Professor's 40 Breeder

[Lalani]

It looks fantastic, Prof.

[Professor]

It looks fantastic, Prof.

 

Thanks Lani. Nowhere near as nice as your tanks but it is getting there.

 

-Prof

[Deleted User 6]

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

 

I actually have 2 frags of green monti - one has blue polyps, one has a purple rim. I just wish I could get them to color back up and grow!

[dtfleming]

Looking good, I wish I left room in my 40 for a RBTA.

[Professor]

I actually have 2 frags of green monti - one has blue polyps, one has a purple rim. I just wish I could get them to color back up and grow!

 

Cool. Speaking of color, I took my Halymenia out of my round pico and threw it in my sump and it is starting to regain it's red color again. My fuge is lit with 40w of T5HO but the Haly is on the bottom of the tank. Definately less intensity than what I was keeping it under before. Higher light intensities may push this stuff into the yellow color. What do you think?

 

Looking good, I wish I left room in my 40 for a RBTA.

 

Make some room! I love mine and it really makes the clowns happy. Making sure they don't tear up your corals takes a little planning but it is not hard.

 

-Prof

[Deleted User 6]

Prof - one of my T5 lights had a bulb go and now I'm running on 1 of them (40w, 18" bulbs). The halymenia is going NUTS! In about a week it turned flaming red! So the cure is definitely less PAR to get them to have that flame look. I'm going to replace the bulbs in that light with all actinics with the hopes of it keeping its color.

 

Problem solved!

 

In other news, I had to do some glue repair work to the door on my stand that flips up giving me access to the bottom tank. The skinny pieces of plywood were starting to crack. I may have to get some solid pieces and do a replacement if it keeps cracking like that. I might PM you for some assistance with the wood in a couple weeks if you're open to it.

 

Oh, and MOAR PIX@!

[Professor]

Prof - one of my T5 lights had a bulb go and now I'm running on 1 of them (40w, 18" bulbs). The halymenia is going NUTS! In about a week it turned flaming red! So the cure is definitely less PAR to get them to have that flame look. I'm going to replace the bulbs in that light with all actinics with the hopes of it keeping its color.

 

Problem solved!

 

In other news, I had to do some glue repair work to the door on my stand that flips up giving me access to the bottom tank. The skinny pieces of plywood were starting to crack. I may have to get some solid pieces and do a replacement if it keeps cracking like that. I might PM you for some assistance with the wood in a couple weeks if you're open to it.

 

Oh, and MOAR PIX@!

 

Concur on the Halymenia. < PAR = more red! Mine is almost the color of blood now.

 

IRT your stand: Just let me know what kind of help you need. When you get ready to make some repairs send me some pics so I can get an idea of whats going on. I seem to remember when I designed the stand that I spec'd those pieces to be solid wood...........

 

I will get some new pics up soon. I actually got a piece of aquacultured LR recently to add some diversity to my fuge. It is covered in Halimeda and a couple of other algae's I can't ID. It also has about a 2.5" green brain coral (Manicina sp.) as well as some sp. of tubastrea. It also has two mammoth mollusks in it, I have narrowed them down to either Jewel Box Clams or more probably Turkey WIng Clams. Pretty neat stuff. I have been staring at my sump more lately looking at this damn rock then I have looking at my display. I plan to get some more next time I am up at that LFS. It was expensive but worth it.

 

I pruned a butt-load of the Caulerpa sp. out of the fuge and am trying to make it more like the display fuge I originally envisioned.

 

-Prof

[Deleted User 6]

Concur on the Halymenia. < PAR = more red! Mine is almost the color of blood now.

 

IRT your stand: Just let me know what kind of help you need. When you get ready to make some repairs send me some pics so I can get an idea of whats going on. I seem to remember when I designed the stand that I spec'd those pieces to be solid wood...........

 

Busted! lol. Yeah, I just went with spare plywood...and turns out you were right, lol. We'll talk after the new year - no need interrupting the holidays.

 

I pruned a butt-load of the Caulerpa sp. out of the fuge and am trying to make it more like the display fuge I originally envisioned.

 

-Prof

 

Display Fuge FTW!

[Professor]

Busted! lol. Yeah, I just went with spare plywood...and turns out you were right, lol. We'll talk after the new year - no need interrupting the holidays.

 

 

 

Display Fuge FTW!

 

 

No worries. Just let me know when you need help.

 

Pics coming soon of tank and fuge!!!!

 

-Prof

[Weetabix7]

Pics Pics Pics!!!

 

 

 

Hi Prof.

:waves:

[Professor]

Pics Pics Pics!!!

 

 

 

Hi Prof.

:waves:

 

They are coming!!! I gotta feed my kids first and then will get them posted!!!

 

How are you been doing Weetie? I need to get caught up on your thread to see what's up! Trying to keep caught up on Lani, Dhaut and your threads could turn into a career if one is not careful!!!

 

Are you still thinking about a BTA? I haven't heard from you since we PM'd.

 

-Prof

[Professor]

Alrighty, official update time! Things are cruising along real well on this tank. No fatalities and growth on everything is real good. I have not added to much but I have got some Duncans that I like a lot as well as some Blue Xenia that is pretty cool.

 

I have pretty much let the tank run itself. I am not skimming, using any sort of chemical filter media or any other kind of filter. I rely on the natural processess of my live rock and refugium coupled with weekly 10% water changes. The only dosing I currently do is once a week when I top off I use Kalkwasswer to keep my calcium levels where they need to be. So far it is working well. The few SPS I have are even happy and are showing good growth.

