Josh's 20L mostly SPS mixed reef

[SPS20]

I've been thinking about the kelvin rating of my bulb, especially since my setup will not allow for multiple pendants. Do you know if Iwasaka makes a 250w 50k HQI bulb, and if it's also gotten good reviews?

 

I know that particuar bulb comes in 150W, but after a quick search, I can't find any reference to a 250w version.

 

I agree about shipping. It's easy to frag anything, but to ship economically and ensure live arrival will be difficult. I'd suggest we frag and ship in bulk to maximize the benefit to both of us. As far as the ones I wouldn't frag, I would say I wouldn't frag A FRAG - like the 2 ORA frags I recently picked up for example, which by the way are doing incredibly well. I just might be a believer that captive raised corals look better and thrive longer in our tanks than those caught in the wild. Anyhow, I suppose I'd frag anything once I get enough growth out of it. I can certainly wait for your stuff if you can mine, especially if I can awe at photos in the meantime. I plan on picking up various monti cap frags over the next several weeks, which I understand can grow rather quickly - if you're into those.

 

IMO zoas should ship just fine in a plastic water bottle, so if exchanged those it would be relatively cheap and painless. But I'm know expert either.

 

Alrighty... lets let things grow out for a little while (christmas is a crazy time for me, I don't have time to ship anything till after the holidays anyway). Take a look at the photos, and let me know sooner rather than later what you would like a frag of so i can make a cutting in the meantime and get it healed onto a frag plug. I'm going to spend some time "shopping" your pics over the next week or two, i'll let you know what i really like.

 

ONE MORE THING, do you think running a 250W 20k at least compensates to some degree vs a lower 150W 20k? I gotta admit, I LIKE THE BLUE.

 

Yes, I think it does compensate. Higher kelvin bulbs tend to have less PAR per watt, but the extra wattage makes up for that just fine. In the end, its in your kitchen, and you have to look at it. If you ever have doubts as to the ability of SPS to utilize absurd amounts of light, take a look at this tank and note the wattage and kind of bulb used: http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/?tank=5

 

And here is a gratuitous link to another of my favorite nanos of all time. He used a 250W 10k, with great results. This particular tank was a source of inspiration for me when I finally decided to set up my 20L. I like the aquascaping in this tank, particularly how the rocks on both ends come forward toward the front glass, giving the tank an "enclosed" feel, with a recessed portion in the middle. That open middle lends a feeling of scale that a monolithic rock wall just doesn't. I emulated that feel in my aquascaping, as best I could. I particularly love the RBTA in this guy's tank, but I refuse to put any anemones in my tank. They scare the crap out of me, as I have seen how much damage a wandering anemone can do to SPS corals in a single day. I really don't want to come home one day to find that my anemone has stung the crap out of half my corals. My heliofungia is my anemone substitute. It provides my wavy-tentacle fix.

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2004/aquarium.htm

 

I guess the lesson is, you can keep a reef under a broad variety of lighting. Don't think that switching bulbs is going to make or break your tank, it won't. (unless you pick an awful bulb, or fail to acclimate to an increase in light) Pick what looks good to you, and enjoy it!

 

I have had a real hankering for a pair of clownfish lately, but i'm afraid i must refrain. I have read that they can easily pester Heliofungia to death, and I would be very sad if anything happened to that coral. I imagine if i were to put clownfish in the tank, they would very likely host to it, as it is the most anemone-like coral in there, by far. But, clownfish are sooo darn cute, and seeing them in everybody's nano really makes me want a mated pair of them. I wonder, has anyone seen clownfish host to a Heliofungia? If so, did they hurt it, or did the coral adapt? A couple of months ago I put an anemone shrimp in there, and it pestered the coral so badly I think it nearly killed it. It didn't open fully for almost a week after I removed the offending shrimp. I wonder if clownfish are more gentle, or if the result would be the same.

 

In just a couple of days, my new brown acro has begun to turn colors. Its just barely noticeable, but the branches are starting to take on a teal/aquamarine color. This is even cooler than purple, IMO! I'll post a pic if/when it gets more noticeable. It could just be a temporary fluctuation as the coral adapts the its new home.

