Pong's 20L College Reef

[awpong]

Well here's a brief update on the tank.

 

Unfortunately Marvin is no longer around. He was weened onto a variety of frozen foods and got quite plump really fast. Sadly, upon introduction into my tank, my six line wrasse was not okay with the new tank mate. I was hoping everything would work out since the wrasse didn't show any aggression while the mandarin was in the breeder box, but the second my six line had the opportunity...

 

Anyways, the rest of the tank is doing great and I've been fragging a lot, most notably my frogspawn.

 

Here's a few pictures:

 

April FTS:

 

Current Fish:

 

 

Coral Warfare:

 

 

Since summer is also coming up, that means that both of my tanks will have to move again

 

But I have the added stress of my MCATs on May 19th... and move out day on the 20th...

 

So the current plan is to take the MCAT, do well, and then spend the rest of the day prepping for the move.

[hirschy75]

Sorry to hear about the mandarin man, those F'n six-lines....

Agression is the main reason I want to avoid getting them. But they do look pretty sweet...

 

And you have to move both tanks?! Are you crazy??

[altolamprologus]

Sorry to hear about Marvin Sixlines can be suck d!cks sometimes. The tank looks really really good though. Good luck on the MCATs, I know you'll do well

[awpong]

Sorry to hear about the mandarin man, those F'n six-lines....

Agression is the main reason I want to avoid getting them. But they do look pretty sweet...

 

And you have to move both tanks?! Are you crazy??

 

Yea it's one of the downside to college reefing - the aquatic kind. The other, of course, is the cost. And I'll get to move the tanks all over again in August when I move back into my house. I'm not really a fan of how my school does their whole living situation. They force every student to live on campus. The college legitimately purchases every single house that goes up for sale in the area and turns it into campus housing, but they only let you live in the house during the semester. They'll kick you out during the summer, regardless of whether or not you're staying on campus.

 

Sorry to hear about Marvin Sixlines can be suck d!cks sometimes. The tank looks really really good though.

 

Yea, I'm really upset with my wrasse. He was able to put up with other tank mates that were added after him, but they were always quick and able to escape the wrasse's curiosity. The mandarin on the other hand is relatively slow and wasn't able to escape the torment of my wrasse :'(

 

Good luck on the MCATs, I know you'll do well

 

Thanks, I hope so!

[hirschy75]

Yeah in a fellow college student, my 2 hour move will be tomorrow. And my first batch of corals will be here Thursday! Kinda nervous but I think I'll be ok.

 

Can't believe you know you have to move every year and you have TWO tanks lol.

 

Best of luck on that test and your move, let us know how it goes!

[21093r53]

sorry to hear about the mcats. was going to have to take them but i switched to business mktg nice tank bro

[awpong]

Yeah in a fellow college student, my 2 hour move will be tomorrow. And my first batch of corals will be here Thursday! Kinda nervous but I think I'll be ok.

 

Can't believe you know you have to move every year and you have TWO tanks lol.

 

Best of luck on that test and your move, let us know how it goes!

 

Thanks, I'm sure your move will go flawlessly. I've moved this tank before, but the 40B will be a first. The difficulty isn't really the fact that there are two tanks, but rather one of them is quite large. I'll also have to try and manage all of this on my own which will be... interesting. Last time I moved a 40B up stairs I ended up bumping into a wall and cracking the tank, so I'll have to be extra careful this time.

 

 

sorry to hear about the mcats. was going to have to take them but i switched to business mktg nice tank bro

 

Haha, I'm hoping I won't have to change my career path following my score

[21093r53]

Thanks, I'm sure your move will go flawlessly. I've moved this tank before, but the 40B will be a first. The difficulty isn't really the fact that there are two tanks, but rather one of them is quite large. I'll also have to try and manage all of this on my own which will be... interesting. Last time I moved a 40B up stairs I ended up bumping into a wall and cracking the tank, so I'll have to be extra careful this time.

 

 

 

 

Haha, I'm hoping I won't have to change my career path following my score

 

 

this sucks ass

[awpong]

Here are a couple new pictures of some coral in the tank. I keep accidentally fragging one of my SPS colonies. It apparently had a period of brittle growth where the branches are very thin, and I keep breaking those branches off. At least all of the new growth is nice and thick.

 

[Paigee]

Awesome new pics! Good luck with the test and the move!

[M&C]

Great job on the tank. I wouldn't be surprised to see this as totm in the near future.

 

How do you keep your parameters in check for those SPS? Do you need to dose for alkalinity, calcium, or magnesium? Or do you take care of that through water changes?

 

Also, good luck on the MCATs. I take mine May 24th!

[awpong]

Awesome new pics! Good luck with the test and the move!

 

Thanks!

 

Great job on the tank. I wouldn't be surprised to see this as totm in the near future.

 

How do you keep your parameters in check for those SPS? Do you need to dose for alkalinity, calcium, or magnesium? Or do you take care of that through water changes?

 

Also, good luck on the MCATs. I take mine May 24th!

 

Thanks, I would love to become TOTM but there are so many other great tanks out there too.