 

My fuge I have pruned severely, as before it was nothing but a floating ball of macros that filled the entire tank along with some LR. I am working on making this more of a display fuge (even though it is in my stand) and have introduced some cultured florida LR for diversity. I plan to add more of this rock over time because the amount of life on it is incredible. It does have bad to go along with the good though, like a few Aipstasia and at least two Xanthid crabs I have seen so far but since they are in the fuge I don't care.

 

The display fuge is a work in progress so be kind when you look at the pics!

 

Display tank pics:

 

 

 

 

 

YCG chilling on Birdsnest:

 

Anthelia

 

Nems

 

Refugium pics!!!

 

 

For DHaut

 

 

 

 

As always, comments, criticisms and dirty remarks are welcome!!!

 

-Prof

[Weetabix7]

They are coming!!! I gotta feed my kids first and then will get them posted!!!

 

How are you been doing Weetie? I need to get caught up on your thread to see what's up! Trying to keep caught up on Lani, Dhaut and your threads could turn into a career if one is not careful!!!

 

Are you still thinking about a BTA? I haven't heard from you since we PM'd.

 

-Prof

 

Lol, stuff like that delays me posting pics all the time!!

Lemme see if I can make a long story short.

I got a 10" Pico Cube that I set up on my kitchen counter, and it's been doing quite well.

I was able to work out an awesome trade with a fellow NR member to build me an LED light for the Pico, which I received 3 days ago.

It's MAJORLY cool, but I'm still getting the hang of what settings to keep it on and how to take good pics under it.

 

As for the 30g, it has been cleaned out but it's empty still.

I had everything in 2 10g tanks that were hooked up to each other, but I had a majorly bad pest algae outbreak.

I've taken some measures to deal with the algae problem, and I'd say I'm about 75% of the way there on that one.

The 30g tank will be set up in the Living Room, but I plan to take up my carpet in there and refinish the Hardwood Floors when I get my Income Tax Refund in a couple of months, and I can't set the tank up in there until that's done.

As a result, I'm considering temporarily housing everything in a 29g that I have and squeezing it in between my washing machine and closet.

[Lalani]

[Professor]

Thanks for the thumbnail update Weetie! I have been reading about your pest algae problems and that can be chore to get rid of once it sets in. Sounds like you are on the road to recovery. In a previous tank I had a algae issue that took me 6 months to beat. Prior tanks and subsequent tanks I have had no significant issues. Never could zero in no the cause in that one tank. Very weird.

 

Glad to hear the 10" Pico is doing well. I have shelved my pico projects for the time being until I can satisfy some technical challenges while still keeping it aestheically clean. I am still fascinated by picos, but am on a quest to create the "perfect system" and have not quite found that holy grail combination of tank, equipment and design. I have some ideas I have been noodling with on paper and when I get the design finalized it will be time to crank up the shop again!

 

-Prof

 

 

 

 

Hi Lani!!!

[Weetabix7]

I forgot to mention earlier, I def do want to get a BTA once I get the 30g tank set up and stable in Living Room again.

Your tank is looking great!!!

:thumbsup:

[Deleted User 6]

P>R>O>F>!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If it's not TOTM next month, I'm boycotting NR. That is so amazing!

[Professor]

P>R>O>F>!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If it's not TOTM next month, I'm boycotting NR. That is so amazing!

 

Geez, Thanks D!!!

 

 

-Prof

[Deleted User 6]

lol...too much?

 

I meant it though - I guess I haven't seen it in a while. It looks great!

[Professor]

lol...too much?

 

I meant it though - I guess I haven't seen it in a while. It looks great!

 

Maybe a little over the top, but I am not complaining.

 

I have been enjoying working with the macros but the growth rates are so fast that it can be a bit frustrating to try and work a pleasing aquascape. Do you find that to be true with your macros? Seems like the ones I want to grow and fill out do it slowly and the ones I want to grow slow act like they are on steroids.

 

I am seriously thinking of setting up a small macro/lagoon style tank.....Maybe I can ask my bride for a Reefing Kitchen Pass for Christmas so I can set up another tank.

 

-Prof

[Weetabix7]

A Lagoon/Macro tank would be pretty cool, I think.

I actually really like the way your Fuge is looking, btw.

[pismo_reefer]

tank looks fantastico!

[Professor]

A Lagoon/Macro tank would be pretty cool, I think.

I actually really like the way your Fuge is looking, btw.

 

I do too. I have a 20" dual Outer Orbit PC fixture laying around......Hmmmmm (imagine sound of wheels turning and the smell of smoke) Don't like the dimensions of a standard 10g tank for this though, would probably have to build something.....I have to go get my sketch pad!

 

tank looks fantastico!

 

Thanks Pismo!!!

 

 

-Prof

[Deleted User 6]

well...my macros pop up where and when they want. My problem is microalgae currently. I get some cool growth the the calciferous algaes, but right now i have this cottony-red stuff and a bit of cyano i'm trying to nip in the bud.

[Professor]

well...my macros pop up where and when they want. My problem is microalgae currently. I get some cool growth the the calciferous algaes, but right now i have this cottony-red stuff and a bit of cyano i'm trying to nip in the bud.

 

I hate Cyano!!!! I had a small battle with it in this tank initially. I need to go over to your thread and look at the cottony-red stuff again. You would think all the macros would out-compete stuff like that........

 

-Prof