Yeah so do i but i have been thinking of maybe getting a 40b to switch out with the 30b.The few extra gallons may be nice.Im gonna sleep on it a bit though.

I guess the grass is always greener on the other side, huh?

Played around with my camera a little bit this afternoon and think I took what probably passes as my best macro shot to date of some new shrooms I picked up this weekend. What do you think?



Got Macro????



Weetie,
This one is for you. I have the Caulerpa species that you can see and there is also some Chaeto buried in that mess as well. I plan to do a big pruning in the next couple of days so I can send you a good chunk (maybe gallon baggie size?). The Caulerpa is very invasive and spreads worse than the clap in a brothel, so you may not want too much of that to start with. What you see there is just over a month of growth from a lunch bag sized amount that I started with. Let me know what you need.

-Prof

I was playing with my camera some more and was able to create a panaramic view of my tank by stitching three shots together. I am posting this because while I was looking at the picture basking in my new photography prowess I realized something looked wrong with my tank. Really, really wrong. Then I realized that I had captured all of my fish twice in the final picture! So now I get a good idea of what my tank will look like when I add some more clowns!!!




-Prof

Tank looks great! Great job on the stand btw.

Thanks for the compliment!

Prof! Everything's lookin' good. Love that mass of caulerpa in the fuge

Thanks D.

So far everything is trucking along pretty well. No new additions of as yet. Fighting a bit of dino or cyano on the sand bed and want to get that licked first.

Pics later.

-Prof

What do you think is causing the junk on the sandbed?

Probably Phosphates or silica. Nitrates are 0. I have a phosphate test on order and went ahead and started running Phos-ban. I think it is an issue with my water source. I found the maintenance card under the RO machine at Wally-World where I have been getting my water since I set up the 40 and the log showed an excess amount of TDS for the last 6 months. Lord only knows what else is in there. Figures.

I think it is time to bite the bullet and get my own RO unit. I will probably go back to distilled for WC's until I get one ordered and installed.

-Prof

Distilled sounds like a good idea for now.

Mt thoughts exactly. So far I have been able to keep the junk confined to the sand bed, but it is still nasty and means something needs fixin in my tank. I really think it's Dino's vice Cyano which means I am in for the long haul getting rid of it.

-Prof

nice tank

Thanks Phyto!

Thought it was about time for some updated shots of the tank. Everything is trucking along so far and I am slowing beating back the Dino's on the sandbed. Real happy with the tank so far and all my corals are starting to bust loose and start to grow. Starting to think about maybe adding some new additions. Maybe some Acans or SPS. Anyway, on to the pics!

FTS (sorry for the blur)


Nems!


Right side showing the Monti I finally busted up and mounted. It is starting to encrust and is getting it's green color back. Hopefully it will regain it's original neon green over the next few months.


Left side. Nothing special going on here. Lots of open space for new frags!!!



-Prof

Looking good!

Oh so very mice Prof!!



edit: mice?

Thanks Gents!

-Prof

Well I have hit one of those points in the hobby that can be so frustrating. As I have mentioned I have been battling an issue with Dino's (that I am now thinking may be cyano?). Lots of WC's, manual removal, decreased photoperiod, increased flow, reduced feedings etc. I decided to run to the LFS to grab some more Phos-ban and also picked up a beautiful pink tabling acro frag. The were out of Phos-ban so I got Kent Phosphate Sponge. I get home, acclimated the frag and placed in it the tank and put the phosphate remover in a power filter after rinsing well per directions. Checked the tank before bed and all was good. Checked tank before leaving work this morning and all was good. Checked tank when I got home this evening and all was NOT good. My small birdnest frag is totally bleached white (like neon white) and my green monti's are bleaching as well, although they still seem to have tissue I can see no polyp extension. They are a weird brownish-gray color. The new tabling acro however looks great with polyp extension and good colors. My BTA's, and softies all seem fine and the fish are good.

So I did a quick WC, removed the phosphate sponge and started running carbon. All parameters are good and temp is fine. Now it is time to wait and see if my montis will recover. The birdsnest is a complete loss, but I am hoping I can nurse the monti's back.

So, two changes to the tank yesterday - phosphate remover and new frag. Which is the culprit? My gut tells me that it was the phosphate remover, but it is weird that the new frag is the only SPS doing well. Maybe chemical warfare? The other SPS are down flow from the new frag (MP20). I just don't know. I am going to just sit and watch and do another WC tomorrow.

