Arce's Tank

[metrokat]

Nice Arce!

[TheKleinReef]

Nice Arce!

 

hah.

 

hahahah.

 

[SandBed]

 

 

 

Lights hung... Overall happy with it, kind of ghetto with the hanging because my original plan failed. But bent some 3/4 conduit which was interesting and took a couple trys to get right. The fans are quite loud, definitely going to replace those for some better ones. Otherwise its pretty legit for $100, visually brighter and no more shadowing at the corners. The overhang isn't terrible which is good.

 

Got a crappy pic of the katropora... Its a very dark picture but the katroporas starting to color up and get a bit brighter.

 

 

 

The DIY turned out well and it really lights the tank up well. Looking terrific. Great tank.

[Arce]

 

hah.

 

hahahah.

 

Lol not that funny when its pronounced correctly. Its not arse its R-Cee. If my phonetics make sense. Lol

 

The DIY turned out well and it really lights the tank up well. Looking terrific. Great tank.

Thanks!!

[metrokat]

hah.

 

hahahah.

 

Hey I said arCe. Gutter, you're in the gutter.

 

Although I did think arse.

 

 

<--- for Arce.

[Arce]

Hey I said arCe. Gutter, you're in the gutter.

 

Although I did think arse.

 

 

<--- for Arce.

 

Lol

[TheKleinReef]

Hey I said arCe. Gutter, you're in the gutter.

 

 

Although I did think arse.

 

 

<--- for Arce.

I don't deserve flowers?!

 

Regardless, the tank is looking good. I see a lot of white tips.

[Arce]

I don't deserve flowers?!

 

Regardless, the tank is looking good. I see a lot of white tips.

 

Lol

 

Yep i got some, most of the growth is encrusting though, waiting for everything to just take off.

[Arce]

I want another fish, suggestions? I have a Clown, royal gramma and banggai cardinal.

[metrokat]

Midas Blenny

Springers Damselfish

Some type of wrasse

[Arce]

ooooh maybe a blenny. I loved the wrasse i had, maybe i could do another.

[Arce]

I need a new camera.... Im not looking to go pro and get a thousand dollar setup, but want something that can take nice quality pictures and grab all the colors and detail without being washed out and blurry. Anyone good with cameras, able to help?

[markalot]

Mr Microscope uses an older Canon point and shoot that takes great pics. I think any older canon bought on the cheap, like refurbished, and has the ability to adjust white balance on the camera would work well.

 

Next step would be a bottom of the line DSLR with a decent kit lens and then taking in RAW mode and doing all the enhancements in software rather than having the camera do it.

Here is a good starting point for both P&S and DSLR. Cameras that support RAW mode.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cameras_supporting_a_raw_format

[itzju]

Dude, the tank looks great!

[Arce]

Dude, the tank looks great!

Thanks man. Its coming along.

 

Mr Microscope uses an older Canon point and shoot that takes great pics. I think any older canon bought on the cheap, like refurbished, and has the ability to adjust white balance on the camera would work well.

 

Next step would be a bottom of the line DSLR with a decent kit lens and then taking in RAW mode and doing all the enhancements in software rather than having the camera do it.

 

 

Here is a good starting point for both P&S and DSLR. Cameras that support RAW mode.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cameras_supporting_a_raw_format

Thanks ill give that a look. I have to decide what i want.

[Arce]

So I'm getting some color back in a few pieces, other than the birdsnest that i bleached but that's another story. I've been contemplating whats going on with the colors/ growth of some corals. Various things have been going through my mind but its mainly phosphates. I haven't tested them in forever, I'm sure i have a decent amount, but i have minimal nuisance algae, maybe a small patch of gha and a few bubbles, other than that my rocks are spotless despite how much i feed. Then i think about all of the tanks with high phos levels and such. Anddd then i just come back to thinking about stability. Going through my records, ever since i switched my doser i had some alk swings trying to get the new one dialed in, and I feel like the stress of the swings could have browned them out. So I'm thinking I'm going to give my tank till the end of the month, maintain stable levels which i have, cut extra feedings, and if i see improvement good to go, if not I'm going to look into phosphates being the culprit.

