phamily Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Hi everyone, I was going to start this blog about my first saltwater tank a while back, but have been busy with work and family the last few months. So here it is, feel free to lend me your advices...First my name is Dzung Pham and just started my AP24 about 7 months ago. It has been a rough road at the beginning all due to #1 pitfall for all beginers-not being patience! I lost a clam(before the MH upgrade), several corals, and a pair of clownfish. Gradually I've been doing my research online (mostly on nano-reef.com and reefcentral) and reading magazines. It helped out a lot. So far I haven't lost anything for the last 2-3 months. I also converted my 30 gal FW into a SW fish only +softies using my old AP FC lighthood. Setup: AP24 sapphire protein skimmer HOB DIY refugium Sunpod 150W MH MJ1200 return pump koralia 1 Current 1/15HP prime chiller ~30lb LR ~2in of black argonite floor Livestocks: 1 sixline 2 true perc 1 bicolor blenny 1 yellow watchman 1 cleaner shrimp several hermit crabs 10-15 assorted snails Corcea clam Corals: assorted zoas (all covering the sandbed) pulsing zenia candy cane mushrooms (red and red wl purple dots) monti cap millipora assorted acros birdnest frogspawn closed brain well hopefully pics will give you a better visual of my setup. I borrowed my cousin's Nikon d200 camera with the macro lens. It is awesome...i thinking of buying the NIkon D40 but it might have to wait till Xmas...don't have $1K around:-) will post more pics later tonight....still playing with the camera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Question: Why opted with black sand instead of white? Just curious. I've seen several individual's tanks like this before....it looks different but beautiful. NICE -Cindy- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobogato Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 nice looking tank dzung! i have black sand in my clam tank as well and love the way it looks. cant wait to see some more pics of the corals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 Hi Cindy thanks for the compliment. So I decided to go with the black sand for two reasons. I used to have white sand in my FW tank and it gets dirty after a while. The second is that the black sand matches my tank background. And I really think that it brings all the colors in the tank out:-) Well plus i have crushed coral and white sandbed in my other tank already. HI Hobogato, thanks for the compliment also. So what type of clam do you have? I really like my crocea; he is getting really big for my nano tank. I wish i have more room so i can add more clams... Here are some macro shots that i took last night. Have to downsize all of them. Hope yall enjoy them. Does anyone know how to create an an photo album? I didn't see any option for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobogato Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 nice pics! i have four crocea, a derasa, a squamosa and a gigas. still looking for a really nice maxima to finish out the collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 nice pics! i have four crocea, a derasa, a squamosa and a gigas. still looking for a really nice maxima to finish out the collection. wow sound like my dream tank !!! do you have any pics that you can share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobogato Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 check out my blog - ace's 240 reef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headless_donkey Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Cute yellow watchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 I moved to a new apt back in the end of Sept of last year and found an excuse to upgrade my tank from a Aquapod 24 (~18 months old) to a new fine looking rimless Solana 34G. I moved everything from the Aquapod over and added some rocks and corals from my 75G. With this new tank, I decided to advance to new stage and start growing SPS instead of LPS and softies. In addition, I always loved clams and luck for me I found a guy that was selling a band new 24" Aqualight Pro with 250W MH + 2-65W CF for half of the retail price. So I basically have the ingredients to start my new venture with this rimless tank. So here is my official introduction: Equipments: 1) Solana- everything is stock (I will switch my Sapphire skimmer in after the stock skimmer breakdown) 2) Aqualight Pro light fixture (250W MH + 2-65W CF) 3) Current primechiller (1/15H) temp is set at 79 4) Koralia 1 and Koralia nano 5) 35-40Lbs figi LR 6) second chamber turned into a fuge to grow macro and pods 7) 100W heater Live Stocks 1) High fin Gray bar goby 2) Royal gamma 3) Yellow watchman 4) Unknown goby 5) Pair of true percula 6) Cardinal 7) neon goby Inverts: 1) Clams: Derasa(3"), Corcea (3"), Teardrop Maxima (2") 2) Shrimps: Scarlet skunk cleaner, Blood Red fire 3) Sea Stars: Blue Linkia, red/orange spiny? 