Why is it that there are no tanks like this in Minnesota or Oklahoma, etc.
We put these things in California, Hawaii, Florida, as if the people couldn't just go scuba diving and see them in the natural world.
Well you won't see this in HI, CA or FL since these corals and fish do not occur there. As for why you don't see them in other locales there is no reason, you'd have to ask the aquariums there ... there is an even larger reef tank (20,000 gallons?) at Atlantis Marine World on Long Island, NY.
Those T. gigas (I assume) really look happy. How deep is the tank? Judging by the people it looks to be about 48". How deep is the sand bed? Do you have Carlson Surges on the tank? Does it have natural lighting that is supplemented with metal halide?
Still using those nasty yellow halides? Iwasaki or Venture?
Are those the clams you have had for 10+ years?
I lso LOVE the inclusion of the double saddle butterfly. A tank that size can surely absorb his dietary habits without too much strain.
Would also think one of the smaller parrotfish would work in there.
The tank is 16.5 ft long, 9 ft wide at one end and 7 ft wide at the other and 5.5 ft tall, without rock etc it would hold 5500 gallons, there is also a 1000 gallon sump. There are two, 250 gallon surge devices on the roof, one for each each end of the tank. There is a ETSS 5000 skimmer. The lighting is 3 x 1000 W 6500 metal halide from Sunmaster that are NOT yellow, but blue-white, plus 4 x 400 W Radium 20K lamps, plus natural sunlight via skylights. There is a 2 HP pump to internal circulation, a 2 HP to feed the surge towers, a 2 HP to feed the 10 HP chiller outside and a 1 HP to feed the skimmer. The sand bed is about 3-4", it is only infront of the rocks. The rockwork sits on fibergrate framing I built. In the seven years I have been here, we have never used "nasty yellow halides".
The water has a slight yellow tinge.
There are three T. gigas, one 27 years old and weighs 167 lbs, one 22 years old and weighs 110 lbs and one 3 years old.
We have had the butterflyfish since 1986, it has never bothered anything except Aiptasia and Xenia. I would not put in a parrotfish ... the tank could not sustain it for the 40+ years it would live, plus they get big! ;-)
All the corals are ones we have had in various other displays and have grown here over the last 18 years (depending on species) or so.
Thanks for all the encourging words!
Aloha!
