Chris' CAD Lights 45g Shallow : Another Re-Scape (Video)

[Berlibee]

2 hours ago, Asureef said:

 

Thats a lot.  I'm at 20% and mp10 at opposite side at 70%.  I can't go beyond that with the gyre or the sand would get pushed to the sides. I tried it once at 40% and I had to modified some chopsticks with a plastic spork glued to the end to scoop my sand back because I can't reach my hands to the bottom of the tank with all the growing corals.   

Yes, with BB it is easier.  

[cnseekatz]

14 hours ago, Berlibee said:

 

At this moment all corals are happy, but I can't say that there is a huge improvement with PE. But the flow is much much better for sure. I run at 60% - 6 seconds pulses 24/7.

Give it some time. It's probably a little shocking for your corals to be getting that much flow. You should take a short video and show us what it looks like in there.

 

13 hours ago, Asureef said:

 

Thats a lot.  I'm at 20% and mp10 at opposite side at 70%.  I can't go beyond that with the gyre or the sand would get pushed to the sides. I tried it once at 40% and I had to modified some chopsticks with a plastic spork glued to the end to scoop my sand back because I can't reach my hands to the bottom of the tank with all the growing corals.   

Haha...nice. 40% blasts seems to work for me, and my tank is only 12"deep. My sand isn't moved at all, except by the MP10s in the corners. Everyone's rock-work is different though. 

[cnseekatz]

Some Galaxy S6 shots. I'll be upgrading to the S8 in a week or so. I'll be interested to see what kind of improvements they made to the camera. One day I'll buy a proper DSLR, but for now, these'll have to do!

 

 

Hallucinations

 

Hammertime

 

An older acan colony that's starting to perk up a bit after being dissected by some rogue peppermints

 

Old school SSC

 

Queen Bitch in her throne

 

Still not sure what this is... but it's getting pretty.

[Berlibee]

Nice! I think it is the same that I have it is a Jason Fox Sour Twist: https://www.jasonfoxsignaturecorals.com/product_p/acr-43.htm 

 

 

 

[cnseekatz]

18 hours ago, Berlibee said:

Nice! I think it is the same that I have it is a Jason Fox Sour Twist: https://www.jasonfoxsignaturecorals.com/product_p/acr-43.htm 

 

 

 

 

Does look similar. Though yours is more blue & green. The coloration on mine is very similar to an ORA Pearlberry, though doesn't seem to have the plating growth pattern.

[Berlibee]

Yep, but yours looks very similar to the photo on the JF website I think.

[cnseekatz]

36 minutes ago, Berlibee said:

Yep, but yours looks very similar to the photo on the JF website I think.

I think it shows what lengths vendors have gone to confuse hobbyists! 

[vlangel]

On 4/14/2017 at 8:08 PM, cnseekatz said:

Some Galaxy S6 shots. I'll be upgrading to the S8 in a week or so. I'll be interested to see what kind of improvements they made to the camera. One day I'll buy a proper DSLR, but for now, these'll have to do!

 

 

Hallucinations

 

Hammertime

 

An older acan colony that's starting to perk up a bit after being dissected by some rogue peppermints

 

Old school SSC

 

Queen Bitch in her throne

 

Still not sure what this is... but it's getting pretty.

These are some great shots, even if it isn't a proper DSLR.  Very nice.

[Berlibee]

22 hours ago, cnseekatz said:

I think it shows what lengths vendors have gone to confuse hobbyists! 

Man that names game is crazy ... no matter what is the name it is a really cool one.  

[cnseekatz]

23 hours ago, vlangel said:

These are some great shots, even if it isn't a proper DSLR.  Very nice.

Thank you! 

19 hours ago, Berlibee said:

Man that names game is crazy ... no matter what is the name it is a really cool one.  

Perfect... I'll just play the name game too, and call that coral the RCO.

[cnseekatz]

[cnseekatz]

A word to the wise: For all those of you who run Radions, make sure you add Radion Maintenance to your to-do list. I noticed yesterday that there was a strange clicking coming from my tank, and a process of elimination revealed that it was coming from my light. This morning, I removed the top plate and it looked like the inside of a vacuum cleaner bag in there. Just dust piled on dust piled on dust. There was even a dead moth in there, which I'm sure was the source of the clicking. The fan blades were nipping the dead moth's wings. So I removed the fan and brushed it was a stiff bristled paint brush, then used a tooth pick and dry cloth to clean the metal elements underneath. I brushed all the crap off the fan blades, and gave everything a good wipe down with a paper towel with a bit of Windex on it. 

