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#1
12/26/2006, 06:42 PM
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December nTOTM
Thank you all for voting for my tank!!
 Victoria’s 29 gal cube reef tank Introduction: I fell in love with this hobby back in 1974. I walked into a LFS and saw saltwater fish and invertebrates and said, “I must have those” I bought my first tank a 20 gal, and quickly upgraded to a 300 gal. Of course it was a fish only, not many people were keeping coral alive at that time. Over the course of time I worked at that very LFS and then went on to start a business of aquarium maintenance. I continued that for about 10 years. I sold it and moved back into the hobby still in a fish only mode. I really had little contact with other hobbyist at that time. And so for another 10 years just had a small tank, not thinking much about the hobby. Then one day I thought I would look on the Internet, to see how far the hobby has come. I could not believe what I saw… Reef tanks… got to have one of those. So I went to a LFS and purchased a 100 gal sea clear, it had a sump in the back of the tank. I started of with some soft corals, and advance to a tank filled with LPS and a few stony corals. I plumb in a 40 gal fuge, and the tank was beautiful. We had planned on moving in a year or so. So at that time we sold the tank and everything in it. When the new owner moved it I took a few frags of so of my favorite corals and started my 29 gal. I started it in April 2005. Here is a clip of the growth http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...1162667214.pbw Aquarium profile: Size: Standard cube 29 gallons Oceanic 18x20x21.  Circulation: I use 1 Maxi jet 1200 power head (295gph) and 1 Rio 800 (171gph). I also have a canister filter (Hagen Fluval 305) which adds (185gph) for a total (in theory) 651gph circulation. I have the two power heads on a nature wave maker. 10 seconds on one power head, 10 sec on the other, 10 sec both on, and 10 sec both off. Filtration: I use a Fluval canister filter in which I run Carbon and po4 remover 24/7. I also run bags of Miracle Mud. I also use floss to trap particulates. Lighting: Current USA fixture 24" Current USA Outer Orbit 10000K HQI Metal Halide 1x150W Dual Daylight / 2x65W Dual Actinic & 4 Lunar Lights * Photo period: Actinic on at 6am and off at 9PM Metal Halide on at 8am and off at 8pm Moon lights on 24 hr for 6 days a month. Refugium: CPR AquaFuge 2 Hang-on Refugium, Medium In here I have Miracle Mud and Cheto and lots of pods. The lighting on the fuge runs 24/7 and has a 13 watt PC. The makers of Miracle Mud recommends changing the mud every six months. I find it disrupts my fuge and pods so I keep a bag in the canister filter. Feeding and Additives: I feed twice once in the AM and once in the PM after the lights of out. I feed the fish a variety of food. Frozen Mysis shrimp, flakes (formula one), pellets (sinks for the hermits and shrimp) Cyclopeeze. I feed my coral Cyclopeeze, DT’s , and Kent marine phytomax, Reef nutrition Roti-feast. I use an Aqua medic-dosing pump to dose ESV 2 part additive. It doses alk before the lights go on in the morning. I also dose ESV magnesium. I occassionally add strontium. And add Lugol’s once a week (one drop). |
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#2
12/26/2006, 06:44 PM
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Tank Parameters:
Alk 10.2 dkh Ca 420 Mag 1350 S.G 1.026 Temp 77-80 degrees Ph 7.9-8.4 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 Po4 0 Maintinance: I do a 30% water change every week. I use water from an R.O unit and use Instant ocean salt. I buffer it to match the tank. I change carbon / po4 remover 1x month along with the floss. I change PC’s every six months, and MH 1 x year. I clean my light fixture off every week. Clean Power heads once a month. I look at my reef tank every day!  
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#3
12/26/2006, 06:46 PM
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Inhabitants:
Coral: Acropora 7 species Hydnophors 2 species Seriantipora (pink) has produced Planula Larvae in tank. Euphyllia Torch Green Star Polyps Yellow Polyps Montipora 4 species Poricillipora has reproduced in my tank Merulina sp. Montipora digitata Asst mushrooms Fish: Amphipron Ocellairs Gobiosona Multafasciatus Blue devil Damsel Hector gobi Invertebrates: Scarlet cleaner shrimp Peppermint shrimp Blue legged hermit crabs Red scarlet hermit crabs Sponge, featherduster, worms ect Rock boring sea urchin Cucumber 2 Crocea clams Final thoughts: I have a simple system, one anyone could have. I think my success comes from learning as much as possible before I add things. Learning what there requirements are. And above all else caring my tank like it was a pet like a dog or cat. It has living breathing life in it and it’s my responsibility to care for it.   
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#9
12/27/2006, 09:33 AM
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Stunning system Victoria... this tank really, really makes me want to set up an SPS nano. Absolutely inspiring!
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#11
12/27/2006, 11:39 AM
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love the pink milli in the cap are they not killing each other
__________________
Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said |
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#12
12/27/2006, 11:47 AM
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beautiful tank Victoria...after looking at those pics, there's no way i'm going to be able to stay away from SPS in my 20L.
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all generalizations are false...including this one. |
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#13
12/27/2006, 01:38 PM
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Are you running a skimmer in the refugium? How do you like the dosing pump? I've been seriously thinking of getting one. Beautiful!!!
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JTCCB (jebo tuners club for cheap bastards) by beerguy "This is a reef keeping hobbyist board. Things would be much better if we just got back to that." |
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#14
12/27/2006, 01:43 PM
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That's a great tank!
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I love being a turtle!!! |
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#19
12/27/2006, 05:13 PM
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the same thing happens to me the acro allways wins but the mont just grow so blanking fast that in the long run the mont wins
__________________
Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said |
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#21
12/27/2006, 09:41 PM
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Quote:
lol same here Very Nice Job Victoria |
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#22
12/28/2006, 12:19 PM
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jeffgp
The skimmer I have in there is not the one that comes with the unit. I got cpr that did not have the skimmer, because it was cheaper. Then I just used some odds and ends to make my own. It works ok I get plenty of skimmate.
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Wow! Fantastic tank. I just started a nano and your tank makes me want to consider sps. Great example of what a nano can be.
Hybrid Mode
