ToTm Contest Winner October

[wwest]

TalkingReef is proud to present October's Tank of the Month contest winner Victoria.
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_28_11.gif

[Victoria]

I want to give many thanks to all of you at Talking Reef. I love this web sight; it gives a small town feel with an international flare. All the folks here are so helpful, and make me feel they are genuinely interested in my reef. I really never thought my tank could win. I have never really won anything like this before. And I want to thank all of you who voted for my tank.

My tank is a 30 gal cube. I started it in April 2005. I had just sold my 140 gal and took some frags an some of my favorite corals. Started it with 30 lbs LS and 15 lbs LR. The system is very basic HOB fudge, DIY skimmer, no sump or overflow. Never really had any problems with it (so far). Just some Zoo eating newts. (But I would not call that a problem.)


http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/gallery/files/3/3/6/cubetank2005003.jpg

http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/gallery/files/3/3/6/cubetankjuly2006034.JPG

http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/gallery/files/3/3/6/TankpicAug2006028.JPG

Full Tank Shot
http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/gallery/files/3/3/6/TankpicAug2006020.JPG

[Victoria]

My tank is one year and 7 months old. I started this tank after I had sold my 140 gal LPS tank. I sold my larger tank because we would be moving in a little over a year or so. My thought was, why move such a large tank. But the reality was I could not live without a saltwater tank. I have had saltwater aquariums since 1976, when I just happened in a LFS “Pisces World” and had my first glimpses of under the sea.



This began the journey that I’m still on. With my eyes wide open, I saved up and bought my first saltwater aquarium. It was a 55-gallon tank with pure crushed coral and many beautiful pieces of bleached coral. I must admit I had some plastic plants in there too. Equipment in those day consisted of an under gravel filter, canister filter and regular T8 florescent bulbs or should I say bulb.



The network of information back then was so small. It consisted of fellow aquarists hanging out at the LFS. We would all go down and swap stories of dead and overflow till the shop closed. When I get involved with something I go head long into it. I began to read all the books I could get my hands on. I soon was being called an expert by those other aquarists. I hardly was, in fact the more I read the more I realized what I did not know.



I met someone who was upgrading their tank and I became the proud owner of a 300-gallon saltwater system. I had spent so much time at the LFS that they ask if I would like to work there. I thought this must be the most perfect job. Working there gave me a wealth of information.



Off subject one day in the store I was cleaning the tanks and I spotted a very small octopus. I would put a piece of shrimp in the palm of my hand and it would come over and take the food out of my hand. Someone came into the store and I showed him how friendly it was. Much to my surprise his jaw dropped and he said that it was very poisonous. After he left I looked it up in a book and yes it was a blue ring octopus. After that I became an advocate to inform everyone what was poisonous and what was not.



I spent 3 years working there till I got fired. Before you go thinking anything hear me out. I was fired because the owner over heard me recommending that the customer not buy a certain fish. The fish was not suited for there tank. The owner thought I should sell any and everything no matter what. I had helped build a large clientèle of saltwater customers so I really didn’t understand why I was fired, plus I had never been fired before. So I sat at home wondering what was up.



About two weeks later I received a phone call from a local company that maintained aquariums. He found out that they fired me and wanted me to work for him. So my journey continues. As the story goes I worked for this company for 3 years and ended up buying it. After a name change “Aqua Knowledge” was born.



While caring for all these tanks I had about 120 customers. I gained knowledge of compatibilities and what worked and what did not. I kept tanks all along when I had the business. I had a $100.00 a week habit of buying from the local wholesalers. And it seems as I look back there were many different fish available then today. Anyway I sold my business back in 1987 and moved to the mountains in Calif. I still kept a tank going but this was before Internet buying was in full force. So I just maintained what I had without much thought. I had a maroon clown that was over ten years old.



Anyway after about 2000 I started to look into the information on the net, and much to my surprise things have changed in the aquarium world. Interest was sparked once again, or should I say it was a full-blown forest fire!!!!



The learning curve was steep. I read everything I could get my hand on. I went out and got my 140 gal.

[Victoria]

My 29 cube started when I sold my 140. I took a few of my favorite corals, and a few frags.

Here is a picture of it when I started in April 05.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/CUBETANKAPRIL2005023-1.jpg
I already had LPS and some soft corals and a few stonies. I thought it was quite easy and needed more of a challenge. So I started my nano cube SPS dominated tank. By growing up my coral gave me time to adjust and learn more about the interaction of ALK, CA, Mag, and Ph. I thought by watching it grow I could see the effects more. The equipment list when I first started goes as follows.

29 gal cube
30 lbs LS
25 lbs LR
I used egg crate wrapped with plastic to form a plenum
Phosphate reactor
Canister filter w/ carbon
150 watt MH 10K bulb + 2 PC 65 watt actinic
I have a wave maker that powers two power heads
350-watt heater


I did make some changes to my system along the way:
-I added a HOB fuge with Cheto and Miracle Mud
-Removed the phosphate reactor (took up to much room in the tank)
-Added phosphate remover to the canister filter with the carbon. And a bag of MM
-Added a dosing pump to the system
-350 watt heater
-Same lights
-DIY skimmer

Maintenance:
-I do 25% water changes 1 x week (faithfully)
-I dose ESV b-ionic Low Ph formula (summer)
-And the regular formula in the (winter) do to indoor Co2
-I change the carbon and PO4 remover 1 x month, change the bag of MM 1 x 6 months
-I also change my PC every six months and the MH about every 8 or 9 months.

