FarmerTy

I change my answer for the 2nd one. I think it's actually an acropora monticulosa.

Thank you sir for the input!

Wow, I just googled it for the first time. PRREEETTTYYY!

I think they'll be fine together. Maybe just introduce the PBT last. The bigger worry for me is the lack of hardiness with both. They tend to get ich a lot.

I've never run black sand though I've always loved the look of it. Hopefully someone else can chime on the black sand larger than 5mm.

I think everyone here has covered it pretty well so I don't have much to add. I agree that the PBT and the blue hippo may not be so complacent with each other in the tank but I would imagine if you introduced them at the same time and they were roughly the same size, it should be possible. The hard thing, as Sascha hinted to, is that both are highly prone to ich and other diseases (add to that the Copperband), and you have a potential recipe for disaster because if one gets sick, they'll all more than likely catch it. I would also recommend introducing them last... just ask Sascha about is PBT... and how it'll attack anything new in the tank.

I'd heed Victoly's advice. As your sand settles and sorts itself, the tendency is for the larger grains to be driven to the bottom and the finer grains to be pushed towards the top. Mix in larger grains all you want but eventually, they'll settle down and all you'll have is a base layer of the larger sand you added and then the fine black sand still at the top, getting blown around. Basically, you'll end up with the same result but by the time it actually occurs in your system, you'll have fish and corals to complicate the removal of the sand.

Can you imagine if a pipe disconnected or sprang a leak? It'll be like hitting an artery... your tank would be empty in like minutes!

You mean the one that has a tendency to squirt the owners in the face until they plug it up with their finger? That's just part of the hazing process before you can be a Reeflo pump owner.

I have a Reeflo Hammerhead Gold I can sell you bud. 5,550 gph, it'll be awesome! Trust me!

I feel you on the giant window on the opposite end of the room. I can't get any decent pictures until it gets dark outside.

Who's down for Sascha's upgrade party? We'll all sit around the tank and then take turns jumping on BRS and Dr Fosters Smith to order equipment for him!

You got a FTS Jestep? I was a big fan of your old tank's minimal aquascaping. Wondering if you employed similar design plans in this tank when you upgraded.

If you strobe the LED light, I'll dance like it's a rave!

I've heard some people enjoy looking at the back of my head as I feed my fish. LOL!

Yeah, there was much talk this morning about a Russian website that was posting streams of webcams from users that kept the default password setup. There were a lot of streams that originated from the US on the website.

Well sorry for all the traveling you're doing. Do you have an old phone sitting around? Maybe it's time for a webcam! That's good you got the vinyl cut on the back and improved your refugium setup. Hopefully it will pay dividends for you down the line with your nutrient export. If you can, I'd even bump the lighting period for the macro to 16 hrs. For the detritus, you could just get a large diameter hose and start a siphon to suck it all out of there. To be honest, the fish are my least favorite too. Obviously I'm in it for the corals and the fish serve a purpose for added motion in the tank and for cleanup crew purposes, but I've lately been mesmerized by my urchins (4-5 tuxedo urchins) daily activities and my emerald crabs. Even the conchs are wildly entertaining so I understand how you feel.

Oh, and for the record, I think the one on the left is a acropora formosa and the one on the right is a acropora gemmifera. Just guesses so any input appreciated. I have high hopes that the formosa will turn completely blue or purple and the gemmifera to stay pretty much the same but get a little more lime green.

Its at the top of the tank and inches away from my MP10. I havent measured par since i switched to MH almost a year ago. Maybe i should.... You don't know your par? And I actually hung out with you?

Can you alter the flow or adjust the powerheads to keep it from blowing the sand away? If you only have rocks in there, I would just scoop back out the sand.

The two new frags are the talk of the tank community. All the fishes and cleanup crew have gone by to inspect. Pod hunting on the new frags Sand cleanup crew to inspect them too

So what's this big update you've been hinting about Shawn? Are you getting a giant tank and stuffing it with SPS coral? :-p

No problem. Getting new corals is always exciting!

My Apex alarms me when the pH in the reactor climbs above a certain setpoint and I just go that day and swap out the container or get it refilled. If I can't go right away, I can typically open up the needle valve a bit more to squeeze out what's left in the bottle and buy me another day.

Yeah, this guy! [emoji23] Just kidding. Here's my cheatsheet. http://www.baliaquarium.net