ALNs-Piece of reef

[ALNN]

acclimating goodies i got from Darthvictor thanks again! (member from a local forum, back in the T.dot )
more pictures after later on when they are in the tank

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[andi.rahl]

What goodies

[ALNN]

What goodies

 

Finally i have a day off! woot! went out to darthvictors place to pick up some frag to start the tank off . Very very nice guy and also got to drop by inside to take a look at his tank

 

Soo these are the goodies i got to pick up from him!

 

Pink Monti Cap.

(first time using epoxy putty, and i dont think i did it right...as of now the monti is on a rubble rock and epoxied to it. i'll check it again tomorrow and see if its harden if not then i'll go get some super glue and rebound it)

-tried to make the epoxy look like rock...failed at that tho LOL

 

And my Fav Pulsing Xenia

Front tank view (i wanted to have it kind of "peek out" behind the rock look, but i might just move it into the front still debating.

 

Back View

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Current full tank shot

 

 

I couldnt believe how Soft, soft coral really is. I was so afraid or hurting the xenia since i couldnt get it in the right place. Right now i have 2 piece of rubble that made a little hole and i just stuck it into that hole.

 

do you guys glue the base of soft coral like xenia to rubble to? with super glue? will it damage the coral? let me know what you guys do so i have an idea how its supposed to me done. The right was is always the best way

[lnglostsurfer]

For the most part, if a soft coral will wedge into a place pretty well I usually don't glue it. Then again with the tank I'm doing now I've been gluing everything. kind of your call, see if you have problems with it falling over. The xenia should grow out relatively quick to where it will hold itself in place anyway.

 

As for that monti cap, be really careful with your epoxy, it looks like its really close to the flesh of the coral. If it touches the flesh it will really irritate that area and you may have a bit of tissue die off, but it should dry fully within a day or so, it takes longer underwater.

 

Otherwise everything looks good, how's that light coming along? Can't wait to see it over the tank

[ALNN]

will be tinning the start tonight i believe. err....as for the epoxy on the coral...i think i got some on it already...&$^#... lesson learned

i was told i can get super glue from home depot...what kind are you guys using and is it safe?

[ExSmoker]

You want superglue that only contains (Cyanoacrylate) and nothing else.

Hint, This superglue GEL at the dollar store is excatly the same stuff sold at LFS, Hardwear stores ect ect.. Just make sure its 100% Cyanoacrylate Gel, The Non Gel stuff works too, but you will get better results with the GEL. and for $2.oo its super cheap..

 

Ohh and yes its 100% safe...

[ALNN]

Thanks exsmoker ill go buy some tomorrow

[lnglostsurfer]

Yeah, I use the Loctite superglue gel on either side of JB waterweld. Never had an issue. There are definitely cheaper brands though but I think I spent 6 or 7 dollars on both. Hopefully the monti cap will be fine, just keep an eye on it. There is actually an article in the library about affixing coral frags that's really good.

[ALNN]

Oo really im gunna go read that

[ExSmoker]

Thanks exsmoker ill go buy some tomorrow

No worries.

[fattail95]

Will definitely be following this!

[ALNN]

Will definitely be following this!

Thanks fattail

[judd]

where did you get the aluminum bar? im on my planning stages for the exact same thing.. im wondering if the arm can handle the weight

[ALNN]

Im wondering that too but it shouldn't be that bad th bar is pretty light and I was thinking of mounting it on the stock handle. I got the bar locally at a metal shop its like a few bucks veryyyy cheap

[judd]

hmm I wonder if they have that size at home depot or lowes

[Rockchalkreef]

Im interested to see if your bar gets too hot with the new LEDs. you got any ideas?

[ALNN]

Well im following a previous build abd have talked to the guy that modded his fluval spec v light also and he said it worked fine. But of course I will test it out before running it and checking for over heating. Ill also have vent line at the top of the light to dispurse some heat also.

 

The only worri u would have is with the 3ups so for sure ill be checking the heat it will produce.

 

With me being lazy and getting home late cause of work progress on the light is taking longer then expected.

 

I do hav the led stars all tinned and tested so I know they all work. The house modd is also ready in the next day or 2. Then I will start working out a pattern and seeing what colours to blend fo the middle.

[lnglostsurfer]

Really excited to see youre light, the colors should turn out awesome. You will be so much happier than with the whitewash stock light.

[ALNN]

small update,

havent been getting much done lately as for the tank since work is starting to pick up, but in the few hours i have i try my best still working on the housing but thats coming along nicely. and i know im slow at this be patient with me

Here are the 3 ups all tinned and bridged


Im missing 1 or 2 more led stars to finish tinning but here is what they look like


Update on the tank

getting a nice colour on my rock all over but i see these darker purple almost black?ish dots..i hope they are normal and not anything bad


Whats this red stuff?its only on my sand ...
http://s210.photobucket.com/user/aL-n/media/20130501_190143_zps6165d557.jpg.html'>

still dont know what this is....but i knock the gsp rock by accident when cleaning and during rearrangement it left of.,..and floated away.


monti cap...doesnt look good since i think i got some puddy on it...fully my fault since i was inexperience in mounting frags.. but i got everything i need now for future mounting, putty and super glue gel.


Xenia looks healthy and also the GSP. everything in the tank is stable. Sunday i'll do a W/C and i'll be getting a a Cal and Alk tester.

and thats all for tonight.

[ALNN]

so i found out that the stuff on my sand might be cyanobacteria...or red slime not to sure how it got there but im pretty sure its not my nitrate since i tested and it was pretty low.

my guess is my lighting period with this stock light...running for a good 11H lol...

 

tank is currently in black out mode and im looking for come cheato just incase it is the nitrate.

[Fross]

Diatoms and some cyanobacteria are very common to new systems. If the cyano is on the sand, it can easily be removed by just scooping it up as It stays clumped to the sand quite well. Once removed it seems to stay gone.

[ALNN]

What if its in on the rock? I see 2 strands lol

[Newb_reefer1]

What I do with my algae problems is right before I do a water change I'll get it all set up and start the drain then with a tooth brush I'll scrub the rocks off and use the airline tubbing to suck up al the algae particles and its working really well

[ALNN]

im thinking about doing that too! i checked today being the 2nd day of the black out, nope the xenia dont mind it, same with the gsp.

i dont see anymore red stuff on the sand and the 2 strands on the rock seems to have gotten smaller and thinner

[ALNN]

small update

as for the cyanobacteria, it seems to be almost gone after 3 days of black out, i dont see any hairs or red stuff on the sand. Thats good news. I also changed the timer on my tank for the light to be from 9-4pm, 7 hours of light.

Im not to sure if what im seeing now is a new problem or not but i see "dust" or "deadskin" looking thing over some rocks and sand, i blasted it with the turkey baster and its just floating everywhere lol. I set my pump nozzles to direct flow down to the lower part of the tank so the top overfull will skim it away. It is doing its job slowly but surely.

Pictures of what it looks like, any idea what it is? looks like dust. im sure it not sand debris
http://s210.photobucket.com/user/aL-n/media/20130505_101140_zpsfe24f8a4-1_zps6cb17f72.jpg.html'>
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