Blenwood's Reef - 1st attempts at focus stacking

[teenyreef]

The growth you got just in June is astonishing to me. I'm used to seeing pretty good growth once the new branches start, but to go from no new growth to all those branches in a month is awesome.

[teenyreef]

@Cannedfish: what kind of pump are you running now? Is it the IM mighty jet DC controlled one?

[Cannedfish]

2 hours ago, teenyreef said:

The growth you got just in June is astonishing to me. I'm used to seeing pretty good growth once the new branches start, but to go from no new growth to all those branches in a month is awesome.

June was a crazy month! I’m not entirely sure way, but everything exploded in growth. I was almost seeing visible daily growth for acros, I’m not sure if I had my alk higher or lower than normal or what, I wish I could replicate it though!

 

 

1 hour ago, teenyreef said:

@Cannedfish: what kind of pump are you running now? Is it the IM mighty jet DC controlled one?

I am running the IM Mighty Jet, and so far really like it! It’s controllable (I’m not controlling it (it’s just on high) but I appreciate the option), it’s really powerful for its size, it’s dead quiet, it’s relatively cheap, and it fits in the NUVO 10. @micoastreefing also just got the the larger version. Bumping up the return pump flow (357 gph) with the KPS on 100% has eliminated all deead spots and I think the acro have really enjoyed the tank having similar flow to that of a blender. The only thing I dislike about it is that I have had to raise the water level in the third chamber because with the pump sucking up so much water, any bubbles (that flow due to a mini waterfall from the second chamber) get sucked up and spit out as micro bubbles. 

[teenyreef]

Thanks - the KPS plus the stock pump is just not enough flow in my IM10. So I need to either put the IM10 back, which is overkill, or beef up the return pump. I wondered about whether there would be too much flow to get the right level in the third chamber.

 

But because I'm a cheapskate, I just ordered the Jebao DCS-1200. Similar flow and DC control, but about $30 cheaper, I think. I'll let you know how it works out.

[Cannedfish]

Incredibly my tank journal is almost a year old. I’m thinking the same thing, “how’ve I managed not to kill yet.” Somethings, like why the earth is flat, science just can’t explain. Anyways, here’s some pictures for your Tuesday enjoyment. 

 

Chonky ole Blenwood:

 

Someday this thing will stop encrusting and actually grow upwards...

 

Zoas slowly being smothered by the evil clove polyps:

 

Nighttime kitchen views:

 

PPC:

[specore]

That's cool that you actually see your pom pom crab.  Only one I've had never, ever came out.  

[Porkpie5000]

Have you ever mentioned what you feed ol' Blenwood to keep him in such peak physical condition? 

[Cannedfish]

On 9/11/2018 at 12:54 PM, specore said:

That's cool that you actually see your pom pom crab.  Only one I've had never, ever came out.  

Weirdly, she has been out a lot lately. She used to just hide in her lair and, I assume, plot to take over the tank, but recently she must have had a "come to Jesus" moment and realized her situation wasn't all that bad. Also we have had a bunch of pom pom crabs and this one is by far our most majestic, her poms are huge! Her majesty must be fueled by all the other pom pom crabs she's eaten...

 

On 9/11/2018 at 5:09 PM, Porkpie5000 said:

Have you ever mentioned what you feed ol' Blenwood to keep him in such peak physical condition? 

Ole Blen-Daddy physique is no accident. You don't get those sumptuous curves sitting on the couch and eating 'tato chips (or if you're from the old country... 'tato crisps) all day. That's right, it's a little known fact, but the secret to Blen-Money's bootylicious body is... plastic surgery. That's right, it's all fake. See Blenwood is both lazy and impatient, and after drinking four 5-Hour energies and then binge watching 12 seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, one season of Botched, and the Land Before Time, he was infected by Hollywood body-ideals, and immediately flew to Costa Rica and got some second rate implants, a few fillers, and a nip tuck. I must admit he has definitely nailed the "cheap date/hooker" look. I couldn't be more proud. 

 

But as for his diet, Blenwood get a mix of things. During the week I usually, leave one glass wall of the tank un-scraped so he (and the turbo snails) can graze on algae. He also loves to eat whatever I am feeding Lorp which is a rotating combination of: Reef Nutrition Roe, Reef Nutrition Mysis, Reef Nutrition Live Tigger Pods, PE Mysis, PE Calanus Pods, Sustainable Aquatics fish pellets (love these, usually in the morning), and LRS Nano Frenzy. Often I mix two or more of these foods (depending on what I'm feeling) and target feed the NPS and fish (one or twice a week I also through in some Reef Roids).

