andrewkw
Well-known member
This is not a build thread since I've had the tank more than 14 years. During that time it has been my main display for more than 12.
For a couple of years I upgraded to a 180, I knew I was going to be moving but I got a good deal on a used tank so I set it up for a while before moving. The good deal was really not great for a display as it was more scratched up than this old tank. That being said the only reason it's not my main display now is I broke it when I moved. I just moved the tank too much by myself. Fortunately I kept this tank.
The 2016 move was to the country. No LFS, very few local reefers. It's a long story but I haven't been happy here at all. While I've long been out priced from the real estate market I grew up in, I am hoping to move to a less rural area in 2021. We'll see. This is the big reason why (other than cost) I have not upgraded this tank. I don't want to have something I can't move.
That being said I absolutely love the look of my display tank. Somehow I squeeze more and more out of it. I need more fish desperately but other than that I am really happy with the tank. I do however love to get constructive criticism, so feel free to leave some. I have other tanks, I do other things but this tank is a DISPLAY tank. The back glass is scraped even if I have to break corals to do so. There are no frag racks and any frag plugs are carefully hidden. I have expensive little frags, but the tank is highlighted by giant soft corals. In 2016 when I moved there was a 6 week time between moving into this house and moving out of my old house. During that time I kept all my livestock in my parents bathroom. It wasn't pretty and over that time I lost all my sps and many LPS and many great fish. This is how the tank became soft coral dominated but I have always loved softies. You will still find tons of pom pom xenia in my tank all these years later. A long time ago I had a terrible crash which cost me my beautiful fairy wrasse collection (flame, lineatus, labouti, rhomboid, ect) I've never really recovered from that fish wise.
2006
2009
December 2020
Most of the rock is still the same from 2006 although there have been some switcheroos. I still have my naked clown, and some red discosoma mushrooms somehow are always still around from 2006 but otherwise pretty much everything has changed. PC + MH to all T5 to LED + MH to LED only to different led's + T5.
Old vortechs have come and gone, jeabo pumps have lasted surprisingly long, I have one Tunze from when they redesigned the powerheads that is still going. Oh the return pump hasn't changed. The eheim 1262 *knock on wood* has been going 24/7 since September 2006 except the day I moved and one power failure where I could not get my generator going.
So the plan is just to squeeze more out of this tank until I do get somewhere where I'd feel comfortable setting up a "forever" tank. I'd say a 10 year tank but this tank is already on it's 14th year so if I only keep my next main tank 10 years that will be a downgrade. I'm still no closer to knowing what type of corals I want to focus on long term so I'm probably a mixed reefer for life.
For a couple of years I upgraded to a 180, I knew I was going to be moving but I got a good deal on a used tank so I set it up for a while before moving. The good deal was really not great for a display as it was more scratched up than this old tank. That being said the only reason it's not my main display now is I broke it when I moved. I just moved the tank too much by myself. Fortunately I kept this tank.
The 2016 move was to the country. No LFS, very few local reefers. It's a long story but I haven't been happy here at all. While I've long been out priced from the real estate market I grew up in, I am hoping to move to a less rural area in 2021. We'll see. This is the big reason why (other than cost) I have not upgraded this tank. I don't want to have something I can't move.
That being said I absolutely love the look of my display tank. Somehow I squeeze more and more out of it. I need more fish desperately but other than that I am really happy with the tank. I do however love to get constructive criticism, so feel free to leave some. I have other tanks, I do other things but this tank is a DISPLAY tank. The back glass is scraped even if I have to break corals to do so. There are no frag racks and any frag plugs are carefully hidden. I have expensive little frags, but the tank is highlighted by giant soft corals. In 2016 when I moved there was a 6 week time between moving into this house and moving out of my old house. During that time I kept all my livestock in my parents bathroom. It wasn't pretty and over that time I lost all my sps and many LPS and many great fish. This is how the tank became soft coral dominated but I have always loved softies. You will still find tons of pom pom xenia in my tank all these years later. A long time ago I had a terrible crash which cost me my beautiful fairy wrasse collection (flame, lineatus, labouti, rhomboid, ect) I've never really recovered from that fish wise.
2006
2009
December 2020
Most of the rock is still the same from 2006 although there have been some switcheroos. I still have my naked clown, and some red discosoma mushrooms somehow are always still around from 2006 but otherwise pretty much everything has changed. PC + MH to all T5 to LED + MH to LED only to different led's + T5.
Old vortechs have come and gone, jeabo pumps have lasted surprisingly long, I have one Tunze from when they redesigned the powerheads that is still going. Oh the return pump hasn't changed. The eheim 1262 *knock on wood* has been going 24/7 since September 2006 except the day I moved and one power failure where I could not get my generator going.
So the plan is just to squeeze more out of this tank until I do get somewhere where I'd feel comfortable setting up a "forever" tank. I'd say a 10 year tank but this tank is already on it's 14th year so if I only keep my next main tank 10 years that will be a downgrade. I'm still no closer to knowing what type of corals I want to focus on long term so I'm probably a mixed reefer for life.
