# 120G Reef (UPS + X'mas Coral). :)



## JTang

Anniversary Video. (June 28, 2013)





*Table of Contents*

*Page___Date______________Contents*
1). July 1, 2011. The Beginning. Equipment List
2). Feb. 12, 2012. Wind back (July-Sep, 2011)
3). Feb.17, 2012. Wind back (Oct-Dec, 2011). Fighting GHA
4). Apr. 8, 2012. New MH Bulbs
5). May 17, 2012. RBTA split. Coral Pictures (Day & Actinic)
6). July 10, 2012. Loss from Heat Wave. Frags from Fragalot (Nov)
7). Nov 12, 2012. FTS & New Addition: Crocea Clam, Tube Anemones.
8). Nov 20, 2012. 1st Video uploaded to YouTube
9). Nov 23, 2012. 2nd Video, Zoa Garden, X'mas Coral 2012
10). Dec 17, 2012. RBTA's taken out.
11). Jan 19, 2013. Added Naso & Sailfin after trip to Maui
12). Feb 17, 2013. Sump & Macro Pictures
13). Feb 21, 2013. DIY Coral Viewer & Top down Pictures
14). Mar 1, 2013. More Fragalot fragsx2 New Frag Rack
15). Mar 20, 2013. Naso Died! Another GB with Lot of Red Acans! Close-up coral pictures.
16). Mar 21, 2013. New $$ Dussumieri Tang! 
17). Mar 24, 2013. New Video
18). Mar 27, 2013. Actinic & Tube Anemones Pictures
19). Apr 13, 2013. Bad eBay MH bulbs. Fragbox Frags & Fish room Pictures
20). June 22, 2013. 2nd Anniversary Video
21). Aug 8, 2013. Coral pictures & FTS
22). Aug 14, 2013. CPR Refugium added. 14 Hours Power Outage!!!
23). Sep 9, 2013. Post Power Outage Pictures
24). Sep 15, 2013 Space Monster Captured (Nov)
25). Nov 7, 2013. Table of Contents added on Journal. New Powerhead.
26). Nov 28, 2013. Pluffy Acans, X'mas Shopping (UPS & X'mas Coral 2013)


After switching over to salty on my 46 Gal Bowfront just over 6 weeks ago, I went n picked up a 120 Gal last Sunday. It was quite fun moving it upstairs! We barely made the turn and I don't think I want to move it again within the next few years! LOL

Tank was drilled on the back and it came complete with all the equipments since the seller was leaving the hobby.

Here's is list of the main equipments in the package: *Items in RED were added later.

120 Gal Tank (4'x2'x2')
White Stand
30 Gal Sump
Lighting:
- 2x250W (14,000k) M.H. with lunar lights (12 LED's)
- 4x65W PC (2x 454, 2x 50/50)
- 48" Blue LED Strips x2
Skimmers: 
- AquaC Romora Protein Skimmer
- AquaC EV-120
DIY In-Sump Algae Scrubber
Mangroves x5
Modded Vertex UF-15 w Bio-pellets, Zeo-bak dosing.
Return Pump 
Powerheads: 
- Koralia Evolution 1150 x2 on UPS (APC 600W)
- Jebao WP-40 (Nov.9, 2013)
200W heaters x2 on Temperature Controller
ATO w. 5 gal reservoir
CPR Hang on back Refugium w 24" PC light (Macro Algae)
80lbs Liverocks, Livesand

Dosing:
Reef advantage calcium
Reef carbonate alkalinity
Microbacter
Magnesium (liquid)
Iodine

After 4 days of hard work, the system is finally up n running. Currently cycling with couple of green chromis. Will be adding 3 more next week.

*Pictures time! *

After cleaning, rinsing, filling n draining the tank twice...



















Filling the tank slowly using R/O water. Yes, slowly.... It took almost 3 days until it's finally filled to the top. Salt is being mixed in the tank that's why the water looks cloudy.










After a thin layer of sand, the big, base pieces of rocks are put in place.










Then stacking the med. size pieces... 
My intention is to create as many caves n bridges as possible, while leaving room for coral placements.










Topping up the tank to get the system going. As for the sump, I have the following...
1st chamber: bag to catch debris - only for week 1 and will be taken out soon. Protein Skimmer.
2nd: 200w heater
3rd: Liverock rubbles and couple of crabs that I found while cleaning the liverocks
4th: Return pump










With the new 2x250w Metal Halide n my old Coralife 4x65w Power Compact.



















M.H. Off



















Lunar...



















_Thank you for looking! _


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## budahrox

Looks great John
Welcome to the Dark Side
Mwahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers!!!


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## Ursus sapien

Congrats on taking the plunge! Hope you have fun with it


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## Claudia

Looks great, seeing SW tanks make me feel on setting mine up lol


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## onefishtwofish

looks great John!


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## STANKYfish

Nice upgrade on the tank. Lots of room to play with. Your aquascape looks very impressive for a newbie to the "dark" side.


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## monkE

wow im jealous! looks amazing man, nice job with the LR, can't wait to see it with some coral


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## gklaw

Looks great already !


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## JTang

Thanks everyone for the kind words! 

I will soon have to get some stock out of the 46gal n transfer them into this one. It is overloaded with all the fish n corals that came with the 120gal. Nitrate has gone up from 20 to 40! Not good!


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## target

Looking good so far. Can't wait to see the corals.


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## JTang

So sorry that I have left this "Journal" for so long! I was having trouble uploading pics shortly after the setup. Then totally forgot about it... Haaha!

Alright! Let me bring you guys back in time! Roughly about 6 months ago...

July 22nd, 2011 (4 weeks since set up...).














































More pictures to come....


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## jay_leask

very nice im starting to like salt water tanks more and more


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## Claudia

Really nice, i cant wait to c how it looks now


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## Dietmar

I like your placement of the LR
Looking good


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## JTang

Dietmar said:


> I like your placement of the LR
> Looking good


Yeah it looks fine but the no. of corals i can put in there r limited w this placemet... Shld have done a slanted wall like most ppl do. That way i can keep buying more frags. Lol


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## JTang

Claudia said:


> Really nice, i cant wait to c how it looks now


thanks!

Hmmm... Dont expect much! You might be disappointed. Haaha!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

JTang said:


> Yeah it looks fine but the no. of corals i can put in there r limited w this placemet... Shld have done a slanted wall like most ppl do. That way i can keep buying more frags. Lol


Actually you have lot of places to stick corals still. I see you have Tonga branching rock so what I would do is glue or epoxy some corals onto the branches. Works great. I do that with my branching hammers.


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## JTang

Sep.7, 2011 (2 1/2 months since set up)
































































Added more corals. More fish! I had been visiting J&L at least 2 times a week! A new fish every week, new corals every visit for the first month and a half. Big Mistake! Apparently the tank couldn't handle the rapid increase in bio-load. The little AquaC Remora HOB Skimmer was just way too small for the 120gal! Upgrade is a Must!

With the assistant of "several" missing/dead fish (Coral Beauty, Firefish, Lawnmower Blenny, Bangai Cardinal, a Big Strawberry Snail, couple of dead crabs in the sump. Hmmm... have I missed any!? LOL), algae started to take off...


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

What's your water change schedule like? May need to stock a few more snails. Mexican turbos are good.


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## JTang

I have been doing 20% every 2 wks from Day 1. Do they eat green hair algae?


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## JTang

Oct.20

Added Blue Hippo Tang (Dory). She came from a little nano tank. This little one is my favourite! So Cute!

Eating Nori from my DIY Nori "clip" (rubber hose n fishing line, weighted down on the other end.)










One of the frogspawn colony that I'd traded with a member had slowly melted away for some reason. It's a bright green one with pink tips.
All the other corals are doing fine!???










The 8+ heads colony was melted down to 3 heads. I pulled it out of the tank n examined the remaining. To my surprise, I saw something moving inside the skeleton... a freaking crab! Well, he didn't last long after I'd found him.... LOL

I was able to frag n save the remaining 3 heads. Thanks to the stupid crab!