It's frustrating as my Monti was just starting to color up real good and then this happens. Just have to be patient and see what happens.

-Prof

I'm sorry Prof, I totally understand your feelings.
I hope that your SPS that have been negatively affected pull through and color back up for you.

Thanks Weetie. I know that you have been there. I usually don't use any filter mediums other than occasional carbon and have only used these phosphate removers in the last couple of weeks. I am not impressed. I plan to go back to au natural. It has worked for me for years. If the phosphate remover is the culprit than I am paying for my impatience.

Hopefully my monti's will recover. The birdsnest frag was a salvage that started at about 1cm long with three little branches it was putting on new growth and coloring up. Time will tell.

-Prof

Aw man Prof, that sucks! I don't trust Kent for anything but Mg supplement and Lugol's. I've heard too many horror stories. I really hope everything pulls through!

Thanks. Lesson learned I guess. Everything in the tank seems ok except for the SPS. I loved my monti's though and really hope they recover.

-Prof

Hang in there Prof.

Fingers crossed for coral recovery.

Thanks NRF.

Update: I think the montis are going to pull through. I am seeing polyp extension at night and the color has lost that gray-look and is a uniform brown color now. I don't see any obvious tissue recession so I think I am in the clear. It will probably take them several months to color back up, but I can live with that. The birdsnest was a total loss and the new pink tabling acro I got when this fiasco started looks great. It not's encrusting yet but polyp extension is good. One of my GBTA has moved into a cave in the shade but that doesn't concern me. He is either going to split or get tired of being in the dark and move back into the light. I'll throw up some pics later when the lights come on.

On another note I have been doing careful observations of my fuge, as this is the first time I have run one. One of the big things I noticed is that I get absolutely no micro algae on my glass in the fuge. Also, I am fighting a dino/cyano problem in the display but have none in the fuge which is much lower flow. Both the display and the fuge are lit by T5HO and are running current bulbs right now. Nitrates are undetectable. Based on this I am seriously contemplating adding macro to the display. I think there is a correlation between physical contact with the macro and nuisance algae control. With the macro being run "remotely" in the fuge it is doing a fantastic job with Nitrates, keeping pH stable etc, but I still get micro-algae on the glass in the display and have the issue with the sandbed I am slowly winning. I know pods like to eat micro-algae, but I don't feel I really have that significant of a pod population yet to where they are keeping a 20 gallon sump, most of which is fuge, clear of micro-algae. It makes me wonder if macro algaes excrete alleopathic substances to compete for space/nutrients with other forms of algae? Thoughts?

-Prof

could you be so kind as to give me the dims on the maxijet nj3000? Im thinking of using one to power an aio 16in cube. Also, how do you like it? quiet, heat issues? It was this or an eheim compact+

No problem. If I remember correctly it is 3" wide by 5" long, but i can't remember the height. I emailed Marineland for the exact dimensions before I ordered it so I will dig up that email and/or measure it for you when I get home tonight.

-Prof

This is interesting.
Truthfully, I don't know the answer, I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
Maybe johnmaloney or Mr. Fosi?
See, this is why I'd like to get a SW Planted Sub-Forum going!
This discussion would be perfect there.
Actually Prof, wouldn't hurt to start a thread on this in the Refugium Forum, might get a better response there.

VERY glad to hear of the improvement in your Monti's.

that's interesting, Prof. I actually get a lot of micro algae in both of my displays and I have a ton of macros. I think my problem is the need of a stronger CUC, lol.

Thanks for the happy dance! Good idea on the re-posting the ? in the Refugium forum. Look for that later.



Geez D, I come up with a theory and you roll up and pee on it!!! J/K

In all seriousness, I really cheap out on clean-up crews and while I always have less than the "recommended" amount, I seldom have an issue with nuisance algae other than the green micro that dusts my glass every couple of days. I see people buying huge cleanup crews after their cycle and shudder to think of the mortality rates, particularly of the snails, once they clean up the initial cycle blooms and slowly starve from having nothing to eat.

I wonder if maybe it has something to do with how long the macros are established. Terrestial plants compete with one another for space, nutrients and sunlight with various weapons, just like coral do. I don't think it is beyond the realm of possibility Macros can too.

