Mitten_reef’s IM30L

[Melfy77]

I don't reply often but dang!!!!! Your tank looks sooooo nice!!!! Corals all look healthy and colorful!! I'll just say it: I'm jealous!!!! I cannot keep a LPS alive to save my life!!! Felt bad about it so neglected my tank...cleaned the back wall today...OMFG how disgusting can that thing get!!! Ughhh...anyway. Tried all kinds of LPS, all failed. I like soft coral and they seem to be doing ok so decided to turn my tank into a soft coral tank only (will get some anemones down the road). Have to say your ric garden is my favorite😏

[Icedgxe]

Your tank is gorgeous! If you don’t mind me asking, what are your light settings?

[mitten_reef]

2 hours ago, Melfy77 said:

I don't reply often but dang!!!!! Your tank looks sooooo nice!!!! Corals all look healthy and colorful!! I'll just say it: I'm jealous!!!! I cannot keep a LPS alive to save my life!!! Felt bad about it so neglected my tank...cleaned the back wall today...OMFG how disgusting can that thing get!!! Ughhh...anyway. Tried all kinds of LPS, all failed. I like soft coral and they seem to be doing ok so decided to turn my tank into a soft coral tank only (will get some anemones down the road). Have to say your ric garden is my favorite😏

Thanks for stopping by.  Rics definitely will add a colorful splash to any tank. 
 

30 minutes ago, Icedgxe said:

Your tank is gorgeous! If you don’t mind me asking, what are your light settings?

thank you.  I have a custom nanobox light. I’m not sure if the setting will apply to your specific fixture.  Generally speaking, the blue’s-to-white ratio is about 10:3 all day. I do have 21 extra leds of various blues/violet more than a typical nanobox quad. If I didn’t have all the extra blues leds, I’d probably run it about 10:1 on the sliders.   Here’s my midday settings, my light is ~6” from water surface. 

[Icedgxe]

1 hour ago, mitten_reef said:

Thanks for stopping by.  Rics definitely will add a colorful splash to any tank. 
 

thank you.  I have a custom nanobox light. I’m not sure if the setting will apply to your specific fixture.  Generally speaking, the blue’s-to-white ratio is about 10:3 all day. I do have 21 extra leds of various blues/violet more than a typical nanobox quad. If I didn’t have all the extra blues leds, I’d probably run it about 10:1 on the sliders.   Here’s my midday settings, my light is ~6” from water surface. 

Thanks! I didn’t realize you were running a custom setup. I’m running a large retrofit with two 24” t-5s along side it but I have the standard channel setup.

[mitten_reef]

This is a long one, just wanna do random no-name acros compilation.

 

I think I got the original frag of this for $25 from LFS, see the base plug of the original frag below.  I've already sold back a few frags to LFS.

The close-up of the above; but on a separate location (it's the original base plug of the same coral, re-grown)

 

These three are the same corals originated from the first one, different locations in the tank.

plus one side shot

 

Remember the big colony that RTNd the other day?  Here are the 3 remaining "frags" around the tank:

 

this last one has been the most active as far as growth and colors go.  

 

I traded in a bigger piece of this which wasn't doing all that well previously.  glad I decided to keep a tiny nub, now growing.

 

The most interesting part of the frag rack

Top row: unknown (LFS $40); RMF acid trip ($30, from local frag swap. yes, it makes me wonder of its true lineage.  But the colors are out of this world); SCOP ($0, FREE, again, not sure of source, traded with a local reefer);

Bottom row: two nice colored millies (I think they were $40 each at LFS)  

I added the price tags to this last group, because I just think you can get some decent looking corals without breaking the bank - relatively speaking. 

 

[mitten_reef]

20 minutes ago, Icedgxe said:

Thanks! I didn’t realize you were running a custom setup. I’m running a large retrofit with two 24” t-5s along side it but I have the standard channel setup.

if you have nanobox, I'd run 10:1 for all-colors:white ratio, i.e. if all your colors max out at 80%, then run white at 8%, I won't push white beyond 12% in this scenario.  I think that's how I used to have my standard quad settings 10:1.5 ratio of colors:white.  I just find that the white channel does help with any of red/pink colors on corals a little bit vs having no white at all.  

What T5s are you running?  

[EfrainChicagoDeepdish]

Amazing.  I want to be like you when I grow up. 

[mitten_reef]

30 minutes ago, EfrainChicagoDeepdish said:

Amazing.  I want to be like you when I grow up. 

