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Thanks Doug! Luckily the trio have all moved quite close to each other so photos like that are possible! :D The remaining three are doing very well. They eat like hogs...worse than the Tang. :eek:
So I made a little stop in at The Reef Shoppe on Sunday and picked up... A lovely Teardrop Maxima (my photo does it no justice) beside the Squamosa that put on 1/2" of growth last month: :eek: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct420093.jpg A pretty monti cap: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct420094.jpg A gorgeous Purple Frilly Gorgonia: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct420095.jpg And a wee little (but awesome) RBTA: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct420092.jpg |
That gorg is beautiful.
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Thanks! I should make note that the Gorgonia is photosynthetic, so it should do well long-term. :)
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Wow that Gorg is niiiiice! I want one. :sad:
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Oh my gorg....that is a sweet gorg.:biggrin: and the clam is incredible.
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Thanks guys!! I got both the Gorg and the Teardrop Maxima for reeeeeeeeeally good prices at The Reef Shoppe. :D
Well, I finally finished the plumbing today!!! :eek: Imagine that! It only took 4 1/2 months. *gasp* Scary part is that the tank is full, so if the plumbing leaks it's going to be a PITA. Oh yes, I like to do things the hard way. :rolleyes: I'm mixing up more water now, so if I'm brave I will get it going tonight, but my reasoning says I should wait until the weekend. So far bravery is winning. :neutral: I'm not happy with my bulbs right now...the PlusRite 20Ks really lack pizazz. They are bland looking. I'm tossing around the idea of trying out some XM 20Ks or Phoenix 14K. Ugh...expensive decision to possibly not like. I need to replace my T5s too, the AS 17500K and the Fiji Purple have about 8 months on them I think, and I've been switching back and forth between a Giesemann Pure Actinic and a Hagen Glo 18K, both of which probably have 14 months use on them. :neutral: I can't decide on T5s either. Since my T5s aren't all beside each other (2 are together, the third is on the other side of the MHs) I'm noticing the different colors as stripes along the length of the tank. Since I don't need the PAR from the T5s, I might keep 2 Pure Actinics (prob switch to UVL since I don't like Giesemann), and one Fiji Purple. Ok, just rambling out loud here I guess!! :razz: Anyway...critters are looking good. I got some frags from Coral Master. :D Very nice!! I will snap some pics once they color up. Caught the Blue Assessor in his new favourite hideout: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct202009.jpg |
I need to figure out how to get better FTSs. Especially with the halides on...all my FTSs are just T5s. The halides wash the photos out.
The tank is looking like a scrapbook with little pieces everywhere since I started collecting SPS. :lol: It should look a lot nicer in a year. :D Patience fledgling reef. Here is today's: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2220094.jpg I was trying to take a pic of the Gorg with its polyps out: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2220092.jpg Purple rim cap I got from The Reef Shoppe: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2220095.jpg |
yup, those caps and gorg are great. that gorg is HUGE.
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I really like that gorg!!
And the clams! Beautiful colouration. What do you feed them Myka? Thanks |
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Mindy,
The tank is looking great. You've done a wonderful job of making that tank take shape and made some awesome finds. That Gorg is drool worthy. |
Cheers Mark! :)
I took some top downs today just through the water so they aren't that good, but they are kinda perty. RBTA from The Reef Shoppe: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2420094.jpg I know, it's the cap again...but it's so photogenic! The rim glows, especially from top down. Also from The Reef Shoppe: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2420093.jpg Acropora squarrosa (?) from Fragalot: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct242009.jpg Blue polyp pink birdnest originally from Coral Master, but I got the frag from another reefer. Aug 16 (a couple weeks after I got it): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...22009-Copy.jpg Today not much growth, but the color is improving. Polyps are just starting to transition purple-ish. 10 weeks time lapse. Oct 24: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2420096.jpg Coral Master's Rainbow Stylo (I got it as a frag from another reefer as well). Aug 16 (two weeks after I first got it): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...20093-Copy.jpg Today not much color, but growing like a weed! 10 weeks time lapse. Oct 24: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2420095.jpg |
I really like that Cap. Never seen one like that before.