[Victoria]

I will admit my biggest weakness is not finding out the scientific name of all my tank inhabitants. So naming them is going to be a chore!!

Fish
1 Amphipron ocellaris
1 blue devil damsel
1 green damsel
1 hectors goby
3 green-stripped goby
1 red-stripped goby

Invertebrates:
8 red scarlet hermit crabs
5 blue-legged crabs
1 rock-boring urchin
4 peppermint shrimp
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp
Many hitchhiker snails and stars
2 tridacna crocea
1 cucumber

Corals:
Green start polyps
Yellow polyps
Montipora capicornis Orange/ Purple rim
Pink bird nest
Blue stag horn
Povona coral
Euphyllia gabrescens
Porcilliapora
Lots of coral I don’t know the names of.

[Victoria]

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06063.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06056.jpg


http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06052.jpg

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http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06028.jpg

[Victoria]

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06025.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06023.jpg

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http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06020.jpg

[Victoria]

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06019.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06017.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/reef%20tank%20Oct%202006/TANKPHOTOSOCT06015.jpg

[iglowce]

beautiful... congrats

[Amphibious]

Congratulations Victoria! You deserved this win hands down. Like, hands down into the water wet to your elbows and beyond. :rotfl:

I am proud of your accomplisments and must also compliment you on your coral growth and photography skills. If I could get my arms through cyberspace i'd give you a hug. As I can't do that, you will have to settle for this... http://www.theculturedreef.com/01F0B5~1.GIF !!!

[Amphibious]

I want to compliment the Mods for a great formatting job on this thread.

http://www.theculturedreef.com/clapW.gif http://www.theculturedreef.com/THUMB_~1.GIF

Thanks, Guys and Dolls! (In reference to the old musical.)

[Victoria]

Thank you so much:agree: . I am so excited that I won. I really liked your tank too. I think we all are winners:clap:. I love Talking Reef:w000t: it such a happy place.
Victoria:p

[Victoria]

I agree they did a great job... makes my thread look great!!!!!!!!

[Amphibious]

Thank you so much:agree: . I am so excited that I won. I really liked your tank too. I think we all are winners:clap:. I love Talking Reef:w000t: it such a happy place.
Victoria:pThank you. I couldn't agree more about TR being a happy place. It's a nice refuge to come to with all the crap that is happening in our world these days.

[Amphibious]

Oh, by the way, Victoria, you are lucky I can't just reach into cyberspace and snap off a couple of frags from your corals. :rotfl:

[thesaent14]

victoria i love you're tank its really a pise off Arte its well deserved

[Victoria]

Thank you all. No questions as to how did things?:D :yes:

[cabbagehead]

Awesome Tank !!!! Congratulations on this accomplishment. I'm sorry to hear that someone actually fired you for helping to build business. I guess sometimes people are only in it for the NOW and do not think about the future. I am amazed at the growth of your Monti-Caps. What do you think has made you so successful with these corals? Thanks for letting us get a peek at your slice of the ocean.

Jack

[rprisock]

Victoria, your tank is stunning. Congratulations!
The photos are awesome ... thanks for sharing.

What type of camera are you using?

[Victoria]

I think my success comes from balance. I test often, and try to keep my alk, ca mag, in balance. I think we encounter problems when every thing is up and down. I try to keep everything natural. I don't add to much more than b-ionic and mag. I also do regular Water changes. And I feed my corals.

The camera is a Nikon coolpix 4800 its only 4mp. Its not all that great of a camera.

[Taryn]

Beautiful tank! I love the vertical-ness of the layout of the rock and coral. Visually, it has a lot of depth.

[Small Fry]

I agree with what taryn says and believe you deserved the win hands down (not to insult any other contestants) but its really impresive to see how far your tank has come in one year,

Your tank is stunning and can inspire anyone in the hobby.

Congrats

[Victoria]

Smallfry I hope I can inspire others. If you talk your time and read before you buy Anyone can have a great tank.

[RealChange]

equipment shots??

[JayBeDriften]

I have to personally say that your LPS are absolutely amazing. I hope that my new setup will flourish as much as yours has. How long did you let your aquarium mature before adding Stony Corals to it?

[Victoria]

I started it from another tank so it was kinda mature when I started. btw I have sps mostly and a few lps. It had some of the stony corals from day one.

[JayBeDriften]

Very nice. I would like to take some photographs of a very sickly looking SPS in my aquarium that I'm making an attempt to save but I'm doubtful. Would you mind assisting me in this matter?

[Victoria]

Will get some equipment shot soon. I really don't have that much.

[Victoria]

Jay go ahead and post your pics here and I'll see if I can help.

