Spencer's Sexy Small Polyped Sixty: From Frags to Riches (Retired)

[Spencer7]

I'm just too damn generous with these pics...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733059155/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733059155/'>DSC_0022 by http://www.flickr.com/people/101209501@N04/'>spencermatonis, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733143996/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733143996/'>DSC_0027 by http://www.flickr.com/people/101209501@N04/'>spencermatonis, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733058905/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733058905/'>DSC_0024 by http://www.flickr.com/people/101209501@N04/'>spencermatonis, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733160934/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101209501@N04/10733160934/'>DSC_0028 by http://www.flickr.com/people/101209501@N04/'>spencermatonis, on Flickr

[Illuiix]

 

I am so very sorry for the out of focus shots. Sincerely. I tried to keep the related photos together. For half the coral I got a top down shot and a side shot to show any subtle nuances (top downs are a little more photo friendly IMO).

Enjoy!

DSC_0029 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0030 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0036 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0052 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0056 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0057 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0061 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0062 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0063 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Sorry guys. Deep purple/brown table, light colored polyps.

DSC_0064 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

I have large frags that will be for sale! Green Tenius with blue tips! Growing fast in my tank, large polyps.

DSC_0066 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Nightlight Acro, Notice the blue tips, green polyps, designer low light acro

DSC_0067 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Slow grower, but I have high hopes of it tabling, color is decent, you can tell it's a SSC

DSC_0068 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Beautiful, Spencer's Tricolor Table, Purple/Green/Blue. Frag available.

DSC_0071 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Where's the purple you ask?...

DSC_0078 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

My 3-year old clam, it's been in this tank since week 2 or 3, before then, it was in my cube. I keep it hidden in this tank.

DSC_0072 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Foreshadow. New colony, I've had for about a week. Sorry for the water motion.

DSC_0075 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

2nd Batch is Coming!

Let me know how the first one was!

Feel free to ask Q's.

(Although a lot of the technical Q's can be answered with a short trip to Post #1)

 

Wow, I see color improvements on your corals.

 

 

Thank you, after this, I can give you some pointers (or at least what works with me), if you would like.

Batch #2

DSC_0007 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0008 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0009 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Color has darkened, slightly out of focus, I have one frag of the Cali Tort.

DSC_0010 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0015 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Northern Lights Granulosa

DSC_0016 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

My precious Pearlberry, fastest grower in the tank as well!

DSC_0018 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Fatso

DSC_0027 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

 

The Red planet pieice is visible, I will glue him up on Friday.

DSC_0032 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

DSC_0033 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

Foreshadow Acro

DSC_0044 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

 

Same goes for this.

[Spencer7]

 

Wow, I see color improvements on your corals.

Same goes for this.

Thanks, I think it is a bit of the lighting, bit of the dosing, bit of process of elimination (what's left in there atm is what is healthy).

 

I am playing around with what FTS I wanna go with. It's a big deal for me. Check the first post, I plan to use one of the last 3 pics, the first one is dim which I like, it compliments coiors and is more forgiving.

 

The second and third have more consistent lighting with the previous FTS, they were taken today rather than yesterday.

 

Which is ur fav?

[Illuiix]

Thanks, I think it is a bit of the lighting, bit of the dosing, bit of process of elimination (what's left in there atm is what is healthy).

 

I am playing around with what FTS I wanna go with. It's a big deal for me. Check the first post, I plan to use one of the last 3 pics, the first one is dim which I like, it compliments coiors and is more forgiving.

 

The second and third have more consistent lighting with the previous FTS, they were taken today rather than yesterday.

 

Which is ur fav?

 

I like the 2nd to the last imo. I think it has cleaner appearance.

[Spencer7]

I like the 2nd to the last imo. I think it has cleaner appearance.

And definitely better than the first, right?

 

I like how all the anthias are present but do not block the scape, as opposed to the 3rd one, where they're in the way (distracting).

[Illuiix]

And definitely better than the first, right?

 

I like how all the anthias are present but do not block the scape, as opposed to the 3rd one, where they're in the way (distracting).

 

Well, I've also noticed that you don't get to see the dirty diatoms at the bottom for the 2nd to last picture, in front of the sandbed.

 

And the shimmer effects are better at the surface.

[Spencer7]

dirty diatoms

I don't know what those are...--------------------------- -

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[Illuiix]

lOL. Sucks because YOU've already updated the fts....people can't see the 3 fts pictures we were all comparing to!! Lol.

[Chew_Magna]

F man, every time I see your FTS I want to rip my tank apart and start over.

[devilsadvocate]

looks great man. seems like your winning....for now.

started the tank back up

[Spencer7]

Bonsai!

DSC_0001 by spencermatonis, on Flickr

[Spencer7]

Bought 7 frags + a clam.

 

Including a PC Rainbow and a Jason Fox Sour Twist

 

 

Edit: After getting home, dipping, and acclimating, all the cheap $20 and $30 acros have bleached a decent amount. By bleach I mean that they have lost all their coral (as opposed to skeleton). My rainbow stylo has holes in it where polyps/tissue literally fell off.

[Arkayology]

Bought 7 frags + a clam.

