Macintosh Classic - pico reef

[TFish77]

 

 

thanks tfish, are those numbers: 10, 70, 15, 15, 70, 70, 40???? Also what are those color codes? RY? how do they translate?

 

thanks

Oh haha my bad.

 

White -10

Violet -70

Deep Red -15

Green -15

Deep Blue -70

Royal -70

UV -40

[doradosteve]

Nice job on Mac-Reef!

[MarsRover]

Thanks everyone!

I've been out of town since the 24th and won't be home until the 4th..... first time i'm leaving town since building this little guy. I did a water change before i left. Hope everything is going okay!

 

Over the coarse of my trip i decided a few things:

1. I decided to try some Macro Algae to help manage Nitrates since I've been having a little trouble managing it so i purchased "Rare Red Branching Macroalgae" for $6:

 

2. I decided to try montipora again now that my tank isn't frigid and is much more stable since my first, failed attempt (beginning of the thread) so i got this gorgeous (i think the colors are anyway...) Montipora capricornis for $8.50:

 

3. I also found this Acanthastrea lordhowensis that I wanted to try. Read around and it is said to be an "easier" coral to try out so i got it for $12:

 

they're delivering them when i arrive back home from my trip! Excited about it.

 

Let me know what you all think/suggest!

 

-MR

[HarryPotter]

Those are awesome prices, where are you shopping at?

[brandon429]

that acan would have been 90$ at my lfs are you saying you can get those for 12pl shipping I buy you some side frags

 

monti would have been 49xx

[MarsRover]

Those are awesome prices, where are you shopping at?

 

 

that acan would have been 90$ at my lfs are you saying you can get those for 12pl shipping I buy you some side frags

 

monti would have been 49xx

 

 

 

 

LAreefs on ebay is a local person sells where I am (san gabriel valley, california) and offers me free shipping if my total purchase is >$25.

 

Wait until i get them and i'll let you all know what they look like to see if it is truely WYSIWYG

[MarsRover]

picked up the frags on tuesday afternoon and popped them in the bottom of my tank

 

 

I also picked up a frogspawn yesterday from a LFS by my work after a longgg day at my desk...

 

 

anyway, the frog spawn immediately perked up as you can see in the picture above, taken maybe an hour after acclimating. The Acan and monti aren't looking so happy. The Acan was looking mega....i can't think of any other way to describe it.....fuzzy....... i'm guessing it is the little feeder tentacles coming out? It seemed to look a lot better after i fed my tank.

 

 

The montipora is still looking pretty sad. Not bleached, but very dull coloration.

 

These are my first montipora and acans and i'm wondering if maybe they just got beat up real bad in the guy bringing them to me and handing them off to me or if they usually are just slow to regain their footing after being re-homed.

 

 

thanks folks!

 

 

 

This guy was pretty happy at feeding time too

[MarsRover]

Wow, so decided to use my PAR sensor for the first time since i got it about a month ago in the mail..... heres the numbers:




So i did some rearranging..... considering that monti and acan were being grown at 250PAR before i got them, and they'd be sitting at the above shown levels for a while in my tank for the last week, i figured it was time to upgrade




I think the monti and acan are doing much better at these higher levels!

[MarsRover]

Gahhh!!! Someone please help!

 

So I relocated my Acanthastrea and Montipora to higher ground after having them for about a week (in the locations that i showed in the image in my previous post with all the PAR numbers on it PAR ~43 & ~15 respectively.) to the new locations in the photo shown just below the PAR numbers image (to about PAR ~160 and ~50 respectively).

 

Yesterday i started noticing my Montipora getting very white on certain parts of it. Making me nervous. I contacted the guy who sold it to me and he said move it laterally out from directly under the LEDs since it was probably too intense for the montipora. (just for some back info, they were being grown at ~250PAR before i received them). The Acan seems to be doing much better in the new location however.

 

I have today relocated the Montipora up but farther out to this location (from PAR ~50 back down to ~25 or so). The FTS photos below are a bit more washed out than the scene looks in real life due to iphone/LED aliasing. The close up of the montipora though looks more acturate:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tested my water and my parameters aren't doing so hot either so i did a 30% h2o change as well and replaced my purigen while also adding phosguard.

 

Pre-H20 change #s:

pH = ~7.6

dKH = 9 - 10

NH3/4 = ~0

NO2 = ~0.2

NO3 = ~30 (ugh...)

Ca = 460

 

I'm going to test the water again tonight to see how things are.

[MarsRover]

Went to the LFS yesterday and they said try an Iodine dip.

I did that to all my corals (except for the Acan because it looks great, as per their recommendation) and i'm pretty sure the monti is now all bleached.....

