CR's Tank of the Month Wiinner - April 05 - Ramoth41

[dakar]

It is our pleasure to announce the Captive Reefing Tank of The Month for April 2005, congratulations are extended to Ramoth41for her fantastic 125 gallon reef tank!

Here is a few comments from the judges.
"That tank looks very full of life and diversified"
"...I like the maturity, diversity and stocking practice of Ramoth's system"

Great job Sarah, another great example that exemplifies our coined phrase Captive Reefing! Please step up and say a few words.

Your presence is hereby requested amongst the Judging Staff to serve your term in selecting future TOTM's.

Additionally,we would like to take a moment to thank ereefic for serving his term as a TOTM Judge, your efforts have been greatly appreciated, our home here is a reflection of all of our members efforts.

Another great turn out for submissions this month, everyone is extended an honorable mention. Keep them coming.

Again congratulations to Ramoth41!

The CR Staff.

[ramoth41]

I truly don't know what to say except maybe THANK YOU! I've never won TOTM on any site and believe me I have been on quite a few!! I especially want to thank Reef Angel for the "re-size"! I'm going to have to get a better camera that's for sure! This is so cool!
All of the pictures were great I really didn't expect to win! ! This tank has been through so many changes in the 11 years since it's inception! From a 20 long to the 125g it's been quite the ride! But worth every minute! The best part is sharing what I have learned along the way and meeting all the great people involved in this wonderful hobby!
Thank you again!
sarah

[BUGZME]

could you tell us about your system? lights sump pumps inhabitants and general maint.

[Reef_Angel]

You are quite welcome Sarah! :) I really wanted everyone here to see your beautiful tank. It has the look that Dakar & I strive for with our tank everyday, in hopes that it will reach that same look of diversity & maturity! Everything in your tank looks so comfy and " at home" in your display! I think that's what we all are working for in our tanks, as most of them our still quite young! I know our tank only first got wet in October, just after we built Captive Reefing! :) We had a 55 G up before that with a bulk of the coral in that tank when we 1st started the hobby in May 2004. So, with that in mind....when you look at a tank like yours that is so mature and well stocked, it's only natural and easy to say that it's the TANK OF THE MONTH!!
:wav: CONGRATULATIONS!! :wav:
Your Admins, :seesaw:
Dakar & Reef_Angel

[davejnz]

congradulations,looking forward to seeing some coral pics from your tank soon.

[ramoth41]

Ok well here goes remember this all started in a 20 long about Dec.93! Graduated to a 55 about 95 and to the 125g in 2000!

Ramoth41's(and Ron's) Reef
The Tank: It's a 125 pre drilled allglass. 2 overflows one on each end. 2 175w MH and 2 each 6ft VHO white/blue. The hood is DIY, plywood with the front hinged for access. I cringe when I look at it because it is suspeneded from the ceiling by bright yellow chain! We can raise and lower as needed. The plan is to wall the tank in but that hasn't happened yet. (yet ANOTHER unfinished project! lol) I actually have a curtain I made to cover it up. Pretty ugly!! lol! We have a 50g rubbermaid tub as a sump, which BTW I don't recomend this as it is the 2nd one they crack and leak but it was all we could find. There is a DIY BDS (big damn skimmer) counter current venturi variety. All I know is the BDS is about 4 feet tall and noisy! The main recirculating pumpfor the BDS is a magdrive 1200. and there are various smaller power heads around the tank to move water.We recently added a fluidized bed filter but it really isn't up and running just yet as it needs more "tweeking".(uh oh I was just informed that he is "brainstorming" again! can you say UPGRADE BUG?) The current configuration for the main return is 2 1k gph Quietone pumps.This makes the turn over somthing like 15-18 times in an hour.

Substraight: about 200-250 lbs of LR. Somthing like 100lbs of live sand mixed with crushed coral which the convict blennies love to move around. They have quite the condo going under the LR.

Maintance: Well um .. we do a 40 gal water change every week and use Reef Crystal salt mix using RO/DI only. . As far as testing we subscribe to the "Don't mess with the magic" theory. We do test for Alk and Calcuim levels using Salifert test kits. But to be honest if it looks good we leave it alone. Let the LR and LS do it's job. This can and has backfired on us, but most of the time it works pretty well. Actually for about 7-8 years we didn't even own a test kit and just did water changes and that was really the best it ever looked! Granted at the time it was in the 55 and had over 200lbs of LR!

Inhabitants include :
Fish.. coral beauty, singapore angel, 2 convict blennies, marine betta, 2-4stripe damsels, false perc, yellow tail damsel, chalk bass, yellow tang. BTW the yellow tail is one of my cyclers and is about 11yrs old the coral beauty is almost 10yrs old and the clown aint far behind about 9yrs old!

Corals... brown zoa's by the ton! Brown mushroms all over! red & green shrooms, pink stars, monster devil's hand leathers, green tree leather, napthia, MR Bubble, purple & brown gorgonias,a corky finger gorgonia, frogspawn, torch, favia, 2 neon green brains, green & orange zoas, capanella, lg brown/green acro (with red crab), sad little moon & pagoda that survived the crash and are doing thier best to come back. blue coral, candy cane coral, galaxia, lettuce coral, red open brain. (the last 3 being resuced just about 2 weeks ago! lol). (some of this is up for the frag swap! anyone want brown zoo's? pleasezzzze take some brown zoo's)

Inverts.... CB shrimp, 3 pepermint shrimp, porceline crab, several big serpant stars, as yet to be ID'd crab (long thin black & white stripes on legs and small claws small body about 1inch total diameter possible sally lightfoot.) 50 each snails and hermits. 4 urchins (long spine in sump, pencil in over flow and 2 in tank knocking stuff over on daily basis) and some aptasia that just won't take the hint and go away! And green fuzzy stuff I don't have any idea where I got it from, (darn green algae)
I think thats it I prolly missed somthing!
sarah

[dakar]

Wow... That sure sets the bar pretty high for anyone to play 'catch up'.

Great write up BTW. Thanks so much for sharing.

[BUGZME]

Nice write up!

[ramoth41]

Thanks!
I actually have that saved in my doc's and update it when ever I have the need too! I find it's alot easier than trying to remember all the stuff we have! Plus the meds I take cuz short term memory loss (really!!! it isn't a flash back to the 70's?) Little trick I discovered one day after being totaly frustrated with forgeting important stuff.. Like when did I buy that coral? Must have been during one of my many napssszzzzz
sarah