CSalt's 20" Cube MH life

[Csalt]

I turned up the LED lights since the palys were stretching, bad idea. The monti looked like it started to bleach a little even though the palys and zoas were stretching. The RFA isn't going to make it. It's been bad for a few months but today it's real bad. I'll work on getting it out of the tank tomorrow. Zoas are still slowly fading away.

Just a theory but zoas need iodine and red macro algae also uses iodine. Wonder if all that dragons tongue is soaking it up starving the zoas of it.

Soft/ leathers do not grow in this tank. Zero growth in the sinularia and toadstool in the at least 6 months i've had them.

Duncans are doing great.

The green BTA likes to keep it's tenticles curled up, not sure what that's about. Been like that for 3 or 4 weeks.

[Csalt]

Stopped at Tidal Gardens. Great place.

 

 

My tank is too small.

[Csalt]

Quick phone pic. the Green BTA is being pissy because of the flow increase. Won't be so bad once I get everything off the sandbed.

A lot more glare from LED when taking pics.

[Csalt]

SG 1.024

Ph 8.2

Kh 12

Ca 440

Mg 1350

[Csalt]

Ended up having to order another heater. Currently have an eheim 75W but it's not quite enough now that I don't have T5 lights heat soaking the tank. Going with a 125W due to sump size restrictions.

 

[Csalt]

Zoas are starting to show signs of improvement. I think it was the red macro affecting them. Have a skimmer now. Coralbox s150. Wish it had a way to fine adjust it. Seems to fluctuate throughout the day, it's also pretty new so still breaking in I guess.

Monti bleached so moved to the bottom of the tank, not sure why. Maybe because of the spectrum change going from t5 to LED? Everything else is doing good. Might move the sps off the sandbed to the rocks today or tomorrow.

[Csalt]

Bought a Reversing ring to try some macro.

Birdsnest looks like absolute shit. I moved it halfway up the rocks then it started losing flesh. Cut some of the bad pieces off and moved it back to the sandbed. Has algae growing on the dead spots and tips. Acro is coloring back up.

[Csalt]

I think I have a RFA baby. Must have came off it a long time ago. I still have the RFA but it still looks terrible not sure how it's stayed alive for this long.

It's about the size of a pea.

 

Tank it a year old. 

The green BTA stays small while the rose does great. Maybe fighting? Going to give the green one to a friend whenever he decides to show up. I think 1 nem is enough for me and it would probably be happier without competition.

Getting coralline growth finally. But it's in the sump. I quit running filter floss so going to see how this plays out.

[Weetabix7]

That's interesting about the Dragon's Breath Macro and the Zoas, I hadn't heard that before. Are the Zoas still continuing to look better?

 

What is a Reversing Ring for Macros?

 

I'm shipping out Coralline Starter Cultures to several people tomorrow, if that's something you'd be interested in, although you may not even need it since you're starting to see Coralline in your sump. 

 

The Duncans, Xenia and Bubble Coral all look super pretty and happy. 

[Csalt]

1 hour ago, Weetabix7 said:

That's interesting about the Dragon's Breath Macro and the Zoas, I hadn't heard that before. Are the Zoas still continuing to look better?

 

What is a Reversing Ring for Macros?

 

I'm shipping out Coralline Starter Cultures to several people tomorrow, if that's something you'd be interested in, although you may not even need it since you're starting to see Coralline in your sump. 

 

The Duncans, Xenia and Bubble Coral all look super pretty and happy. 

Some of the zoas are doing much better. Others I think were too far gone. I did start dosing amino, iodine consistently 2 weeks ago and going to see how not running filter floss does. 

Reverse macro ring is for my camera lens. That's actually suppose to be a hammer coral. It's weird. When I got it it was all bubbly. The new tentacles that formed look like a normal hammer. Also Has a couple long tentacles. It's weird but seems healthy. Must be some ultra rare hammer/bubble/torch hybrid coral.

