The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[RGD.]

While I think that the tank Carlos has set up is just freaking awesome - I really like Shilia's tank in the natural habitat thing and if ever was to set one up, that's the route I'd try. Love that look!

I'm just totally impressed by them all.

Please, please keep the pictures coming!!!


Ron

[shilala]

Originally Posted by RGD.

While I think that the tank Carlos has set up is just freaking awesome - I really like Shilia's tank in the natural habitat thing and if ever was to set one up, that's the route I'd try. Love that look!

I'm just totally impressed by them all.

Please, please keep the pictures coming!!!

Ron

My goal is to dress it up just like the real thing, and make it work like the real thing. The pics don't do it justice cause you can't see all the holes and ledges and tunnels. It really does look like the real thing.
Once the coralline grows over everything it'll be perfect.
I can get some fans and stuff that truly does naturally occur down off the Keys, and get rid of some of the stuff that doesn't exist.
Then I'll get a whole shoal of little fish and voila.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by RGD.

While I think that the tank Carlos has set up is just freaking awesome - I really like Shilia's tank in the natural habitat thing and if ever was to set one up, that's the route I'd try. Love that look!

I'm just totally impressed by them all.

Please, please keep the pictures coming!!!


Ron

Ron,
Both are beautiful indeed.

All a matter of preference as to what you want to keep.
That is the beauty of the hobby that it allows so many variations.
If you want my angels, you can't have a reef. In a reef, one can never, ever keep the fish I have as most of them would enjoy it as a wonderful treat and would eat all the corals/sponges.
So we each have our shortcomings but it is that variation that makes it so neat.
My non reef world is about sustaining very rare fish that are known in the hobby as not lasting very long. I love that challenge.

I benefited from both worlds for quite some time. I had the fish only system with the massive, large fish, while my son had the 75 gallon reef only system, with all the corals and the fish that reefs can sustain.
He has since torn his down and left the house so I stayed with my fish only.

At times I am tempted to set up a second tank as a reef system in my living room (I keep my tank currently in my family room). I have ample space for them. I just don't think the divorce attorney is worth it. Wife will clean me out totally if I dare set up another.

[goalie204]

Never owned a fish tank, but thanks for this thread. Really enjoyed the pictures. I love all animals, and fish are so beautiful and majestic, this is awesome.

[Wolfgang]

My 90 has been really low maint. Its been up for about 6 months now and I haent needed to do a WC yet. 5 of those months the only fish in there was a maroon clown. nitrates are still only at 5ppm I love large water volumes.

I went to the LFS (local fish store) today and placed a hold on a 4" Hippo tang. I would have bought him but i let with $60 in coral instead. I will be picking him up next week sometime.

Pictures of my coral later tonight maybe.

[shilala]

That's my starfish Henrietta on the bottom. The fish is Little Yellow. He's Kerri's fish. He's the replacement for Big Yellow who perished in the Great Freeze of 2006.

[shilala]

I used to have a colony of fans that covered half the floor of my tank. They've been recolonizing the last couple years and are starting to spread out into the light. The piece of dead coral on the left is covered on the back and the fans you see are new, they've started spreading around the front. Pretty soon that whole corner of the tank will be covered.
The fans really spread when hatches come off. The whole tank will be swimming with tiny baby shrimp that eventually all get ate by the fans and coral and other critters growing in the live rock. It's cool.

[shilala]

This pic shows the great big yellow sponge that grew over the last 2 years. It was literally a yellow speck when it started.
Anybody know what the orange thing is that's growing on the left of the sponge?
I'll try to get a closeup in the next pic...

[shilala]

Here's a closeup of the yellow thing and orange thing.
I just assume the yellow thing is a sponge because he looks like Sponge Bob.
Anyone know what they really are?

[Wolfgang]

Both look like species of Tunicates. The lighter one for sure. Nothing to be worried about. Theya re just filter feeders like feather dusters and what not.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Both look like species of Tunicates. The lighter one for sure. Nothing to be worried about. Theya re just filter feeders like feather dusters and what not.

The yellow one kinda looks like it'll turn into one of those tube/slipper sponges. It grows really fast. The orange one is a very slow grower.
I noticed the orange ones when I was diving before. I haven't seen the yellow ones. That's why I figured it was a juvie and maybe it'd get a shape later.

[Wolfgang]

If it has been growing for two years I dont think there is much more to grow shape wise. Now it will just grow as a matt. Let me get a site for you that is VERY helpful for critter IDs

[Wolfgang]

It wont let me edit my post bet here is a site that I have used from the very beginning.

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

Turns out to be very helpful with most things.

[MTB996]

WOW, just WOW. You all have some impressive fish tanks. Makes me think about firing up the old hobby. I've been seriously considering getting back into aquariums lately as my kids really love em, but at 3years old, I'm scared they are a year too young (think cool hard toy flying through the air into the tank).

Beautiful tanks & fish guys!

[Wolfgang]

No pictures of the new corals tonight..... ligths went out. But I just ordered soem wicked awesome zoanthids from a friend. Check them out. Devils Armor Palys. This is the mother colony Im only getting 4 polyps. Man I love these!

[Wolfgang]

Ok mods sorry for the consecutive posts but this is my forte :-)

First my Ring of fire (R) and watermelon eagle eyes (L)


Yellow colony polyps


Purple Ricordea


Hulk Zoanthids


A orange-er morph of my Ring of Fire zoanthids.

[Wolfgang]

Dragon Eyes (R) and Green Meanies (L)


Kiwi Stars


Some actinic pictures.

Morph of the Ring of Fire


Nuclear Pallys.

[shilala]

This is Kerri's shrimp.
What you see is pretty much actual size. It's tentacles are huge. They stretch all the way across the tank. He usually lives upside down under one of the ledges, I always figure he must be confused from living his life upside-down.
He sheds every couple months, I always thought that was amazing.

[shilala]

Just a couple more before I give up...

[Wolfgang]

Picked up a new addition today. A nice size Kole tang. One of the most peaceful from the zebramosa family. Her name is Debbie :-D

I also saw a Blue face angel at my LFS about 5" they wanted $230 for it.

Pictures after acclimation.