250 gallon solar reef

[hobogato]

the tank is almost 5 months old (as are the clowns) and the banggais are just under two months. the coral frags i have added seem to be doing well and are showing some growth. the clowns have started hosting in various corals, mainly duncans and euphyllia, but also the acros and gorgos. should be really cool when they all settle into some territories.

pardon the brightness, the sun is blazing today!

Q9HJwhxlDSs

[Europhyllia]

I still love that golden glow that real sunlight brings though :)

[Mr Cob]

looks great Ace...nice song choice too...I don't know about you using mine and wife's song though! Jack Johnson, Better Together.

[Third Coast Tropical]

looks great. You have some serious flow in there.

[LuckySingh]

hows the BGM is doin

[hobogato]

funny you mention that, the camera really doesnt do it justice - lots of sparkles in the middle of the day


I still love that golden glow that real sunlight brings though :)

thanks, i guess i should have asked you if i could use that song ahead of time :)


looks great Ace...nice song choice too...I don't know about you using mine and wife's song though! Jack Johnson, Better Together.


thanks, just the dart closed loop. i have it arranged to create a gyre flow


looks great. You have some serious flow in there.

it is doing fine, pause the video at 1:23 and you can see it in the upper right corner


hows the BGM is doin

[Texreefer]

Looking great my friend!!! I Love how all the "un-planned" coral additions add to the overall appeal of the tank!:shades:

[hobogato]

thanks mike

here are a few pics of the clowns starting to host and a couple of coral frag pics

(no, the duncan doesnt mind the clowns, it is usually nice and inflated even with them in it)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08579.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08584.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08586.jpg

bubble gum monster frag - thanks again lucky!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08588.jpg

ora hawkins echinata - thanks again terry!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08590.jpg

pink chalice - thanks again bill!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08591.jpg

just thought i would include this pic so everyone could see the light coming from the solar tubes. this pic was taken at about 5:30pm, the sun is much brighter in the middle of the day. all four 4' t5 bulbs (in the wooden frame on top of the tank) are on in this pic as well as the led moonlights in the recessed fixtures on the ceiling.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08606.jpg

[Mr Cob]

love the FTS Ace, can't get enough of that.

[ShAgMaN]

Cool man, hope the milli is doing well. My other piece has suffered from this darn tribal blenny. Hopefully I catch the bugger soon.

It will be interesting to see how well these coral do through the winter with lower lighting. Totally agree with Cobby, the FTS is awesome.

[hobogato]

thanks guys, here is another quick video - hope the soundtrack is ok with you rob :)

OoZsQHhhqkc

[hobogato]

quick photo update from today

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09129.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09130.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09132.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09131.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09133.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09135.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09136.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09137.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09138.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09139.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09141.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09142.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09143.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09146.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09147.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09148.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09150.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09152.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09154.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09155.jpg

[Europhyllia]

very very nice (but who would have expected anything else really ;) )

[hobogato]

thanks, here is a quick actinic only fts

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09185.jpg

[SinisterLou]

Sick looking set up

[Regric25]

WOW that is sooo nice man! It was like an alien planet or something with the lighting and brightly colored anems all over. A++++++ for you dude! Pics are beautiful! What kind of anem is the white one. 17th pic down...

[hobogato]

thanks guys.

rick, it is a bubble tip clone that i just picked up. it looks bleached atm, but it has already started to get some color back.

[alton]

What is neat is how each one is finding a place to hide

[hobogato]

yeah, and some of them are very solitary - chasing away intruders. some dont mind company in and around their homes.

[Texreefer]

Need to stop by and see them soon

[hobogato]

come by any time mike

tank and clowns are about 6 months old, cards are a little over 2 months old. here is a not so quick video update:

A_9DRqM8RB0

[Third Coast Tropical]

very nice. How many different anemones are in there, and how many total?

[hobogato]

thanks, all anemones are bta. three gbta (two of those are clones) and two rbta. there are also lots of torch corals and other euphyllia for them to host.

[SoLiD]

Thanks for the updates and thanks for taking good care of the little Bang Guys. :wink_smile:

[hobogato]

thanks for sending them home with me david :) did all of your critters survive the move?

apparently, this anemone is the best one for over-nighting

kLcniAJCgjw

[hobogato]

here is a bit of an update. things are trucking along nicely, and everything seems to be growing. here are some pics from today

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09207.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09210.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09211.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09212.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09213.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09214.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09215.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09216.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09217.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09218.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09219.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09220.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09224.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09228.jpg

and a video:

2HY0hgxsba4

[LuckySingh]

seriously tank looks awsome:)

[Europhyllia]

gorgeous colors. If that doesn't make you want to rip a hole in your roof, nothing will!! :)

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments lucky and karin

[allan]

Yeah dude, your stuff looks good all the time... And you make it look so easy.

[BSJF]

looking awesome!

[hobogato]

thanks lorraine and allan

another monthly update here. tank is 8 months old and clowns are a couple weeks past that. the cards are about 5 months old.

first, some pics

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09258.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09260.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09263.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09264.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09265.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09266.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09267.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09268.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09269.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09270.jpg


and a video - couldnt shorten it down to the first song, so i had to reuse your song rob

OLhRUZUdQ_w

[Texreefer]

is that the war coral I gave you?.. its looking good

[hobogato]

yep, starting to get some nice red coloration

[Europhyllia]

you make me sick with your awesomeness. Just stop it. The colors are always amazing!!!

