Ballhog's Solana 34

[ballhog]

Current 7-12-14:
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3HO1490.jpg
Tank - Solana 34, 20" x 20" x 20"
1st chamber - Heater
2nd chamber - Filter floss, only 2 days after a water change
Return - Sicce
Flow - RIO Polaro - Awesome Flow Pump
Light - Kessil LED A350W Tuna Blue
ATO - Optical Sensor, Made by me
Rock - Bulk reef supply, glued together with 2 part reef epoxy.
Fish - Golden Striped Maroon Clownfish


8-20-12- Started with
Well I planned this move years ago. I originally bought this Solana when they first came out, it been sitting empty for years and I'm just getting around to putting water in it, lol. So I am setting up a new/old Solana 34. My old reef, Old Reef (http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/members-reefs/ballhogs-reef-10754/) So, its time to start again, with something smaller and hopefully easier to maintain.
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Uploads%20via%20Pixelpipe/IMG_0123.jpg
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Uploads%20via%20Pixelpipe/IMG_0131.jpg
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Uploads%20via%20Pixelpipe/IMG_0124.jpg
Going to remove the ATO bottle and skimmer.
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Uploads%20via%20Pixelpipe/IMG_0128.jpg

Tank - Solana 34, 20" x 20" x 20" - Stock Return Pump

Filtering -
1st chamber - Filled with rubble
2nd chamber - InTank Media Basket with, Top- Filter Pad, Middle - Purigen, Bottom - Chemi-Pure Elite
AquaC Remora-S Skimmer with Maxi-jet 1200
Flow - Ecotech Vortech MP10
Light - Kessil LED a350w
ATO - Optical Sensor, Made by me
Rock - Bulk reef supply, glued together with 2 part reef epoxy.
Fish - One dead shrimp from freezer.

I started with dry rock. I put a couple pieces of rock from old tank into the rubble section in the back to help seed the new dry rock. And now I wait for tank to cycle before, I kick on skimmer, UV and put in filter media.

[ballhog]

A few more pics
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/POMD3094.jpg
It seems every time I add the dry rock its gets this red hue for the first few days.
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/POMD3086.jpg
Snail Top Off
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/POMD3097.jpg
No Skimmer, no filter media, nothing, just waiting for the cycle. Boring
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/POMD3081.jpg

[dputt88]

looking really good. any stocking plans?

[ballhog]

What's up?
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/10758674754_1e39a3a6c5_c.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/10726831874_26e7d12963_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/10758300914_d6f09fc29e_c.jpg

Stocking for right now is just my GSM, I plan on adding a very small GSM in the future.

[MizTanks]

Sweeet tank! :)


Sent from my iPhone 4s via Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1).

[larryandlaura]

Looking good thanks for sharing.

[ballhog]

I wana say I had bought a 6 head frag of this frogspawn 6 years ago, as of last month it had grown larger then a volleyball. So the story started off when I go on vacation and have a local place do a water change on my tank. Come back to this.
http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3IM7143.jpg

Not so bad, they just broke off a few pieces out of the center.

Then I had a Xenia that was growing a extra arm, so I just trim it off and mount to plug. Well it falls off the plug and disappears, gone. Then last week I found the xenia, growing to the bottom side of the frogspawn, of all places. Its just a little frag, should be no trouble to remove. Everything would have gone fine if I didn't drop the frogspawn. And heres my picture of shame.

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3IM7228.jpg


http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Frog%20Spawn/P3030056.jpg

However I do have a wonderful Frogspawn garden for the time being.

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/f945feaa-dff6-4fcc-8de3-626610b4afc5.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/P3030096.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/P2280127.jpg

[jimsflies]

Wow...that's a lot of spawn! Bummer about the break.

[dlhirst]

Wow, that does fill the bottom up nicely though! That was an impressive colony. I am hoping the frag I bought from you grows up to look similar. It does seem happy in my tank right now. I love how this sp. has that "bump" in the middle, like a BTA. My other frogspawn never showed that look.

[ballhog]

Frogspawn Palace

The frogspawn is growing really good under my Kessil LED, maybe too good. I've been sticking with my usual program, nothing fancy just changing the water every two weeks or so.

After the breakup of the main colony I sold some off, but it seems I just can't get rid it fast enough. After the main colony broke up, the smaller frags just started growing like crazy.

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3HO1490.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3HO1467.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Ballhogs%20Solana%2034%20Reef%20Tank/K3HO1469.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Frog%20Spawn/K3HO1475.jpg

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx67/iballhog/Frog%20Spawn/K3HO1508.jpg

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Looks great. I like tanks that have a few mature corals. As opposed to the all too common million frag plug tanks. Also nice to see a Solana... I'm in the planning/gear buying stages for one right now. I'm curious, what Kessil are you running?

Tom

[ballhog]

Thanks, A350W Tuna Blue

[ballhog]

No lights and flash, http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/16/5aquje8u.jpg

This ones just day light, the color is usually like this before lights kick on. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/16/6aju7ara.jpg


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/16/u6egy4as.jpg.

[larryandlaura]

Holy frogspawn! Looking good with a huge colony.