Simon's 265

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

I have a very long build thread over on RC, and cannot muster the motivation to recreate it here in it's entirety, but for kicks, here are a handful of 'progression' pictures ....

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

Pictures run from October 2013 until just last week, so 15 months or so. As you can see, I like corals and I like fish, so have attempted to walk the razor's edge between the two. Fortunately, knowledge on how to feed heavily but keep nutrients low has progressed light years since I started keeping reefs in the late 1980's.

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

Major bits of equipment:

1. Reefbreeders and Kessil lights, with a little MH thrown in for kicks
2. Mainly vortech power heads
3. PanWorld 150 man return pump
4. Marine Technical Concepts skimmer and calcium reactor (latter powered by a masterflex pump)
5. Avast Marin kalk doser, ATO, ATOpump and skimmate locker
6. Tricked out Apex
7. 60 gallon frag tank
8. 20 gallon RDSB
9. DiY ATS

Etc., etc., etc......

I do run polyfilters, GAC and GFO; but not a sock to be found and no carbon dosing.

TJ's Reef · Jan 21, 2015

VERY NICE, thanks for bringing it (ever so abrieviated) over to R2R. Fantastic Fish selection and followed it for a bit over at RC before minimizing my Surfin time and ended up staying here. I also just moved a fraction of my build thread over here to start with. How have the Pyramid B-fly's been for you ?

Cheers, Todd

fishroomlady · Jan 21, 2015

you are carbon dosing or no? it's hard to tell from the post. what do you think is critical to your success in keeping so many fish with a healthy variety of coral? I really like fish too

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

Not the easiest fish to keep, despite it's designation as 'easy'. My first quartet all died in QT from various bacterial infections. The second quartet all made it through QT into the main tank; though the runt in the litter eventually just disappeared. So I have a trio. Nice and well behaved, though they do eat xenia and blue clove polyps (I leave it to others to determine if it is a bad thing or not; I think not).

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

fishroomlady said:
you are carbon dosing or no? it's hard to tell from the post. what do you think is critical to your success in keeping so many fish with a healthy variety of coral? I really like fish too

No carbon dosing. I just have multiple export mechanisms that keep my nitrates and phosphates at negligible levels. A big skimmer, an oversized ATS, lots of macro-algae, lots of herbivores, a RDSB and GAC/GFO.

fishroomlady · Jan 21, 2015

thanks for the info!

SeahorseKeeper · Jan 21, 2015

Very nice!! Thanks for sharing!

ca1ore · Jan 22, 2015

My pleasure. A few folks have asked about the fish population.

In the 265 reef tank:

5 Bimac Anthias
3 Bartlett Anthias
3 Pyramid Butterflyfish
3 PJ Cardinals
2 Clowns
3 Chalk Basslets
2 Green Chromis
2 Dwarf Angels (Flame and Potters)
Purple Tang
Yellow Tang
Hippo Tang
Achilles Tang
Leopard Wrasse
Cleaner Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Yellow Tail Damsel
Mandarin
Diamond Goby
Scopas Tang (in the frag tank)

Probably missed a couple.

In my 90 FOWLR:

Convict Tang
Naso Tang (recovering from severe bullying in reef tank)
Chevron Tang
4 Chalk bass
4 Leopard wrasses
2 Black Clowns

In various stages of QT:

Venusta Angel (almost ready)
Desjardini Tang
Powder Blue Tang
5 Evansi Anthias

Would love a Gem Tang, but it's incompatible with my budget