So Here we are CanuckReefer finally doing a build thread 25+ years later lol...

[CanuckReefer]

90 gallons, of bliss

I don't have much of anything picture wise from outside 20 years ago unfortunately. So you are all going to have to trust me this group a lot of it has been around for almost 26 years.

My rock is original purchase 25 years back, still performing like a rock star.

My stock
Fish

Yellow Tang 18 years
Ocellaris Clown 18 years
Three stripe Damsel 18 years
Coral Beauty 5 years
Eibli (Red Stripe) Angel coming up to one year!

Inverts
Long Tentacle Anemone
Short Spine Black Urchin
Pincushion Urchin
Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber
Black Brittle Star
Sand sifting Star
Strawberry Conch
Blue and Red leg hermits
Astrea snail
Bumblebee snail
Trochus snail
Coral banded shrimp

I'll try to explain how my tank is unique or maybe the same as some of yours? If you have one similar I would love to hear from you.

I dont run a sump, cannister, skimmer, fuge, or any sort of traditional export. I have multiple powerheads , filter floss and live rock. My rock is 25 years in this trade, and well treated/ seasoned maybe thats how I am so lucky lol.

So next is a shout out to those I chat with here or there @Jedi1199 , and @Rmckoy thanks for being my bounce off over the last year both, and those who's advice/ posts I listen to with great gusto @Tamberav although she probably doesn't know it fully...25 years in the trade here and she is still far more advanced than I am. So thank you so much to this experienced reefer listening and watching....always

. Your insight has helped immensely.

My equipment is an aquaclear powerhead, 4 koralias, an aquaclear hob with nothing but floss in it , a Jebao wavemaker and an Ista UV that's it.

Ok now time for the pics over last few years. They are no great shakes compared to many I see here, but I know my wheelhouse now... its minor risk vs major fail. If you enjoy them then awesome. Be well all....hope you will follow.









.

 

[mdb_talon]

Looks great! Thanks for sharing.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Looks great! Thanks for sharing.

You are another one a regular Talon that I look towards. Its important all of us weighing in, even with each other .

 

[mdb_talon]

You are another one a regular Talon that I look towards. Its important all of us weighing in, even with each other .

Thank you i appreciate that. It is good to see some of same people and see their setups. Posts like this are a good reminder to me of what I already know but sometimes forget and that is there are many different approaches to being sucessful in the hobby.

I cant imagine having a tank without either a skimmer or refugium(in my case both lol), but obviously it is working great for you.

 

[Tamberav]

Really beautiful tank! It has a very natural feel to it and the fish look very healthy. I love seeing and sharing tanks like these.

I plan to pull out corals in mine and add more softies. Really digging the softies lately!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The farther into My journey I get, the more I want to remove the new fancy exports and just run a lot of rock and flow.

Very pretty nems there

 

[Rmckoy]

Very nice setup .
thanks for sharing .

ive thought many times of going the old school Berlin style with live rock and flow as the main filtration .
Following along !

 

[dvgyfresh]

When I first started your posts always had good insight and experience so thank you!! And it shows man you got a great tank! Nem is gigantic!

 

[CanuckReefer]

Thanks for the support all. Means a lot seriously. Moving my Duncan tomorrow, to a cleaner space away from Xenia. Wish me luck. The thing exploded in growth years back and now stalling , because of encroachment

 

[CanuckReefer]

We've made the move! A bit stressful as I tried a different brand of putty Seachem 'Coral Crete' ?....my word, just terrible, it essentially disintegrates after mixing together and flies all over the tank , zero hold. Back to my usual pink colored stuff next time. So went with basic super glue gel instead and all good, will reinforce with a bit of putty later. Duncan is about half normal size, but seems to be adjusting. Sorry for the crappy image but my glass begs for its usual attention every 3 days lol.
Side note, counted the heads finally on this little beast as it was retracted. 42??? For those that are in the know, is fragging it a good choice for its health at this point? Any advice appreciated.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Nice Duncan! I have no idea how to frag them so can’t say , I use seachem reef glue when I need to mount stuff , it’s basically just super glue gel but holds stronger than normal super glue I’ve found

 

[CanuckReefer]

Really beautiful tank! It has a very natural feel to it and the fish look very healthy. I love seeing and sharing tanks like these.

I plan to pull out corals in mine and add more softies. Really digging the softies lately!

The farther into My journey I get, the more I want to remove the new fancy exports and just run a lot of rock and flow.