 

____________

 

 

Pictures: 

 

 

Party Shrimp:

 

Button Scoly under actinics:

 

SC OP:

 

WWC After Party (and mystery acro) throwing out branches: 

[teenyreef]

Somehow I just knew that Blen-body couldn't be all natural. It was too good to be true. 

 

Your photography skills are improving with every post! 

[Cannedfish]

On 9/17/2018 at 5:34 PM, teenyreef said:

Somehow I just knew that Blen-body couldn't be all natural. It was too good to be true. 

 

Your photography skills are improving with every post! 

Thanks!! Yeah, Blen-Sausage is definitely on the fake-it-till-you-make-it life plan. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he is vapid. But, he’s vapid. Photography-wise, I still feel like I’m driving blind, but I also have just enough irrational confidence to possibly move up to the DSLR. The point and shoot on roids doesn’t have enough control, which is in an of itself kinda scary...

[Cannedfish]

Monthly update time!!

 

It’s hard to believe it, but another month has gone by without a disaster. I know, the streak has got to end at some point, and being well aware of that I’m getting kinda of paranoid. I feel like it’s a bit like playing Russian roulette with a bunch of drunken Slavic mobsters in the backroom of some Eastern European underground rave, and unfortunately the six people that all pulled the trigger in front of you heard a “click.” At some point Lady Luck starts looking like she’s “been ridden hard and put up wet,” and Lady Math starts knocking at the door. 

 

Although, this month was relatively drama fee, the tank did experience a few changes. Most notably, a second AI Prime HD was installed over the tank. It’s been a few weeks since I fired her up, and I must say I have been really pleased with the results. Not only does the mount and general set up look pretty good (far exceeding my expectations) but the shadowing issues have largely been ameliorated. Furthermore, I really like the ability to independently aim the LED beams to focus on specific coral (maybe a certain Upscales Microlados...) or areas of the tank. If this thread was a trashy gossip magazine and was rating Rom-Coms or movie premier dresses I would give the light concept and install 4.5 Blenwoods (I’m not telling you out of how many Blenwoods though... it could be five it could be three... take that math!). Next, I did a sand-bed reshuffle. Moving the Acan garden the the back corner, in order to make room in front, which dove tails into a later change. I also added the IM Mighty Jet, which despite its terrible name has great. Not only is it cat burglar quiet, but I think the acros have enjoyed the 100% increase in return flow. The tank is basically some tequila and a bartender with a creepy mustache away from being an industrial blender. If you don’t like that analogy: the tank is basically some questionable foam, a wet pack of Parliament Lights, and some heavy regret away from a seedy Vegas motel hot tub. Ummm, that second analogy really brings back some memories... In terms of livestock, I unfortunately lost acros this month, fortunately they we no namers that I really didn’t like. They hadn’t been doing well for a while now... and most likely won’t be missed. Lastly, after being sad that I wasn’t able to go to MACNA, I did what American consumerism has programmed me to do: go out and make a terrible financial decision. So putting on some Yeezy’s and rocking my favorite Supreme headband I pulled a wad of cash out of a design fanny pack and officially became a reef hypebeast. Yup, I got a bounce mushroom. And that now hangs out where the acans were (bringing it full circle). So that’s pretty much it.  Oh yeah, I may have dinos. Damnit math. 

 

Anyway, as always, here are some shoddy FTS progression pics:

 

 

[FISHnChix]

Wow really nice growth on the sps. Pretty amazing actually.. and well written update as always 😎..and the Parliament lights brings back memories lol

[mitten_reef]

Can really see what teeny was talking about re: the progress of your photography.  

 

Also, looks like that green birdnest might be ready for another round with the frag clippers. 

 

Have you ever counted how many individual corals you have packed in there?

🤔 

[specore]

1 minute ago, micoastreefing said:

Can really see what teeny was talking about re: the progress of your photography.  

 

Also, looks like that green birdnest might be ready for another round with the frag clippers. 

 

Have you ever counted how many individual corals you have packed in there?

🤔

I'm definitely envious.  New DSLR batteries arrive here tomorrow, then time to blow the dust off and start experimenting. 

[teenyreef]

7 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

Can really see what teeny was talking about re: the progress of your photography.  

 

Also, looks like that green birdnest might be ready for another round with the frag clippers. 

 

Have you ever counted how many individual corals you have packed in there?

🤔

Don't count. Counting leads to calculation. And calculation leads to suffering.

