Montipora Fields of Bikini Bottom 🗿 Old School Mullet

[kimdawg]

Your tank looks so neat and clean.  I don't do sticks cause they die so I don't know how long they take to grow, but I think it will look great when they fill in.

[seabass]

Thanks everyone!

 

57 minutes ago, kimdawg said:

I don't do sticks cause they die

Montipora are a lot less demanding and much more tolerant than acropora.  If you ever wish to dip your toes into the SPS pool, it's a great place to start.

[Ratvan]

On 5/26/2019 at 6:46 PM, seabass said:

Thanks everyone!

 

Montipora are a lot less demanding and much more tolerant than acropora.  If you ever wish to dip your toes into the SPS pool, it's a great place to start.

Is that all types of Montipora? Been looking at Plating Monti but nervous of the SPS corals

[seabass]

2 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Is that all types of Montipora?

Basically.  I'd call them an intermediate (but not difficult) coral.  You still need good reef lighting, decent flow, good/stable parameters, and it helps if you occasionally feed them.  However, they don't have the same demands as acropora (in terms of lighting, flow, and stability).

 

A single small piece of stony coral (LPS or SPS) doesn't use a lot of elements.  However, it can add up.  In a pico, weekly 100% water changes should maintain adequate parameters for several frags.  If doing partial water changes, be prepared to dose two part (or Kalkwasser) as it grows, or as you add more stony coral, or as coralline algae increases.

 

Good lighting is needed to maintain its color.  It can darken/brown if lighting is not up to par.  Keep all this in mind; but I still encourage you to give one a shot.  I know acros can be gorgeous; but I feel that given a stable environment, montis are a better starter SPS.

[Pjanssen]

I agree with Seabass.  I have a few montis that I started a little over a year ago that I got from @teenyreef and @HarryPotter, along with a few Acroporas. All of the Acros have died, but I've already fragged the Montis twice.

[Clown79]

Tank looks so cool. Love it.

 

 

[pricewayne]

On 5/25/2019 at 6:10 PM, seabass said:

FTS: 05/25/19

 

 

 

Gonna have to share your pics with my friend who works for Nickelodeon. It’s looking great!!

 

Not that you need it, but would be quite neat if you added some signature spongebob ocean flowers to the background. Your background even has a natural gradient 🤓🌸

 

 

[seabass]

5 hours ago, pricewayne said:

Not that you need it, but would be quite neat if you added some signature spongebob ocean flowers to the background. Your background even has a natural gradient 🤓🌸

It's a bit too subtle, but they are there (faded into the background color).  If you look at the FTS pics close enough, you might catch a glimpse of one.

I didn't want it to distract; but yes, if I were to do it again, I would make them more pronounced.  I would have also narrowed the tray at the tank end so that I wouldn't show up on FTS pics.  However, it'd be a bit of work to redo it, so...

[pricewayne]

2 hours ago, seabass said:

It's a bit too subtle, but they are there (faded into the background color).  If you look at the FTS pics close enough, you might catch a glimpse of one.

I didn't want it to distract; but yes, if I were to do it again, I would make them more pronounced.  I would have also narrowed the tray at the tank end so that I wouldn't show up on FTS pics.  However, it'd be a bit of work to redo it, so...

YES!!!! I wasn’t looking closely. This makes me so happy lol.

[Wendy]

On 5/24/2019 at 11:46 PM, seabass said:

  As for the coral, well... it seems fine.  It's not all that exciting.  Instead of the saying, "it's like watching paint dry", people should say "it's like watching SPS grow".

 

So true!!!

I forget... what light are you currently using? Is it the same one that you're putting a new pattern of leds?

 

Well, whenever you get done reconstructing, arranging, soldering & playing with your light... I hope it's ALL you've imagined & it gives great color to your sticks!!

 

I'm going to experience the pico SPS care through you beacuse I do not have the guts to jump off the ledge!

Also, interested to see what colors & growth you get in the future!

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Wendy said:

I forget... what light are you currently using? Is it the same one that you're putting a new pattern of leds?

This is the light that I'm using.  And yes, it's the same light that I'm going to modify.  I should probably write a review on Amazon; maybe after I see what my changes accomplish.

 

1 hour ago, Wendy said:

Also, interested to see what colors & growth you get in the future!

Me too.  I'm hoping that the colors improve.  I can tell you that the purple digitata was much more purple, and the orange digitata was more orange when I received them.  Colors have a couple of components; one is the actual color of the coral, and the other is the color that we perceive (like color rendering and fluorescence), with lighting capable of influencing each of these elements.

[seabass]

A dwarf blue leg hermit.

The tank has this crab, two astraea snails, three nassarius snails, and three dwarf cerith snails.

 

Here's one of the astraeas.  Also notice the encrusting of the "purple" digitata.

You can see that the coral colors look like crap.  I still have to modify my lighting.

 

Orange Setosa.

