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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Just caught up and now I'm dying...did you get a new tank???

 

How are things going after the alk spike (been there, done that myself...more than once :blush:)

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/3/2017 at 1:47 PM, teenyreef said:

Just caught up and now I'm dying...did you get a new tank???

 

How are things going after the alk spike (been there, done that myself...more than once :blush:)

Delayed response! Nope no new tank. Still running the IM 20 gallon. 

 

I promoted at work and I have been working some pretty insane hours. The tank continues to grow but its looking a bit narly right now. I'll have a couple days off coming up that I hope to clean things up. Ill fire up some new pics when I do. 

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  • 1 month later...

Getting things back on track! The tank is PACKED with growth. It’s shocking with how little attention I’ve been giving things. I removed two monti plates each about the size of my hand. I’m battling algae and need to be able to get between rocks and coral. I also started a round of Fluco today. It’s worked before, hoping for results again.

 

 

ABC422F9-1C31-4C85-99A5-06E5B1B570D1.jpeg

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14 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

Stellar update @uwdanno, awesome growth! All the SPS are really filling out nicely. Were the montipora just taking up too much room?

Way too much room. They were creating a huge flow dead spot under them. I was getting a lot of nasty algae growth there with no way to clean it up because they were almost touch the walls. I left enough behind that they will grow back. 

 

Tank is looking better but I've still got a ways to go. Hoping to have it back in top shape towards the end of the month. 

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On 2/1/2018 at 8:13 AM, uwdanno said:

Way too much room. They were creating a huge flow dead spot under them. I was getting a lot of nasty algae growth there with no way to clean it up because they were almost touch the walls. I left enough behind that they will grow back. 

 

Tank is looking better but I've still got a ways to go. Hoping to have it back in top shape towards the end of the month. 

 

The tank is looking amazing. I hope you get the algae issue sorted out.

 

It's a huge thread so I'm not sure if you ever mentioned it but what's your lighting schedule?

 

Are you using the Ecotech Coral Lab SPS+? What intensity do you have it set to in a 20g?

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Got to meet @hinnenkm yesterday at my LFS. Always fun to put faces to a tank!

On 2/1/2018 at 9:24 AM, xiaoxiy said:

Glad to see everything on the rise again! You ever consider getting one of the radion diffusers? 

I haven't. I can't see a need for one. Do you use one? Is there a benefit that I am missing?! 

 

On 2/1/2018 at 2:57 PM, Grassy Noel said:

Out of curiosity, what is the big green SPS in the front left?  Is it a montipora digitata (branching montipora)?  I really like the look of that one!

ORA Kelly Green Psammacora. It is a great coral with seriously vibrant green and really unique growth patterns. I got my from Scorched's 3 ft long ADA tank. The only challenge with this coral is the base growth. It likes to spread out as much as it likes to go up. Scorched has done a MUCH better scrapping the base back to keep it confined. Mine has spread out and likes to attack some of the surrounding SPS. 

On 2/8/2018 at 4:07 PM, Nomoreammo said:

 

The tank is looking amazing. I hope you get the algae issue sorted out.

 

It's a huge thread so I'm not sure if you ever mentioned it but what's your lighting schedule?

 

Are you using the Ecotech Coral Lab SPS+? What intensity do you have it set to in a 20g?

Thanks. I am 95% done fighting the algae. This will be the second time I have used Fluco and it is incredible. It feels great to have the tank looking respectable again. 

 

I am using a simple custom one and run the intensity at 100% but dial down the individual colors. The custom settings below are at peak. 

 

 

3C683DA6-30BE-4604-B93D-7133BF119FAA.png

4B8E8559-1C13-42E0-B8E8-7B9FE7505007.png

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1 minute ago, uwdanno said:

I haven't. I can't see a need for one. Do you use one? Is there a benefit that I am missing?! 

 

ORA Kelly Green Psammacora. It is a great coral with seriously vibrant green and really unique growth patterns. I got my from Scorched's 3 ft long ADA tank. The only challenge with this coral is the base growth. It likes to spread out as much as it likes to go up. Scorched has done a MUCH better scrapping the base back to keep it confined. Mine has spread out and likes to attack some of the surrounding SPS. 

Thanks. I am 95% done fighting the algae. This will be the second time I have used Fluco and it is incredible. It feels great to have the tank looking respectable again. 

 

I'll try to post a screen shot of my lighting schedule. I am using a simple custom one. 

