Waterbox 7225 Chicago SPS Reef

[Perry]

Mark,
How I haven't seen this journal is mind blowing, but glad I just stumbled into it, because your aquarium is amazing! Wow, wow, wow!!! Absolutely gorgeous corals, all of them, but you're acros, DANG :) Well done, just looked over the journal, subscribed ;) Cannot wait for future updates.
Cheers,

 

[mfollen]

Thank you @Perry & @haitian_reefer

I’m working through some major coral rearrangement in the system now and am about halfway through. Give me a few more weeks and I’ll have an updated FTS for yas! In the meantime, here’s a end tank video (ETV? :) ) for yas!

 

[Perry]

Great looking fish, nice and healthy! Those clowns are plump though ;) Love seeing acros on acros stacked :)

 

[mfollen]

Thank you!!

Unfortunately the Latezonatus clowns have been moved, as they were quite the pigs on the bioload :)

The Conspic angelfish as well I have in a new system as it eventually developed an expensive taste for those acro. Can’t blame it.

 

[joroscoe]

Beautiful set up! I have been out for 10 years and looking to get back in. I am in Chi too and am looking at same Waterbox you have but want to go slow and do it right!

 

[theasherrr]

Alright so it's been a little bit, but I finally got the waterbox back on track.

To say the tank has been through a lot since March is a major understatement. There's been highs and lows, but mostly lows including a SPS crash, tank completely overrun with turf algae, prazipro resistant flukes, I'm sure there's more battles I've had to overcome not mentioned. And Im not kidding on the turf algae battle:

Major thanks to R2R helping me get through these battles and get the tank back on track. Thanks @Chaswood79 @EmptyWallet @motortrendz @ScottB for being super resourceful, creators of Vibrant (thank you) & @aquavista99 @therman & Todd & Brett @CherryCorals getting the acros restocked.

Tank is frag land again, but encrusting!

My brother created a custom canopy to hide all the XR15's which really took the peninsula look to the next level. All powerheads are on the back end too, so its nice and clean up front.

I'm still waiting for things to really settle, coralline is slowly kicking in so in the meantime here's some shots of the best part of the tank, the fish!

Always hungry Quoyi Parrot:

The gang:

Scopas Yellow Hybrid:

Updates will be more frequent when the coral nubs are less nubby.

Reviving this thread because I’m looking for a canopy exactly like that. Any chance you’d share the details on how your bro made it?

 

[ScottB]

This was one of my favorite tanks. What's up Follen?

 

[mfollen]

Reviving this thread because I’m looking for a canopy exactly like that. Any chance you’d share the details on how your bro made it?

He used a polyurethane finish to lock in a white satin enamel paint.

I’d think about how you will mount the canopy as the plywood will make it heavy.

You can go a foam route instead!

 

[mfollen]

This was one of my favorite tanks. What's up Follen?

Hey Scott!

The tank lives on!… as an angelfish FOWLR, they love to munch on whatever coral I put in.. even toadstools!

I ended up moving out of my apartment in Chicago out to the burbs. To prep I sold off acros and moved what softies and LPS I could.

I started with brand new rock in the new system, so technically this system is still running in the waterbox just not with coral.

Once I get the lighting fully operational I will keep this thread up to date as it is now fully running in its second life : )

 

[theasherrr]

He used a polyurethane finish to lock in a white satin enamel paint.

I’d think about how you will mount the canopy as the plywood will make it heavy.

You can go a foam route instead!

so awesome for replying to this!!! thank you so much!

 

[mfollen]

Well it’s been a little while now and I think it’s about time for a little update. I just installed some new lighting and am getting more free time to show this tank a little more love moving forward.

This tank still certainly lives on and with some ever growing beauties residing in it

I’ll be making more updates as this tank begins to evolve again.

 

[utekevin]

Hello, how's your peninsula? Give us an update.

 

[haitian_reefer]

Hello, how's your peninsula? Give us an update.

He sold it

 

[mfollen]

Hello!!

Thank you for checking in and looking for an update!

I actually was considering to sell the tank maybe two years ago or so. I listed it, but I did not sell the aquarium and it is still running!
It is still a FOWLR with the angels and powder blue hybrid.

I’ll share an update this next week or so when I get some time for the tank as I am tied up through this weekend.

 

[haitian_reefer]

Hello!!

Thank you for checking in and looking for an update!

I actually was considering to sell the tank maybe two years ago or so. I listed it, but I did not sell the aquarium and it is still running!
It is still a FOWLR with the angels and powder blue hybrid.

I’ll share an update this next week or so when I get some time for the tank as I am tied up through this weekend.

That is good to hear! I still have mine

 

[Goubli]

Hello!!

Thank you for checking in and looking for an update!

I actually was considering to sell the tank maybe two years ago or so. I listed it, but I did not sell the aquarium and it is still running!
It is still a FOWLR with the angels and powder blue hybrid.

I’ll share an update this next week or so when I get some time for the tank as I am tied up through this weekend.

I just watched that old video you posted on this page from your old setup with the acros.

I see you had (still have of course) the conspic and also a regal back in that tank. How aggressive was/is the conspic? Did you find it liked to chomp on some acros?

Man, what a bummer having to sell off all that coral. That's one reason I like to give away frags to people. It's nice to have them give you back coral when re-stocking or after a catastrophe. LOL

 

[mfollen]

Yea it was quite a tank at one point..


I’m honestly still trying to think what made the corals absolutely thrive in this system

The conspic in that tank was nuts in many ways

I added as a .5-.75” baby. It was so cool until it wasn’t lol

It eventually started to pick at acro polyps, and then a little bit on some prized mushrooms. (It ate a WWC biohazard bounce )
Other than that it wasn’t terrible.

The regal was an absolute model citizen. But oh did it eat up high end zoa like skittles.

Special shout out to this guy too.

Yea it was tough to see the tank come down. But I have the joy and challenge to try and get my new system to that level.

 

[Goubli]

Man! What a glorious tank that was. Congrats to you. How was the Potter's? I have tried to get one over the last year and no one can source them.

I have a juvenile gold flake and just ordered a juvenile blue line to roll the dice with. But to me, nothing makes a reef tank pop and look better than the large angelfish.

 

[mfollen]

The potters was a perfect citizen. Never picked coral once. He was one of my favorites.

Agreed. A reef tank is incomplete without an angel lol
Good luck with the blueline, my captive bred one chomped on acros in that tank.
Keep me updated on how the goldflake does!!!