[Mr Cob]

haha Ace! I was showing your thread off at the pickup tonight, killer tank man, love all the colors and movement.

[alton]

Looks great, I can't belive it has been 8 months. Also only one one clown in the frogspawn?

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments,

alton, there are two that stay in that frogspawn. each frogspawn has two or three that visit. it is amazing to see all the fish when there is food in the tank - otherwise, you can only see a few swimming around at any given time.

[hobogato]

OM NOM NOM NOM

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09273.jpg

[hobogato]

some actinic shots from tonight (click for bigger pic)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC092891024x768.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09289.jpg)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC092921024x768.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09292.jpg)

an artsy one to accentuate the movement in the tank a bit

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC093011024x768.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09301.jpg)

[Texreefer]

Ehh, Ive seen Better!









:wink_smile:

[Bill S]

Ehh, Ive seen Better!









:wink_smile:

Good one, Mike!

[hobogato]

i was taking pics of the orange torch for rob and thought this made for a nice view, so i thought i would share

no sunlight, blue t5 bulbs only (click for higher resolution)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09318-1.jpg (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09318large.jpg)

[Texreefer]

Very Nice...

[Scutterborn]

Ace, I don't think you realize this but, I'm constantly talking about how awesome your tank is to my wife. She can verify this on Saturday! Lol! You have inspired me to build a large captive bred tank as well. Thank you!

[hobogato]

thanks for the compliments guys

ben, i look forward to seeing what you do with that big tank

[Kristy]

Beautiful as always. The colors you get.... often lead me to thinking about cutting holes in our roof! :D

[Scutterborn]

I'm gonna name the tank " Ace Inspired"

[Scutterborn]

I'm gonna stop talking now. You might get get a big head! Lol! I'm just really, really excited!

[hobogato]

finally got a fairly decent pic under the led moonlights the other day and thought i would share. it isnt exactly accurate, but pretty close.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC094301024x768.jpg

[alton]

Wow that looks good and bright. How much light does the solar tubes bring in from the full moon this week?

[Texreefer]

very cool

[hobogato]

if it is pitch black in the house and the led moonlights are off, the full moon brings a slight glow to the tank - just enought to see the white sand and the few ultra bright green corals in the tank along with the white parts of the clowns that are not hidden.
Wow that looks good and bright. How much light does the solar tubes bring in from the full moon this week?

[wolff809]

Hey ace how are the coral I gave you doing?

[hobogato]

they are doing great. you getting back in any time soon randy?

[350gt]

i bet that natural moonlight looks awesome..............

[hobogato]

the tank (and clowns) are about to be one year old :)

just for fun, i made this gif when the sun was pretty bright today. i was hoping it would capture the cool shimmer - no luck, but it is kinda funny to watch anyway :)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09508800x600.gif

[350gt]

Any plans for more fish?

[hobogato]

Any plans for more fish?


no, there are about 50 clowns, 7 banggai cards, and two wrasses in the tank. i think i will do another gif at feeding time to show the swarm :)

[SoLiD]

Did the other Banggai Cardinals die or get given away? Do the bigger Cardinals bully the smaller ones?

[hobogato]

no, i lost most of them to sudden fright syndrome just after letting them out of the nursery at a month old. the seven that survived seem to get along pretty well.


Did the other Banggai Cardinals die or get given away? Do the bigger Cardinals bully the smaller ones?

[jroescher]

no, i lost most of them to sudden fright syndrome just after letting them out of the nursery at a month old.

What purpose is accomplished in the grand scheme of survival does an animal dying when frightened serve?

[Scutterborn]

Survival of the fittest.... One of the reasons why so many eggs are laid. 300 eggs may equal 2-3 survivors in the wild.

[hobogato]

many people believe that SFS is a nutritional issue, not enough or the right types of fatty acids in the foods given to very young fish and the parents before and during breeding. in my case, i think it was the food that was fed to the month old fish for the week i was on vacation just before releasing them from the nursery. it also doesnt always kill them if you correct the issue quickly - i think the aiptasia infestation i had in the tank at the time is what killed them when they had their seizures and settled to the bottom.


What purpose is accomplished in the grand scheme of survival does an animal dying when frightened serve?

[hobogato]

well, the tank was officially a year old this week, so i thought i would post an update video

7L3K-0Z1w_o

[allan]

Outstanding ace!

The tank is looking awesome. How many clowns do you have in there?

[Scutterborn]

Amazing...

[KING]

man.real nice..i cant get that tank out my head from the last time i seen it..

[hobogato]

thanks for the compliments guys. allan, there are around 50 clowns in the tank

[allan]

If they breed in your tank, do the fry still get eaten or do they recognize their own?

[hobogato]

they are only a year old, so that is still a year away. i am guessing that if they breed it will be the same as any other tank, unless i remove the fry, they will get eaten.

[signal_4]

What youve done with this tank is amazing !!! Such an inspiration to me.... I love it !!

[hobogato]

thanks altan

[hobogato]

well, over the weekend i lost two really nice picassos to aggression. i have removed all of the largest and most aggressive fish as well as the other normally striped clows from the population, which leaves me with around 30. the tank seems much more peaceful atm, we shall see how it goes tho.

