new tank pic

[steveweast]

Well, I'm done carving pumpkins.....and the tank was looking OK today (even without all the lights on yet)...so....a new pic.





http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/steveweast/tank.jpg

[DChemist]

Really nice, thanks.

[R-3]

Damn those RBTAs have went crazy since the last time I saw them Steve. Tank looks as beautiful as ever Steve. Nice work. Later Ryan

[Nyles]

Oh man, I want to see this thing!

[CCR]

I’m jealous, let’s have the specks, all of them. Very nice setup. Would like to see it in person some day. You should be proud. (clap)

[R-3]

He has way too much to list. Its a incredible setup. Heres his site www.oregonreef.com. Later Ryan

[steveweast]

Thanks....I"ve been playing around with the aquascaping recently to open up more swimming room. Here's two more pics...




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/steveweast/rightside-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/steveweast/leftside.jpg

[dippin61]

Man steve, I just drool everytime I see any pics of your tank. *Thumbs up*

It's kinda funny, I have one of your tank pics from your website set as the background on my computer. :p

[Michael7979]

Steve, WOW absolutely beautiful!!!! The tank looks amazing! Can't believe how much different it looks since I've seen it last. The RBTA's have doubled/tripled in size and it looks like everything else has doubled as well. (wipes off keyboard) As always it looks excellent and thanks for sharing.

[Chief]

Just beautiful. The aquascaping is amazing. Thanks for the pics.

Jay

[180Brandy]

very pretty tank!!! Great job!!!

[CCR]

It scares me to death when a tank gives me more pleasure than....................

[robz]

Love the open look you got going on. Still need to see this tank in person someday. How about some updated pics of your cold water tanks when you get time.

[robz]

What happend to all the rics?

[reefboy]

awsome as always

[steveweast]

There are still quite a few rics in there....but... worm #2 a few months back really reduced their population. It was their overnight disappearance that clued me into their being a second worm....albeit smaller (only 5 feet long)..... on the prowl again. There really aren't any nice rics on the market these days like there used to be to replace their population.....oh well.

[steveweast]

There's really nothing new with cold tanks.....I REALLY need to go diving though. I have found that many of the colonizing anemones are VERY sensitive to nitrate. Since these cold water systems act more like a fish only system (high bioload with heavy feedings), nitates tend to build over time. The Puget Sound rock is too dense for denitrification. I noticed ill effects when NO3 gets above 15ppm. I'm now using a sulfer denitrator to keep the tanks' NO3 at near zero.....it was the only way.

Oh...this guy is kind of new....I got him a few months ago....



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/steveweast/ornatebox.jpg

[robz]

Very cool photo. Cold water fish sound like they have some big eating habbits. How often do you have to feed?

[steveweast]

It's the anemones that require the feedings.....fish actually need less compared with the warm water fish because of the slower metabolism and activity. The anemones get their needs provided solely through feedings since none are photosynthetic. When I feed the anemones (twice a week).....I feed a fist size ball of scallops....with a total system volume of about 150 gals. If I fail to feed the anemones, they start shrinking fast.

[Randy-S]

I REALLY need to go diving though.

Lets go and break in that new truck Steve. I take off on my trip this Sunday and will be back for the weds before Thanksgiving, lets go hit the sound over the long weekend!!

[steveweast]

I'm in LA over Thanksgiving....but...after that...sure. Seiku is great regardless of the weather.

[Ronjunior]

Is the diving very good around here? I tried to get certified for my Fiji Honeymoon, but found I had sinus disease and couldn't get Dr.'s clearance. (glad I found out before going and not certified there, probably would have blown my brains out on the first dive as I was blocked 90% on right and 60% on left) Thank God I didn't lie on the questionaire about sinus infections! The thought had crossed my mind for how badly I wanted it. Had surgery 2 years ago and now have a Dr.'s note for permission for instruction now that I'm cured! I just haven't done it yet since not going anywhere extravagant. Would it be worth doing now just for Peugeot Sound? What is there we can actually see in the NW?

