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Reef @Home

� (Site under construction, as we hope are continuing all the natural reefs.)��

"...to gaze, wonder and hold life in the grasp of vision"

After a VERY long hiatus from Saltwater aquariums, we've decided to get our feet wet and our mini snorkels on and set up a Reef @Home. The 120 Gallon glass tank, with 2 power tubes, protein skimmer, sump tank, metal halide lighting with an added actinic fluorescent tube,� a hundred pounds or so of "live rock", and a Wavemaster Pro� is progressing very well. The tank is an "in the wall" set-up, with it's own separate utility room access. Much of this is new to me and will take awhile to really get to speed, but I am pleasantly surprised and happy how "swimmingly" things are going. Intending to be primarily an invertebrate tank, it is a source of inspiration and undeniably has a deep calming affect to my family and myself.

With time this site will develop more fully. Please return often to check our progress, view our pictures. For now, I'll leave you with these recent pics. All pictures (and digital movies) were taken with a Toshiba PDR-M70 3.3 Megapixel Digital Camera, then reduced in size to make viewing easier. Regarding what the pictures are of, well hey, excuse my ignorance but I don't know many of the names yet and terminology so just bear with my "newbie" status. Better yet, all you experts out there help me out and write me at� [email protected] ,with the proper names of the subjects in the pics below!! I'd REALLY appreciate it :-)

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Dec. thru March. pics added! It has been awhile since I've added any pics, but I think the wait has been worth it. We have tried to increase the diversity of coral in our tank with great success. Concurrently, small colonies from the original live rock is starting to enlarge, propagate and spread through the tank. The fish are doing well though we lost two in a collapse of the rock setting, and one has disappeared recently without a trace. Very bummed. :-( .� The changes in the coral as they grow is spell binding as well as the changes which occur at "night". The lights are on timers that we have tried to set to simulate a natural day cycle, with apparent success, as the coral seem to be thriving. Plant growth has seem to gone in stages with certain varieties literally exploding, and having to be harvested to be kept in check, while other earlier "introduced" species have all but died off or been eaten. These are now being replaced by varieties that have sprung up from the original live rock. Another casualty was our clam, killed by one of our more mobile anenome, then finished off by our starfish. Was very upset to lose it. Hope you enjoy these updated pics!