[hobogato]

unfortunately, the royal rumble continues. this evening i will be removing all but a few of the clowns from the tank. i was really hopeful that they would continue to get along since they were from the same clutch of eggs, but that just doesnt seem to be the case. if you have been wanting an interesting clownfish, you may want to keep a watch on the for sale forum...

[LuckySingh]

unfortunately, the royal rumble continues. this evening i will be removing all but a few of the clowns from the tank. i was really hopeful that they would continue to get along since they were from the same clutch of eggs, but that just doesnt seem to be the case. if you have been wanting an interesting clownfish, you may want to keep a watch on the for sale forum...
sorry to hear that ace....
i hve lost mine one clown during the move and maybe intersted for a nice small picasso is u hve any up for sale..

[hobogato]

there will be at least 20 fish up for sale this evening, some really nice picasso and platinums. pretty disappointed right now, keeping these clowns together was the whole reason for this tank.

[Texreefer]

What about keeping some nice pairs at the school?

[edshas2]

im looking for a pair, il keep an eye out for your post

[hobogato]

i may have to evacuate all of the fish at the school this summer because of construction projects


What about keeping some nice pairs at the school?


i am going to try to keep three pairs and the few small cull fish that can not be allowed to reproduce. hopefully that will work out.

[hobogato]

well, i must admit that i was pretty bummed that i was having to change the whole idea of the tank so soon. something cool happened today tho. i brought home a brain coral and a fish (marine betta) that i had in my old 240 gallon tank several years ago - thanks again donny! the tank looks a bit different now as i have removed most of the duplicate corals and replaced them with lots more color. i will soon be adding some more fish, and will post update pics and maybe even a video once everyone is settled in.

[Zack]

Real sorry to hear about your troubles Ace, how many clowns were you left with after all the fighting?

[hobogato]

i lost two to fighting, so i removed all but 8 healthy clowns and i think there are 5 others in the tank that should have been culled but i just kept them to live out their lives in peace. i believe i got rid of 35 clownfish in all. it isnt that big of deal to change directions, i was just hoping to see the tank stay relatively unchanged for a couple of years at least to watch it develop.

[reefreak]

Yeah the tanked looked amazing ( as usual ) when I stopped by yesterday

[Zack]

By culled do you mean sold off?

[hobogato]

no, they were fish with genetic issues like bull nose, etc. that could not be allowed to reproduce. usually, breeders just cull them (kill them humanely) but i just let them live out their lives in my tank, knowing i would never keep any of their offspring if they ever happened to breed. there were about 10 of those at the beginning about a year ago, and five of them are still alive.

[350gt]

What fish are you planning to add?

[hobogato]

a school of chromis, some anthias, a few tangs and maybe a blennie or two. once everything is added and happy, i will post an updated stocklist with some pics.

[reefreak]

Nice nearly the same with my stocklist with out the clowns

[hobogato]

wow, i witnessed some intense fish hatred this morning!

i tried to put the small marine betta from the fowlr tank in this tank with the big one. i left the little one in the isolation box overnight so they could get acquainted before just setting it loose in the tank

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/DSC04449.jpg

well, they didnt try to attack each other while separated, so i thought i might have lucked out with a male and female...

as soon as i opened the door, it was war! the little one was so intent on attack that it even attacked the net when i put it in the tank to separate them again. of course, i quickly separated them and moved the little one back to the fowlr tank before they could hurt each other.

it is too early in the morning and i have not had enough coffee yet to be dealing with that kind of excitement :whew:

[350gt]

Lol that bites.....

And a good morning to you. :wink_smile:

[SoLiD]

Yes... good morning... Umm.. errr, I'm a night owl... :wink_smile:

I hope your fish sort it out. I know how stressful that can be. Good Luck.

[hobogato]

oh, they dont have to work it out, i removed the smaller one.

[SoLiD]

Even better. That's why I stick to Reef Fish that aren't overly aggressive. Some of the mean fish look awesome, but it can get crazy in no time in there. If I ever set up an a aggressive tank; the first two that I'd add would be a Harlequin Tusk Fish and a Marine Beta.... Oh and an Adult Red Coris Wrasse, too.

[hobogato]

yep, those three are awesome to have. i had all three in the 240, and it was constant drama - that red coris made sure nothing stayed where i put it and the tusk was a clean up crew eating maching :)

[hobogato]

took a few pics today because the sun is nice and bright in the tank. it washes out the coral colors a bit, but i think it looks pretty cool. once i finish adding fish, and everything settles in, i will take a few pics under when the sun isnt so bright so the coral colors show up better.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09677.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09678.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09673.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09672.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09671.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09674.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09675.jpg

[reefreak]

Is that a white gorg?

[hobogato]

yep, it is a harp sea fan or white whip coral (Ctenocella pectinata). strictly non-photosynthetic.

[reefreak]

Wow that really caught my eye

[hobogato]

yeah, it is pretty unusual. the usual specimen of this type of coral we see in fish store is red with white polyps.

it looks like the addition of tangs will mean the end of my caulerpa bed in the front corner of the tank. that means i will need to add some other means helping remove nitrates. i think i will build a cryptic fuge that will be plumbed into the closed loop under the tank, should be a challenging project. i think i will fill the empty area vacated by the caulerpa with zoas and make that entire front corner into a zoa garden.

[allan]

Art!

Pure Art!

