Snow_Phoenix Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 Update #1: Shrooms of the nano: 🤗 Teal-striped discosoma: Bullseye rhodactis: Red devil: Leopard discosoma: Dual-colored yuma: Coralline algae on the LR: 😊 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 Update #2: Recovering pieces:- Green favites: Tricolor blasto (looks a *bit better today compared to yesterday) : Mixed blasto colony: Memphis now clings on to the purple monti: 🤗 Prowler lurking: 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 Update #3: Growth of new zoa polyps on various zoa frags in the reef: 🥰 Mint greens: AOGs: Sparkling reds: Tubbs blue: I looked at the LA Lakers today - they don't look good at all and one out of the three polyps is dangling off the Zoa Tower. 😭 I wish I could save them somehow. Otherwise, it looks like I'll have to try again with a new frag - but this time, I'll stick it to the Zoa Ledge. My LFS also had Midas, Sakura (unfragged) & Incinerators (unfragged), so I might pick up those morphs in the future too. They also had these odd shimmery pink zoas (not to be confused with AOGs) - I'll check back in Dec. to see what they have in stock. Would love to pick up a small frag of red monti too. 🤔 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 This was one of the frags that was heavily affected by Zoa Pox in my previous picoreef - it has since recovered & now grown out quite well: Fairy dust zoas: I think my red hornets are bleaching: 😓 A part of the Zoa Garden: Memphis: 🦀 Benny lurking: Stomatella snails are already out: Benny: 🥰 3 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 20, 2020 Author Share Posted November 20, 2020 I have a gut feeling my PO4 levels have hit 0ppm. Right now I have an unhappy forest fire digi (no PE), a small bald spot (???) on my purple encrusting monti & the centers of my red hornets are white. All three changes occurred today afternoon onwards. 🤔 Yes, it could be the intensity of my lights as well - not ruling that out, but I've seen this happen to my pico before, and I've lost a few frags because of it. 😞 More testing needs to be done tomorrow. What I don't understand is why/how it hit zero so quickly. I have three active fish pooping in this thing, and the Zoa Ledge is literally a piece of dry rock - which I'm sure leaches phosphates (or will, eventually). Once I get to the bottom of it, I'll try to find a way to find balance again. Stability comes with time, but balance is still necessary in running a mixed reef. I'll keep my eye on the declining/upset pieces. I'm up for a WC in 3 days and I topped off the water today, but if anything swings south, I'll quickly WC the system by 50%. (Before anyone asks, I'm not using any anti-phosphate media, and the rest of the tank - including all coral & non-coral livestock are fine) 1 Quote Link to comment
A.m.P Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 Could always just dose phosphate, the corals can't tell the difference, I constantly have to in my own tanks. 1 Quote Link to comment
PieMan2k Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 How high is the light off of your tank? im looking at getting one for my 7.5 cube startup and mainly want to keep LPS with maybe a birds nest or pocilloporid. I have seen you having trouble with burning a few things, is it really that strong? Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 8 hours ago, PieMan2k said: How high is the light off of your tank? im looking at getting one for my 7.5 cube startup and mainly want to keep LPS with maybe a birds nest or pocilloporid. I have seen you having trouble with burning a few things, is it really that strong? Bulb sits exactly 12" above the waterline. And yes, it is quite powerful. 😕 Most of the corals are okay with it, but some aren't. 😕 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 Mushroom line up: 🤗 Still opening up - rainbow brain & acans: The mystery coral is growing down the sides - I think it likes it's new position in the reef: 🤗 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 I think I finally found out what my mystery coral is - Reef Builders actually has a pic which looks exactly like it: It's a bernardpora stutchburyi. Basically a type of micro-goni. 🥰 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 Today I dropped by my secondary LFS to pick up a few things, but I've decided to share a bit of their DT's pics & vids with all of you. 😊 The store has a very large, colorful tank by the main entrance, and it's stocked with various types of fish & corals. Today, I noticed they had a very cool boxfish in their DT: It was a very inquisitive fish, and quite fun to watch: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH2Ck4ljpSm/?igshid=19fsnetorwgo4 3 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 They also have a gorgeous marine betta: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH2CgTKjotl/?igshid=zvtspsvbiqbn And this large banggai cardinal, which I never quite noticed until today: 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 Their maroon clown pair has been there for quite a while though: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH2CpLxDxyk/?igshid=heov0tccwprm And here's the female trying to rescape the tank: 😄 https://www.instagram.com/p/CH2Cvl9DmjC/?igshid=gi7rvul21zsm They had a new large collection of biohazard bounce shrooms on one corner of the sandbed: Which was obviously very pricey. 😮 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 I really love their LPS collection though! 😊 Just sharing. Hope none of you mind! 🤗 1 1 Quote Link to comment
