My 58 show off tank

[Arkayology]

Great placement of SPS! I dig it.

[metrokat]

Where are these evil Blue cloves?

[franklypre]

Honestly I've toothbrushed as many as I can over the last few months and have them faught back now. Problem is zoas seem to get smothered out as well as all the BCP that hide in every crevice of the rock. I assure you all it is in there and in a few months without the toothbrush or fluke tabs it would cover the rock entirely. I'll try to get some before and after pics to show exactly what they can do and to show the effectiveness of the fluke tabs. Thanks for the comments.

[metrokat]

I just finished reading this thread and the pappone method. I'm not sure what the true purpose of the method is, coral growth or color? Growth would be a natural thing given good water parameters, the AA and light over time. But I don't see any crazy colors. The zeovit method on the other hand is done mostly for corals colors.

 

Paul B with the oldest tank around is a huge supporter of feeding whole foods such as clams and roe. I don't know enough about the pappone method beyond what I have read today but I would venture to guess that feeding a whole food to any tank would result in the same growth. The carbon source that is mixed in with the foods serves to work on the phosphates and nitrates that a heavy feeding method would normally create. You will find that your clams love the nitrates so you could try to experiment the next batch of food without the sugar. But you would need a phosphate sponge.

 

The key here, IMO, is the particle size of the food. It is small enough to be taken in by the SPS which is where and why the magic happens. Wholesome nutritious fresh foods and vitamins, in a small particle size. That's my understanding of this.

[franklypre]

pappone works about like you said, meat and AA feed the coral and the sugar attempts to get rid of the N&P a little quicker. I've noticed improved water quality since I've started using it and it seems like anytime I go a few weeks without feeding the overall health of the tank suffers. I quit to see if I could get the BCP to die off naturally but it did not work at all. The Blu Coral Method is worth researching as well, the elevated levels will help with stellar growth. I would say Pappone is more about growth and health where Zeo is about control and color. I have good color so long as I have very powerful lighting, I've been converting and up/down grading to LEDs and went from a 400w to a 250w halide. Just like everything else Pappone is not a cure all or the answer for everyone but I definately believe in it and use it regularly.

[JonathanS]

LED is a good option because it will save you on the energy costs. About methodology, Instead of the "pappone" method, you could modify it a bit and call it the "Texas" method; call it this because of the wholesomeness and simplicity that works so well.

[franklypre]

Made a few changes for this year, Pappone will get a year off to see if there is in fact a better way, so here goes. I've been running Seachem Purigen, Phosgaurd, Seachem carbon, dosing with Elos Omega and pro skimmer. I'm feeding the fish Elos as well the good old flake they are used to several times a day. I can say there is definately a difference feeding this vs papp. My skimmate is nasty now whereas it was more protein less gunk with the pappone, basically I don't have to empty it as much but when I do it has to be rinsed every time. The coral is more metallic and pastel, growth is constantly improving right now. I personally prefer the darker look I had but my wife loves the prettier colors. Hopefully the next time I update I'll be full LEDs, we'll see.

 

[JonathanS]

It is looking good. I would really like to see what the flow is like. Also, I find that phyto-plankton really aids growth because while microorganisms are fed , they spawn and provide food for sps etc. More calcium and other metallic ions also boost growth (almost like corals store minerals the way your bones do in the body, vending ions to the sea when demands increase).

[franklypre]

The flow was awesome, I added a MP10 yesterday and it has changed the flow quite a bit. I've got some really nice pieces comming in from Uniques Corals that I'll try to get some pics of ASAP. Thanks I may try some of the Elos phyto as well.

[franklypre]

 

 

 

[uglyfish]

I noticed the nice purple tips on that beige acro. What salt are you using?

[franklypre]

I use Reef Crystals almost exclusively, I will add I checked the calibration on my pinpoint, found out the probe was shot and purchased a refractometer. I had been running .002-.003 low, probably for several months. A few of the new additions were a pink dragon, Reiki chalice, blueberry shortcake, and the green deepwater from Unique Corals. A few chalice and a branching cyphastrea from WWC we picked up on vacation as well. I'll get better pics of the coral as they color up.

[JonathanS]

This tank is looking great.The thickness of the branching is a sign of excellent flow. I am looking forward to the pics of the new additions.

[franklypre]

 

 

 

 

As I'm finding out LEDs really are hard to photograph under, these give some idea of growth and color. I'll attempt to get more as I have time and get some research done on photography under LEDs. Most of the coral have acclimated, some didn't do as well as others. I have done some pruning as well.

[JonathanS]

It would be nice to see a video of the tank. I could only imagine the the SPS polyps swaying in the current. By the way, nice new additions.

[franklypre]

I'll get on that the next time my wife and I get a free day, maybe Monday or so.

[scubasteve2580]

what happened to the clam???

[franklypre]

I honestly don't know what happened with the clams, like the dozen or so I've had they look fine til they die. No pinched mantle, no nothing just death and an overflowing skimmer. I doubt I try one again with this system, maybe when I finally put in a big tank I'll try a squamosa or maxima.

[franklypre]

Here is a few pics from today, I'm trying to get better at taking pics with these LEDs still. Just to give a little background of recent changes I have gone back exclusively to pappone with a little vinegar dosing. I tried the resin/ULNS and just don't see the point, I intend to keep this tank up and running for atleast another year or so and will be pruning regularly. My goal is to have a small tank with a large number of different SPS, creating a tank that looks full and even rather than a few large colonies. The fluke tabs did wonders for the cloves as they are gone entirely, the only unwanted thing I'm dealing with is cluster dusters. I don't have any plans on additional corals other than perhaps a few frags to the new piece of liverock on the bottom left. The flame angel has become the boss of the tank now and the 4+ year old "dwarf yellow tang" accepts it, the flame has forced removal of most of the LPS in the last few months but is impossible to catch.

this is the CITR red dragon, to the left is a UC pink dragon, front is a Tyree Idaho Grape, the encrusted is a tricolor that refused to come off and there is a unknown acro in the rear

 

[scubasteve2580]

Yeah they usually do go pretty quick. I'm gonna put 3 in the next setup. in the rocks probably. tank is looking real good man.

[franklypre]

I appreciate it I just wish I could get pics that do it any kind of justice, even with the tripod and switching settings I can't seem to get it. I'm gonna try to adjust the blues down and see if it helps at all, LEDs are well worth the investment IMO. Though I am glad I didn't get one of the 1st gen. fixtures with only blue and white. Jonathan I'm trying to talk the wife into a video as I have little to no idea how to even attempt it and she's the photographer as you can probably tell.

[Arkayology]

Looking great! The growth on the red dragon is awesome and it is encrusting well. I can't get mine to encrust, but it is branching so I can't complain too much

[llama roadkill]

Some new additions on the bottom, thanks Kris at BZ.

 

Where did you get the tank?

[franklypre]

It's an old school Oceanic 58 that I actually got used from an older lady way out in the country, back in my early reefing days. The only reason the Dragon has encrusted as well as it has is I cut it back a few months ago, if I had let it grow it would be touching the cap and pink dragon. My profile pick is before I cut it, I'll probably cut it again in a few months just to let it get the shape I want it to have.

[franklypre]

 

Our first attempt at video, sorry if it's a little shakey. Next time I'll try to get some music or something a little more appealing than water draining and my wife's nagging.