Year 5 after the conversion

[Spartan]

We don't see too many updates any more on this forum. Perhaps I'm probably one of the last few people not on social media. But I don't think I could tweet about my tank and instagram wont do it justice. And how would you know if my tank wasn't Russian if it was on facebook? These profound questions aside, I'm still going the old school route and posting here.
So as the title suggests I converted my tank to a soft coral system from an sps system about 5 years ago. I change the water only every couple of months and the softies love me for it. Fish are happy too. I switched from 250w MHs this year to LEDs. I went the inexpensive route (Viparspectra), as I did not think the softies would require higher end fixtures, and so far this has worked very well.
One cautionary note: As it turns out there is an upper limit even in a soft coral tank as to how infrequently one can change the water. So you'll see a few specimens not there from my last update a couple of years ago. My favorite neon green finger leather (I've never seen a colony like that before or since) was unfortunately one of the casualties. Low maintenance is not no maintenance.

[Spartan]

Fts

[Spartan]

Left side view

[Spartan]

Right side view

[Spartan]

Acanthurus Fowleri. Has not grown much, which is surprising given they get relatively large. I do feed on the light side but I suspect something is missing. In any case a great tang.

[Spartan]

A few of the gang

[Spartan]

Flame cardinal

[Fiver]

Very nice. How long between water changes?

[Capt_Cully]

This is as social as I’ve gotten. I can think of maybe 3 times where something I was looking for required me to have an FB account. I can think of hundreds of instances where social media has been detrimental to a situation.

I love a good softie tank. Yours is no exception. Looks awesome! I can see the appeal. I’ve got a few gorgs in my tank. Really awesome corals.

[Gary Majchrzak]

IME certain (perhaps most) softies are more toxic than stonies- a factor which would be greatly influenced by performing water changes.
(Sinularia is going to take over any tank that doesn't get water changes IME).
Too bad you lost the green softie.... do you know it's scientific name so I can have it for future reference?
Does your Emperor bother softies?
What do you supplement besides calcium and alkalinity?

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by Fiver

Very nice. How long between water changes?

A couple of months. I really don't follow a schedule but when I do it I try to do 25%.

[Spartan]

Cully thx for the kind words. I equate that to a Facebook "like".

[Spartan]

Gary I have no idea what it was. It was an encrusting type of finger leather. I've seen these in Hawaii but they uncommon there. And I've never seen green. I'll have to some research.

Going to post some more pics tonight...

[Gary Majchrzak]

one theory of mine:
(and I have not seen any scientific proof to date)
*a fish can grow larger in any given volume of water if a system receives regular partial water changes*.

In other words, without water changes a fish might not grow as large as it might in an aquarium receiving water changes.

[Spartan]

Gary, your theory is a fact.
My other fish hobby is koi. My kids and I have raised several spawns now, literally producing thousands of them. Water changes are absolutely essential to growth. There are various growth inhibiting hormones and fry are the most sensitive to them. Somatostatin is the most commonly researched since it is used in human medicine as well where it has a number of effects, but there are seveal others.
Typically our koi reach 12" in a 12 to 18 months, when raised in a pond with water changes. Those kept in a aquariums and fed the same diet without water changes are 2".

Here's an old reference to ponder:

Matty, A J, 1985, Fish Endocrinology, Kent: Crookheim Ltd

[Spartan]

back to reefing - here's that green leather I lost. If anyone has it I'd LOVE a frag. I bought it a CF. Probably some type of lobophytum or sinularia but that doesn't narrow it down much.

[Spartan]

Love this guy. I knew getting zooanthids would be out of the question between him and the foxface. I thought palys would be fine given their supertoxicity, and when I came across a very nice light green colony I did not hesitate to put it in. For a while all was well and I was able to split the colony. Then things changed, less and less of them. Even as the colonies did an relative quick disappearing act I still had doubts he could eat them. One evening I did catch him taking a strong nip at them. Not absolute proof but he's guilty until proven innocent in my court. Other than that he leaves the softies alone.

[Spartan]

The old timers.

These two I've had since 2012. Calcinus laevimanus. Supposedly their life span is 3-5 years.

[Spartan]

It's not an anemone but it'll do.
I had an orange ocellaris with her in QT, and these two seemed to get along fine. The orange did not survive QT and I regret not getting another. I doubt she'd accept any coinhabitants now?

[Gary Majchrzak]

everything looks great!

Thanks for that information/link on fish endocrinology

[drtango]

Fantastic tank! FWIW, I have an Emperor and a Foxface...and some mats of Zoa’s. I, and especially some generous grankdkids, feed the heck out of the tank which I’m sure helps. Oddly, the worst nipper is the powder blue tang who has a liking for gorgs...

John

[Spartan]

I'm deeply flattered to get that kind of praise from two former TOTM winners!

It's probably hit or miss with Emperors and a lot of angelfish for that matter. And like is their tastes might change a bit over time. I can't take issue since I have a taste for soft corals too now.

[saltyscotsman]

glad to see that you keep koi as well I have a 15 -23 foot pond with koi all my koi were born in the pond now 10 years old

[Spartan]

Koi make reefing look cheap. Here's my 34" prize kohaku.

[Spartan]

On DD no less. Thrilled to have it back in the tank. Phone pic quality isn't optimal but it is a very bright mint green in person. Has an acropora like look to it