[Mr Cob]

looks great Ace, very natural looking, sad to see the macro go but the extra movement from the tangs will compensate for less clowns, macro and euphylia! :)

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments everyone :)

in the middle of building the cryptic fuge

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09703.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09704.jpg

since this tank does not have overflows, this will be a sealed box that is plumbed into the closed loop. for that reason, i have to make sure there is no chance that any seam will let go, because it would drain the tank empty. for that reason, i am using 1/2" and 3/8" acrylic and will be putting extra reinforcement strips in all of the seams to be sure.

anyone know where to find thin sheets of rubber to make a gasket for the removable access door that must seal? the door is 16"x16" so the sheet of gasket material needs to be at least that large. if i can't find some, i will just make a gasket out of silicone #1.

[hobogato]

coming along

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09705.jpg

[Bill S]

Ace, try an auto parts store. Or, buy a truck tire tube.

How about double walling the box, with over lapping corners?

[allan]

There is a gray sheet of rubber that plumbers use to line beneath showers...?

[txav8r]

San Antonio belting has any size rubber sheet you might need.

[txav8r]

210- 225-2671

211 W cevallos

[SoLiD]

I do computer work for a Gasket Shop in Corpus if you get desperate. LMK

[hobogato]

thanks all, i found a roll of fiberized rubber that i think will work.

[hobogato]

got the initial setup access panel done. it will be removable, but i hope i never have to get into this thing once it is up and running...

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09706.jpg

[Scutterborn]

That's spiffy looking!!

[Scutterborn]

How exactly are you going to plumb this in? Are you going to tee off the main circulation lines to slow the flow down?

[hobogato]

i was going to plumb it into one of the two remaining untapped closed loop return lines (about 1200gph), but i decided instead to plumb it into the closed loop return that already has the carbon reactor so i could control the amount of flow thru the fuge.

i have rinsed all but one bucket of sand that i got from allan and i am about 1/3 of the way up to the depth i was shooting for. with the remaining bucket from allan and the sand i am supposed to pick up tomorrow, i should be good to go. i forgot how much i hate rinsing sand...

[Scutterborn]

Will this fuge be filled all the way to the top or will it maintain an air pocket? I realize your sealing it in the event of a loss of power to maintain the integrity and safety of a closed loop system.

[hobogato]

i am hoping that it will keep a small air pocket - about an inch at the top. at least that is the way i planned it :)

[hobogato]

after rinsingandrinsingandrinsingandrinsing 500# or more of sand, and putting it in the fuge, it still stinks. therefore, instead of plumbing it into the tank right away, i have decided to fill the fuge with salt water and let it cycle for at least a couple of weeks to make sure it doesnt cause issues when i plumb it into the tank.

[hobogato]

here is a quick pic of the tank after removing the rest of the grass bed and rearranging a little

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC097171024x768.jpg

[BSJF]

nice favia :)

so it has 3 arch holes now, right? Just thinking about hiding places for the tangs. They will all need their own space to call home at night.

[hobogato]

i can think of 8 places for the tangs to cozy up at night.

[350gt]

Liked the way you had your tank before but this is just as good......

I want this foot print if I ever go bigger...

[hobogato]

thanks tony

the vlamingi tang that donny gave me decided he no longer wanted to be tank mates with the marine betta, so i passed him on to jose for his 600 gallon tank. he will be much happier in that giant tank anyway :) the cryptic fuge is still cycling away, the smell is completely gone and the water is clear, but i am going to give it some more time and then run a carbon reactor on it for a bit before i plumb it into the main tank. the main tank seems to be doing fine without the macro-algae grass bed.

[hobogato]

i sure would like to buy a beer for whoever invented ceramic floor tiles and shop-vacs!

i found out today that 3/8" acrylic sounds about like a small caliber gunshot when it breaks and 50 gallons of water and sand goes a long way on tile. something about my design for the cryptic fuge plumbing caused a large pressure buildup - enough pressure to turn the 1/2" acrylic top into a slight dome just before blowing out one of the sides. fortunately, we were home and thanks to ball valve unions, the tank is fine.

[Scutterborn]

Oh snap! That's no good...

[hobogato]

yeah, that is about what is said - more or less :lauging:

[Scutterborn]

I thought about using dang but snap seemed more appropriate... Sorry for the bust. I know you put a lot of work and sand rinsing into that project.

[allan]

Man, that bites. So is the cryptic fuge out? I think it was a good idea, didn't you run it parallel with the carbon reactor?

[Bill S]

Ace, how about if you plumb the pump to the exit side of the fuge? Also, isn't this a closed loop? If so, be sure to use a circulation-type pump rather than a pressure pump. A typical circulation pump won't build up as much pressure.

[SoLiD]

What about having 2 valved Tees on both sides of the pump and a venturi type of inlet to allow for a more controlled flow through the chamber. kind of like having 2 U shaped connections on top of each other. IDK, without a sump, everything seems to be more complex.

[SoLiD]

Ace, how about if you plumb the pump to the exit side of the fuge? Also, isn't this a closed loop? If so, be sure to use a circulation-type pump rather than a pressure pump. A typical circulation pump won't build up as much pressure.

Yes, this makes more sense. It will "pull" water through the chamber instead of "pushing" through. Makes sense to me.

[hobogato]

good ideas guys, i will keep them in mind if i decide to try it again. i am not planning to do it again tho unless it becomes necessary.

[Bill S]

i am not planning to do it again tho unless it becomes necessary.

