Java's Artisan II 70 - Lots of Pics and Growth

[HarryPotter]

Alk: Dosed 10 ml

Cal: Dosed 30 ml

 

 

If the Alk dosing doesn't affect my PH (no noticeable change) am I ok to dose again in a few hours?

 

Edit: Need to get a Mag test, still have 1/2 a gallon of Kent Tech M I'd like to use before buying another supplement.

 

You are using B-ionic? Those low doses wont get you anywhere, especially on a 70! Use the BRS calculator and dose that over a week or so.

[JavaJacketOC]

 

You are using B-ionic? Those low doses wont get you anywhere, especially on a 70! Use the BRS calculator and dose that over a week or so.

 

I don't have a huge amount of consumption, I just haven't done any major water changes since setting up the tank, maybe 5-10% a few times. Once I get it to the correct levels I'm sure my daily drain won't be too high...for now.

[Dr. Pete]

Nyos makes a good mag test. I'm going to start dosing too.

[JavaJacketOC]

This was literally poopy brown with just a hint of deep purple in the encrusting areas when I bought it...it's starting to show green, turquoise and purple on the tips.

 

 

 

This is the Faktropora, not a huge color shift but it seems to be coloring up. The polyps were red under T5's, hope they'll get back to that.

 

 

 

This smooth skin was white with blue tips when I bought it...quickly browned out but the brown is becoming more of a yellow based tan and the tips are bluing up. Had to use the color correct but this is pretty close to what it looks like in person.

 

 

 

This one isn't so pretty but I liked the growth pattern and the new growth was a nice green.

 

 

 

This is the tri-color tort. Had to use the color correct on this one too but this is pretty close to what it looks like in person. Starting to show a lot of green and deeper blue.

 

 

 

This is the Pink Lemonade... and this is the side that's getting the most light, Waiting for it to start encrusting

 

 

 

My Aqua hammer...love this thing.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

You should start investing in a dosing pump! your corals will forever thank you!

 

 

That dosage will not increase much, I'm dosing 7ml a day and i have 15+ sps corals in my 70,

 

 

For now your goal should be to have minimal alk swings, and more consistant ca.alk.mg!

[JavaJacketOC]

You should start investing in a dosing pump! your corals will forever thank you!

 

 

That dosage will not increase much, I'm dosing 7ml a day and i have 15+ sps corals in my 70,

 

 

For now your goal should be to have minimal alk swings, and more consistant ca.alk.mg!

 

 

Thanks. I've gotten levels to where i want them, just need to see what my daily consumption is. From there I'm gonna determine if I'm ready to invest in a dosing pump, which I probably will.

[metrokat]

What are your levels of nitrates and phosphates?

[JavaJacketOC]

What are your levels of nitrates and phosphates?

 

Nitrates are 0 and phosphate is about 0.4. I was having phosphate spikes though, probably due to overfeeding and was having to dose with Phosphate RX but I recently started running Phosguard and cut back feed to every other day.

 

I think it's time for me to up my skimmer, possibling going to pick up a Reef Octopus 110 INT if we can agree on a price and I can sell my skimmer.

[JavaJacketOC]

Have you seen the previews for The Magicians on SyFy? It's based on a book trilogy by Lev Grossman, I always thought it would make a good set of movies. Syfy doesn't have the best track record with movies but some of their series are ok if they're done well...hopefully this one will be good.

 

[JavaJacketOC]

I decided to stop in I Got Coral today before they had their moving sale tomorrow...totally scored. Hanna Phosphate checker, Hanna Calcium checker, Salifert Mag test and another stick...whopping 40.00.

[bobssecrtsn]

Where is there store at? ill be down that way tmrow and hopefully they have some stuff i need!

[JavaJacketOC]

What are your levels of nitrates and phosphates?

 

I decided to re-test with the new hanna checker...couldn't resist. Phosphate at 0.25

Where is there store at? ill be down that way tmrow and hopefully they have some stuff i need!

I Got Corals

• 2437 E Chapman Ave

  Fullerton, CA 92831

• (714) 519-6725

I think he said he's opening at noon tomorrow, I would call first.

