My new 180

[davocean]

This is my 180, just swapped up from a 90.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180086.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180118.jpg

[Eric F]

WOW very nice. What's the break down on the tank.

[davocean]

Tank is acrylic 180RR w/ a closed loop powered by a sequence dart, 30g sump(for now) w/ an eheim1262, CSS 220 skimmer, Outer orbit MH T-5 combo.
Waiting for tunzes to come in, adding 6025's w/ mods.

[KT-150]

Center island looks cool. Nice and clean!

[pako73]

Looking good!!!

[davocean]

Thanks, this is the initial set up, I may change things a little.
You know the pressure of swapping, especially w/ my nems.
Now that I know they aren't going anywhere I can start to shift and add new things.
I pegged my corals so I can move stuff as needed.
I'm stoked I found this site!

[davocean]

This is my H. Crispa, got this about 5 yrs ago.
Another bleached out petco refugee.
It was about 4-5" then, now about 22"

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/fish06019.jpg

[chilly05willy]

looks great! very nice tank

[dj9264]

Which sea anemone does the clown(s) prefer?

[davocean]

She seems to prefer the sebae(crispa) a little more than the LTA(m. doreensis)
She does pace between the 2, but sleeps in the crispa.

[davocean]

I went w/ 14K bulbs on the new lights, and like the color better than the 10K
This pic shows crispa's purple tips a little better.
My camera is so so, doesn't quite do justice.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics051.jpg

And this is a decent shot of my M. doreensis

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/Bestoftank113.jpg

[surf4ever]

wow, thats one nice tank...:) very clean..

[DaChrisDude]

Very nice looking tank. Those anenome's are huge, wow... And talk about zenia's! How big is that colony, over a foot across??

Tank needs more fish. :)

[davocean]

Thanks guys.
Zenia is over 14".
I actually trimmed a bunch (half a 5g bucket) just b4 transfer (got $140 credit at OG)
Need to trim it again already.
Fish are, small Sohal tang(3") tennenti tang, maroon clown, firefish, royal gramma, steinitz goby, and 6 chromis.
I'd like a mate for the maroon, but other than that I think I'm fully stocked.
Like to keep a light load and plenty of swimming room.

[TripleP]

your tank looks great.

[crstjohn]

Very nice. I have a 180 waiting to be set up too. How much flow do you need in there? Why Tunzes if you have a CL? I thought the point of a CL system is to avoid using powerheads. BTW, be sure to post a pic of that xenia here http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23789&highlight=xenia. It's a beauty.

[davocean]

I'm looking for about 40x flow, which is good for mixed w/ some sps.
I'm going w/ tunze nano 6025's(2) w/ mods.
They are pretty small, and this will give me flow from the front.
A loop is good for added flow w/ out being invasive, but more than that is needed, and it's difficult to get flow everywhere w/ just that for my tank.
Originally I did think it would be enough, but after research learned different.
Some sps tanks are going like 60x or more turnover.
I did post my zenia pic to that forum.
Need to trim it this weekend.

[Big Brother]

haha ive seen this tank on reef central.

i had no idea you were local.

rad

[davocean]

Probably, I'm on there a bit.
Hope I was able to help.
Here's the best of my 90.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/P1010056.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/nemshot4-06003.jpg

The swap, wish I coulda kept both, but they were seriously frying my eyeballs!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/Bestoftank134.jpg

[davocean]

Just finished building my hood.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics095.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics084.jpg

[Chanas4]

Everything is monster size :-)

[davocean]

Yeah, wish my budget was!
Thank god for craigslist and kind people!

[dc_909]

Yeah his anemones are HUGE. Very nice specimens.

[mmoore0803]

very nice...you should have come to the NCRMAS meeting tonight :D

[davocean]

Not sure what NCRMAS is, but if it's about reefs/fish/ocean would like to check it out.
Of course I've been busy here ay PC screen, you know, serious stuff!LOL
Thanks DC hope that monti frag was cool, I know that was in sump for a while w/ no light.
Let me know if not, I'll break a piece off (I don't like that bite shaped break anyway)
Thanks for the tip on this local site, pretty cool.

[DaveMorris]

NCRMAS = North County Reef and Marine Aquarium Society

www.ncrmas.com

Cool club. I drive all the way up from Lemon Grove.

[davocean]

Sounds pretty cool, I'll have to check it out.

[DaChrisDude]

Beautiful woodwork...wow. I'm jealous. :)

Your 90 was nice! That's the nicest halimeda I've even seen in a tank, what happened to it? (lol, there's a 15+inch anenome in the tank and here I am talking about macro-algae...)

[nanoreefbro]

Wow that is an awesome tank. Do you plan on adding anymore livestock??

[Noob]

Envious... I wish I had a 180..