 

Now the fan is silent, and I can actually see a bit of air current under the unit. I imagine that just extended the life of my Radion a bit.

 

[J-Ranko]

8 hours ago, cnseekatz said:

A word to the wise: For all those of you who run Radions, make sure you add Radion Maintenance to your to-do list. I noticed yesterday that there was a strange clicking coming from my tank, and a process of elimination revealed that it was coming from my light. This morning, I removed the top plate and it looked like the inside of a vacuum cleaner bag in there. Just dust piled on dust piled on dust. There was even a dead moth in there, which I'm sure was the source of the clicking. The fan blades were nipping the dead moth's wings. So I removed the fan and brushed it was a stiff bristled paint brush, then used a tooth pick and dry cloth to clean the metal elements underneath. I brushed all the crap off the fan blades, and gave everything a good wipe down with a paper towel with a bit of Windex on it. 

 

Now the fan is silent, and I can actually see a bit of air current under the unit. I imagine that just extended the life of my Radion a bit.

 

 

I got mine used and when I took it home to inspect the whole fan unit and the air channels through the heatsink were just filled with thick, accumulated dust.  It took about half a can of duster/pressurized air to clear it, and after that I had to use an old tooth brush and some q-tips to remove the remainder of the gunk that were still sticking to the fan elements.  No dead moth, though... 

[ninjamyst]

My Kessil AP700 started to shut off for no reason.  Turns out the unit is overheating because the vent on top is covered with dust and no air is going through.  So I think this applies to all LED units.  Got to clean them every year!!!

[ReefWeeds]

On 3/16/2017 at 0:15 PM, cnseekatz said:

Bullseye Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus soror)

 

I found this cool little guy at my LFS about a year ago, and after some quick Googling, I bought it. It's a fascinating little creature, and surprisingly, I've never seen another one at a fish store, or in anyone else's tank blogs. Given how beautiful it is, and how (mostly) reef safe it seems to be, I figured I'd do a short write up to spread awareness about the Bullseye Snapping Shrimp.

 

 

Alpheus soror is a beautiful golden color with vibrant purple/blue legs and claws. For anyone who has owned an azule damsel, you know the exact color combination. He is a pistol shrimp, and has a lot of the same characteristics and behaviors as other pistols, with a few major differences. They are burrowers and tunnel-builders, but unlike most of the pistol shrimp we see in this hobby, they don't seem to bond with gobies. For whatever reason, the Bullseye is a solitary figure. Whether it's causation or correlation, it seems to be much more active and bold than other pistol shrimp. He is constantly on the move, has an extensive network of tunnels spanning the entire length of my tank (3' across). He has become bolder the longer he's been in my tank, and I see him often now, and not just poking out of tunnels, but creeping around on the base of my rockwork as well. He doesn't have a goby to keep him safe, or to help feed him, so he's out and about all the time. He's an avid scavenger, and does an amazing job cleaning up uneaten food. His burrows have allowed improved water movement underneath my rocks and he stirs up a lot of detritus while he goes about his business. Another interesting trait is the "snapping" part, which is shockingly loud (I hear him snapping from across the room with the TV on). As Live Aquaria puts it, "The sound it makes comes from an appendage on the pincher which moves when the pincher is opened or closed and water is ejected." Check out the little video below, if you turn your sound up, you can hear him snapping at my forceps.

 

 

He is listed as reef safe, though after a year of observing him, I can add a few caveats to that statement. First, I've never seen him go after any corals, hard or soft. He doesn't go after snails or fish, but I have seen him go after hermit crabs who get too close. He won't kill them, but he'll snap at them ferociously, and even attack them. The attack doesn't accomplish a lot, but he'll shake the shell for a few seconds and then both will retreat to their respective corners. For the most part, he's a good citizen in my reef tank. The one major BUT is in regards to, surprisingly enough... gobies! Seeing as he is a loner, he does not take kindly to anyone who tries to invade his tunnels. I've attempted several gobies and blennies over the past year, and they always end with the same result. These fish, who either burrow themselves, or just enjoy a nice cave under a rock, inevitably find a nice pre-made tunnel and try to make themselves at home. Only problem is that when the Bullseye catches them in his house, he charges them, and snaps... The fish, who weren't expecting such rudeness freak out, fly out of the burrow, and then out of the tank. I've only seen it happen once, when I was fortunate enough to rescue the carpet surfer, but unfortnately it's happened multiple times, with multiple species of bottom dwelling gobies and blennies while I was not around to stop it. He is clearly not compatible with bottom dwelling gobies and blennies. Not because he wants to eat them, but because he defends his turf, and it leads to jumping. Keep in mind, my tank is only 45 gallons, so with a larger tank, and more territory, one might have success... though it's safe to say, the shrimp and fish won't be living harmoniously together. 