farkwar Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 4 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said: type of micro-goni. Adams loves those gonis Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 Back to the pico - I'm having trouble with these pieces: And I found out why through testing. I'll type out the full levels later (am about to have dinner shortly) but my Mg, Ca & kH are okay. My Nitrates are only 2ppm and my PO4 is showing 0.03ppm to 0.25ppm, although yesterday it was 0ppm. I checked on the kits and turns out they both expired this year, which could be the reason behind all the inconsistencies. Will be ordering new kits, but I think a combination of low nutrients & intense lighting is affecting certain coral pieces. For now, I've unplugged my PAR38 & temporarily set up the Chihiros & Aquazonic LED strips as the main light for this reef. I *might be ordering a 30W PAR38 bulb online and swap out my current 54W one for the 30W bulb. It'll still be intense, but not as much as the light I'm getting through my current PAR38. 🤔 Also, my LA Lakers finally opened up today, but they look terrible: Wish I had been more proactive in dealing with this lighting issue sooner, but I tried clamping it to some books on the metal rack next to the tank, and failed, so I wasn't sure what else I could do during the interim if finding & purchasing a special clamp, like the one A.m.P. showed me. 😓 Really sucks because it looks like I'll be losing a few things regardless. Hopefully, I can still save the red hornets zoas - thinking of scraping them of the Zoa Ledge, sticking them to a frag plug, then putting the plug on the sandbed. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 So this is my current light set up: I think, given time, the forest fire digi & purple encrusting monti can make a comeback because there is still mild PE on both pieces: The other corals - especially LPS, appear to be doing fine. Hungry lobo: Fish are all okay too - Dusky peeking: Benny: The Critters of Chaos just chillin' : 😄 I'll try to do a 5G WC tomorrow. I changed the floss today, but I'll probably change it out again and rinse the carbon-sock too. Glass & sand are clean, so there is no need for additional CUC. The Zoa Ledge has a light layer of diatoms on it, but that's expected. 2 Quote Link to comment
farkwar Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Looks like light intensity damage to me 3 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 4 minutes ago, farkwar said: Looks like light intensity damage to me Me too. 😭 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 Parameters of the Nano: NO3 = 2ppm ---> Kit has expired PO4 = 0.03ppm or 0.25ppm (Quite hard to tell apart the colors) ---> Kit has expired Calcium = 425ppm Magnesium = 1300ppm dKH = 7.0 Salinity = 1.025 Will need to increase kH dosing - possibly from 6 drops to 8 drops, then maybe half a capful in the future. 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 A shrimp molt for breakfast? 😄 : Tubbs blue: AOGs: Purple encrusting monti seems to be recovering - mild PE spotted: 👍 The micro-goni: Nepthea still hasn't opened up because I just turned the lights on: 🤗 I couldn't find a 30W PAR38 LED bulb for sale online, so I'm trying to get a secondhand R60 unit from my primary LFS. I have a R60 over my large reef, and it's wifi-controlled with dimmable channels, so I'm hoping my LFS will have an extra light which they're willing to sell to me. If I can't get a R60 from them, then it looks like I'll have to save up to buy a new one from a local vendor, which is quite expensive. During the interim, I *might have to pick up another cheap budget light to support the tank - in case my current two units can't do so (this is only if I can't get the R60 from my LFS, otherwise, I'll stick on to both my light strips until I can buy the R60 from them). 😕 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 Water change time! 🤗 Changed out only ~4G as opposed to the original 5G. Filter floss still appeared to be clean, bit it should trap dirt from basting the sand & rocks today, so I'll change it tomorrow. Tank after WC: Corals look better under the old lights, but the PAR38 came in handy during the WC, when I had to remove the old lights & lids to do maintenance in the tank. I wouldn't be able to look into the tank properly otherwise, but I just plugged in the PAR38 for the WC period, and I could check up on all the non-coral critters to make sure they were still healthy & okay. 👍 2 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 Update #1: Memphis parked himself on one of my shrooms for a while: But eventually scuttled back to the lobo: 😅 Dusky was very active: 😊 Found a tiny clove polyp on the Zoa Tower. Can you spot it? 🤗 : Random mess: The montihat's color is pale, but I think it can recover in time. 👍 : 1 Quote Link to comment
Snow_Phoenix Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 Update #2: Rainbow brain looks like a dinner plate! 😅 : Love the sparkling red zoas: I took a few topview shots, using my Aquazonic LED light strip *only. This time, I could finally capture almost-accurate colors of all my zoas & palys. 🤗 Here's the Zoa Ledge: This pic was taken with the Chihiros strip on as well: Here's the Zoa Tower (under just the Aquazonic strip) : Overall view of the Zoa Garden: I'm going to keep an eye out for more morphs - even normal ones that I currently don't have, like Eagle Eyes zoas, Green Implosion palys etc. 👍 2 Quote Link to comment
farkwar Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 I would put egg crate over the hat Quote Link to comment
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