View Full Version : Tank Of The Month - December 2004 - aidyb
UltimateReef.com is proud to feature its latest 'Tank of the Month'.
Aidy's Zoo amazing inspired reef tank.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/aidys%20(75).jpg
Details can be found following the link in the post below (I have done the link this way to get a more accurate indication of activity). I have also added the content below due to me prefering the formatting when attached to this thread.
Congratulations Aidy superb tank and thankyou for the fantastic write up.!
If you have any questions or comments for Aidy then please post them in this thread.
Craig
Aidy's Amazing Zoo inspired TOTM for December (http://www.ultimatereef.net/TOTM/Dec04.htm)
Aidy’s Reef Tank
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/aidys%20(75).jpg
HISTORY
WOW. To be asked if I would like to be featured as one of Ultimate Reefs TOTM's, is truly a surprise and an honor! I have followed this thread every month over the past few years and have continually been stunned by the winners and their amazing tanks. Each time an inspiration and an example! I having only just a little over two years experience within this hobby, looked with respect at those winners, wondering if one day, I might reach the very high standards set. Heck! I know I still have a ways to go because reading some of the write-ups, technical specs and reference to fancy gadgets still baffles me at times. I guess that’s just one of the reasons why this fantastic hobby continues to fascinate, educate and challenge me and other marine aquarium keepers. There is always something else to learn!
If prior to three years ago you were to ask me if I had had any experience in keeping an aquarium (tropical, fish only, marine, reef or any other type), I would have said;
" Yeah, I had a gold fish as a kid... It died!!! It got this horrid white stuff on its side. I thought I'd better do something about it so I dropped it for a few minutes in warm salty water..... I thought it would help! To add insult to murder, I got told off by Mum cause I'd used the washing-up bowl."
I was left shocked and saddened at my sudden loss. Also stunned at the speed in which the warm salty-water had taken - 'George' - the goldfish! Poor bugger. Looking back, I wonder if I had heard somewhere about something called a fresh water dip, but got it all wrong?!
It would be nearly two decades before I would once again keep any pets.
The memory of 'George' re-surfaced three years ago, when my sister asked for my help in disposing of a rather awkward and heavy 55 gallon glass aquarium & stand. It had taken two months by sea to finally make it to the UK from Hawaii, where she had been living. No longer having the room or interest for it anymore, I was asked to get rid of it. Not knowing the first thing about 'fish tanks' made selling it too much hassle. So, to the tip it was destined.
Except, getting it from where it now sat and had sat for 6 months, empty in my front room to the dump, was also too much hassle and too heavy. Besides, it looked really neat with a few candles in it. Eventually I decided I was going to fill it with water and maybe some colorful fish. Well it can't be that difficult can it? As long as there's no GOLDFISH!!
FEBRUARY 2003____________________________NOVEMBER 2003________________________APRIL 2004
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AUGUST 2004________________________________NOVEMBER 2004
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Of course being a stubborn kind of guy and knowing what I wanted, I didn't heed the advice to leave 'Marines' until I had more experience.
THANK GOODNESS! I was determined to get this as right as I could first time. So I armed myself with as much info, books, web sites and dodgy help from certain LFS's as I could for some weeks before adding the first of the water. The hardest thing I found at the beginning was not knowing / understanding enough about things to be able to ask the right questions to help solve various problems. My goodness I had no idea I had to become a chemist and understand all these different NO2, NO3, PH, blah, blah. And how many times did I have to have the difference between NITRATE & NITRITE explained to me. "OH, SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY TWO SEPARATE THINGS ALTOGETHER???" or are they just a spelling typo and that mans strange accent??
Of course I'd be telling fibs if I didn't admit to making loads of mistakes along the way. However, having now been set-up in its present form for about two years, it seems to be living and looking great.