I haven't seen any tissue necrosis though. Is it possible to bring it back?

Thanks

-Ben

[Elizabeth94]

Well the monti looks really bleached, are you sure your par meter is working correctly? I just can't see it bleaching under those par readings.

 

I would put that guy on the bottom for sure. Your alk doesn't look like it would be the problem, so I would think it was under too much light in your tank. If it is lighting, it should heal but it takes a while until it will look normal again.

[MarsRover]

I just got the PAR meter from Fosters and smith in the mail so i'd like to believe that out of the box it is calibrated and working.... i guess i could compare my numbers in air to the numbers the AI claims. i'll do that tonight when i'm off work.

 

I'll also move it back to the bottom. after the iodine dip though, it's looking mega bleached

 

My LFS guy says it's pretty impossible to keep sps in nano. I'm sure plenty of people on here will disagree..

[brandon429]

what is your feeding regimen for the tank am curious, nutrition affects corals gaining or losing mass heavily

[MarsRover]

I was feeding both marine snow (~3/4ml) and a some enriched frozen brine shrimp (just dipping the frozen cube in the tank a few times so blenny could eat).

 

I have since stopped marine snow since the LFS (sps coral store) told me that the brine plus the fish poop would be plenty to feed my corals and my high nitrates are likely due to over feeding.

 

I have also taken out the mechanical filtration (sponges in my canister filter) a few days ago.

 

-Ben

[Elizabeth94]

You are absolutely right, many reefers here would certainly disagree..

 

 

My LFS guy says it's pretty impossible to keep sps in nano. I'm sure plenty of people on here will disagree..

 

 

 

What is your maintenance regime with that canister filter? Canister filters are great filtration. Infact, they can be a bit too good, and become a nice source for nitrates (as you probably already knew).

 

I would clean that out and replace all the sponge/floss you have in there every three days or so (but I am a cleaning freak at times..) Or maybe you can look into getting a HOB filter hooked up instead of the canister?

 

EDIT: Maybe not every three days.. But certainly every week.

[Tamberav]

I just got the PAR meter from Fosters and smith in the mail so i'd like to believe that out of the box it is calibrated and working.... i guess i could compare my numbers in air to the numbers the AI claims. i'll do that tonight when i'm off work.

 

I'll also move it back to the bottom. after the iodine dip though, it's looking mega bleached

 

My LFS guy says it's pretty impossible to keep sps in nano. I'm sure plenty of people on here will disagree..

 

 

I would never dip SPS in iodine (or freshwater). Do not take advice from that LFS. He just sent that coral to the grave most likely. Iodine can be pretty harsh on SPS and that one was already doing poorly.

 

Coral Rx is pretty popular but I don't think the issue was pasts.

 

The al prime looks like it is directly on top of the tank? I would think the led's may have burned the monti regardless of what the par says. With the optics, maybe a certain color burnt it.

 

I seem to have better success when I hang lights a fair amount of space above the tank. Maybe its so the colors can blend/diffuse, I'm not sure.

[MarsRover]

You are absolutely right, many reefers here would certainly disagree..

 

 

 

 

What is your maintenance regime with that canister filter? Canister filters are great filtration. Infact, they can be a bit too good, and become a nice source for nitrates (as you probably already knew).

 

I would clean that out and replace all the sponge/floss you have in there every three days or so (but I am a cleaning freak at times..) Or maybe you can look into getting a HOB filter hooked up instead of the canister?

 

EDIT: Maybe not every three days.. But certainly every week.

I've thought about doing a hang on the back but i don't know if something will fit on mine and i don't really want to spend the dough to buy one and have it not fit.

 

Also, replacing the floss every week, thats kind of a lot to do. I have a ton of live rock in there so i figure maybe it's enough bio-filtration. I took the sponges out of the canister (because yes, my nitrates have been uncontrollable) its been a week and i think for the first time i'm reaching 20 on the RedSea test.

 

I would never dip SPS in iodine (or freshwater). Do not take advice from that LFS. He just sent that coral to the grave most likely. Iodine can be pretty harsh on SPS and that one was already doing poorly.

 

Coral Rx is pretty popular but I don't think the issue was pasts.

 

The al prime looks like it is directly on top of the tank? I would think the led's may have burned the monti regardless of what the par says. With the optics, maybe a certain color burnt it.

 

I seem to have better success when I hang lights a fair amount of space above the tank. Maybe its so the colors can blend/diffuse, I'm not sure.

 

Yeah, my AI sits on top of my tank. The reason being that i was trying to keep the tank having as much of the computer feel as possible and so i just drilled a 3" hole in the top of the tank to sit the AI on. Your thoughts on the colors blending/interfering with one another makes sense. I've noticed anything i put in that place gets super pissed (put a green polyp'd leather there and it was not having it...)

