jason the filter freak February 17, 2010 February 17, 2010 (edited) Like the Egyptians only dumber. Justin's former sump 6'x4'x 3'(I think) all glass. It was moved into the back of his pick up truck. With 1"x8", a ladder, styrofoam blocks, and pure blood, sweat, tears (or tares). Edited February 17, 2010 by jason the filter freak
ctenophore February 17, 2010 Author February 17, 2010 LOL thanks for the help today!! Good thing neither one of us died.
ctenophore April 18, 2010 Author April 18, 2010 LOL if I knew this was going on the web I would have cleaned the glass!
ctenophore May 1, 2010 Author May 1, 2010 May 1 is approximately this tank's 2nd birthday. Here are some nostalgic baby pictures. Gluing first corals in place: Planting the purple digi that has tried to take over the top of the left pillar: Right side, note red monti that is considerably larger now. The acan has grown maybe 5 heads in 2 years. Left pillar. Note original piece of red table from Leishman. It is now nearly 18" across and not slowing one bit. FTS taken today: Future plans include attempting to mix in non-photosynthetic corals underneath all the ledges to help give a filled-in look, not like the rockwork is a bunch of slab rock stacked on rods. Once I get my 24/7 live food feeder up and running I'll start this phase, which has always been a long term goal with this tank. I want to replicate the vertical reef walls covered with a mix of azoox, sps, and soft corals.
ctenophore May 1, 2010 Author May 1, 2010 NICE!!!! Your getting good with the camera bro! Thanks Chris. I wish it had the high ISO capabilities of the D300 though. That seems to be the key for good high speed, low light aquarium photography. can you provide more info on that 24/7 live food feeder? Well, part of it will be a continuous rotifer culture vessel, that blue 55gal drum with the stirrer you saw yesterday. Part 2 I haven't worked out the details on, but I'm thinking a peri pump that draws phyto paste from a large syringe or other refrigerated vessel. Part 3 is a prototype stainless steel "kalk stirrer" that has a compressor built into it that essentially makes it a 2 gallon refrigerated stirring autofeeder. Dan and I put it together about a year or two ago and it works well but I quit using it since I didn't have any corals that needed the food. The plan for that device is to make up a weekly mixture of frozen slurry consisting of cyclopeeze, oyster eggs, etc and feed that in conjunction with the continuously fed live rotifers. The live rots will also go to larval hatchery bins that I plan to plumb into the main system if my dottybacks start breeding. I also need to work out the nutrient processing issues, as I am growing a nice crop of chunky cyano along with everything else thanks to the hundreds of juvenile clowns that need fed 6x per day. Hence the DIY biopellet thread in the group buy section. So I still have to work out a few things yet but it's about 75% done in my head and 50% done in reality. Will definitely keep you updated with progress. The overall goal being to keep a mixed SPS & non-photosynthetic capable system, all while growing coral and fish for profit. It is a balancing act
mogurnda May 1, 2010 May 1, 2010 Getting better all the time! The corals are looking great, and the fish look big and fat. Awe inspiring tank.
L8 2 RISE May 1, 2010 May 1, 2010 Cool orange shoulder! Those are definitely one of my favorite tangs.
ctenophore May 1, 2010 Author May 1, 2010 Cool orange shoulder! Those are definitely one of my favorite tangs. Thanks everyone! I got the orange shoulder from Jamesbuf (you still around, James?) about 2 years ago when it was a juvenile, about 3" long and lemon yellow. Now it's 7" and full adult coloration. The neon purple rim along both dorsal and anal fins is subtle but really pretty. When I saw huge ones in Hawaii last year (18") that rim really glows in full sunlight.
L8 2 RISE May 1, 2010 May 1, 2010 That's interesting that yours changed while in your care, how big was it/how long after you got it did it change? Many people report getting juvi orange shoulders and never having them change to adult coloration.
ctenophore May 1, 2010 Author May 1, 2010 That's interesting that yours changed while in your care, how big was it/how long after you got it did it change? Many people report getting juvi orange shoulders and never having them change to adult coloration. Not real sure. Probably about a year? I think it was about 5-6" by the time it changed. It can still turn really pale or very dark brown, but not yellow any more. Interesting that some never have them change. I've heard the same with some large angels. Maybe diet or tank size?
L8 2 RISE May 1, 2010 May 1, 2010 One of the big one's that really NEVER change (I've actually never heard of an instance) is blue ribbon eels. They're black as juvi's and then turn to blue. The california academy of sciences has actually had their pair of blue ribbon eels lay eggs several years in a row (none have ever hatched) and they're still black. I think it's probably a combination of diet and tank size. In the wild, orange shoulders will start to turn to adult colors when they're as small as 3 inches, yours was twice that size and it was after it went into a bigger tank. Still, I don't see it being just that, although in the angel cases it's often because they're in smaller tanks and when they're moved into bigger tanks they change. It must be a combination of both, but it seems that tank size plays a large role.
thewire May 9, 2010 May 9, 2010 how do you add corals in the bottom without going for a swim? very nice tank...
ctenophore May 10, 2010 Author May 10, 2010 how do you add corals in the bottom without going for a swim? very nice tank... I use snake handling tongs (www.tongs.com) and if I can't do it with those, I go for a swim Haven't been in the water for a long time though, not since late last summer I think.
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