 

- Josh

Edited December 14, 2007 by SPS20

[SPS20]

Every time I look at your tank I grow more and more fond of the rockwork... and the clams... and the corals... and, well, everything lol.

 

Wow, thanks! The tank in your sig makes me drool every time I see it, so I take this as high praise indeed!

Edited December 14, 2007 by SPS20

[PurpleUP]

I know that particuar bulb comes in 150W, but after a quick search, I can't find any reference to a 250w version.

Alrighty... lets let things grow out for a little while (christmas is a crazy time for me, I don't have time to ship anything till after the holidays anyway). Take a look at the photos, and let me know sooner rather than later what you would like a frag of so i can make a cutting in the meantime and get it healed onto a frag plug. I'm going to spend some time "shopping" your pics over the next week or two, i'll let you know what i really like.

Yes, I think it does compensate. Higher kelvin bulbs tend to have less PAR per watt, but the extra wattage makes up for that just fine. In the end, its in your kitchen, and you have to look at it. If you ever have doubts as to the ability of SPS to utilize absurd amounts of light, take a look at this tank and note the wattage and kind of bulb used: http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/?tank=5

 

Yeah, give it a couple of months and my take will take on an entirely different look. I'll be slowly replacing the softies as new SPS frags make their way in. After all, this was intended to be an SPS tank from the beginning. And of course as the frags grow, I'll be more than willing to trade - which is why I've been so interested in providing them with the most optimum light. Over the next few weeks, I'll try to post close ups of what I have. Likewise, let me know what you might be interested in and I can set it aside for you. What's your zipcode? From what I've seen, overnight shipping can be astronomical.

 

And here is a gratuitous link to another of my favorite nanos of all time. He used a 250W 10k, with great results. This particular tank was a source of inspiration for me when I finally decided to set up my 20L. I like the aquascaping in this tank, particularly how the rocks on both ends come forward toward the front glass, giving the tank an "enclosed" feel, with a recessed portion in the middle. That open middle lends a feeling of scale that a monolithic rock wall just doesn't. I emulated that feel in my aquascaping, as best I could. I particularly love the RBTA in this guy's tank, but I refuse to put any anemones in my tank. They scare the crap out of me, as I have seen how much damage a wandering anemone can do to SPS corals in a single day. I really don't want to come home one day to find that my anemone has stung the crap out of half my corals. My heliofungia is my anemone substitute. It provides my wavy-tentacle fix.

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2004/aquarium.htm

 

Wow, nice tank. I like it for the same reasons. At first I wasn't aware that anems MOVE. I lost a red fire anemone 4 months ago and I'm still looking for it!

 

I guess the lesson is, you can keep a reef under a broad variety of lighting. Don't think that switching bulbs is going to make or break your tank, it won't. (unless you pick an awful bulb, or fail to acclimate to an increase in light) Pick what looks good to you, and enjoy it!

 

I believe you're right about that. I've gotten differing opinions from several people on this site about lighting schemes and such, but there has been some consistency in the advice regarding higher PAR as related to lower kelvin. Problem is, I do enjoy this bulb. My eyes acclimated to it fast. If I swap it out now, my corals might be happier but I won't. haha. So far, bluebastion's got me gravitating to his 250W 14K Phoenix.

 

I have had a real hankering for a pair of clownfish lately, but i'm afraid i must refrain. I have read that they can easily pester Heliofungia to death, and I would be very sad if anything happened to that coral. I imagine if i were to put clownfish in the tank, they would very likely host to it, as it is the most anemone-like coral in there, by far. But, clownfish are sooo darn cute, and seeing them in everybody's nano really makes me want a mated pair of them. I wonder, has anyone seen clownfish host to a Heliofungia? If so, did they hurt it, or did the coral adapt? A couple of months ago I put an anemone shrimp in there, and it pestered the coral so badly I think it nearly killed it. It didn't open fully for almost a week after I removed the offending shrimp. I wonder if clownfish are more gentle, or if the result would be the same.

 

Don't know much about Heliofungias but I can tell you my clowns host ANYTHING. Lately, they've gotten a kick out of burying their faces into my big colony of pink palys (or zoas). I know what you mean though. They can be a little rough on corals.