 

I am considering taking a piece of frosted glass and putting it between the AI and the water to help disperse the light from the AI. Thoughts?

[Tamberav]

I've thought about doing a hang on the back but i don't know if something will fit on mine and i don't really want to spend the dough to buy one and have it not fit.

 

Also, replacing the floss every week, thats kind of a lot to do. I have a ton of live rock in there so i figure maybe it's enough bio-filtration. I took the sponges out of the canister (because yes, my nitrates have been uncontrollable) its been a week and i think for the first time i'm reaching 20 on the RedSea test.

 

 

Yeah, my AI sits on top of my tank. The reason being that i was trying to keep the tank having as much of the computer feel as possible and so i just drilled a 3" hole in the top of the tank to sit the AI on. Your thoughts on the colors blending/interfering with one another makes sense. I've noticed anything i put in that place gets super pissed (put a green polyp'd leather there and it was not having it...)

 

I am considering taking a piece of frosted glass and putting it between the AI and the water to help disperse the light from the AI. Thoughts?

 

If you can't clean the canister often enough. I would just do away with it and only use live rock as filtration. Without proper maintenance, it will do more harm than good.

 

I would try a light diffuser for sure. There is even a peel and stick kind that was popular years ago. I am sure there are plenty of recommendations for reef lighting that can be found via google. I haven't used any, so can't recommend one.

[MarsRover]

 

If you can't clean the canister often enough. I would just do away with it and only use live rock as filtration. Without proper maintenance, it will do more harm than good.

 

I would try a light diffuser for sure. There is even a peel and stick kind that was popular years ago. I am sure there are plenty of recommendations for reef lighting that can be found via google. I haven't used any, so can't recommend one.

I pretty much have done away with the canister completely. It is basically functioning as a water pump (outside of the tank so it doesn't take up space in my tiny tank), the canister adds water volume to my tiny system and allows me to have purigen, phosgard, and chemipure in the system easily.

[Tamberav]

I pretty much have done away with the canister completely. It is basically functioning as a water pump (outside of the tank so it doesn't take up space in my tiny tank), the canister adds water volume to my tiny system and allows me to have purigen, phosgard, and chemipure in the system easily.

 

I would still think you need to clean the canister, no? Wouldn't the bags of purigen/carbon, ect catch debris the same as floss/sponges?

[MarsRover]

 

I would still think you need to clean the canister, no? Wouldn't the bags of purigen/carbon, ect catch debris the same as floss/sponges?

yeah i guess i do rinse them every week or so.... haha didn't even realize i do that as a routine each weekend!

[Tamberav]

yeah i guess i do rinse them every week or so.... haha didn't even realize i do that as a routine each weekend!

 

The way I run my pico is a 50% w/c weekly and I replace the phosguard and rox carbon every week. I don't do anything with the purigen because it takes forever to get exhausted in such a small tank. It seems to work really well.

 

Chemipure cost adds up though, so I use rox carbon from BRS which some argue is better than chemipure. I just use a couple TBS.

 

Less media and more frequent changes basically.

[MarsRover]

Today:

 

Getting some nice growth.

 

Zoantus have multiple babies growing in.

Frogspawn since my last posts has split from one mouth to now three

seriatopora guttatus looks like it has been growing as well

 

excited for things to keep filling in!

[MarsRover]

Thinking about putting a nitrate reactor on this guy. What do you all think? I might even convert my canister filter into one if i can find an easy way to do this. The tank requires little maintenance, pretty much nothing in the canister filter.... it's been so long since i last opened it i forget whats still in there...maybe a bag of phosguard and a couple little purigen blue bags. Any recommendations? My nitrates are always higher than i'd like....

[MarsRover]

Scrub what i said above. I decided to get one of these canisters and tie it into my sunsun 602B:

 

 

 

Fill it with some cheato and strap a light to the side of it and BOOM. post sunsun "nitrate reactor" what do you all think??

 

 

also, tested my parameters today, probably the best i've seen with this tank so far:

 

REDSEA test kit:

PH: 8.2

NH3/NH4 : 0

NO2: 0

NO3: 0 **

dKH: 4 ***

 

API calcium test: 460-500ppm

Redsea P-PO4: 0.04 - 0.08ppm

Salinity: 1.03 ***

 

** some say you actually want nitrate slightly elevated....between 0 and 2....is this true?

*** added 1/8th tsp to the tank in a glass of RO/DI water. directions said 1tsp/80L which equals 1/8th tsp per 2.64gal. About what i'm working with here