Mark's Nanobox Powered 40B -retired-

[markalot]

Ok, here's a picture update. Color still improving, and still has a ways to go from the peak I was at earlier in the year, but in just over a week things have improved markedly.

 

 

 

Managed to save just a small chunk of this Stylocoeniella but look at it go now. It's not pretty like those fancy jason fox pieces, but it was free and I like it.

 

It's also NOT a stylo, this is a stylo (Orchid). Look under the blue digi, there's some blue cloves. I figured I wouldn't lose them all.

 

KBG acro was pale brown just a few days ago. Gogo nitrates.

 

 

These orange pallys or zoas are kind of invasive.

 

Another SPS responding well to nitrates.

 

Saved piece of Leptastrea, normally dark brown and orange when not bleached.

 

Lower light frags under recovering blue trumpets.

 

Sympodium

[RollaJase]

Beautiful Mark .

[GtTap]

Do you have a filefish in this tank?

[gena]

I'm sure some are left somewhere. If not I have millions in my 150 I can move over. Unfortunately they are very small so when you have a lot of them they just blend in. I would like to have some Anthelia back, especially the hard to keep blue ones.

 

Did you see this picture from my 150? My old old daisy polyps, from when I setup my very first reef, got moved in sort of by accident and love this spot. I'm a huge fan of daisy polyps.

 

Those look great! I wouldn't mind adding some blue cloves to my tank at some point. I'd do the daisy polyps or larger cloves, but I need something smaller. Anthelia was my first coral...absolutely love that coral. But it is too big as well. Mine got huge. My clownfish lived in it like it was an anemone!

 

That orange zoa/trumpet combination is fantastic!

[markalot]

Do you have a filefish in this tank?

 

Nope, not really interested in taking the chance, yet. The Blenny is gone and the tank is sad at the moment, he's not around to hassle the other fish or sit at the front of the tank looking for food. I must get another, and my LFS will source one for me if one doesn't come in soon.

 

I really need one more fish but I can't find any that I'm positive will get along with the rest of the crew.

[markalot]

Nitrates now up to 5 via dosing over 4 days. I am going to try and hold them between 2 and 5 to see what happens. Interestingly enough the cyano has faded to just the back of the tank. Why?

[Mariaface]

Nitrates now up to 5 via dosing over 4 days. I am going to try and hold them between 2 and 5 to see what happens. Interestingly enough the cyano has faded to just the back of the tank. Why?

 

Outcompeted by bacteria that need more nitrates?

[markalot]

This ain't no show tank, and my back won't tolerate me bending over to scrape (what an awesome excuse, yes!) but the tank is looking a LOT better now that nitrates are above 0 and I'm feeding a little coral food on a regular basis.

 

Of course some cyano, and bubble algae, have reared their ugly heads but that's the way it goes with this tank.

 

Birdsnest coloration has really improved, and this is after falling into the goni.

 

Kentucky Bluegrass acro greening up.

 

SPS island(s)

 

This, uh, Leptoseris? coral has never looked this good. I've got to hand it to Tidal Gardens, this is another one of their no names but one they classified as ultra and I agree with them. Every no name coral I purchased from them has been a winner.

 

I don't think he can move this, but he will try,

 

 

KH 7.0 via 1 tsp Kalk per gallon topoff, timed via Apex.

PO4 very low

NO3 ~ 5

 

 

 

 

[teenyreef]

Wow, that lepto is awesome! I'll have to check out Tidal Gardens. And that Halloween crab cracks me up

 

I love your tank scraping excuse. I messed my back up Sunday hauling 5g buckets around. Time to either come up with an alternate water change strategy, or start working out more often. I know which option is probably going to win

[markalot]

Wow, that lepto is awesome! I'll have to check out Tidal Gardens. And that Halloween crab cracks me up

 

I love your tank scraping excuse. I messed my back up Sunday hauling 5g buckets around. Time to either come up with an alternate water change strategy, or start working out more often. I know which option is probably going to win

 

Thanks teeny.

 

So that back ... On your back, one knee bent, straighten the other leg and use your hand to lift as high as you can. This one except keep the other leg bent.

 

 

Someone at work told me this is the key, to stretch the muscles, and I didn't believe them, now I do these every morning and evening and it's helped more than anything else. No idea why, some mumbo jumbo explanation. This guy hurt his back so bad when he was near 30 years old he had drop foot. This has kept him healthy for over 10 years now.

[teenyreef]

 

On your back, one knee bent, straighten the other leg and use your hand to lift as high as you can. This one except keep the other leg bent.

 

 

Someone at work told me this is the key, to stretch the muscles and I didn't believe them, now I do these every morning and evening and it's helped more than anything else. No idea why, some mumbo jumbo explanation.

Thanks! I do these, as well as straight toe touches. Anything that stretches hamstrings makes a huge difference. I started doing stretches every day about two years ago, and my sore back and neck got completely better.

