schgr.cube's Ultum Nature Systems 45u - tons of new coral added

[Sturgi_0225]

27 minutes ago, schg said:

 

You know, I do have to say....I really am not seeing many flatworms right now. I see a few along the sandline that are probably too difficult for the Springer to get to, but I am not really seeing any on the glass anymore. It could be that they are hiding, but I was seeing increasing numbers every day until I got this fish.

That’s promising brother!! I may swing into the lfs today and order one. I’m not really seeing an increase (yet) and I’m wondering if someone in the tank is munching I see one of my clowns constantly picking at rocks but anytime I get close to inspect what she’s doing she thinks it’s feeding time and leaves the rocks 

[schgr.cube]

1 hour ago, Sturgi_0225 said:

That’s promising brother!! I may swing into the lfs today and order one. I’m not really seeing an increase (yet) and I’m wondering if someone in the tank is munching I see one of my clowns constantly picking at rocks but anytime I get close to inspect what she’s doing she thinks it’s feeding time and leaves the rocks 

 

Yeah I feel like it can't hurt, I imagine this is a fish that could easily be rehomed if necessary for someone else with FW. I count 3 on my glass in the whole aquarium right now, and it was easily dozens just a few days ago. I actually can't even see any on the sand line right now, so unless they just decided to migrate to the rocks en masse, I think this is working.

 

 

I decided to switch my inflow pipe for the closed loop to a smaller (13mm) pipe, and it doesn't appear to have cut off the flow much at all. It DID make a massive difference visually though, as the left piping nearly disappears inside the tank. You can see the float switch I am using as a safety for the return pump, but I have plans to make that disappear a bit more over the next week or so.

 

 

Current status on the tank:

 

The good:

• Got a few more frags, including more neon GSP to fill out that rock on the left (I didn't want the non neon GSP to take over), a small acan, duncan, and a few more zoas including Utter Chaos.
• Things are definitely on the upswing from the tank transition, with most things that were unhappy looking substantially better.
• Flatworms are almost eradicated it seems.
• All of the new inverts seem happy any health, aside from a few small losses. The Fuzzy Chiton is probably my new favorite thing in the tank.

The bad:

• The coral that lost its color after the tank transition is still kind of dull looking, mostly a few less exciting zoas and all the SPS. I plan on starting Red Sea AB+ and Reef Roids this weekend to see if that helps perk them up a bit more quickly.
• The Jedi Mind Tricks Monti and the Red Monti I have are both looking pretty bad, not sure if they will recover.
• I have a leak somewhere that I am having a really hard time tracking down, every time I open up the stand I see standing water at the bottom of the stand. Really not good, so I might take everything out of the stand this morning and try to track this down.

[Sturgi_0225]

It’s looking super clean! 

[schgr.cube]

On 8/5/2022 at 3:27 PM, Sturgi_0225 said:

It’s looking super clean! 

 

Thank you!

 

 

We ended up getting rid of our Canon T7i today, and picked up a Sony A7ii on a pretty amazing sale.I still need to get the hang of the new setup, but I feel like this is so much better than I was able to get out of the Canon, even with just the 28-70mm lens it came with.

 

 

 

I will need to wait for this, but I'll be grabbing a Sigma 70mm macro lens in the nearish future.

[Reefkid88]

Oh boy,those A7's are AMAZING !!! I saw them at thr pawn shops all the time for sale,for cheap. Also,check out pawn shops for lenses you can grab amazing deals for cheap. 

 

 You can tell a difference in cameras for suuure,they are looking amazing. 

[schgr.cube]

5 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

Oh boy,those A7's are AMAZING !!! I saw them at thr pawn shops all the time for sale,for cheap. Also,check out pawn shops for lenses you can grab amazing deals for cheap. 

 

 You can tell a difference in cameras for suuure,they are looking amazing. 

 

Yeah I have always wanted a Sony mirrorless, and have been waiting to move into a full frame body for a while now. I will definitely check pawn shops, but I'm also a bit weird about things and will likely buy new. Also strongly debating the Sigma 105mm macro as the reviews on it are amazing, and it seems like it would meet more of my non-reef photo needs as well.

 

 

Side note; I picked up my Hi-Fin Red Banded Goby on Saturday, and he kind of quickly disappeared into the rockwork. I haven't seen him since, and I am not sure if he is just being shy in the pistol shrimps den or if maybe he went carpet surfing or into a curious cat/dogs mouth. I'm hoping its the former, as the latter would really upset me...😓

[Reefkid88]

I have to,a full frame would be amazing. Welp I literally got a brand new Nikon D7100 that had 2 pics taken from what the shutter count said,same with 3 lenses,2 batters,1 charger and a bag for $75 lol. 

