Chucktown 20H - SPS Dominant

[divecj5]

It may take me a bit to comb back through all of my pictures so hold tight, there will be plenty of pictures to come.

Just to get things kicked off, a little background about myself. I've been reefing now since 2005. Ever since I was waist high to a grasshopper, I have always wanted to keep a saltwater tank. Although my original plan was to setup just a fish only with live rock tank, I joined RC and quickly got sucked into wanting to keep some simple coral as well. Long story short, I setup a 55g and kept a variety of Acans and other LPS, as well as some Z's and P's. I ended up getting vermitid snails that ended up covering every single inch of every rock in my tank. It got so bad in the end, that I was spending on average a couple of hours each week trying to chip them off the rock, back wall, and out from the inside of the skimmer. The hobby really stopped being fun.

I knew I wanted to start fresh so I started thinking about setting up a smaller tank. I settled on a BioCube 29 and kept that for a little over 19 months. Great tank, had a lot of fun learning more about the hobby and really honing my skills with keeping a smaller, more self-contained system. Jumped into SPS but it was mainly a mixed reef. After the first year, I started noticing some Neomeris popping up in a little patch of rock. They were colorful and I was told that they wouldn't spread so I just trimmed the stalks back when needed. Well, needless to say, the people were wrong as I suspected. When I finally took down the 29, once again, every single inch of rock, backwall, and back chambers were covered in little green Neomeris stalks.

Honestly, I was getting ready to toss in the towel at that point and just quit the hobby all together. I decided to stick it out due to a couple of local reefers and my wife asking why in the world I would stop.

That brings us to my current tank. Here are all of the specs -

Standard AGA 20H
100% EcoRox from Bulk Reef Supply (NO NUISANCE PESTS)
24" Aquatinics TX5 fixture
MP20
Aqua-C Remora HOB Skimmer


Livestock includes:

2 False Percs (had since the 55g)
1 Purple Firefish


Coral:

Icefire Echinata
Bruddah's Original Superman
Sunset Monti
Idaho Grape Monti Cap
Orange Monti Cap
Green w/blue Polyp Monti Cap
FNF Red Bug Monti
Green Slimer
Green Poccilipora
Tyree Bonsai
Tyree Tri-color Acro
ORA Red Planet
ORA Cali Tort
ORA Joe the Coral
Green Acro Vermiculata
Green Deepwater Acro
Couple of Acans
Green Favia
Hollywood Stunner Chalice
Pink Chalice
Pink Lemonade


And to make sure I don't start off without a pic, here is a recent topdown of the tank.

http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p208659969-3.jpg

I'll be posting more pictures later today.

-Adam

[jimsflies]

Wow - Adam, I am already liking your tank. I love smaller tanks. I can tell this thread will be fun. :watch:

[schminksbro]

We are a friendly community. You can't just tease us like that!:left_hanging:

Looks awsome man, I look forward to more pics.:)

[igot2gats]

Yeah, c'mon, man....no FTS?!?!?! :blackeye: Top downs don't count. :D

We like dem SPS over yonder - this thread will def be a hit.

Keep us posted - looks fantastic.

[divecj5]

Thanks for the warm welcome and sorry for the one picture tease (only could sneak in a few seconds on here while at work :) )

Here are a couple of additional shots of individual pieces that I have as well as the all important FTS.

Aquascene Icefire Echinata
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p854255108-3.jpg

FNF Acan Frags
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p695719032-3.jpg

http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p639769507-3.jpg

Superman Monti
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p518169758-3.jpg

Washed out FTS...need to grab a more recent one SOON
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p63878942-3.jpg

Enjoy ;)

-Adam

[Mike]

Awsome job on this tank!!! I am having a hard time believing it is a 20H from the pics :)

[ReeferRob]

Awsome job on this tank!!! I am having a hard time believing it is a 20H from the pics :)

I know right! Adams tank is the shizz!
The one problem I see is that he has too many corals I don't have or want:cool:

[Mike]

It is seriously impressive. I just converted my frag tank into a Zoa tank for now (until I get a proper display for them) and this tank is proof that it does not have to be huge to be sweet looking!!!!

