thanks, it sure does! lets just hope it doesnt back fire!

I personally think you will be just fine with the black sand.

I keep forgetting to put on my sunglasses when I check out your thread. Wow bright
Looks great.

Great upgrade ! want to see it all together & salty.

Thanks :) and its salty finally. Just have to trade the chromis and pick out one or two final fish. And then let nature takes its course

Update.

Today I got the chromis up to Edmonton and swapped them for some frags. Also picked up a pygmy cherub angel, thought I'd give one a shot. If he becomes a pest then its an easy trade. He's very pretty and very friendly with the others so far, and seems to enjoy algae and mysis so I'll see how he behaves and who knows maybe I'll be another person with a testimonial to angels in reef tanks. Maybe it'll be the opposite. LOL

2 actinic shots from tonight, they turned out pretty good, I still wish my macro setting could get a bit closer and still focus
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN2928.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN2931.jpg

Skimmer is now off, for a few days, as I am treating my angel for ich.. yay. i wish I had room for a QT but I dont so the whole tank is being treated.. just as well, to help avoid any further outbreaks. Nice thing about my angel so far is he is very friendly, and doesnt nip the corals, so I'm happy with him so far, just gotta get him back to normal

Wow, looking great! Your thread really does show the benefits of experiance, and proper equipment. I look forwards to following your posts.
Oh, and my sump is pretty much the exact same as yours, how are you managing with your skimmer? My water level has a hard time staying constant in the inlet chamber of the sump without a ato.

Thanks and I'm actually quite new still myself. I got a lot of help online here to build this. Atos will well keep your water level and salinity stable but for me I'm just topping off daily at the moment. I hope to get an ato eventually but for now I'm ok with topping off. I marked a spot on thr return chamber so I can top my water up to the line and keep it stable. If you don't have an ato that's your best bet for now, and still check your salinity regularly

So as some may know, I got Dwarf Cherub angel last week, and a day after being introduced He got ick. I should have quarantined but dont have a QT atm. anyways, I am treating him, and all is well so far, I got a cleaner shrimp today, and this video is within literally 2 minutes of him being introduced, they are best buds! p.s. sorry about the cloudy water, I was just rearranging the zoa rocks and kicked up a bunch of detritus! :lol:

Video here :)

Nice
 

Things are off to a great start , your tank is looking well. Sand really provides a contrast , makes things stand right out.

^^ Thanks Mike


Now, as some may have read, I had a wicked weekend on the 17th and 18th, with my little crash, lost almost all my inverts, and all the sps, except maybe one monti. Things are slowly starting to come back, thankfully, and its been a while since I updated this thread, so here are 2 pictures. a FTS and a cool pic of the scooter dragonet by the ricordea(which survived after all!!!) After dosing Vitamin C for a few days now, I am noticing my zoo's look a lot better and are starting to come back, and my acan frag looks fat! so as Martha Stewart would say (that criminal ;)) "Its a good thing"

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3109.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3111.jpg

meh.. what the heck heres one more for ya.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3106.jpg

Bummer about crash... Any thoughts on the cause?

I'm leaning toward my carbon. I think I got a bad batch after putting it in the next day the crash happened and after 30%water change my copper level was about.5ppm

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that you had to deal with that crash so early into the new tank. It must have been beyond frustrating. I'm glad it hasn't dampened your spirits though and btw your tank is looking very nice! Good work!

thanks reefgirl. it was so frustrating, I was like "why do I even bother.." but it seems to be getting back in order now so hopefully things go a little better now.

Just heard about your crash. Sorry you are having issues.
I hope this is the end of your problem

Thanks Greg all seems to be slowly going back to normal, lost some SPS, and maybe LPS but other then that everything is getting better

So today is the first time since my "mini" crash that my montipora is showing signs of true life, looks like the whole frag is back, nice and blue-green like before :mrgreen: very happy about this. Also my birdsnest I got on the weekend now has polyps fully extended thanks to you guys who suggested turning down the lights a bit. Also finally capped my durso, just have to get a valve to control the water level in tank now. All is well :)

I love it when I get to report good news, so as Brad says I can "relax" ;)
I have officially kept alive 2 sps frags for 2 weeks, the polyps on them as well as my new sps are fully extended and look very happy.
Here is my success story.