[Reefkid88]

😎

[mitten_reef]

18 minutes ago, teenyreef said:

Don't count. Counting leads to calculation. And calculation leads to suffering.

You’re right, @Cannedfish don’t count!!!

[Cannedfish]

21 hours ago, Weikel said:

Wow really nice growth on the sps. Pretty amazing actually.. and well written update as always 😎..and the Parliament lights brings back memories lol

Thanks!! Well written is definitely a sliding scale... My proofreading is akin to what I imagine it would be like to watch Steven Hawking attempt the American Ninja Warrior course: train-wreck. But in my defense it's difficult to type out an update on a phone, peddle an exercise, and keep your cigarette lit. Long live the P-Funks!

 

21 hours ago, micoastreefing said:

Can really see what teeny was talking about re: the progress of your photography.  

 

Also, looks like that green birdnest might be ready for another round with the frag clippers. 

 

Have you ever counted how many individual corals you have packed in there?

🤔

The photography isn't great yet, but it is a lot better than what it was. At least you can tell I'm taking a picture of a frag instead wondering if it's a frag or two whales mating (I alway hope for the later). The birdsnest is definitely getting close to needing a significant trim. What's crazy is that I pulled out a softball size amount of it in May, and it's back to it's former size. So if anyone wants some, let me know. I'll sell it cheap (AKA free). You can't tell from the photo but I do have a small piece of Barbie Birdsnest in amidst the green, but it grows soooo slow. Speaking of corals here's more-or-less the updated list (however, I may or may not have a shipment or two of frags coming this week...):

 

SPS

Acropora    
    Walt Disney
    WWC After Party
    SC Orange Passion
    TCK Pikachu
    Cornbred's Maleficent
    RR Pink Floyd
    Jason Fox Foxflame
    Oregon Tort
    JKC Rainbow
    Upscales Microlados
    WWC Plum Passion
    Cali Tort
    Red Dragon 
    Sunset Milli
    Pink Milli
    Hawkins Blue
    WWC Slimball (anacropora)
    Strawberry Shortcake
    Bali Green Slimer
    ECE Green Table (or something)
    ASD Green Milli
    Pink Dragonscale
    Tri-Color Tenius
    Blue Tip Stag
    Bali Unknown
Seriatopora    
    ORA Hyacinth Birdsnest 
    ORA Green Birdsnest
Montipora    
    Jedi Mind Trick Monti
    Rainbow Monti
    Toxic Green Monti
    Superman Digi
    Red Setosa

 

LPS     
    Orange Lepto
    Purple/Green Fungia
    Assorted Acan Lords (x5 colonies)
    Walking Dendro
    Assorted Button Scolys (x2)
    WWC Peppermint Cyphastrea
    Meteor Shower Cyphastrea

    Bizzaro Cyphastrea 
    SF Blue/Orange Chalice
    Tri-Color Pectinia
    Orange Psammo
    Assorted Acan Echinata (x2)
 

NPS    
    Dendrophyllia (x2 colonies)
    Balanophyllia (x3 varieties)
    Black Sun Coral
    Pink/Yellow Sun Coral
 

Softies        
    Mushrooms    
        WWC OG Bounce
    Zoas    
        Eagle Eye 
        Gorilla Nipple 
        Blue Hornets 
        Red People Eaters
        WWC Twizzlers
    Others 
        Green Star Polyps
        Blue Clove Polyps (plague of the earth)
 

21 hours ago, specore said:

I'm definitely envious.  New DSLR batteries arrive here tomorrow, then time to blow the dust off and start experimenting. 

Yeah, I'm not going to have any idea of what I'm doing... But that what I said when I was learning how to drive... And besides a few squirrels, my neighbors porch, and a mailbox, no one was injured. So, I few like it's going to go pretty well... Be on the look out for some, aforementioned, mating whale pics!

 

21 hours ago, teenyreef said:

Don't count. Counting leads to calculation. And calculation leads to suffering.

Math. Is. Stupid. That what I tell all my friend's children. And do you know what, they never ask me to babysit, and that awesome. So it looks like I'm right, math is stupid. 

 

21 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

😎

He's back!

 

21 hours ago, micoastreefing said:

You’re right, @Cannedfish don’t count!!!

I'm definitely not not-counting because I don't know how... I can totally count... I dun also reed gud. Whoooo go LSU!!

 

 

[teenyreef]

That's a serious list of corals for any tank. It's absolutely over the top for a 10g tank. I'm glad to see someone really pushing the limits of a nano tank so successfully.

