Noob's first FTS

[Jamie]

Well, here is my first FTS. I only have a Sony P&S...So it won't get much better than this until I eventually get a new camera. I have a really hard time getting any true colors from the fish tank to show up...greens usually look brown etc...

This tank is a young 150 gallon (5X2X2) mixed reef. Lighting is provided by 6X80 watt T5 retros cooled by a couple variable speed IceCap fans. The temp stays stable between 77 and 79 degrees F. I am running 3 Koralia 4's for circulation and an Eheim 1262, run through a SCWD, as my return pump. The tank has two corner overflows that empty via CJ Stan Pipes to my Eshopps 300 sump. The skimmer, a custom BK Mini knock-off, is housed within the sump. I also have a TLF phosban reactor...not hooked up at the moment.

I added my first frags by way of the March frag swap. I started with a few softies and a couple euphillia. After having great success with those...I was offered to try a couple easy monti's and they did very well also...so I decided that I wanted to try to stock SPS. Since then I have added about 25 SPS frags and several zoa colonies. Thanks to JeffCo (And the 15 frags I got from him...lol)...I decided I needed a Ca Reactor...so this weekend I'll be picking one up and figuring it out. Most of my SPS frags have only been in the tank for a couple weeks or less.

So many people have been so generous throughout my tank's start-up...and I thank you all. I have met some great people through MAAST and really enjoy this hobby. Outside of battling zoanthid eating nudis for the last month and a half, this tank has been a joy. I hope that 6 months down the line I'll be able to use this shot as a good "before" pic.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/jcarabin/CroppedFTS.jpg

Here's a couple more a little bit closer...

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/jcarabin/DSC09295.jpg

my new PBT passed away this morning after a battle with ich :cry_smile:

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/jcarabin/DSC09296.jpg

I've actually got 11 zoa colonies in QT right now...so there are several holes in my aquascape.

I hope you enjoyed my addiction.

R, Jamie

[SoLiD]

You might want to look for another site to host your pictures because they aren't loading.

[subsailor]

Hey I am not the only one up......

Remove the "?imgmax=1024" from the image link and they will come up.

[envy]

:bigsmile:i see the pics its a white box with a red X in the middle and there are three of the same pics :bigsmile:

[SoLiD]

OK. I see the top one and the bottom one, but the middle one is eating my lunch. I've been able to download all 3 but I can't get all 3 to display. Oh well, just use photobucket, Jamie. :confused:

[Jamie]

Sorry everyone. I will have to figure out the pics after work today. So much for using Picasa.

[Jamie]

Hmmmm....they seem to be working now....for me anyways. Oh....just figured out that picasa web pics only load up while I have picasa web open...weird...I uploaded to photobucket instead.

[clone]

MAN thats nice jamie.
your rock work says a 1000 words

[JeffCo]

Tank looks great Jamie, love the aquascaping. Looks like the frags are doing good.

Only advice is to watch out for that xenia on top, it can grow like wildfire and cover your rock's and sps.

[aquasport24]

Very nice, keep up the good work and you may have to drive up here to get a $25 gift certificate in a couple months from now.(if you know what i mean)..How do you stack your rock?

[SKNR]

What a great job you did with that rock work, very, very nice.

[apedroza]

Excellent rockwork!!!!

[DrMark]

glad to see you figured out the picture uploading. I struggled also.
As I mentioned before, I, too, like the rock work.
mark

[Jamie]

Yeah....that xenia is a weed. I've been contemplating just strait up ripping it out. I haven't yet because I know it does a great job keeping the tank clean. Before I got the new SPS frags, the xenia colony was about three times that size. I routinely have to "trim" it back. It actually has grown onto the shell of one of my snails...pretty funny looking...but really neat at the same time.

As far as stacking the LR...I did it very carefully. I got some nice 25-30lb pieces from Wolf Reef and played around for a long time while setting up...making sure each rock fit just right. The largest pieces are on the bottom and serve as pillars. Sometimes I regret how I layed out the aquascape. The arcing structure is actually not pushed back against the back glass...but towards the center of the tank instead. My original intent for this tank was to make it a FOWLR. Building the island away from the back wall left lots of swimming room around the formation. I still like it for the most part though...and the fish seem to appreciate the space.

So much for the FOWLR idea. Once I figured out I could buy a decent set of lights at a reasonable price...I decided to go for it. And here I am now...trying not to go reef poor....lol.

[mama]

WOW!! fantastic rock display...do they ever fall?? i would be so afraid they could cruch a coral...mine sometimes fall and they are are just in a big pile!!!

[lt1z28]

Looks Great Jamie! It will look even better once the sps start to grow.

[Jamie]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

The rock work only falls if I am clumsy while working in the tank...and usually it is the smaller pieces. Otherwise, for the most part it is very stable ...nothing within the tank has ever induced an avalanche (knock on wood).

I too am very excited to see the sps fill in. I am already noticing an increased demand for ca and alk. I am glad I've got that reactor on the way.

R, Jamie

[Jamie]

Just messing with photobucket really...here's a couple pics of a green milli colony I got from Austin AquaFarms a couple weeks ago.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/jcarabin/DSC09264.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk255/jcarabin/DSC09263.jpg