[JayBeDriften]

Here the photograph Victoria, it used to be a brilliant reddish rust color.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/47%20gallon%20Cube%20Reef%20Aquarium/th_Crabs005.jpg (http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/47%20gallon%20Cube%20Reef%20Aquarium/Crabs005.jpg)

[Victoria]

Jay is there anyway you can take a close up shot of this coral?

[JayBeDriften]

I'll see if I can get a closer shot when I get home in a few.

[Victoria]

Jay also I remember reading about your tank in the totm. But can not find it anymore. Can you list your tank size and equipment and what you have in your tank. Maybe we can find out if you have any problems.

[JayBeDriften]

Victoria, originally this coral was kept in a 29 gallon nano running a 30 gallon sump and 150 watt metal halide with about 55 lbs of live rock and plenty of live sand.

[Victoria]

What fish, inverts ect do you have in there?

[Danamck]

Victoria -

Congradulations. A well-deserved victory I must say! You're tank is absolutely stunning. It also raises two very important issues that are often overlooked:

#1 - Bigger is not always better. Your tank is living proof that a modest size tank can still be stunning.

#2 - Expensive state-of-the-art gear is not neccessary to achieve success in our hobby. The health of your livestock is evidence of that.

Once again, congrads!

[Victoria]

Danamck: Thank you so much.
#1 Bigger is easier.. things just don't happen as fast. But yes it is possible to have a nice small tank. I do admit it is just as much (work) fun as a large tank.
#2 Yes this tank is run by bare bone equipment. Really I believe it puts you in more control of things. This can be good or bad lol.
My next tank is going to be a large at least 300 gal with all the state of the art equipment.
Thank so much for the congrads!!

[Danamck]

Victoria -

I agree about things happening more slowly in larger tanks. And I'm glad to see you're already planning your next tank. I'm currently beginning the process of downsizing from a 240 to a 180. I really don't want to, but I love my 240 so much since going reef (from FOWLR) that I can't stand that it's in the garage (the only place it would fit). I've got a perfect spot for a 180 (tank arrived today, still waiting for stand/canopy) and it will allow me to keep all the equipment (sump, refugium, pumps, etc.) in the garage.

Of course, this is all just a precursor to my final plan: my fish room. I have decided that the only way to keep all the fish & corals I love is to have 3 separate tanks: I've decided on a 180 SPS, a 180 LPS, and a 500 FOWLR (I love angels and butterflies). And the only way to achieve this and still have time for work, family, fun is to have them all together with centralized filtration. Even though it's still years away, it's been a blast planning it.

Keep us up to date on the 300. I plan on doing the same with my 180 and eventually the fish room.

[steved]

Congratulations on the tank Victoria, it looks great.

Quick question. You mentioned that you feed your coral but I don't think you said what you feed or how often........can you share the details?

Thanks

[Victoria]

Sure Steved
I feed everyday twice aday. I feed once during daylight hours for the fish. I feed a mixture of flakes, pellets, mysis, cyclopeeze. I feed something different everyday ( I would not do well if I ate the same things everyday)
On the second feeding, I feed after the lights go out. This is for the nocturnal animals. I have learn that most of my coral eat at night. On this feeding I add cyclopeeze, DT's, Rotifeast, and some pellets. I use the pellets because they sink to the bottom. The shrimp and crabs thank me! I also have two pairs of breeding peppermint shrimp and they add there brood too the mix too. I hope this answered your question.
Thanks for the congrats.

[anchor10]

Victoria,

I want to add my two cents. It's just beautiful!

Is there a trick to positioning the live rock so that you get such a good platform for the corals? I have just a few yellow polyps, some xenia and a toadstool leather but I want to add some better lights and SPS over the next few months. Hope I can make my 29 look like yours!

[sailfin]

Victoria,

Your tank is so beautiful and it looks lovingly maintained. It's like a miniature piece of art! Quite inspiring indeed. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Ann

[kgayle23]

I'd have to say jaybedriften's got the nicest tank outta all 3. I think this person should get tank of the month

[Stevej72]

Hi Kgayie23 Welcome to TR

[f1504b4]

Awesome Pics Victoria,
Just starting in this hobby,and to even come close to your tank in the years to come would be great.
Thanks for sharing.
Phil
And I agree with Jack,getting firered for steering someone in the right dirrection what a joke,one LFS that I would not go to.

[CarmieJo]

Hi Kgayie23.

:welcome: to TR.

[Skipper]

Sweet nano, Victoria!! Very nice.

[CarmieJo]

Hi Skipper,

I'd say :welcome: to TR but since you joined a year ago I will just say congratulations on your first post.

[thesaent14]

wow he is one really cuayet member

[SomethingFishy]

Are you sure it's a 350Watt heater or is that a typo??? Is that not a little over kill for a 30Gal

Just wondering..... is bigger better when it comes to heaters

[wwest]

Mine is a 300watt heater in a 29 gallon tank with a 15gal sump/refugium. You want to stick around 5watts per gallon. Mine is alittle over but it doesnt work as hard to keep the heat up.