Oldude's Little Reef on the Prairie

[aquaph8]

Great to see you back Greg, beautiful colors as always. So many amazing corals in your tanks.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by h.cordero

really nice pieces you have sir

Thank you kindly

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by muttley000

Stunning, can't wait to see it when it is all grown out!

Thanks I am also looking forward to it being grown out. My problem is I will run into trouble with crowding so I am considering turning my 130 gal tank in the back of my fishroom into another sps dominant tank.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by SPotter

Ummmm….Wow!!!!! Amazing shots!

Thanks for the compliment.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by rygar

I rarely post, but you sir are a freakshow!! Your tank is unbelievable. I'm loving the caves under the corals. Gives great contrast.

Thanks for posting!! I wish I could capture the caves better because they are no near as dark as they seem in the pictures.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by aquaph8

Great to see you back Greg, beautiful colors as always. So many amazing corals in your tanks.

Thanks, nice to be back. I'll try to keep regular updates posted.

[Oldude]

Just dawned on me that I should list a few particulars about the system -
404 gal display 96 x 36 x 27
130 additional 'soft coral tank' 72 x 18 x 24
120 gal sump.
The 2 frag tanks are plumbed seperately on their own sump & system.

Here is a list of the fish in the display tank:
Royal gramma x2
firefish
mandarin dragonets x2 (mating pair)
orange spotted diamond gobies (mated pair)
Leopard wrasses x2 (pair)
yellow coris wrasse
Melonaris wrasse
mystery wrasse
fairy wrasse (similar to a scott's but in my opinion cooler)
cleaner wrasse
true perculas (mated pair)
maroon clown
bartlett anthias x3
foxface
Coral Beauty (bought in 2004)
Yellow Tang (bought 2004)
Powder Blue Tang
Kole Tang
Sailfin Tang
Naso Tang
Purple Tang
Marine Beta aka comet
dragon pipe
Tailspot Blenny
Fire Shrimp x 2
Cleaner shrimp x2

When I emptied the display I removed my large regal tang (bought late 2008) because it developed a taste for expensive LPS and clams
I also removed an XL maroon clown due to aggresive behavior.

[Oldude]

There are several corals that I am unclear on their exact ID and of course there are some species that I have duplicates of due to a variety of colors, etc. Anyway below is a list of the sps I have been able to ID with some confidence & this will give a pretty good indication of what I have in my tank.
ACROPORA:
a subglabra
a speciosa
a florida
a papillare
a loripes
a granulosa
a tutuilensis
a formosa
a echinata
a awi
a elegans
a abrotanoides
a sarmentosa
a desalwii
a hyacinthus
a prostrata
a millepora
a tenuis
a willisae
a yongei
a hoksemai
a humilis
a horrida
a exquisita
a carduus
a divaricata
a convexa
a austera
a gomezi
a tortousa
a cerealis
a valida
a nana
a lovelli
a loisetteae
a lokani
a caroliniana
a grandis
a macrostoma
a subulata
a aspera
a plana
a nasuta
a pulchra
a natalensis
a secale
a vermiculata
a microclados
a fastigata
a insignis
etc.

MONTIPORA:
m digitata
m samarensis
m capitata
m confusa
m setosa
m mollis
m capricornis
etc.
Seriatopora
s hystrix
s. caliendrum
s guttatus
Pocillopora
p damicornis
Stylopora
s pistillata

Not much as far as 'designer' coral go but here are the (named pieces) -
Red Planet
Hawkins Echinata
shades of fall
pink lemonade
lime in the sky
cali tort
len si cap
ponape bird nest
bird of paradise

[Newbie Aquarist]

That is a very nice acro/monti list. I even like to have a couple of those on the designer list. I can't wait to get my tank to even 1/4 as close as yours.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by Newbie Aquarist

That is a very nice acro/monti list. I even like to have a couple of those on the designer list. I can't wait to get my tank to even 1/4 as close as yours.

Thanks again for the kind words. There are a few on the list that are rather unusual. I'll have to take some more pix when I get some time.

[Oldude]

It was late & I forgot a few corals on my list -
meteor shower - cyphastrea japonica (also have in blue & green)
branching meteor shower - cyphestrea decadia
hydnophora
heliopora (not really sps but it's hard & crunchy on the outside)
a spathulata
etc.

[Oldude]

[Oldude]

[Newbie Aquarist]

Ricordia rock is beautiful Gotta love the tailspot blenny

[mseepman]

As always Greg, your tank skills are amazing!

[maddmaxx]

awesome refurbish....question do you think your corals pop better with a blue background? ive always been partial to a black background, thats why i ask...

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by Newbie Aquarist

Ricordia rock is beautiful Gotta love the tailspot blenny

Thanks, yeah blennies are real charactors.

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by mseepman

As always Greg, your tank skills are amazing!

Not sure about that but it's nice of you to say Mark....thanks

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by maddmaxx

awesome refurbish....question do you think your corals pop better with a blue background? ive always been partial to a black background, thats why i ask...

Thank you. I think it depends a lot on the coral & color there of but overall I don't think it matters much. That said I am just partial to the blue but we all have different tastes. I think black looks great as well (& it probably makes the powerheads less noticable) but my personal preference for my reef is a blue background.

[Pederreefnerd]

Hi Greg,

Just spend an hour looking at yr TOTM 2010 - truly amasing :-)

Sad to read here U had to start all over again, but **** happens, and U are not alone.
I went through a similar situation 1,5 year ago. Lost 80% of my SPS, and Im happy again with my tank - and U can be proud of Yr progress in this new one - colors are stunning slready :-)

Same U I have 3 of those huge black crabs - but here they are still in the DT - fu..

Best of luck going foreward - I will eagerly wait for yr updates.

Hugs

[rpjaws74]

awesome coral

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by Pederreefnerd

Hi Greg,

Just spend an hour looking at yr TOTM 2010 - truly amasing :-)

Sad to read here U had to start all over again, but **** happens, and U are not alone.
I went through a similar situation 1,5 year ago. Lost 80% of my SPS, and Im happy again with my tank - and U can be proud of Yr progress in this new one - colors are stunning slready :-)

Same U I have 3 of those huge black crabs - but here they are still in the DT - fu..

Best of luck going foreward - I will eagerly wait for yr updates.

Hugs

Thanks so much for your comments Peder. The rebuild has been bitter sweet, it's a lot of hard work but it's nice to have a healthy reef again. Now grow baby grow!!

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by rpjaws74

awesome coral

Thanks for the compliment.
- God makes em', I just grow em'.

[bullitr]

No more large angels sir ?

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by bullitr

No more large angels sir ?

No the angels & butterflies cost me a lot in corals. Sometimes you can get lucky but I wasn't.