Viewpoints - A Photographic Journal of my Reef Tank

[urbaneks]

November 26th, 2012 - Responses to Feedback

 

Your tank is beautiful and everything is so well organized and ....yes...it's just speechless. My boyfriend is the big SPS guy. Our 150 is SPS and he loves colored stix. I can't wait to show him your thread because you guys have very similar tastes in coral and he really likes to look at other sps tanks..even if it's via internet. Thanks for sharing so much about your tank. I really love it!

 

eawonko - I love the comments you left and I'm excited for your boyfriend to see the journal as well. If either of you have any questions about the tank/build don't hesitate to ask. If you guys have a tank thread please share it with me, I'd like to check it out. Again, thanks for your views and comments.

 

Wow! Thanks for the thorough response! Really appreciate it. I've been thinking about a goby/shrimp pair but am just kinda concerned for a sandstorm everyday and avalanches all the time! Any thoughts? Also, can u recommend any other shrimp gobies that are cool and active besides the yellow watchman? Just probably don't want the yellow watchman because I am interested in a Midas Blenny and that'd be too much yellow haha. How did u like your 6 line? They r so cool but I know almost everyone says they get too aggressive. On the subject of wrasses, would u highly recommend a wrasse for an SPS tank for eating pests? I would love to get one but am afraid it may not fit with the bioload I have planned for the tank.

 

Kfmmartin1996 - No problem on the response, that is what we are doing here after all (sharing knowledge). As for the sand storm, I have larger gravel and it's never been a problem for me. There are evenings where he gets pretty busy and moves a lot of gravel but it's nothing I can't fix in about 5 seconds. If I were to get a second pair, I would get a Yasha Goby and Pistol Shrimp, I've actually considered it several times. The 6 line was awesome, unfortunately, when I moved her over to the new tank, she went carpet surfing. I don't recommend one if you have an open top. As far as pest eating wrasses go, it does not get better than a Melanurus Wrasse, that is what I have in my tank. While he has some downsides, he more than makes up for it on the pest removal.

 

I made the mistake of going with an elegance coral... Beautiful specimen, was doing so well for over a month, and as of yesterday it started to decline... Guess I'm gonna look for a nice bright torch

 

mikellini - Thanks for the view and comment. Best of luck on your new additions.

[urbaneks]

November 27th, 2012 - Photo Update

 

This is one of those corals that teaches us not to give up on a coral that may not be what it once was. One of the LFS's that has since closed had a very large colony of this Blue Chalice that was just beautiful. I bought a piece that was about the size of the quarter and put it into my Nano Cube. The coral never really did much and lost it's blue coloration. It seemed to sit idle for a long time before it started to grow again and just recently began to get it's blue color back.

 

ORA Blue Chalice

 

 

I'm not a big LPS guy but really like the color and texture that this Blastos adds to the aquarium. Unlike the Duncan and Torch that I have, this coral really does not seem to add heads very often.

 

 

Red Blastos

 

 

I've posted several pictures of this Setosa lately, but I have not posted one that shows the greater size of this piece. This coral was grown out of a 1/2" frag and now measures about 4" by 4". In addition, I've been able to frag 5 other pieces that are now growing in other areas of the aquarium.

 

Setosa

[Deleted User 4]

Haha, I have the same exact blastos and they grow fast!! Probably not as quick as duncans and torch though like you said.

[najluni15]

I must say your tanks have been the inspiration for me. I started with a 28 gallon nano cube after seeing yours then upgraded to a 57 gallon rimless after seeing this tank start. I have since built a 120 gallon and have always been finding that I read your thread and try to emulate the great color and diversity that your tanks have along with the amazing organization skills that you have. I built a stand for my tank with a control panel on the side and I absolutely love it. Thank you for the great ideas and keep up with the awesome tanks. And great photography btw. Blows an iPhone out of the water.

[kveekx]

After reading this thread over and over I keep finding new information. This thread is an inspiration to me and Im sure many others. This tank definately diserves TOTM! Your thread had became my main resource for reserching filteration and many other topics! I will try to keep as much of this stuff in mind as possible as I set up my new build! Thanks for all the time you put into spreading your knowledge!

[urbaneks]

November 28th, 2012 - Responses to Feedback

 

Haha, I have the same exact blastos and they grow fast!! Probably not as quick as duncans and torch though like you said.

 

IIX - Thanks for the latest view and comment. It's interesting that one personal can have such a different experience with the same coral.

