Cali Kid Corals

CookieJar's 180 gallon mixed reef

CookieJar

CookieJar

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I should've had a thread long ago since the tank is 2+ years, but here goes.
Started in 2007 with buying a used 180 gallon tank with the basic equipment. The main work I put in (with help from the old man) was refinishing the stand and canopy, upgrading the lighting to 3x 250W MH w/ LumenMax Elite reflectors and recently completing a 20 gallon frag tanks for DBTC, trades and as a temporary holding place for new additions. I hate having to stick frags in the tank when there isn't an ideal spot for them because they fall off the rock, get lost or simply I just put them in the sand and the sand gets 'littered' with homeless frags. Ok, I digress. The problem with the frag tank is microbubbles and algae growth. I've got some ideas to solve those problems but for now they exist.

The main thing I'm most proud of is the Aquascaping. I fancy myself as an architect when it comes to aquascaping so I did reasearch on making pillars out of rocks and chose to drill holes in rocks (which isn't easy) and make PVC rod pillars for them to be stacked on. After a lot of playing with various rocks and configurations I came up with a 5 pillar system and that's the foundation for the aquascaping. I still tinker with the rocks here and there though. Much thanks to BAR, especially Jeremey, for all the help and advice on dealing with common problems that seem to inflict every reefer at some point.

Equipment for Display tank:
3x 250W MH, Icecap Ballast. current bulbs are 2x 14K hamilton, 12K Reeflux
2x 180W VHO actinic
ATB Small Cone Skimmer
2 Vortechs
Eheim 1262 return
40 gallon sump, 25 gallons full
25 gallon refugium
2 Reefkeepers
Litermeter III for dosing Calcium, Alk & top off
Air, Water, Ice RO/ DI.

Frag tank:
175W MH, XM 10K bulb
2x 24W T5 ATI Blue + bulbs

tank shots: I only have a simple powercompact, so the pics aren't the best. ::)
original pillars in 2007. I soon got rid of the table rock since it looked too fake for SW.
IMG_0440.jpg


2 years later:
displayfragtanks.jpg


tank shot left:
0902080003left.jpg


tank shot right:
0902080006-right.jpg


Bottom right:
0902080016rightbottom.jpg


Goniopora shelf:
0902080007gonioporashelf.jpg


SPS shelf:
0902080019spsshelf.jpg


my fav. coral, tri-color favia ?
0902080025tricolorfavia.jpg


blue zoas, purple mushrooms & 2 flatworms :-[
0902080012.jpg
 
For the 16 outlets, not all are used. 6 are used for lights; 3 MH, 1 actinic, 1 for T5, 1 for fuge light/ moonlights. Three are used for powerheads and sump pump. 2 outlets for fans, 1 outlet for heater, 1 for chiller pump. If you added up all the cords related to the tanks that needed to be plugged in I'm sure it's over 20.
Lyn- you're welcome to come over an I'll break you off a piece of one- they're running out of room to grow. ;D
 
[quote author=CookieJar link=topic=6266.msg88073#msg88073 date=1236907573]
Lyn- you're welcome to come over an I'll break you off a piece of one- they're running out of room to grow. ;D
[/quote]

Wow, thanks! I'll PM you. :)
 
Wire management is quiet challenged for these; even more messy than home theater systems that I used to deal with. On my last tank, I don't remember how many power strips I had but sure many of those.

[quote author=CookieJar link=topic=6266.msg88073#msg88073 date=1236907573]
For the 16 outlets, not all are used. 6 are used for lights; 3 MH, 1 actinic, 1 for T5, 1 for fuge light/ moonlights. Three are used for powerheads and sump pump. 2 outlets for fans, 1 outlet for heater, 1 for chiller pump. If you added up all the cords related to the tanks that needed to be plugged in I'm sure it's over 20.
Lyn- you're welcome to come over an I'll break you off a piece of one- they're running out of room to grow. ;D
[/quote]
 
Very nice clean open look, Bill. Was that bright green encrusting monti from me? If yes, it is surely a lot greener than what I was able to do.
 
tong- yeah, it was one I got from you about 1.5 years ago. It grows like crazy! I has no more rock to encrust on so it grows into open water. ;D
 
Time to update the tank thread.. I made a few changes, mostly removing the tower of rock on the let and making it more open. Also removed a large rock of SPS on the right side, remove the right tower also replaced with more rock towards the front for chalice, favias and zoas.

Tank pic left:


Tank pic middle:


Tank pic Right:


Acan Land: Front left one is in the DBTC from Elite
 
Felt it was time to update since a few changes have been made, namely I completely cleaned off the top right rock from RPE zoas & green palys, which were taking over, and gave away the large middle rock to gimmito and in it's place made a nice 'bridge' type of look with a branching tonga rock & added a mangrove tree from JAR to boot.



Filamented Flasher Wrasse I got from Neptunes- the prettiest fish in the tank! (excuse the focus):


'Screebo Blasto'- thanks Jon! The best blasto in the tank for sure.


My favorite new favia, Mayan Sun, that's growing quite well:


Very nice chalice from Apon


"Sour Apple" or scientific name: Green Montipora Incrassata. Tricolor acro in background.
 
The Mayan Sun favia is a beauty! I wish my favia was a little less aggressive but I sure do like it. I also notice you have at least one "standard" fire fish. I've still got two very shy guys that live in the reef interior most of the time. They've came over from my much smaller tank over a year ago. I never expected fire fish to last quite so long in a tank environment. Glad the shocking green/mocha blasto is doing so well. Great pics, Bill! (well, mostly great ;) ) Nice job of rearranging.
 
Apon said:
I see the chalice is changing color in your tank...nice
Click to expand...
it's hard for me to tell since I see it everyday, but I take your word for it. It has a orange color that is real cool along with the bumpy texture. I thought about fragging it for DBTC but it's hard for me to want to cut up such a nice circle. :O
 
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