240 Inwall Construction (Image Intense)

[weatherson]

Here's a full-tank photo update for you taken yesterday...



Joseph.

[adddo]

Omg, can i come live with you?

[chris wright]

Well done on a truely inspirational set up. I'm glad to be following your progress.
Love the fts, its good to see all the work you have put in has paid off.

Cheers

Chris.

[jnarowe]

Sweet Joseph! Is that one shot or did you "sew" it together?

[NanoGurl]

That is still and always will be one of the most beautiful reefs I will ever see! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

[Bax]

I've been following this reef for years now, well, since I first mixed SW, and it still is one of the greatest inspirations to me to strive to be a better reefer, really awesome!

[melev]

Joseph, you have the midas touch. That continues to be a huge inspiration for me, and I hope to one day be able to have my reef look as nice.

Is the valley still there, or has it grown in so much that it has been filled?

Whatever happened with your anemone that you found in the back of your tank stretched out one late night?

[Lordhelmet]

upgrade time?

[Mickey]

Joseph:
Long time no see.............tank is looking beautiful as always.

Have you had a problem with corals growing out of the water? My tank has grown so much there's not a lot of room left and quite a few are now poking out of the water. I plan on cutting them back but it just kills me to throw away living coral pieces and don't have an easy way to get rid of so many frags, though I'm sure my fellow reef club members would be able to take some of it off my hands.

The "valley" I built into my tank is now almost closed off with two rather large M. capricornis that started from quarter sized pieces - they've gotten huge in less than 2 years. I also made the mistake of include a sarcophyton mushroom from my old 65 and I now have 4 rather large ones right up against the glass that I'm trying to find homes for.

Oh well, the good news is all this means my tank is pretty successful.

You continue to be an inspiration.
Mickey

[weatherson]

adddo: Thanks and I might have to take you up on that to offset my energy bills with the rent I'll have to charge you.

Chris: Thank you very much.

jnarowe: Thanks and that shot is three photos stitched together. Here they are for better detail...











As the corals have grown closer to the surface and lights, it has become increasingly more difficult to get good, light ballanced images. The right-side photo is very evident of this with the blown out top section and dark lower.

NanoGurl, Bax: Thank you very much.

Marc: Thanks and yes, the valley is still there but just in a much condensed version. It's more of a tunnel now of which the Tangs just fit through.

The RBTA is still present but just not visible from the front shots. It's just behind the tall SPS piece on the far right, just left of the prefilter box. It also still plays host to the two True Percula clowns.

Lordhelmet: More like pruning time.

Mickey: It's good to hear from you. The corals that have reached the surface basically stop growing at this point. That is, those branches that reach the surface. The rest of the branches keep on moving upward. Have you any recent FTS's to share? I'd love to see how your tank has progressed.

Joseph.

[Mickey]

I do not have your skill (yet!) will FTS, but I'll see if I can put together something soon. It is looking real good.

Mickey

[jnarowe]

Great shots Joseph. I love the polyp encrusted rocks around the SPS. It's an incredible mixed reef to be sure, but will it get out-of-whack with so much coral in it? I am just very curious about how you maintain flow and how much Ca the system is demanding in such a mature state.

[argo]

Joseph, amazing growth since the last time I visited your thread (it's been a while). One of the best, awe-inspiring tanks I've seen. Your DIY skills are something to aspire to as well. Good luck to your captive marvel of a reef.

[token]

Stunning!

[melev]

Hey, where's the live rock? That is just unbelievable - thank you for the close ups. I gotta figure out how to care for my reef some day.

[Hop]

Wow. Just wow. I guess it's about time for a bigger tank as there is hardly any more room left

So I guess a 48" deep tank would fit nicely in that room

[weatherson]

jnarowe: Thanks. The flow within the tank has obviously slowed a bit due to the corals greater mass but my system (alternating return and closed loops w/Penductors) is enough to combat this. In addition, having the two closed loop systems overlap during cycle rotation also helps immensely by creating wild flow patterns of very strong current.

Calcium levels are another story altogether, though. My Knop HD and large Kalk-reactor struggle to keep up with demands. As it is right now, my levels drop when calcium hydroxide is needing replenishment in the Kalk-reactor as well as media within the calcium reactor is depleted and needing replenishment. At the time when both are "topped off", levels within the tank get back to normal. So... it's normal levels that gradually become lower than ideal until I maintain the equipment. I have started doing so more frequently to keep these two calcium supply pieces of equipment at optimal levels, i.e full. Also, the addition of the evaporative chiller has greatly increased my evaporation rate which has also aided in providing greater amounts of Kalkwasser additions. But I have been considering a second calcium reactor though.

argo, token & Marc: Thank you very much.

Hop: If I were to be considering a larger tank, it would probably be a 6' X 6' X 2' due to the shape of the fishroom.

Joseph.

[token]

Originally posted by weatherson
If I were to be considering a larger tank, it would probably be a 6' X 6' X 2' due to the shape of the fishroom.

Sounds like a great new project for the upcoming split?

[Hop]

Originally posted by weatherson
Hop: If I were to be considering a larger tank, it would probably be a 6' X 6' X 2' due to the shape of the fishroom. [/B]

Hmmm well if is sounding more like when otherwise you wouldn't know what fits better

I'll be looking forward to the project

[jnarowe]

Thanks for the info. Joseph. I have been considering getting penductors for my return lines but have a hard time buying into how they work. Recently I got an explanation that makes sense so I have decided to go ahead and get them. Are they widely available or only from certain suppliers?

I had to remove media from my reactor because I was over-doing it with such a young reef, but I have the capacity for 2+ cubic feet of media when the need arises. Hopefully that will be enough, but as you stated, it's nothing a little cash can't fix!

[tfp]

joe, a new tank is unavoidable based on your amazing growth! steve called me the other day and we both agreed that you are the gadget king! you gots some mad fab and reefkeeping skills .

hey, how deep is your ssb? my 3" ssb hit the 2.5yr mark and i'm replacing it today. it keeps on clumping up and solidifying like brick in some spots !

[weatherson]

Jonathan: Eductors are availible from multiple outlets but you'll want to find Penductors. These are made by Penguin and are shorter and slightly less obtrusive visually. Here's some information regarding how they work...
http://www.kthsales.com/website/vend...g_eductors.htm
One key item to consider when utilizing Penductors is that they require high pressure rated pumps to drive them.

tfp: It's good to hear from you. Like all good reefers, I'm always thinking of the next bigger tank but for now, that's all it is... just thoughts. Pruning will have to suffice in the mean time.

My sand bed varies in depth from the front of the tank (high flow area) to the back (lower flow area). Basically, most of the sand has gradually made its way toward the back and built up in height. Here, it's roughly 5" and at the front of the tank, it's roughly 2".

Have you considered your water's chemistry balance as the cause of the sand clumping?

Joseph.

[jnarowe]

I have them on order from CA...do you think a Hammerhead will drive them?

[weatherson]

Jonathan: It may but probably not at their full potential. Keep in mind that Penductors have a 3/8" orifice. That creates a huge amount of back pressure that will make any pump with little head or pressure capabilities look like a cheap powerhead. I run an Iwaki 55 on each Penductor. Here's some good reference material when deciding on a capable pump...
http://www.kthsales.com/website/Misc...nthusiasts.htm

Joseph.

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1199611