Natalia’s reefbowl: 8 years old!

[NYfishies]

Unreal what you are doing here! Zoas are looking good and love that Acan!

[natalia_la_loca]

bumping to the new page

yay, I got the wifi card on the DSLR to work again Pix from 28 June 2016:

Unreal what you are doing here! Zoas are looking good and love that Acan!

 

thanks btw I'm totally jealous of your incredible zoa collection.

[NYfishies]

Your garden was one main reason why I started my own!!!

[natalia_la_loca]

Your garden was one main reason why I started my own!!!

 

Aw, that's so cool

[Deleted User 9]

Peace Natalia,

 

Great pics. The Bowl Reef is looking AWESOME!!!

 

Blessings All.

[holy carp]

Are those oompa loompas? They look like they meander ambitiously.

[natalia_la_loca]

Are those oompa loompas? They look like they meander ambitiously.

 

Nope, those are "glitches" from Cherry Corals. Yes they are ambitious meanderers! They've really colored up under my el cheapo Chinese par38.

 

I had some oompa loompas in my nuvo 8 for awhile but they melted away. I'd like to try getting some more, given how well the other zoas are responding in this bowl. Plus some blondies and vice zoas, if I can just find a place to put them...no I do NOT want or need a bigger bowl...

[Sherman]

Was wondering how you maintain the temperature in each bowl

[natalia_la_loca]

Was wondering how you maintain the temperature in each bowl

In the reefbowl I use a Finnex temperature controller. This is necessary because the tiny heater I use has no thermostat.

 

The shrimpbowl has no heater. Opae'ula shrimp are hardy enough to manage the relatively mild temp fluctuations in the bowl.

[natalia_la_loca]

Happy day after the 4th of July and hello short workweek New pics.

 

Rainbow acan is happy. Finally seeing some growth from the JF jack-o'-lantern. Fire hornets zoas are still not showing much color--they were in a very bad state when I got them back from the LFS--but they're all open at least.

 

Green slimer acro is encrusting well. The orange digitata has fully recovered the rusty-orange color it had before the peroxide nuke a couple of months ago.

 

The tricolor valida is going through some color morphing that will hopefully end up well. In any case it has great polyp extension, and encrustation is visible.

 

The bubblegum digitata is starting to encroach on some of the rastas. Hopefully the rastas will spread to the surrounding rock. The Mountain Dew chalice just sits around until feeding time, when it slurps up food with gusto. Also, I noticed over the weekend that the vamps in drag zoas have a sixth head now.

 

Overall, the reefbowl is doing very well.

[Deleted User 9]

Peace Natalia,

 

Great Update!!! It's looking awesome and beautiful. Are you still doing the 150% WC?

How high are your lights above the water line?

 

Colors look amazing and that Fire Montipora Digi is really colorfully red!

 

Great to hear that the SPS are encrusting.

 

Much Success and Happiness.

 

Blessings All.

[natalia_la_loca]

Thanks Mary yes, I'm still doing 150% waterchanges. I blow a lot of detritus out of the sandbed with the turkey baster before I do water changes and I often do small spot treatments with peroxide, so the extra rinse is helpful for getting the extra detritus and peroxide out of there. The corals respond just fine. The lamp is still 12" above the waterline.

[Deleted User 9]

Thanks Mary yes, I'm still doing 150% waterchanges. I blow a lot of detritus out of the sandbed with the turkey baster before I do water changes and I often do small spot treatments with peroxide, so the extra rinse is helpful for getting the extra detritus and peroxide out of there. The corals respond just fine. The lamp is still 12" above the waterline.

 

Peace Natalia,

 

Curious to know if you're still using the old ABI 12W with 4 whites taped?

I ask because I notice that in the pic, it appears that 4 whites are covered?

 

Blessings All.

[teenyreef]

It looks really great, I'm in awe of your skillz! When are you going to put a tang in there? You've got the magic touch

[natalia_la_loca]

 

Peace Natalia,

 

Curious to know if you're still using the old ABI 12W with 4 whites taped?

I ask because I notice that in the pic, it appears that 4 whites are covered?

 

Blessings All.

You get the eagle eye award yup, I forgot to mention last week that I switched back to the old ABI par38 light with 4 whites covered. I wasn't seeing clear benefits from the new 8 blue/4 white light, and it was a pain to photograph, so I decided to go back. The corals don't seem to care either way.

