Mark's 150 (NanoBox Retro)

[metrokat]

Getting better with each set of photos. All those hairy beasts are about to grow a lot!

[vlangel]

Holy color and growth batman! Your tank looks amazing Mark! It has never looked better in my opinion.

[ReefWeeds]

Thanks Mallek.

 

Made a simple gif animation of the Lokani growth over the last 6 months. First pic was in the midst of the tank trouble and green slime on the sandbed.

 

Your tank makes me want to buy sticks! That lokani and cousin it :wub:

[markalot]

Thanks ladies.

 

A few more pics left.

 

The red cap, after getting clobbered by the purple, is now fighting back. I helped, a little, but it's done a lot of the killing. In the meantime the newly rejuvenated Miami Orchid has decided it's had enough of the encroaching green monti and killed a lot of a piece near the base.

 

I really like how the purple cap is giving me more spots to put more frags. It's already encrusted on the first rock I placed on it. Also note the blue stag is finally starting to look blue again.

 

 

I could not figure out why my green/yellow poci kept declining but now that Alk is fixed it is finally showing improvement. Fast grower but I almost lost it.

 

Same can be said of the setosa, though at least it didn't have any recession. For the first time in months it's actually growing.

 

I may have finally gotten a rainbowish acan that will last. All acans looking healthy, which is rare for me.

 

Big red cap that I hid in the back left corner has encrusted the walls and growing fast.

 

Bottom right side now. My yellow yuma is huge and has about 5 babies. The real plus is there's a patch of the nasty seafoam pallys that can't move up the rock due to the yumas.

 

At the very right is my sponge rock. Sponge wins against xenia, the one sprout has been forced to move around as the sponge grows.

[jedimasterben]

that sponge is awesome.

[markalot]

I didn't plan to rescape the center but that's how it worked out tonight. The Xenia has gone from minor annoyance to nuisance, but fortunately roughly pulling or scraping them off doesn't seem to bother any other corals. I had to toss the rock in front, just too damn many of them, and move the purple acro from it way up to brighter light, thanks again to the trusty purple monti shelf. It's so nice of it to be a base for superior corals, and the damn thing will from in nearly 0 light so no real harm done.





This "purple acro" from Tidal Gardens has shown some pretty interesting shades of purple, red, blue, and green and has started to grow, so I moved it up to a place where I could see it.


I ended up twisting my wishbone structure that is home for a few acros and while I was at it I raised the stick Cousin It and the horrida is on to provide more room for growth. The big valida loses some light over one section but I suspect that is a better outcome than Cousin It growing into it. Millis usually win big.

Horrida is easier to see now, including the sections turning a nice blue.


Pulled the dead red dragon and moved a few things around on the left. I like this view of the red cap and daisy polyps.

[ReefWeeds]

I didn't plan to rescape the center but that's how it worked out tonight. The Xenia has gone from minor annoyance to nuisance, but fortunately roughly pulling or scraping them off doesn't seem to bother any other corals. I had to toss the rock in front, just too damn many of them, and move the purple acro from it way up to brighter light, thanks again to the trusty purple monti shelf. It's so nice of it to be a base for superior corals, and the damn thing will from in nearly 0 light so no real harm done.

 

 

 

This "purple acro" from Tidal Gardens has shown some pretty interesting shades of purple, red, blue, and green and has started to grow, so I moved it up to a place where I could see it.

 

I ended up twisting my wishbone structure that is home for a few acros and while I was at it I raised the stick Cousin It and the horrida is on to provide more room for growth. The big valida loses some light over one section but I suspect that is a better outcome than Cousin It growing into it. Millis usually win big.

 

Horrida is easier to see now, including the sections turning a nice blue.

 

Pulled the dead red dragon and moved a few things around on the left. I like this view of the red cap and daisy polyps.

 

Nice, Mark!!! I love that sponge you showed in the last set of photos. And those orange mushies in front of the yuma are really cool! And I love the daisy polyps. I've been trying to find some for a bit - not too many places seem to carry them! They look really nice in that spot. I love your mix of different types of corals. Really special.

[metrokat]

That Setosa is pointing to something Looking forward to seeing that Horrida do something fun under these lights. I love that sponge, I have that in 3 colors, the gray is my least favorite and fastest grower but it's still cool.

[duncan-junkie]

Damn Mark, way to turn your tank around!!! I haven't really been on NR for A month or two, and now it really looks like your tank has gotten it's stride back. Always love looking at your thread, and I'm very jealous of your sticks!!

[markalot]

Damn Mark, way to turn your tank around!!! I haven't really been on NR for A month or two, and now it really looks like your tank has gotten it's stride back. Always love looking at your thread, and I'm very jealous of your sticks!!

 

Thanks DJ.

 

Weekend top downs. First batch is the ones that changed the most.

 

Red Robin. Oooohhhhhhhhh.

 

This is no longer reddish, it's red.

 

I was shocked at how much this has changed. How lucky am I that a piece of blockhead dropped into the sand and stayed alive during the worst of the crash? This is by far the best color this piece has ever had and I don't think it's done. There's an outside chance this is a tierra del fuego. I got it when the LFS changed hands and I know the previous owner was buying stupid expensive corals to grow out and sell. Time will tell I suppose.