 

In just a couple of days, my new brown acro has begun to turn colors. Its just barely noticeable, but the branches are starting to take on a teal/aquamarine color. This is even cooler than purple, IMO! I'll post a pic if/when it gets more noticeable. It could just be a temporary fluctuation as the coral adapts the its new home.

 

- Josh

 

Before I moved my milli into the ADA, the tips were taking on a tealish color. Since I moved it 2-3 weeks back, all I see is reduced polyp extension and brown. I figure it has much to do with acclimation to the higher wattage light. The purple tipped acro looks better than ever though. I think it'd be cool to send over a frag of my milli to see if it might evolve differently in your tank.

Edited December 15, 2007 by PurpleUP

[SPS20]

Yeah, give it a couple of months and my take will take on an entirely different look. I'll be slowly replacing the softies as new SPS frags make their way in. After all, this was intended to be an SPS tank from the beginning. And of course as the frags grow, I'll be more than willing to trade - which is why I've been so interested in providing them with the most optimum light. Over the next few weeks, I'll try to post close ups of what I have. Likewise, let me know what you might be interested in and I can set it aside for you. What's your zipcode? From what I've seen, overnight shipping can be astronomical.

Wow, nice tank. I like it for the same reasons. At first I wasn't aware that anems MOVE. I lost a red fire anemone 4 months ago and I'm still looking for it!

I believe you're right about that. I've gotten differing opinions from several people on this site about lighting schemes and such, but there has been some consistency in the advice regarding higher PAR as related to lower kelvin. Problem is, I do enjoy this bulb. My eyes acclimated to it fast. If I swap it out now, my corals might be happier but I won't. haha. So far, bluebastion's got me gravitating to his 250W 14K Phoenix.

Don't know much about Heliofungias but I can tell you my clowns host ANYTHING. Lately, they've gotten a kick out of burying their faces into my big colony of pink palys (or zoas). I know what you mean though. They can be a little rough on corals.

Before I moved my milli into the ADA, the tips were taking on a tealish color. Since I moved it 2-3 weeks back, all I see is reduced polyp extension and brown. I figure it has much to do with acclimation to the higher wattage light. The purple tipped acro looks better than ever though. I think it'd be cool to send over a frag of my milli to see if it might evolve differently in your tank.

 

My zip is 18042. Yours?

 

As for bulbs, go for what you like. Most of the bulbs out there will grow corals just fine. There are a few that suck, IMO, but they are the cheapo no-name ones, and you aren't the kind of guy to try to save 20 bucks and end up with a crappy bulb.

 

I am curious too to see what different colors and shapes my corals would take on in your setup and vice-versa. I find coral coloration to be an absolutely fascinating subject. SPS in particular seem to have a hidden rainbow of possible colors locked away inside them, and I want to know how to reliably harness that in a replicable way.

 

I have a feeling you will like my soon-to-be-teal acro. I'll post a shot when it settles into a color and stays there. Regardless, i'll take some cuttings soon since its a nice-sized colony and I know people would want pieces if it does what I think its trying to do.

 

- Josh

Edited December 15, 2007 by SPS20

[PurpleUP]

My zip is 18042. Yours?

 

As for bulbs, go for what you like. Most of the bulbs out there will grow corals just fine. There are a few that suck, IMO, but they are the cheapo no-name ones, and you aren't the kind of guy to try to save 20 bucks and end up with a crappy bulb.

 

I am curious too to see what different colors and shapes my corals would take on in your setup and vice-versa. I find coral coloration to be an absolutely fascinating subject. SPS in particular seem to have a hidden rainbow of possible colors locked away inside them, and I want to know how to reliably harness that in a replicable way.

 

I have a feeling you will like my soon-to-be-teal acro. I'll post a shot when it settles into a color and stays there. Regardless, i'll take some cuttings soon since its a nice-sized colony and I know people would want pieces if it does what I think its trying to do.

 

- Josh

 

95762 Northern Cali. It is fascinating how corals can quicly adapt to their environment, and when they do it shows. I think your superman will show it's true colors soon enough. Put my name on the top-left corner for me. I'll work on having something worthy for exchange. How would you frag something like that without damaging a good part of the coral?