During my early research on the Internet, my eye was caught by what a couple of 'reefers' were doing over in the US. They had created a reef that was almost completely ZOANTHID and MUSHROOM based. The effect was totally different to anything I had seen before and was just simply stunning. I was at that moment, bitten by what I can only describe as my ZOO obsession. The more I found out about this stunning and sometimes elusive coral, the more I had to hunt them down. The different colour variations and combinations seem to be endless, with the blues, pinks, reds and oranges being some of the most sought after. They are an easy and forgiving coral to look after and don't require the expensive lights that SPS/LPS need. It seems I'm not alone in my quest for these beautiful corals. In fact more and more people are collecting them now. This has a good effect for all. In the right conditions, they grow very quickly & easily, therefore easy to frag. This also has a positive environmental effect, as fewer wild colonies are being taken from the sea. The initial difficulty in finding any Zoos here in the UK that weren't just the bland brown colour seems to be changing. Thankfully more LFS are making an effort to import colonies and with a bit of patience and a keen eye you can find polyps worthy of any of those seen by our friends overseas.
FISH
The Star of my reef as far as I'm concerned is my COPPERBAND BUTTERFLY FISH.
Yeah okay, I admit it; I've given him a name. Well I got to call him something. He's my bud. lol
Everyone, meet 'BEAKER'.
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1 X ROYAL GAMMA
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LOOK CLOSLY IN THIS PICS SEE THE PURPLE HEAD OF MY ROYAL GAMMA. HE'S HIDING FROM THE CAMERA TRYING TO BLEND IN WITH THE ZOOS!
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1X MANDARIN DRAGONET (This little fella has been with me the longest. about a year and a half.)
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1X SIX-LINE WRASSE
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3X FIJI BLUE DEVIL DAMSELS
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VARIOUS TYPES OF CLEANER CREW. INCLUDING;
BLUE LEG HERMIT CRABS
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SNAILS
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RED LEG HERMIT CRABS
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2X CLEANER SHRIMP THAT SEEM TO BE ETERNALLY PREGNANT!!
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I also have a very colourful and quick moving RED STARFISH
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EQUIPMENT
As pointed out previously, my set-up is really quite basic. Fate dealt me a lucky hand in getting the tank in the first place. Then again, falling for the Zoo habit. I didn't realize at the time but I have been saved the extra cost of having to purchase essential costly equipment that most other reefs require to keep them healthy. A good current and some bright lights are all I need to keep my Zoanthids healthy. I know my time will come though. Probably when I
up-grade my tank in the New Year.
TANK
55 GALLON HEXAGONAL GLASS AQUARIUM WITH PINE STAND
FILTRATION
FIJI LIVE ROCK & FLUVAL 403 EXTERNAL FILTER.
Two and a half years ago when I went looking for suitable rock to aquascape with, I ended up purchasing what seemed like tons of ugly and exceptionally heavy Ocean Rock from my LFS. I had no idea what live rock was or any clue to its benefits. It was probably a good eight months before I added a small Ricordea Mushroom attached to a piece of live rock. My first coral. I still have it today. Gradually I have replaced all but one piece of the ocean rock with Fiji LR. I have no idea how much is there by weight as its been added at different times. Safe to say there's a fair bit though.
I know this isn't the best or most suitable choice of filtration for my shape of tank. Especially as it relies on a spray bar at the surface to turn over the water, and my tank is very deep. It does kick out quite a current though and must be doing its job, as all seems to be well. I regularly maintain the pump, adding or replacing, Rowaphos filter media and Carbon for water clarity. The latter I change monthly. I also have a PolyFilter pad in there for good measure.
The cabinet underneath the tank has room to add a sump, but my future plans are for something much bigger. More about that later. I create extra water movement at different depths with 5 power-heads. I regularly change their position within the reef to help circulate any dead spots. This is normally done after the weekly maintenance on them. I use the Maxi-Jet Submersible pumps & the larger Maxi-Jet Power-Heads. If any of you are familiar with the smaller Maxi-Jet product, then you might be able to answer a question that’s been bugging me. Why did the manufacturers make them with the horrible bright greeny turquoise plastic casing? No matter where you try and hide the things they stick out a mile. Also it’s hard to get the damn things to stay on the glass for very long. For their size however, they aren't too bad.