Water condition got worse dued to the dead frogspawn. NO3: 40, Phosphate: 0.10 = More Algae!


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## JTang

Dec. 18



















I love how consistent the AquaC Remora runs. However it's just way too small for this 120gal. I wanted to stick with the AquaC (something bigger) n after a few weeks of hunting, I finally found an used AquaC EV-120. I was intended to replace the Remora with the EV-120. Since they both fit in the sump, I'd decided to leave the Remora in there until the new skimmer is settled.

Good thing I did because until today (Feb.17), I'm still trying to figure out how to fine tune this thing. This skimmer will stop foaming during feeding time, after a water change, or as soon as you put your hands in the tank! Sometimes up to half a day.... SUCKS! However when it's working, it skims great!

In an attempt to combat the GHA, I had added a Sea Hare on Boxing Day. Got him at King Ed's. He looked much nicer than the others n that's why I picked him. Unfortunately, I don't think I'd seen him touched any of the algae before he disappeared after 4 days. Another dead thing in the tank!!!!!!!!


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## JTang

Battle of GHA continues...

12/23/2011 2 new Koralia 850gph powerheads link with Smartwave Controller for additional flow

1/19/2012 Vertex UF-15 w. Bio-pellets (150ml) online

1/21/2012 Algae Scrubber in action

So far the algae is under control. Hopefully they can be eliminated one day........

Anyway, here are the most recent pictures. Sorry for the poor pic. quality. Yes, I need a new camera. I have started looking for something to replace my 12 yrs old point n shoot. No more corals for now! LOL


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## JTang




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## tang daddy

Looks good buddy, it's starting to fill in fast!

You must be busy shoppin....


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Looks really good. A little GHA is ok. Hopefully your Yellow tang will start nibbling on it. Only my RSM has GHA but its the newest tank so I expected something like this before it settles and matures.

Some very nice looking corals.

Anthony


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## mortava

Wow, looks fantastic!


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## JTang

tang daddy said:


> Looks good buddy, it's starting to fill in fast!
> 
> You must be busy shoppin....


Thanks, Chris! Some of the earlier ones like orange, green Monti, blue clove, yellow polyp were from you.

Yeah these stuff is addicting. You first started with $5 frag, then $10, $20, $40..... By the time you realize, you've already dumped in $1000's! LOL


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## JTang

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Looks really good. A little GHA is ok. Hopefully your Yellow tang will start nibbling on it. Only my RSM has GHA but its the newest tank so I expected something like this before it settles and matures.
> 
> Some very nice looking corals.
> 
> Anthony


Thanks Anthony, I will try the trick regarding the overflow that you told me yesterday. Thanks for having us at the party yesterday. Oh n the freebies....  Thanks!


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## JTang

*NEW Updates: *

Added ATO... Water level now stays consistent. Plus no more topping up every other day! 










Finally had my new skimmer (AquaC EV-120) tuned in last month. Since teaming up with the AquaC Remora HOB, water quality has been greatly improved! Algae scrubber and the bio-pellets are also a big part in the improvement. Hair algae is now under control although there is still red cyano remaining on some of the rocks....














































New tank pics to follow......


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## JTang

Replaced aged MH bulbs. The true color of the 14,000k has displayed instead of the ugly yellowish color from the old 14,000k bulbs. Thanks Anthony!


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## Flygirl

Impressive looking!


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## JTang

Flygirl said:


> Impressive looking!


Wow thanks! But I consider myself newbie in salty. Still learning new stuff every day.....


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## JTang

New Addition - Porcelain Crab

This guy is fun to watch although he only comes out during feeding time. He is a filter feeder but also takes mysis and other meaty food. He is both a scavenger and an algae eater! Wow! What else can you ask for!???


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## JTang

DIY Frag Rack made from eggcrate.



















http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/diy-area-18/diy-frag-rack-27792/


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## Claudia

That crab is so beautiful, love the color


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## JTang

Yes he is. You should get one too!


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## trout

beautiful tank! that porcelain crab is neat!


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## JTang

Black Clown got kicked out! Nemo took over RBTA...........


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## tang daddy

looks good buddy!


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## JTang

tang daddy said:


> looks good buddy!


Thanks Chris!

Do you recognize some of these zoas!??? :lol:


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## Claudia

JTang said:


> Yes he is. You should get one too!


I will get one as soon as my tank is ready and cycle


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## Diztrbd1

That is a great looking tank!


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## JTang

Diztrbd1 said:


> That is a great looking tank!


Thanks, John! I'm just trying my best to keep it clean n healthy!


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## william

Wow, your tank looks amazing. Going to be starting to buy up equipment once I move into my new home. Been reading about reef keeping for about 10 hours a day for the last 4 days.

Can't wait to try to emulate your tank!


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## JTang

william said:


> Wow, your tank looks amazing. Going to be starting to buy up equipment once I move into my new home. Been reading about reef keeping for about 10 hours a day for the last 4 days.
> 
> Can't wait to try to emulate your tank!


Thanks man! My tank has just turned 1 year old. I will post some anniversary pictures in the next few days.... stay tuned!


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## JTang

Alright finally uploaded some anniversary pictures to photobucket!

I haven't added any new fish for at least 4 months. Actually I did add a powder blue tang couple months ago but my yellow tang kept chasing him until he got stressed, starved n died... $50 gone in a week! I will probably try n add a bigger n more aggressive tang in the near future. On the other hand, corals are much easier to take care of. Their color under the actinic light is just stunning! Im loving them... the only problem is that my tank is getting so packed that it's tough to find room for any newcomers! LOL




























The Twins... RBTA had just splitted 2 weeks ago.


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## JTang

DAY (250W x2 14,000k Metal Halide + 65W x4 Power Compact)










NIGHT (Blue LED Strip)


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## JohnnyAppleSnail

Super looking Tank! Sweeeeeet!


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## JTang

JohnnyAppleSnail said:


> Super looking Tank! Sweeeeeet!


Thank you! Thank you!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Great job on the tank. Looks wonderful.


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## JTang

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Great job on the tank. Looks wonderful.


Hey buddy thanks for the kind word! You just reminded me that it's about time for water change..... I have been pretty lazy lately! Lol


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## JTang

Bad news! My tank took a big hit from the heat back in late July. Tank was up to 86 for several days. I didn't realize until I saw most of the SPS started losing color n bleaching. Yeah it's already too late! I removed 1 side of the glass lid n the temperature had gone down at least 3 degrees! I should have done that before the heat wave came....



















A few pieces did recover nicely but the others, like these orange/brown monti n most of the SPS frags are gone!


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## newfie

Looks great john keep up the good work.


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## jbyoung00008

I could stare at your tank for hours. Looks unreal! Thanks for sharing


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## Sidius

Ya I love this tank... It serves as inspiration for me and getting a SW tank up and running. Hopefully I can make that happen in the next year or so. I'm thinking of turning my 90g into a SW setup once I upgrade my Malawi tank to 180g+. It's not drilled though...


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## JTang

Thanks everyone! I will try my best! 

The system has just recovered from the damage 2 months ago. It has settled down n everything is looking better now. Learned my lesson the hard way... all for a little stupid mistake! 

Nothing has been added since except for 10 frags of acans n blastos from Fragalot last week. They are looking great although they don't look exactly like those ones on their website! I will upload some pics when I get a chance.


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## The Guy

Wow I'm impressed, what a great looking tank I have a 50 gallon reef right now, but like yourself I'm gathering stuff to go bigger I'm building in the stand right now for a new 90 Gallon set up. Guys like you , Anthony and Gordon have inspired me to to go into the "Bright side". I don't like saving money anyway, LOL!!


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## JTang

I always wanted a reef tank but never really look into it. Mainly because of the $$!