 

I must say your tanks have been the inspiration for me. I started with a 28 gallon nano cube after seeing yours then upgraded to a 57 gallon rimless after seeing this tank start. I have since built a 120 gallon and have always been finding that I read your thread and try to emulate the great color and diversity that your tanks have along with the amazing organization skills that you have. I built a stand for my tank with a control panel on the side and I absolutely love it. Thank you for the great ideas and keep up with the awesome tanks. And great photography btw. Blows an iPhone out of the water.

 

najluni15 - I can't tell you how happy this post makes me. It's a much easier to just go about your business than it is to document and post your findings. Often times I don't keep up with my journal as I should and wonder if it's really worth it. When I get a comment like this it changes that outlook. I'm glad that something I've done has made an impact for you as well as other. I can count about 15-20 people that I'm aware of that have built equipment panels based on my journal. In the end, that is what these forums are all about, sharing knowledge and helping each other. So with all of that said... thanks for taking the time to post such a nice comment.

 

After reading this thread over and over I keep finding new information. This thread is an inspiration to me and Im sure many others. This tank definately diserves TOTM! Your thread had became my main resource for reserching filteration and many other topics! I will try to keep as much of this stuff in mind as possible as I set up my new build! Thanks for all the time you put into spreading your knowledge!

 

kveekx - Thank you so much for the kind words, I'm glad that the journal is being used for people to reference. If you have specific questions as you work through your build, don't hesitate to contact me via PM here on nano-reef. Best of luck

[pschom]

That torch is going to take over soon! They grow so fast. That Setosa is real nice. I really miss the single point light source. Shadows make it look so natural.

[uglyfish]

The colour on everything is so deep and rich - something I've been struggling with for quite some time. Could you please update me on what your using for nutrient control and dosing (if any)? Where are you targeting alk, cal & mag?

[urbaneks]

November 29th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

That torch is going to take over soon! They grow so fast. That Setosa is real nice. I really miss the single point light source. Shadows make it look so natural.

 

pschom - Thanks for the compliment on the Setosa, it is one of my finer pieces. I'm a Denver Bronco fan so I can't help but think of the Broncos when I look at it. You are right on the money with the Torch, it's been a terror lately with growth. I have it banished to one corner of the tank which has worked out well to this point.

 

The colour on everything is so deep and rich - something I've been struggling with for quite some time. Could you please update me on what your using for nutrient control and dosing (if any)? Where are you targeting alk, cal & mag?

 

uglyfish - Great questions! In the last 6 weeks, my color has changed tremendously and I attribute it to 2 different events.

 

The first was an accident that turned out to be a great thing. Let me start by saying that for Alk, Cal and Mag, I dose BRS 2 part which I mix myself. I dose using a Bubble Magus dosing pump into the the rear chamber of my sump. After running this way for a year now, I test just once a week to ensure that my Cal/Alk/Mag demand is not going up. During a weekly test I found my Alk to be at 8.5 vs. the 10 that I was keeping it at for the last year. Upon investigation, I found that over time, the Alk solution had created a block that was preventing all of the Alk solution from getting into the tank. This was enough to allow the Alk to fall by 1.5dKH over a week's time. During that time I was already noticing better color but was not sure what it was from. At this point, I'm convinced it was the Alk change. Since that time, I've reduced my 2 part dosage to a point where I'm maintaining my Alk between 8 and 8.5. My target for Cal is 430 and my target for Mag is 1330.

 

The second thing that was done during this time was a treatment for Red Bugs. I knew that I had Red Bugs for the last year but due to a combination of fear for my Pistol Shrimp and the lack of Interceptor, I kept putting it off. I recently came across some Interceptor and decided it was time. While the biggest improvement has been in my smooth skin acros, I now believe that the bugs were impacting the entire tank. The photo posted below tells the story better than my words. This coral has been in my tank for about a year. Other than polyps on the stocks, the base was completely smooth with just some green specs that you could see under the skin. I took this picture 2 days after the Red Bug treatment, you can see that the green specs under the skin are starting to pop out and several polyps are visible. It's been almost 14 days now since the treatment and this coral is amazing. Not only are their polyps all over this coral, it's an even deeper purple than what you see here. I'm also happy to report that my beloved Pistol Shrimp lived through the treatment and remains busy moving gravel.

 

Within 2 days of the Interceptor treatment, this coral exploded with polyps at the base

 

For nutrient control I've always relied on GFO for phosphates, I purchase my GFO from BRS and run it inside a TLF Reactor per the instructions on BRS's website. I replace my GFO every 5 weeks which coincides with seeing my phosphates start to raise from 0-.01 to .03-.04 range. I also run a second TLF Reactor with ROX Activated Carbon which also comes from BRS.

