karavak's 120 reef

[karavak]

My reef tank has become my little zen garden as I clean it, argue with the RBTA's that move to sit on the latest frags, and plucking the tomato clown in the head when he comes trying to nip at me as I clean.

 

I am trying to get to the point where I stop messing with the tank.. in the past few months I have been move PH's around to see about improving flow, pulling out some rocks, breaking up a few colonies, adding a few frags. I want to let the tank grow and settle in but it's so hard to keep my hands out!

 

My current set up is 120 dual overflow through a wall to a 40g sump of live rock and skimmer. I have a lot of live rock.. a bit too much but I'm resisting the urge to re-aqua-scape everything right now... Must... Resist....

 

For flow Mag 7 and 2 koralia 4, 2 Evolution 1400, and 1 Koralia 3. I'm tempted to say either I have too much flow or haven't figured out how to use the flow the best way.. but things seem pretty happy. I have a 30g rubbermaid can for the Tzune ATO w/ Kalk.

 

In the last few weeks I have raised my 2 250w 14k phoenix + 2 T5HO actinic lights fixture up to about 18" inches above the water line and everything in the tank seems much happier.. even the clam that has decided to camp out in the middle of a zoa colony.

 

Livestock: I am trying to figure out if I want to add any more fish.. luckily I'm good a resisting impulse buys on fish.. not so much on corals :-P

• 1 Yellow tang
  
• 2 damsel (one blue devil, one stripped)
  
• 2 tomato clowns
  
• 1 coral beauty
  
• 1 algae benny
  
• 2 banggai cardinalfish
  
• 1 yellow watchman goby (hiding at the back of the tank for now)
  
• 2 fire shrimp
  
• 2 skunk cleaner shrimp
  
• 2 serpent stars
  
• 1 Crocea Clam
  
• 7 RBTA's
  
• Mix of snails.. just ordered a restock
  
• about a dozen blue legged hermits.. and one big red one.. I thought it was a scarlet but didn't think they got that big.. seems pretty harmless
  
• bristleworms and the normal expected hitchhikers
  

 

Corals: Most are just past the frag stage but not yet a decent size colony.. (Except for the Monti's) but they are getting there

• ORA red planet
  
• Purple Milli
  
• Sunrise Mille
  
• Purple Slimer
  
• green Stylophora
  
• Purple Table acropora
  
• Acanthastrea Lordhowensis (red center, pale outside.. bleached I think but recovering)
  
• Blastomussa Merletti
  
• Ice Fire War FaviaCoral
  
• Trachyphlliidae (green center, red outside.. though pale red. might have been too much light but expands well)
  
• Trachyphlliidae (red/green mix.. bleached but recovering. Tucked under a shelf Expanding with very light color. Takes food at night)
  
• Green/Red favia
  
• Big frogspawn
  
• a Frag of the big frogspawn
  
• Green Monti cap
  
• Orange Monti cap
  
• Orange Chalice
  
• Grey w/pink eyes Chalice
  
• Kenya Tree's (might remove them at some point)
  
• Toadstool (just found him after he got knocked over a few months ago.. recovering)
  
• A few green mushrooms
  
• Several groups Zoa's and palys (I have no idea on the different names.)
  

 

Current projects:

1. Set up a quicker/easier way of doing water changes.. about half way there.
   
2. Get Alk up just a little bit higher.
   
3. Recover the Trachyphlliidae and the color in the Acan
   
4. Get Apex Controller
   

 

I'll post up some of the most recent pictures later.

[RJT]

Sounds like a nice setup. Looking forward to some pics.

[karavak]

May 2011

[jason the filter freak]

Nice tank, I'm in columbia/laurel if you ever need a hand. I've got a pair of ocellaris clowns you could replace those tomatoe clowns with, not as big or agressive, would love to home in one of those BTA's.

[karavak]

All are taken with my first gen Droid until I get a real camera with a water proof case.