Tank of the Month - July 2004 - Page 3

reefcrazed · #51 07/07/2004, 09:09 AM

And some gratuitous pictures of my pond!

I hope you enjoy. Thanks again for all of the great feedback.

Dz99ls · #52 07/07/2004, 09:18 AM

awsome tank all i can say is WOW!
great work

minfinger · #53 07/07/2004, 10:36 AM

Sweet tank, I wish I could have made it up there to see it.

Ok Quote of the Year: (Just fill in the X's with your size tank)
"Fortunately, I earn a decent living and can afford the XXX gallon system you see here today"

rjwilson37 · #54 07/07/2004, 10:52 AM

I can't afford the 55 gallon I have, but I manage to squeak by and still make room for a coral here and there.

Kip · #55 07/07/2004, 11:08 AM

awesome peter... another congrats!

pictures just dont do this tank justice

and like someone said... the owner is just as cool as the tank

(thanks for letting us stop by again and for the advice/suggestions on my new setup)

Drewcipher · #56 07/07/2004, 11:35 AM

Peter, in your filtration and equipement section you mention changing from Instant Ocean to Bioassay Crystal Seas Sea Salt as a result of an article by Dr. Ron. I haven't found this article. Do you have a link to it? Or a reference as to where i can find it?

rjwilson37 · #57 07/07/2004, 11:40 AM

We would also like to know the differences you have noticed now using the Crystal Seas Sea Salt in your tank rather than using the Instant Ocean brand.

Skipper · #58 07/07/2004, 12:34 PM

Here's Dr. Ron's tests on several of the salts available:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-0...ture/index.htm

Kip · #59 07/07/2004, 12:52 PM

i was lucky enough to snap a few pics when i visited peter's tank....

peter, hope its ok i post these

more can be found here

rjwilson37 · #60 07/07/2004, 12:57 PM

Those are some great shots!

reefcrazed · #61 07/07/2004, 04:21 PM

Thanks for posting those pics, they came out pretty darn good. Since I switched salts the only thing I really noticed life wise is perhaps more pods and unidentified little things crawling and swimming around in the tank especially noticeable at night. I also have noticed that my Kh remains a bit more stable with Crystal seas compared to IO. I also had a problem with a bad batch of IO in the past and lost a handful of things. Guess I was just looking for a reason good enough to try something different.

Cnecktie · #62 07/07/2004, 08:47 PM

Great reef and I think I like your pond just as much!

Congrats to a world class reef:-)

stevejvan · #63 07/08/2004, 02:09 AM

1st. AWESOME! only word to describe.

2nd. Did you ever figure out what caused your tank to crack? Thats a scary thought!!!

reefcrazed · #64 07/08/2004, 07:16 AM

The first tank cracked because the movers supported the back of the tank in the center with ONE dolley (or whatever you call those things). When they went to tilt to tank to lift it, it cracked. However, after I got the new one, I was told by the manufacturer that the aquarium is fine because the back glass is actually 3 pieces of glass. One is a 1/4" thick piece of mirrored glass, one is a 1/4" piece of dark blue glass and then the outermost piece of glass was a 1" thick supporting piece of glass. The peiece that actually cracked was the innermost blue piece of glass. I have since sold that tank and the new owner has it now up and running with no problem. That was probably the best deal on a tank anyone has ever gotten!

stevejvan · #65 07/08/2004, 10:24 AM

oh okay! Thanks

majesticangelfish · #66 07/08/2004, 12:07 PM

That is one fantastic system!

wildangel_04 · #67 07/08/2004, 08:40 PM

OMG i LOVE your tank, it's my ultimate fantasy tank! Someday...just someday (i keep telling myself!) my husband loves it too!!!

reefcrazed · #68 07/08/2004, 08:50 PM

Again, thanks for all of the kind words. In a way, you have all helped indirectly to achieve this beauty.

danbremlndz · #69 07/09/2004, 04:32 AM

awsome tank man, I have been into FW fish for about 1 year, I recently got bored and looked into SW fish. I started a SW tank about 3 months ago and am finding myself addicted already. I started out with a 20g long and got this great opportunity and bought a 30g tank with original lighting and a stand for $25. So I transfered everything into the 30g which was not much, just 16lbs of LR, the sand, 5 fish and the cleaner crew. I am already thinking of going BIG, I am buying a house in the next 6 months and I was thinking of buying this beautiful 135g tank from pet smart with stand for about $900-$1000, after reading about your experience with your 150g tank being only 18" wide and I am asuming not enough room, I am thinking twice about getting this tank. I would like to go as big as your tank, but I know I cannot afford it unless I sell one of my cars!!! was your 150g not wide enough?? I would like to stay around 200g or so, what would you recommend as far as dimentions?? what would you recommend from your experience that you would do? Once again awsome work, I would probably get rid of my TV if I had a tank like yours!!!

any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks

reefcrazed · #70 07/09/2004, 06:42 AM

I would never go less than 24" wide nor more than 30" deep unless I can literally get in the tank to clean the glass. 18" wide just seemed way to shallow from a depth perspective of looking in at the tank from the front to back. I believe wider is better than higher. Just my opinion.

rjwilson37 · #71 07/09/2004, 06:58 AM

danbremlndz: I am getting a 180g for my next tank, they are 72x24x25 which is a nice sized tank you can do alot with.

turbluh · #72 07/09/2004, 05:08 PM

Awesome tank!! I like the mixed corals!

reefcrazed · #73 07/09/2004, 08:26 PM

My main goal was to get a tank large enough tto have this mixed reef that you see here today. Aside from there being too many corals, I believe this reflects pretty closely a natural reef habitat (minus nuisance animals except and predators of course). I have been diving in Fiji and in Australia in the North Coral Sea and the pictures you see today are my best recreation of what I saw then.

Okay I am full of BS, but it sounded good didn't it? I really have been to Fiji and Australia diving though. Awesome experience. I was thinking to my self underwater, that would be sweet in my tank... and that ....and that and that......

finding nemo · #74 07/09/2004, 08:33 PM

Reefcrazed, thats what I like about it to, a mixture of what you see in the ocean,( I have never dived ) but I have seen pictures and videos of what it looks like. Something moving, (anemones and xenia) as well as hard corals.
This tank needs to be tank of the year for all to learn from. Its the first one I have really loved that is TOTM.

reefcrazed · #75 07/09/2004, 09:46 PM

finding nemo- Thanks man, that really mean al ot to me. My goal was to create a mixed reef where everything was thriving and not competing with one another. Although now that the tank is settled, I do have some coral spats, but that is why I am always fragging and selling frags cheap. Help others while keeping my reef sustain good balance.