Teenyreef's IM40 Not-So-Teeny Tank - August FTS

[Astinus]

TY Teeny for explaining

Not that I think I will ever get 1, how much do they run? (Cost)

Additionally, where do ya buy 1?

TY again.

[teenyreef]

I got the SQ-420 online from Apogee for $195. A lot of reef stores will loan or rent a PAR meter to customers, though.

 

It's worth $200 to me to not have to leave the house and talk to people

[Astinus]

Good stuff to know.

I will cross that bridge at some point down the road.

[teenyreef]

I finally got some pictures of the new corals ready. We had a great time at MAMAX even though I didn't win any of the raffle prizes

 

First, though, a shout out to Phuong at Ocenbox Designs. Even though he wasn't able to attend the show, he donated one of his beautiful AIO tanks for the raffle. It was definitely one of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated prizes. All proceeds from the show went to charity.

 

20161008_135737.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I picked up several SPS frags for $20 each from Pop Corals, who drove down from Brooklyn and seemed intent on pretty much giving everything away

 

The $20 frags included the pink lemonade I posted earlier. First, this really nice colony of pink tabling acropora:

 

Pink Tabling Acro by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Blueberry Shortcake:

 

Blueberry Shortcake Acro by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Tubbs Stalleta Montipora:

 

Tubbs Stalleta Montipora by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The big rainbow acan colony that I posted earlier was also from Pop Corals for, you guessed it, $20.

 

Finally, as I was getting ready to pay, the owner asked if I had an ice fire echinata and threw in a small frag for $10. I haven't been able to get a decent picture of it yet, every one I've taken so far has been out of focus.

 

Then I went over to Jason Fox's booth and, in a moment of weakness, I bought a WWC Pink Panther acro for about what I paid for all the other SPS put together.

 

WWC Pink Panther Acro by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[Astinus]

Awesome score Teeny! BUT! I just still don't understand the thing about SPS.

Some just look like pretty sticks and seem small. (shrug) lol!

Maybe 1 day I will get it and understand more about them.

I do know that U got a nice score though!

[fishfreak0114]

$20?! That's a steal! Gorgeous new additions

[teenyreef]

$20?! That's a steal! Gorgeous new additions

Thanks!

Awesome score Teeny! BUT! I just still don't understand the thing about SPS.

Some just look like pretty sticks and seem small. (shrug) lol!

Maybe 1 day I will get it and understand more about them.

I do know that U got a nice score though!

I just like all kinds of coral

And the sticks are really pretty when they get big, it just takes forever.

[uwdanno]

You have to have atleast one "moment of weakness" purchase at a frag swap. Well done with the Stalleta. I've had that one on my list to find for a bit. Great color and interesting growth.

[Nola Bear]

Beautiful frags! Look forward to watching them grow in. The variety of sps cannot be beat. I also don't think they are as difficult as people say so long as you have stable conditions. My problem is that so many of my high end acros just turn the same colors under my light.

 

What do you do to keep your acros looking like they are supposed to?

[uwdanno]

What do you do to keep your acros looking like they are supposed to?

Patience and consistency

[teenyreef]

Beautiful frags! Look forward to watching them grow in. The variety of sps cannot be beat. I also don't think they are as difficult as people say so long as you have stable conditions. My problem is that so many of my high end acros just turn the same colors under my light.

 

What do you do to keep your acros looking like they are supposed to?

I'll let you know when I find out

I've had successes with acros in my other tanks, but only for a few months at a time, and only after the tank was pretty mature. Like Dan says, patience and consistency. They really don't like changes, and they are super sensitive to both too much and too little nutrients in the water.

 

So far this tank has been stable and the acros I've put in it have kept their color well. As an example, the slimers I got from Slowtwitch turned completely brown the first week I had them. Here they are one month later

 

Green Slimer by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Blue Slimer by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The blue slimer is still more green than blue, but you can see some blue highlights starting to develop.

 

Same thing for the blue digitata from Slowtwitch. It's still a little brown but the polyps are getting more blue every day.

 

Blue Digitata by TeenyReef, on Flickr

You have to have atleast one "moment of weakness" purchase at a frag swap. Well done with the Stalleta. I've had that one on my list to find for a bit. Great color and interesting growth.

Thanks. I wasn't even looking for it, and it didn't look like much at the time. But when the vendor told me what it was, and it was $20, it became a no-brainer

[markalot]

Awesome score Teeny! BUT! I just still don't understand the thing about SPS.

Some just look like pretty sticks and seem small. (shrug) lol!