[divecj5]

Awsome job on this tank!!! I am having a hard time believing it is a 20H from the pics :)

Thanks Mike. I get that same response a lot. Like with past tanks, I started out with just simply too much rock. It's great to have a lot of rock as it offers places for corals to be placed and grow but it can make a HUGE tank look teeny tiny. I removed a pretty good size rock on the right side of the tank a couple of months ago and it made the biggest difference.

I still find aquascaping to be one of the most challenging things in reefing.


I know right! Adams tank is the shizz!
The one problem I see is that he has too many corals I don't have or want:cool:

Haha....I'm always up for sharing Rob. Give it another month and I should have plenty of frags to trade/sell/whatever.



It is seriously impressive. I just converted my frag tank into a Zoa tank for now (until I get a proper display for them) and this tank is proof that it does not have to be huge to be sweet looking!!!!

You know what they say, good things come in small packages :D I actually find the smaller tank I have, the more I pay attention to details. Also, with a smaller water volume, it forces me to stay on top of things like dosing, water changes, etc.

Glad you guys are enjoying it.

[jimsflies]

The proportions are perfectly done. It gives the impression it is much larger than it is. Very zen...nicely done!

[divecj5]

The proportions are perfectly done. It gives the impression it is much larger than it is. Very zen...nicely done!

Thanks Jim. Definitely took a little tweaking and changing to get it in it's current state.

[Timmyb770]

The Pics do make it look alot bigger than a 20 but i looks very nice!!, good choice on corals as well

[igot2gats]

Holy cow! I just realized your tank is only 20. That top view makes it look like a 90...

I really like your Superman. Great pics - it'll be a nicely packed tank when your corals grow out.

[divecj5]

The Pics do make it look alot bigger than a 20 but i looks very nice!!, good choice on corals as well

Thanks for the compliment. The only downfall of having a smaller tank is that you are limited on the number of coral you can add. Now that things are starting to fill in a bit, I'll have to stay on top of trimming and keeping things away from one another.



it'll be a nicely packed tank when your corals grow out.

I'm definitely looking forward to some of my smaller frags taking off. The Icefire and Pink Lemonade continue to encrust.....wish they would just get on with branching already :)

[MarvinsReef]

so fresh and so clean... keep it up man... :)

[ReeferMike]

very nice! by far the best 20gallon tank ive ever seen. well done:D

[ReeferRob]

No fuge or sump on this beauty?
Whats your light cycle on this tank?
Do you dose anything in particular?

Such a great tank. Every time I look at it I like it more and more.

[divecj5]

so fresh and so clean... keep it up man... :)

Thanks Marvin :)


very nice! by far the best 20gallon tank ive ever seen. well done:D

Thank Mike. Not sure it's the "best" 20g but I think it's coming along nicely. There are a few other pieces that I would like to add and maybe change around a thing or two but it's in growout mode for the time being.


No fuge or sump on this beauty?
Whats your light cycle on this tank?
Do you dose anything in particular?

Such a great tank. Every time I look at it I like it more and more.

Thanks Rob. To answer your questions -

Fuge - No fuge on this guy. I used to have an AC70 that I was using as a HOB refuge but honestly, I think it was hurting more than helping the tank. Could never get the circulation right through it and the Chaeto I had never grew.

Light Cycle - Total time is 7 1/2 hours with all 5 bulbs firing except for the first 30 minutes.

Dosing - I am currently dosing 1 drop of MB7 every morning and .15 mL of Vodka daily. I was dosing 5 drops of MB7 and .4mL of Vodka daily but the colors started getting too washed out and I really didn't want to up my feeding anymore. Things have been really looking good at their current levels so I will eventually just stop the Vodka all together.

Took a bunch of shots yesterday so I'll post those up later on.

-Adam

[ReeferRob]

Cool, can't wait for the pics!

Are you getting any growth from your acans? I'm not sure I've ever seen any growth shots of acans just huge colonies and chop shop ones into frags.

I also like your new avatar. Do you skate?