Chicken.

[Scutterborn]

Dang! Bills callin you out Ace! I can see how it could be a bit demoralizing though.

[Bill S]

Dang! Bills callin you out Ace! I can see how it could be a bit demoralizing though.

Nah. Just kidding him. I know how it is after a big catastrophic leak. You have to take time to sit back and re-think it all.

[hobogato]

well, had it happened when i was not here, i would have had about 300 gallons of water on the floor in about 30 minutes. the tank seems to be going well as is right now, i was just adding that fuge for extra biological filtration. if i need it in the future, i will figure out how to make it work.

[koa25]

Holy crap Ace. That sucks. You should try it again dude. Take a breather and give it another go around. Sweet concept. Sorry it was a bust. No pun intended.

[hobogato]

inspired by mike and cory, i decided to snap a few actinic shots this evening

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09744.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09745.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09746.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09747.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09748.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09751.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09752.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09753.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09754.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09755.jpg

[hobogato]

one more batch

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09758.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09759.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09760.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09761.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09762.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09778.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09768.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09765.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09764.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09763.jpg

[koa25]

Does that mean you are going to try again? I don't need sand that bad. I'd rather see some inspirational design work coming from you. Do it to it buddy.

Those are some amazing shots. Love the acans. Gorgeous.

[hobogato]

no, sorry. i was talking about mike (texreefer) and cory's actinic pics from the last couple of weeks. definitely not going to try the cryptic fuge again any time soon if ever.

[BSJF]

You are going to here that snap every time you work with acrylic now. I'm so sorry, but glad at the same time that it wasn't 300 gallons.

[hobogato]

nah, you should have seen the bulge upward on the top, i knew there was a buildup of pressure that was going to cause problems. the center of the top was pushed up about 1/2" or more!

[Texreefer]

Very Nice shots Ace...!!!!!

[Mr Cob]

dang Ace! THOSE shots look amazing, I love the encrusting lps garden...can't wait to see the wars join up and so cusrious to see what the chalices do when they touch the war...I would assume battle time.

I never thought of mounting a scoly before...that seems like a good solution for keeping them clean, I have a wrasse that likes to kick up sand when they are on the bottom so I'm constantly pulling out the turkey baster. thx for the idea.

Where did the non-indo pink end up? I didn't see it with the batch of acans...

Great pics.

[ErikH]

You owe me a keyboard! I just drooled all over mine!

Great looking tank Ace. Totally poppin'.

[koa25]

no, sorry. i was talking about mike (texreefer) and cory's actinic pics from the last couple of weeks. definitely not going to try the cryptic fuge again any time soon if ever.

I knew you weren't talking about me ha ha. I haven't posted any actinic shots. Too many Mikes in this world.

[RayAllen]

Nice Shots Ace!

[reefreak]

Nice ace it would have been cool if you did a Xenia garden instead of the zoa garden lol

[hobogato]

thanks everyone

rob, they ended up in the area with the orange torch. the pic i took of that area did not turn out will, so i will try again in the next couple of days.




Where did the non-indo pink end up? I didn't see it with the batch of acans...

[allan]

Very nice, Ace. Wish I had your touch when it comes to design and taste.

[hobogato]

thanks allan, but i think you are doing great with your skills :)

thanks for the fish lorraine!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09789.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09793.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09794.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09795.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09798.jpg

they all stayed in the front corner together for a while, but now they are exploring the whole tank. couldnt get a decent pic of the anthias, they ran for the rocks every time i got close :)

[reefreak]

Nice pics ace hey you should make a video of how your light goes from the beginning of the day to the end of the day

[wolff809]

Ace sorry to hear about the recent changes but the tank looks amazing. I won't be getting back into the saltwater till I move out and finish school. I have zero time to do anything at the moment with paramedic school coming up in the fall.

[CoryDude]

Glad Lorraine's fish went to a good home. You'll love that sailfin Ace. Very beautiful fish!

[hobogato]

i hear that randy, when you are ready to jump back in, hit me up - i will have some goodies for you.

thanks cory, i feel fortunate that she trusts me with her babies


Nice pics ace hey you should make a video of how your light goes from the beginning of the day to the end of the day

good idea jeremy, see if this video works for that :)

ZUfkOyajUrg

[reefreak]

this is amazing how bright it is in the middle of the day how long do you keep the actinics on?

[BSJF]

Awe, all the babies look happy with their new digs! Looks like they were born in the tank! Even the anthias came out to play for the video - yeah!

[hobogato]

lighting schedule:

moonlight blue led - 24 hrs a day

5:00 am - 9:00 pm - supplimental blue led strips

7:00 am - 8:00 pm - blue t5

7:30 am - 7:30 pm - supplimental red and green led strips

10:00 am - 6:00 pm - 12K t5

middle of the day - sunlight


took a few pics a bit ago - colors are pretty nice when it is cloudy in the late afternoon

welso from reefs2u - looks almost solid baby blue in the middle of the day
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09830.jpg

the brain i got back from donny that i used to own in my old 240 - we call it the "texas brain"
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09831.jpg

miami hurricane - most of the eyes have turned bright yellow/green
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09833.jpg

bazooka joe watermelon
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09835.jpg

pumpkin patch (i know, same as miami hurricane)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09836.jpg

bubble gum monster
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09837.jpg

tyree alien eye
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09838.jpg

unknown red chalice from elegant reef
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09839.jpg

jeffco's mauve/pink eye chalice - eyes turned teal in my tank
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09840.jpg

nice chalice i got from john p
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09841.jpg

sherita's blue chalice - btw you are being watched :ph34r:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09844.jpg

another chalice from sherita (forgot the name)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09845.jpg

a couple of acans from austin aquafarms

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09849.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09850.jpg

alveopora from aquarium designs
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09851.jpg

[reefreak]

Ha I see why the brain got its name lol

[allan]

Those corals... I'm just gonna assume that it's your photography skills tha let them look like that... Not your skills at keeping coral. :)

[wolff809]

i hear that randy, when you are ready to jump back in, hit me up - i will have some goodies for you.

