Oceanic Angles

[crunk11]

i love engineer gobys. can you get a pic of it?

[varanus37]

Yep, I'll try and snap one of him tomorrow when the lights are back on.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

Crunk, my bad for not getting you pics. I will try again tomorrow. So alot has changed in the tank. Moved several things around to better utilize the light setup and to accomodate more frags of course! I'm moving out some pieces in the NR Secret Santa gift exchange so they're basically just sitting in the tank. Not really placed because they're going to new homes soon.

 

So my new frag list since the last time I posted an update:

 

Purple montipora undata (x4)

Purple w/blue polyp monti cap

LE Tyree Strawberry Patch

Green Sativa micros

Strawberry Lemonade montipora

Blue w/pink eye oxypora

Dreamsicle Chalice

Kiwi monti confusa (x2)

 

More pics to come as things get sorted into their final resting spots.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

Jeez, the changes are just flowing. Lots of aquascaping has been changed again to accomodate the frags I got from my secret santas! Here's the rundown of them:

 

Hydno

Duncan

Candy Cane

Frogspawn

nice lil zoa rock

Umbrella shroom

Pavona

 

Pics will be up for all to see tomorrow. Everyone was settling in tonight and I'm still not totally positive on their placement but I'm fairly sure they're right. We'll see with the halides on tomorrow if I still like where I've put them. Or if they still like it, LOL.

 

Oh yeah, my LFS is having a holiday sale this weekend! Pipefish are in, assorted nudis are in. And a sweet octopus. Probably none of which are good for my tank but still kewl to spread the news to you all. Boatloads of fish and whatnot as well obviously.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So, an engineer goby shot for Crunk. I'm gonna say he's as thick as my middle finger and twice as long. ~8"

 

 

Some new FTSs

 

 

 

New frags. New rockwork. New placement for old frags. The secret santa and AAs last ebay were major.

 

 

 

 

 

[varanus37]

Another couple shots of frag placement and whatnot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill

[varanus37]

Just fed everyone. Duncan and Candy Canes are the 2 new guys and they ate really well. Even the 2nd head on the duncan took a piece of silverside. That's mostly what I feed. I find it easier to just cut them up into small pieces than to thaw a cube of mysis and then slurp the slurry up and squirt it at the micros and stuff. Rather just use tweezers to grab a silverside chunk and set it right on the mouth. Takes a bit more time this way but it's very effective. My micros down the stuff like it's the divine nectar, LOL. Even the chalices get it.

 

 

So all seems to be going well with the new 'scape and additions. I'll keep you all posted.

 

Bill

[Gerber77]

Looks good

[varanus37]

Moved the PHs around to adjust the flow for the new rockwork and all the caps that are in there now. Moved some more frags around as well. The leng sy style cap is above the colt coral now instead of next to it. The candy canes are now in the hole that the cap frag once occupied. I also took those frogspawn that were above the colt and moved them down to the sand in front of the big feather duster. A piece of kiwi confusa now occupies the spot where the frogspawn once sat.

 

On the opposite side of the tank, I adjusted the powerhead to hit quite a bit of flow onto the large rock with all of the sps frags. This meant that I had to move the oxypora deeper into the rock shelf to benefit from the flow while moving the doobisberry micros farther out on the shelf to protect them from the heavy flow.

 

As far as I can tell everyone loves it and polyps are out and happy.

 

More pics to follow.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So the hammer got moved out from behind the big feather duster. It's now in front of the cave that is formed by the rock shelf that is covered in montis. I put the green palys from AA and the zoa/mushie mix rock from my secret santa in the spot once occupied by the hammer. It works out rather well. The polyps now have some room to grow out and the hammer provide good cover for the YWG and a spot for the clown to nestle.

 

I also used an xmas gift to order a Koralia 2 and 3 as well as a 160 gal. mix of Reef Crystals and a 10" pair of bent forceps for feeding everyone. Should be here a day or 2 after xmas.