[VannReefer87]

18042 are you in PA?

[SPS20]

Yes, 18042 is Easton, PA, just north of Philly.

 

Ok, I had to share this... Remember that brown acropora I got 4 days ago? Here's what he looks like now:

 

I am absolutely flabbergasted at how fast this coral has colored up. It was flat turd brown with the slightest hint of color just FOUR DAYS AGO! I can't wait to see what it looks like in another week. The superman Monti hasn't changed color at all. Its still acclimating to the light. In a few days, i'm going to move it alot closer to the light, which should speed up any color change.

 

I'll save you a frag of the new acro, PurpleUp, I have a feeling you'll like it. I want everybody who thinks you need 20k bulbs to get good coloration to stick that pic in your pipes and smoke it! hehe

 

More to come,

 

- Josh

[SPS20]

Put my name on the top-left corner for me. I'll work on having something worthy for exchange. How would you frag something like that without damaging a good part of the coral?

 

I think i'm just going to hack off a hunk. There's no way to do it without damaging it, I don't think, but it should heal fast enough, monti's generally are very fast healers. I think an ice pick and a hammer in a bucket, one good whack and hope for the best. If i'm lucky it'll break into a few evenly sized pieces. Before I touch it, though, i'd like to see it gain some color. The monti is being a little more stubborn than the new acro in terms of gaining color. I have a feeling it will take a few weeks, maybe months for it to change. Or, it'll stay brown. It was free, so I can't complain if it does.

 

- Josh

[TJ_Burton]

Yes, 18042 is Easton, PA, just north of Philly.

 

Ok, I had to share this... Remember that brown acropora I got 4 days ago? Here's what he looks like now:

I am absolutely flabbergasted at how fast this coral has colored up. It was flat turd brown with the slightest hint of color just FOUR DAYS AGO! I can't wait to see what it looks like in another week. The superman Monti hasn't changed color at all. Its still acclimating to the light. In a few days, i'm going to move it alot closer to the light, which should speed up any color change.

 

I'll save you a frag of the new acro, PurpleUp, I have a feeling you'll like it. I want everybody who thinks you need 20k bulbs to get good coloration to stick that pic in your pipes and smoke it! hehe

 

More to come,

 

- Josh

 

Nice acro

Glad to hear you're getting good coloration from your corals!

[SPS20]

Nice acro

Glad to hear you're getting good coloration from your corals!

 

Thanks! I just don't understand what it is that is causing some of them to color up so fast. When I had my 120 SPS reef, it took weeks or months to get similar color changes, if they happened at all. Maybe its a function of the fact that none of my corals are more than two feet or so from a bulb, since its such a shallow tank and the lights are only 10 inches or so from the water. Honestly, I don't understand it. Of course, not all of them have really colored up much. There is a brown acro on the other end of the tank that hasn't really changed much in more than a month. It went from dark brown to tan with greenish highlights. Not really a staggering change. Then this acro goes and does a complete 180 in just a few days. Its weird.

[TJ_Burton]

Thanks! I just don't understand what it is that is causing some of them to color up so fast. When I had my 120 SPS reef, it took weeks or months to get similar color changes, if they happened at all. Maybe its a function of the fact that none of my corals are more than two feet or so from a bulb, since its such a shallow tank and the lights are only 10 inches or so from the water. Honestly, I don't understand it. Of course, not all of them have really colored up much. There is a brown acro on the other end of the tank that hasn't really changed much in more than a month. It went from dark brown to tan with greenish highlights. Not really a staggering change. Then this acro goes and does a complete 180 in just a few days. Its weird.

 

Well, that acro must be accustomed to the water parameters and intensity of lighting that your tank is providing. That would explain why it got so comfortable so fast! Sometimes your tank has really great results with one acro sp. and then no luck with another.

 

P.s. Wish we were closer so we could trade frags in a few months! lol... I want some of that one, and your baby blue one... and the pink pocillapora sp.

Edited December 15, 2007 by TJ_Burton

[SPS20]

P.s. Wish we were closer so we could trade frags in a few months! lol... I want some of that one, and your baby blue one... and the pink pocillapora sp.