My inspiration was from our trip to Hawaii 2 yrs ago. There were so many beautiful fish right by the beach! I converted my 46gal cichlid tank to salty 3 months after the trip. Lol. We will be heading to Maui in 4 months. This time I'm gonna bring back a few nice pieces of corals n maybe couple of Tangs as well.... Haaha!


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## JTang

Acans, Blastos frags from Fragalot.


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## Momobobo

Wow, those are some beautiful frags


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## MEDHBSI

nice rock formation  I miss my saltwater setup


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## JTang

Several new additions in the last 2 months...

Couple of small fish to add more color to the tank: Lyretail Anthias, Strawberry Dottyback

"Neon Green" Bubble Tip Anemone. I was told by the others that she is bleached! Well at least she is eating fine... n looking sharp! Lol








Say "Cheese"!!! 









2 Tube Anemones (Orange, Purple). I was only going to buy one but the 2 were tangled together so the seller gave me both for the price of 1. Sweet!









More rock flower anemones.

















My 1st Clam (Crocea). I knew this guy is not the easiest clam to keep but for its stunning color, I will give it a shot!

















Sitting high... way up on the right side!


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## JTang

Momobobo said:


> Wow, those are some beautiful frags


Yeah they are nice but 1 piece was missing from the order plus another piece arrived "dry" since there was a punture in the bag...


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## JTang

MEDHBSI said:


> nice rock formation  I miss my saltwater setup


Thanks! You should set one up again. Maybe something smaller!? I started with my 46Gal Bowfront...


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## The Guy

Very nice set up, Ok I really got to get my 90 finished, lovin the reefing!


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## neven

awesome set up, got me planning my LED fixture right now so my tank can support more purdiness. i hope you get something in return for the order mishaps, be sure to let us know how it goes, i prefer not to do business with people who screw over others on the customer service front.


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## rich16

Wow, very nice! the clam looks neat..


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## JTang

neven said:


> awesome set up, got me planning my LED fixture right now so my tank can support more purdiness. i hope you get something in return for the order mishaps, be sure to let us know how it goes, i prefer not to do business with people who screw over others on the customer service front.


Thanks everyone! Tank is looking way better than it was in July for sure! lol

The man said he's willing to replace those 2 frags for free on my next order. He sounds like an honest guy to do business with and sure I will place another order with him sometimes in Spring.


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## JTang

Just took a few nicer pics of the 2 Tube Anemones. I've relocated one mid size rock to the side of the tank to give them more room. Also topped more sand over them so their tubes aren't exposed (I've read that this is critical in keeping them happy).

They are guarding the entrance of the "Cave", right in the center of the tank. With their waving tentacles n neon color, they are now the focal point of my tank!


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## Sidius

That is one seriously impressive salty... I love the last full tank shot. One day I'll build a tank like this!!


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## Emily

Your tank makes me want a saltwater aquarium... Too expensive for me though, I'll stick with my freshwater for now. Beautiful set-up though


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## JTang

1st Video uploaded to YouTube!


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## 2wheelsx2

JTang said:


> 1st Video uploaded to YouTube!


[video=youtube_share;[URL]http://youtube.be/6mxZ0-KO7jk[/URL][/video]

Says the video is private. If you use the video link you can see the youtube video directly here instead of using the link.


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## The Guy

AHHHHHHHHHH! I can't see the video, do I have to sign in to watch it?


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## JTang

Guess my attempt has failed! Lol

Just changed setting to "Public". Please verify...


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## 2wheelsx2

You got it. Wow, the tank looks even better in video. The video looks a bit out of focus though, to my eyes. What did you shoot it with?


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## JTang

Oh great! Yeah it does look off focus. View it by clicking on the link n it should look better. I shot it with my Samsung Galaxy... lol


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## 2wheelsx2

Actually it looks good in the small screen, but looked out of focus on Youtube when I went full screen. But in all fairness, I'm viewing on a 26" 1920x1200 monitor, so it might not be as noticeable on smaller screens.

And nothing wrong with the Samsung Galaxy (we have 3 in our house: 10.1 Tab, S2 LTE and S3).


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## JTang

Hey you r a Samsung guy too! Smart choice!


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## 2wheelsx2

JTang said:


> Hey you r a Samsung guy too! Smart choice!


Great minds think alike!


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## JTang

2wheelsx2 said:


> Great minds think alike!


Totally agree! Haaha!

Here's another one... my girl is feeding the fishy nori via DIY Nori Clip. Lol


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## The Guy

*Lots of color looks great!!*

Nice looking set up John, hope my 90 looks some what close in about a year, the video is really a nice way to show a salt tank other than being there in person of course.
Very very sweet indeed! :bigsmile: I have a Flip ultra HD wonder if it would do an ok job for video, what do you think?


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## JTang

The Guy said:


> Nice looking set up John, hope my 90 looks some what close in about a year, the video is really a nice way to show a salt tank other than being there in person of course.
> Very very sweet indeed! :bigsmile: I have a Flip ultra HD wonder if it would do an ok job for video, what do you think?


I'm sure you will do better than me. I still consider myself newbie in salty, learning n trying new things everyday. Im still trying to figure out a regular routine / dosing volumn to raise / maintain calcium n carbonate at proper level. They are currently way lower than what they should be. KH: 6 (9-12) Calcium: 360 (420-440)

I think your camcorder will take nicer video than my cell phone! Why don't u try it out!?


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## The Guy

I should figure it out and try it I suppose. Not sure why, but my calcium level is always at approx. 450 but I have to add reef buffer sometimes to up the KH. not sure whats going on with that.


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## JTang

Dec.6, 2012

My zoas garden



















Open brain. Acans, lobo, and tube anemones in the background.


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## neven

what is the large orange centered zoa? i think i got a frag of that from jL's frag tank. Looks like nothing great in day light, but pops out with the orange and slight yellow/green rim during night lights


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## JTang

neven said:


> what is the large orange centered zoa? i think i got a frag of that from jL's frag tank. Looks like nothing great in day light, but pops out with the orange and slight yellow/green rim during night lights


You mean the one at the top middle of pic #2? I believe that's called "Eagle Eye" or some other fancy names!??? Lol


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## JTang

The RBTA in my 120 Gal has splitted on X'mas Day! We saw them after returning home from a party. It was around 9" dial. before...










Now, the "X'mas Twins" (named by my kids. ) are about 4"...


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## JTang

After buying a 55" LED,a laptop and a new PS3, im totally broke! Besides we still have to pay off our trip to Maui in a month.  This is the one n only livestock I bought this Boxing Day...


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## Claudia

JTang said:


> After buying a 55" LED,a laptop and a new PS3, im totally broke! Besides we still have to pay off our trip to Maui in a month.  This is the one n only livestock I bought this Boxing Day...


Thats nice, i have to buy something for myself too


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## JTang

Only $30 lol

The rest of the stuff I bought this year are just supplies like salt n food.


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## Claudia

JTang said:


> Only $30 lol
> 
> The rest of the stuff I bought this year are just supplies like salt n food.


Yes only $30 lol I want to get some different color candy canes


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## JTang

Lol. It's not bad cos I'm only buying 1 piece.


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## monkE

This is an amazing tank man! I just flipped through and saw all the pictures! I hope mine can get somewhere close to as awesome as this is. Well done!


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## JTang

monkE said:


> This is an amazing tank man! I just flipped through and saw all the pictures! I hope mine can get somewhere close to as awesome as this is. Well done!


Haaha thx man! It isn't that nice actually... just a low tech setup with cheap equipments. No fancy LED like yours!


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## JTang

Finally had decided to move the 3 BTA's out of the 120gal. They were getting too big n stinging my SPS n Monti. Both RBTA's are over 7".

















Since the 3 BTA's are on the same piece of rock, I just took the SPS off n moved the whole piece to their new home, 46gal.

















Now that they are gone, the tank gets a bit boring... I kinda miss them, but not nearly as much as my clowns do. The poor guys are still hanging out where the RBTA was, looking pretty sad.