 

Btw, my coral list is even longer. But that's only if I count all the dead ones 

[Reefkid88]

At one point and time I had a list just about as long in my 2g when I first started it. I had sooooo many Acro's,Acan's and Zoa's lol . That is a very long list though for that sized tank,not to mention it looks amazing. 

[teenyreef]

1 minute ago, Reefkid88 said:

At one point and time I had a list just about as long in my 2g when I first started it. I had sooooo many Acro's,Acan's and Zoa's lol . That is a very long list though for that sized tank,not to mention it looks amazing. 

I remember that, it was insane 

[Reefkid88]

1 minute ago, teenyreef said:

I remember that, it was insane 

It was something like a solid 10-12 different Acan's,15+ Acro's and Mille's and a very hefty 20+ Zoa morphs. I miss that tank,it was definitely a learning curve but I had such an amazing selection of frags,especially sps. Next go around it will be a very simple build,I just wish I could get the ball rolling sooner. 

[A Little Blue]

4 10g that's pretty insane. 

[mitten_reef]

1 hour ago, Cannedfish said:

Thanks!! Well written is definitely a sliding scale... My proofreading is akin to what I imagine it would be like to watch Steven Hawking attempt the American Ninja Warrior course: train-wreck. But in my defense it's difficult to type out an update on a phone, peddle an exercise, and keep your cigarette lit. Long live the P-Funks!

 

The photography isn't great yet, but it is a lot better than what it was. At least you can tell I'm taking a picture of a frag instead wondering if it's a frag or two whales mating (I alway hope for the later). The birdsnest is definitely getting close to needing a significant trim. What's crazy is that I pulled out a softball size amount of it in May, and it's back to it's former size. So if anyone wants some, let me know. I'll sell it cheap (AKA free). You can't tell from the photo but I do have a small piece of Barbie Birdsnest in amidst the green, but it grows soooo slow. Speaking of corals here's more-or-less the updated list (however, I may or may not have a shipment or two of frags coming this week...):

 

SPS

Acropora    
    Walt Disney
    WWC After Party
    SC Orange Passion
    TCK Pikachu
    Cornbred's Maleficent
    RR Pink Floyd
    Jason Fox Foxflame
    Oregon Tort
    JKC Rainbow
    Upscales Microlados
    WWC Plum Passion
    Cali Tort
    Red Dragon 
    Sunset Milli
    Pink Milli
    Hawkins Blue
    WWC Slimball (anacropora)
    Strawberry Shortcake
    Bali Green Slimer
    ECE Green Table (or something)
    ASD Green Milli
    Pink Dragonscale
    Tri-Color Tenius
    Blue Tip Stag
    Bali Unknown
Seriatopora    
    ORA Hyacinth Birdsnest 
    ORA Green Birdsnest
Montipora    
    Jedi Mind Trick Monti
    Rainbow Monti
    Toxic Green Monti
    Superman Digi
    Red Setosa

 

LPS     
    Orange Lepto
    Purple/Green Fungia
    Assorted Acan Lords (x5 colonies)
    Walking Dendro
    Assorted Button Scolys (x2)
    WWC Peppermint Cyphastrea
    Meteor Shower Cyphastrea

    Bizzaro Cyphastrea 
    SF Blue/Orange Chalice
    Tri-Color Pectinia
    Orange Psammo
    Assorted Acan Echinata (x2)
 

NPS    
    Dendrophyllia (x2 colonies)
    Balanophyllia (x3 varieties)
    Black Sun Coral
    Pink/Yellow Sun Coral
 

Softies        
    Mushrooms    
        WWC OG Bounce
    Zoas    
        Eagle Eye 
        Gorilla Nipple 
        Blue Hornets 
        Red People Eaters
        WWC Twizzlers
    Others 
        Green Star Polyps
        Blue Clove Polyps (plague of the earth)
 

Yeah, I'm not going to have any idea of what I'm doing... But that what I said when I was learning how to drive... And besides a few squirrels, my neighbors porch, and a mailbox, no one was injured. So, I few like it's going to go pretty well... Be on the look out for some, aforementioned, mating whale pics!

 

Math. Is. Stupid. That what I tell all my friend's children. And do you know what, they never ask me to babysit, and that awesome. So it looks like I'm right, math is stupid. 

 

He's back!

 

I'm definitely not not-counting because I don't know how... I can totally count... I dun also reed gud. Whoooo go LSU!!

 

 

Thanks for indulging my request. Amazing how you fit all the corals in there!! 

Keep up the good work!

[Cannedfish]

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