4) Crabs: 5-7 blue legs, 5 red scarlet, 2 emerald, 5-7 red legs, pom-pom, porcelain 5) Snails: 5-7 margarita, 2 turbo, 5 cerith, 3 nassarius, 2 bubble bee, 2 tiger cowries, 1 queen conch, 2 spiny star Astraeas, 4 Astraeas, 4 banded Trochus Corals: 1) SPS: pink birdnest, Blue hairy milli, red mili, green slimer, kryptonite candy cane, Trumpet, pink jade, (red, purple, and orange digi), tri-color acro, and a few more undefined, Australian blastos, orange montipora, 2) LPS + Softies: pulsing & pom pom xenia, red-purple mushrooms, zoas, neon fungia, green finger leather, button polyps, neon green frogspawn, open and close brain , xmas tree, assorted rcordea Routine/Schedule: 1) 5G water change every week 2) Feed fish with spirulina brine shrimp or arcti-pods every other day 3) Feed corals and clams phytoplankton+marine plankton alternate with fish feeding cycle 4) Dose B-Ionic and lugo's iodine ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 more pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindside Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Awesome. That's awesome you went with the Solana. I'm surprised how many of us solanians there are. Great Pics as usual. Looking forward to more blog post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Wow... the tank looks great! I need to really get cracking on stocking my 75g to keep up with y'all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Haven't update for awhile...a few goods and bad news. Bad news: Was busy two weeks ago with work and volunteering. Did not have much time to care for the tank. My water was out of balance...calcium was too high and Alk and Mag, was too low. Lost a teardrop clam and an acro. Did a quick water change and start to does Mag and 3:1 Alk/ Ca. Current measure Alk 8 and CA 380. Need to start dosing B-Ionic daily now. Lost my cardinal, neon and unknow goby. Royal gramma is getting aggressive Good news: Things are starting to grow fairly well. Australian Acan added 3 heads to colony, krytonite candy cane double with 4 heads now. Both pink birdnest colony starting to spread and dominate the tank. Starting to have problem with coral being to close to each other, might have to start trimming this week. Additions/changes: 1) took out my nano Koralia and added Kor1. There are two kor1 in tank right now 2) 4 frags: ORA green birdnest, more acros, chalice 3) Rearrange stuff around check out photo later 4) fish: sixline wrasse(one of my fav) and a tiger goby Things to do in coming weeks: 1) switch out stock skimmer and add in my old sapphire from Aquapod24 2) thinking about taking out my 2 koralia1 and add in a Vortech mp40w(would be use for my future big 150gal+ thank) or a Tunze nano wavebox. I really like to look at the wave action! Any advices ??? 3) Really need to get a ATO. Any suggestion? 4) move out most of the softies and lps to my 75gal tank. really love that brain and frowspawn...but they just take up lots of space:-( Maybe just focus on SPS. 5) Clean equipments: pumps, chiller, lights, stand. 6) Transfer royal gramma to my 75g, he is getting very aggressive toward his tankmates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Love the tank!! It's so full of color and I think you're right, a little too full. Your LPS should give you some room if they're moved somewhere else. I also have a gramma that turned out aggressive and now lives in my sump.....it's a shame. Would love to see what color you acans looks like. Maybe a trade/sale in the future. We just checked out Aquadome this weekend and I was in awe w/the large colonies of brilliant reds of acans. I get the feeling Hunter might try to fragging some of those colonies....that would be sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Wow... just wow. I love the "fullness" of the tank. I bet you could just spend a whole day staring at it and always see something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindside Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Your tank is still looking good buddy. Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 I just put in an order for Vortech mp40v. Cant wait to see some wave action! Cindy, when the time is ready to frag that acan you will be the first to be contacted. Hunter is really nice and honest. I bought that piece there hope he will frag smaller pieces that he go there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phamily Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Finally got some free time from work and everything to update on my Solana...So last week the Vortech finally arrived. This thing is awesome! I took out my two Koralia 1 and installed the wavemaker. and things start to really move in there. At the beginning nothing in the tank like it,especially the mushroom and xenia. I ran it with out the cover but decide that it would be best to put the cover on to reduce some of the action. There was some micro bubble the first few days but it is running smoothly now, very quite:-) I noticed that the chiller is coming on a lot more than often the power comsumption is ranging from 9-30w. My favorite mode is the short pulse. Havent been able to tweak it to create a constant wave like that of a tunze wavebox. All the SPS is really enjoying it. I am starting to see more polyps extensions and faster growth. Since everything is starting to mature in the tank (plus just got my bonus) I decide to go shopping. Bought 3 ORA frags(red planet, pearl berry, and tri-color valida) from Jake @ RCA and a maxima clam a few day ago. The frogspawn started to get too big and is releasing it tentacles and poison whatever it lands on. I moved it to my 75g to make room for all the new additions. My pair of true perc is not so happy with me right now. Enough said here are a few pics that i took a few day ago before i added the new pieces and the rearrangements. Will take some pics tomorrow...be on the look out! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Awesome (as usual) Keep up the good work phamily! PS you have the Users Viewing block 5 times in the side bar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Man that looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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