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## Claudia

U took the clowns home sweet home away u meany, go outside and think of what u have done  lol Your tank looks great but yes u can see the emptiness on the top


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## JTang

Yes, I feel very bad for what I have done! Now they are homeless!

I will give them extra cube of mysis tonight n hopefully they will forgive me...


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## Claudia

It will also help if u tell them how sorry u r


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## aQ.LED

A kiss might work too lololol, I feel equally bad when I moved my convict Benny into a 33 long by itself.


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## JTang

Claudia said:


> It will also help if u tell them how sorry u r


I already did but still feeling very guilty. I should go to the church this Sunday...


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## JTang

I really think that I'm being a bit unfair to these guys... 

(120 Gal) 3 clownfish : 0 BTA









(46 Gal) 1 Tomato clown : 6 BTA's


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## JTang

While I was snorkeling in Maui last week, I saw plenty of Tangs, e.g. Convict, Sailfin, Naso, Yellow... They are all fat n healthy! Something I have never seen in any aquarium.

Some of Hawaii's natives...









I really felt like taking couple of them home with me but that's impossible. As soon as I'd returned to the condo, I posted a LF post for couple of Hawaiian buddies but never heard back from anyone. I just couldn't wait any longer! Lol.

Yesterday I made a trip to J&L n found them!  Well the Naso was from Hawaii but not the Sailfin. For some reason J&L doesn't import them from Hawaii. Oh well she was also from the same Pacific Ocean so I guess that's good enough! Haaha!


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## dabandit1

Beautiful!!!! I shutter to think of what all those frags cost,I allways imagine these with 20's and 50's glued to the rock in place of the coral lol and 50 dollar bills swimming around that would be a pretty beautiful sight too lol


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## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> Beautiful!!!! I shutter to think of what all those frags cost,I allways imagine these with 20's and 50's glued to the rock in place of the coral lol and 50 dollar bills swimming around that would be a pretty beautiful sight too lol


I used to keep track of how much I spent on frags n fish but lost track after a few months. Besides you wont want your wife sees that piece of paper, right? 

Basically you start off with 5's (brown, cream, tan), then 10's (yellow, green), then the 15's n 20's (orange, pink) and 40's (red). Of course there are lot of nice rainbow color ones that are way out of my budget! Lol. At this moment, my limit is $40/frag, up from $30 that was set 3 months ago. Kinda like your credit card spending limit ha!? Lol.


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## dino

is the biopellet reactor run off you overflow?


----------



## Claudia

JTang said:


> I used to keep track of how much I spent on frags n fish but lost track after a few months. Besides you wont want your wife sees that piece of paper, right?
> 
> Basically you start off with 5's (brown, cream, tan), then 10's (yellow, green), then the 15's n 20's (orange, pink) and 40's (red). Of course there are lot of nice rainbow color ones that are way out of my budget! Lol. At this moment, my limit is $40/frag, up from $30 that was set 3 months ago. Kinda like your credit card spending limit ha!? Lol.


I kept track of how much i spend on my sw tank at the beginning too but then decided to dont do it anymore so I couldnt c how much i was actually spending  :bigsmile: lol


----------



## JTang

Claudia said:


> I kept track of how much i spend on my sw tank at the beginning too but then decided to dont do it anymore so I couldnt c how much i was actually spending  :bigsmile: lol


Yes, that's one of the reasons why I stopped! Lol


----------



## JTang

dino said:


> is the biopellet reactor run off you overflow?


The pump (intake) for the reactor is located in the last (4th) chamber in the sump. Return is fed back to the 1st chamber where the 2 skimmers are.

Here's an older picture of the setup. Pretty much the same except that the light for the algae scrubber has been upgraded to a brighter one. Also 5 mangroves were added to 2nd chamber last summer. I don't think they help much since they grow pretty slow.


----------



## Claudia

JTang said:


> The pump (intake) for the reactor is located in the last (4th) chamber in the sump. Return is fed back to the 1st chamber where the 2 skimmers are.
> 
> Here's an older picture of the setup. Pretty much the same except that the light for the algae scrubber has been upgraded to a brighter one. Also 5 mangroves were added to 2nd chamber last summer. I don't think they help much since they grow pretty slow.


Looks nice and so organized


----------



## JTang

Claudia said:


> Looks nice and so organized


Oh thank you! .


----------



## Claudia

JTang said:


> Oh thank you! .


Your welcome  Now i know who i can call to help me with my sump/refugium


----------



## dino

cool thanks good to know


----------



## JTang

My new toy has finally arrived from HK... A $5 Macro + Wide angle lens set for my Galaxy Nexus! 










I don't have a fancy camera so this is pretty cool to me. All of you professional photographers please don't laugh... Haaha!


----------



## monkE

wow awesome pictures!!!!!! that's on a galaxy?!?! for $5???? what?!?! lol i'm looking that up


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Wow. That's awesome for $5! Great pics.


----------



## JTang

Actually it was around $4.5 shipped! eBay rocks! Haaha!


----------



## frd72

nice shots!!!


----------



## AdobeOtoCat

Freaking amazing bro. So jealous

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Claudia

Wow real nice pics, i dont have a fancy camera either just a cyber shot sony  lol


----------



## Sploosh

Those photos look way better than the macro on my point-n-shoot (was far more than $5). 
Very nice photos (and Livestock )


----------



## reeferious

me want me want pls post seller link


----------



## JTang

Thank you Boys n Gals! I don't know anything about photography, just fooling around! Heehe!



reeferious said:


> me want me want pls post seller link


I will pm you the link. Im afraid that I might get in trouble for posting that!???


----------



## JTang

Just checked... Currently on sale -5%. Total $4.29 shipped. Pm me for the link if u guys are interested.

Damn! I over paid 20 cents!!!


----------



## reeferious

no trouble pls pm link thanx


----------



## JTang

Hey everyone! Check out my very 1st coral viewer! . I saw one for sale at the store but didn't want to spend the 28 bucks... so I'd decided to make my own. It took me a few hours to complete it but I'm quite happy with the finished product. My kids love it as much as I do!

Tool:
Hacksaw
Scissors
File
Felt pen
Masking tape
Side cutter
Sandpaper

Material used: 
PVC pipe (thanks Gordon for cutting me the piece!)
Clear acrylic (from CD case)
Crazy glue
Clear silicone

Cost: $0

My DIY Coral Viewer! 









Viewing them from a different angle....


----------



## Claudia

Nice pics, now to make a bigger one


----------



## The Guy

That's amazing, great pictures! OK now I have to have one, I don't think I'm ever going to finish my DIY 90 g stand. Oh well to the back burner again.
Thanks for sharing.


----------



## gklaw

Cool. $28 !!! I need to knock some off in my sleep. Want to be my salesman  Seriously, need to make some for sale.


----------



## gklaw

Claudia said:


> Nice pics, now to make a bigger one


One of those acrylic chocolate box or beanie baby box from Michael may just work. I have 12" acrylic tube as well LoL !


----------



## JTang

gklaw said:


> Cool. $28 !!! I need to knock some off in my sleep. Want to be my salesman  Seriously, need to make some for sale.


Gordon u have enough tools n material for mass production. I will swing by tomorrow and set up a production line with you. Lol


----------



## JTang

The Guy said:


> That's amazing, great pictures! OK now I have to have one, I don't think I'm ever going to finish my DIY 90 g stand. Oh well to the back burner again.
> Thanks for sharing.


Thank you! . Post some pics when you are done.


----------



## Claudia

gklaw said:


> One of those acrylic chocolate box or beanie baby box from Michael may just work. I have 12" acrylic tube as well LoL !


Lets start production lol


----------



## JTang

Just received 17 frags from Fragalot yesterday! Mostly Acans, some zoas n palys. They are all healthy n beautiful looking. Polyps came out within an hour even after a long journey from Ontario. I can't be more happy!


----------



## dabandit1

Very nice!! next time let me know I'll come in on it :bigsmile:


----------



## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> Very nice!! next time let me know I'll come in on it :bigsmile:


For sure man!