 

The horrida, also showing some of the best colors I've seen on it.

 

Cousin It is growing like crazy. Light pink? Maybe? I miss the steal blue polyps, not sure if it will regain them.

 

Ugly shot of the left side but I wanted to comment on something. The blue stag was hit very hard by the low alk, with one piece half dead and another with a dead base (not pictured here). I put two frags down here, both very brown, and the one on the left colored significantly even though the PAR down there is just 100. That frags color is only a little browner than the pieces getting 300 PAR. Hmmm. Also note the bird of paradise is about to branch and the groovy Superman mushroom below it.

 

FTS

[markalot]

Crazy Bird was doing quite well at not being crazy, but I guess it can't resist.

 

Katropora

 

 

 

I'm not sure what this milli is doing, other than growing.

 

KBG looking better, with more color, now that Alk is fixed.

 

 

 

Frag Rack

 

[TheKleinReef]

That lokani. I'm in love.

[teenyreef]

I've officially lost my will to live. I'm not worthy

[Veng]

The PE in this tank is insane....

[metrokat]

Just beautiful. I love how each piece is blossoming.

Perhaps the new spectrum of light has much more to do with the coloration than actual PAR, or maybe it is a combination of both. Whatever it is, I'm glad this is happening for you.

[markalot]

Thanks all.

 

Saturday night I added 2 caps of two part and increased Kalk in the topoff by another tsp. Last night Alk was 6.5 or a little below. Grrr. It's become a game just to keep it above 6.5 as growth seems to uptick on each addition. Now is a good time for this to be happening so I can get it stabilized before a short vacation near the end of October.

 

I reviewed my light fixture here, in case you are interested: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/376953-review-hybrid-ati-4x60-plus-8-nanobox-v31-arrays/

[metrokat]

About Alk. What salt mix are you using and what does it mix to, and is that number consistent with the number it IS supposed to mix to?

[markalot]

About Alk. What salt mix are you using and what does it mix to, and is that number consistent with the number it IS supposed to mix to?

 

I've been using AquaForest Reef salt for no other reason that the size of bucket and it mixes really fast. They test each batch, with test results in the container, but the test is for 1.023. It mixes to 9 or 10KH at 1.026 and with the size water change I do that's fine. Calcium and Mag are near natural levels.

 

It is literally ready to use less than an hour after mixing.

[blkhwkz]

 

I've been using AquaForest Reef salt for no other reason that the size of bucket and it mixes really fast. They test each batch, with test results in the container, but the test is for 1.023. It mixes to 9 or 10KH at 1.026 and with the size water change I do that's fine. Calcium and Mag are near natural levels.

 

It is literally ready to use less than an hour after mixing.

I was thinking of switching over to AF Reef salt, about how many gallons are you getting out of a bucket at 1.026?

[markalot]

I was thinking of switching over to AF Reef salt, about how many gallons are you getting out of a bucket at 1.026?

 

You know I haven't kept track.

 

10 kg/22 lbs dry salt mix produces approximately 70 to 80 gallons of prepared saltwater at 1.024 specific gravity.

 

 

Using 32 gallon Brutes, filling 26 to 28 gallons, almost 3 times, which would put me around 70 gallons I think.

 

I want to stress that although the salt seems good quality that's not the primary reason I use it.

 

1. Can I lift a bucket

2. Is the price decent for the size or am I paying way too much for ordering small

3. Are the parameters decent, not too low or too high but in a safe middle range?

 

If I have to do large water changes I always pay $$$ to use Red Sea Blue Bucket, but hopefully those days are behind me.

[metrokat]

 

I've been using AquaForest Reef salt for no other reason that the size of bucket and it mixes really fast. They test each batch, with test results in the container, but the test is for 1.023. It mixes to 9 or 10KH at 1.026 and with the size water change I do that's fine. Calcium and Mag are near natural levels.

 

It is literally ready to use less than an hour after mixing.

What is the alk in the tank prior to the water change and just after?

[markalot]

What is the alk in the tank prior to the water change and just after?

 

Identical. It takes a lot of water to move my Alk in here. In the 40 it rises a little but not much. I tend to do small changes, no bigger than 10 gallons at a time.

[RollaJase]

Looking fantastic Mark. I love all the colour! Looks like you are getting some excellent growth.

[vlangel]

Its only been a couple of weeks since I checked on this tank and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did! I think I like this scape layout better than any you have ever had and the colors and growth you are getting is mind blowing. It looks awesome!

[markalot]

Its only been a couple of weeks since I checked on this tank and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did! I think I like this scape layout better than any you have ever had and the colors and growth you are getting is mind blowing. It looks awesome!

 

Thanks Dawn. It does look better as it fills in, but it's mostly luck, I assure you, I like it too.

 

So today was going to be the day I hit 7.0 KH ... but I failed again, 6.8 was the best I could do. Every drop of Alk I put in gets turned into more growth.

 

3 quick shots. You can finally start to see some color from this range on a few pieces that have looked brown for months.