FarmerTy Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Tank is purring like a kitten right now. No STN in sight and all acros are encrusting nicely, if not very quickly. Colors are not all there yet but they are coming back quick! Those two giant colonies of screaming green birdsnest and purple stylo will be chopped up in short order for the frag swap this Sunday. Looking forward to getting some real estate back! Be on the lookout for mini-colonies on the cheap! For those that may be interested in the current setup right now. Removed biopellets and GFO, turned off my skimmer for a week and then turned it back on but adjusted it to skim super dry. Alk at a steady 8.0 dKh for a few months now and PO4 at 0-0.03 ppm and NO3 at 3-5 ppm. I dose aminos about 2x/week and feed a ton every night (equivalent of 3-4 frozen cubes/night). I'm ready for cruise control... which is happening just in time as I am focused on the canopy/stand buildout right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Sweet Ty your rocks are Aggie maroon just like mine! Gig em, Ty. Joking aside. That's impressive that your zoas and cyphastrea can tolerate such high light levels. That had to have taken some lengthy acclimation. Did it seem to take a while before they'd open up and spread? I'm deep to the heart an Aggie! LOL! The zoas and cyphanstrea have been acclimated for awhile now since I ran a little higher as well in my old tank. When I did first introduce the cyphanstrea though to the higher lighting a couple of years ago, I got no color and it stayed a dull gray for a long time and wouldn't open up its polyps. I think it's adjusted nicely these days. My zoas I've had no problems with but I did have a new frag of utter chaos melt on me instantly. Perhaps I should heed the acclimation warning and slowly move them to the light next time through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 What aminos do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 What aminos do you use? I like the Red Sea Reef Energy B mixture of vitamins and aminos. I tried acropower and another type I can't remember the name of right now but settled back on the Red Sea one after what I observed anecdotally as better results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Looks good Ty. Could you remove one of the MHs in the middle since you don't have any rock/coral there? I'm sure the tank would seem a little dim, but you could always add a few T5s to help spread out the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 That's actually a good idea. Or you could put a ::gasp:: led fixture in the middle. Cheap d120 off eBay would suffice. Or an ultra expensive radion pro. You know. If you're into spending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 The idea did cross my mind but there is a pretty big visual difference when I have a 250 watt in the middle instead of the 400. No direct practical usage on the 400 watt in the middle other than indirect lighting for the tank and for aestethic reasons of having everything in the tank of equal brightness. Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Tank is purring like a kitten right now. No STN in sight and all acros are encrusting nicely, if not very quickly. Colors are not all there yet but they are coming back quick! Those two giant colonies of screaming green birdsnest and purple stylo will be chopped up in short order for the frag swap this Sunday. Looking forward to getting some real estate back! Be on the lookout for mini-colonies on the cheap! For those that may be interested in the current setup right now. Removed biopellets and GFO, turned off my skimmer for a week and then turned it back on but adjusted it to skim super dry. Alk at a steady 8.0 dKh for a few months now and PO4 at 0-0.03 ppm and NO3 at 3-5 ppm. I dose aminos about 2x/week and feed a ton every night (equivalent of 3-4 frozen cubes/night). I'm ready for cruise control... which is happening just in time as I am focused on the canopy/stand buildout right now. Are we gonna start a pool on when the hair algae creeps up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 I forgot to mention my giant ball of chaeto in the sump! I'm sure nutrients will catch up to me eventually but I think it's definitely helping my SPS recover from the upgrade. While troubleshooting my upgrade issues regarding SPS, it allowed me to reflect on our goals as hobbiest versus the nutrional needs of the SPS. Our goal is to have healthy stock, with brilliant colors. To do that, we starve the nutrients out of the tank so that the SPS can show their best colors. The line we tiptoe is getting the best color without starving the coral. Take too much nutrients away and they become very pastel-colored and look faded. Give them too much nutrients and they darken up from all the zooxanthallae, but are probably healthier. Not as colorful, but probably healthier. Give them way too much nutrients and they start STN'ING and RTN'ING. For now, I'm aiming for healthy and slightly brown. Let everything get healthy and happy again... recover a bit... put some meat on their bones, or the coral equivalent of that expression. Afterwards, I will begin to reduce phosphates and nitrates again, not to ULN levels, but slowly start removing some until I see their brilliant colors shine through, and then aim to keep just about there. All wishful thinking as always but that's the goal I'm aiming for. Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 I had a moment of reflection. I just realized while looking into my sump that 1) my ball of chaeto is bigger than my first nanocube I had for 5 years and 2) my sump is about the same size as my 2nd tank, the 65 - gallon. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in the details of finishing the upgrade that you forget to step back and appreciate the scale of what you have in front of you. Sent via Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Well, I got a used CaRX, fixed it up and decided to run it in the sump because I can't get the eheim pump on it to stop leaking. It's just a pinhole leak so nothing major but enough to make me give up after the 1000th time of hooking it up, unhooking it, troubleshooting it, and hooking it up again. I found it easier to just squeeze it in my sump. It's been running for 2 days now and consistently holds my alk stable. Since it holds more media than my former Korallin C1502 reactor, I'm hoping that it'll support a higher alk demand as my tank SPS population starts increasing in mass. It seems like it will because I'm already not having to run the pH as low with the new reactor. It definitely isn't as efficient as the Korallin in terms of CO2 usage but I haven't quite figured out if that is because of just the larger size reactor alone or that it doesn't recycle the CO2 as well as the Korallin. Either way, I'll give up potentially less efficient usage of CO2 for a reactor that can handle my future alk and Ca demands. If this works out, be ready to see a post for a Korallin CaRX soon. Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 If this works out, be ready to see a post for a Korallin CaRX soon. Sent via Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 If this works out, be ready to see a post for a Korallin CaRX soon. Sent via Tapatalk You're not real! You're just a shadow in the night in College Station! Who's seen this Bpb person before? :-p Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 In other news, Mothra and Godan decided to wreak havoc on the peaceful town of Zoaville. If by now you guys haven't realized that I've been home sick and getting stir crazy, the random postings just to keep myself entertained should be a key sign. Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Psh I've got a massive 50 head dragon soul favia that proves you know me, fool! Everyone look at Ty. He's so coral rich he uses crushed up montipora undata as his sandbed. Making it rain over there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Psh I've got a massive 50 head dragon soul favia that proves you know me, fool! Everyone look at Ty. He's so coral rich he uses crushed up montipora undata as his sandbed. Making it rain over there Wuhh? 50-head? Did you call no take-backs? Cause I'm calling take-back! Woohoo! I also like to crumble jedi mind trick monti and throw it into my CaRX just to mine the calcium and alkalinity! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Pedretti Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Manny...is this the first thing you look at when you wake up? I always thought Bpb was a long haired publicly awkward weird like creature who stays in the darkness most of the time...oh wait that's me...on my way to bed now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Manny...is this the first thing you look at when you wake up? I always thought Bpb was a long haired publicly awkward weird like creature who stays in the darkness most of the time...oh wait that's me...on my way to bed now...Lol. Honestly it is the first thing I look at when I wake up. You know because there is nothing else to do at 0330 in the morning. Well besides study microbiology and American history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Pedretti Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Lol...that's why I go to bed so late...there's nothing to do after 330...I mean I'm just sitting there twiddling my thumbs waiting for the sun to come up if I stay awake any later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Nothing like getting blasted in the chest with 5,550 gph. Better get this cleaned up before the wife gets home! Off to Lowe's! I'll explain later! Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Yikes! This can't be good .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Nothing like getting blasted in the chest with 5,550 gph. Better get this cleaned up before the wife gets home! Off to Lowe's! I'll explain later! Sent via Tapatalk ahhhh!?!? need any help? i got off early today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Psh I've got a massive 50 head dragon soul favia that proves you know me, fool! Everyone look at Ty. He's so coral rich he uses crushed up montipora undata as his sandbed. Making it rain over there Wuhh? 50-head? Did you call no take-backs? Cause I'm calling take-back! Woohoo!I also like to crumble jedi mind trick monti and throw it into my CaRX just to mine the calcium and alkalinity! Sir. No takesie backsies!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Nothing like getting blasted in the chest with 5,550 gph. Better get this cleaned up before the wife gets home! Off to Lowe's! I'll explain later! Sent via Tapatalk Yikes Ty. I hope it wasn't stinky stagnant water. By the way, the guy who gave you the Deltec must be a really nice guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Oh yeah. And look where I was today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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