PlumCrazy Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hello all!!!!! My name is Tom and I am proud to say that I am an addicted to "Reefing". I have had quite a few setups, but right now am currently running a 265g total volume 180g display as an SPS dominant Reef. I currently reside in Denver Colorado, but in the near future (thinking June or July) I will be moving from up here to somewhere in Austin. Not sure where, we (Me, my Girlfriend, our 2 dogs and my addicted fish hobby) are looking to rent a house, just not sure where around town is best yet. My Family is from Texas, same with the girlfriends, and my sister goes to UT, Hook 'em Horns!! I have been in the fish hobby since I was practically born. My grandfather has always had tanks in his house, and I have always been around them in a way. I have gotten into the hobby more advanced and on my own in 2009 when i went to college and got my first SW tank! I started wrong, but in a dorm room there isn't many options other than a pico tank. After the pico and addiction kicked in... some may understand... the 2.5g went to a 10g, which got turned into a sump for a 20gL, which got turned into a sump for a 40 breeder, and then somewhere went to a 55g in an apartment and up to a 180g. Me and Abigail are very excited to soon join the ARC club in person, but for now i figured i'd throw a slight introduction out along with some tank specs and some pics to show the current 3 month old mark. For the system... I got a 180g tank drilled with an overflow box, stand, 55g sump, 40w UV Sterilizer, 3200gph return pump and all the plumping for $400. The system was supposed to be my upgrade from my 55g with a 10g sump (when we lived in our apartment) and due to constraints moving out of the apartment, had to be more of a tear down and transfer rather than cycle and then add. I had close to 200lb of live rock in the 55g, which i used in combination with close to 100lb of live sand to "instantly" cycle the system. Everything went well for close to 6 months, added a TON of coral, mainly high end LPS chalices, hammers, torches...etc, until this past Christmas season in which I left town for a week and a friend who was supposed to check on the system... didn't. My ATO valve didn't fill the ATO chamber of the sump due to a temperature drop. The plumbing (because i am renting) comes out of the hose outside (rather than tapping a line in the basement in which the landlord clearly stated "no") and through a window that is then insulated. the line froze on the outside with 3" of insulation causing the tank to almost run dry in the sump which blew my heaters. As you can guess what happened next, i lost nearly everything. Somewhere around $4500 in coral, and an accumulated 32 fish/inverts including 8 tangs, 2 moorish idols, a few larger angels (cortez, french, passer, flame) and a pair of clowns (my first SW fish) I have had since I really got in the hobby in 2009. What did live were 3 colonies of zoas, 1 purple poccilipora, a 5" Red Coris Wrasse and my pair of cleaner shrimp. I restarted the tank, moved what was alive to a temp 40 breeder for almost a month and recycled the tank. I got instant swings fro the rock and sand, even after rinsing (i didn't bleach or bomb the rock and sand because i just needed the ammonia and nitrates to be released from it). Tank cycled and the wrasse, shrimp and coral were readded February 1st. Tank:180g Display, 55g Sump, 40g frag tank with 30g ATO chamber. Lights: 2x custom layout LED with mix of 60, 90 and 120 degree optics. Flow: MP40 on 100% Reefcrest with WP40 set at 50% wave mode. Fuge: Minimal macro algae, mostly bare bottom with live rock. Equipment: I run a Devil downdraft skimmer for a 150g, a 40w UV Sterilizer...and thats it. I do not dose my system, and the only additives i put on a weekly schedule is 20ML phyto zoo plankton. Currently the tank has the following: Livestock: Orange Shoulder Tang, Baby Hippo Tang, Scopas Tang, Magnificent Foxface, pair of Naked Clownfish with hosting Sebae Anemone, Banggai Cardinal, Purple Stripe Dottyback, Male Hutchi Anthias, Red Coris Wrasse, Lawnmower Blenny, 2 15" Tiger Tail Cucumbers, 25 Peppermint Shrimp, Pair of Cleaner Shrimp, Pair of Blood Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp Coral: Assortment of over 100 SPS including Acros, Torts, Millies, Stylos, Poccis, Digis, Birdsnest, Bonsais...etc, couple LPS including a Wall hammer, Duncans, couple Acans, BGM Chalice and some assorted zoas that can withstand the intensity of the lights. Some pics from earlier this week. I have removed the frag tank from the system as i am starting to "minimize" what will need to be broken down and packed. So my frags have such moved to the display... sorry for the mess!! Heres some of the larger colonies in the tank... who can spot the hippo tang!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hi Tom, Welcome to the club! I'm a big fan of your SPS setup and covet your orange shoulder tang. I don't know what the prize is for finding the hippo tang but I spy something in the bottom picture nestled amongst the SPS colony. Mine prefers my purple stylo colony and hides in there all the time. I'm addicted to SPS myself so its good to have you join the community in Austin as there isn't a ton of SPS dominant tanks here. Hope your move goes smoothly! -Ty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlumCrazy Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hi Tom, Welcome to the club! I'm a big fan of your SPS setup and covet your orange shoulder tang. I don't know what the prize is for finding the hippo tang but I spy something in the bottom picture nestled amongst the SPS colony. Mine prefers my purple stylo colony and hides in there all the time. I'm addicted to SPS myself so its good to have you join the community in Austin as there isn't a ton of SPS dominant tanks here. Hope your move goes smoothly! -Ty Haha prize is... If the colony lives through the move you get a frag of it! Hopefully the move goes smoothly, and thank you for the warm welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 If you can find my hippo tang, I'll return the favor. Haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Welcome to the club. To bad about your tank loss but the new set up looks great. Good luck with the move. Jeeper, if I recommend you as a real estate agent do I get the frags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Always glad to have another SPS junkie around! Welcome to the club, you'll fit right in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Too late Planeden, I already recommended myself. I am choosing my free frags as we speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Too late Planeden, I already recommended myself. I am choosing my free frags as we speak. I bet you give yourself all the best stuff, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Tom, You are big time addicted. After suffering a crash of that magnitude, you did not miss a beat and jumped back in with "full immersion". You will fit in well. Laissez la bonne temps roulee, Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Welcome from another Coloradan. SPS look amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlumCrazy Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Welcome from another Coloradan. SPS look amazing. Thank you!! next time ill break out the underwater camera for some pictures rather than the Phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Amazing looking tank, glad to have you join the club! I hope your move goes smoothly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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