Mark's 150 (NanoBox Retro)

[xiaoxiy]

 

Yea, I agree that a good regulator should be fine but you have to pay good money for it. At the time I thought I was buying one of the best built by someone running an aquarium fert store. I have no idea if it was the fault of the bottle, the regulator, or a faulty install. I cleaned up the pieces and walked away from CO2.

Yeah that's a traumatizing experience for sure.

 

I personally like the dual-stage CO2 regs sold by people @ plantedtank.net/forums. There are some sweet, and solid CO2 regulators in the classified section.

[markalot]

ping

[GtTap]

Well this is new lol.

[markalot]

Things still going ok, no new pictures yet.

 

I found a little anemone like beasty hanging on to the Lokani via 3 or 4 tendrals.  Looked kind of like a very small bleached shroom ... removed flesh where it attached.  I dispatched with prejudice.

 

I've gotten KH very close to 7 via Kalk plus 30ml per day 2 part.  

 

I am not believing the low PO4 tests, the tank is behaving like there is more so I've increased PhosphateRx drops to 4 a day and will go to 5 after a week. 

 

Replaced all T5 bulbs (2 blue+, 2 coral+) and raised fixture an inch.

[markalot]

The small Cousin It frag imploded yesterday evening and it looks like the colony will soon follow.  Who knows what exactly happened but I suspect it's been a zombie for a while.  RIP.

 

This opens up a spot up high, maybe I'll put one of those brown ones up there and see what cooking under 500 PAR does to it.  

[evan127]

That's a bummer. Do you have a PAR meter?

[markalot]

Yep.  That spot is near 500.  I might gave fried it and didn't frag soon enough.

[markalot]

So little time lately, but I decided to go to the top of the steps and take pictures of what I see walking down.  Things are going well, color is getting better.  Low KH did take a toll on a few arcos, mainly Cousin It and 2 of the blue stag branches.  This happened a few months ago so I'm pretty convinced low KH is the culprit.  I am targeting 7.2 KH now but still at 6.8 after a few days around 7.  

 

 

 

 

[teenyreef]

I'm sad about Cousin It, RIP little furry buddy 

 

But that FTS looks incredible

[markalot]

1 hour ago, teenyreef said:

I'm sad about Cousin It, RIP little furry buddy 

 

But that FTS looks incredible

 

Thanks teeny.

 

The bigger colony isn't dead yet.   It looked to be a goner, may still be a goner, but getting Alk back up may have saved it.  The little frag rtn'ed except for one little spot which is still red.  It's a survivor, we'll see if it can pull through.

[teenyreef]

[tanacharison]

The tank is looking amazing all the colorful acro branches are like fireworks. 

[markalot]

I actually took pictures.  Reds are still off, something needs to change, I just don't know what at the moment.  Growth is very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Robin

 

 

Horrida.  New growth in most places, some dieoff in others.  Just something I don't worry about anymore, it's a strange acro.

 

The brown maricutured frag that continues to grow even after being thrown to the sandbed.  Lowering PO4 may be bringing out blue tips again.

 

Cousin It is alive but not very healthy.

 

 

[markalot]

On 3/4/2017 at 8:27 AM, tanacharison said:

The tank is looking amazing all the colorful acro branches are like fireworks. 

Thanks!

[evan127]

What's your photoperiod, bulb combo, led intensity?

 

Feeding regiment?

[evan127]

Calling all Marks, calling all Marks! How are things?

[markalot]

17 hours ago, evan127 said:

Calling all Marks, calling all Marks! How are things?

 

Woops.

 

Things are good.  PHosphateRx up to 6 drops daily, colors improving, KH dropped to 6.5 again so now 50ml 2 part daily.

 

Photo period is 12 hours LED with 1 hour dim up and down of the blues (100%).  Peak is 6 hours with T5's and LED (White off, Lime 60%).  The 'white' ramp time is only 30 minutes and Lime is at full intensity 30 minutes before and after the T5 cycle.  The tank looks fantastic with just LEDs on.

 

Bulb combo is 2 Coral+ and 2 Blue+.

