mrussells mixed reef

[mrussell]

I have been around sdreefs for a couple of years now so I figured it was time to start a tank thread. The tank started out as a stock biocube 14. After about a year I decided I wanted to go rimless. (Bad idea). While de-rimming my bc 14 I pretty much cracked my tank square down the middle. I quickly drove to the fish store and picked up my nc 24. The only noticeable loss from the disaster was all the baby brittle stars that infested my tank.
Nc24 specs...
Tank: nano cube 24 with first two chambers ripped out to allow more room for the skimmer return, carbon and heater
Lighting: 50watt led (generic made in China) and 2 powerbrite blue led bars (I love the combo of these lights together I just wish I could make is look a little cleaner on the top of my tank)
Filtration: octopus hob bh2000 skimmer (I actually ordered the bh1000 but they were out so they sent me the bh2000 for the price of the 1000, rated for 125 gallons...its a beast)
Circulation: 2 koralia nano and stock return pump

Fish: 2 clowns, randall's goby w/ pistol shrimp, and lawnmower blenny
Softies: millions of green shrooms (first thing I added to the tank 1 shroom 2 years ago), purple rohdactus(sp), GSP, xenia, zoas, ricordia, green sinularia(sp)
LPS: Lots of acans (most started as 1-3 head frags), two duncans (started as one head, now about 15 and 7...just about getting to big for my tank), sun coral, micromussa, lava chalice.
SPS:rainbow monti, red caps, green slimmer, red planet, rainbow milli (from ASD...not so much red in my tank), purple valida, montipora confusa, echinata... and a couple more mysto acros

Here is the tank on the first day after the disaster, as you can see all of the corals are very stressed, this was about one year ago...

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-23

And here is a picture of the tank 9-24-2011

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Current FTS 1-2-13



...now time to figure out how to post some pics!

[ensiferum321]

Sounds like a nice tank! Good to have you as a new member, and welcome! I've sent you a PM with instructions to hopefully help you upload your pictures. Anymore questions please feel free to ask .

[mrussell]

Pics 9-23-11
Randall and Randall jr

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24
Side view upper left

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24
Upper left from the front

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

[ensiferum321]

Very nice, although I believe you selected the "thumb nail" code instead of the "forum code", no biggy. Great looking tank!

[mrussell]

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24
Top down... anyone have an ID on these two?

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

[mrussell]

Thank you for your help, I will try to post some better pictures once I get a camera.
I am going to try and track the monthly growth on my SPS...
Rainbow monti 9-24-11

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Echinata

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Rainbow milli (lost most of its red/pink coloring, but has finally put down a solid base after being knocked over multiple times by turbos...I think this one is about to take off with growth)

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Purple valida

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Red Planet ( this is by far my fastest growing SPS)

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Anyone have an ID on these two..I know its tough with the awful pics but there are top down shots in my previous post

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Green Slimmer

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Hungry Chalice

By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24

Hopefully by next months update I will have a camera

[Octoman4]

Very nice mike, its tyler btw

[mrussell]

some growth pics and new additions, I had to make some changes in aquascape which I hate because my tricolor was getting shaded by my clam and stung by my duncan, also picked up a few frags at RAP.
Green slimer

By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28
Top down showing growth of rainbow milli and cap as well as new piece from RAP

By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28
Top down acan garden and RP growth

By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28
Top down chalice this thing is eating great and turning into a very nice piece

By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28
Rainbow monti

By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28

[hydrahawk]

Nice pics. I have 1/2 of the answer. The top one looks like an Aussie Echinata.

[mrussell]

The top one is actually really hairy with brown polyps, do some echinatas have polyps like that? its real hard to tell from the awful pics...Thanks for the reply!

[mrussell]

I had a bit of a tank crash and lost some of my sps because my car exploded and i couldnt find time to get fresh water working 7 days a week w/ no transportation. Anyway I got a new car and everything is recovering nicely, some growth shots, I also re aquascaped...

Chalice/ confusa, monti, top down
By mrussell2727 at 2012-03-25

Red Planet top down
By mrussell2727 at 2012-03-25

Mummy eye and zoas top down
By mrussell2727 at 2012-03-25

FTS 3-25-12
By mrussell2727 at 2012-03-25

[mrussell]

Chalice growth 9-24-11 to 3-25-12

9-24-11
By mrussell2727 at 2011-09-24
10-28-11
By mrussell2727 at 2011-10-28
3-25-12
By mrussell2727 at 2012-03-25

[mrussell]

Finally got some new leds, so it is time for an update, decided I didn't want to hang them so I did a little diy stand for them. In the end it cost me $9 to build although I still need to paint it.
Build


Before

After (still needs paint)

The new dimmable LEDs are amazing and the tank has never looked better, some pics including an amazing new blue green acro from ASD.
New stick

FTS 5-1-12

[Brian_reefragr]

Great job, that thing looks amzing! Congrats on the new light.

[mrussell]

Great job, that thing looks amzing! Congrats on the new light.

Thanks so much, I can't wait to see what your tank looks like all put together