LIGHTING
GEISMANN METAL HALIDE
My main lighting is from a Geismann Metal Halide Hanging Unit. It has 1x 250 watt 10,000K Metal Halide with 2x Actinic Blue-Power Compacts in built.
I shall shortly be changing my M/H lamp for one of the higher Kelvin range type. The higher Kelvin bulbs specifically the 14.000k & 20.000k give a much bluer colour range. This I know wouldn't suit most tastes but the dramatic difference it makes to the Zoanthids is stunning. The colours really come alive when using these lamps and really makes all the difference. It looks like a different tank. My photoperiod is different to most peoples also. My Compacts come on at 11.30am and shut down at 23.30. My Halides fire up at 12.30pm and shut off at 19.30. I have cut down the amount of time the halide is on as it encourages my Zoos to spread far to quickly. I'm quickly running out of space in the tank. Anyway more about that later. This next bit you might find a bit strange. I have timed my lights to stay off for one whole day every two weeks. This is to simulate a stormy or rainy day that would happen naturally on a reef. This tip I picked up from the Zoo-Guru himself MUCHO-REEF over in the states. The day after lights out all returns to normal however everything in the tank just seems to look more healthy, happy and glowing. The Zoos polyps particularly appear to open up much wider than normal and colours shine out much more vividly.
For photography purposes I have a couple T8 floros that I use. 1x CORALIFE 50/50 Daylight/Actinic Blue T8 and 1x Marine Blue T8. This combination with out the M/Hs on gets the best and closest to real-life colour results.
FEEDING & ADDITIVES
I'm lucky in that my job affords me a lot of time at home. On these days I feed the fish the same amount they would get in one feed on any other day. The only difference being, I add it in very small amounts throughout the day. This keeps them busy and more importantly cuts down wastage and therefore dodgy parameters. I feed the fish a mixture of Artemia, Mysis Shrimp (Beakers favorite) and Marine Mix. After defrosting the food I rinse it under tap water to avoid that horrible oily slick that appears on the water surface. Also before putting it in the tank I soak it in KENT Zoecon & KENT Zoe to help boost the fish’s immune system and promote growth.
Every other day I feed the reef with some ChromoPlex phytoplankton. Using a small syringe I also give a little special target squirt to my red Sea Fan. A capful of Iodine is added a couple of times a week and Kent Marine Essential Elements is added when a water change takes place.
WATER CHANGES
I believe my regular water changes are the reason my tank has stayed stable for so long and hasn't thrown any major problems my way. Every 10/14 days without fail I exchange 10 sometimes 12 gallons of water. I use Reef Crystals as my salt and I usually start mixing and aerating it the day before. I only use fresh R/O water on every occasion. My gravity is maintained at 1.022. My water temp is kept at 78 degrees - 25.5C. Because of the less than ideal water turn over cycle due to, shape of tank, pump design and size of reef inside, my results when testing the water parameters can fluctuate. Never have they been at a level to cause any concern or symptom within the tank. Keeping on top of my water change regime keeps everything in balance.
SKIMMER
RED SEA PRIZM SKIMMER - the less said here the better. I shall shortly be upgrading this equipment! Lol
OTHER CORALS
Here are some pics of some of the other corals in the tank.
YELLOW SPAGHETTI FINGER LEATHER - Sinularia Flexibis
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RED SEA FAN - Gorgonian sp
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TORCH CORAL - Euphyllia glabrescens
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TOADSTOOL MUSHROOM LEATHER - Sarcophyton sp.
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VARIOUS MUSHROOM - Ricordia sp.
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CAULIFLOWER COLT - Cladiella sp
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PULSE CORAL - Xenia sp.
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FUTURE PLANS
Well I know patience in this game is one of the most important things of all. Not winning the lottery helps to slow me down.
