180 Gallon Florida Coral Reef Aquarium Build at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center

[Blutspitze]

Thanks! I love that fish too! They are actually different species. The Atlantic Blue Tang is Acanthurus coeruleus amd the Atlantic Surgeonfish is Acanthurus chirurgus. I can’t wait for the blue tang to mature and become that beautiful blue color!

Ahhhh so. Very cool and good to know. Thanks!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Ahhhh so. Very cool and good to know. Thanks!

Of course!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Been pretty busy here at work but I took a few quick pictures to share. Things are definitely in a good grove now and starting to grow

Everyone’s favorite view of the reef

Massive polyp extension on our FL staghorn

Close up of our gorgonian

The Greater Star Coral

Our Caribbean zoa garden filling in nicely

 

[fishybizzness]

Been pretty busy here at work but I took a few quick pictures to share. Things are definitely in a good grove now and starting to grow

Everyone’s favorite view of the reef

Massive polyp extension on our FL staghorn

Close up of our gorgonian

The Greater Star Coral

Our Caribbean zoa garden filling in nicely

Beautiful zoas!! I'm seriously considering a Caribbean species only tank for my 120 that I'll be setting up soon! Your tank has definitely given me inspiration!! Watching My sea whips, slippery Richard and surgeon fish makes me feel like I'm snorkeling and it will only get better with a bigger tank!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Beautiful zoas!! I'm seriously considering a Caribbean species only tank for my 120 that I'll be setting up soon! Your tank has definitely given me inspiration!! Watching My sea whips, slippery Richard and surgeon fish makes me feel like I'm snorkeling and it will only get better with a bigger tank!

Thanks! It definitely has a very unique and natural beauty to it. All of my previous hobby experience has been with pacific corals until I started my masters/job at HBOI. Now I’ve got Caribbean reef, Seagrass lagoon, sponge dominant tank and aquaculture system under my belt. Go figure! ;Woot

 

[Blutspitze]

Wow! The tank is looking great! Love the look of the zoas and gorgonian!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Wow! The tank is looking great! Love the look of the zoas and gorgonian!

Thank you! The tank has really found a groove I think. Not bad for just over a year ;Woot

 

[siggy]

Looking good Brandon, anything new in the planning stages? I seen the upgrade on the corner tank with the grasses, hows that doing?

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Looking good Brandon, anything new in the planning stages? I seen the upgrade on the corner tank with the grasses, hows that doing?

Thanks! The seagrass tank is doing great! I am very pleased with what our intern Abbey and I were able to accomplish, it was a long time coming for sure! As for updates, I’m not sure if you have seen but I just installed a 120 gallon SPS dominant tank stocked completely with ORA pieces (as they are located on our campus and graciously supported the new build). This November we are remodeling our 600 gallon aquaculture system with a new tank and plumbing (which will be fantastic because the old one was a little clunky) and in December we are replacing our ancient sponge tank with a new custom tank from WWC. It’s going to be pretty unique with a back overflow and dimensions of 24” wide x 18” deep x 30” tall. It’s going to be a really cool column style tank which will be a first for me!

 

[siggy]

I look forward to seeing the upgrades

 

[siggy]

Also could you paste a link to all your Build threads in your signature

 

[Brandon McHenry]

I look forward to seeing the upgrades

Thanks, me too!

Also could you paste a link to all your Build threads in your signature

I tried but it seems like I have to many!

 

[C. Eymann]

What a cool project to be a part of! Jealous! following this thread for sure!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

What a cool project to be a part of! Jealous! following this thread for sure!

Thank you! I’m glad you like it! It’s definitely a really cool job and I enjoy being able to use my hobby to showcase research

 

[Blutspitze]

Now you just need to write an NSA/NOAA grant to get an Apex. And also a bigger tank. Because of research. And science.

 

[C. Eymann]

Thank you! I’m glad you like it! It’s definitely a really cool job and I enjoy being able to use my hobby to showcase research

I noticed a clump of green hued acropora, is that a chunk of A. palmata? it is it A. prolifera? I know they are hard to tell apart without being "grown out" as A. prolifera has been shown to be a genetic hybrid between A. cervicornis and A. palmata.

If it is one of the mentioned Atlantic acropora, interesting seeing it turn green, all the A. palmata and A. cervicornis I have seen in the wild have always been rust brown, however, most occur in fairly shallow reef crest environments.

did you receive that piece colored like that? or was it the rust brown when it was brought into captivity?

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Now you just need to write an NSA/NOAA grant to get an Apex. And also a bigger tank. Because of research. And science.

I like the way you think! Luckily we already have an Apex but I wouldn’t say no to a larger tank!

I noticed a clump of green hued acropora, is that a chunk of A. palmata? it is it A. prolifera? I know they are hard to tell apart without being "grown out" as A. prolifera has been shown to be a genetic hybrid between A. cervicornis and A. palmata.

If it is one of the mentioned Atlantic acropora, interesting seeing it turn green, all the A. palmata and A. cervicornis I have seen in the wild have always been rust brown, however, most occur in fairly shallow reef crest environments.

did you receive that piece colored like that? or was it the rust brown when it was brought into captivity?

That piece is A. palmata. It was a very pale tan when were received it from our colleague who has some in captivity. It has progressively turned green over time. It is probably a lighting issue to be honest (partially due to the blue LEDs I would think). It has been a very slow grower for me and I’m hoping one day it will take off and return to the normal rust brown color.

 

[Blutspitze]

I like the way you think! Luckily we already have an Apex but I wouldn’t say no to a larger tank!

That piece is A. palmata. It was a very pale tan when were received it from our colleague who has some in captivity. It has progressively turned green over time. It is probably a lighting issue to be honest (partially due to the blue LEDs I would think). It has been a very slow grower for me and I’m hoping one day it will take off and return to the normal rust brown color.

Excellent!! The science is being done and tracking the chemistry of.... of the science. Just tell the NSF that bigger tank = more science = more data = more publications. Also more visitors so more admission fees. They can't refuse that, right? You'll have a tank you can use for SCUBA in no time.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Excellent!! The science is being done and tracking the chemistry of.... of the science. Just tell the NSF that bigger tank = more science = more data = more publications. Also more visitors so more admission fees. They can't refuse that, right? You'll have a tank you can use for SCUBA in no time.

LOL are you looking for a job in the grants department? Honestly Id say that this was a dream tank for us since we revamped the visitors center three years ago and to see it where it is today makes me really proud.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Got a nice surprise today! Our Coral Reef Health and Ecology Lab finished an experiment and decided to donate 5 mini-colonies of their Montastrea cavernosa for our display! They are dipped and placed in the tank now and I will update with a new picture once they settle in.