----------



## zhasan

Very nice tank JTang!! Thats quite a handful of corals! All looking very nice!


----------



## JTang

zhasan said:


> Very nice tank JTang!! Thats quite a handful of corals! All looking very nice![/QUOTE
> 
> Yeah they are nice! I can't wait to get more! Heehe!


----------



## JTang

As u can see, I have gone frags crazy lately! My original frag rack is just too small. I've put together another one so now Im ready for more frags! Lol

The brackets on the sides are almost the same as the old rack except the new ones are 1 square longer. Width is also +1 square n the length is +10 squares, with over double the surface area!


----------



## dabandit1

ok ok lets see the latest batch :lol: cool frag rack


----------



## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> ok ok lets see the latest batch :lol: cool frag rack


Shhh..... wife is monitoring this forum! Lol


----------



## JTang

JTang said:


> While I was snorkeling in Maui last week, I saw plenty of Tangs, e.g. Convict, Sailfin, Naso, Yellow... They are all fat n healthy! Something I have never seen in any aquarium.
> 
> Some of Hawaii's natives...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I really felt like taking couple of them home with me but that's impossible. As soon as I'd returned to the condo, I posted a LF post for couple of Hawaiian buddies but never heard back from anyone. I just couldn't wait any longer! Lol.
> 
> Yesterday I made a trip to J&L n found them!  Well the Naso was from Hawaii but not the Sailfin. For some reason J&L doesn't import them from Hawaii. Oh well she was also from the same Pacific Ocean so I guess that's good enough! Haaha!


Bad news:
Naso didn't make it through the first month. He was being bullied by my Yellow Tang n Blue Hipp. He wasn't eating during the last 2 weeks of his life. He had fin rot as well as skin infections. I saw him laying flat on the sand bed, breathing heavily, I had no choice but to put him down.... the day before my B-Day.  RIP


----------



## Claudia

So sorry John


----------



## JTang

I gave him a nice ice bath before putting him to bed in the freezer...


----------



## dabandit1

Sorry to hear that Naso are my favorite fish


----------



## JTang

Thanks guys! I will get a nice fat one back someday....

In order to heal my sadness, I went ahead n placed another order of new frags. Now that my new rack is full, I'm feeling a little bit better! 

Day 1









Day 2



























Some older frags from Fragalot...


----------



## Claudia

Yup to much red but is ok, i can put them in my tank  lol


----------



## JTang

A few close up shots....


----------



## Claudia

I want this


----------



## crimper

:drool: :bigsmile:


----------



## Momobobo

Was that the Fruitloops frag from J&L?


----------



## JTang

Momobobo said:


> Was that the Fruitloops frag from J&L?


No, i cant afford to buy zoas from JL. Lol
I had it for a while.... Can't remember where I got it from. Probably from Canreef member!?


----------



## dabandit1

Gorgeous pics and corals. Im thinking soon your going to have to upgrade or start gluing frags to other frags lol.


----------



## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> Gorgeous pics and corals. Im thinking soon your going to have to upgrade or start gluing frags to other frags lol.


Thanks! Pictures were taken with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I was planning on buying a nicer camera but ended up spending all the $$ on corals! Lol

I actually have thought about converting my 46 gal into another full reef tank. Currently its just housing the "extras". Mainly all the pieces that I have lost interest in. So far my trigger, eel n puffer are behaving well. They have never touched or destroyed anything... yet!


----------



## AdobeOtoCat

Our tanks are opposites. I have too much green!!! Lets trade . Looking superb btw 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE


----------



## JTang

AdobeOtoCat said:


> Our tanks are opposites. I have too much green!!! Lets trade . Looking superb btw
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE


Trust me, there are many beautiful tanks out there that look way nicer than mine.

Thanks for your kind words tho! Really appreciate it!


----------



## JTang

Just when I thought that I would never buy another tang from LFS...

After taking a walk (it was a long walk actually! Haaha!) at O.C. today after work, I left the store with an emptied wallet and a tang. Lol

This guy is fat n healthy. Paul gave me a great deal n showed me that he takes pellets n is hungry like a pig! A tang that I have never seen at any other LFS. I feel bad that i had exceeded over double my $50/fish limit, which was raised from $35 just a month ago.... 

He is so nice looking n I just couldn't resist... my stupid yellow tang better leave him alone or I will kill him! Haaha...

Welcoming a new member to the Tang Family... Dussumieri Tang!


----------



## Tn23

ooooh nice looking tang!


----------



## Claudia

A tang for the Tangs  btw he is beautiful


----------



## JTang

Claudia said:


> A tang for the Tangs  btw he is beautiful


Dussumieri Tang... I have never heard of it before. Had to Google it! Lol.

His/her color will change significantly once matured and will probably out grown my tank within 2 years!

Yes Claudia! I hope he will do well. So far he is tough enough to stand against the Yellow....


----------



## JTang

It was a tough first day 1 for the new guy! He was being picked on wherever he went. First the Yellow tang (as expected), then came the Sailfin (got him just over a month ago). To my surprise, the big, fat Damsel also joined the gang. He thinks that he's so tough, swinging his tail against my new $110 tang! Hello!??? Nice move but I don't think you are a surgeon fish!!! Guess where he learned the move from??? Haaha!


----------



## Hydrocynus

Nice tang John, I had success adding tangs when tank lights are all off and room is dark. Then I just leave it off until the next day.


----------



## JTang

Hydrocynus said:


> Nice tang John, I had success adding tangs when tank lights are all off and room is dark. Then I just leave it off until the next day.


Thanks for the tips!

Yeah I did add him with the lights off but the daylight lighted up the tank a bit so they saw the new guy coming.

The yellow has left him alone now. He's still getting the occasional challenge from the Sailfin n that mean Damsel.

This guy is pretty tough though. He never back down n hide. He's always out swimming in the opening looking for food. He eats pellets, flakes, frozen n nori. Pretty much anything I throw in the tank. I really hope that he will do fine... after trying 3 other tangs.


----------



## JTang

Just uploaded a video on YouTube. Hopefully I did it right this time...


----------



## Claudia

Looks awesome!! lots of colors


----------



## zhasan

Very nice tank there bud! really liking the variety of fish and corals... Keep up with the awesomeness!


----------



## The Guy

Hey John: very  new tang , seems to be one of the gang in there.


----------



## JTang

Thanks for the kind words guys! 

Yeah he does blend in quite well. I'm so glad that the gang has accepted him since Day 3. Now just hope that he is a healthy boy without carrying any parasites. I know I should have quarantined him...


----------



## dabandit1

Eh quarantine is for wusses lmao. Gorgeous fish,nice replacement for your naso



JTang said:


> Thanks for the kind words guys!
> 
> Yeah he does blend in quite well. I'm so glad that the gang has accepted him since Day 3. Now just hope that he is a healthy boy without carrying any parasites. I know I should have quarantined him...


----------



## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> Eh quarantine is for wusses lmao. Gorgeous fish,nice replacement for your naso


I still like the Naso since we saw some really nice big ones when we were snorkelling in Maui. However this guy caught my eyes at OC... he would come to the top n beg for food whenever I approached that tank. 

But then I'm so broke now!!! Acans anyone? Lol


----------



## Claudia

JTang said:


> Acans anyone? Lol


When is the order going?


----------



## JTang

Claudia said:


> When is the order going?


Order? Probably not until June... I'm so broke now. Guess it's frag time!


----------



## scott tang

wow nice tank what type of tube anem


----------



## JTang

scott tang said:


> wow nice tank what type of tube anem


Thanks man! These guys...


----------



## dabandit1

Wow your sand is clean,almost as nice to look at as your coral lol
Cool anemones


----------



## scott tang

ya my sand ssems to get red out breaks of algea just got a pink tube anem with a green center any tips on caring for em ?


----------



## JTang

dabandit1 said:


> Wow your sand is clean,almost as nice to look at as your coral lol
> Cool anemones


Oh that was taken back in December. The sand in that pic was added not long before the picture was taken. I topped it up so the "tubes" are hidden in the sand.