 

Look for more pics this weekend.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So here's a question. I've got 10k lights right now that are pretty white. The light system I use is AIO and has PC actinic supplement. Now I really like the growth I've experienced with the 10k bulbs but I'd like to switch to 14k because I much prefer the color those bulbs produce. If I went with 2 14k Phoenix bulbs, I don't think I would need actinic supplements to achieve the color I want. What do you think of switching out my PC actinics for 6.5k/6.7k bulbs?

 

Would I still get the good growth? I wonder how that would look. Maybe only switch 2 of the 4 PC bulbs to the 6k? I'm definitely going with the 14k for the MH but my PC options are still floating. I think with 2x250w 14k bulbs and actinics it will look like a blue laser, LOL.

 

What do you all think?

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So no opinions on the light idea, huh? Well alright then, LOL.

 

So I've got a bunch of new pics to put up and my camera died nicely in the middle of uploading.

I'll get them on shortly though.

 

Bill

[da1001]

Sorry, I am an idiot about lighting, but I like the tank setup, I think I will tag along

[varanus37]

I'm no light guru either.

 

And thanks for the compliment.

 

Bill

[Weetabix7]

I think you'll really like the look you'll get from the Phoenix bulbs.

I love mine, and I think I still get decent growth.

I say just switch 2 of the PC bulbs and play it by ear from there.

I want some of that Pink Lemonade!

[varanus37]

So I took a bunch more pics after moving corals around. I think everyone is where they should be for now. As things grow out some more movement may be necessary but not much. I think my superman montis frag plug has been encrusted by my monti cap. That may be a problem as the superman is growing over the edges already.

 

New FTS to show placement diffs

 

My branching hammer in its new spot up front

 

Mvites green funk palys and a combo rock where the hammer used to be

 

Check out the wonderful growth pattern on this piece (Green monti cap)

 

A 55g is 13" deep and I'd say this guy is well over halfway across. He can eat a silverside.

(meat coral)

 

Check out the branching here. This started as a single skinny stalk with branches higher up. Easily a 1-1.5 ft when in full swing. (colt coral)

 

Baby heads on the RPEs! There are 2 behind that you can't see as well so that's 4 new total.

 

Nice floppy growth here. (Echino/Chalice)

And a close-up

 

Duncans, lovin' life.

 

Look at how many mouths are on this thing. Major eater! (Candy Canes)

 

Strawberry Lemonade for Weetie. (It's a morph of Pokerstar Montipora)

 

Sorry about the photo skillz but there are still more to come.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So some more pics.

This majano decided to hang out on my front glass panel. I'm lettin' him stay.

 

Butt/foot close-up

 

My still not completely sure what it is cluster

 

YWG, hangin' out by his burrow. What else is new?

 

I love the pattern on this clown. The white is so clean and very, very bright.

 

So what if I overdid it on clown pics? LOL. So that's what I've got for updates so far.

 

Bill

[Weetabix7]

I like that clown.

I can't wait to see how it looks with the new bulbs.

Save some lemonade for me!

[varanus37]

No problem. That frag was well over the sides of the plug when I got it. Full polyp extension and it hasn't looked bad to date. I think it will grow out nicely. The rock it's on has quite a few frags. Kiwi confusa, purple undata, purple cap, pink-eyed oxypora, and 2 types of micros. The micros will be moved as they mound off the plugs. The oxypora I think will stay on the rock. I'd like to see it cover the shelf the rock creates with the purple cap as a background. Would look really nice. The purple undata is on the backside of the rock and I'm going to let it grow out and cover as well. It will basically be a purple rock with pink eyes when it's all said and done. That's my hope at least. The kiwi and the lemonade will be moved as they grow close to the rock. I've got another piece of kiwi on a taller rock so this kiwi frag will join it to get some different growth patterns. I also owe a frag of it to dtfleming. The strawberry lemonade may also go on that rock but I'm not for sure yet.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

So I've got nothing going on today. Went a bit pic crazy and now I'm sharing. Some, I think, turned out really well. Especially for me, LOL. Here ya go.