 

My tank stresses me out.

[Arce]

Night time viewing of corals is always the best, such crazy PE they look awesome. Wish i could take pics but it comes out horrible.

[Arce]

Caved in and checked my phosphates and nitrates. With the hanna my phos came in at 0.05 and nitrates with a salifert test were undetectable, solution stayed crystal clear even in the low range. Didnt expect either of those readings.

 

Last time i checked both was november 10th and phosphates were 0.12 and nitrates below 5. That was when i had my sand bed.

 

Alk came in at 7.448, a little bit high comepared to the readings from the past week, supposed to be around 7.0-7.1, but not a huge deal. Im just trying to get it more stable. I really need my tank to start consuming more alk so i can set my doser to dose every hour, right now i can only do 12 times a day max since im only at 10ml per day. Maybe that would provide more stability

[Arce]

Some growth shots....

 

 

 

Bonsai first picture was taken in the end of September. Second today

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure what this one is. First one was taken in the end of September, second today.

 

 

 

 

 

Stylo. First was in the end of September as well. Not the same angle but you can see how much farther it extends.

 

 

[markalot]

You are doing great, don't sweat the small stuff. Much better than I am! My understanding is a swing from 7.0 to 8.0 is much better tolerated than a swing from 8.0 to 9.0 so I think you're on the right track. I'm slowly getting mine down to 7.5 and hope to never run above 8 KH again.

[Arce]

You are doing great, don't sweat the small stuff. Much better than I am! My understanding is a swing from 7.0 to 8.0 is much better tolerated than a swing from 8.0 to 9.0 so I think you're on the right track. I'm slowly getting mine down to 7.5 and hope to never run above 8 KH again.

 

Thanks! I'm trying not to but the colors of some of my sps are starting to irritate me, with low phos and 0 nitrates i still have one or two brownish pieces, which leads me back to thinking its definitely the alk issues. I never run or ran above 8, at least intentionally. I've always liked the 7.0-8 range.

[markalot]

Thanks! I'm trying not to but the colors of some of my sps are starting to irritate me, with low phos and 0 nitrates i still have one or two brownish pieces, which leads me back to thinking its definitely the alk issues. I never run or ran above 8, at least intentionally. I've always liked the 7.0-8 range.

 

Some acros take a hell of a long time. What pieces are still brown? If it's the bonsai, forget it, I've never been able to have one even grow for me much less color up.

[Arce]

Some acros take a hell of a long time. What pieces are still brown? If it's the bonsai, forget it, I've never been able to have one even grow for me much less color up.

 

Its mostly the bonsai and the kat. Other than that mostly the other pieces have decent color, but nowhere what they should be. The bonsai has patches of flourescence coming back, bright purple, so im thinking it will come back in time. And the kat, no idea, looks poop brown still with a hint of green.

[markalot]

Its mostly the bonsai and the kat. Other than that mostly the other pieces have decent color, but nowhere what they should be. The bonsai has patches of flourescence coming back, bright purple, so im thinking it will come back in time. And the kat, no idea, looks poop brown still with a hint of green.

 

The kat is brown? Do you know how much light it's under? 300+ PAR will color it up, I know that, but not sure how low it can tolerate. Mine is stil brown with a hint of green since my phosphate and kh spike. Hopefully it will be back to normal in a month but it might just be slow to color back up.

[Arce]

The kat is brown? Do you know how much light it's under? 300+ PAR will color it up, I know that, but not sure how low it can tolerate. Mine is stil brown with a hint of green since my phosphate and kh spike. Hopefully it will be back to normal in a month but it might just be slow to color back up.

 

Its at the top of my tank, no par meter so i have no idea on the par. Im just assuming its going to take a while to color up, its still growing though w/ nice PE.

 

Took a crappy pic of it. You can see the green undertone in it still but its so dark. The pic doesnt help either.