Ideally these guys should only be kept in tanks with deep sandbed. If the tubes are exposed, some fish/shrimps might pick at them n eventually kill them. Since I don't have a DSB setup, I built a little rock barrier around the anemones n covered them up with 2x 4L ice cream pails of sand. This is more like it...


----------



## JTang

scott tang said:


> ya my sand ssems to get red out breaks of algea just got a pink tube anem with a green center any tips on caring for em ?


Nothing special really... Since they are non- photosynthetic, I located them in the shade n target fed them frozen (mostly mysis) couple times a week. That's about it.

BTW, I picked them up from a tank shut-down around X'mas. I was only going to buy one but the 2 were tangled up so the guy just gave me the other one for free. 2 for 1 deal! Lol


----------



## JTang

I'd mounted a 48" Blue LED strip to the front of my PC fixture last year. It's mainly for dusk n dawn usage.

Recently I've added another strip to light up the back half of the tank n to bring up the actinic effect. Now I can see my new Acan Garden better! Love the $4.50 investment!


----------



## 2wheelsx2

I like it. Where did you get the strip? It comes the adapter for $4.50?


----------



## Claudia

2wheelsx2 said:


> I like it. Where did you get the strip? It comes the adapter for $4.50?


He probably got them from ebay 

Looks nice, the acans look beautiful


----------



## JTang

2wheelsx2 said:


> I like it. Where did you get the strip? It comes the adapter for $4.50?


No, $4.50 is just for the 4' strip (shipped).

I bought this one first. It came with an AC-DC adapter but the strip is only 48cm long. Then I bought a longer (120cm) piece n wired it to the adapter. This new strip was done the same way.

48 LED Bar Strip Blue Aquarium Fish Tank Decorative Light Power Adapter DC 12V | eBay


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Cool thanks. I've been using the Hamilton's for moonlights but they are pricey. This sounds way better/cheaper.


----------



## JTang

2wheelsx2 said:


> Cool thanks. I've been using the Hamilton's for moonlights but they are pricey. This sounds way better/cheaper.


Yes! Cheap is my style! Lol You aren't gonna find anything fancy in my setups. I rather spend the $$ on corals.... Heehe!


----------



## JTang

Guess it's time for a little update. I have been playing with my new 135G lately n didn't spend as much time on this one.  No more $200 Group Buy! Lol

This guy will be turning 2 yrs old next week. I will upload a new video to celebrate its 2nd B-Day!

Now some updates:

I havent upgraded any equipment during the last few months. I just keep up with the maintenance schedule (Calcium/2 days, Carbonate/wk, WC & Algae scrubber cleaning/3 wks....)

I changed out the pair of MH bulbs since one of them had burnt out. I bought my last pair off eBay with great success but not this time. I have tried 3 different pairs of 250W HQI from 2 different sellers (one in Canada, one in US). The light coming off these bulbs was yellowish and not even close to the advertised 14,000k. Some were even flickering. After wasted $30 on 3 return shippings and almost 2 months of frustration, I ended up picking up a pair of Phoenix from JL for $145. $%&#!

Left: "New", Right: 1-yr old eBay bulb









The primary skimmer, AquaC EV-120, was acting up lately. No skimmate for nearly a month so I took it out and gave it a full clean. Including spray injector, air intake valve, hose and housing. What a huge difference that made! I should have done it months ago!









No new fish added since the addition of the Dussmeri Tang. Everyone is happy n getting along. I still want to take out the big, fat damsel but never get to it. I will need to make a trap in order to get him out.

Back in April, I had counted at least 10 Aiptasia so I added 5 peppermint shrimps to take care of these buggers. I haven't seen the shrimps since I added them but the aiptasias are now gone so the peppermints must be doing their job! 

The only few frags that I have added recently:


----------



## rich16

Wow...gorgeous.


----------



## JTang

rich16 said:


> Wow...gorgeous.


Thank you!
Have I mentioned that I have downsized to only 3 tanks now!? 

From left: 120G Reef, 55" LED, 135G Malawi, 46G FOWLR.


----------



## AdobeOtoCat

You have an awesome man cave. Very jealous

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Dang, 120 and 135 in the same room. Very nice indeed.


----------



## JTang

Yeah it's not bad. Heehe! 

Unfortunately Im spending so much time in this 300 sq.ft room, leaving the other 2000 sq.ft unused! Lol


----------



## deepRED

Same as mine, three tanks in one room.  looking good!


----------



## JTang

OK Boys n Gals! Finally had some time to take a new video today.... My 2-year old Reef! .

Not much has changed since the last video which was taken in Nov.

Addition...
Sailfin Tang
Dussmeri Tang
Green Bubble Coral
Acans, acans, n more acans!

Gone...
2 large RBTA's
Crocea Clam (Sold it for $60. I miss it much!)

I must have forgotten something! Anyway, just watch! Lol

BTW, background is the sound of wave, captured from a beach in Maui. Haaha!


----------



## m_class2g

Incredible and inspirational!


----------



## rich16

Gorgeous. I. Want. Your. Tank. :bigsmile:


----------



## JTang

Thanks guys! But I'm slowing down on this one now. I have been spending more time on my new Malawi tank than the reef. Lol. Currently I just want to sustain the system n keep everything happy n healthy. Hmmmm... some coral tradings won't hurt I guess.


----------



## crimper

What a lovely reef tank! :envy:


----------



## JTang

crimper said:


> What a lovely reef tank! :envy:


Thanks, Crimper. Yours will look just as nice, or even better than mine one day!


----------



## jbyoung00008

Jtang. Your tank is a beauty. You have so many things stuffed in there its crazy. I'm good to see I'm not the only with a fish tank problem  

How's the Malawi tank coming along?


----------



## JTang

jbyoung00008 said:


> Jtang. Your tank is a beauty. You have so many things stuffed in there its crazy. I'm good to see I'm not the only with a fish tank problem
> 
> How's the Malawi tank coming along?


Yeah it's basically packed! I pretty much have to remove something in order to add a new piece. That's why I'm being really picky in coral buying now! Lol. Malawi tank is fine. The plants aren't doing too well though so I'm gonna stick with rocks n drift wood for now.


----------



## JTang

Just a few random shots with my Samsung Galaxy.


----------



## scott tang

Wow looking great !!!


----------



## crimper

Wow! and Wow! :drool: :envy: 

Gorgeous! :bigsmile:


----------



## Foxtail

That is one healthy ecosystem! Absolutely beautiful.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Dietmar

Awesome pics.
We need a new FTS


----------



## JTang

Thanks guys!

There isn't much to show in a FTS. The rockscape looks 90% like the way it looked from Day 1. Yeah it's getting a bit boring!

Oh well, here are couple of FTS's, showing my 4 Tangs and their buddies. . I'm hoping to add a healthy Mandarin Dragonet to add some color to the tank. Also wanna get raid of that big, ugly damsel if possible. Anyone has a trap I can borrow? Lol


----------



## Dietmar

Nice tank
You should be proud


----------



## JTang

Dietmar said:


> Nice tank
> You should be proud


Thanks again! 

I'm just keeping up with the bi-weekly WC's and Skimmers cleaning every few days. Not much have been added for a while. Like I said, it's getting kinda boring. Well, at least to me. I have had several BTA's and a Crocea clam in there in the past. I wonder what else I can put in it to make it more interesting so I can love it again!?

Any suggestion???


----------



## scott tang

some new rock and swich out some of the old rock so you have more space to fil up 

it looks great ! mabie take some lr down and set it up again in a difrent position thats what i do when i get board of mine


----------



## mikebike

Fantastic photos and tank.


----------



## JTang

mikebike said:


> Fantastic photos and tank.


Thanks buddy!


----------



## JTang

Just got a new add-on for the 120G. It's a CPR Refugium (Med). I picked it up since it was such a smokin deal! Plus it even comes with a mini LED fixture! Lol. Currently only 1.5" of sand plus a few mushrooms n leather. Not sure what to put in it yet. Any suggestion?