 

More strawberry lemonade for Weetie.

Check out the polyp coverage.

 

Strawberry patch

Check out the pink polyps. Maybe too much light?

 

Combo rock from secret santa..looking out from the cave.

 

Green cap growth from the inside of the cave as well

Different shot

 

Nice growth on the orange cap

 

Urchin with flash

Urchin without flash

 

My very fat Doobisberrys

Love the pattern on these guys

 

There are more coming .

 

Bill

[varanus37]

Here's some more.

 

Purple Undata

 

Pavona cactus in a brain skeleton

A bit closer

 

Purple cap w/ blue polyps...should be kewl growth from this position.

Polyps almost look shiny here.

 

Top-down of RPEs

 

Bunch of zoas...hoping they'll grow around the feather and form a nice carpet...so far they're doing what I want, LOL.

 

Grandis...showing their subtle white streaking.

The pic isn't washed out, this young one just has that much white...very nice patten, much like a pied Ball Python.

 

That might be it for a bit. Teresa was just making fun of me, LOL. Asked how many pics I had up in my thread now. And how many were from just today. Hope you all enjoy.

 

Bill

[c est ma]

Gee, Bill, thanks for telling me to look up your thread! Don't know why I've never gone beyond your 1/2 10 before.

 

 

Nice pics! I especially like the macros of the strawberry patch and the purple cap--love to look at those little polyps.

 

Super sweet acan, and I love those scrolly/platy things (I'm not good at telling one genus from another--feel free to label each pic...).

 

And I really enjoyed the size refs on the...well, very large lps (Cynarina?) and the...colt? Whatever, I am always transfixed by the large specimens at lfs's and it must be nice to have all the room than a 55 gives you. LPS's are my favorites, and you have quite a nice collection of them!

 

Oh, and Milana's a doll! Pretty name, too!

 

Nothing like a picture-heavy thread!

 

--Diane

[varanus37]

I'll label stuff in the morning for ya. No problem. And yes a 55 does afford some nice space but I'm chomping at the bit to get a 120. The 24" of depth as opposed to 13" would help greatly. Also would benefit in the types and number of fish I can keep.

 

Bill

[varanus37]

I labeled most stuff for everybody. Didn't label all the zoas cuz they're just zoas for the most part. I get almost all my new stuff from Mvite or the ladies of the Coral Kitchen if anyone wants to know. I did get a big frag increase from the secret santas as well so I can't forget about them. That was Six and Fish02. Good people.

 

The strawberry lemonade is a special thing from Mvite. It's a morphed out pokerstar monti. I'm still trying to pick up actual pokerstar and sunset and I should be good on my montis then. Unless there are some more wonderful varieties that I'm unaware of. Oh, that strawberry patch is a Tyree LE as well but whatever. It's important to some people, I just want a good looking coral and it happens to be one.

 

The orange and green caps came from a local guy with a monster system and a 7' tall skimmer. Met him on RC but he's a good dude. And the meat and colt, which are my 2 largest, came from the local LFS. That's the one with the leaf and the pipes if Weetie is watching. All of the fish came from my local LFS as well.

 

My Koralias get here soon and I need a CUC recharge so that's about the extent of the new news. Still working on the light bulb situation but it'll be resolved shortly as the life on my bulbs is waning as we speak.

 

So that was really long.

 

Merry Christmas to everyone.

 

Bill

[c est ma]

Thanks, Bill. I had to google it, but meat coral does = Cynarina...never heard its common name before. Probably 'cause they're not really common in nanos! At any rate, I always covet these guys (and the Scolymia) at the lfs! Talk about a POLYP! How big was your meat coral when you got it?

 

And is your urchin hard on coralline?

 

Sweet clown fish!

 

--Diane