[schgr.cube]

22 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

I have to,a full frame would be amazing. Welp I literally got a brand new Nikon D7100 that had 2 pics taken from what the shutter count said,same with 3 lenses,2 batters,1 charger and a bag for $75 lol. 

 

Oh damn, thats a hell of a deal! I definitely wouldn't have been able to pass that up myself lol.

[schgr.cube]

Just ordered the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro lens, should be here Thursday! Also having someone come over tomorrow to run some PAR readings, and they are bringing a few zoa frags with them.

 

Just another shot from messing around with the new camera, pretty nice to be able to get decent color and even a fairly solid shot handheld at night with low light. I am definitely impressed with it!

 

[schgr.cube]

Sorry, two more. Been playing with the camera a bit more. I am really going to enjoy this!

 

 

[schgr.cube]

Four pickups today (only two pictured):

• Rastas
• Crown Royals
• Red Hornets
• Mohawks

 

I had to re-glue my Radioactive Dragon Eyes onto a plug as the RFA decided to re-home itself right on top of them. I'll find a new spot for them once I glue these down.

 

 

Also had my PAR readings done, and found that my light diffuser was REALLY too effective, and cutting the PAR down by about half. That kind of explains why I was having a few things brown out on me. I removed it for now and am going to acclimate everything to the light a bit over the next week or so, but should be able to increase to 100% power on the new puck. I'll post up my readings later.

[schgr.cube]

In the two minutes I was able to spend with the lens testing it out (I am technically working right now 😛), I am VERY happy with this purchase so far. I'll have to spend a bit more time with it after work, as I am honestly still learning the new camera as well.

 

First test photo of my new favorite invert, the Fuzzy Chiton:

 

[Reefkid88]

That fuzzy chiton is amazing. I want some sooo bad. I was looking at cameras now on mpb and man those prices are looking good. 

[Reefkid88]

I still cannot get over those pics. They look amazing. How are all the corals doing ? 

[schgr.cube]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:00 PM, Reefkid88 said:

That fuzzy chiton is amazing. I want some sooo bad. I was looking at cameras now on mpb and man those prices are looking good. 

 

On 8/12/2022 at 5:36 PM, Reefkid88 said:

I still cannot get over those pics. They look amazing. How are all the corals doing ? 

Weird, I could have sworn I responded to this already! Thank you, and yeah I absolutely love trying to spot it in the aquarium. I am hoping to catch it on the glass one day, but it seems to prefer a specific rock.

 

And yes, things seem to be doing much better overall. The SPS is still a bit more brown than I know it should be, but I can see things starting to color up much more. Not sure if it was just the PAR levels being too low, or if the tank transfer issues contributed. 
 

I am hopefully picking up a small green torch today, and decided to buy a RO unit again since my LFS water doesn’t seem to be doing the trick and evaporation is killing me right now. Debating going with Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt but still not 100% sure. 

[Reefkid88]

Its all good. I definitely want to find some locally,they are awesome. 

 

 Did you ever get your hands on that par meter ? I know,even the older Primes still pumped out some par,so i dought thay is the case. Probably a combo of tank transfer,newer overall tank and settling in. 

 

 Oh nice,I hope you get that torch !!! I am going to get one when I add coral to the tank,it'll be awhile as I am in no rush. 

 

 I also want to say,I believe people were reporting bad batches of that salt over on R2R,I could be wrong. I am a RS blue bucket guy,but I really dont want to mix water anymore. 

[schgr.cube]

50 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

Its all good. I definitely want to find some locally,they are awesome. 

 

 Did you ever get your hands on that par meter ? I know,even the older Primes still pumped out some par,so i dought thay is the case. Probably a combo of tank transfer,newer overall tank and settling in. 

 

 Oh nice,I hope you get that torch !!! I am going to get one when I add coral to the tank,it'll be awhile as I am in no rush. 

 

 I also want to say,I believe people were reporting bad batches of that salt over on R2R,I could be wrong. I am a RS blue bucket guy,but I really dont want to mix water anymore. 

I got mine through Reef Cleaners, came happy and healthy as can be. Always had good experiences with Johns stuff. 
 

