144g half-circle at work

Still battling cyano, but it's getting better. Thought I'd post this tank, since we've had it for several years now.









144g Oceanic tank & stand. I have a love/hate relationship with the tank and stand. The tank is cool to look at, with no corners, but has a giant plastic top/brace that limits access. I want to cut it out since it truly serves no purpose on this tank. The thing is sagging, not even in tension at all. The stand is nice with smoked glass doors but structurally a POS, and that's being nice. I should have gone for a custom stand, but oh well.

I use a Neptune ACIII for control, which is the best thing I have purchased. An Apex controller is on the horizon, though.

Lighting consists of 250w DE metal halides with Phoenix bulbs supplemented with 4-36" T5HO actinics. I may upgrade the tank to LED sometime soon.

In-tank pumps are two MP40w Vortechs, one on each side of the half circle. The pumps put out awesome flow, and I can't turn them up or I get a sandstorm. The half-circle really helps direct the flow around the tank.

The sump is a 30 breeder, which is all that would fit in the lovely (feel the sarcasm) stand. I have a Warner Marine skimmer, which on a good day, will blast junk out. On a bad day, it just fills the neck with gunk. Circulation is by a Mag 12 pump and valved/backup drains. The standard RDP refugium is employed with chaeto. Top-off is handled thru the ACIII and a McMaster-Carr solenoid valve with a float arm for backup.

Fish include a hippo tang, tomini tang, yellow tang, two clownfish that spawn regularly, a mystery wrasse, and an aiptasia-eating filefish/alien.

Corals are whatever I like. Notice the wavy wall of green star polyps all over the back. While I love them, they tend to clog the overflows and I have to continually cut them back.

Maintenance is provided by Aquatic Dreams. I would do it myself, but it's easier to have them do it while I work.

I appreciate that tank every time I'm waiting for Reggie to come up front

Melissa wrote: I appreciate that tank every time I'm waiting for Reggie to come up front

I can't remember, but have we met before? Next time you're at our office, have the receptionist call me...

Corey

I love the semi-circle! Very cool tank! I also really like the rockwork, minimal, but not barren.  I know it's technically cheating but every once in a while I will dose a little chemi-clean. clear the cyano right up and it stays gone for months.

The cyano is gone!!!!!

WOHOO

I am still in denial that a snake-oil product cured it. I kept telling myself that the product doesn't work, it doesn't work, it doesn't work, it won't work, it's looking better but not because of that, it's clear, it's completely clear...

Here's a few pictures from today.



Overall tank picture.



Resurrected montipora colony. I thought I lost it, seriously!



Alien-eye.



Elegance with purple tips.



Red goniopora. I've had this coral for a year and it seems to do great in this tank.

I've made three major improvements:

1. LED lighting. Fabulous. I can't believe it. The LED's just amaze me and the coral is doing better than awesome. I've been at this hobby for a long time, and that was one of the best things I have ever done.
2. Dosing pump. Boy, that beats a calcium reactor (oops, did I say that?) and dosing calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium by hand any day. The tank parameters are, for once in my life, stable. Again, another one of the best additions to my hobby ever. I just check on levels, adjust the dosing rate, and refill the chemical containers every two to three weeks.
3. Snake oil supplement. I feel sheepish to say what it is as I'm still in denial.

Edited by Corey Price - October 03 2013 at 10:11pm

I had a bad aptasia anemone problem until I added this wonderful, zooanthid-eating fish:



I just remember that I can't have zooanthids. I have found that I can live with that. Now if he'd develop a taste for red frilly mushrooms.

Beautiful tank Corey!

Can I ask what snake oil product(s) you used?

I last saw this tank in person about five years ago. It looked good then, but now it's absolutely awesome. Great job Corey.
Do your office mates know how spoiled they are? The tank they see every day at the office is one of the best around.

WOHOO!!!

Thanks for the update Corey. Photos would be great too!