[Thatoneomahaguy]

Your hammer coral is sick looking! Great color!

[metrokat]

Have you seen the previews for The Magicians on SyFy? It's based on a book trilogy by Lev Grossman, I always thought it would make a good set of movies. Syfy doesn't have the best track record with movies but some of their series are ok if they're done well...hopefully this one will be good.

 

 

I saw the pilot. The full series is about to start I believe. Not sure how I feel about it, on the one hand it is intriguing and I think she becomes part of bad magic, while he is good magic. But then not sure if magic in a series with adults really floats my boat. I'll watch more episodes though. What do you think about Shannara Chronicles?

[JavaJacketOC]

I saw the pilot. The full series is about to start I believe. Not sure how I feel about it, on the one hand it is intriguing and I think she becomes part of bad magic, while he is good magic. But then not sure if magic in a series with adults really floats my boat. I'll watch more episodes though. What do you think about Shannara Chronicles?

 

I watched the pilot on demand and am going to watch the 2nd episode tonight. I loved the books, especially the first. It's not so much good and bad, it's more about Quinton and Julia trying to find their way. Quinton is an outcast from the general public but flourishes (to a certain extent) at Brakebills where as Julia sloughed off the fantasy world to integrate into society and subsequently doesn't get into Brakebills but struggles to force her way back in through less than formal means

 

I watched the first few episodes of the Shannara Chronicles, it's a little too fantasy for me. I can typically handle a creative story-line as long as there is some tie to modern day, I think that's why The Magicians worked for me.

[JavaJacketOC]

Haven't updated in a while, have just been doing normal maintenance but I thought I'd share some stuff that's happened in the last couple weeks.

 

Gold Maxima died...not sure why, seemed really happy in the middle of the tank until one day when it just released and tumbled down the rockwork, never really recovered.

 

Male McCosker,s Wrasse died...following his jump into the overflow, he was never really the same. He developed some type of growth/swelling above his mouth...kept eating but just slowly dwindled and hid. I never found a corpse but he's been MIA for about 4 days so assuming he fed the CUC.

 

Got a new Male Carpenter's Wrasse, since the McCosker's and the unknown female/juvenile wrasse never really seemed to hit it off I decided to try a Carpenter's. The female/juvenile has some of the blue veining so based on what's been coming in I assume it's a McCosker's, Carpenter's or possibly a Yellow Fin.

 

After about 3 days in the intro holding container I released him into the tank...he's been eating pellets since day 1 so I'm hoping he does well. He displayed to the small one and then about 3 hours after releasing him I caught him trying to court. He flashes her and then does a really slow little corkscrew swim always starting and ending with looking at her....I'm trying to get a video. So far she could give 2 shits but we'll see.

 

I picked up a really nice gold torch...it's about 2.5" x 2.5" and looks like it's about 3 heads....I'm acclimating it now but it looks really good.

 

I'll be doing some stuff this up-coming week. After @MetroKat said the Nyos Cement worked pretty well I ordered some to anchor down a few rocks that have been questionably stable. I also plan to remove the Crocea Clam from it's rock and get it into the middle of the tank with some higher PAR, a little nervous about having to cut the foot but I bought an exact-o knife so I shoud be able to get it done as gently as possible.

 

I've been dosing B-Ionic 2 part but after about 10 days of dosing based on the prior calculations I tested Cal and Alk again and my Alk was over 11 I tested twice with the Hanna checker and both came out really close...I stopped dosing the Alk and am going to let it naturally drop to about 8.5-9 then going to reduce the dosing to about 10ml per day vs the 20 I originally calculated...math is hard.

 

The skimmer from JediMasterBen was delivered today so I'm going to clean it all up and get that sucker going...upping from an SCA 301 to Reef Octopus 110, should be a nice improvement.

 

Lastly, I think I want a bigger light . I really like the ReefBreeders 24" but I think I should have gotten the 32". I have the channels at 90 and 86 for a 5 hour peak with a ramp up and down over 12 hours. I removed the 90 degree optics but just still feel I'd have better overall coverage with the 32". Waiting on a response from Logan to see if they'll have any anytime soon...keeping an eye out for a pre-owned as well.