I use T5/LED but I hear the diffuser provides a more even light coverage and less shadowing/disco balling.

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2 minutes ago, xiaoxiy said:

I use T5/LED but I hear the diffuser provides a more even light coverage and less shadowing/disco balling.

Interesting. T5/LED is the dream. Far down the road when I have the time for a bigger tank I will take that option. 

 

I'll look into the diffuser! The disco ball effect never really bothered me but anything that helps shadowing would be a great win. 

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1 hour ago, uwdanno said:

ORA Kelly Green Psammacora. It is a great coral with seriously vibrant green and really unique growth patterns. I got my from Scorched's 3 ft long ADA tank. The only challenge with this coral is the base growth. It likes to spread out as much as it likes to go up. Scorched has done a MUCH better scrapping the base back to keep it confined. Mine has spread out and likes to attack some of the surrounding SPS. 

 

I haven't been on top of the base growth as much as I used to.  The encrusting part of my Psammy is getting really large as well.  Its a blessing and curse for sure.

 

On 2/1/2018 at 2:57 PM, Grassy Noel said:

Out of curiosity, what is the big green SPS in the front left?  Is it a montipora digitata (branching montipora)?  I really like the look of that one!

 

Like uwdanno said its an ORA Kelly's Green Branching Psammacora.

 

This is what mine looks like.  This picture is actually a few years old and has probably gotten 2-3 time bigger but this picture shows the growth and texture the best.  It has lots of large lumpy branches and the entire coral has a short fuzzy appearance.

 

4qu80ZQl.jpg

 

kXhO8cgl.jpg

 

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Cleaned up and settled back in!

 

The rescape included breaking off sizable chunks of the monti plates, removing a softball sized birdsnest and removing a softball sized rock that was on the right side. This will make things MUCH easier to clean and be better overall for the health of the tank. To offset the rock gone on the right, I made another floating island with a Green Slimmer on in. 

 

Next effort is to get my colors back. I'll be switching back to RSCP after my current bucket of Instant Ocean. It makes a difference IMO. 

 

After FTS. 

 

fts.jpg

 

After Top Down

 

topdown.jpg

 

 

Before FTS. SO PACKED!

 

 

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Some more shots. 

 

Favia. The white is from growth into a previously shaded area. 

favia.jpg

 

Bi Color Frog Spawn. One of my first corals from my pico days. 

 

frogspawn.jpg

 

Aussie Gold Torch. Settled in and growing at a steady pace. 

 

goldtorch.jpg

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7 hours ago, 4x5 said:

The rescape looks great. :wub:

Thanks. It’s got me re-engaged. Feels like something new. 

 

Some more pics.

 

Better look at the two floating SPS islands in the back. 

 

F28F27CF-3406-408C-8A9F-DC0C3A459D38.jpeg

 

Ice Blue Leptastria. I had this coral somewhat hidden in the previous scape. Its getting the prime location it deserves now. 

 

13DB0667-2844-4D7D-8D77-B60CDCC77399.jpeg

 

Left Rock. SPS Bommie. 

A2516EC1-ECD7-4AC5-9926-504E581A3C37.jpeg

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New scape looks great!  It's funny how a mixed reef slowly morphs into SPS dominant sometimes.  But I really like your choice of corals, while not exact, they're very similar to mine.  I still need to work in the gold torch when an affordable comes available, and maybe another unique euphyllia.  I noticed that you got rid of most of your plating Monti, I'm just about there, but mine growth form had been way too nice to abandon any of them, sigh. 

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38 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

New scape looks great!  It's funny how a mixed reef slowly morphs into SPS dominant sometimes.  But I really like your choice of corals, while not exact, they're very similar to mine.  I still need to work in the gold torch when an affordable comes available, and maybe another unique euphyllia.  I noticed that you got rid of most of your plating Monti, I'm just about there, but mine growth form had been way too nice to abandon any of them, sigh. 

The Monti was just way too big. Since setting up the tank my #1 priority has always been to make it easy to clean the sand and glass. The Monti's were so big that the entire left side sand bed was unreachable and a safe spot for nasty algae. 

 

I left ~2 inch frags of the Montis on the rocks so they will grow back. 

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2 hours ago, Cintax said:

The tank looks amazing.

 

How did you make the floating rocks?

 

Thanks. I ordered encased, rubber sealed magnets and then super glued rock to them. I know @Oceanbox Designs has a new product that lets you make floating islands even easier. If I were to make more, I'd check them out first. 

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