I have had plans for some time now to up-grade my tank to something much bigger. I'm very eager to do this as I have long since run out of space. I can't tell you to many details with regard to it, as I am still in the planning stage. I'm thinking though of a custom built tank, around the 100 gallon size. I love the height my current tank has and I don't really want to loose the width (front to back) either. I would prefer a conventional shape though. I need to win the lottery first!!!!
My plans are to keep my current tank and setting it up as a Zoanthid propagation tank. I'm REALLY excited about doing this, as it will give me a chance to frag ALL of my colonies and grow them out. When they are ready, I can start getting them out to so many of those who are looking but having trouble finding good colourful Zoos here in the UK. Hopefully I can make a few pennies along the way also so I can cover the costs of the operation and carry on collecting. The frags are very hardy and could be shipped out in small thermos flasks containing tank water. Or in the conventional packaging if the order was bigger. Whatever was the cheaper? In the US the thermos flask way is becoming more popular. All the planning and research needed to make this project work successfully and reliably needs to be done.
FINALLY
I know I get enormous pleasure being involved in this diverse, varied and rewarding hobby. I could not have imagined at the beginning that it would open my mind to the likes of chemistry, biology and physics. All subjects I hated at school, I've become more informed about environmental issues and also, gained a new love.....photography.
I hope I've created something inspiring and different to look at and I hope you have enjoyed looking and reading about it!
Thank you once again to all at 'Ultimate Reef' for this great honor. It honestly means a lot to me.
I'll be smiling right through December!!!
Aidyb
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I would like to be the first to congratulate you Aidy.
Stunning tank.
Thanks for sharing with us.
I managed to get your photo count down to 60+ rather than 100+. Wow the photos you supplied were fantastic.
Thanks again.
Craig.
:thumbsup: Quality.. lovely tank :thumbsup:
Aidy....:bow: God that is a well deserved mate.... :wub: Well done... :thumbsup:
Mark....
Aidy,
Well done m8, richly deserved. :thumbsup:
:D
Congrats Aidy :thumbsup: fantasic tank :dance:
Congratulations Aidy, an unusual and beautiful tank.
Well done
Paul
Wonderful looking tank.
Superb display.
There really is something special about a tank dominated by Zoos, you've certainly achieved that with yours, I still contemplate it sometimes, one day one day.............
Superb photos too.
:D :D Congratulations. :D :D
Matt
Lawrence Corley
01-12-04, 07:21
WOW. To be asked if I would like to be featured as one of Ultimate Reefs TOTM's, is truly a surprise and an honor!
True modesty. I don't know why you were surprised Aidy. :thumbsup:
You have a truly stunning tank there m8, congrats, a much deserved honour :bow:
Loz
Nice one m8...thoroughly deserved and is a credit to you.
Just waiting for the invite to come and see it in person :whistling:
:lol: :bow: :cheers:
Andy
RichardinSouthampton
01-12-04, 12:02
What can I say! Other then :o :bow:
NICE JOB MATE!
Regards
Rich
Absolutely fantastic :bow: :bow: :bow:
Saw your tank pictures before and its what got me interested more in softies then sps/lps, i've started to buy a few now and hoping to get some more off 17000ltr at his open day on saturday.
the pictures on here are stunning, :wub: what camera are you using?
ITD
i do like mushies and zoos alot , your tank is stunning and will only get better with each day with the dedication you put into it,keep it up..FISHMAN... :rolleyes:
Nice one Aidy - a well deserved TOTM ;)
Anna
P.S. And those zoo's :wub:
lovablemonster
01-12-04, 18:49
well done m8 well deserved areal credit to your husbandry :bow: :bow: :bow: .
:thumbsup: :bow: ian
Stunning.