----------



## aQ.LED

u probly know this already but remember turn it on when main tank off =)


----------



## JTang

aQ.LED said:


> u probly know this already but remember turn it on when main tank off =)


Heard about it a while ago. Will set the timer accordingly. Thanks!

Some freaking guy rammed into a pole in the neighborhood. Power has been down since 7am*and*won't be recovered till 4pm (estimated). My Motomaster Power Backup is drained as well. [email protected]#$%!


----------



## aQ.LED

well I had my power out for almost 30 hours when I first moved into my new place lol I understand wat u mean lol


----------



## JTang

Hydro now changed the time to 9pm. Longest power outage I've experienced after starting this hobby. 30hrs!???? I might get a heart attack from it! Lol

I had work today but I worried too much, causing a really bad headache so I decided to take a day off. I went n picked up a brand sparkling new gas generator for $60 on CL. The thing runs great! Although it's only a light duty, 950W one but should do the job. I'm now running 3x heaters, 3x powerhead, a XP3 and 2 LED strips off this baby! It's kind of noisy but I'm loving it!


----------



## SeaHorse_Fanatic

If you had called me, I could have loaned you my generator or my UPS backup system.


----------



## JTang

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> If you had called me, I could have loaned you my generator or my UPS backup system.


Thanks, Anthony. But now I have my own! Heehe!

I should run to the gas station for more gas. Who knows how long this one will last. They already changed it twice from 11am to 4pm to 9pm!


----------



## The Guy

JTang said:


> Thanks, Anthony. But now I have my own! Heehe!
> 
> I should run to the gas station for more gas. Who knows how long this one will last. They already changed it twice from 11am to 4pm to 9pm!


Ok ! You have just inspired me to get my gen-set installed, hope everything is ok John. I got a 3000 watt on sale at Canadian tire 2 years ago for a great sale price. apparently it can be installed on a pad outdoors and bolted down. My over hang of my deck cover will keep it out of the direct weather. I better get it done, SOON!!!


----------



## JTang

The Guy said:


> Ok ! You have just inspired me to get my gen-set installed, hope everything is ok John. I got a 3000 watt on sale at Canadian tire 2 years ago for a great sale price. apparently it can be installed on a pad outdoors and bolted down. My over hang of my deck cover will keep it out of the direct weather. I better get it done, SOON!!!


Yeah you should. You never know when it will happen to you!

Power was restored at 9:20pm.... Over 14 hrs down time! Generator worked great... best $60 spent! Everything looks fine so far.


----------



## SeaHorse_Fanatic

Good to hear. I bought one for myself & my father-in-law years ago. Have never taken mine out of the box. Have a UPS and a couple of Motomaster battery packs to keep at least the powerheads going. I find that if I keep up the flow, then the livestock are fine. Our heating is natural gas in the house. In the future, I may have my tanks run off grid by adding a solar power system to the house.


----------



## JTang

Since this Reef tank survived a 14 hrs power outage, I think it deserves a little photo session.... 
Enjoy n thanks for looking!


----------



## JTang




----------



## jhj0112

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! one day! one day! I will get my s/w tank!


----------



## Aquapin

That tank is packed full of colourful goodness, very nice setup.


----------



## JTang

Thanks guys! Never enough color! Haaha! 

Jason, I still have to find room for your nice frags. Maybe I should get raid of my Duncan colony n replace it with your beautiful Aussie!


----------



## crimper

Wow and Wow! :envy: 

Simply Beautiful. Those colors are the one that I'm missing on fresh water tanks.

If you gonna throw out some of stuffs please let me know, I got lots of space on my 20G Nano


----------



## JTang

crimper said:


> Wow and Wow! :envy:
> 
> Simply Beautiful. If you gonna throw out some of stuffs please let me know, I got lots of space on my 20G Nano


I'm actually thinking about clearing up... so I can buy some nicer ones. Heehe! Unfortunately just the brown, tan n green stuff. Fire me a PM if anyone is looking for cheap beginner corals. I will let them go for CHEAP!


----------



## crimper

sent you a PM.


----------



## JTang

Just got home n found that the power is out AGAIN! [email protected]#$! This has turned into a weekly thing now!!! 

It's night time so I can't even use the generator that I bought last Sunday....


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## scott tang

i hope every thing is ok !


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

You need a UPS box, like they use for computers when there are power outages. I got one. Dead silent and nice in an emergency.


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## JTang

scott tang said:


> i hope every thing is ok !


Thanks Scottie! I hope so too!

Right now I have a big blanket covering the reef to minimize temperature drop. 2 power heads running on the reef and 1 running on the 46G. Didn't do anything to the Africans since they are tough! Just hope that the portable power backup can last till power is restored...

BC Hydro says that this one is caused by lightning. Estimated restored time is 4am. I will do a WC on all 3 tanks when power is back. Wish me good luck!


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## JTang

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> You need a UPS box, like they use for computers when there are power outages. I got one. Dead silent and nice in an emergency.


Yeah good idea! We do have a few of those at work. Does it automatically kick in when power is out? Then i can connect the 2 powerheads to it. I should really look into getting one!


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## scott tang

all you realy need is heat and flow right ?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic

For most power outages in Greater Vancouver, the time before power is restored is short enough that heat does not become a major issue. Covering up the tanks with blankets should be enough to reduce passive heat loss. Keeping the water circulating so oxygen levels do not suddenly drop is far more urgent. When your backup power supply is limited, plug in only a powerhead or two. Heaters will suck your battery backup dry very quickly. 

In a real emergency, you should have a battery operated air pump or can even use an egg-beater attached to a cordless drill to agitate the water surface to facilitate oxygenation. 

JTang, if you want, come by and borrow my UPS if this happens again. It should be fully charged and able to run your powerheads for several hours till power is restored. Too late tonight but its an option for future outages (sounds like your area is bad for this).

Anthony


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## Tazzy_toon

Good luck. You're tank is beautiful, hopefully things will get resolved quickly and there won't be any issues.


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## JTang

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> For most power outages in Greater Vancouver, the time before power is restored is short enough that heat does not become a major issue. Covering up the tanks with blankets should be enough to reduce passive heat loss. Keeping the water circulating so oxygen levels do not suddenly drop is far more urgent. When your backup power supply is limited, plug in only a powerhead or two. Heaters will suck your battery backup dry very quickly.
> 
> In a real emergency, you should have a battery operated air pump or can even use an egg-beater attached to a cordless drill to agitate the water surface to facilitate oxygenation.
> 
> JTang, if you want, come by and borrow my UPS if this happens again. It should be fully charged and able to run your powerheads for several hours till power is restored. Too late tonight but its an option for future outages (sounds like your area is bad for this).
> 
> Anthony


Thanks, Anthony. I will keep u in mind...

Good news! Power is back! Way sooner than I have expected. WC time!


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## JTang

I always wanted this guy n finally saw some in my buddy's tank yesterday! 
Im so glad that i have found it locally but also sad that I have once again raised (doubled!) my $/polyp limit since the $20 Rasta.
I only got one single polyp so Im not gonna let him get loose! Lol. I will "release" him next week n will take a close-up of this Monster. But for now....

Space Monster Captured!!!


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## m_class2g

very nice tank and stock!!! i need an upgrade lol


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## scott tang

nice i get mine in 10 mins lol


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## JTang

m_class2g said:


> very nice tank and stock!!! i need an upgrade lol


Thanks man! I think you should... Just in time for X'mas! Lol


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## JTang

Just spent the last hour going through this journal. Quite interesting (n sad) when looking back on how this tank has progressed throughout the last 2 1/2 years. A lot of lessons learned (n $$ spent! Lol) for sure! I have added a Table of Contents on Page 1 while i was going through it.

Check it out and share my joy & sorrow! 