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I like the RBTA
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Can you guys believe I finally hooked up the sump? :eek: Plugged in the EuroReef RS-180 too. There is only one minor leak in the plumbing, but I'm not impressed with my sump design. It's noisy. :neutral:
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Hey Mindy, I'm a firm believe that you are happier with things when you do them twice anyways...:twised:
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:lol: But this IS the second sump!! :eek: Remember, I cracked the first one. :D
I have calculated the water space I need in the sump for a power outage, and I may need to make the first baffle shorter so I gain a bit more space. It in 9" deep, and the ER needs to be 6-8" deep. I only have room to prop the skimmer up one more inch...I think I should have made that first baffle 8", and then I can adjust the skimmer from there. I need to glue the bottom of the standpipes too so that the overflow box doesn't drain into the sump. I'm crossing my fingers the power doesn't go out tonight before I finish up my testing tomorrow...I think I have enough room (even for the slowly draining overflow box), but it would be very close. |
Wow, PE is awesome this morning!! :rockon:
Sump built to my specifications by Engineered Aquariums (aka sphelps). Thanks Steve! :) Sump in action: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...ct25200910.jpg Baffle and media rack details. I think I'm going to pull the first baffle, and replace it with a piece that is 8" tall instead off the current 9". http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...ct25200911.jpg EuroReef RS-180. Currently sitting in 8 1/2" of water (it's on a rack), and manufacturer specs say 6-8", so it's a bit too deep (and not working as efficiently as it should), but due to my miscalculations, I don't have room under the sump to lift it much more, so I should replace that first baffle so I can get the water level a bit lower on the skimmer. http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct252009.jpg |
Today's testing results (all Salifert):
Calcium 350 ppm (oops, my dosing is off apparently http://www.zeovit.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif ) Alkalinity 8.45 dKH on old kit Alkalinity 9.45 dKH on new kit Magnesium 1185 ppm on old kit Magnesium 1320 ppm on new kit Nitrate 0.2 ppm (this is not usually detectable) Phosphate undetectable Potassium (forgot to test) So, I have to adjust my dosing. http://www.zeovit.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif The new alkalinity kit is interesting because it comes with a 7.4 calibration solution. The new kit reads 7.4, and the old kit reads 6.4, which agrees with the difference in testing above. So that's interesting. I am concerned about the HUGE difference from the old to new magnesium kits. http://www.zeovit.com/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif I tried to retest with the old kit, but I didn't have enough reagent. So now I'm not sure...??? My targets are; calcium 410-420 ppm, alkalinity 8-8.5 dKH, magnesium 1350-1375 ppm. Current Zeo dosing (changes due to increased water volume): Sponge Power 1 drop daily Coral Vitalizer 1 drop daily Coral Snow 3 mL 2x per week B-Balance 1 ml daily Kent Lugol's Solution 1 drop 2x per week Spur2 1.15 mL every 18 days or so |
very nice pic's
job well done! |
That RBTA and Cap are absolutely awesome! :mrgreen:
Any FTS pics? |
hey myka im new to the SW world and i think your tank is awsome... i like the pics and hope my tank is half that nice when its finished.. wouldnt mind stopping by sometime to ask some questions and maybe take a look at the tank since you have been in the hobby for quit sometime
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The weirdest thing happened on Sunday night/Monday morning...half of one of my Lobos disintegrated. :eek: For no apparent reason. All other corals look great. There was nothing on the coral that I could see. Weird that only half of it died too. The flesh just fell off. So far the other half looks great, like nothing ever happened. Weird... I will post a couple pics later today (no time right now). You can see it (the green/pink Lobo) in the photo posted below between the Red Open Brain and the Red Lobo (I wish I had a program that would allow me to circle it). that was taken on Sunday afternoon, and you can see that the upper half is shrunken, and the bottom half is puffy. The shrunken part is the part that suddenly died.