I turned down my light from 65% to:
RB 35%
B 35%
W 30%

I am dosing vitamin c, reef roids, and a 1/8 of a tsp of calcium, magnesium and strontium, every 3-4 days to help get up my CA and Mag, as my CA way 340, and mag was at 1210... :surprise:
I have over 2 weeks slowly adjusted my mag and calcium up to an almost ideal level of, CA 420, and mag, 1320(is this ok?)

My once bleached monti I received from Denny, is nice and colorful again, and I have some great growth on a few zoa colonies in just the last 2 weeks since the crash. I have 3 new orange explosions, 1 purple hornet, and 2 water melons that have sprung up. Happy to report, that also feeding the tank live pods into the fuge, has brought my pod population back up to speed, so my scooter doesnt have to hunt so hard anymore :)

all and all a good report me thinks

Thanks to you guys who made these suggestions as I feel my tank is now, getting back on track! Just have to get an ATO still and I will be golden

Time for some pics , Me thinks.
Glad to hear things are coming back.

thanks, I will post a picture or 2 tonight if I can find my memory card :P went to take it out last time, and it shot out of the camera into oblivion

:lol:

You Ca/Mag readings seem pretty much ideal. Myka writes 415-425 and 1350 but, of course, your critters will tell you more than 'perfect readings' ever will.
So how's your Alk?
And Myka also writes "I prefer to dose magnesium to ~1350 ppm before adjusting calcium and alkalinity"

alk has come down a little, it was at 13, now at 10-11 still higher then I'd like but not to sure how to get it any lower. it seems that new water with IO has higher alk IME

I've heard and experienced that too. Mine didn't hit 13, but was over 10 the last time I tested it.
Dosing Ca helps drop Alk
Have you read Myka's write-up about all this ?
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=48321

yeah, so my alk is better now in relation to my CA, but I would like to bring the CA up just a touch more, to drop the alk to 9 hopefully

Sorry for the strange series of replys I have been sending. My computer is acting up and not updating, showing me that my replies are not sending. So i write a new one, only to find out the old one sent... now I just look stupid.

thanks lol actually I am closer to edmonton, I take a trip down to calgary from time to time however.

Could you post some more pics of your sump and plumbing? I tried ordering my new shallow tank from glassbox' but they claim they cannot ship to me here in Calgary Alberta.... grr. I envy you and your set up, but soon I hope to give ya some friendly competition :)
You near calgary by chance? I would be willing to donate to your acan colony, one of my acan colonies (small) is struggling :( although all my other are doing well.

So Greg you asked for pics, I tried lol, I can't figure out why I am getting so much of a white glare off of the coral though... it cant get the true colors to come through, oh an harvey, if your following, look at the sps you gave me, and how its starting to color up under the leds compared to halides!
P.s. lots of pics here lol, they arent outstanding but you get the idea
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3145.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3156.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3162.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3149.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3153.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3163.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3164.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3167.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3168.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3172.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3177.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3182.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3194.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3195.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3196.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3197.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...a/DSCN3198.jpg

I could a little later, gotta get some groceries ;)
also I'm about 2 1/2 hours north of calgary, but I do come down from time to time.

pics dont do it justice. I cant get the color mode right on my camera to capture the sps... :( but atleast you can see the polyp extension I am finally getting

Nice garden you have going there.

thanks Mike, it will be nice once it grows in :)

thinking of eventually possibly adding one more fish. anyone have any suggestions? stock list is pretty full but the bioload seems on track.

currently have
2 ocellaris
1 bangai cardinal
1 scooter dragonet
1 Dwarf Cherub Angel

I know I seem to recommend these a lot but.....how about an assessor?....great fish that stay small, are not usually aggressive, are not usually jumpy, and wont compete for food with your scooter

Thought about those. Just don't have enough color IMO

Bright yellow is not enough color?
Do you mean it should have multi-colors?