[natalia_la_loca]

It looks really great, I'm in awe of your skillz! When are you going to put a tang in there? You've got the magic touch

Ha, thats my one and only regret about this little bowl...no fish! But it feels sooooo good to have time for other things. If I ever get a bigger tank again it will be something like Nanosapiens' tank. Small and simple!

[Deleted User 9]

You get the eagle eye award yup, I forgot to mention last week that I switched back to the old ABI par38 light with 4 whites covered. I wasn't seeing clear benefits from the new 8 blue/4 white light, and it was a pain to photograph, so I decided to go back. The corals don't seem to care either way.

 

Peace Natalia,

 

Thanks. So you're using the old ABI with all the whites covered or just 4 whites? Also, you are aware that the China bulb has less white chips and 2 more Royal Blues. So covering all the whites on that bulb will give you an insane blue color. So my question is, why not leave at least 1 or 2 whites uncovered?

 

Blessings All.

[natalia_la_loca]

 

Peace Natalia,

 

Thanks. So you're using the old ABI with all the whites covered or just 4 whites? Also, you are aware that the China bulb has less white chips and 2 more Royal Blues. So covering all the whites on that bulb will give you an insane blue color. So my question is, why not leave at least 1 or 2 whites uncovered?

 

Blessings All.

 

I'm using the old ABI with 4 of the 6 whites covered. I was aware that the China bulb had fewer white chips; I left 2 of the 4 whites on it uncovered. I could try a different configuration, but the current one with the old ABI seems to provide a good balance of coral growth, color, and ease of photography.

[Deleted User 9]

 

I'm using the old ABI with 4 of the 6 whites covered. I was aware that the China bulb had fewer white chips; I left 2 of the 4 whites on it uncovered. I could try a different configuration, but the current one with the old ABI seems to provide a good balance of coral growth, color, and ease of photography.

Peace Natalia,

 

Fair enough. Just trying to gather important information, from the hobbyist perspective, the experiences they're having with the old ABI, these new China bulbs with the 4 Whites and 8 Blue chips, in order to try and create this new bulb that will eventually eliminate the need for covering the excess white diodes, and supply the necessary Spectrum and Intensity, for Coral growth and coloration.

 

I know that the old ABI bulb will grow most Corals in a Pico Reef, providing all other parameters and variables are met.

But with hobbyist covering the whites and trying to find and strike a balance with Spectrum and Intensity, hopefully We will be able to

eliminate the necessity of covering the whites, and if they do choose to cover for any reason, the proper PAR and PUR will still be available for growth and coloration for the Corals.

 

Thanks for providing your important experience and information on Vase Reef Keeping.

 

Blessings All.

[natalia_la_loca]

You are most welcome Mary, I'm very happy to contribute my experiences! Vase reefing has so much potential, I could think of many interesting directions to take it if I had the time and inclination.

 

One thing I should add regarding my lighting is that height is a limiting factor for me. My current light fixture does not go higher than 12 inches above the water line and the current location of the reefbowl doesn't lend itself to other lighting arrangements, so I have to be careful about the light intensity my corals receive. I'm pretty sure I'll always have to cover a few LEDs regardless of which par38 lamp I use.

[Deleted User 9]

You are most welcome Mary, I'm very happy to contribute my experiences! Vase reefing has so much potential, I could think of many interesting directions to take it if I had the time and inclination.

 

One thing I should add regarding my lighting is that height is a limiting factor for me. My current light fixture does not go higher than 12 inches above the water line and the current location of the reefbowl doesn't lend itself to other lighting arrangements, so I have to be careful about the light intensity my corals receive. I'm pretty sure I'll always have to cover a few LEDs regardless of which par38 lamp I use.

 

Peace Natalia,

 

I recommend this unit. It will give you up to 35" in height and 15" outward adjustments. Sits under the bowl or vase. You can attach a lamp on the hook and now, you will be able to get the height you would like.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Lamp-Stand-Full-Size/301950710224?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D37470%26meid%3D5afd7c6046b94175a4e416f29400d59e%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D252256396213&rt=nc

 

Blessings All.

[natalia_la_loca]

Nice, that could work! I'll keep that in mind for future lighting upgrades.

[Nano sapiens]

Looking great! Looking forward to see how this progresses

[natalia_la_loca]

Looking great! Looking forward to see how this progresses

 

thank you Hopefully in another 7 years and 8 months it will be the next ye olde pico reef

[YaBoyLaj]

Wow, I'm jealous! This tankkkk... Bowl I mean is really awesome! Color game = strong