 

Going to upgrade to a new tank eventually. the 20l is just a tad too long for the light. Probably go with a 25g cube or 32g cuboid. Whenever they're in stock.

[Weetabix7]

Love the ultra rare Bubbly Euphyllia!!!!

That's pretty wild. 

[Csalt]

They're still recovering but all the zoas looked like the ones in this pic.

And these are some that recovered.

 

[Weetabix7]

Ah yes, I can see the difference. 

They don't look sick in the first pic, just unhappy and I can definite improvement in the "after" pics. That's great!!

[Csalt]

[Csalt]

Decided to test nitrates last night after not testing it for a few months. showed 10-15ppm (a few hours after feeding.) Tested again today and showed 5ppm and phosphate is 0. SPS polyp extension is great. Tips are healed. One of the branches is missing polyps and is kinda brownish fleshy color on the bottom half. I'll post pics later tonight.

edit: pics are terrible. I'll try again tomorrow.

[Csalt]

 

Photobucket is awful anymore.... Baby RFA and acro. I think it's green staghorn?

I'll try and get some better pics tomorrow.

 

[Csalt]

Forgot to set lights to photo mode, so white balance isn't right.

 

 

 

Had this frag of birdsnest forever. Moved it to the bottom of the tank and now the polyps extend and flesh is turning green. Think it's Ponape.

 

 

 

 Duncan kind of has a metallic shimmer to it.

 

 

[Csalt]

Picked up a new light for the sump. Going to see if it helps with macro growth. Was like $15. Brs has a pretty good video on Chaeto. 

[Weetabix7]

51 minutes ago, Csalt said:

Picked up a new light for the sump. Going to see if it helps with macro growth. Was like $15. Brs has a pretty good video on Chaeto. 

 

Hmm, interested to see how this works. 

 

And yes, photobucket is absolutely TERRIBLE lately. 

[Csalt]

Took like 8 months but they're finally hosting. They've been swimming close it past few days. Came home tonight and they were inside it.

[Csalt]

After 3 weeks of not running filter floss. Nitrates are sitting about 20 (api) and Phosphate is less than .03. I'll give it a few more weeks to see how it goes. Everything is looking good. 

Have some hair algae growing back on a rock that I peroxide dipped probably about 3 months ago. 

Xenia is breaking off the colony trying to spread.

The green palys never adapted to the lower light when I switched to LED. They're still stretched out. The new heads that formed are short stalked. So i'm guessing it's easier for some corals to adapt to higher light rather than low?

Getting a ton of algae growth in the sump with that light. Not sure how fast the red macro is growing but it has good color. Getting a lot of green hair and film.

[Csalt]

Nem is getting big too. 

[Weetabix7]

What was your reason for removing filter floss in the first place, what did you want to see?

 

Glad the light is working for algae growth, but is the green hair and film algae you're seeing in the sump where that light is or in the main tank?

Just now, Csalt said:

Nem is getting big too. 

 

Nice!!

[Csalt]

1 hour ago, Weetabix7 said:

What was your reason for removing filter floss in the first place, what did you want to see?

 

Glad the light is working for algae growth, but is the green hair and film algae you're seeing in the sump where that light is or in the main tank?

 

Nice!!

The algae is in the sump. I do have a small spot in the display at the base of a paly. It's been there before and has never spread. I just pick it out. The peroxide worked for awhile but came back, probably due to more nutrients in the tank.

 

As for the filter floss. For the longest time I was unable to grow soft corals, guessing due to low nutrients. One of the reasons I stopped with filter floss. Just trying out an experiment. If my nitrates keep rising, i'll start using filter floss again. So far everything is doing good, including the sps. 

I'm guessing If i had a faster growing macro it would help starve out the nuisance type algae in the sump. 

I haven't cleaned the glass in like a month and is still clean. 

[Csalt]

I'll probably order some more snails since it's warming up outside. All my nerite snails are gone except maybe 2. Found a half dozen empty shells under a rock from were that brittle star was eating them. Have a few baby nassarius snails but no adults.