 

Does anybody have any experience shipping between canada and the eastern seaboard of the US? Can you do "next-day" or "same-day" shipping? I'm sure there's got to be a way, though it might cost a small fortune.

 

Now I want my corals to grow faster, since I am eager to start fragging. If I jump the gun, i'll never get that "filled in" look. Grow damnit!

 

- Josh

[TJ_Burton]

Does anybody have any experience shipping between canada and the eastern seaboard of the US? Can you do "next-day" or "same-day" shipping? I'm sure there's got to be a way, though it might cost a small fortune.

 

Now I want my corals to grow faster, since I am eager to start fragging. If I jump the gun, i'll never get that "filled in" look. Grow damnit!

 

- Josh

 

Very true,

 

What I would normally try to do is wait until the colony is secured and comfortable, usually 3-4 months before I take anything off of it (unless it is a rare coral in which I send a small frag to a close friend right away incase anything happens to mine). I find an acro tends to really start taking off after the 3-4 month period.

[VannReefer87]

you live in easton? I live about 1/2 hour away outside of Bath, PA. I'm sure you've been to the LFS I work at in Northampton....your sps is doing very well. I'm setting up a 30g Breeder tank in my apartment at college in the next month, maybe we can do some trading sometime!

[PurpleUP]

Yes, 18042 is Easton, PA, just north of Philly.

 

Ok, I had to share this... Remember that brown acropora I got 4 days ago? Here's what he looks like now:

 

I am absolutely flabbergasted at how fast this coral has colored up. It was flat turd brown with the slightest hint of color just FOUR DAYS AGO! I can't wait to see what it looks like in another week. The superman Monti hasn't changed color at all. Its still acclimating to the light. In a few days, i'm going to move it alot closer to the light, which should speed up any color change.

 

I'll save you a frag of the new acro, PurpleUp, I have a feeling you'll like it. I want everybody who thinks you need 20k bulbs to get good coloration to stick that pic in your pipes and smoke it! hehe

 

More to come,

 

- Josh

 

HAHAHA. Right on man. Amazing transformation. I say you let it grow for several months before you cut it. BTW: I noticed some very slight color up in my milli yesterday! My light is now 8.5" from the surface.

[nUgZ]

Great tank Josh!! The change in color of that Acro is UNREAL. I've never seen a coral change so much in just 4 days. I bet you wish the "Superman" would do the same. You are correct that your new goby is a Trimma, although I'm not sure which species it is exactly. Do you have any other pictures of him?? I have a Trimma tevegae and he is amazing. The info I've read says the average life expectancy in captivity is about 1 year, but I've had mine for close to 2 years now. I love how they hover in the water. They are super neat fish. If you can find another one or two I would highly recommend it. They live in colonies in the wild. Here are two pictures of mine.

 

 

[SPS20]

The new acro seems to have settled into a solid light purple color with orangish-brown, semi-transparent polyps. My girlfriend says its lilac or lavender. I'll defer to her colorimetric wisdom on this. I broke it off its base (it was on one of those huge flat cement discs that bali aquacultured corals often come on) and placed it in a nook at the other end of the tank, right under the left pendant, just above the heliofungia. I accidentally snapped a small branch off when I did this, so that has been epoxied to a rock in the front-middle of the tank. I love this stuff, and wouldn't mind more than one stand of it growing in my tank. Plus, fragging it is a sort of insurance, in case the main colony has some kind of issue (like RTN or whatever).

 

I also moved the superman monti. I snapped it off its base and placed it higher in the tank, under a light. I am now beginning to see faint blue highlights between polyps. Its starting to color up, albeit muuuuch slower than the acro.

 

My old pink montipora digitata which I nearly killed when I added a second metal halide light (awehile before I started this thread) has regained its pink color, FINALLY. I failed to acclimate it properly to the increase in light, and it bleached bone white, and the tips died back. It was a long road to recovery (several months) but it is pretty much back to the way it should be now. There is a tiny bit of dead skeleton left on a couple of branch tips, but it is re-encrusting over that rapidly. I look forward to it resuming its growth in full. I think it is about to explode. M. Digitata tends to grow reeeeeally fast when it is happy, so I think rapid growth is just around the corner now that the color is back.

