview of the corals I have in the frag tanks and setups there.
 
Last edited:

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,004
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
DSC_2973.jpg

Hard to get a good photo of this pectinia, but this is one of my favorites since it's been through three different tanks. Grown from a small frag.
I love this coral. Had a rainbow pec and it didn't make it. Space invader almost died but it has come back. Need to find a perm. place for it as it is on the sandbed. So far, no stingers.
 
OP
OP
Andrew.oh17

Andrew.oh17

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Messages
140
Reaction score
158
Location
Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I love this coral. Had a rainbow pec and it didn't make it. Space invader almost died but it has come back. Need to find a perm. place for it as it is on the sandbed. So far, no stingers.
I have been able to keep this rainbow pectinia closer to other coral, doesn't seem to send out as many sweepers as the space invader. It's been a fun one to watch grow. For now, it's glued to a small rock so I can move the rock around if needed.
 

Gumbies R Us

Another Fish in the Sea
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2022
Messages
9,865
Reaction score
18,968
Location
North Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
DSC_8907.jpg

DSC_0184.jpg

DSC_1547-2.jpg

TG Hyper Watermelon Chalice growth in the past year or so. It's completely covering a 4x4 tile now. Awesome colors as a small colony.
Coral looks amazing!!
 
OP
OP
Andrew.oh17

Andrew.oh17

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Messages
140
Reaction score
158
Location
Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Petcrazyson @McCarrick
Corals are all doing well. We pivoted a little bit(ok, a lot) and I've upgraded to a fish only upstairs and now have my three frag tanks (including this 65 gallon) down in my basement.

The lights I use are: Neptune Sky over the 65 gal (SPS / mixed reef), Reef Breeders 32 V2 over the 50 gal lowboy (mostly easy SPS, lots of LPS - this tank is getting cleaned out soon), and finally my 30 gallon frag tank filled with chalice and a basket of anemones - lights over that one are T5 and a metal halide that runs for 3 hours a day.

Below is a quick photo of the upgraded 180 acrylic. It'll be a fun experiment as these tanks are all plumbed in together. More to come!
IMG_4987.jpg
 

Being sticky and staying connected: Have you used any reef-safe glue?

  • I have used reef safe glue.

    Votes: 148 88.6%
  • I haven’t used reef safe glue, but plan to in the future.

    Votes: 9 5.4%
  • I have no interest in using reef safe glue.

    Votes: 7 4.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.8%
Back
Top