Jourdy's 90 Gallon Mixed Reef
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megisawesome06
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Your tank is what dreams are made of. I LOVE all the vibrant color! I'm still a newbie (bought an established tank last month), but this is AMAZING! Wow!
Gansett
New Member
Great looking tank. What do you use as a substrate and what's the thickness?Hi everyone! New to this forum.
Wanted to share my tank with all of you.
A quick background:
I started back in 2001, joining a forum called ReefAquariumGuide (RAG). Not sure if that site still runs, but my interest in reefing culminated from there. During that time, there were very little material available on the internet for the hobby, and I got flamed a lot for my poor reefing choices. Haha. My tank did not last very long - I was ill equipped and the summers in my country (Philippines) run to 38 degrees! There were no chillers available at that time, and the only lights I could get my hands on were fluorescent lights. No skimmers yet as well! LFS had poor husbandry for livestocks. Basically I started with the worst possible chance in the hobby.
In 2004, I joined Rc and that was when I started having moderate success. Tank thrived, but obviously not as nice as I had hoped and compared to others. There were no chillers/skimmers/lights to be found still, but at least I kept things alive! In 2006 (or 2005), a local club formed and there was a guy who started bringing in equipment from the USA. I was a fresh graduate then, and started with a cheap nano that i kept for years! In 2010 I decided to join ReefCentral's nano tank of the month contest for fun; really surprised to have won! Ever since then, I started upgrading my tanks. It seemed like I was upgrading every year or so.. I have had experience with 20 gallons, 30 gallons, 55 gallons, to 67 gallons, and now up to my current 90 gallons (4x2x1.5 ft). I am actually planning on upgrading again next year when I move to a new home. Seems like you just don't ever get contented once you get to taste this hobby
My current equipment are as follows:
2 Ecotech Radion Gen 2
2 Ecotech MP40
Reef Octopus XP2000 Cone Skimmer
TECO TR20 Chiller
Here are some pictures of my tank. Please bear with me as I try to take newer and better pictures. I am currently away from home for a week.
My only lens is a 55mm Zeiss fixed lens, and thus taking pictures is a bit more difficult without the flexibility. I am hoping to get a more suitable lens for reefing soon.
Also, sorry for the small pictures. Will update to bigger pictures once I learn how. I am currently using IMGUR and the default images are too big that it stretches the whole page. Had to choose thumbnails but they turn out a bit small and quite hard to see things clearly.
This is the only FTS I have on my computer as of the moment. Filled with micro bubbles as the return pump has just been turned on.
Overhead shot
Zoas are my first love, and that's why you will see most of my corals are zoas.
They all started as small frags (ranging from 1-4 polyps), and they have grown in my tank like mad over the past few years.
Favia and Acan
I just started keeping SPS about 6 months ago. I just tried it to check if I could keep them. I am always away from home, so I couldn't keep a closer eye on them. So far, so good.
Wildcaught SPS are still difficult though. I am having difficulties in retaining their wild color.
This is a triggerfish given to me a few months ago when my friend dismantled his tank.
Will post more pictures soon!
My tank is always changing. I keep moving things around, so my tank looks different often haha. I have some close friends who I share frags with (we sometimes take turns taking care of something) and there are plenty times when my tank has been like an evacuation home/hospital tank for my friends' corals.
The best thing I like about my tank is how maintenance-free it is. Like I said, I am barely home most of the week - I am thankful that my tank is alive and well. I don't dose anything, and I forget the last time I checked my parameters. All I know is having old and mature live rocks help a lot! Also biopellets which I use!
Thanks for viewing! I am open to all comments and criticisms.
OP
OP
jourdy
Active Member
Thanks guys,
@Gansett - The old tank had a aragonite substrate 1/2 thick. This new one doesn't have any substrate but the bottom panel of the glass is completely filled with coralline. I think that is a huge reason why my alk and calcium dosing is skyrocketing! Haha. My next tank will have fine sand.
@klp - I don't feed it because it doesn't eat prepared food. I just see it always hunting. It is fat though. There are times when no one feeds the fishes, which is probably why my HYT is thin. I ask my sister (when they are home) to feed when I am gone. I see my tank about 3x a week only, and sometimes I travel for weeks at a time, which is a problem for reefkeeping!!
Anyway, played more with my new lens
@Gansett - The old tank had a aragonite substrate 1/2 thick. This new one doesn't have any substrate but the bottom panel of the glass is completely filled with coralline. I think that is a huge reason why my alk and calcium dosing is skyrocketing! Haha. My next tank will have fine sand.
@klp - I don't feed it because it doesn't eat prepared food. I just see it always hunting. It is fat though. There are times when no one feeds the fishes, which is probably why my HYT is thin. I ask my sister (when they are home) to feed when I am gone. I see my tank about 3x a week only, and sometimes I travel for weeks at a time, which is a problem for reefkeeping!!
Anyway, played more with my new lens
A Reefer's Girlfriend
Active Member
Gorgeous photos! Can you tell me what you're shooting at?
Gansett
New Member
Thanks guys,
@Gansett - The old tank had a aragonite substrate 1/2 thick. This new one doesn't have any substrate but the bottom panel of the glass is completely filled with coralline. I think that is a huge reason why my alk and calcium dosing is skyrocketing! Haha. My next tank will have fine sand.
@klp - I don't feed it because it doesn't eat prepared food. I just see it always hunting. It is fat though. There are times when no one feeds the fishes, which is probably why my HYT is thin. I ask my sister (when they are home) to feed when I am gone. I see my tank about 3x a week only, and sometimes I travel for weeks at a time, which is a problem for reefkeeping!!
Anyway, played more with my new lens
OP
OP
jourdy
Active Member
@Gansett - I currently only dose 2 part Alk and Cal. My tank currently needs 200ml per day, and my container is only 1L. So every 5 days I have to replenish the container.
@A Reefer's Girlfriend - Shooting with Sony A7 w/ 90mm Macro lens; War Coral (1st pic), Tricolor Valida (2nd pic), Sunset Monti (3rd pic) and Tricolor Valida again (4th pic).
@A Reefer's Girlfriend - Shooting with Sony A7 w/ 90mm Macro lens; War Coral (1st pic), Tricolor Valida (2nd pic), Sunset Monti (3rd pic) and Tricolor Valida again (4th pic).
A Reefer's Girlfriend
Active Member
I was more curious about your camera settings, but thanks for the info Gorgeous corals, especially the zoas. If I can ever get my photos to look like yours, I will be so happy!
Gorgeous corals, especially the zoas. If I can ever get my photos to look like yours, I will be so happy!Gansett
New Member
Gotcha. Thanks. Absolutely stunning color. I may have missed this, what do you use for a Skimmer?
OP
OP
jourdy
Active Member
I was more curious about your camera settings, but thanks for the info
@A Reefer's Girlfriend - Oh sorry, haha. Did not understand the question. Hmm for settings the ISO is just set to Auto while aperture is from 2.8f-4f. The pictures look different all the time actually, depending on the color scheme of the Radion currently set (my schedule varies from deep blue to white to purple and then actinics).
For example, taken during almost lights off:
@Gansett - I use ReefOctopus Elite 200
OP
OP
jourdy
Active Member
Yup still using the same old schedule. Take note though that my Radions are gen 1. My Radions don't have UV. I noticed a handful of friends who copied my schedule but not taking into consideration that their Radions are newer version (with UV), and it messes up their tanks. The UV makes everything bleach from what we have seen, so be cautious!
Thanks! New lens, so still excited to use it haha.