------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the comments everyone. :D Reef surfer...ya you can come by to check it out. I'm on-call working this week and weekend though, so it's not a good time now, but after that would be ok. Send me PM in a week or so. Here J: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...Oct2520092.jpg |
That sucks Mindy....did you have a fluctuation in one of your params?
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My big three do fluctuate...I need to get on dosing more often. :neutral: As per my last testing (Sunday) my Calcium was down to 350, with alk up at 9.45 dKH. :eek: Mag was only a tad low at 1320 ppm. So I did bump calcium up...probably to 400 (I should test again). I'm still getting used to dosing the bigger tank, plus the demands keeping going up as I add corals all the time, and I have used a couple different products (with different concentrations) as I'm trying to use up a bunch of container bottoms. Maybe I should quit digging my own grave, and get my [poop] together! :crazyeye:
The most notable thing is that with the Poseidon now inline the temp is 2 degrees higher than before. Instead of 79-82 (lights off-lights on) it is now 81-84, which is much higher than I like it. I prefer it to stay under 80, but with halides and a Poseidon that is tough! I don't have any fans though, so I have them on the list of things to do asap (shoulda grabbed a couple when I was in Walmart today...dangit). Whatever the case, I find it very odd that only one coral was affected when the rest of my corals are showing greater polyp extension than ever. I'm confused... Another :twised: today...I found half a dozen Monti-Eating Nudis munching on one of my Montis. So I will have to keep a close watch on the Montis for the next few weeks. :snipersm: With all the changes in the tank, plus the die-off of the Lobo I am having a diatom outbreak. :neutral: At least that is an easy fix! :p Here's a pic of the damage to the Lobo: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Oct262009.jpg |
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does anything eat the nudi's---what are you going to do to eradacate them?
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Any updates to your little tank crisis? Hope the corals stopped receding and that things are coming back to normal (especially the SPS, when it rains it pours, from my experience.)
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Gorgeous tank Mindy!
How are things with the tank? WE NEED UPDATES! :lol::mrgreen: |
Woah, sorry guys!! I didn't see any replies after my last post. Somehow I missed the email updates.
When I first found the Nudis, I removed the coral (only one is infected at this point), and manually removed all the Nudis I could see. Then last week I found another half dozen, so I manually removed those as well I gave the coral a TMCC dip using a turkey baster to blast the dip at the coral. It was probably treated for 5 minutes or so. I haven't seen anymore since. The trouble with these guys is that TMCC will only kill the adults, not the eggs, which is probably how they made it into the tank - as eggs. I keep noticing adults as eggs hatch. They have only damaged a part of the coral less than the size of a dime, and I haven't seen any since the last dip about a week ago. I'm lucky for that, and also that I haven't seen any Nudis on any of my other Montis. I don't have any Turbinaria, so that's ok. I didn't know that Greg, thanks for the heads up on that! I'm crossing my fingers that they are gone for good now. I'm still having some troubles... the diatom outbreak continues along with a very small patch of cyano. :neutral: I think this is a reaction from that Lobo partially dying. I'm still not entirely sure what triggered that. The rest of that Lobo, and the Lobo beside it continue to be unaffected. Same with the rest of the corals. The diatoms and cyano should be receding by now though...so I am concerned. I added another powerhead to the back of the tank that blows where the worst of the diatoms are and the cyano. When this all started I noticed some white tips on a couple of my SPS, but after I checked my notebook I have now figured out that I dosed too much Potassium in one go. The tips have now colored back up. The corals are all looking good at this point. Good PE on the SPS. I added a fan to the sump, so the temp doesn't go up so much now. It is 79 with lights off, and 81 with lights on. So that's better. Still needs some work. I am working on getting a canopy made, but that could be some time in the making. I will install fans there too, and I think that will make a big difference. I would like to keep the temp under 80. I recalibrated my TDS meter, and checked my RO/DI. Tap water 184 ppm After RO 13 ppm After DI 0 ppm So that is good, although I see my RO membrane will be needing replacement within the next few months. I need to test the tank today, but I think my big three are much steadier now that I have been testing 3x weekly to get onnit. ;) Right now my biggest concern is the continuing diatoms and little patch of cyano. This goes to show there is an imbalance in the system, and that is never good. The lights are off right now, but I will take some pics for you guys later today. |
I see two more Monti Eating Nudis on that Monti today...grr. I will have to pull it and deal with that today.