[oldbrownies]

The diving up here is freaking awesome, better than diving in most of the tropics, I would admit. Oregon has great dive sites too, so its not just all pudget, but thats worth it... you see tons here seals, octopi, small soft corals (anemone like), amenones, sea pens, fishies, eels, crabs. Just tons of stuff

[steveweast]

The diving up here is freaking awesome, better than diving in most of the tropics, I would admit. Oregon has great dive sites too, so its not just all pudget, but thats worth it... you see tons here seals, octopi, small soft corals (anemone like), amenones, sea pens, fishies, eels, crabs. Just tons of stuff



Very true....but Puget Sound has more weather protected areas where winter diving is a bit easier.... especially shore diving. Also, collection sites are more numerous in Wa than Or.

[Ronjunior]

Very true....but Puget Sound has more weather protected areas where winter diving is a bit easier.... especially shore diving. Also, collection sites are more numerous in Wa than Or.
Collect what? I thought we couldn't keep anything, especially in Oregon. I'm assuming anything kept, like starfish and flounders won't survive in our warmer tanks, or am I wrong?. I know when I've been shore fishing with my 12 foot pole, I catch all kinds of small bottom dwellers, but don't know if I could keep any in my tank. When I can afford it, I'll go get certified and hopefully find some folks to dive with.

[Randy-S]

Collect what? I thought we couldn't keep anything, especially in Oregon. I'm assuming anything kept, like starfish and flounders won't survive in our warmer tanks, or am I wrong?. I know when I've been shore fishing with my 12 foot pole, I catch all kinds of small bottom dwellers, but don't know if I could keep any in my tank. When I can afford it, I'll go get certified and hopefully find some folks to dive with.


Yes they would die in your warm water reef tank. Steve has a cold water system set up.

[Randy-S]

Steve lets plan for after thanksgiving then if you want to go collect I'll help out if you want to go just dive i would like to try the charter boat the badito.
I give you a shout when i get back.
Hopefully with some nice dive shots to brag about.

[steveweast]

Steve lets plan for after thanksgiving then if you want to go collect I'll help out if you want to go just dive i would like to try the charter boat the badito.
I give you a shout when i get back.
Hopefully with some nice dive shots to brag about.


Sounds good Randy. I really don't need anything right now.....except... that this time of year there are baby Puget Sound king crabs. They're bright red about the size of a quarter....and I could use a few more stalks of kelp for my seahorses to hitch to...or maybe some more eel grass. Seiku will have all these things plus HUGE anemones that you'll like seeing....and it's easy diving even if the weather is bad.

[steveweast]

Collect what? I thought we couldn't keep anything, especially in Oregon. I'm assuming anything kept, like starfish and flounders won't survive in our warmer tanks, or am I wrong?. I know when I've been shore fishing with my 12 foot pole, I catch all kinds of small bottom dwellers, but don't know if I could keep any in my tank. When I can afford it, I'll go get certified and hopefully find some folks to dive with.


With the proper Washington State shellfish, seaweed, and fishing license....you can collect anemones, oysters, clams, shrimp, kelp, small fish, mysis, starfish, etc (as long as you're not in a preserve and the collection is for personal use...no commercial).....just no game fish or dungeness crab unless they are in season. And like Randy said...I also have a cold water tank...temp 55 F.

[mister crabs]

any links to a pic of this cold water tank? i would be interested in seeing it

[DChemist]

I had no idea there was a Puget Sound King Crab. Did a quick search and found this... http://www.seaotter.com/marine/research/lopholithodes/mandtii/html/0mandtii.jpg.html

What a neat looking crab.

[steveweast]

That's them. When diving, I'll see them in groups of about a dozen. They really blend in with rocks even though they are about 18" in diameter when full grown and their claw could grab my arm. This time of year there are large amounts of the babies which are bright red and the size of a quarter.

[steveweast]

any links to a pic of this cold water tank? i would be interested in seeing it



There are some pics in this thread



http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73323&highlight=cold+water+reef

[mister crabs]

Thanks for the link!

[oldbrownies]

thats a sweet wet up! i love cold water critters
edit: in the cold water posting

steveweast's is awesome as well, i think i should just fill my spare room with water, and put a window to it in the hall. serisously though, i wish i had half that

[WAVES]

Steve the photos are broken now,,, can I find them anywhere? Id like to check out the new aquascaping.

[Piero]

yeah, i wanna see! Send me an email and we can get the site updated any time.