New setup thread

[reedman]

Looking good Jeff!

 

[big t]

Mike, to say my tank is still in recovery mode is one way to put it... Hopefully it will come around. I have some sps that look great, others still slowly dying. I am now having a breakout of valonia, it is incredible how fast it is taking over the rocks. I admit that I havn't been blowing out the rocks like I should. I have been thinking of going the route of chuck and getting new rock.

Jeff I am soo happy for you. I is definately your time and you deserve to enjoy your tank

 

[big t]

Well I have had some serious tank depression in the last 4 months. I have had a lot of thoughts cruize thru my mind, should I give it up? should I upgrade, sell all and start over, take a break? Well I finally decided to just do all I can to make things work. I added my chiller that has been sitting around now for about 6-7 months, it is a Pacific Coast Import 1/2 horse job and it is been a great addition. I havn't had a temp spike now in several weeks, I also decided to spend a few bux on a temp regulator for my crappy heaters so I bought a Rancho single stage for them. This has been a big improvement, in the last 2 weeks or so my temp has only swung .5deg F. I also took out a 5 gallon bucket of horribly algea infested rock (valonia fur cyno hair pretty much you name it) and soaked it in lye and thoroughly rinsed. I got that back in and did some wc's. I started running a sock again 2 nights ago, and things are looking a lot better today. So some more wc's and some more rock treatments over the next couple months and I think things will start to really turn around. I have these 2 large nana colonies that are really in terrible shape, they are brown and have been stn'ing around the bases for a while. They will never be the same but are starting to get the purple tips again, so I think that they will be fragged down to make room for some new stuff. Anyway I will get some pix up and you guys will feel sorry for me lol.

 

[Kensn]

Hey Tom, good to hear your not giving up!! Let me know what I can do for ya if you ever need any help with anything, form scrubbing rocks to whatever.

 

[CarlaW]

Hey there bigt, hang in there buddy!! With a little dedication, you'll get it back goin again. Let us know when things are starting to clear up. There is always the chance of the "care" package from Montana you know. You can make it work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck

 

[Scooterman]

Well I can relate, I'm taking a litle break but have plans in a new set-up, this time around I hope it better than ever.

 

[Krish]

Big T, I just finished looking through your setup and I just wanted to say it looks really really nice. You've done a great job putting it all together. Thanks for sharin it with us. I love that clear substrate you using too LOL. Can't get much cleaner than that.

 

[big t]

Tank is coming around

Ok well the tank is definately doing a lot better. Nuisance algeas are receading (may have something to do w/ the 100 hermits I threw in there) Corals are finally coloring up and growing again, Corraline is starting up agian. I picked up a few nice pieces from Dang at the frag swap yesterday, no pix yet they are still in quarantine. Anyway here are a few pix of the corals in the tank. I recently got some corals back from Esmith that I had given him when we moved the tank, a green monti digi, purple monti digi and a delicate green acro. So that is a good step in the right direction. I am hoping to get a piece of the fuzzy maroon stag back, so if anyone out there has a piece of that they got from me, lmnk? Luckily my favorite piece the blue tenius never skipped a beat. If any of you are thinking about getting into sps, I can say that this is a good starter sps, it has always looked good even when my while tank was RTN'ing.

 

[CarlaW]

This is good news big t!!! Glad to hear things are starting to straighten up and fly right. Congrats on having the patience to ride it thru. Good thing you didn't have to but any coralline!!

 

[szidls]

Hey Good Job Tom! Glad to hear the tank is turning the corner. Keep up the good work so I can come and get some sticks from you.
Scott

 

[Krish]

Yeah Tom, good to hear you weren't a quitter like I was, and stuck it out. The tank looks great!! How is that foxface I see in one of your attchments working out for you? Does he help out any with the algae or does he just wait for you to feed him?

 

[big t]

Thanks Charlie and Krish. I am pretty happy that the tank is turning around. I think the temp stabalization has helped tremendously. Krish the foxface does do a little work around the tank, but no where near as much as my tangs do. He is a little bit of a slacker and may not be in there for too long.

 

[DonW]

Looks great as usual Tom.

Don

 

[NaH2O]

Looks awesome Tom!

 

[Scooterman]

Looking awesome Tom,I guess all the hard work (& money lol) is paying off really well.

 

[big t]

Time for a update... I have still been having some trying times with the tank. I really wish that I never had to move the system because I can only imagine what the tank would look like these days. Some corals have really been springing to life lately, and some others have just never recovered. I pulled out the last of my big nana today because it was starting to receed and I really just got tired of looking at it doing horribly for the last 10 months. I still have a lot of frags from them and hopefully one day they will really come around. I had a big bloom of nasty brown algea early this year and I think that was just a phase. It has mostly gone now and the rocks are starting to look better again. Anyway no one ever said this was a easy hobby right? Here is a updated tank shot.

 

[Scooterman]

Beautiful, that about sums it up

 

[mattseattle]

looks great to me!!!!

 

[MarineDreamer]

Beautiful, that about sums it up

Seconded!

We'll have all 'crash' Tom's place and see it in person, of course!

 

[spongebob lover]

Huge T, you have a very nice tank dood !!
Hey what's the very orange coral that's by the Ricordias?? i think at the very bottom, it's really orangy.