 

I kinda dose, but the majority of my additives come from my weekly water changes. I do add 6ml of Magnesium every day to help control a tiny patch of bryopsis, and I add ~20ml of Ca to my top off water. I used to add Alk to my top off water too, but I ran out and never bothered to buy another bottle.

 

Good luck on your MCAT! Are you taking the Kaplan course?

[M&C]

How many gallons do you change a week?

 

I'm actually taking the Princeton Review class, but it's been really hard to focus on it during the semester along with all of my other classes. Are you graduating this summer then?

[awpong]

How many gallons do you change a week?

 

I'm actually taking the Princeton Review class, but it's been really hard to focus on it during the semester along with all of my other classes. Are you graduating this summer then?

 

I change about 2.5 - 3 gallons every week.

 

Nah. I'm still a junior, and I completely agree that it's really hard to manage the MCAT with the normal course load too. I'll be applying to schools on June 1st and will *hopefully* start interviewing for schools in October-December.

[M&C]

I change about 2.5 - 3 gallons every week.

 

Nah. I'm still a junior, and I completely agree that it's really hard to manage the MCAT with the normal course load too. I'll be applying to schools on June 1st and will *hopefully* start interviewing for schools in October-December.

 

Thanks for answering my questions. I just got into SPS myself, and I have a 20 long. It looks like you're doing something right so I figured I'd ask you stuff.

 

I have one more question. I have a green slimer frag and a pink millepora frag that I just got in the mail last week. Both are showing good polyp extension, but they're mostly brown-ish, with hints of green and pink. My other SPS are coloring up nicely so I don't think it's an issue of water quality, flow or lighting--they're all in the same area of the tank. My question is: did some of your SPS need time to color up too? I feel like I'm just being impatient in expecting everything to look fantastic after only a few days, but I just wanted to hear what your experience was.

 

Well good luck with your application! I was on track to do the exact same thing as you are, but I decided to take a year off first to do some research before applying. The MCAT I'm taking in May is pretty much just a practice exam at this point. I'll likely take it again next summer. And kudos for managing two great looking tanks while going through all of this. That's a lot of hard work.

[awpong]

Thanks for answering my questions. I just got into SPS myself, and I have a 20 long. It looks like you're doing something right so I figured I'd ask you stuff.

 

I have one more question. I have a green slimer frag and a pink millepora frag that I just got in the mail last week. Both are showing good polyp extension, but they're mostly brown-ish, with hints of green and pink. My other SPS are coloring up nicely so I don't think it's an issue of water quality, flow or lighting--they're all in the same area of the tank. My question is: did some of your SPS need time to color up too? I feel like I'm just being impatient in expecting everything to look fantastic after only a few days, but I just wanted to hear what your experience was.

 

Well good luck with your application! I was on track to do the exact same thing as you are, but I decided to take a year off first to do some research before applying. The MCAT I'm taking in May is pretty much just a practice exam at this point. I'll likely take it again next summer. And kudos for managing two great looking tanks while going through all of this. That's a lot of hard work.

 

Haha, thanks again!

 

But yes, it will definitely take time for your new frags to color up. My colonies have gone through periods of fading and then flourishing. One of my colonies in the back used to be a vibrant blue but browned out on me, but it's regaining is color nicely. The same can be said for my tricolor acro. That was originally given to me as a brown frag, but it's grown into an amazing colony. Here are before and after pictures:

 

Before:

After:

 

Before:

After:

 

Before:

Now:

 

Before:

After:

[altolamprologus]

Before:

After:

And THAT is why I love millis. Sooooooooo fluffy

[awpong]

And THAT is why I love millis. Sooooooooo fluffy

 

I couldn't agree more! If I had more room in my tank, I'd definitely start collecting more millis.

[awpong]

I was updating the first post on this thread, and I was amazed at the progression my tank has made over the past year and a half. I thought I'd share some of the pictures that I dug up for people who won't see the homepage.

 

 

November 2010

 

January 2011

 

April 2011

 

May 2011

 

July 2011

 

August 2011

 

November 2011

 

January 2012

 

March 2012

 

April 2012

 

PS: My 2 year old clowns are finally starting to display bonded behavior..... They're still not sleeping together at night but hopefully my male will be accepted in the near future. I'm a little tired of waiting all this time.

 

[Deckoz2302]

Nice...lots of growth

[M&C]

What are these two? They're beautiful! Definitely going to keep my eye out for them.

 

Millepora?

 

Acropora nasuta?

[awpong]

Nice...lots of growth

 

Thanks

 

What are these two? They're beautiful! Definitely going to keep my eye out for them.

 

Millepora?

 

Acropora nasuta?

 

The first one is just a generic pocillopora and I have no idea what the exact species of the acro is. I'd be interested to find out though.

[eaglepilot]

This keeps looking better and better! Inspires me to start one once I get settled into my new place this fall.

[awpong]

This keeps looking better and better! Inspires me to start one once I get settled into my new place this fall.

 

Thanks, that means a lot!

 

Here are just a few pictures I took today.

 

[thedk904]

HUGE GROWTH!!! I just started an 8 gallon nano about a month ago i cant wait for mine to start looking fuller and more colorful. I wish my tank was big enough for a mated pair of clowns they are awesome.