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/120g-reef-table-contents-added-17543/#post147620

BTW, I just received a new toy for this reef - a knock-off Tunze... Jebao WP-40! .










This thing is a beast! I was trying it on my 6' 135G African tank n it was making wave that I have never seen before! I replaced the 4 Koralia 1050 in the reef tank and had it set at 50% flow on a gradual wave changing pattern. The flow is already so strong that it freaked out my Regal Tang at first. Lol. I'm pretty happy with this pump, which is recommended by a buddy of mine. Now just hope it lasts...


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## scott tang

cool ! wana sell my the rest of ut power heads lol how much was that one


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## JTang

I bought mine off eBay for $90 (shipped). If you dont mind paying extra $15, you can get it from an online site.ca and it will arrive within a week...


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## crimper

Nice score John. I want one too!


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## kacairns

scott tang said:


> cool ! wana sell my the rest of ut power heads lol how much was that one





JTang said:


> I bought mine off eBay for $90 (shipped). If you dont mind paying extra $15, you can get it from an online site.ca and it will arrive within a week...


fish-street.com also is a good place to buy these from. $89 per unit shipped where as cheapest I found in Canada came to just over $110 per unit after shipping and taxes. Shipping was fast as well I put my order into fish-street at 930pm Oct 9, and received them while I was at work on Oct 16. Saving $20-30 a unit and only having to wait 1-3 days longer.... not bad =)


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## scott tang

pic of un caged ? hehe so exited


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## JTang

scott tang said:


> pic of un caged ? hehe so exited


Here it is!

Monster has been released on the weekend. He looks happy and already has a baby monster (on the right)!


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## scott tang

lol baby monster


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## JTang

Recently added a few more acans to my collection through a Fragbox GB. They weren't looking too good at first. They were quite stressed and discolored during the first couple of weeks but now they are happy and pluffy.

Here they are... joining their brothers n sisters! 








































































And my two favourite pieces...


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## scott tang

sick acan colection i have 3 difrent browns and an orange LOL love the red welsi and traci btw


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## target

Those look amazing.


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## Vman

Jealous. Wow.


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## JTang

Yeah boys! Never enough acans! . Looking to trade more nice ones... anyone?


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## scott tang

how big is the space monster now they grow so fast !


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## JTang

scott tang said:


> how big is the space monster now they grow so fast !


Mine isn't growing too fast. There are still only 2 heads but bigger and more intense color.


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## JTang

I have experienced 2 power outages within the same month a while ago. Therefore I picked up an UPS (APC 600W) on Boxing Day for $110+tax. I hooked up 2 Koralia powerheads (12W) to the battery backup side. In case of power failure, the unit will keep the 2 powerheads running for a bit over 5.5 hours. Hopefully this little investment will save me from a disaster, especially when we are away in Hawaii in several months.


Just like the last Boxing Day, I only bought one piece of coral. Lol. 
Most of the money were spent on supplies like salt, bulbs and food. So here's the 2013 X'mas Coral...


And the 2012 piece (below the new one)...


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## Claudia

Oh we r getting fancier huh lol Those acans look like candy


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## JTang

Claudia said:


> Oh we r getting fancier huh lol Those acans look like candy


Nothing fancy, Claudia. Just a little peace of mind. 
Next on my list is a controller. There are so many different ones on the market and the more I read about them, the more confuse i get! 

Those acans are sure some of my favourites. I thought about fragging them but they are so beautiful and i just can't do it...

But I don't mind sharing couple of new pics though. Haaha!



And this is where that big Birdsnest colony was. I have kept a small piece n added four frags of nicer SPS: Red Planet, Pink Lemonade, a blue something and a purple something.... Haaha!!!


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## jinsen

Those acans! I want them on my tank lol


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## 2wheelsx2

JTang said:


> Next on my list is a controller. There are so many different ones on the market and the more I read about them, the more confuse i get!


What are you doing now? Multiple timers? Which controllers are you considering? Neptune?


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## JTang

2wheelsx2 said:


> What are you doing now? Multiple timers? Which controllers are you considering? Neptune?


Yes, lot of timers! Lol. Im using 4 timers (Actinic, Power Compact, Metal Halide, Algae Scrubber) currently. I'm actually ok with the multiple timers. I just want one that works with my Android (Samsung Galaxy). One that alerts me if something goes wrong while I'm away from home.


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## 2wheelsx2

I believe the Neptune Apex is your answer then: Apex Android app finally available from Neptune Systems

That's why I'm looking at one (for FW though so not as complex as yours) even though I already own 2 DA RKL's.


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## JTang

2wheelsx2 said:


> I believe the Neptune Apex is your answer then: Apex Android app finally available from Neptune Systems
> 
> That's why I'm looking at one (for FW though so not as complex as yours) even though I already own 2 DA RKL's.


Yes yes! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you!

Have you bought one yourself? Where can you get the best deal?


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## 2wheelsx2

JTang said:


> Yes yes! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you!
> 
> Have you bought one yourself? Where can you get the best deal?


No, I have not. I found out from a friend that Bulk Reef Supply had a Black Friday deal which I didn't get in on. I'm not quite ready for one yet as I spent way too much money this year on my fish budget already.

I think Apex has a minimum pricing policy just like Eco-tech and some other manus, so the pricing is pretty similar across the board. It is a tiny bit (like $10 I think) cheaper in the US than at J&L but that's about it.


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## tony1928

2wheelsx2 said:


> No, I have not. I found out from a friend that Bulk Reef Supply had a Black Friday deal which I didn't get in on. I'm not quite ready for one yet as I spent way too much money this year on my fish budget already.
> 
> I think Apex has a minimum pricing policy just like Eco-tech and some other manus, so the pricing is pretty similar across the board. It is a tiny bit (like $10 I think) cheaper in the US than at J&L but that's about it.


Yup black Friday they apparently deviated from MAP for a few of these brands. You save a little, around 10 to 15%, which is great.

Sent from my gigantic Samsung Note 2


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## JTang

I can't believe after nearly 2 years, Cyano is back! It's on the sandbed, liverock and some even growing over my zoas, stopping them from opening up. A few heads on one of the acans have melted for no apparent reason. Skeleton is covered with some Cyano....

I have been keeping up with WC's and dosing. No fish or coral has died for quite some time. I'm blaming this outbreak on several things. Not sure which one it is but could be a combination of both.

1. New Jebao powerhead.
This thing creates some massive flow, much stronger than the 4 Koralia 1050 combined. However, the flow is so strong that it was blowing up the sand from one side of the tank, releasing all the nasty stuff acclimated for the last 2.5 years. Now there is barely any sand on the opposite side of the Jebao.
I also noticed that the Cyano is mostly growing on the Jebao side of the sandbed, where flow is minimum. I might add a Koralia to increase flow in that zone. Night mode on the Jebao, which reduces flow when light is out, has been disabled since the outbreak. 

2. Marco algae in Refugium
Ever since the macro was added couple months ago, I have never harvested them. They have grown so much and so dense that the bottom ones were hardly getting any light. I finally took out 80% of them last night. At the same time net out tons of die off macro from the bottom!

Hopefully I have found the causes!
I have recharged the bio pellets reactor, increased the dosage of Bio Bacteria and reduced light on period.
I'm gonna do another WC in several days while keeping up with the skimmer cleaning. Hope I can have it under control soon...


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## JTang

I guess it's about time to update this journal...

This 120 Gal reef tank, my once pride and joy, had been officially shut down as of Sep.28, 2014. Please don't ask why. 

Thanks for everyone who had been following this journal throughout the last 4 years. It had been a wonderful journey learning and sharing with all of you. Many mistakes were made along the way but hope you guys had enjoyed it as much as I did.

Sorry for the many poor quality pictures that I'd posted. Here are a few very last ones, concluding "The End" of this journal.

May 23, 2014

Rics and Rastas









Some of my Zoas collection









Space Monster - the most $$ Zoa that I'd bought ($35/polyp). 









Sep.9, 2014









Sep.28, 2014


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