 

For nitrates, I've always been able to get 0's on my tests with strong skimming (Bubble King Mini 180) and water changes every 2 weeks. Just recently, my nitrates have started to test at 1.5-2.0 ppm. I've have not been able to get them back to 0 with extra water changes or using a bacterial supplement. I just ordered a Bio-pellet reactor from Reef Dynamics that will be here the 2nd week of December. I'm hoping this will do the trick in getting my nitrates back down to 0.

 

The last thing you asked about was what else I dose. I've tried many supplements from Amino Acids to several of the Zeo products. I wish I could tell you that I think one of these is great, I really can't say that. During this time when my color has improved I have not been dosing any of these supplements. I do feed Reef Roids once a week as well as a frozen blend(Nutramar Ova, Rods Coral Blend and Oyster Eggs) twice a week. It's my opinion that these 3 feedings, aimed at my coral are more beneficial than any of the supplements that I've tried.

 

I realize, I got a bit wordy but hopefully I've answered your questions. If you have any follow up questions please don't hesitate to ask.

[uglyfish]

If you have any follow up questions please don't hesitate to ask.[/font][/size]

 

Thanks for the great reply. You were running Kalk to supplement BRS... are you still doing so? The slight nitrate rise seems to coincide with deeper colour - do you think they're related?

[urbaneks]

November 30th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

 

Thanks for the great reply. You were running Kalk to supplement BRS... are you still doing so? The slight nitrate rise seems to coincide with deeper colour - do you think they're related?

 

uglyfish - I still have the Kalk reactor hooked up and it still comes on every other hour but I have not been adding Kalk to it. In essence it's become part of my ATO. As for as the nitrates, I have considered it but the nitrate rise came a bit after the color started to improve. Never the less could definitely be a contributing factor. Ultimately, I'd like get the nitraes back to zero and be able to feed a bit more.

[urbaneks]

November 30th, 2012 - Photo Update

 

My journal has spilled over to a new page so I thought I would add a few photos. I like to keep photos on every page as I know that when I click on a thread I like to first scan for photos then if something grabs my attention I start reading. Hope these might grab someone's attention. These were all taken under my 20K MH's without any of the T5's running. This is my favorite light configuration to shoot under because it makes setting the white balance easy(20K). Thanks for looking.

 

A view from the right

 

A view from the left

 

Unknown Acro - I call it "Purple Stuff"

 

Another unknown Acro - A very good grower for me

 

A small section of my Cali Tort

 

A larger section of my Cali Tort w/ Green Cap in the background

[pschom]

I have some of that purple sps with the green polyps from a few posts back. It grows so slow. Makes me want to take it out. Probably te flow but others in the same location are ok.

[urbaneks]

December 2nd, 2012 - CAD Lights Photo Contest Entry

 

CAD Lights is having a photo contest for all CAD Owners, I entered tonight, I added my entry here since it had a few new photos. The Torch photo was also entered into this month's photo contest here on Nano Reef. Comments requested.

 

My Custom CAD Lights

My aquarium has been running for 1 year and 7 months. I ordered this aquarium and stand directly from CAD Lights. My goals for this aquarium have always been to successfully grow colorful SPS while maintaining a very clean tank and equipment installation. As I approach the 2 year mark with this aquarium I continue to learn and improve my aquarium husbandry. Overall I'm happy with the progress and I look forward to another 2 years of adventure and SPS growth.

 

Aquarium Details

- Display Tank - CAD Lights Custom 48x30x18, Rimless, Starfire Aquarium

- Stand – 48x30x30 Custom CAD Lights Artisan Stand

- Lighting – 48” Geisemann Infinity – 2x250Watt Metal Halides and 4x54Watt T5s

- Sump – 30x18x16 Acrylic Sump with a built in ATO Reservoir

- Skimmer – Bubble King Mini-180

- Heater – Finnex Digital 300 Watts

- Return Pump – Sicce Syncra 3.0

- Circulation Pumps – (2) Vortechs - MP40W ES with Battery Backup

- Controller – Neptune Systems Apex Controller w/ WMX

- Media Reactors - Two Little Fishes 150, one with GFO, one with Carbon

 

 

Full Tank Shot - 12/2/12

 

 

A View from the Front

 

 

A View from Below

 

 

A View from the Top

 

 

Red Planet Macro Shot

 

 

Torch Coral Macro Shot

 

 

Under the Hood

[Deleted User 4]

Wow, my jaws won't stop dropping.

[jlbzixxer]

Freaking SEXY!

Cant believe how clean it is lol

NICE WORK

[JamesHL88]

Awsome photos me likey

[jam77]

The tank looks amazing ! This has to be my favorite aquarium on the forum. I was curious if you are still dosing trace elements and Lugols ? If you are how often are they added ? Also what salt mix are you using ?

