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72G to 180G upgrade
I have finally decided to document the rebuild of my 72 gallon display.
First a little back tracking. About a year ago things where going great, tank looked good, fish and corals happy and healthy. http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4151.jpg I was using Zeo, and things rolled right along. Then I got sick, really sick. 2 weeks of no dosing of any kind. Then it all went downhill from there. Colours started to change from bright to brown. For the life of me I couldnt get things to turn around. Then it really started to fall apart, tissue loss on some corals, complete colonies dead over night, I just didnt know what to do. I was on the verge of a complete teardown and wanted to give the entire hobby up, but my good buddy milliporamaniac talked me out of it.....thanks buddy:lol: So a rebuild was in order. I wanted to try something different this time, so I got rid of my MH setup and went with T5's, I got rid of the sand in the tank, and reduced my live rock by approx. 80lbs. I felt that there just wasnt enough room for the fish to swim around with all the large colonies and large rock pile. So in june it all came down, and the rebuild was on. I really wanted to do something unique with the rockwork, leaving room for corals and swimming room for the fish. I also wanted to go bare bottom. This was my lighting line up to start with Current 10k Current 10k Giesemann Actinic+ Giesemann Aquablue+ Giesemann Actinic+ Current 10k Current 10k This is what I came up with July 09 http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_2101.jpg Then September 09 http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4176.jpg |
So as of today I would have to say that I am VERY satisfied with my T5 lighting, growth is incredible and the colours are really starting to pop.
I removed 1 of the current 10k's and added another actinic+, I also removed the aquablue+ and replaced it with a KZ fiji purple. Here are some top down shots from sept 25(first bulb configuration), and top downs from oct28(new configuration). The growth is insane for just 1 month( I think...LOL) http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_b3906.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_b4314.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_d3921.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_d4280.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_h3965.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_h4312.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_a3895.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_a4323.jpg |
Nice rebuild... prefer the look of the tank in July compared to Sept tho, I find the coralline really overpowers the aesthetics of the tank, and makes it difficult to see the coral properly. I think it would make your corals "pop" better if it was scraped. :wink:
All in all though it looks good, I like the tower aquascaping. |
Thanks
I agree with the no coraline view, thats why I built the rock towers rather than the rock face. Problem is...I cant get my scraper in there without smacking corals. The backing is also removable( held on with velcro), I made it like this so I could get the mag float in there, but my arm doesnt reach far enough around the back to get the entire area. So if anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. Also, what can I do about the coraline on the overflow, its even tougher to scrape than the glass. |
Looks good, cant wait to see it when it gets back to its glory days. Lots of growth though. Good work.:razz:
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I liked the second picture better myself, the first looks to sterile. The Fiji Purple really makes the colors pop I'm going to have to buy one or two of those! The SPS are really doing great!:biggrin: I see you went bare bottom this time, are you going to keep it like this and how do you like it?
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Yeah I really like the fiji purple as well, its so bright:idea:
I went bare bottom this time and really dig it...all the detritus collects under the wavebox and once a week I syphon it out. I do have a deep sandbed in my refugium. |
You've got some really sweet lookin sps there.....very nice.
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i really love the colours in the second pictures, they really come out. i visited dawen and his tank is lit with t5's and i think i might be so on them when i decide to upgrade my tank years down the road. very nice cant wait to see it back to the way it once was.
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I think it looks great can't wait to come over and see the fiji purple action for myself! Any close-ups of that Secale that I gave ya?:mrgreen:
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Thanks for the great comments!
No pics of the secale, it didnt colour up yet. |
Just took a few more pics
This is starting to encrust the bottom glass:biggrin: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4429.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4433.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4438.jpg These little alien eye echinos are almost ready for sale!!!! http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4440.jpg |
Cant forget the Blasto:mrgreen:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_4445.jpg |
Hey, when do I get the zoo's and the Echino. Quit holding out.
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that red monti is the tits!!!!!! SOOO nice! :jaw:
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LOL......thanks
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Heres some coral updates for december
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5115.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5104.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5081.jpg This is a great piece of rainbow monti I got off my buddy Millipora Maniac http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5046.jpg This beauty has blue polyps http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5095.jpg |
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eek! Rainbow Monti....very nice...thats one that is on my must squeeze in list....I also like that last blueish/purple acro....
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Well I guess its about time for some more updates.
I replaced another current 10k bulb with a KZ coral light II.....WOW the bulb is bright, I love it:lol: Heres some new pics I took last week http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_5577a.jpg This seriously 1 crazy coral....a favorite for sure http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5575.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5475.jpg |
Tank is gonna look amazing when it grows in!
Still waiting on some pics haha ;) I want some of that chalice ! |
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Holy nice. Looks GREAT. Dont change anything! :)
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man you build some sweet tanks.
the killer nano to a 75 gal dream. keep up th killer work |
Thanks for the kind words!
I really enjoy the time I get to spend working on and watching the growth of my reefs, I see something new everyday.:biggrin: |
Here a couple of macro shots...
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_5537a.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../DSC_5473a.jpg |
Great pics Rob... That Chalice is dead sexy! :mrgreen: What's that last coral?
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I'm not sure what its called (maybe somebody can tell me), heres what it looked like in september
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_3934.jpg And now in February http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5472.jpg I got this a couple of weeks ago http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_5913.jpg |
Somebody got their groove back! Lovin' it!
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Thanks man!!!:mrgreen:
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Nice!
Looking good, do you miss the shimmer of the halides yet?
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nope, dont miss it.
I would rather have the light spread evenly across the tank. |
Wow, you got some great looking corals. The growth is amazing.
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Thanks alot!
I just love these T5 bulbs.....unreal results. |
what bulbs are you runing.
iam doing a 6x39 and i am likeing what you have going on. |
My bulbs are (from front to back):
Giesemann - Actinic + KZ - Coral light Giesemann - Actinic + KZ - Fiji Purple KZ - Coral light II Giesemann - Actinic + Giesemann - Aqua Blue + The right side of the pic is the front of the tank http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_6163.jpg |
I took some more overhead pics....enjoy!
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_6792.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_6737.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_6722.jpg This acro I got as a very small brown frag.....this is what has happened in 6 weeks http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...y/DSC_6749.jpg |
Wow, looking killer. I'm having another spotty necrosis session in my tank, don't know why, Looks like I'm going to have to switch over to T5 soon, Getting Jealous over here!
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WOW!!
What are you dosing? |
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