 

The other night was the first time in years that I strained my back. I think it had a lot to do with poor lifting technique and weakened muscles

[DaveFason]

For some reason I have broken links on both of your threads?

[markalot]

For some reason I have broken links on both of your threads?

 

Pictures? Coming from IMGUR, maybe blocked somewhere?

[markalot]

Tailspot Blenny and a Chromis added this evening. Chromis out and about with the Basslet occasionally picking on it but this typically brings the tang over and they stare each other down for a while. The tailspot is up in front, in the right corner. He is really healthy, nice slow breathing and good color. Let's hope it stays that way.

[teenyreef]

That's great! Those are two fish high on my list for the 40g eventually. Maybe.

[markalot]

The Tailspot sits still and yet I end up with a fuzzy picture.

 

 

The Chromis is all over the place and somehow I get this. *sigh*

 

Pink bird showing green? Hmmm.

 

[reefernanoman]

The Tailspot sits still and yet I end up with a fuzzy picture.

 

 

The Chromis is all over the place and somehow I get this. *sigh*

 

Pink bird showing green? Hmmm.

 

Nice. yup it's coloring up nicely (the birdsnest)

[markalot]

Nice. yup it's coloring up nicely (the birdsnest)

 

Thanks.

 

 

So I think the Blenny has settled in. I was worried yesterday but he started eating off the bottom and then started on the back wall of algae and today he's acting a lot like the old Blenny, being curious, daring the bigger fish to do anything, and eating well. I fed the tank a lot, I mean a LOT, as I usually do when new fish arrive, and so far everything looks better. One unexpected benefit of the Chromis is that now the tang and Basslet aren't constantly cowering on back when someone approaches the tank. Should have added one a year ago!

 

My goal was to get a FTS with all the fish in view. 23 pictures later, this is the best I could get.

 

Runner up, but missing the Blenny but I like the way the wrasse looks in front of the Kenya tree.

 

He belly was concave but now is filling out, looking much better than just two days ago. I really do think the back wall of algae helps the algae and pod eaters.

 

Grumpy

[metrokat]

New TB is cute, everything looks healthy in here Mark.

I'm going to try this stretching and see if it helps my back any.

 

 

 

Thanks teeny.

 

So that back ... On your back, one knee bent, straighten the other leg and use your hand to lift as high as you can. This one except keep the other leg bent.

 

 

Someone at work told me this is the key, to stretch the muscles, and I didn't believe them, now I do these every morning and evening and it's helped more than anything else. No idea why, some mumbo jumbo explanation. This guy hurt his back so bad when he was near 30 years old he had drop foot. This has kept him healthy for over 10 years now.

[markalot]

New TB is cute, everything looks healthy in here Mark.

I'm going to try this stretching and see if it helps my back any.

 

 

 

I hope it helps. Opposite leg should be bent, not flat like it is in the picture.

 

CUBS WIN! Bought sling tv to watch it ... man I miss Chicago. Freaky that Chapman, former Red, pitched the final innings. Hopefully they will stomp the mistake by the lake.

[markalot]

Things are slowly looking better. Left for 5 days and KH fell to 6.4 but nothing seemed to be bothered. The caps still need a deeper color, the red has darkened a lot but the green is still very pale. The KBG acro is looking very healthy and slowly coloring back up.

 

 

This is the OJ digitata but that's not what I'm trying to show. Just under the base is a single daisy polyp. I love these things, just when I think I lost then another shows up.

 

All the fish are good but the Blenny likes to hide more than the old one. I have to sit still in front fo the tank before he comes out of his hole, behind the red cap.

 

 

FTS

[markalot]

Blue light FTS

[markalot]

Adding the Chromis has really brought out all the fish more consistently, I guess because they see the silly blue fish as the one who will get eaten first? If I had known what a difference it would make I would have added one a long time ago.

 

Bringing the white LED's up in here (Ben ) because I don't have any T5's on this tank. The Goni is healthy but very dark, I think it needs more light.

[markalot]

Grrr this tank. Lost a lot of SPS color, Nitrates 0 again, so I started dosing again and feeding a small pinch of reef roids every morning. I'm considering adding a clown in here to add bioload and maybe harass the torch a little. The nearby fish store always has some fancy clowns, maybe a black clown, that would be unique. Either that or I throw in more Chromis.

 

Cyano is around but not horrible, bubble algae pretty bad, and Aptasia coming back.

 

Katropora frags in here now, let's see how they do.

 

KBG

 

[jedimasterben]

The nearby fish store always has some fancy clowns, maybe a black clown, that would be unique. Either that or I throw in more Chromis.

I know it's probably outside of the scope of your idea of fancy, but Divers Den has been selling a bunch of clowns from Bali Aquarich that haven't been $400 each. Pairs of some for $170, and some nicer singles for $150. I think next time I order something from DD I will get one.