 

 

[Wonderboy]

Wow, nice coral placements - it's all looking great - really nice polyp action all over. I really like the CUC you've employed - astrea mostly for the glass, dwarf cerith for the cracks, and nassarius to move the substrate; I'm jealous that you get to use nassarius; they're perfect pico snails. Awesome addition for movement - my substrate just won't allow for them. Things definitely look happy as things are, but I am looking forward to the lighting upgrade a little  :]

[Tempestas]

Poor colours or not (not in my opinion), the growth you have is fantastic. Really loving how things are coming along.

 

Out of curiosity, how much is your calcium and alkalinity dropping each week?

[Tamberav]

Tank looks really nice! The Monti's look happy regardless of color. 

[seabass]

Thanks everyone!  I'm pretty happy with how it's working out.  No diatoms or cyano, and now with my cleanup crew, almost no algae (even on the glass).  However, I may have to move one digitata, as the orange cap is encroaching on its space.

 

I'll put a small amount of food in it just about every day; but have also gone several days without feeding it.  Top offs are anywhere from once to twice a week.  I wouldn't be concerned about leaving it for a week without any intervention.

 

However, I feel for the carnivores and omnivores, so they get some food, which probably also helps some algae grow for the herbivores.  Mostly I've been feeding frozen Cyclops (when I'm feeding my baby cardinalfish).  But I've also added phyto, and powdered coral food from time to time.

 

Water changes have consisted of total clean outs (taking everything out, stirring up the sand, emptying the water, wiping down the glass, adding new water, and putting everything back).  Although, I may change this to a more standard partial change approach in the future.

 

3 hours ago, Tempestas said:

Out of curiosity, how much is your calcium and alkalinity dropping each week?

I have to laugh, as I haven't tested yet.  It's been my intention to test, and even dose, but it always seems to get put on the back burner.  This last time it was two weeks between water changes.

 

I will, however, get back to you on this question, as I wish to know myself.  For reference, I'm using Live Aquaria Pro Reef salt.

[debbeach13]

Every thing is looking good. I forget did you order a new light or just thinking about it? 

Edit: Wait did I read you have the light but you are going to modify it?

[seabass]

Thank you.

 

24 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Wait did I read you have the light but you are going to modify it?

That's right, I plan on replacing many of the LEDs on my 165W black box fixture.  I'm not yet sure if I can reuse the LEDs that I remove.  I suspect that I can (and am planning on it); but a few people suggest that I won't be able to.

 

So testing, dosing, and LED upgrades are still on my to do list.

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, seabass said:

Thank you.

 

That's right, I plan on replacing many of the LEDs on my 165W black box fixture.  I'm not yet sure if I can reuse the LEDs that I remove.  I suspect that I can (and am planning on it); but a few people suggest that I won't be able to.

 

So testing, dosing, and LED upgrades are still on my to do list.

Be interested to see what you do with the Black Box, I just picked one up myself,

[seabass]

3 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Be interested to see what you do with the Black Box, I just picked one up myself,

In addition to changing out the LEDs (removing the red and greens, changing cool whites with neutral whites, switching most of the 460nm with 450nm diodes, and adding a few cyan and 430nm LEDs), I've purchased two 80mm Noctua fans to replace the originals.  I'll document the changes (maybe even another video).

 

Edit: When I bought it, I didn't really know much about which spectrums I should be looking for.  I feel that changing out a few LEDs is probably pretty doable; but changing them all out is a project.  I wish I picked something a little closer to what I want now.  Anyways, it should be interesting.

[Wendy]

The Pinapple's Mohawk poking out above the rock on your last photo makes it look like you have some nice green sticks (;

 

What... Are you waiting on all your stick to get big & brown? Then, BAM, new LEDs  & fancy colors appear!?!?!

[seabass]

FTS: 06/27/19

 

Some decent encrusting on the digitata on top.

 

I added two micro brittle stars.  You can see the legs sticking up.

 

The orange setosa and Superman are getting close.  I may have to frag that setosa before the end of the contest.

[A.m.P]

I love setosa, such an underrated monti, but if you don't mind me asking, where did you manage to find specifically micro-brittle stars?

[debbeach13]

Sponge Bob introducing him self to the star fish, cracks me up

[seabass]

44 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

where did you manage to find specifically micro-brittle stars?

Well... these were from my 100 gallon tank (which has a bunch of them).  They were under some macroalgae, and I saw them during some maintenance.

 

However, believe I originally got them from Inland Aquatics (which I believe is now closed).  Sorry, not sure who all has them.  I believe IPSF has them, but the video shows they are white (not banded).  I feel the banded ones look more attractive.

 

44 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

I love setosa, such an underrated monti

Love them too.  When I was dipping it outside (when I received it), I was struck by how brilliant the orange looked.  I fragged it into multiple pieces; but unfortunately, the others RTN'd.  Kind of weird as this one was fine.  By the time I moved it onto the rock in this pico, it had already started encrusting the frag disc.  The coral left on the disc was about the size of a pencil lead.  I'm thinking it will encrust the entire disc by the end of the year.

That's the Superman to the upper right of it, and the grafted cap (where I fragged the orange cap from, now in my pico) to the upper left.

 

Here's what the purple digi is supposed to look like (this is from the same frag as the ones in my pico):

These frags are currently in my 40 gallon tank (lit by T5s).