Fantastic photos!!!!
ian
Insperational , and proof that , you really dont need a big tank , to have a stunning reef :bow: :thumbsup:
fantastic :thumbsup: now you`ve got me thinking :rolleyes:
I've said it before - obsessive, but looking at it you can easily understand why. :bow: A real thing of beauty. You have every reason to be very proud. I'm very envious! :wub:
Hope you keep with the zoo theme when you upgrade.
Very best wishes,
Keith
That really is stunning :thumbsup:
Can you teach me how to take pics like that aswell :bow:
Fantastic mate, absolutely fantastic!! :thumbsup:
I was thinking, if anyone has a regal angel that is off it's food, we might have just discovered the perfect holiday tank... :whistling: :lol:
Rich
Great tank Aidy. It is nice to see people not just following trends but choosing their own way to go. I love zoos, and a tank dedicated to them is inspirational. Can`t wait to see it under a 250watt 20kk.
Absolutely Stunning! :D
A quick question I have quite a few zoos myself as well, how do you get on with the more brightly coloured varieties? I have found with some of them particularly the very vivid blues that they seem to thrive for a while and then slowly start to disappear until I'm only left with a few left, there are no predators in the tank so do you reckon it's the lighting (4 x 54watt T5's) or should I be actively feeding them? do you feed yours?
cheers
Carolyn
Love it, it's given me some ideas; those zoo's are to die for. :wub:
An inspiration to all those new to the hobby (me included) - given the time you've been it.
:bow: :thumbsup:
Bravo...............awesome tank......love the overall structure and content of this one...10/10....... :bow:
looks fantastic
can see the sales on zoos going through the roof after looking at that,id really like to get 1 after seeing some of the colours.
superb!
:bow:
Mark
When does the fragging start ?
Regards Steve.
jamie reefer
20-12-04, 01:21
Well done there m8 tank looks great and the colours wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww
cheers Jamie
:D :D :D :D
Well, what an exciting month it's been!!! Not only Christmas, New Year & my Birthday, but I was also wisked off on a five day break to Dubai as a surprise birthday pressy as well. I've been a very spoilt boy indeed!
All but New Year is over now however, I'm STILL quietly smiling inside with regard to my tank being featured here as TOTM. I got a further surprise (or double wammy as someone put it), when I also got TOTM over on 'Reef Park' as well this month. Whats going on!? :wacko:
I've not yet replied to some of the questions that have been asked of me. I thought I'd wait until the end of the month in the hope no one would catch me out reading all your very VERY kind comments - oh too regularly. Thanks you all for posting. It really has made me and the fish very happy. :dance:
InTheDeep & DAZH - My camera I use is a FujiFilm 3800 3.2pixel camera. It's really one of the more basic and cheap digi cameras. The camera looks like an SLR camera rather than a pocket size, however it has the same functions. I think the bigger shape helps a great deal with steadying the camera for clearer pics. I am still finding different ways of using the settings and lighting to get different effects.
RONKYD - Indeed my tank would be Heaven to a Regal Angel fish because of their liking of Zoos! Damn shame though as they have got to be one of THE most beautiful fish in the sea. Can you imajine though!!! :( Yikes!!!
CAROLYN - I know what you mean about the blue zoos being a bit touch and go. I've found that the smaller polyp and generaly more colourful type zoos, like the blues, are happier at the bottom of the tank away from my metal halides. If placed directly under them near the top of the tank, they quickly start to melt and die off. The blues particularly. They still like light however and should be out in the open but somewhere not too bright with good flow. As for your question about your lights being bright enough, I'd need to know more about your tank ie size/depth ect. Please feel free to PM me with a pic or specs and I'd be glad to help. Have you tried placing them at different levels in the tank. Then leaving them for a week or so to see what happenes? This is the best way of finding the perfect spot. Whenever I get a new frag I generaly have to try different depths to find what suits. As for feeding them. Apart from what I've mentioned above, I don't directly feed any of my colonies. They don't really need it as long as they have enough light (or not too much) and good flow. Good luck.
Once again thanks everyone for looking!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
aidyb
:wave:
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