[urbaneks]

December 3rd, 2012 - Response to Feedback

 

Wow, my jaws won't stop dropping.

 

IIX - As always, thanks for your views and compliments. I can always count on you for a quick post!

 

 

Freaking SEXY!

Cant believe how clean it is lol

NICE WORK

 

jlbzixxer - Many thanks for your kind words, the tank is clean for sure, I follow a pretty regimented maintenance schedule that keeps is looking this way. You'd be surprised how little time each day is needed to maintain the tank. I have a motto, a little time everyday saves a lot of time once a month.

 

 

Awsome photos me likey

 

JamesHL88 - Thanks for the compliments on the photos. I'm glad you likey, I too likey!

 

 

The tank looks amazing ! This has to be my favorite aquarium on the forum. I was curious if you are still dosing trace elements and Lugols ? If you are how often are they added ? Also what salt mix are you using ?

 

jam77 - Favorite is a strong word, a word that I appreciate very much. Thanks for these very kind words. I am not dosing trace elements any longer nor am I dosing Lugols. At some time I decided that I was not seeing a difference with all of the products going in so I stopped all dosing except for Cal, Alk and Mag. I'm not sure if my recent progress is a result of less dosing but I have not gone back to any of it. Again, thanks for your views and comments.

[Genj]

I like the idea of dropping all dosing. But even Lugols eh?

 

On a side note, which product do you use for attaching frags? I can tell you that between the CA glue and the two part, I'm still wishing for something that performed better.

[Asureef]

The new sets of photos are fantastic and I love how clean your sand bed is. This question has probably been repeated a dozen times, but what is your maintenance and feeding regimen like? I love reading about how other SPS keepers maintain their tank.

[teamschreiba]

Great looking new FTS! Your tank just looks better and better every time I visit this thread How much are you dosing per day on your BM-T01? Have you notice the demands go up as your corals are starting to grow out?

[urbaneks]

The new sets of photos are fantastic and I love how clean your sand bed is. This question has probably been repeated a dozen times, but what is your maintenance and feeding regimen like? I love reading about how other SPS keepers maintain their tank.

 

Asureef - Thanks for your comments here. I'm pretty anal about the sand bed as you may have noticed. For me all the colors in the tank pop against a clean white sand bed. You will notice that I don't keep any coral in the sand bed and I don't let larger pieces of rubble collect at the bottom. These two things help to contribute to that clean look. In terms of maintenance, I do a 15g water change every 2 weeks and while doing so, I vacuum about 1/3rd of the sand bed. Over a 6 week period, my entire sand bed gets vacuumed. I'm always surprised at how much filth is pulled from the sand even after only 6 weeks. If you are interested in my full maintenance routine, you can check out my tank on aquaticlog.com, this is a really great site that I actually contributed to the development of.

 

As for feeding, my fish get Nori 2x per week(Monday and Thursday). The Nori is for Tangs but they all seem to love it. The rest of the days I feed New Life Spectrum Pellet Food. As for the corals, I feed Reef Roids once per week (Tuesdays) and a frozen blend(Rod's Coral Food, Oyster Eggs and Nutramar Ova) 2x per week (Friday and Sunday). On the days when frozen or Nori goes in the tank the fish get one feeding of pellets, all other days they get 2 feedings of pellets.

 

Great looking new FTS! Your tank just looks better and better every time I visit this thread How much are you dosing per day on your BM-T01? Have you notice the demands go up as your corals are starting to grow out?

 

teamschreiba - Thanks for the view and comments. Your ADA tank has always been one of my favorites. I really hope your new tank falls in the same style.

 

As for two part, I dose 135mL of Alk and Cal per day and 15mL of Mag per day. I really did not see a huge increase in demand over the growth of the tank. In fact, I've actually been in the process of lowering my dosages as I recently changed from an Alk target of 10dKH to 8. It's been about 2 weeks since I started the lowering process and I believe I've finally nailed the dosage at 135mL. Just to add a bit of extra detail, I dose Cal and Alk 12 times a day so the tank sees just over 11mL every 2 hours. During that 2 hour time, the Alk will fall to 8.0 then rise to 8.15 with the 2 hour dosage.

[buddythelion]

Urbaneks,

 

Your thread is such an inspiration for me. Your tank has become my new favorite and I appreciate the amount of detail that you've put into this tank, and your routine to maintain such a beauty.

 

Following.

[1fishmonger]

Great build thread and great setup. Fantastic work here - Keep it up!