Well, we've been working on this for about a year now, and I'm really in love with the Solaris lights, so here's a bit about our new home tank:

Here's the area we started with (I always hated these windows!):

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/300%20Gallon%20Tank%20Project/Roomtankisgoinginto.jpg

Tom took all the windows out and redid the siding to match:

Here's Tom working on removing the first set of windows:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/300%20Gallon%20Tank%20Project/Urchin6.jpg

Here's Bailey in the window trying to formulate his escape. I think he'd rather we leave things just as they are.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/300%20Gallon%20Tank%20Project/Urchin13.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/Windowfirst.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1727.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1754.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1753.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1752.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1751.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1750.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1749.jpg

Finally got the water and rock in (some pieces weighed as much as 60 lbs...poor Tom!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1801.jpg

Refugium:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1802.jpg

Day 11 from start:

All my parameters are staying stable:
Salinity: 1.024
Calcium: 460
Alk: 10
Magnesium: 1420
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Temp: 77.5-79.5


Here we go! First pic is day 11 with new coral in place. The lights are on 100% white and 100% blue. I've eventually taken the white down to 35% and am getting excellent color and growth:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1844.jpg

Then we moved the anemone! Yuck! That's a 5 gallon bucket lid just to give an idea of how big this guy is! ::)

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1864.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1865.jpg

A couple hours later and it's all settled right where we placed it!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1866.jpg

More pics:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1845.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1891.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1847.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1846.jpg

A few pic updates:

215 gallons to swim in and they all have to hang in the corner with the anemone!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1920.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1919.jpg

New Acro Plana tabletop colony...Thanks Waterfaller1!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_1912.jpg

Better than pics...video!!!! Woohoo!

Okay, I'm in love with my new tank! The flow is incredible with basically an "old school" setup, the lights are making everything color up nicely, all my fish and corals came through the move in fanstastic shape and I'm ready to start getting serious about moving more corals in.

Here's the video, but keep in mind my tank isn't even close to this blue. I can't get the white balance to adjust on the pics, let alone the video. But, you can get a good idea of how healthy everything looks:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/th_100_1962.jpg (http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/?action=view&current=100_1962.flv)

Some pics of the cabinet as it's being built.

The tank is tuned to 45% on the whites here and had to drop them even more. My acros are doing very well...except the one I lost to the Vortech (too close...blew the skin right off!).

I lost one lobophyllia that, despite being only 1/2 up on the rock was still under too much light...really upset about that one as it was purple center with an orange exterior. All the fish except one are doing very well. I lost the powder brown tang...the only fish I bought outside my normal place. It was actually a pity buy as he was pretty thin and I hated leaving him to just die. At least I tried. I'll get another soon from my normal source and I'm sure I'll have better luck.

My Suharsonoi is getting very green and has excellent polyp extension. My Banana Austera is getting more color and my elegance is doing fantastic.

The female anthias appears to have finished her transformation to male. After living as the only anthias in the tank, she remained female for several years. Within a day of placing much smaller female in, she began to transform to a male. Crazy! The transformation was very quick...she changed completely in less than a week! I will soon add a third female and will wait a while before adding any more fish.

My cabinet is coming along nicely and will have some custom panels in the front. I'm working with a West Coast artist to on the design and these should be complete in a month or so.
Here are a couple pics from today showing the progress so far:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2029.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2018.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2023.jpg

A few new pics...coming along nicely!!!!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2073.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2079.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2077.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2064.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2056.jpg

Coralline algae is forming nicely now that I've got the lights turned down even more. Hopefully this weekend more of the cabinet will get finished.

More pics:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2125.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2126.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2121.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2104.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2130.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2083.jpg

I've had to lower the white lights several times. Most of the green algae on the rocks disappeared when I lowered the whites to 40%. I may lower again as I seem to get much better color on my corals with less white and full blue.

What a great tank!

Thanks, Carmie:)

wow, i'm very envious of your setup. Nice and clean, nice fish, nice corals. Can't wait to see how your cabinet turns out!

Thanks, Josh!

Finally getting rid of the green algae on the rocks caused by the excess light and the coralline is really coming along nicely. I have great growth on the corals already. I'll get some updated shots soon!

Here's some updated pics taken after those posted above. I love the way this is coming along!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2226.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2198.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2219.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2217.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2216.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2221.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2228.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2224.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2221.jpg




Beautiful! What's the red stuff?