 

Including a PC Rainbow and a Jason Fox Sour Twist

 

 

Edit: After getting home, dipping, and acclimating, all the cheap $20 and $30 acros have bleached a decent amount. By bleach I mean that they have lost all their coral (as opposed to skeleton). My rainbow stylo has holes in it where polyps/tissue literally fell off.

Ouch.

[Spencer7]

Ouch.

Elaborate

[Chew_Magna]

Elaborate

ouch

interjection

(used as an exclamation expressing sudden pain or dismay.)

Origin:

1830–40, Americanism; < German autsch

ouch

noun

1. a clasp, buckle, or brooch, especially one worn for ornament.

2. the setting of a precious stone.

verb (used with object)

3. to adorn with or as if with ouches.

Origin:

1325–75; Middle English ouche (noun), for nouche (the phrase a nouche taken as an ouche; cf. apron) <Old French nosche ≪ Germanic

 

 

 

 

[Spencer7]

 

ouch

interjection

(used as an exclamation expressing sudden pain or dismay.)

Origin:

1830–40, Americanism; < German autsch

ouch

noun

1. a clasp, buckle, or brooch, especially one worn for ornament.

2. the setting of a precious stone.

verb (used with object)

3. to adorn with or as if with ouches.

Origin:

1325–75; Middle English ouche (noun), for nouche (the phrase a nouche taken as an ouche; cf. apron) <Old French nosche ≪ Germanic

 

 

 

 

Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[Spencer7]

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/336618-changing-up-my-bulb-layout-sps-tank/#entry4545456

[Chew_Magna]

Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------

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I got your back.

[Arkayology]

Elaborate

Bleaching and tissue necrosis sucks.

 

 

ouch

interjection

(used as an exclamation expressing sudden pain or dismay.)

Origin:

1830–40, Americanism; < German autsch

ouch

noun

1. a clasp, buckle, or brooch, especially one worn for ornament.

2. the setting of a precious stone.

verb (used with object)

3. to adorn with or as if with ouches.

Origin:

1325–75; Middle English ouche (noun), for nouche (the phrase a nouche taken as an ouche; cf. apron) <Old French nosche ≪ Germanic

 

 

 

 

[Spencer7]

Bleaching and tissue necrosis sucks.

Yeah but I'm just thankful that it's cheap stuff that got hit hardest. Only one frag has died and it was $15. I'll live. Learned a few lessons for next year's event.

 

I suspect that the cheaper pieces are wild pieces that came in recently, got fragged like crazy, slapped under LED's, and moved around like crazy to the point where they are extremely stressed out. Transporting, dipping, and being put in a new tank put these frags over the edge.

 

The really expensive stuff are the designer acros that have been selectively bred (if you will) and have traveled within the hobbies and aquariums to the point where they can better handle the events above and have done so before.

 

They have been domesticated.

[Spencer7]

So, big news...

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I took a look at my "To Do / Budgeting List" and had an epiphany...

 

- I want less nuisance algae

-I want a low nutrient system (or at least lower than what I have)

-I want to bring my dosing system to the next level with a automatic doser

-I want a clean tank, inside and out

-I want to start dosing potassium and experiment with other additives

-I want to start using a reactor

-I want more growth & better colors (duh)

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Then I took at my tank and of all the SPS, the lack of rock, high flow, high light, etc.

 

 

And realized, I want a ZeoVit tank.

 

I realized that the Zeovit system basically captures what I'm looking for in my tank, and actually, where I was already heading.

 

 

So there's the bombshell, my first step is cleaning out the sump, which I started.

 

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I do have two big concerns with this...

 

-Overdosing on a KZ product and having a tank crash (I've seen happen a lot, especially with ZeoStart)

 

-Exposing the ZeoLite media to air and causing, again, my tank to crash

[Chew_Magna]

Yeah but I'm just thankful that it's cheap stuff that got hit hardest. Only one frag has died and it was $15. I'll live. Learned a few lessons for next year's event.

 

I suspect that the cheaper pieces are wild pieces that came in recently, got fragged like crazy, slapped under LED's, and moved around like crazy to the point where they are extremely stressed out. Transporting, dipping, and being put in a new tank put these frags over the edge.

 

The really expensive stuff are the designer acros that have been selectively bred (if you will) and have traveled within the hobbies and aquariums to the point where they can better handle the events above and have done so before.

 

They have been domesticated.

Lol, cheap stuff. I have only one coral that I paid more than $15 for. Everything else was $15 or $8.

[Spencer7]

Lol, cheap stuff. I have only one coral that I paid more than $15 for. Everything else was $15 or $8.

What ever works my man.

[Spencer7]

Before Spring of 2014

 

-Buy and Setup an Automatic Dosing Unit (Looking at BM-T01and ARKA VIDA-H4)

-Buy a Potassium Test Kit and Potassium Supplement

-Add more Flow (Replace return and add another circulator)

-Clean and Organize Sump

-Clean and Organize Electronics

-Get the system running on Zeovit

-Play Around with Some More Bulb Configurations

-Set up a Reactor (Vertex 1.5)

-Restock on Iodine

-More Coral

-Restock on Coral Dip and Coral Glue

[Chew_Magna]

What ever works my man.

More like whatever you can afford. I'd love to be able to spend more money on other things.