 

I try and feed a small amount of reef roids daily, 1/8 tsp.  I dose 

6 to 8 drops of PhosphateRx

2 to 3 drops MicroE

2 to 3 drops Kalum

2 drops Lugols

5 drops Sponge Power

5 drops vinegar

5 drops CaNO3

 

I have been slowly varying some of the dosage to tweak colors.  It is becoming apparent that even though I measured low PO4 is was there and too high.  The additional PhosphateRx dosing is really making a difference.  I do everything painfully slowly though.

[evan127]

Is PhosphateRX a phosphorus remover or phosphorus addition?  Things looks stellar in your system.  What ever balance you have right now, keep it up!

[markalot]

2 hours ago, evan127 said:

Is PhosphateRX a phosphorus remover or phosphorus addition?  Things looks stellar in your system.  What ever balance you have right now, keep it up!

 

It's a remover.  Lanthanum chloride.  

[markalot]

Going through a slight recession event at the moment.  Basal recession on some acros, usually an indicator of low or unsteady Alk.  I'm 2 for 2 in that department so no surprise.  'm at 65ml 2 part daily now along with the full strength kalk.  This is up 45ml in just a month, which is telling me I was running Alk limited for a while.  Colors are improving and growth is improving on some acros with most looking better weekly.  Still at 6.7 and still shooting for 7.0 but my take it slow approach might be doing more harm than good, especially if test kit error is involved.  Going to take the leap to 7.5 over this week and try and hold it there.

 

Cousin It is gone, a sure victim of low Alk, it was very sensitive to it.  I replaced it with a frag of the other milli which has shown super bright pink edges to the coralites but remains mostly brown. 

[markalot]

KH 6.7 ... now up to 70ml daily.  

 

Slimer is our of control, there are branches everywhere.  It ran into the Miami Orchid and the MO kicked it's butt and is encrusting over a branch.  Kind of happy to see that since nothing else can seem to stop it.

 

I lost the main central piece of the blue stag.  It started to STN and would not stop with the branches looking diseased, thin dark brown skin and little polyp extension.  I decided to chuck it since the other pieces are doing well.

 

This shot looks pretty accurate, at least on my monitor.  A lot of brown still, or is it pale?  Certainly some good colors here and there but I know these acros can do better.

 

 

Here is the replacement for Cousin It.  Coralite edges are a good pink under LED and it's been gaining color since I placed it.  This is a frag of the large mili just below the purple cap.  The one that kind of looks purplish but is mostly brownish.

 

[teenyreef]

RIP Cousin It 

 

Everything else still looks good to my eye, though!

 

Alk consumption has gone up quite a bit in my 40g over the last week or two, I have to keep adjusting and even so it dropped below 7 the other day. I'd been shooting for 7.2 or 7.3 but I think I'm going to go up to 7.5 for that extra insurance too.

 

I have a little blue stag frag that I got a couple months ago. It's the only frag in the tank that's doing absolutely nothing, and I have no idea why...

[slowngreen]

Mark, everything is beautiful as ever!

[J-Ranko]

Wow, that green slimer really pops out.  It's basically glowing in your tank! 

[markalot]

On 3/25/2017 at 0:37 PM, teenyreef said:

RIP Cousin It 

 

Everything else still looks good to my eye, though!

 

Alk consumption has gone up quite a bit in my 40g over the last week or two, I have to keep adjusting and even so it dropped below 7 the other day. I'd been shooting for 7.2 or 7.3 but I think I'm going to go up to 7.5 for that extra insurance too.

 

I have a little blue stag frag that I got a couple months ago. It's the only frag in the tank that's doing absolutely nothing, and I have no idea why...

 

My blue stag has me confounded.  It really appears to hate something, but what?  The tony frag I cut from an accidental break is still healthy and has grown a lot but color is bleh.

 

On 3/25/2017 at 10:51 PM, slowngreen said:

Mark, everything is beautiful as ever!

 

Thanks!  Looking forward to a, ahem, rumored restart.

 

On 3/25/2017 at 11:39 PM, J-Ranko said:

Wow, that green slimer really pops out.  It's basically glowing in your tank! 

 

Yea, gotta love an acro that likes to take over and is also blinding.  I appreciate it now much more after almost losing the entire thing.

 

--

 

Used the thread search feature up top, which works quite well I might add, to confirm I started PhosphateRx at 2 drops daily in mid May 2016 after some discussion with Ben.  Going on a year of god results.