Kat's Birthday Party

[metrokat]

Love the acro pics and good health they are showing. I still don't have the colors but the growth, good grief I forgot how fast these can grow when conditions are right.

Thanks Mark. I still worry about the acros though, I'm not sure why.

[metrokat]

This article from Tidal gardens got me thinking about sand vs bare bottom

http://goo.gl/pbocrO

[Mariaface]

My conundrum with sand is the vacuuming around stuff.

 

So obviously, I should just take stuff off the bottom and put it on the rocks, right?

[Arce]

I dont think i will ever use sand, atleast in an SPS dominate system. No doubt its possible, clearly many people do it. But when i had my 29 it was so much easier having BB to maintain a lower nutrient system, and not have to run any form of GFO or phosphate reducer. I was also able to feed heavily which is why i think the tank flourished.

[metrokat]

That's the thing about husbandry, different things work for different people. I have sand, but I'm contemplating a bare bottom SPS system. If that happens I can compare my SPS results in both. Although I am also planning on a low nutrient system for the bare bottom. Not ULNS, just lower than my current tank. IDK. I like to feed things

[Arce]

That's the thing about husbandry, different things work for different people. I have sand, but I'm contemplating a bare bottom SPS system. If that happens I can compare my SPS results in both. Although I am also planning on a low nutrient system for the bare bottom. Not ULNS, just lower than my current tank. IDK. I like to feed things

BB you can feed a lot more than you do in your current tank. As long as its got good filtration/flow/skimmer.

[metrokat]

My conundrum with sand is the vacuuming around stuff.

 

So obviously, I should just take stuff off the bottom and put it on the rocks, right?

I just gravel vacced. It's what I do. I have just a few inches of sand here and there, I move stuff around to vacuum.

BB you can feed a lot more than you do in your current tank. As long as its got good filtration/flow/skimmer.

It is for sure something to test.

There are many new things I want to try.

1. bare bottom

2. lower nutrients

3. LEDs only (gasp!)

Resisting starting a tank with dry rock. Just can't bring myself to do it.

[Arce]

I just gravel vacced. It's what I do. I have just a few inches of sand here and there, I move stuff around to vacuum.

It is for sure something to test.

There are many new things I want to try.

1. bare bottom

2. lower nutrients

3. LEDs only (gasp!)

Resisting starting a tank with dry rock. Just can't bring myself to do it.

BB im cool with, the leds only would make me cringe....

[metrokat]

BB im cool with, the leds only would make me cringe....

Yea, I don't know how I feel about that but I'll try it.

[Mariaface]

Yea, I don't know how I feel about that but I'll try it.

 

 

Try it! And use frags of your current stuff so you have a basis for comparison?

[Arce]

Yea, I don't know how I feel about that but I'll try it.

Some people are making it work. Idk though.

[metrokat]

 

Try it! And use frags of your current stuff so you have a basis for comparison?

I thought about that. I think beyond a test frag, I won't be moving my existing corals to the new one. It will be corals I have not tried before or have run out of room for. At least that is the plan. I've got high end acros aplenty. Might get back to some pretty birdnests. IDK. Decisions.

[Boggers]

I just read that article as well. I will never do a BB, but only because I don't like the look.

[metrokat]

I just read that article as well. I will never do a BB, but only because I don't like the look.

It would be easy enough to add sand if I don't like it BB.

[JavaJacketOC]

This article from Tidal gardens got me thinking about sand vs bare bottom

http://goo.gl/pbocrO

 

My sand issue has gotten much better but I'm in desperate need of a black or tiger cucumber. I had a black one in my 25 before upgrading and it was probably the best workhorse in the tank...I ended up getting rid of it because I was concerned about not being able to keep it fed and having it die, potentially releasing toxins.

 

I like the bommie tank option, especially with out of water rock structures and mangroves or something. Amazing Aquariums near me has a great shallow tank that has 2 - 3' mangroves coming out. Doesn't look like there's a picture of it on their Yelp page, I'll try and get one next time I'm in.

[metrokat]

 

My sand issue has gotten much better but I'm in desperate need of a black or tiger cucumber. I had a black one in my 25 before upgrading and it was probably the best workhorse in the tank...I ended up getting rid of it because I was concerned about not being able to keep it fed and having it die, potentially releasing toxins.

 

I like the bommie tank option, especially with out of water rock structures and mangroves or something. Amazing Aquariums near me has a great shallow tank that has 2 - 3' mangroves coming out. Doesn't look like there's a picture of it on their Yelp page, I'll try and get one next time I'm in.

I think I might hunt for a cucumber also. I've been wanting something that sifts the sand for a long time now.

[JavaJacketOC]

I think I might hunt for a cucumber also. I've been wanting something that sifts the sand for a long time now.

 

I haven't had a tiger before but they weren't an option in my 25, they always came in too big. I've had 2 or 3 black cucumbers, which are usually about 3-4". I'm not sure if there are different species but the last one I got had a very squishy texture, compared to the previous one that was very rigid and kinda felt leathery.

 

The squishy one sucked, it didn't move around, barely ate and I ended up flushing when I thought it was going to die (a few months after I got it). If you come across a black one, gently squeeze it and only get the ones that are firm and textured!

[metrokat]

eeow

[Ebn]

Couldn't find a tiger tail small enough so went with another sandsifting species. This one has the same feeding "tentacles" as the tiger tails. About 3" in length and manages to keep my sand bed (2.5 in the shallows and 3" in the deep areas) pretty clean for how slow they move.

 

Photobombed by one of Glenn's snails.

 

Beats the heck out of my fighting conch, which after a couple of weeks of moving around has found a permanent base. It's dug itself down into the sand and just sticks his proboscis above to eat the surrounding areas.

[metrokat]

Bommie

[metrokat]

From Coral magazine

[StinkyBunny]

I'd never go BB, my pistol shrimps keep the sand turned over and the flow clears it out quite well. I brace the rockwork right on the bottom so there's no collapse and the little critters do their thing.

[mitten_reef]

From Coral magazine

Can't read any of the text

Have to say, one thing I noticed in the pictures of natural bommie's is that they have small bases relative to the living things on top of them.

Relatively speaking, in the "island-style" scape, most tend to have a gradual slope upward from the edge up toward the middle (like an island, duh)

A natural bommie looks like the 'nail island in thailand". That's just my generalization of what I've seen.

[metrokat]

Can't read any of the text

Have to say, one thing I noticed in the pictures of natural bommie's is that they have small bases relative to the living things on top of them.

Relatively speaking, in the "island-style" scape, most tend to have a gradual slope upward from the edge up toward the middle (like an island, duh)

A natural bommie looks like the 'nail island in thailand". That's just my generalization of what I've seen.

This is true. The top heavy look is also achieved when the corals grow out. Tabling acropora or montipora for example will add to the circumference.

 

This is probably the only bommie that truly represents.

 

[ninjamyst]

probably need a shallow tank to achieve that top down look? a shallow cube =)