Dave's 90 gallon reef story

It's the whole "great minds think alike" thing
Click to expand...
:laugh: :laugh: I hope my tank ends up as nice as yours :D

After crowding several species of montipora and porites into the 20 with a bunch of softies, I know that some SPS don't give a hoot about softies unless they are in direct contact (although I do use carbon). When a xenia melted down in a heat wave last month, it killed a nearby capnella, and the other softies got rather pouty for a few days, but the SPS looked as nice as ever.

I do worry that I won't be able to get away with this with more sensitive SPS like Acropora and Pocilliopora.
 
What a nice thing to say!

I find that I am reefing much like I garden-
I have limited space, and things have to give me "bang for my buck". While I am not opposed to creating a niche environment for something special there is a limit to how much I will fuss over anything and if it just ain't gonna make it I will dump it and replace it with something equally beautiful but a bit more thankful for my loving care.

And while my eight month old tank is by no means old enough to judge any type of success- I haven't lost anything yet. Well- one acro fell down lord knows where so it is literally lost, but everything is extending polyps, growing, and holding color.
I am forced financially to buy small colonies and even smaller frags (again just like I garden some of my exotics) but in the long run I think things adapt better this way. Get 'em young and grow 'em your way!
 
The tank is cycled, the sump/fuge is finished and lit, so I guess it's time for live rock. The first TBS shipment is coming in to BWI tonight, so let the fun begin.

At least this time I have a sump for urchins, hairy crabs and (hopefully not) mantises.

Photos tomorrow, if there's time to upload them.
 
Looking forward to pics--I guess I should get in gear and take some of the 120's, eh?

Heck, just keep the 20 setup for any mantis you get! :)
 
:) I can imagine. I remember someone had problems setting up a reef tank in their dorm room because their RA had heard that live rock could have dangerous hitch hikers. Think they imagined a mantis shrimp prowling down the halls beating up freshmen. :D

If I had the room, I would have a 15 high SW setup at work--but I would have to find a new place for some of my office reference manuals, and somehow that request never goes over very well. :)
 
:p :p :p

10 days vacation, 2 4 day trips for work, 2 weekends spent putting in forms and pouring a concrete sidewalk in the back yard, dealing with a pissed off cat that has 'forgotten' his box training, working 10 hour days...Ummm...A few days being bedridden with allergies...

I'm sure I can think of more excuses! Promise, by the end of September! :laugh:
 
The rock and sand went in last night. I haven't bothered aquascaping much, and no close ups of the rock. The usual sponges, a few red mithrax crabs, cup corals. Nice stuff but nothing spectacular.

tank_tbs_2778_r1_crop.jpg


I also got a new little friend, who can be seen in this thread:http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33657

Joe's timing was perfect. The mantis is in an obvious hidey hole so it should be possible to get it out.

Oh, and for Wastememphis, here's a shot of the sump Mark III. It's a bit overfull right now, because I am still waiting on parts for the auto topoff. Another angle may show the baffles better.

sump_2761.jpg
 
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