Ratvan's RSM 130D

[debbeach13]

16 hours ago, StinkyBunny said:

We had live rock shipped in from Manado and it did fine for 30 hours in the box. I've had eels live that long in the bottom of the box.

You are right I completely forgot. 25 years ago I purchased live rock from Premium Aquatics and it shipped with wet newspapers and was fine. Of course that was when most new tanks took 8 to 10 weeks to cycle. 

[seabass]

I'm glad you realized that Purple Up does little more than dose calcium and iodine (as well as some undissolved fine aragonite). Many people improperly try to use it without testing, and the results are usually poor.  While not a complete waste, its usefulness is limited and the name is misleading.

[StinkyBunny]

9 minutes ago, seabass said:

I'm glad you realized that Purple Up does little more than dose calcium and iodine (as well as some undissolved fine aragonite). Many people improperly try to use it without testing, and the results are usually poor.  While not a complete waste, its usefulness is limited and the name is misleading.

I got some from a customer that was closing down his tank. Just for shits and giggles I dumped it in a gallon jug of water and added the cleared water to the make up water my 57. The damn coralline, Anthelia and Xenia went frickin nuts in it. That's about the only interaction I have with it.

[Ratvan]

Postage experiment volume 2, no heat pads

 

Received Toadstool Leather (very annoyed and slimy) and a Gorgonian Frag

 

Toadstool is opening very slowly, I can see a couple of polyps on the Gorgonian

[seabass]

39 minutes ago, StinkyBunny said:

The damn coralline, Anthelia and Xenia went frickin nuts in it.

  Maybe iodine was a limiting factor that Purple Up resolved.  I assume that the calcium level was good prior to dosing?

[Ratvan]

How easy is it to overdose Calcium? What would happen if I did so? I assume will affect the Alk and therefore the PH of the tank?

[seabass]

It's not that difficult.  As you indicated, depending on the magnesium level, over dosing calcium can precipitate out alkalinity.  You want good levels of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

 

And as implied by the inclusion of iodine, coralline algae likely benefits from its availability.

[StinkyBunny]

I couldn't tell you that last time I tested anything in a marine system. If I see the corals are a little pissy in the home tanks, they're getting water changes every other day until things look better. I dose mag weekly and kalkwasser through the make up water. The only thing I test is freshwater pH.

 

I don't do sticks, they don't interest me and the few (7) I have at the shop are taken care of by water changes and they grow quite well. If a piece breaks off a colony, I'll glue it in a piece of rock, if it lives, it lives, if it doesn't, no skin off my ass. I have 6 different Montis that I regularly frag, all of which are only available as frags now that Indo is closed.

[billygoat]

My understanding is that you'll know if you overdose calcium, because you'll see white precipitate starting to spontaneously form in the water. As @seabass mentioned, this can have a negative effect on your alkalinity and therefore your pH, so while it's not the absolute worst thing you could overdose it's probably still not recommended. 😅

 

Glad you're liking the A360! Definitely an awesome light. I kinda want one. 😬

[StinkyBunny]

Definitely better to under dose than overdose. I know mine runs on the low side, but everything looks good.

[Ratvan]

Any ideas how I can get my Yellow Coris Wrasse out of my back section? Seems it made it's way in over the weekend, short of that am I ok to add sand back here?

[Snow_Phoenix]

40 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Any ideas how I can get my Yellow Coris Wrasse out of my back section? Seems it made it's way in over the weekend, short of that am I ok to add sand back here?

Back, as in the sump/filter compartment? You could try using a small shrimp net (the BBS ones) because most fish nets won't fit in anyway. Another option is to drain down the water level to ~1" at the back and try to lift him out with your fingers (difficult if your hand can't fit). 🤔

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Back, as in the sump/filter compartment? You could try using a small shrimp net (the BBS ones) because most fish nets won't fit in anyway. Another option is to drain down the water level to ~1" at the back and try to lift him out with your fingers (difficult if your hand can't fit). 🤔

Yeah she has somehow (and luckily) jumped a gap at the weekend and managed to find my pod condo in my rear filter section at the back of the tank. Really lucky as a cm or so either way she would have been on the floor. Pod population has been devastated though lmao, seems i need to build up the population again

 

Thanks, I managed to grab and drop her as she swam into my Intank Media Basket. 

[Ratvan]

Well it seems reading through this thread and my diary, I haven't actually undertook a water change on this system since I set it up. Whooops.

 

I think the Hammer is Telling me it is time to do one today 😄

 

My Stylophora is still hanging in there despite the damage from falling in the sand, strangely Polyps look larger and more pronounced after the damage

 

The Gorgonian doesn't look too good in all honesty, probably postage didn't help it and I cannot locate the Toadstool, one of the Wrasses may have buried it going to sleep/waking up

 

I swapped the Fungia and the Leather Frag around last week, this morning the Fungia was on top of the leather again!!!

