Studio Reef at year 15

[rhdoug]

Studio Reef was started in 1999. It is an Oceanic reef-ready 58 gallon tank that I got from a fundraiser in CT, from House of Fins. They set it up as a fish-only, and after a few weeks I returned the "cycle fish" and traded them in for live rock and reef-friendly fish. I still have the rock and the mushrooms that were attached to it. Many of the other animals have been with me for a long time -- the sebae anemone and the yellow leather for 12 years. The green bubble coral (on the left) for 10 years, the green lobo (left center), the gigantic hammer, neon green candy cane, red&green brain (lower left on sandbed), and a brittle star that is hiding in the hammer 9 years. The breeding ocellaris pair have been clowning around in there for 8 years, spawning continuously for the last 6-7. I know, I don't have any SPS. Sorry. Actually there is an encrusting montipora (sunset or pokerstar) growing near the base of the leather.


Upper left area


Sustainable Aquatics Marine Betta


Ocellaris spawning


2 of 3 ORA yellow assessors added in Feb 2014. There are also 3 blues added at the same time. Rarely see all at once. Excellent reef fish


My little Scopas Tang, been with me for 4 years. Note all the sponge growth on the rocks. The Scopas is best buddies with...


...the Starry Blenny! What a great fish these guys are. His predecessor jumped after I had him for a couple of years. The tank is now jump-proof, so far.


FTS from left


FTS from right


FTS


He usually sleeps in this yellow leather.

[skimjim]

reef tanks don't get much better than this....

g r e a t
j o b !

[rhdoug]

Thank you!

Here is one more showing the extensive sponge growth on the rock. Starting at the base of the leather, and going diagonally down to the left, all the white patches are sponges. The ones in front of the sun corals just to the left of the anemone, have grown long thin tubes since I took this pic a couple of months ago. You can see them in some of the previous pics.

[Esage]

Really Nice

[rhdoug]

Thanks, love your rock flower anemones!

[Paul B]

That is a beautiful, very healthy reef tank. I really like it.

[rhdoug]

Thanks Paul, that means a lot to me.

[shesacharmer]

Just lovely!

[Paul B]

Randy I am not often impressed with tanks because anyone could throw money at a tank and make it beautiful but to have one like that for so long shows the health of the system.
Love the Marine Betta.

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by shesacharmer

Just lovely!

thanks!

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by Paul B

Randy I am not often impressed with tanks because anyone could throw money at a tank and make it beautiful but to have one like that for so long shows the health of the system.
Love the Marine Betta.

Thanks again Paul. The betta is one of the most interesting fish I have ever had. He was only about an inch long when I got him in January 2013. Very unusual way of swimming. Slow, methodical, and often backwards. He reminds me of a seahorse in the way he eats, which is also slow and methodical, with a quick "slurp" to suck in a piece of mysis. Also seems very curious as to what I am, and will often come very close to the glass to get a better look at me. He is not aggressive, but will hold his ground against the scopas (I never said he was smart) when the tang gets feisty. They usually seem to be friends, but the tang lets him know who is the boss.

[Paul B]

They remind me of Coelacanths which were supposed to be extinct. I have had them in the past. Really nice and beautiful fish that goes perfectly with your tank.

[slief]

Beautiful tank!! It's great to see a tank with some longevity! There are only a handful of us here with large aquariums that have been up and running for a long time. Thank you very much for sharing it! I would love to see the rest of the setup!

[burkhart.5150]

Impressive tank filled in nicely. What equipment are you running?

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by Paul B

They remind me of Coelacanths which were supposed to be extinct. I have had them in the past. Really nice and beautiful fish that goes perfectly with your tank.

I agree, they do look like Coelacanths. I was so excited when they found them. Have you ever seen them swim? If I remember correctly, it's almost like they "walk". Anyway there is something unsusual in the way they move. And they are big animals. Very cool.

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by slief

Beautiful tank!! It's great to see a tank with some longevity! There are only a handful of us here with large aquariums that have been up and running for a long time. Thank you very much for sharing it! I would love to see the rest of the setup!

Thanks! It isn't really large but it has been around for a long time.
I had this cabinet built around the tank (nerve wracking) in 2011. Incorporated an RO tank on top left and fresh SW below it. Large pump with a 3/4" hose make water changes a breeze, just drain the amount you want, put the hose over the tank and flip the switch on the power strip. Made my maintenance a non event. The 10 gallon tank on the bottom is the ATO reservoir. It looks awful now because I switched from dosing 2 part to kalkwasser in the reservoir (via Mrs Wages pickling lime). Helped tremendously with the tank's chronic low ph.


3-D rendering I made to plan it out.


final product


doors and canopy open


detail of what's inside

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by burkhart.5150

Impressive tank filled in nicely. What equipment are you running?

250W 14k ReefluxMH with small actinic PC's in the fixture
I also run two 36" blue stunner LED strips

Super Reef Octopus XP-1000 Skimmer

I have a BRS GFO reactor in the sump, and a small powerhead to keep the junk from collecting on the bottom of the sump.

Small bag of carbon in sump.

Lights are all on timers, there is a Spectrapure Litermeter3 for ATO. No fancy controllers.

I dose nothing but kalkwasser, feed heavily with a variety of frozen, flake, and "fine" foods (like golden pearls, cyclopeeze, gonipower, etc.) all mixed together.

[slief]

Originally Posted by rhdoug

Thanks! It isn't really large but it has been around for a long time.
I had this cabinet built around the tank (nerve wracking) in 2011. Incorporated an RO tank on top left and fresh SW below it. Large pump with a 3/4" hose make water changes a breeze, just drain the amount you want, put the hose over the tank and flip the switch on the power strip. Made my maintenance a non event. The 10 gallon tank on the bottom is the ATO reservoir. It looks awful now because I switched from dosing 2 part to kalkwasser in the reservoir (via Mrs Wages pickling lime). Helped tremendously with the tank's chronic low ph.


3-D rendering I made to plan it out.


final product


doors and canopy open


detail of what's inside

Wow.. Very nice. I didn't look at your signature to see the size and the first photos made it look more like a 300 gallon system. Very nice though and very well thought out!

[SDguy]

Beautiful tank you have there!

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by slief

Wow.. Very nice. I didn't look at your signature to see the size and the first photos made it look more like a 300 gallon system. Very nice though and very well thought out!

Thanks, I like that it looks larger than it is...

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by SDguy

Beautiful tank you have there!

Thank you sir!

[3dees]

awesome tank and pics. maybe my tank will look that good. only 14 years to go.

[Sugar Magnolia]

What a beautiful tank!!

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by 3dees

awesome tank and pics. maybe my tank will look that good. only 14 years to go.

Ha! Good luck, it happens quick. Sort of. Not really.

[rhdoug]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

What a beautiful tank!!

Thank you Adrienne!