Mitten_reef’s IM30L

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

Since I'm getting some phosphate reading my corals have started opening back up. Still not sure why phosphate bottomed out on me 🤔. Mine is still super low... I have a salifert kit and it's barely a tiny hint of blue..good to hear the phosphate comments as it seems they are pretty important.

[jbb]

2 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Since I'm getting some phosphate reading my corals have started opening back up. Still not sure why phosphate bottomed out on me 🤔. Mine is still super low... I have a salifert kit and it's barely a tiny hint of blue..good to hear the phosphate comments as it seems they are pretty important.

I have plenty I can send you 

[pokerdobe]

4 hours ago, spectra said:

.02 and nitrates are zero on my red sea kit.

Try bumping that up a little bit and see what happens. What's your Alk at?

 

1 hour ago, mitten_reef said:

@pokerdobe will probably tell you to also get MORE light!!!  

I'm seriously contemplating on adding another Radion. 

[spectra]

19 minutes ago, pokerdobe said:

Try bumping that up a little bit and see what happens. What's your Alk at?

 

I'm seriously contemplating on adding another Radion. 

alk runs right around 8.0 to 8.4

 

 

[pokerdobe]

10 hours ago, spectra said:

alk runs right around 8.0 to 8.4

 

 

That's basically my alk as well - I think it's safe to bring your po4 up for sure. Maybe try letting your po4 naturally rise to about .05-.1 and no3 at less than 5 ppm works for me. I'd give a more solid range on no3, but mine swings alot depending on if I remember to dose it. 

[mitten_reef]

I think this is a legit colony now 🤔. 

[mitten_reef]

sunnyD finally brighten up, it never occurred to me before that the dull/brown/faded color was due to lack of phosphate.   I took out the media bag with Phosguard for maybe 2 weeks now, and the zoas and acans are pickup crazy colors.  not seeing any significant changes on the acros yet.  the tank's general well being is still good, no sign of increased algae or anything.  

[mitten_reef]

Miss this guy, just a little bit 😢

 

Pic from Feb 2018, oh snap, this is two years ago...

 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by mitten_reef
added when the pic was actually taken

[Pjanssen]

4 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

Miss this guy, just a little bit 😢

 

 

Looks like what mine is trying to become, but my red outsizes the green 4-5 times. What did you do with it? I'm struggling with whether to cut mine down to size or leave it alone.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

How are things going in the tank? Looks so good🙂

[mitten_reef]

1 minute ago, Pjanssen said:

Looks like what mine is trying to become, but my red outsizes the green 4-5 times. What did you do with it? I'm struggling with whether to cut mine down to size or leave it alone.

I broke off the bottom tier every so often, and took to the LFS.  Eventually the BTA wandered off the rock, so I took the whole thing in. And got some free new rocks to start a new scape, part of what the tank became today. 

[mitten_reef]

3 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

How are things going in the tank? Looks

Going well, put the frag rack back on,  front and center. So not the greatest view.  Trying to color up a few frags for an upcoming swap on 3/1. 

[Pjanssen]

I think you/we are due for a new current FTS!

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

Just now, mitten_reef said:

Going well, put the frag rack back on,  front and center. So not the greatest view.  Trying to color up a few frags for an upcoming swap on 3/1. 

Nice man 👌. Keep up the good work with the pics

[mitten_reef]

8 minutes ago, Pjanssen said:

I think you/we are due for a new current FTS!

😄 last half-tank shots are on the top of page 56 from the end of January.  I'll try to get some this weekend with the dSLR.  I just put a frag rack front and center, kinda blocking all the views.  I might be able to move it to the back wall, we shall see.  if it goes there, it could stay there more long term too.   

[Elizabeth94]

6 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

last half-tank shots are on the top of page 56 from the end of January

That 2 whole pages ago! 😂

[Pjanssen]

9 hours ago, Elizabeth94 said:

That 2 whole pages ago! 😂

And only 1/2 a tank at a time! Not the same as FTS

[pokerdobe]

13 hours ago, mitten_reef said:

upcoming swap on 3/1

I wish my local club had actual frag swaps. 

[mitten_reef]

15 minutes ago, pokerdobe said:

I wish my local club had actual frag swaps. 

welp, I've joined the local FB group, but not much SPS activity on it really, kinda bummed.  I'm considering trimming some of the larger pieces and offer up a frag pack, just to see if there is any other stick heads around here.   

As for the swap, I was mainly meeting and trading frags with @WindyCityReefer., maybe checking out some things from vendors around MI and nearby areas.      

[pokerdobe]

1 hour ago, mitten_reef said:

welp, I've joined the local FB group, but not much SPS activity on it really, kinda bummed.  I'm considering trimming some of the larger pieces and offer up a frag pack, just to see if there is any other stick heads around here.   

As for the swap, I was mainly meeting and trading frags with @WindyCityReefer., maybe checking out some things from vendors around MI and nearby areas.      

SPS activity is usually harder to find. Percentage wise, I find that zoa and LPS is the vast majority in any local community. It's alot easier to connect with other acro dominated tanks on the interwebs. 

[spectra]

Just lucky here in the NW...…….plenty of shops with a nice selection of corals and also a lot of people addicted to sticks...…..

[ninjamyst]

over 10+ LFS stores in Chicago but not must designer acros.  5+ local reefers that sell really nice acros from their home system.  People are constantly spamming local facebook groups with homewreckers, orange passion, walt disney, merlin, etc.  

[mitten_reef]

1 hour ago, ninjamyst said:

People are constantly spamming local facebook groups with homewreckers, orange passion, walt disney, merlin, etc.

Want to buy spam or for sale spam (if that's a thing)?   

 

1 hour ago, ninjamyst said:

over 10+ LFS stores in Chicago but not must designer acros

2 out of 3 shops around me don't do designer acros.   I haven't been to the third one in a long time, so no idea.  seems like the designer acros are just an online thing (hm, correlation with how you can't see the actual piece in-person?)  IF it's a guy that has a grow-out system in the basement/garage - I have yet to find "that guy" around me, the main reason I joined the local FB group.

 

  

 

 

[pokerdobe]

2 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

designer acros are just an online thing (hm, correlation with how you can't see the actual piece in-person?)

Unpopular opinion - most designer acros look like garbage without heavy blue LEDs and shot through an orange filter. I can say this after owning and growing out a fair bit of them. 

 

The classics are where it's at in my opinion. 

[mitten_reef]

On 2/14/2020 at 3:22 PM, pokerdobe said:

 

The classics are where it's at in my opinion. 

I’m with you on the classics.