[Snow_Phoenix]

13 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Well it seems reading through this thread and my diary, I haven't actually undertook a water change on this system since I set it up. Whooops.

 

I think the Hammer is Telling me it is time to do one today 😄

 

My Stylophora is still hanging in there despite the damage from falling in the sand, strangely Polyps look larger and more pronounced after the damage

 

The Gorgonian doesn't look too good in all honesty, probably postage didn't help it and I cannot locate the Toadstool, one of the Wrasses may have buried it going to sleep/waking up

 

I swapped the Fungia and the Leather Frag around last week, this morning the Fungia was on top of the leather again!!!

I really wish I could get an empty barnacle cluster here! Am quite sure my blennies would love it!

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I really wish I could get an empty barnacle cluster here! Am quite sure my blennies would love it!

Most likely, everything seems to like them. My Filefish hangs out in one during the day as well, thankfully not in the Blennies one!

My Clownfish still hosts hers in the 5.5G, i am really considering taking them away from her, not least because she's so damn protective of them, the Mrs laughs watching Hantu hammer my hand when it's in the tank

 

[ECLS Reefer]

3 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I really wish I could get an empty barnacle cluster here! Am quite sure my blennies would love it!

I got three clusters off amazon, $7ish each.

[Ratvan]

On 11/11/2019 at 3:35 PM, Dirté Sanchez said:

I got three clusters off amazon, $7ish each.

Thats great, look forward to seeing what you do with them.

 

My next batch of SPS trails arrived this morning, took these recommendations from @Tamberav in another thread, I think @EthanPhillyCheesesteak 29 Thread? Anyways here is what  could find as close to those recommendations as possible. Well two are, one is a gamble. 😄

 

 

So I decided that since the Kessils are still on the first stage of the acclimation mode i would bung them immediately into the tank, need an actual rack at some point, this breeder will do for now. Also a note on the packing and postage as I thought it was a great idea to protect and suspend the corals with Styrofoam inserts. 

 

Was not expecting the Pavona to be that large!! 

 

 

Now we wait until lights on....

[Ratvan]

So lights are on now, having a look at colours. I am impressed so far.

 

Sunset Montiipora

 

Unknown Psammacora (the Gamble)

 

Pavona 😍

 

My Duncan Finally Happy after being annoyed for 8 months 

Nice to have you back

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

2 hours ago, Ratvan said:

So lights are on now, having a look at colours. I am impressed so far.

 

Sunset Montiipora

 

Unknown Psammacora (the Gamble)

 

Pavona 😍

 

My Duncan Finally Happy after being annoyed for 8 months 

Nice to have you back

Everything looks great, can’t wait to see them mounted in your tank👍

[Tamberav]

Great choices! Is that psammacora the encrusting or the branching kind?

 

The Pavona has the coolest growth form when it becomes a colony. It doesn't get enough attention. I think @WV Reefer has one 🙂

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

8 hours ago, Ratvan said:

So lights are on now, having a look at colours. I am impressed so far.

 

Sunset Montiipora

 

Unknown Psammacora (the Gamble)

 

Pavona 😍

 

My Duncan Finally Happy after being annoyed for 8 months 

Nice to have you back

Awesome can't wait to see them in a few months

[Ratvan]

12 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Great choices! Is that psammacora the encrusting or the branching kind?

 

The Pavona has the coolest growth form when it becomes a colony. It doesn't get enough attention. I think @WV Reefer has one 🙂

On the Psamacora, not sure hoping for branching. The reefer I got it from listed is as Psamacora Unknown. 🤷‍♂️ Aparantly he tried this frag and it's never taken off. 

 

All were really cheap frags, including postage came to under £15 so am ok taking a gamble. 

 

I really like the Pavona Coral. Had some in the Pico that didnt make it, have my eye on some other colours (rusty and mint green) couple of other people were interested so might have to frag somewhere along the lines. 

 

11 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Awesome can't wait to see them in a few months

Thanks, if it works out got my eye on some multi packs to order. Apart from SPS I dont see the point buying online or in my LFS anymore.

 

I want something blue....  Coral ideas? Not keen on the sponge idea yet

[StinkyBunny]

A quick warning about that Pavona. If ANY, I mean ANY sediment builds up on the bottom it will STN on you. It LOVES flow and you need to keep the dirt off it.

 

Here's where I was right before Indo closed. There's $4500 worth of coral in those bags.

 

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, StinkyBunny said:

A quick warning about that Pavona. If ANY, I mean ANY sediment builds up on the bottom it will STN on you. It LOVES flow and you need to keep the dirt off it.

 

Here's where I was right before Indo closed. There's $4500 worth of coral in those bags.

 

Ok too high to get that? Detritus build up where? Under the "skirt'of the pavona or under the plug? 

 

@Tamberavyou mean @WV Reefer hstar spawning spot?