[davocean]

Thanks guys.
Dachrisdude, got that halmedia as a scrap from a friend.
It took 4ever to attach, but when it did, man did it grow!
That bunch you see was about a fifth of what was behind rocks, constant trimming.
I have a small piece I kept for the new tank.
If it grows I'll be giving some away.
Funny, I was always on RC and posted many times about giving away stuff that grew too fast, halmedia, Zenia, shrooms, sinularia, colonies, w/ no takers
Nice to talk to local reefers, maybe some trading in the future.
As for stock, I have one small sohal(3" and still trying to decide if I did the right thing putting in my 180, but it was so small and clean!) one tennenti that will grow med size, 1 maroon clown, 1 firefish, 1 steinitz goby,1 royal gramma, and 6 chromis.
The tangs alone will be heavy bio, so I'm good for now(new tank is still just a month old)
We'll see where this goes, I'm looking at corals first.(Love that purple haze and green apple monti)

[Chanas4]

I have a small piece I kept for the new tank.
If it grows I'll be giving some away.
Funny, I was always on RC and posted many times about giving away stuff that grew too fast, halmedia, Zenia, shrooms, sinularia, colonies, w/ no takers
Nice to talk to local reefers, maybe some trading in the future.



You will find takers galore here :D Lots of trading I see.

[davocean]

Right on!
I'm all about good karma and being cool to others, especially since alot of my stuff came from cool people helping me out.

[Chanas4]

Can you tell us a little about how you maintained your tank? Everything looks so healthy.

[davocean]

Thanks, I've had the usual ups and downs like most, HA, bryopsis, stuff like that.
Regular water changes w/ good RO/DI is probably most important maintenence.
I'm also very picky, and look at livestock for a loooooonnngg time b4 purchasing(I probably drive some LFS nuts!)
I keep my bio load low, I will get a better skimmer later when I can afford it and may add more fish when I do(my upgrade cost a little more than I expected)
I also check online w/ RC b4 doing ANYTHING!!

[davocean]

Here's a couple more shots.
I love my tennenti (lieutenant) tang, very peaceful, good grazer.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180062.jpg

My pink birdsnest and Crocea clam

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/Bestoftank073.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics059.jpg

[Diver Dan]

I like this tank it is setup perfectly i would not change anything.

[Chanas4]

I think its setup perfectly too. Im never going to cut my xenia again until I get it to be a monster like that one :D What do you dose?

[davocean]

Well, fair warning, zenia can get out of hand.
I'd try to keep it to one rock, and keep clear of other stuff/rocks.
I've had mine pull rocks over climbing to a new one.
I have to trim quite a bit, gets to be a pain.
In my 90 I never dosed, and my cal was 450+
In my new tank my last cal reading was like 350, so trying to bump up.
I have been dosing B-ionic

[SeanG]

so how do you keep your sand so clean everywhere???

[davocean]

Well, this is still a fairly new tank, went w/ new sand at swap.
Usually does stay fairly clean, sometimes when I do a WC I vacuum gently off surface of sand.
I lose a little when I do this which I replenish after a while.

[davocean]

More pics, my sohal, and monti.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics115.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics113.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics107.jpg

[davocean]

Sooo stoked!
Just got some purple haze and hibiscus monti from jasper!
Can't wait to set up and get good pics.
Very cool dude, awesome, AWESOME sps tank!

[Diver Dan]

When are you goona post those montis? I'd like to see them!

[davocean]

Well, small frags right now, maybe not too impressive for pics here.
But man is that haze purple and clean.
Hibiscus is almost as green as a green apple monti, but it makes a vase shape flower looking thing as it grows.
You can bet I'm pumping cal to make these grow!
I'll try for pics soon, lights are out, I'll see what I can get.
That dude Jasper has some real gems.
He has a tyree that is maybe the most beautiful sps I've seen.(not for sale)
You should hit him up for frags.

[davocean]

Some recent pics, including what I got from Jasper.

Purple haze from Jas

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics136.jpg

Hibiscus frag

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics137.jpg

Most recent full tank

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics135.jpg

[davocean]

Better one of nems

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics145.jpg

The gang

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics160.jpg

My Sohal(he's not eating monti)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics180.jpg

[dc_909]

That purple haze grows quick.

[Diver Dan]

Seriously i see it over growing on to that snail!! lol. It's really got some color!

[onad75]

nice sohal tang, is he still a baby?

oh BTW your tank look nice and clean great job.

[DaChrisDude]

Wow, gorgeous new stuff. Makes me really want to go SPS...

[davocean]

Thanks guys, yeah I hope the haze grows fast, love that color and want to see more of it.
Sohal is pretty young, kind of an impulse buy(not normal for me) but it was so small and clean.
It's doing well w/ others and seems happy, but I know I have to keep an eye for aggro and growth.

[h20poloman]

Great looking tank Dave and thanks again for the xenia...they seem to be doing well in the 240.

[SDguy]

I like the book-end anemones :)

[davocean]

Thanks guys, yeah, the nems are my babies.
I'm bummed I just got my tunze nano's and the added flow seems to be beating them up.
I may need to figure a way to difuse the stream to a wider pattern or trade them for koralia's or something.

[SDguy]

I know I had to cut down on the flow in the area where I placed that new LTA in the tupperware....it didn't like the flow at all.

[davocean]

Yeah, my LTA shrunk down about the size of a tennis ball.
Had to turn tunzes off for now.
Hows the LTA doing?
Staying in the tupperware of sand?

