gmanreefer Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Following your above post, now I'm sold on this stuff too. Have some nasty bryopsis been fighting forever. 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted November 30, 2016 Author Share Posted November 30, 2016 Worth a shot! Small update: Leptoseris - grew this from a little pinky nails worth. Slow grower for me. Orange Chalice (unsure of specific ID) (new) Superman Rhodactis (Split from 1 to 3 over 2 years). Red hornets New acro frag - no ID Another new acro - no ID New Chalice Purple Hornet Cyphastrea Caulastrea echinulata A new favorite - Rock flower anemone 2 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted December 3, 2016 Author Share Posted December 3, 2016 Coral growth lapse: Jan 24, 2016: Dec 05, 2016: You can see the original frag shape in the center - 10 months later. 3 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted December 4, 2016 Author Share Posted December 4, 2016 Montipora Digitata A new acropora (Pink/Green) New Acropora (no ID) Rainbow montipora A chalice and rock anemone Montipora Spongodes Scroll Coral or Pagoda Cup Ricordea A coral I've had for a while and finally put in a nice spot. Sold as "frog skin" acropora. The growth pattern has changed dramatically in the new tank. Much more pokey. Originally it had very smooth skin - Possibly from being kept in low flow. FIRE AND ICE Rainbow Palythoa Gobstoppers 5 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Few more from the dump: Chalice still recovering from shipping shock (white spots) Slowest growing coral of all time Fastest growing coral 2 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 After my initial excitement I feel like am obligated to update on Vibrant aquariums. There was an initial kill, and my GHA is now Brown HA, but there was no sustained reduction in green hair algae. I have kept the same parameters and same husbandry practices. Certainly not the miracle purported by the hype train. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted December 21, 2016 Author Share Posted December 21, 2016 Ora birdsnest - regrowth after a major trim Red planet - super slow grower for me. I've had this frag for a year. Baby sps mountain growing up Tort, getting chunky 4 Quote Link to comment
Newstead Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Gorgeous pics! Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 January update: I've been lazy - algae is getting out of control and colors aren't super vibrant. Growth is steady. I need to replace my RODI filters (tap water is 400ppm so they don't last very long.) 8 Quote Link to comment
ninjamyst Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 wow, beautiful! glad i stumbled on this build thread. amazing pics. 1 Quote Link to comment
tanacharison Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Great job! I really like the tank, all I can think about is how much I miss the BB I had going. 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Thanks, pretty sure I will always keep a BB tank until some magical sand comes along that is both dense and easy for bacteria to colonize or consume. And that has a hardness much lower than glass... X_X 4 Quote Link to comment
DaveFason Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Really stellar photos man. Glad to see everything looking great. You are being a little hard on yourself! Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Thanks, pretty sure I will always keep a BB tank until some magical sand comes along that is both dense and easy for bacteria to colonize or consume. And that has a hardness much lower than glass... X_X What I did was two layers of sand - a powder sand topped with a 2.5-5.5mm particle size that can't get blown around, even by a Gyre in a 36 gallon tank. I no longer have the alkalinity plummeting effect of BB. 2 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I haven't noticed alkalinity swings - how long will the sand help stabilize your alk? This is from the release of alkalinity through the sand dissolving due to aerobic bacteria waste? Or it helps buffer the PH? PH goes down - sand dissolves - PH goes up? Curious how something like powdered limestone would help if used in a low flow area of the sump: http://www.makeyourown.buzz/calcium-carbonate-ground-limestone/?gclid=CPe5qILrv9ECFdCCswodQOwLlg I dose Kalk with my top-off which runs for 10 seconds every 5 minutes. Maybe this is why I haven't had PH / alk issues. In other news... I just discovered that my RO filters are totally shot and that I'm using 200 PPM top-off water X_X.... Better than the 400 PPM I get from the tap I suppose. Crazy...my filters only last ~6 months. Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I haven't noticed alkalinity swings - how long will the sand help stabilize your alk? This is from the release of alkalinity through the sand dissolving due to aerobic bacteria waste? Or it helps buffer the PH? PH goes down - sand dissolves - PH goes up? Curious how something like powdered limestone would help if used in a low flow area of the sump: http://www.makeyourown.buzz/calcium-carbonate-ground-limestone/?gclid=CPe5qILrv9ECFdCCswodQOwLlg I dose Kalk with my top-off which runs for 10 seconds every 5 minutes. Maybe this is why I haven't had PH / alk issues. In other news... I just discovered that my RO filters are totally shot and that I'm using 200 PPM top-off water X_X.... Better than the 400 PPM I get from the tap I suppose. Crazy...my filters only last ~6 months. In the nitrogen cycle, one carbonate molecule is used in the process converting from nitrite to nitrate. if that nitrate is not reduced bacterially to nitrogen gas, that carbonate molecule is locked up and will not be released back into the water. My alkalinity in a barebottom tank with zero stony corals and zero coralline stabilized between 4.5 and 5dKH. I had to dose immense amounts of sodium carbonate to keep it up. My other filtration was removing the nitrate, so I never had a buildup, but that alkalinity never made it back into the tank water. I added about 25lbs of sand into my sump and within two weeks I no longer had the issue.Here is an article by Randy Holmes-Farley that talks about it. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.php 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Thanks Jedi - I may try adding some limestone powder to my sump. Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Thanks Jedi - I may try adding some limestone powder to my sump. I dont think that will help you as much as a larger sand would, powder will likely compact. And by larger I mean something like oolite, which is 0.1-0.2mm grain size. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 Starting the slow process of restocking the tank. Picked up two beautiful DaVinci clowns from a LFS - they are gorgeous. Also giving the Kole Tang another shot. Used the "AccliMate" when adding the new fish and a 3 hour acclimation time. I also used stress coat during the acclimation process. Fish were added just before lights out. Tank is running very clean right now. Replaced all RODI filters and Completed a 30% water change prior to adding the new fish. Turkey Blasted all rocks. Cleaned out my macro-algae stage in the sump (which was totally overgrown). Pics to come. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 DaVinci Clown Pair Male right side Male bottom, Female top Female right side 3 Quote Link to comment
cnseekatz Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Awesome setup, and beautiful photos. I love the new clowns! I have the same sump as you, and I removed some baffles to combine the two middle sections into one large refugium section. I know you're trying to add a sand-bed (of some kind or another) into your sump so you can stay BB in the display. This might give you a little more room and surface area for a sand-bed. 2 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 Great idea - I like this tank, but the sump compartments are a bit confusing. I like the way yours is configured. California Acropora Tortuosa - Update 4 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 "Forest Fire" montipora digitata 4 Quote Link to comment
Sailfish Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Wow, tank looks great Those colors are popping! 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted January 29, 2017 Author Share Posted January 29, 2017 Montipora Spongodes (or possibly confuse) - Currently my fastest growing SPS. 3 Quote Link to comment
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