[divecj5]

Cool, can't wait for the pics!

Are you getting any growth from your acans? I'm not sure I've ever seen any growth shots of acans just huge colonies and chop shop ones into frags.

I also like your new avatar. Do you skate?

Hopefully I get some time today to download and post up the pictures. I've been getting great growth on the Acans. When I was feeding them yesterday, I noticed 4 new baby polyps on one and 5 on the other. For a while I was feeding every other day but I've been more busy lately so it's been more of a once in a while thing. I'll post up a shot when I first got them and what they look like now.

I used to skate....about 10 years ago :) Just always liked the Element logo and still wear some of their cooler shirts.

[ReeferRob]

Hopefully I get some time today to download and post up the pictures. I've been getting great growth on the Acans. When I was feeding them yesterday, I noticed 4 new baby polyps on one and 5 on the other. For a while I was feeding every other day but I've been more busy lately so it's been more of a once in a while thing. I'll post up a shot when I first got them and what they look like now.

I used to skate....about 10 years ago :) Just always liked the Element logo and still wear some of their cooler shirts.

It sucks getting old and responsible huh? You have kids yet? I skate through my son, actually my daughter (18 months) likes it more than him. I still try to ride my long board to work once a week!

[divecj5]

It sucks getting old and responsible huh? You have kids yet? I skate through my son, actually my daughter (18 months) likes it more than him. I still try to ride my long board to work once a week!

No little ones yet....but probably within the next year or so. I'll definitely be living vicariously through them :)

[divecj5]

Updated shot of my favorite Acan. Just love how puffy it gets and all of the colors in the "mouth."
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p891930196-3.jpg

Right-side of the tank
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v7/p1040710849-3.jpg

More pics to come hopefully later today or tomorrow.

-Adam

[Rabidgoose]

Very nice!...more pics!!!

[thefishgirl]

Really great tank. Love the scale. It definitely looks bigger than what it is.

[ReeferRob]

What are the corals on the top right? I see a pocciloporra (sp) and what else?
I just got a few of my first SPS frags the other day!

[jojo22]

Looks nice, any big plans in the future or you just going to let it mature

[divecj5]

Sorry for the lack of updates lately...things have been really busy this past month with work (traveling and general work) so I haven't had much time to cruise the internet at home.

As my tank is closing in on the 11 month mark, I figured it was time for a little trip down memory lane :)


It all started last December.....just a tank, sand, and rocks....
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z106/divecj5/20H/_MG_9271.jpg

February -- Nothing but bleached and unhappy frags to see here (all came from my BC29) :D
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z106/divecj5/20H/_MG_9349.jpg

April
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z106/divecj5/20H/April/_MG_9619_web.jpg

May
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z106/divecj5/20H/May/_MG_0532_web.jpg

June -- Not a FTS as I guess I never got one :(
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p101433448-3.jpg

July -- Nice and cluttered
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p307758124-3.jpg

August
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p63878942-3.jpg

September
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p208659969-3.jpg

October
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v7/p1040710849-3.jpg

It's been fun looking back over the last 10 months. I can see where color really were their best and that's when I first started dosing the MB7. Colors are still great now but I may start dosing the MB7 again as I just can't seem to get rid of some patches of diatoms on the sand bed.

Coral progression shots to come....hopefully later today.

-Adam

[MarvinsReef]

wOw... very nice Adam... :)

[divecj5]

Thanks Marvin. Means a lot coming from you as I've light enjoyed your tanks.

-adam

[ReeferRob]

Those are some really great shots Adam. I love this little tank. I can't wait to see it once those beautiful frags grow over those plugs and reef epoxy.
The only thing I think your missing is a clam!

[divecj5]

Thanks Rob. Yeah, the tank is definitely coming along. I would love to pick up a clam. I used to have a really nice gold clam in my BC29.

