Jason Rhoads

Hey bro, turns out I am not moving to Detroit after all. Hit me up if you want some frags for this new tank!

If you have a power head blowing directly at this coral, that could very well be the cause of the polyp retraction. I would try moving it out of the direct flow to see if that helps polyp extension. Other than that, what Tom says is great guidance.

Awesome pics Paul!

Thank you all for the responses and PMs! I decided to go ahead and sell everything as it will be easier than working out a storage arrangement for an undetermined amount of time. As everyone here has said, the move alone will be stressful enough and I am not inclined to subject my livestock to another rushed setup and transfer. I have already identified a LFS in my new area that can build a new tank, and supply me with the basics. With all that said, I am not out of here just yet and look forward to staying im the community here for a bit longer

I landed my dream job, but it will require a move to Michigan in the near future. I am going to stay in the hobby, but with a newborn baby and a two-year-old, moving the tank and livestock is not an option (I plan on keeping all the hardware, but selling tanks and lights). I am interested in selling most/all of livestock and starting over when I get up north, but am considering keeping a few pieces and trying to have them shipped to me once I am set up again. I am looking for personal experience and conjecture here as I am not 100% sold on the idea of getting rid of everything (there are a few corals I would like to keep).

I ran 2 250w bulbs in a tightly closed canopy with only about 5 inches from the water's surface to the bulb and they did produce considerable heat --as would be expected. I think that if you ventilated your fixture well that the heat wouldnt be too bad on the tank, but they do still produce heat that will be in your home (great in the winter, but not so in the summer).

I really wonder what this looks like with some white light turned on. Still impressive, but I doubt it keeps that "melted crayon" look under real lighting.

I have moved my tank and everything in it 3 times now (longest move was from Charlotte NC to Alexandria VA). I won't do it again because, as reefopotamus mentions here, it is just too much stress to add to an already stressful time. And to top it all off, you run the risk of losing some/all of your livestock. IMHO, it is better to either sell everything and take your time rebuilding, or have someone ship you what you want to keep after you are established and ready to house them once again. Plus, at least 60% of the fun in this hobby is building the tank

This is gold!

I remember this too. Was it sand glued to starboard?

I got the pavestone high desert play sand. No issues whatsoever with silicate. I am skeptical of the doom and gloom claims i read about using HD sand in a reef tank. I have 150# of it in my system and see no ill effects. I just couldn't stomach how much money i would have dropped to buy "aquarium sand." And since I am dosing, any benefit to aragonite dissolving is moot. Saving and using the HD sand made sense for me.

Very nice shots!!

I use a mix of Home Depot sand and some large-sized crushed coral. I like the look and at ~$5 for 50 lbs it leaves more money for corals

Very nice!

Bruce, I wanted to send you a PM about this, but you can't receive any more. Please, Mr. Popular, clear some message space!

Usually SPS gets stung and loses, but there are probably some that can take it.

From my experience, if you put it on a rock be prepared for it to spread onto said rock. If you are fine with that and don't intend to frag it then that is the way to go, if not, I would put it on the sand and start thinking on how you can cut a few heads to sell

Congratulations on cutting down the commute; I have to admit I am envious! I really like your rock work here, there is plenty of room for corals to grow.

Reuse the sand, it is just fine. One thing I will add is that even this seemingly simple transfer will take you longer then you expect, so allow add a few extra hours on to whatever estimate you have now

Yep, psammocora all day long. I really like mine; it reminds me of a golf fairway (mine only encrusts, and does not branch at all).

Wow, that is a great pic! I can never get shots under blue lights to turn out like that. Awesome job!

You are doing it for the right reasons my friend! Space in Arlington is a valuable resource

Oh, one more thing to add. When I was looking to go smaller, my wife and I started talking through what would change with the smaller tank vs what I currently have. Ultimately we decided that the only thing we would really be doing differently was a slightly smaller water change. And for that privilege I would have to buy: new lights, a new tank, new plumbing, and new in-tank circulation pumps. The initial outlay didn't make sense when compared to the relatively small savings in labor (i.e. smaller w/c). Might not be the same in your case, but I wanted to throw that in as well.

I wanted to throw my .02 in this before it is too late. Since I have known you, you have had (to my knowledge): a 29g biocube a 57 gallon rimless a 150g a 180g I have lived in this area since Feb 2013 so that means I have known you for less than two years, and in that time you have gone through 4 tanks. I say this not to criticize you in any way, but to point out that your desire to downgrade may not be because you are dissatisfied with this tank, but because you have "the itch" for something else (a new challenge perhaps?). This happens to me as well, but in my case, a new coral or two usually tides me over until it subsides. As a friend, I urge you to think about the restrictions that will come with the smaller tank. You always seem passionate about fish, and any tank <~90g will keep many of them out of your range. Is that something you want to deal with, or will you be looking for another 180 in 6 months? On a selfish note: I know we all enjoy reading/participating in your build threads so if you do go another route the forums will appreciate the ride! Good luck in the decision!

I have been running mine since last Christmas with no issues. (Jebao pump)