Maybe 1 day I will get it and understand more about them.

I do know that U got a nice score though!

 

Dude.

 

I will post just a few colored stick pics from long time SPS grower JBNY over on RC. Either you become addicted or you can escape the madness and be happy. Good luck.

 

 

[Reefkid88]

That shortcake is so damn sexy,so is that JF piece though. Nice pick ups. I just got a few Acro's myself I'm looking forward to see what they look like.

[teenyreef]

 

Dude.

 

I will post just a few colored stick pics from long time SPS grower JBNY over on RC. Either you become addicted or you can escape the madness and be happy. Good luck.

 

 

This

But Mark is way too modest. The sticks in his tank look fantastic

[ninjamyst]

nice pickups!!!!!

[RollaJase]

Beautiful frags, they looks great .

[teenyreef]

That shortcake is so damn sexy,so is that JF piece though. Nice pick ups. I just got a few Acro's myself I'm looking forward to see what they look like.

Thanks! I get really conflicted with expensive corals. When the pink lemonade STN'd it didn't bother me at all, I figure I gambled $20 on a nice coral and it just didn't work out. Same for the shortcake. But if the pink panther goes toes up I'm going to be much more unhappy

nice pickups!!!!!

Thanks, Ninja!

Beautiful frags, they looks great .

Thanks, Jase. I need to post just a few more. I definitely spent more than I planned

[RollaJase]

Thanks, Jase. I need to post just a few more. I definitely spent more than I planned

That's always the case I'm afraid haha.

[teenyreef]

OK, here we go, the last couple corals. This is the best picture I've been able to get of the ice fire echinata. I'm worried about the condition of the lower polyps, they don't look good. But for $10 it's worth the chance.

 

Ice Fire Echinata by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

After we were all done buying corals, we came across the Reefgen booth. Laura Birenbaum was running the booth - she was one of the speakers earlier. And Joe Yaiullo, the keynote speaker (Long Island Aquarium, MASNA 2016 Aquarist of the Year) was just hanging out there. There was a pretty purple plate that caught my eye, and Laura explained it was called Project X, and it will encrust and grow multiple mouths.

 

Well, I was really tempted, and my wife suggested maybe we should make it an early birthday present? I love that girl

So of course we got it.

 

RG Project X Fungia by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

So then we were just talking with Laura, and Joe was showing us videos of his 20,000 gallon tank, and I'm trying to not to geek out and be a total fanboy in front of my wife and daughter.

 

Turns out Laura is an fantastic coral salesperson. She loves what she does and started sharing stories about the other corals she had in the frag tank. So when she point out this really cool Poinsettia Favia, and promised that it grows slowly, I got another birthday present. Have I mentioned how much I love my wife?

 

RG Poinsettia Favia by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

So then we were really all done spending money on corals. And I was really proud of myself because I have too many zoas in this tank already, and in spite of all the cool zoas at the show I hadn't bought even one.

 

But then Laura showed me these amazing yellow zoas, and I don't even remember what they were called because I was in an altered state by then, and my wife was so excited that she didn't have to go shopping for my birthday presents this year, and well, anyway, I got some zoas after all

 

RG Zoas by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

There. I think that's really all the corals I got at MAMAX. Whew.

[fishfreak0114]

Those Zoas! You have some serious photography skills, the corals look stunning!

[ninjamyst]

Your wife is a keeper. How many bday presents did you end up getting? Hahaha.

[teenyreef]

Those Zoas! You have some serious photography skills, the corals look stunning!

Thanks!

Your wife is a keeper. How many bday presents did you end up getting? Hahaha.

Yep, she's amazing. We ended up with three high end birthday corals. The funny thing is she was just so happy not have to shop for me because I'm so hard to shop for, and she always ends up getting gift certificates. I think she was actually happier about it than I was. She's already talking about going to the coral show to buy me corals next year!

[jack1978]

Great corals Mr Teeny!

...........I think your wife needs to hang out with my wife and educate her on proper b-day gifts.

:^ )

[Orangutran]

Thanks!

Yep, she's amazing. We ended up with three high end birthday corals. The funny thing is she was just so happy not have to shop for me because I'm so hard to shop for, and she always ends up getting gift certificates. I think she was actually happier about it than I was. She's already talking about going to the coral show to buy me corals next year!

 

 

That means your wife knows the REAL prices of corals!!?! She's definitely a keeper!

[Slowtwitch]

Glad to see continued improvement in those pieces. Looks like all three are encrusting already as well. Fantastic.