Very pretty nems there

Thanks both. Looking for a bit of advice. This Xenia is obviously needed in my minimalist setup. Thought.....HOB fuge and rip half the Xenia out of main display, locate there with maybe some Cheato? Small light? This is a 90 so not sure a large HOB would even do it. Maybe go with something a bit larger? I hate hoses and the like outside of the tank in my old age ( well kinda old) it screams LEAK to me lol....let me know.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Nice Duncan! I have no idea how to frag them so can’t say , I use seachem reef glue when I need to mount stuff , it’s basically just super glue gel but holds stronger than normal super glue I’ve found

Thanks! Will post one about a week down the road when hopefully fully readjusted. Ya, the superglue just seems to be better for a really good hold I find. After years of using the putty....Duncan was originally fastened with a different putty years back and held strong with Urchins and all that bumping into it, but I was surprised how easy I could break the bond on the move.

 

[James_O]

Neat tank! That nem is huge! The yellow tang is also really cool, looks super healthy.

 

[James_O]

We've made the move! A bit stressful as I tried a different brand of putty Seachem 'Coral Crete' ?....my word, just terrible, it essentially disintegrates after mixing together and flies all over the tank , zero hold. Back to my usual pink colored stuff next time. So went with basic super glue gel instead and all good, will reinforce with a bit of putty later. Duncan is about half normal size, but seems to be adjusting. Sorry for the crappy image but my glass begs for its usual attention every 3 days lol.
Side note, counted the heads finally on this little beast as it was retracted. 42??? For those that are in the know, is fragging it a good choice for its health at this point? Any advice appreciated.

Are you looking to sell? If not, I would let it keep growing out. Give it a rock to encrust onto so it has more surface area to grow.

Fragging it will take a long time to heal, for both the mother colony and the cutting.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Neat tank! That nem is huge! The yellow tang is also really cool, looks super healthy.

Thanks much James. Nem just keeps growing lol. About 14 inches some days. And that Tang 'Deuce' ( my second ) is 18 years old. I love it to death lol. Lots of Dulse and Nori in its diet.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Are you looking to sell, if not, I would let it keep growing out. Give it a rock to encrust onto so it has more surface area to grow.

Fragging it will take a long time to heal, for both the mother colony and the cutting.

Exactly the advice I was looking for. Not looking to sell, just want a healthy Duncan. It has its own now after this move. Exception a small 2 head trumpet which can be moved.

 

[Tamberav]

Thanks both. Looking for a bit of advice. This Xenia is obviously needed in my minimalist setup. Thought.....HOB fuge and rip half the Xenia out of main display, locate there with maybe some Cheato? Small light? This is a 90 so not sure a large HOB would even do it. Maybe go with something a bit larger? I hate hoses and the like outside of the tank in my old age ( well kinda old) it screams LEAK to me lol....let me know.

I am confused. Why do you want a HOB fuge?

 

[CanuckReefer]

I am confused. Why do you want a HOB fuge?

Ah , sorry I should have been clearer.

Basically this monstrosity pictured is doing a fantastic job keeping Nitrates under control. So good that it is taking over the tank at rapid pace...as has been known to happen in a lot of cases lol. I do like it, but not THAT much. I've been fragging it off, but just curious if you think picking up a HOB fuge to ideally grow some of the Xenia in, and really get rid of about 2/3 of it in the display is a good idea? I've heard of some trying it before.
I'd like to make room for one or two other corals in the display, or at least give those corals that currently reside there a better shot at growth unimpeded. I do see some fair sized hobs online but likely none big enough to be worthwhile for a 90. Might have to make my own and have it stand-alone.

Bottom line is with Xenia doing a good job at nutrient export, and no real mech filtration or skimmer, I feel I need it as part of the system.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Ah , sorry I should have been clearer.

Basically this monstrosity pictured is doing a fantastic job keeping Nitrates under control. So good that it is taking over the tank at rapid pace...as has been known to happen in a lot of cases lol. I do like it, but not THAT much. I've been fragging it off, but just curious if you think picking up a HOB fuge to ideally grow some of the Xenia in, and really get rid of about 2/3 of it in the display is a good idea? I've heard of some trying it before.
I'd like to make room for one or two other corals in the display, or at least give those corals that currently reside there a better shot at growth unimpeded. I do see some fair sized hobs online but likely none big enough to be worthwhile for a 90. Might have to make my own and have it stand-alone.

Bottom line is with Xenia doing a good job at nutrient export, and no real mech filtration or skimmer, I feel I need it as part of the system.

If lowering nutrients is truly yr goal , Xenia would need to be propagated weekly , I think it would become tiring when chaeto can do that quite easily and you don’t need to scrape it off, just throw out for easy nutrient control. You can modify a aqua clear hob filter to be a fuge , just use some egg crate / cheap light and put chaeto inside