My coral purchases usually come and go every couple of months as I like to let things settle in, figure out any changes to dosing/parameters, and then give them time to grow a bit. I'm going to be on the hunt for some more Acan frags in the next month or so. Can't wait to add to my whopping 2 Acan frags now :)

[Werdlone]

Great looking tank! I'm always very impressed by smaller sps tanks because they are so touchy when it comes to keeping stable parameters. You've definitely been doing a great job. I like the less cluttered look you are keeping also with the 2 islands of live rock.
IMO.. The caps will be your nemesis in a smaller tank...your real estate will run out quickly and you will wish you didn't put them in...I'm dealing with them in my 150 gallon!!! Just keep up on trimming them back! I agree with reeferRob..put a nice clam between the islands of live rock...would look great!

look forward to seeing more of your tank progression!!

[divecj5]

Thanks for cruising by the thread and providing such thoughtful comments and suggestions.

I think the challenge is the reason that I keep nano tanks with SPS. You're always told to go as large are you can on tanks but I've actually gone smaller the longer I reef. Started with a 55, went to a BC29, now have a 20H, and I will more than likely set up a 24" rimless cube over the next year or so. I've found that the less I tinker with things, the better off they are. Instead of testing and testing like crazy, I usually just gauge things on how the corals look. I can easily tell when Alk/Ca/Mg are out of whack just by the color of the coralline and the health of the live rock.

I'm already started to regret putting the caps in there but they just provide such a great multi-dimensional look. Luckily, they haven't grown a whole lot lately, probably because I keep snapping them to keep them in check. They always make good freebie frags.

I'm going to start snooping around for a clam for sure. I agree that smack dab in the center of the tank would be a great place one.

-Adam

[divecj5]

No real major changes, just tracking growth overall. The sand bed looks a lot dingier than it actually is in real life. Since I have some larger pieces of crushed coral, they are actually turning purple with coralline so it makes it look dirty in the corners.

Sunset Monti - really like the look of the polyps on this Monti.
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v8/p312075710-3.jpg

"Red Bug" Monti
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v6/p195419567-3.jpg

Right-Side
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p354833234-3.jpg

From the Right looking Left
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v8/p97368383-3.jpg

FTS
http://abphotography.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p12621557-3.jpg

Hope you enjoy :)

[jimsflies]

How's your tank doing? It's been awhile since we've had an update... :)

[divecj5]

I hope that everyone is having an enjoyable holiday season. I know it's been one heck of a busy month here at work and at home as well.

I'm happy to report that the tank is still doing fantastic. No new additions lately as I'm just letting everything grow out and just "do their thing" for the time being.

The only thing that I'm currently considering is trying out one of the Par38 LED bulbs that Nanocustoms has been selling. I've seen a couple of tanks that have them and they are absolutely fantastic. Now that they've come out with an option for wider optics, I might end up replacing my T5 fixture with 3-4 of them hung using track lighting. But we'll see how that goes. :)

I intend to take a bunch of pictures tonight to freshen things up around here. Just really haven't had the time between work and normal holiday business to take any.

Hopefully things will settle down a bit here at work and I can devote more time to reef surfing :big_grin:

-Adam

[divecj5]

Just in case anyone is interested or knows of anyone looking, I am trying to sell the T5 fixture that I currently have on my tank. The details can be found here -
http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/showthread.php?p=57748#post57748

With all of the shots that I took as part of the TOTM, I getting ready to put together some coral progression shots as some things have really grown over the last couple of weeks.

-Adam

[ReeferRob]

A bit over due for an update Adam. What's happening with this beauty these days?

[divecj5]

A bit over due for an update Adam. What's happening with this beauty these days?

WAY overdue for an update. Honestly, not a whole lot new with the tank. Ran into a problem with some cyano after over stirring the sand bed. Things are just about back to normal now, so I'll post some updated shots really soon.

No new additions or changes so nothing all that exciting :)

[ReeferRob]

WAY overdue for an update. Honestly, not a whole lot new with the tank. Ran into a problem with some cyano after over stirring the sand bed. Things are just about back to normal now, so I'll post some updated shots really soon.

No new additions or changes so nothing all that exciting :)

Wow, that was quick! Been a while since you've been on, what do you think of all the changes and upgrades to the site?

So you never ended up selling the TX5 and going LED?