Will do and thanks. If you ever need any help I am right around the corner.

[hobogato]

yeah, on my laptop the pics are true to color, but on my phone (which has the brightness set very low) they look very unrealistic - kinda like an old technicolor movie :)


Those corals... I'm just gonna assume that it's your photography skills tha let them look like that... Not your skills at keeping coral. :)

[hobogato]

it was a great weekend for the tank!

thanks for the scolys, acans and brain jarob! and thanks for the dendros david!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09863.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09861.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09853.jpg

[Mr Cob]

oh man, those are some beauts. Love that last bleeding apple, war paint something scoly. Do you know if it has a recognized designer name?

[SoLiD]

No problem Ace. The Dendro's look stunning in your tank.

Thanks for the fish trap. It was greatly appreciated!

[hobogato]

i think it is just a bleeding apple that had its green fade. jarob said that bright green should continue to spread and replace the purple.


oh man, those are some beauts. Love that last bleeding apple, war paint something scoly. Do you know if it has a recognized designer name?

[Mr Cob]

ah ok, makes sense... so it's a spoiled bleeding apple lol

[hobogato]

dont get me wrong, i would be very happy if it stayed as it is :)

[Mr Cob]

yeah, it looks cool, unique

[allan]

Hey ace, I was telling someone at work about this tank and we got to talking.

Most tanks can't go too deep because of light penetration. Can you go deeper since you're using the sun? We were thinking that in the ocean coral tends to grow deeper than 24-27"... Shouldn't you be able to as well? If you wanted to?

[hobogato]

if my house were not two stories tall, then i think the tank could be much deeper. the length of the solar tubes decreases the light intensity considerably in my application tho.

[hobogato]

some sunny day pics now that the tank seems to have recovered from the turmoil of catching the fishes that had to be removed.

i tried some different angles to show how the tank really looks with the sunlight coming in - they still dont look quite right tho...

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09911.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09912.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09909.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09896.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09901.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09898.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09902.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09900.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09905.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09903.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09897.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09907.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09899.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09893.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09892.jpg

[reefreak]

beautiful shots ace! what kind of tang is that?

[hobogato]

thanks jeremy, it is a vampire tang

btw, i had to set the white balance on the camera to 6900 k to get the colors to look close in the pics

[reefreak]

wow hes beautiful

[allan]

Man, nice shots, nice tank, nice fish, nice coral....

When do you leave town???

:)

[hobogato]

picked up a new home for the clowns yesterday.

it is an H. magnifica (ritteri) anemone. it was added to the tank last nigh, and has not let go of the rock yet :) seems really healthy and has inflated to about half of its normal size so far

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00069.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00068.jpg

the clowns moved in this morning and they are loving it!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00127.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00125.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00120.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00117.jpg

[RayAllen]

Looks great Ace! Nice Nem.

I have to see of all the aquarium reefs yours IMO seems to be the most natural. The sunlight may have something to do with that, but it just looks like you took a chunk out of the ocean.

[LuckySingh]

Ace looking awesome....
Can't wait to transfer my nemo to my new display

[hobogato]

ok, show of hands...

who else here has fallen down and broken his nose trying to catch a coral eating fish?

[Scutterborn]

WHAAATTT!! Did you break your nose, Ace?


- Ben -

[hobogato]

i did say who else :lauging:

tally of coral eating fish i have now removed from my tank:

giant sailfin tang - gave me a nice puncture wound with his tail spine as a parting shot
yellow tang
blue hippo tang
three lined blennie
vampire tang - let me break my nose on the tile floor while trying to remove him

hopefully i am now done with coral eating fish!

[reefreak]

Wow the vampire tang is a coral eater huh? And ouch did that hurt glad you got all the fish out

[Kristy]

Yikes! Talk about resisting arrest... those guys did not want to leave your beautiful tank!

How is the ritteri doing?

[hobogato]

yes jeremy, it hurt(s). i really hated getting rid of that vampire tang most of all.

kristy, the ritteri is happy as can be, even thought the tank went thru a bit of turmoil today.

[Scutterborn]

That's no good... No good at all. Sorry to ask but, are you still willing to buy a beer for the guy whoever came up with tile floors? Lol! No one can say that you aren't willing to give 110%!!


- Ben -

[hobogato]

lol - yep, my own stupidity for not putting down towels first

[350gt]

Wth?

[hobogato]

i am just glad i only barely split my lip and didnt knock out any teeth :whew:

[hobogato]

carrying a net in each hand and walking briskly around the tank chasing a fish on saltwater soaked tile with no shoes on - pick whichever stupid mistake listed here you like and it applies to my afternoon :)


Wth?