 

In summary, this is a gorgeous, unique shrimp, who is really engaging and fun to have in your tank. He provides the typical benefits of a scavenging shrimp, with the same risks/rewards of a tunnel builder. They appear to be pretty rare in the hobby, so if you come across one, I encourage you to pick him up... unless of course, you house any kind of shrimp gobies, or sand-sifting gobies, or bottom dwelling blennies... because it's likely to end badly. 

 

 

Great writeup and great photos!

[cnseekatz]

On 4/22/2017 at 4:11 PM, J-Ranko said:

 

I got mine used and when I took it home to inspect the whole fan unit and the air channels through the heatsink were just filled with thick, accumulated dust.  It took about half a can of duster/pressurized air to clear it, and after that I had to use an old tooth brush and some q-tips to remove the remainder of the gunk that were still sticking to the fan elements.  No dead moth, though... 

Haha... you missed out!

 

On 4/22/2017 at 5:08 PM, ninjamyst said:

My Kessil AP700 started to shut off for no reason.  Turns out the unit is overheating because the vent on top is covered with dust and no air is going through.  So I think this applies to all LED units.  Got to clean them every year!!!

I guess this should be sorted in the "No $hit!" file from now on?

 

On 4/23/2017 at 11:59 AM, stellablue said:

Great writeup and great photos!

 

Thanks ma'am! So glad to hear from you again! 

[cnseekatz]

New FTS - Kinda

 

[cnseekatz]

[SheriffTang638]

I've been following this thread for some time but haven't commented, and I am just stunned by your continuous effort (and coral cash ) to build then rebuild your nano reef.  A job very well done.

[cnseekatz]

7 hours ago, SheriffTang638 said:

I've been following this thread for some time but haven't commented, and I am just stunned by your continuous effort (and coral cash ) to build then rebuild your nano reef.  A job very well done.

 

Thanks for the kind words. This hobby is in adventure, that's for sure! I just try not to think about the money that has gone into my tank... I don't gamble or do drugs, so this can be my vice.

 

[cnseekatz]

"Good morning from the reef!" 

-Some chick on this site

 

[SheriffTang638]

You're welcome.   I started saltwater about 5 years ago and called it quits a little under 3 years ago due to horrible algae issues.  I had a RSM 250, beautiful tank, fish were doing great, the few corals I had were ok, started using Dr. Tim's and bromine to cure bryopsis, and one day I came home to find everything dead, including my favorite goby .  I turned that tank into a freshwater Discus tank which is doing great, but I miss saltwater a lot, which is why I admire your efforts to not give up after multiple issues. 

 

Just curious, but currently what fish are in your tank?

[cnseekatz]

At the moment, I have a pair of clowns, an azure damsel, and my male blue star leopard.

[SheriffTang638]

Any plans for more fish?  Can always throw in a yellow tang until it's too big.  

 

I think a flame angel in all seriousness though would be a nice addition.

[cnseekatz]

8 hours ago, SheriffTang638 said:

Any plans for more fish?  Can always throw in a yellow tang until it's too big.  

 

I think a flame angel in all seriousness though would be a nice addition.

 

I love both of those suggestions. I've stayed away from tangs because my tank isn't all that big, and dwarf angels because they like to eat corals. I know not ALL of them do, but with my luck, he'd be a jerk! If I felt comfortable with dwarf angels, there are so many beautiful species. I particularly love the Potter's Angel.

 

 

I've had bad luck lately introducing new fish into my system. I've tried a few new leopard wrasses, and a couple of bottom dwelling, sand-sifter types. My current fish are very harmonious with each other, but they won't make room for outsiders. The wrasse is not tolerant of new wrasse shaped fish. The damsel and clowns are super territorial in their areas, and my snapping shrimp won't allow for anyone who likes to hang out in burrows. That really limits my options.

 

I'm considering swapping out some of my fish for new blood. Right now, I'm looking to trade or sell my male wrasse for new, more submissive females. I'd get rid of my clowns, but they've been with me for years, and I'd feel guilty sending them away. The damsel is probably the least likely to be caught without tearing the whole tank apart. So... we'll see!