["Roberto"]

Been posting this thread all over the net yesterday and today, and thought I'd share here.<br><br>
I know Chuck will appreciate it as we've talked about tanks before.<br><br>
After a few years in storage, I decided to bring it back to life. About 4 months in operation now.<br><br>
24g Nano Cube / 150w MH 14k HQI bulb / little oceanic skimmer for now, aqua c remero on the way.<br><br>
The green and orange are mushroom corals that are healthy. One or two zoos are open, but the rest of them are closed right now... sorta seasonal, seem healthy, just not open.<br><br>
Feel free to comment!<br><br><img alt="" src="http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2862/141no3.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/3418/144yx6.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8325/138og3.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2296/139kw3.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/264/140xp4.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>
I added some open brain coral, closed brain coral, and some more frogspawn last night. They were settling and relaxing so they weren't very vibrant. hope they are doing ok, and will post up pics tonight possibly.

 

[toe jam on crusty feet]

That is an expensive hobby! I had one with a stingray in it and anemones and all that, but I could just never get it just right and balanced! So, good job!

 

["Roberto"]

Yeah, stingrays and anenomies are hard to keep. I looked at an anenome last night, but decided to hold off until the tank is ready. A few months, and still fairly new... takes lots of time and patience.<br><br>
Expensive?? yeah, I guess so. You can do it for cheap too. used stuff. I had the tank for a few years gathering dust, so I don't include that as a recent expense! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[ToddEP]

Nice hobby....I can only wish.

 

[wipaddler]

Nemo!

 

[Voodoojunkie]

I've entertained a saltwater tank for about a minute. Just seems to be so much work. I've got a 30g-long freshwater tank, though it needs to be restocked. I've only got about seven fish in there.<br><br>
ETA: These little guys rule, but I've never had much luck keeping them alive. They get some sort of balloon disease (I guess it's a lymph node thing or something)<br><br><img alt="" src="http://thegab.org/images/ADF/ADF2.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">

 

[Mrtambalynman]

Cool tank Mort. I bet its very soothing to have. I had no clue that you could keep live corals in a tank. Thanks for sharing.

 

["Roberto"]

It's not as hard as you'd think. Once you get the basics, which I barely have <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">, it's like riding a bike.<br><br>
Lighting is the key to the corals, of course water quality as well.<br><br>
Thanks for looking!<br><br>
(Did you see the hippie's growing system? That is hawt!)

 

[kimbro]

Thank you for sharing that with us. I love tanks but just don't have space for one.

 

["Roberto"]

NP! Part of the fun is showing it (and attention whoring <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">).<br><br>
I'll post up more pics tonight so you can see just how small this tank is.

 

[mandaroo]

neat-o, frito!

 

[QuixoticNotions]

Pretty colors! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[seattlegirl]

That's beautiful!

 

[Floridaboiler]

That is very cool. I would love to set up a saltwater system but I still struggle with just my 10 gallon fresh water. Plus I am still trying to get my wife to let me get a 30 or 50 gallon freshwater tank.

 

[sierra]

Its looking great!<br><br>
We had a salt tank for a couple of years. Corals, invertabrates, etc...... lot of fun, but lots of work and $$$<br><br>
One of my our favorite things to do was to buy living rock and see what it had on it! Some things we could identify, others, well, they were just strange sea creatures!<br><br>
What kind of fish are you going to get? Be sure and post more pics as you add stuff!<br><br>
Looking at your pics bring back good memories of watching the tank! I miss ours! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[lkschiller]

Nice work Mort.<br><br>
My ex was really into the saltwater tanks--we started with a 75 gallon tank and by the time we separated we had a 200 gallon glass Oceanic tank--just the tank weighed about 800 pounds and was about 8 feet long a couple feet deep and either two or three feet high--and the filter was a 55 gallon tank underneath with all the plastic balls in it, don't remember what they call those things. It was definitely an attention whore <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">. Yes it can be a VERY expensive hobby if you let it. I'll bet we had thousands of dollars in that thing and that was besides the cost of the tank (somewhere between $1500-$2000). Last I heard he lost everything in it last January when we had an ice storm and no power for a couple of weeks. Have you ever had an anenome die on you? I think that is one of the worst smells on the entire planet when you have to pull it out of the tank.

 

[bikegirl72]

beautiful. I"m jealous. We have a goldfish.

 

["Roberto"]

Soooo....<br><br>
I was so proud of my good work. On Monday, I got three new pieces of coral. Acclimated them to my water, placed them. Let them settle for an hour, then fed my livestock, corals and fish. I think I overfed <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"><br><br>
Woke up and noticed the water was a bit cloudy. Came home yesterday and it was indeed cloudy and there is one clown missing.<br><br>
Boo-boo number 1. Overfed blossoming a bacteria colony.<br><br>
Possible 50% water change tonight... gotta get advice from some to make sure that's a good idea.

 

["Roberto"]

<img alt="" src="http://a663.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/25/l_bc98dfbe59ce47168dd196c992d707c6.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a89.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/4/l_5c71180bf9a9d234c78827d3abd0b0a8.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a84.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/83/l_335e4cf79a93a89d277123a79fb3ede3.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a577.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/l_15234dee8e818e8ad9d0b074cc98dcc0.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a36.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/4/l_9c668e4e11bdd8da3311b251c8582b83.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a829.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/82/l_a76e763ad0c24b1d91d190c4a718a1ec.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">

 

["Roberto"]

<img alt="" src="http://a683.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/40/l_8b9e78e78b79d118364d063af39e91e2.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a260.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/55/l_855de41ab9fbaf3daa2d28ab77c0e5d3.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>
I'm using an old stereo stand from way back, yes, that's an 8 track player! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br><img alt="" src="http://a92.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/8/l_6942598b943d74bd113bfc6720b3ac73.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">