Sick tank

[allan]

Just moment after cleaning the glass...

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-586e-b22e.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-58a8-36e3.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-58ff-2e47.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-593c-7df6.jpg

[allan]

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-59ce-6213.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-5a11-872b.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-5a48-65af.jpg

[allan]

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0df4-5aa7-7a36.jpg

Todd's tank.

[Mr Cob]

I would love those colonies!

[ismvel]

Maing, woudln't we all? At least those of us who like SPS.

[Mr Cob]

Maing, woudln't we all? At least those of us who like SPS.

MAING! You are killin me! I was doing so well...been like 24 hours since I last said it....now you go and drop it again.

...es betta fa you ta levitta lone maing.

[allan]

I gotta tell you those colonies are huge!!! I took the pics with my iPhone.

[Big_Pun]

I'll hold your sps i have a spare tank I'm setting up a new one today ;)

[Europhyllia]

since you started out with 'moments after the glass was cleaned' I thought this was YOUR tank without the cyano and thought: wow what a difference! lol

Nice tank and corals. :)

[allan]

Lol, everything goes back to my cyano.

Nah, he had just cleaned the glass and the water was cloudy as a result.

When he started telling me what was what I thought he was speaking Italian.

[Scream311]

Noice ! $$$

[justahobby]

since you started out with 'moments after the glass was cleaned' I thought this was YOUR tank without the cyano and thought: wow what a difference! lol

Nice tank and corals. :)


I read "sick tank" and immediately thought you were going to ask why your tank looked milky (first pic)


Verrrry nice colonies! Which todd?

[Mr Cob]

I read "sick tank" and immediately thought you were going to ask why your tank looked milky (first pic)



That was my thought...took me a few minutes to figure out he was showing someone elses tank. I actually dug up one of allan's old threads with pics of his tank and compared them...lol

[Europhyllia]

'sick' is what the 'kids' call it when something is really awesome. I learned that from clone... ;)

[Mr Cob]

^Yeah, I just didn't think Allan was cool enough to use it in that way.....hahahahaha!

He's a pretty cool cat after all!

[justahobby]

Haha! Yes, using "sick" as in "awesome" def. makes him a member of the Cool Cats. I feel bad for the person that really means their tank is sick and no one says anything because we think he or she is proud of their BBA, cyano, aptasia outbreak :D

[aquasport24]

I always feel that Todd has a hidden awesome tank full of SPS. Thanks Allan for the pics.

[allan]

I am the bee's knees.

That cats pajamas.

Not hot nor chilly... Simply cool :)

Texas Todd. Can't grow a damsel but can sure romance stix to grow like wild fire.

To give you an idea of the size of some of those colonies, imagine two of my hands, fingers spread wide.

[TexasTodd]

'sick' is what the 'kids' call it when something is really awesome. I learned that from clone... ;)

LOL that is great.

[TexasTodd]

I always feel that Todd has a hidden awesome tank full of SPS. Thanks Allan for the pics.

Actually I just don't know how to post pics anymore, which isn't really too different than before! Scuba Steveo taught me at one point but now the website has change a couple of times since them. Of course Allan can show off by doing it all from his freaking phone!

Thanks everyone and especially Danny and Dale for the frags about a year ago.

Also, sorry for the delay, our internet went down and I had to have Erik Harrison call to walk me through getting it running again. Thanks Harrison Computing!

Todd

[TexasTodd]

I would love those colonies!

Rob, "it's o.k. to love your colonies, just not o.k. to LOVE your colonies" copied from famous animal movie.

:)

[ErikH]

Just to make everyone jealous, he only doses Kalk through his ATO. He has a way with the sticks! I remember that cap he has growing on his overflow, it was much smaller.... I went a month or two later and it had doubled in size. I swear he has other tricks up his sleeve that he just doesn't share with the public!!! :) Truly an awesome tank. Can't wait to see it next week! :D

[Mrs. z28pwr]

Wow!!! Those are pretty sweet looking sticks!!!!!

[TexasTodd]

Thanks all. Forgot that the Sunset and Undata came from Mrs z28pwr, who my Son thinks is Jose's daughter! :)

Todd

[aquasport24]

Jose's daughter..lol...good one

Can you tell us more about your tank? like age,equipment, dosing,etc.