To get the yucky stuff out of the way... Here's my patch of cyano: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Nov820098.jpg Some of the diatoms: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Nov820099.jpg Some algae that I thought was red Bubble algae, but now that it's grown into the shape it is now I'm not so sure: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Nov820094.jpg The background of this photo you can see my patch of red turf algae. The frag is from Fragalot...came totally brown, but is showing some promise now. Mega huge PE on it (gets more than the photo shows): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...2/Nov62009.jpg And the better stuff... Blue Rics from Wicked Frags (fast growers): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Nov620092.jpg Green Sinularia from Bayside Corals: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../Nov820093.jpg Neon green Candy Cane that I picked up from a CanReefer in BC. Lost a few heads in the center in shipping, but otherwise looks great: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...2/Nov82009.jpg My (Uber)Supergrape Mille from Coral Master finally starting to show the Mille fuzzies, and already growing: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...ov820093-1.jpg |
:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:
I took that purple rimmed green cap out to mount it onto a frag plug last night and....... .........I dropped it into a sink full of HOT (fresh)water!!! :shocked!: :bad-word: Today it has died off about 50% with no purple rim remaining. :cry: It is brown mostly, but 50% of the polyps remain, so it looks like it will recover, but I am sooooooooooo disappointed. |
^^ That is brutal! Sorry to hear.
That red turf algae is a serious PITA.. I had that in the first creation of my 75, and it became so overwhelming I made the decision to shut down and cook the rock... Never did come back the 2nd time thankfully. No idea what the red bubble stuff is though. That's a first sight. Those Blue Rics are awesome!!:mrgreen: |
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Oh Crap! Sorry to hear this. |
Your Super Grape is looking fantastic, mine is also starting to show nice polyp extension and is actually looking quite purple. At night it is actualy quite flourescent lime green now.
I can't wait for it to grow up, Hurry up ole Grapey, Grow, Grow Grow! |
Thanks for condolences guys. It looks like only a very small portion of the Monti Cap will survive. :cry:
Thanks globaldesigns! I am really liking the Supergrape. It sure takes its time adjusting to the tank though doesn't it? I was wondering about it until I saw a couple others mention the same thing with theirs. Mine does show a bit of green fluoresce under actinics too...mostly the coralites. |
Looking good to me Mindy....Ive always found that monties seem to take forever to settle in, but once they do they really take off.....sorry bout the cap....on the upside the fresh water dip likely killed any nudis that may have been on it....hopefully it pulls through for you.
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Well, my tank is still having a bit of a disaster... it seems the Zeolites are sucking the nutrients out too fast and shocking my LPS. My brain corals and Acans look horrible with white spots all over them and some small "bite marks" of flesh missing. My Euphyllias, Blastos and SPS have never looked better though. Weird. Well, not weird that the SPS are happy.
Anyway, I've been collecting a bunch of frags lately: ~ 6 different Zoas ~ Crayola Plana Acro ~ Bali Tricolor Acro ~ Some other sweet colored Acros ~ Suharsonoi mini colony This Fragalot Acro arrived brown as dirt, but ALAS! look at it now! It is getting quiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite nice! http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...g2220094-1.jpg Coral Master's Yellow Austera: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...g2220095-1.jpg Another super cool Fragalot piece: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...g2220093-1.jpg Suharsonoi (I think) from Bayside Corals: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...g2220092-1.jpg |
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