-Prof

I use the same theory - i start bare bones, then see how the tank fares, then add more if the nuisance algae won't go away.

Truth. That's the responsible way to do it. I have a turbo and 2 nassarius I have are pushing 4 years old, and that's just how long I have had them.

-Prof

YGPM.

gracias

Good news today! Looks like I have the sandbed ugliness beat (pretty sure it was cyano now), the monti's that were affected by the phosphate remover disaster are on the mend, starting to get color back and even a touch of growth! Also, my GBTA that decided to hide on me is wandering it's way back into the light. Pretty nice to have the tank looking good again, especially seeing it after a long, hard day at work. Only down side was the GBTA wandered through some blue zoas I had and made them really angry.

Anyway on to some updated pics:

Montis (recovering):


New pink plating acro:


My BTA's


Left Side:


Right Side:


FTS:


-Prof

I thought you were having tank issues??



Very nice Prof.

Glad to hear things seem to be rebounding nicely!

Looking good, I completely missed this one. Yea HOT is a crappy store. Roozens is hit or miss. The best store around us was Aqua Co in Reston, Va which closed shop. You could always venture out to BRK in McLean,VA.

YAY!!!!!!!!!

Thanks NRF! I was lucky I was able to keep the cyano confined to the sandbed. Even then it can be a bear to beat though. Now that I have that licked I can start looking to add more stuff to the tank. I didn't want to add anything else until I had it under control.



Thanks! What is BRK? Isn't McLean where all the rich folks live? Any LFS there must be nice! I am always looking for new LFS's to check out so if you can send me the details I would appreciate it. I will never go back to HOT. I have found some good treasures at Roozens over the years, but that place is pretty funky.




Double Yay!!!!!! Thanks Weetie!

Nice nems! My RBTA is slowly but surely taking over my 18gal cube.

Yup, they have a way of doing that. I'm just happy that the one I had that split is all healed and is starting to look normal again.

-Prof

Im thinking your nems may have touched your birdsnest. I used to have a large one until it started moving demolishing my sps in its path. Just a thought.

Blue Ribbon Koi......... Johnny gets some good stuff.

I almost wish that was the answer but where my birdsnest was there was no way for the nems to get to it and the one that was wandering didn't really start doing it until after the bleaching event. .



Thanks DT. I will check them out on my next reefing road trip!

-Prof

Just a quick update since I have not posted in a while. Tank is cruising along fine without any problems, except one of of my GBTA's has settled in the back corner of the tank and apparently likes it there

Did get some new frags: A nice Pink Birdsnest with purple polyps, some Anthelia I have parked on the sandbed for now until I decide where to place it and a nice purple acro frag. On to the pics!

Insert obligatory "I take lousy pics" apology here.

Nems:


Montis:


New Birdsnest:


New Acro:


And a FTS:




Enjoy!

-Prof

Sweet FTS there Prof!

Beautiful tank

Thanks NRF! That's high praise indeed coming from you!!!!

-Prof

Update: Tank is cruising along very well. Did a WC yesterday and a major pruning on the fuge. I pulled out enough macro to fill a 10 gallon tank!

In the good news column my RBTA has decided to split and I also acquired a orange Monti Cap that I have mounted with my green ones. I hope the effect will look good once they grow in. My SPS are doing well and are gowing and encrusting, but my polyp extension is not what I think it should be on the acros. They seem to be doing okay though so I will just watch for now. I have a couple other additions which includes some Blue Cloves and some Anthelia.

In the not-so-good news column I found a Aipstasia, which I promptly nuked. Hopefully he is the only one. Also my Green Clown Goby is MIA that I recently got. Hopefully he will show up.

Anyway, on to the pics. (I apologize in advance, they were taken on my camera phone)

Some SPS:


Montis:


BTA's and Clowns:


Two 3/4 shots:



And the obligatory FTS:


Enjoy!

-Prof

Such a sweet tank.

Still lovin' it Prof!

Hope the goby turns up soon.

LOVE that green monti colony. So cool!

Thanks NRF. Still looking fo the GCG. He is still MIA though. Hopefully he will pop up soon. There are so many nooks and crannies in this tank a fish his size could hide forever!



Thanks D. Will probably be fragging some of the green soon. Should I keep you in mind?

-Prof