 

Well that's my tank life for the last 2 weeks, I think...LOL

 

Gonna get some some new pics after all the crap mentioned above is done.

[metrokat]

Sorry about the losses but it looks like the courtship with the new guy would be worth the wait for a video. I've never seen that so I'm looking forward.

 

I have to use the NYOS cement again maybe we should do it on the same day.

[JavaJacketOC]

Sorry about the losses but it looks like the courtship with the new guy would be worth the wait for a video. I've never seen that so I'm looking forward.

 

I have to use the NYOS cement again maybe we should do it on the same day.

 

Yeah, when I watched him do it i got my phone and just started recording but he didn't do it again...hoping as he starts to get comfortable with the tank he'll really establish a territory and try to seduce her, lol. I need to try and catch my clown and find her a new home. I'm not positive but I think she has a really negative effect on the harmony of the tank...she's not horribly mean but really roams and is kind of a bish to the chalk bass.

 

I was going to try and brave it tonight but I wanted to watch some YouTube videos of people using it before I did it...we can just face time and you can show me what to do, LOL I might wait until the weekend to do the cementing but it makes sense to do it the clam movement and cementing at the same time.

[niQo]

Sorry about the wrasses! But at least you SPS looks great!

[JavaJacketOC]

Sorry about the wrasses! But at least you SPS looks great!

 

Thank you!

 

 

Got home to the skimmer from @JediMasterBen on my back porch...did a little sanitation on it and popped it in the sump. It fits a lot better than I had expected and is already developing a nice froth after about 45 min. There are like 0 microbubbles coming out of the exit tube..not sure if that's good or bad.

 

[JavaJacketOC]

I'm totally going crazy cat lady about my fish right now but I'm gonna own it.....

 

So, my small unknown alleged female wrasse looks weird. It's been pretty intensely red with the blue veining and a white stomach for the whole time I've had it. Today though, the red is more orange than red, the blue veining has faded a little and the white of the stomach seems to be extending up higher than it has been in the past, almost looks blotchy. Also, she's been going down toward the bottom of the tank more. She doesn't rest on the bottom or anything but just kinda looking around.

 

I'm a little worried that something is wrong with her but she's eating like normal and other than her appearance and the traveling toward the bottom of the tank, acting normal. Wondering if this is possibly it reverting to a true female stage or signs of stress from the male (which didn't happen with the McCoskers) or some other health issue. I've considered flame wrasse pairs since they've been so avaliable recently and have noticed a lot of submissive behavior from the females where they just kinda lay on the sand below the male.

 

I can't seem to find a lot of info about how pairs of McCoskers, Carpenters or other wrasses interact, anyone come across type of info?

[JavaJacketOC]

I took some updated stick pics with different light settings...used 50% blues and 85% white. Colors are pretty close to in person but couldn't capture the best color on all.

 

I did some comparison pics to the previous posts, there is noticeable growth and PE on just about all of the new stuff.

 

Tri Color Tort

 

 

 

Red Dragon

 

 

 

Pink Lemonade with a photobomb from the starburst monti

 

 

 

Bio Hazard

 

 

 

Miyagi Tort

 

 

 

Ponape Birdsnest (Still one of my fav's)

 

 

 

Ultra Corcea aka Rosetta (I moved her from a 250 par to about 600 par zone a few days ago...still opens as big as can be)

 

 

 

Mayan Sun Favia & it's Maxi Mini Neighbor

 

[JavaJacketOC]

Also....one of these may or may not be in the acclimation net/tank

 

 

[JavaJacketOC]

Almost forgot these guys...I started with the multi color at the bottom, was about the size of the purple/green one when I got it a couple months ago...picked up the other 4 over the last few weeks. The bottom 4 are tank raised...there are probably 3-4 more I want but trying to pace myself.

 

For size reference, the purple with green tentacles is about the size of a quarter when fully open but the skeleton of the ones this size are only about 1/2 the size when they are fully opened.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Nice collection! how high are your radion's?