My 40gal reef: I need a change!

[RoxyDog]

So, I think I'm finding my reef kinda boring now (I know, crazy huh?).  It's a 40gal breeder chocked full with mixed corals, a green BTA with a pair of clowns, a small pygmy angel and a solar wrasse.  I've poked and proded, moved things around, sold a few corals...but meh, it's just not what it used to be to me.  Anyone have any ideas how to make it exciting again?  I'm considering selling it off and going with a bigger FOWLR/low light reef instead.

[yellowtang]

IMO....if you go from a coral/fish tank to FWLR tank,you're bound to get
even more bored.....have you perhaps thought of getting unique rare corals
and different type of fish (even schools)......I too get sometimes bored with my set up,just to realize
I have gone though many years to make it look they way it now looks......
The changes I would make to my tank now would be to get more small types of fish....
and selling the larger fish I now have....
this is my Opinion,however.
cheers.

[Hookup]

Hey RoxyDog, pls post a Full Tank Shot or two.. I'll throw some ideers at ya...

Right off the bat, I would say going to a full GORG tank would rock...

[pitabread]

1) Buy 2 of these
2) Set to maximum flow
3) Switch on for added tank excitement.

[Canoe]

one of the local stores has a tank in the corner that has lots of water ripples on top, which with that tank's lighting, creates wonderful light ripples/shimmers throughout the tank, with variable shadows

this, along with the changes from the water flow throughout the tank, makes the tank look very very alive, very interesting

perhaps?...

[groan]

Firstly go bigger. 40 is just too restricting.
next get brighter lights, not dimmer
after that get more live rock. do it
then get many little fishies. more to watch and look at.
and THEN go full gorg. that would be awsome. so many bright colours and full of neat patterns everywhere.
Pretty!

[Hookup]

If I could design a tank that someone else would maintain (cause I do not want to maintain two), it would be a salt tank with BLACK and WHITE colors only...

There are corals that fit this description, fish, clams, snails, everything.. the only color would be the damn coralline algae, however some black-urchins would take care of that too possibly keeping the rocks bone-white.  To me, the thought of a color-less salt water tank is frigg'n awesome...

Some B&W fish:
Convict Tangs(these school... how cool!)
Dragon Pipe Fish
Lamarck's Angelfish
Black Sailfin Blenny
Smith's Blenny
Ocellaris Clown
Black Tang (or Jem tang )
White Sleeper Goby


Some Possible Inverts:
Harlequin Starfish
Sand Sifting Starfish
Anemones
Some Gigantic Clams
Snails (I've seen some Tuxedo?)
Urchins
There has to be some kind of shrimp that is completely B&W


I know there are some LPS and SPS you can find in B&W colors as well... though harder to find for sure.. but that makes it all the more fun... IMO...

[RoxyDog]

Here's a not so great picture I took tonight (I even forgot to clean the glass  ), it's kinda washed out by the light somehow.  I'm not so into the gorgs, they're okay, but too many would be kinda odd no?   



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[Adam]

Taking the rock out, switching it up and changing coral placements always makes me more interested in my aquarium.  Maybe make some islands of rock or who knows what you can come up with.

[QueensU]

Get an octopus! I see them at LFS from time to time. How could your eyes not be glued to your tank if you had an octopus! lol

[beertech]

Do a search on cold water corals, that would be something completely different, with tons of color!

[Hookup]

Do you have a sump?  Reason being, if you put some LR into the sump you can remove alot of your LR from your display... which I would do btw.  I would try to make a very minimal display of rock and keep only more colorful stuff... ACANS, RICS, ZOA's, and maybe mushrooms... is where i'd start... but very small amounts... when buying Acan's i'd be looking for 2-3 head pieces, for Zoa's same thing, 5-10 polyop's per "type"... 1 of each Ric, etc..   I would then consider adding one or two "super-cool" LPS.  Super Colorful that is... just to create a focal point...

I'd ditch the clowns, basically cause they are run of the mill and only look cool in an anenome, which are huge so it would dominate your tank...

I'd look for some odd-ball fish, not expensive, but different.. there are a number of wrasses that are wicked and in the sub $70 range, down to $40 or less...  I'd stock with:
1xwrasse
1xbastlet (not a royal gramma, too common)
2xgobys
1xblenny

That'd be a start.  You could get a very cool clean-up-crew using more unique inverts as well...

I think your problem is color... or a lack of "OMG WOW" color.... Acans, Zoa's, Rics are some of the easiest things to keep, and have the color...  Even if your lights are not going to 'max out' their color, you could always look at fixing that in the future sometime... an ATI fixture for that system wouldn't be crazy expensive, and would give you crazy color on anything you put into the tank...

BTW, I like the no-sand bottom... but Ross told me of a white-board type material you could put down... like a cutting board I think but you get it to match your size of aquarium.... just a thought...

[RoxyDog]

Sorry, no sump.    I have a very minimal sandbed, don't like barebottom.  Not into acans and I have a buttload of zoas and a few rics already. (I'm not hard to please at ALL am I?  lol).  Cold water would be interesting, but how would I keep the water temp down? 

The clowns are fun to watch in their anemone (but you're right, kinda run of the mill), I did consider getting a carpet anemone to fill the tank instead of corals, but they are too $$$.  Hmm.  I might look into different inverts.... 

My lights are Tek lights, lots of light over the tank, and the colour is quite good (I think anyway) it's just my photo taking abilities suck.    The bulbs are do for a change, maybe I'll go a littel bluer.

Adam, you wanna volunteer to come over and change all my rocks around for me?    I just moved a few things around, but maybe it is time to do a full overhaul.

[salvini55]

+1 for the overhaul. this happens to me all the time in my freshwater tank. I think it needs some bright yellow, maybe a sun coral. It would give u a focal point.

[fishboy]

you need something big for the middle of the tank. something that catches your eye. like a really big soft coral like a toadstool or a colt.

[Hookup]

K, well how about putting a pirates chest in the middle.... cheeze it out completly!  Fake plastic plants, salt fish... I could look like a trip from a Floyd concert...

[Adam]

Haha, like I need to go and redo other people's tanks when mine need a little of that themselves .

[salvini55]

+100 for the pirates chest

[Rybren]

Yeah, then you can change the substrate out for Arrrrrgonite.............
   

[RoxyDog]

I do love cheese...