Thanks!  Much appreciated!  
Now more than ever, NR really could use more of your witty funny posts. I loved all of them. 😄

[mitten_reef]

Jason Fox fire dragon

 

bonus pic:

[EfrainChicagoDeepdish]

I have always divided my Red Dragon by zero.  What a nice single piece you got there.  

[debbeach13]

You have some beautiful coral. And your pictures really show them off.

[mitten_reef]

Happy as a clam

 

[debbeach13]

Stunning. 

[mitten_reef]

On 4/15/2020 at 6:53 AM, debbeach13 said:

You have some beautiful coral. And your pictures really show them off.

 

7 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

Stunning. 

Thank you @debbeach13.  I'm glad you enjoyed them.

 

On a separate note, anyone else out there itching to buy more coral after 4 weeks of #stayhome?  Despite the crowded tank, and a crowded frag rack, I really feel like getting more frags.  The big coral haul by @Dirté Sanchez yesterday for her two tanks look awesome.  I want to have a box full of corals show up at my door one of these days.   gotta keep that economy moving 😅

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

I have to buy a new couch 🤬. Plus the wife needs her own laptop. She's been using mine for her work since she's been working from home. So no money for corals for me 😞

 

Your tank is looking good 👌

[WV Reefer]

5 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

I have to buy a new couch 🤬. Plus the wife needs her own laptop. She's been using mine for her work since she's been working from home. So no money for corals for me 😞

 

Your tank is looking good 👌

Sounds like a perfect use of dat Trump check.

[mitten_reef]

3 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

I have to buy a new couch 🤬. Plus the wife needs her own laptop. She's been using mine for her work since she's been working from home. So no money for corals for me 😞

 

Your tank is looking good 👌

Thanks bud.  that sucks about the couch.  my wife shares my laptop too, and I've started shopping for one so we can both work, vs taking turns.  By the time she's done with her 8 hours, I'm so burned out from watching the kid.....😒

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

6 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Sounds like a perfect use of dat Trump check.

Yeah that's probably what's gonna end up happening.. not looking forward to taking my old couch out and also moving the new one in... My house is the WORST for getting things in and out 😕. I hate having a small house

 

5 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

Thanks bud.  that sucks about the couch.  my wife shares my laptop too, and I've started shopping for one so we can both work, vs taking turns.  By the time she's done with her 8 hours, I'm so burned out from watching the kid.....😒

Ohh that's no bueno 😞. Did you notice all the laptops are sold out? I've never seen best buy so empty. Even Newegg.com has shit in stock. Since I don't really need to use mine the laptop is kinda on the back burner since all the good ones are scooped up already. I refuse to pay over a grand for a laptop right now.

[5*Chris]

Beautiful tank!! I'm going to pour myself some coffee and read through all 66 pages, well...maybe look at all the pictures

[mitten_reef]

5 hours ago, 5*Chris said:

Beautiful tank!! I'm going to pour myself some coffee and read through all 66 pages, well...maybe look at all the pictures

Thanks. Hopefully it’s worth reading. 😅

 

On to today’s photo:

 

the same coral - August 2018. 

 

despite the rollercoaster that is my tank, this colony had grown in nicely over the last ~18 months or so. 

[Cannedfish]

31 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

Thanks. Hopefully it’s worth reading. 😅

 

On to today’s photo:

 

the same coral - August 2018. 

 

despite the rollercoaster that is my tank, this colony had grown in nicely over the last ~18 months or so. 

Looks great man... can we get a look at that montipora palawanensis you have hiding back there?

[mitten_reef]

3 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

Looks great man... can we get a look at that montipora palawanensis you have hiding back there?

On the right side of the pic?  it does kinda look like MP, doesn't it? haha.  But it's just the base that the acro had laid down on the branch rock, it looks lumpy like it's ready to shoot up branches.

[mitten_reef]

 

The orange one is nauti spiral/tricolor palawanensis - def not one of those fancy ones.  I'm still waiting for the day that @spectra will send me any of his glowing yellow ones, maybe this is the year.

[Cannedfish]

Is that the Cali tort in front?

[ECLS Reefer]

17 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

 

The orange one is nauti spiral/tricolor palawanensis - def not one of those fancy ones.  I'm still waiting for the day that @spectra will send me any of his glowing yellow ones, maybe this is the year.

It’s prolly got Covid all over it 😷