135g SPS + Ricordea Cube upgrade

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I upgraded from the 60g rimless because that tank was too limiting. Also coincidentaly at the same time as upgrading my friend had bought a home in another state, so generously I was given a complete 120g setup with everything for a reef (chiller, apex gold, UV, Kessils, Gyre, rock, sand etc.) and most importantly a gorgeous Queen angel which had personally caught as a baby while diving in Florida keys.

So here's my update. All has been up a running for about 3 weeks now. Most of the Corals are doing fine however, I had lost 2 clams (one was a large maxima ive had more than 2 years) I lost two large colonies ive been growing for a couple years and several other smaller sps have bleached and died. But compared to the number of corals I have; I cant exactly expect everything to survive as this was a several day process to transfer everything. I expect it was the added addition of Kessils that bleached some corals, most are recovering nonetheless. I have another kessil I need to put up, but I need to order the gooseneck screw on plate directly from Kessil. If anyone has an extra..... let me know ill trade or pay $. Its the only thing of preventing me from having even lighting on the tank. I still have a few things to finsh such as painting the stand, installing curtains for the sump opening and hanging a curtain to hide the lights. Both stands I build myself. The one holding the cube is adorned of slate tiles and ceramic 6"x18" grouted to hardy board that are removable. My ATO is hidden under the cube




Sorry guys Ill add more later... Photobucket is a POS and cannot carry out a simple copy command to allow posting the rest of the photos as URL
 

SantaMonicaHelp

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#6
I upgraded from the 60g rimless because that tank was too limiting. Also coincidentaly at the same time as upgrading my friend had bought a home in another state, so generously I was given a complete 120g setup with everything for a reef (chiller, apex gold, UV, Kessils, Gyre, rock, sand etc.) and most importantly a gorgeous Queen angel which had personally caught as a baby while diving in Florida keys.

So here's my update. All has been up a running for about 3 weeks now. Most of the Corals are doing fine however, I had lost 2 clams (one was a large maxima ive had more than 2 years) I lost two large colonies ive been growing for a couple years and several other smaller sps have bleached and died. But compared to the number of corals I have; I cant exactly expect everything to survive as this was a several day process to transfer everything. I expect it was the added addition of Kessils that bleached some corals, most are recovering nonetheless. I have another kessil I need to put up, but I need to order the gooseneck screw on plate directly from Kessil. If anyone has an extra..... let me know ill trade or pay $. Its the only thing of preventing me from having even lighting on the tank. I still have a few things to finsh such as painting the stand, installing curtains for the sump opening and hanging a curtain to hide the lights. Both stands I build myself. The one holding the cube is adorned of slate tiles and ceramic 6"x18" grouted to hardy board that are removable. My ATO is hidden under the cube




Sorry guys Ill add more later... Photobucket is a POS and cannot carry out a simple copy command to allow posting the rest of the photos as URL
Hi Charles,

Wow, your tank is looking so beautiful! It is a paradise for fish;)
How many corals do you have?

Zhenya
 
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Heres the rest of the photos I tried posting a few weeks ago... I've had lost a few more acro frags that were growing well onto the rocks, they have all gone out the same way... paling/bleaching and then rapid necrosis at the tips. I think its the Kessils... its my fault though for not allowing the corals to slowly adjust to the LEDs... Now they are at 20% power. Good news is that all the new frags I have added since the transfer are coloring very nicely and doing well.

Most of the big changes have been on the 120g. I have added 3 stocky anthias females as seen in the picture. they are doing very well. Also, not pictured are 3 Resplendent anthias and 2 sunset/parvirostris anthias that are also schooling together in the tank.

I added one of my favorite fishes which I had in QT to the 120g. A powder blue/goldrim hybrid. I tried to introduce it to the 135g but within 5 minutes the clown tang had layed several slashed to the hybrid's body. I wouldn't have ended well if I had left it in there so into the 120 it went. Also added is a small Naso tang. The tank also houses a Rock Beauty angel and Golden angel.

I have also added a large yellow tentacle Magnificent anemone 2 weeks ago to the 120g. This anemone is awesome! opens fat, loves the high flow and climbed to the very top of the overflow column and is perched in the center of the tank... Ill have to get some photos. Not once has it deflated, and stays very sticky to the touch. This tank now has 3 species of anemones: Magnificent, Beaded, and 3 rose bubble tip anemones.

Still in QT are a Chryserus angel, juvie emperor, juvie blueface







 
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#12
Finally took some update pictures last night. Tanks have been running for 3 months now.













In QT I have: Juvie Maculosus angel, orange peel angel, goldrim and convict tang. I'm not keeping the goldrim since its incompatible with the clown and powder blue hybrid. $50 pm if interested.

 
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Hi Charles,

Wow, your tank is looking so beautiful! It is a paradise for fish;)
How many corals do you have?

Zhenya
Hey Zhenya, I have no idea how many corals I have haha. Ill get a count tomorrow. Since my 120 light is still on, I counted 8 and splitting ricordea, 2 mushrooms, green birdsnest, geen monti spongodes, Magnificent anemone, 4 bubble tip nems and 3 types of gorgonian lol
 
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#14
You rolling the dice throwing angels in that coral tank?
Yeah I'm finding the hard way, but angels are easy to catch all you need is a trap. I've tried every angel I have in sps reef except the blueface. They all nip. But the fish in there now only don't nip bad, corals are still growing though polyp extension sucks. Currently, the large Queen, Asfur, Chrysurus and Rock Beauty angels are in the tank. The corals are doing better since pulling the Regal, who began nipping acros excessively.
 
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#16
angels are awesome, hope you find a mix that works for this tank.
Thanks, I think the key is feeding them a lot. But even still, I doubt ill ever see good polyp extension in this tank with them in there. But having the large angels that interact with you is pretty cool to have, especially making it work in a reef.
 
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#19
Here's my best attempt at getting top down pictures. Theres a handful of corals I couldn't photo because they're bellow the center support. I also removed the Asfur angel because it was way too aggressive.










 

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