[TexasTodd]

Hey G, it's a scratched up old 120 48x24x24, and I mean really scratched.

The tank has been set up about 15 months with the sps for about 12 all started from frags. The tank has been moved once since set up.

The system is "exit only", I made sure the corals came from known clean / pest free systems. Several of the corals were from my old large tank passed through a few tanks.

I honestly have been so busy with work that the tank has been somewhat neglected and I've learned more in the process. I just finally hooked up an auto top off about 2 months ago!

I did a lot of experimenting on a small scale over the last couple of years after selling off my old 215. I've also done a lot of thinking on crashes and the touchy tendencies of tricked out sps tanks. Brian and I used to see things happen so fast in the hopped up tanks. I remember talking with Brian after my tank was gone and he was having fits with his Deltec CA reactor locking up and the corals stressing very quickly. If you've ever seen this it's crazy, the tips will literally look like they're smoking at times.

I know you can get better growth with CA reactors, balling, and lots of supplements, but I think you spoil your corals and they get addicted to it. There's no one way to run a tank, but I wanted something not so dependent on me babying it all the time.

Here is what I set up this time:

1. A very good skimmer that is overkill for size of system. I run it wet and don't believe you can overskim, but do think you can underfeed.
2. Fairly high flow in tank but lower flow through sump then past systems, with a good settle out area for debris.
3. Low watt pumps.
4. Good chiller and plans to plumb in a backup chiller.
5. Tank has halide, VHO, and t5. I went with the best halide bulbs I've researched AquaConnect SE. Only bulb to hold color and PAR steady at one year tests. I've never seen such good colors with such a short halide photo period.
6. Feed lightly but consistently.
7. Small refugium.
8. Too lazy to look this up, but Geaur (spelling?) flow set up with Koralia's and an alternating power source to switch flow.
9. Switched from IO to Red Sea Coral Pro salt, of course always super clean rodi.
10. 100% fully saturated kalkwasser top off
11. Keep Mg up is the only other supplement I use.

I have noticed a marked improvement in growth since finally getting the auto top off up and running. I had it for around 2 months before getting to installing it I've just been so busy.

Salinity 1.026-27 or so, temp 79.

There's still some cyano from not cleaning the skimmer as often as I should but not too bad.

Also, a big clam. I do think they help clean a system some.

I have noticed the corals seem to be more brittle then from past tanks, which is probably from the lack of some elements, but the growth and colors are still good and everything doesn't take a nose dive if I'm gone or things get a bit "off" for a while.

Todd

[TexasTodd]

Forgot to list.

Skimmer is Super Reef Octopus 5000 with Bubble Blaster 5000 pump, 13 months with zero problems, has bubble plate design.

Pendants are LumenArcIII's

Ballasts are Lumentek switchable for halide and IceCap 660 for tubes.

2x 46.5" URI VHO Super actinic, 1x 48" Blue+ T5, 1x 48" Fiji Purple T5. Tubes 14 hours, halides just went from 4 to 5 hours only!

Todd

[CoryDude]

Wow TT, super awesome looking tank. I completely agree with your thoughts on these tricked out tanks vs simple setups. Once my tank grows out a little more, I'd love to do some trading with you. SPS lovers UNITE!!!

[Mr Cob]

Todd, thanks for posting the breakdown on your tank. I love that all of those sweet colonies were home grown from frags! You have a very realistic tank... that is successful. As most of us are busy with full-time jobs and families it's nice to see that a tank can still be full of large SPS colonies without having to have all the craziness of reactors etc.

Can't wait to see some more pics.

[aquasport24]

Thanks Todd for taking the time to share all the info. You make it so simple that "a cave man can do it " too. Hopefuly more people will join the STIX's club when they read this thread. How many fish do you have?

[Big_Pun]

thanks Todd, hope this helps bring some more "colored stik" lovers to the hobby. a lot of people don't realize how easy an SPS tank can be, if you have the right equipment and a lil love.

[TexasTodd]

Thanks guys.

Fish:
1 powder blue tang
1 Des sailfin tan
1 Flame Angle
1 Flame Hawk
1 Six line wrasse
1 Cherry head wrasse
1 blue damsel
Just added two ORA pink skunk clowns that are shy and not coming out yet.

Todd

[allan]

Gloria just saw one of your skunks!