A New Beginning...

[Rice Reef]

The last couple months have not been the best... Had a phosphate issue at first and then the worst thing that can happen... AEFW.

A pricy lesson learned... Dipping does not guarantee one that the coral will be pest free and never trust that plug or rock attached to the coral as eggs can sometimes be hidden along the base and even on the plug or rock, especially ones from LFS. When buying frags/colonies cutting the coral off the plug or rock will minimize the chance of eggs, as you will be able to inspect the coral base better.

After discovering that I have SPS herpes I had thought of folding it all in. But having received encouragement from others I will give it another run at it.

1) the main display tank will be going thru a significant change... I plan to reduce a significant amount of live rock in DT and will be 98% sps. With much less rocks the tank experience a very positive increase in flow for the corals. The selection of fish will be two or three tangs, a rabbit fish, couple of clowns and a couple of wrasses that will keep the tank pest free. For corals, I plan to have about 45 ( well, may be 60 if there is room) selective sps corals and what I can't save from the old DT I will be hunting down for new signature pieces. The DT will be bare bottom and thinking of having a variety of montipora plates etc...to cover the bottom ( may have the odd zoa or two). Lighting: two GHL Mitras. For flow, planning on two tunzes or keeping what I am using... Mp60 and a mp40.

2) the new tank in the garage will primarily be my insurance tank ( isn't it ironic?). I had planned to do one last year and never did get around to put it together... If this tank was already in place I would have been able to save many of the nicer sps pieces.

With help from Jon(reeferfulton), we have a bare bone stand and check out the awesome light stand Jon built... Here are some pics...



The light stand can swivel to allow me clearance to work in the tank and for top down pics... I will also be able to adjust the height of the lights independently.

I can even swivel the lights itself


A huge thanks!

Pics of the tanks filled with water for leak test...

Leak test on a simple sump design

Skimmer in sump