[reefreak]

well thats good good thing you didn't hit your tank tho

[hobogato]

:lauging: i hadnt thought of that!

[reefreak]

that would have been 10x worse

[z28pwr]

ok, show of hands...

who else here has fallen down and broken his nose trying to catch a coral eating fish?

I would say that you are the first and hopefully it will be your last, that must have been extremely painful. Your tank looks great and you have some nice corals. I'm glad Mizeny hasn't seen your tank or she would want to start hers back up.

[ErikH]

Dang Ace, that sucks! Hope your road to recovery is speedy.

[Sherita]

Ouch Ace!

I was trying to figure out how it could have happened, then I remembered busting the back of my head open a couple of years ago on a wet tile floor. A "Eureka!" moment.

Hope it heals up quickly, and sorry to hear that you had to remove another fish. That sux.

Would it cheer you any to hear that I almost have the background done for the 140 and that a build thread is coming soon?

I'm so sorry to hear that you had to take the vampire out. What was he munching on?

[Mr Cob]

ACE! Dang dude, talk about lame. lol Sorry man, I can't believe you cracked your nose maing!!! That's a real bummer. Hang in there man. Too bad on the vampire tang, he was super cool...but it's all about what you have more of and what costs more. Coral eating fish gots ta go!

[allan]

Coral eating fish are popping up everywhere... It's a plague.

You broke your nose? Where the heck are the pictures? :D

[hobogato]

nah, not picture worthy. it is already feeling much better.

the list of corals that were nipped:

red cap
tyree undata
green acans from sherita - lost the colony
green open brain
many other acan colonies
orange leptastrea
teal leptastrea
both acros up front
pumpkin patch chalice
bazooka joe chalice
starry night chalice - may lose this one
red war coral
blue ice war coral
tricolor war coral
bgm chalice
meteor shower cyphastrea
small gonio frag - might lose this one
green favites
red/purple scoly
highlighter orange lobo
red/pink/green open brain

with the exception of the green acans, everything looks like it will recover. many of them are already looking better as they hadnt been picked on in a while. the latest victims have the most recovering to do. tank still looks nice, i just have to think long and hard to decide if i want to add any more fish.

[alton]

Sorry about your nose. I had your problem with a baby queen angel I got from GC Reef, while she was in my 200 a model citizen, moved into my 300 and she picked on everything.

[hobogato]

strange how fish can change behavior so fast

i did set a record (for me) catching the vampire tang. i only knocked down two corals in the process of catching it. after i got the bleeding stopped on my nose and face, i went back to work catching the fish and it swam itself into a net that i had blocking one of its hiding spots. funny thing is the net was only big enough for the fish to fit half way in. all i know is the fish darted away from me and then a small fish net was trying to jump out of the tank :lauging: so i just used the big net to catch the fish and small net all together and put it over into the bucket. probably the strangest fish removal i have ever been involved in

[Sherita]

Dang Ace, your fish have broad palates :what_smile:

Don't sweat the starry nights (Starburst now) chalice. I will cut ya another one and get it healed up. Your capture story beats mine hands down, I used an algae scraper to catch the big yellow tang out of my 72g. And you are right, they are popping up everywhere, it's disturbing. At least my latest fish isn't eating corals. Blackfin Soapfish, handsome devil and a bit unusual. Of course, he may eat my other fish later on.

[zaquanh_09]

i love this tank

[Pennies2Cents]

Ouch Ace.. :*( glad your doing better. I remember we had to take out the LR in our 240 to catch a purple tang we had that was munching on our Zoa.. Not fun at all.. Glad you caught him quick. That fish was awesome.. Hope it finds a good home.

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments :)

[reefreak]

hey ace i got a tricolor war coral.here if you want it

[hobogato]

thanks for the offer, that is very generous! fortunately, i think mine will pull thru

[Sherita]

How's your nose today Ace?

I tried really hard to outdo you, but the best I could manage was catching the backlash from my sawzall, with my face. Punched a hole right through my upper lip. Most folks get cut, I had to be the "special" one and figure out how to hurt myself with the butt end of the thing. Of course, my client freaked out about it. I'm gonna be drinking through a straw for a while :(

No more coral eating fish today for you, I hope.

[hobogato]

yikes, that is no fun at all!

[BSJF]

kriss says it is fish karma. don't mess with it :)

[hobogato]

the ritteri has been in the tank for over a week now without moving, gaping its mouth, or deflating. it seems to eat every time i feed the tank, but i am not feeding it directly. i am letting the clown pair take care of their home. hopefully it will continue to settle in

sorry, down to actinic lighting only for the rest of the evening

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00213.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00214.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00215.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00216.jpg

anyone know what this coral is?

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00219.jpg

twitchy is always following me around the tank

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00220.jpg

fts in sections

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00223.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00222.jpg

[reefreak]

looks like a weird acan lol

[CoryDude]

I love actinic shots. Nice pics Ace!

[hobogato]

thanks cory

the unknown coral may be a Moselaya latistella - similar to the one we just picked up for christy's tank, but not exactly the same. may be able to get a better id once it grows out. also, two weeks in the tank for the ritteri and it still seems to be happy

picked up a couple of things at fishtomorrow in fortworth and austin aquadome on the way home yesterday:

scoly

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00247.jpg

another unknown - sold as a Symphyllia sp., but it doesn't look like one?