[SDguy]

Yeah, my LTA shrunk down about the size of a tennis ball.
Had to turn tunzes off for now.
Hows the LTA doing?
Staying in the tupperware of sand?

Seems to be doing fine. It's my first LTA ever, so not sure what it should look like....its tentacles are very curly and laying flat during the day. At night, they are very straight and stick up, almost hiding the mouth.

I tried feeding it once so far, just a few mysis...it ate, but then regurgitated brown leftovers the next day. I guess I should try again.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p5/SDreefguy/Underwater%20photos%204-28-07/LTA4-29-07.jpg

[davocean]

Looks good, maybe try feeding a chunk of silverside.
Regurge is nem poop, natural.

[SDguy]

Looks good, maybe try feeding a chunk of silverside.
Regurge is nem poop, natural.

See, I wasn't sure if regurge means too much food (ie if they get just enough, they digest it all, and poop nothing). Kind of like how you never see zoas poop.

[SDguy]

I jinxed myself. The LTA was out of his box this morning :( I turned back on one of the CL outlets in the area yesterday....clearly they just don't like that much flow...I'm going to have to rework the outlets in that area. What did you do about yours?

[davocean]

I turned the tunzes off for now as both my nems are pretty stressed.
When they look better I'll try a different spot, or a way to difuse flow.
I might not even be able to use them.

[SDguy]

We should both just get H. magnificas and not worry about it :D

[davocean]

Nah, I've had these guys for 5 yrs now, can't let em go.
I just may be limited to easy sps like monti's.
I'm fine w/ that.

[davocean]

My newest additions

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics229-1.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics228.jpg

[talin92071]

you need to get some more corals in thier to fill up

[davocean]

Oh I agree w/ you there!
I'm trying to let my bank account catch up w/ my upgrade!
Most what you see there is what was crammed in my 90.
Keep in mind though I have nems, and need to keep a buffer zone around them.
Also, I know the monti's I got will grow fairly quick.
I just picked up a blueberry stag from Nick this morning.
I'm really thankful for this site, cause trading will really help.

[davocean]

Couple new shots, first the blueberry stag I just got from Nick

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics268.jpg

purple haze from Jasper starting to get thicker and showing good polyp extension (about 1 month later)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics267.jpg

Shroomage
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics262.jpg

frogspawn (here's where I wish my camera would pick up the pink/green as good as it looks in person)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics256.jpg

[davocean]

Shots of pegging rocks and corals

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180082.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180083.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/new180002.jpg

This is all stacked w/ pegs

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics285.jpg

And just a shot of my pink birdsnest showing polyp extension

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics283.jpg

[mmoore0803]

This tank is gorgeous Dave.....where'd you get the acrylic rods? Did you cut them into small pieces and then put them together like "Tinker Toys" or did you drill thru the rock and slide each rod thru multiple rocks?

[davocean]

Thanks Mike, I got rods from that same place that polished my tank, MGM plastics in Vista or San Marcos.
My center tower is drilled all the way through and stacked, but most pieces I just found a good fit, eyeballed where to drill about half way through, and stuck in rods, usually 2-3 for stability.(yeah, like tinker toys, loved those things!)
I did this instead of epoxy in case my nems moved after swap and may need to move things.
I also like that I can move corals to their liking.

[Diver Dan]

looks so good! did you just peg those rocks or are those just old pictures?

[davocean]

Those are pics from swap time, I meant to post them showing my swap process.
Someone at the NCRMAS meeting asked about pegging and I said I had pics on this thread, then I realized I only put them on my RC thread so I threw these in.

[Techknowledgy]

Very pretty! The M. doreensis is beautiful!

[davocean]

Thanks Tech, both my nems are my babies, and the pride of my tank.
Here is my newest addition.
LFS didn't have a name as it came in random, but I believe it's a blueberry gorgonian.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics286.jpg

[CyberGuy]

Great looking gorgonian. Is it photosynthetic?

[davocean]

I honestly don't know much about them.
I was told they are low light, and need no special spot feeding or anything.
I'm trying to research more about it.

[davocean]

Had to throw this in.
My nems have taken on nicer color since I went w/ 14k's

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/newtankswappics299.jpg

[Diver Dan]

Awesome a Blueberry gorg to go with your Blueberry acro.
BTW your tank is looking great. I forgot are you running reflux 14Ks? I am going to be switching to 12K refluxes pretty soon.

[davocean]

Thanks diver, I guess it's not a blueberry gorg, but a purple frilly gorg, which actually has a better survival rate than the BB.
My bulbs are current 14k.
10k just seem a little harsh/yellow for my taste.
I'm sure you'll be good w/ the 12k, just enough to take that edge off.

[Big Brother]

is that a clown or a sohal tang?

[davocean]

That's a sohal swimming closer to my nem than I really like!

[marineman1978]

nice sohal tang. did you purchase locally? doubt it, just thought i'd ask.

[davocean]

I actually got it from AW.

[BigAir]

Looks great Dave. Thanks for the pics by the way. I do believe that my nem is one of the Heteractis Crispa, just it has a light purple mantle with purple tips.

[davocean]

No prob Bigair.
Send us some pics.