Well, the cabinet is almost done. The final coats of stain went on today and the first coat of a satin varnish is on the doors. A second coat on those then two coats on the stand itself and then all that will be left is the custom glass panels I'm having commissioned by a Tampa artist. We're still working ont he design, so it might be several weeks before they get done.

I couldn't be happier with the stand and tank! I've been involved in fish keeping since my first batch of sea monkeys (42 years ago) and saltwater the mid 70's when some friends and I kept a saltwater tank with specimans from the Jersey shore. We did alright considering there really wasn't any equipment compared with today's and we fabricated most of what we had.

So, 33 years in I finally have my dream tank! Most of what I am stocking it with is pretty rare stuff. I am sticking with Genicanthus angels (my Bellus pair) as they are plantivores. The Genicanthus family which also includes the Lamarks, Watanabes, Japanese Swallowtails and several others we don't see much in the hobby, are pretty much the only angels that can be counted on to stay away from corals. They are stunning fish. My other fish are my maroon pair which I've had for about 6 years, a trio of Squareback anthias... Pseudanthias pleurotaenia, a pair of fat and happy mandarins, two dragon face pipefish, several fairy wrasses (including a McCoskers Fairy Wrasse...Paracheilinus mccoskeri, a Rose Band Fairy Wrasse...Cirrhilabrus roseafascia, an Australian Lineatus Wrasse...Cirrhilabrus lineatus, a Whipfin Fairy Wrasse... Cirrhilabrus filamentosus, a Yellow Flanked Fairy Wrasse, sometimes callsed a Blue Side Fairy Wrasse...(Cirrhilabrus lyukyuensis) my favorite so far). I am hunting for a female McCoskers, a female Roseafascia, a female Australian Lineatus, a pair of Hawaiian Flame Wrasses or Jordani Wrasses...havent' decided which of the two yet, and a pair of Golden Rhomboid Wrasses, Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis, from Vanuatu.

Here are some of my fish pics so far:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2319.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2266.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2271.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2211.jpg

Thanks, again, Carmie Jo! That's a Burgundy/Gold Koko worm. These guys are similiar to Feather Dusters but create a calcerous (hard) tube to live in rather than the soft tube the dusters create. They are filter feeders that need fine particled food several times a day. I feed the Coral Plankton food from Liquid Life in the morning, when hubby gets home from work and just after lights out. I find that food the best so far for filter feeders.

Very pretty! I love what you are doing with this tank. The Genicanthus angels are stunning fish.

Thanks! Really some of my favorites. My pair have spawned several times in the tank since I've moved them there. I had them in another tank for several months until this one was ready and I'd never seen them spawn there. It's stunning and frightening at the same time.

What a gorgeous tank. Love the layout, the selection of fish and corals, and that cabinet ... simply stunning.

One question: is the tank covered. Speaking from experience, wrasses are natural jumpers. And the chance of them jumping to their death is relative to how much they cost / how rare they are / how much you love them. I had 4 wrasses in my 240. A Scotts Fairy, A male Flame, a 6-line, and a Solar Fairy. 2 of them were very expensive, 2 were cheap. Guess which 2 leapt to their deaths? Yep.

Never mind ... just took a look at your profile and your web site. You obviously know what you're doing. Very nice store by the way. If I am ever in the area, I will make it a point to visit.

HI Danamck...Yes, I have it covered with eggcrate with bridal veil underneath. I want to thank you though for taking the time to warn me. I appreciate people who look to take care of their fellow reefers.

Thanks for the compliments:)

A few quick pics after feeding the other night....ya think they're happy:)

Pic of coral under normal conditions:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2234.jpg

Extreme polyp extension after feeding:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/polyp-extension.gif

Gorgonian (non-photosynthetic) after feeding:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/menonemo/100_2311.jpg

Oh, Hi Marcye! Nice to see you over here as I am frequenting RC less and less. One thread is still yapping about LEDs after 32 pages of mostly flame material, yikes! I'll have to try that Coral Plankton, looks like a winner.

Matt

HI Matt...yeah, RC is pretty traumatic sometimes for sure. I'm not over there a whole lot myself. Marcye

Hi Marcye,

Beautiful tank. :wow:

It just goes to show if you have enough imagination...you can have a piece of the sea.

How did you decide on the size of the tank ? What equipment are you using (aside from the vortechs) ?

Is the anemone a haddoni ?

I love the wrasse's !

I plan on doing a 180+ in wall mixed reef in the future...any advice ?