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00245.jpg

[allan]

Wow, that's a nice scoly.

[hobogato]

thanks allan, they had two or three more that were very similar at the dome

[reefreak]

Looking good ace!

[hobogato]

thanks jeremy. worked quite a bit on the tank today, as the big green anemone decided it was no longer happy on the front side of its rock. i did some other rearranging as well because it was entirely too cluttered. christy doesnt mind, because that means i moved all of the acans over to her tank :) both tanks look 100% better. i will try to get some pics tomorrow if the water clears up.

[RayAllen]

sweet scolys Ace.

[hobogato]

thanks ray.

the tank is mostly cleared up and most of the corals are opening back up, so i snapped a pic - blue lights only at this time of day

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00260.jpg

[RayAllen]

Absolutely Stunning! Man do the colors pop, I like that they are paced apart rather than just stacked one on top of the other. More natural and gives the tank depth.

[hobogato]

thanks ray.

well, the ritteri has been with us for almost a month - still seems to be acclimating, but no signs of poor health and has not moved.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00288.jpg

thought i would share some more full light pics since i already had the camera out.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00294.jpg

pardon the cyano, there is a small outbreak because the tank went without a water change for about 10 days while we were gone. things are just now starting to look good again.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00295.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00296.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00298.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00299.jpg

the lobo tried to eat the scoly yesterday - the bare skeleton was twice that big when i pulled them apart

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00302.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00303.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00311.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00315.jpg

new hammer from rob - was about twice this big earlier today, but it did not appreciate the addition of live brine. these pics do not capture the vivid green of this coral

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00310.jpg

[Mr Cob]

heck yeah! Looks sweet my brotha. Perfect spot for it. Tank is so beautiful with so many colors.

[hobogato]

thanks rob, the hammer has really settled in now

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00330.jpg

the chromis have also been busy laying eggs for the last couple of days

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00326.jpg

[hobogato]

just another ritteri update:

it has begun inflating more and extending upward. it has also started to partially ball up every time i feed the tank. both good signs that it is really settling in now :)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00631.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00632.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00636.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00635.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00633.jpg

[reefreak]

Have you thought of raising the chromis? And everything looks amazing ace!

[350gt]

Everything looks great as always....

I really like the whole set up.

[alton]

Ritteri is looking good, one thing I keep forgetting to ask is what are your PAR levels like during say 10am, 2pm, and 5pm?

[hobogato]

thanks all.

jeremy, they are much harder to raise than clowns because they are much smaller when they hatch.

alton, i havent tested it in the summer time, and we are already two months past the brightest time of the year. maybe i can borrow the par meter next summer.

[kkiel02]

Ace is that a wall hammer or a branching hammer? That looks awesome. The nem looks great as well.

You would be happy to know I raised some fry myself. Although mine were just bangaii. I still want to raise clowns at some point. Anyways tank looks great!

[hobogato]

cool Kevin, how old are they? the hammer is a wall that i picked up from rob

[hobogato]

the H. magnifica anemone really seems to be settling in now. almost every night, it closes up to eat in a characteristic feeding ball

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00693.jpg

[CoryDude]

If you're able to successfully keep a heteractis alive and healthy, you must be doing something right! Sweet pic!

[BBQHILLBILLY]

well, it was baseball practice night and i had to replace the guts of one of our toilets, so i didnt get much done on the tank.

i managed to get the pluming for the carbon reactor done, the return plumbing inside the tank done, and the rock wall siliconed into place

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC07943.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC07942.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC07941.jpg
I see the light:bigsmile:good pics of cl

[hobogato]

i thought looking at the pics might help :)

[jwalk034]

The tank looks amazing! Do you mind posting an up to date list of fish in it?

[hobogato]

sure, atm these are the fish (would still like to add a few more at some point):

10 chromis
pair of fancy percs
long nose hawk
mystery wrasse
melanaris wrasse
betta
red scooter blenny
candy hogfish
4 banggai cards

[allan]

Ace, favorites?

That betta that I got from you is one of my favorites.

[hobogato]

yep, i would have to say the betta followed by twitchy the mystery wrasse with spike the long nose hawk a close third :)

[clone]

Looking good Ace

[hobogato]

thanks kevin

the tank has been running about a year an a half now, so i thought i would share a fts of my view every evening - this pic is close but not a perfect match to the colors that show up.

actinic only
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00701.jpg

[FireWater]

Nice as always Ace. Thanks for the never ending inspiration.

[hobogato]

thank you john.

i was working on the timing of the wavebox this evening with the closed loop off and decided to snap a few top down shots. nothing special, but give an idea of the open space in the tank that isnt as apparent in that last pic.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00712.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00715.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00717.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00719.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00725.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00732.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00731.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00734.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00736.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00737.jpg

alton's frogspawn - still one of the best looking corals i have :)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC00733.jpg

[Flyride95]

Wow! Your tank is my goal I swear.

[Scutterborn]

Phenomenal!!


-Ben-

[Mr Cob]

man Ace, I can't get enough bro, feel free to post pics anytime bro. I LOVE ALL OF THE COLORS!

[koa25]

Man Ace. You set a really high bar. Your tank is amazing. Like Rob said. Post pics anytime ha ha.

[hobogato]

thanks guys

[g-ray]

Looks awesome ace! Nice to see you the other day

[hobogato]

Nice to see you the other day

same here, good to have you back