 

Tonight or tomorrow, i'll post a FTS. There has been a little rearrangement, and I like to look back at old FTS'es and see how things have grown.

 

My Trimma is getting braver, and has now begun to eat frozen foods with gusto. I'll post more pics of him soon, he is a very neat little fish.

 

VannReefer87 - Yes, we should definitely do some trading. Which LFS do you work at? I know of only two decent ones in the area, maybe you know of another? I generally go to Shear Heaven and Something Fishy. Do you work at one of those? Send me a PM, or i'll message you soon. Christmas is crazy for me, so much family and such, but come the new year we should do a little trading.

 

Ok, more to come, and lots of pics sometime this week, if I can find the time.

 

More to come,

- Josh

[Captain-69]

Nice!!! Very organized, specific, and well rounded. Impressive, my vote is 10!!

[SPS20]

Nice!!! Very organized, specific, and well rounded. Impressive, my vote is 10!!

 

Thanks! Its nice to feel that my work is appreciated. It would be a shame to spend so much time and energy on my "pride and joy" without ever getting to show it to anyone. Thats part of what this website is all about.

 

I took some pictures tonight of the tank. First a current FTS:

 

Left end of the tank:

 

Middle of the tank:

 

Right end of the tank:

 

A close up of the pink Montipora I mentioned earlier, (the one I burned with too much light months ago) alongside the newly purplish acro.

 

My "superman" Montipora. You can see a hint of blue starting to peek out:

 

My little Xenia rubble field, all the way against the right side of the tank. This stuff would have taken over my tank months ago if I didn't keep it isolated from the base rock by stacking rubble around the colonies:

 

A close-up of my red Monti cap. I love the neat shape this stuff takes on as it grows:

 

A red tufty algae that has started popping up here and there. My Hector's goby loves to eat this stuff, so I let some grow here and there. It comes off the rock easily, so even though its generally considered invasive, its easy enough to manually remove excess growth, and I think its pretty:

 

More to come,

 

- Josh

Edited December 18, 2007 by SPS20

[nUgZ]

Nice shots. The Superman does look like it's starting to change. That's good news.

[VannReefer87]

FTS looks really good man! I've probably seen you at the store and never knew it...I'll be working a lot over break so hopefully I'll cya around. In fact, now that I remember....where you the guy who bought the blue "anthelia" out of the 120 in the back?

[SPS20]

FTS looks really good man! I've probably seen you at the store and never knew it...I'll be working a lot over break so hopefully I'll cya around. In fact, now that I remember....where you the guy who bought the blue "anthelia" out of the 120 in the back?

 

YES! Thats me! The tall guy with glasses and curly hair. Thats me. I'll be the one staring into the tanks with a blank stare trying to figure out which corals are really special and yet underpriced for one reason or another. Or, in the case of the blue Anthelia, just really cool looking, lol.

 

- Josh

[VannReefer87]

haha nice man, I do the same thing...but I get to make up some of the prices soo it works out for

[c est ma]

I love the new pics, Josh! Your tank is most beautiful!

 

--Diane

[SPS20]

So, one of my Coralife 150W HQI ballasts is dying. It flickers periodically, and turns of randomly. I called Coralife and explained what was happening, and the guy took my address and mailed me a new ballast, no questions asked. He didn't even ask me for any proof of purchase, a receipt, anything. All he wanted from me was for me to read him the serial number off the ballast, and then put me on hold for 2 minutes. When he came back, he asked for my address, and said "a new ballast will be arriving in the mail within a week. thank you for contacting us, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. we hope you will continue using coralife products in the future." Maybe they had a bad production run, and knew this was happening? Or, maybe they are just that helpful. I don't know.

 

WOW. That is some seriously good customer service. When my new ballast arrives, i'll post more pics. I am just amazed at how smooth a customer service experience that was. Now, I know coralife ballasts aren't the very best you can get, but they do the job, and so long as the company continues to have that kind of service, i'll use their products as long as I have the tank.

 

- Josh