I did have someone come over and use theirs for me, I’ll have to post up numbers soon. We ran a few things, but ultimately I had dialed things down quite a bit on the Prime due to having the new puck and not realizing the diffuser was cutting so much PAR. Just as an example, dead center at water level was 195 on the highest setting with the diffuser on and 450 with it off. I had my settings cranked down to like 40% power WITH the diffuser on, so I was definitely under lighting most of the tank. 
 

Didn’t end up getting the torch, got a bit too caught up with something else but will try to grab it this week. And interesting with the salt, I was debating Red Sea as well but have always heard amazing things about the Tropic Marin. I’ve always run Reef Crystals in the past, but wanted to try something new. 

[Reefkid88]

Oh yeah,I have never ordered from him,but after 13yrs in the hobby I have never heard anything bad. 

 

 Wow,that is insane. That diffuser kills that light like crazy. Well hopefully you can get that sorted. Shoot,even 75-100 on the sandbed is more than enough. 

 

I have heard nothing but amazing things,but who knows,it may have just been a fluke. I have always ran RSCP,but I had a bad batch that nuked my pico and then switched to just the blue bucket and it was amazing. 

 

 The store closest to me uses RC so I am just going to grab 2-5g at a time when I need it. 

 

 I will say though,I have a TON of led supplies coming in and going to make a beast of a light to remove my 2 inner bulbs and just run 2 bulbs. 

[schgr.cube]

4 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

Oh yeah,I have never ordered from him,but after 13yrs in the hobby I have never heard anything bad. 

 

 Wow,that is insane. That diffuser kills that light like crazy. Well hopefully you can get that sorted. Shoot,even 75-100 on the sandbed is more than enough. 

 

I have heard nothing but amazing things,but who knows,it may have just been a fluke. I have always ran RSCP,but I had a bad batch that nuked my pico and then switched to just the blue bucket and it was amazing. 

 

 The store closest to me uses RC so I am just going to grab 2-5g at a time when I need it. 

 

 I will say though,I have a TON of led supplies coming in and going to make a beast of a light to remove my 2 inner bulbs and just run 2 bulbs. 

 

You honestly should, I have always gotten great stuff from him, and his prices are pretty damn fair all things considered.

 

Yeah, I know I don't need a ton of PAR, but it seems like everything is perking up quite a bit after pulling off the diffuser and pumping the power up, so it seems like it is doing the trick.

 

Oh damn, that is going to be a sick light! I have been mulling over an idea of a T5 hybrid using this AI Prime as the LED portion, might bring it to fruition in a few months.

 

 

 

Grabbed a few shots tonight as I figured I should start trying to document growth and color and whatnot. I am still getting a feel for things with this camera and lens, but I am SO impressed when I do get it right:

 

Forest Fire Digi, looking a bit more fire than forest

 

Money Cowrie

 

My hi-fin goby decided to make a BRIEF appearance for the first time ever tonight, so I wasn't able to get a solid shot of him

 

GSP

 

Mummy Eye Chalice isn't looking too hot still, but is starting to look better

 

Nano conch

[schgr.cube]

Brainstorming here....

 

I am going to be moving soon, and while I think I'll be there for a few years, I don't know if I'll be there long enough to want to set up a second larger tank. I do have an extra VIV overflow and lily pipes, and have been trying to think of a way to get a hybrid T5 setup over this tank. I have also wanted to turn my sump into a nice refugium to have fun with various macro algaes and non reef-safe inverts, and came to an idea.

 

Make a second tank to sit alongside this one! I think after I move I am going to order another UNS 45u, set them about a foot apart from each other, and plumb them both into the same sump. My current tank will remain as is with a focus on coral and reef-safe inhabitants, and the other will be a very nice display refugium (drawing heavy inspiration from @Tigahboy). I will throw a 4' Aquatic Life T5 hybrid over the whole thing, with an AI Prime over each tank. This will give me space in the sump for a protein skimmer if I want as well, which I wasn't prioritizing over the refugium but would be nice to have if I need it.

 

I may end up redoing the plumbing a decent amount to make it all work better and cleaner, but other than that this shouldn't really requite a ton of effort to make happen. I will need a larger stand, so perhaps I plumb a little frag tank underneath as well eventually 😉

[Reefkid88]

This would awesome if you made this happen. Both have Luxdium clusters,wheeeewweee !!! 

 

 I do think this is an awesome idea,but what t5 bulbs would you use ? 

[schgr.cube]

8 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

This would awesome if you made this happen. Both have Luxdium clusters,wheeeewweee !!! 

 

 I do think this is an awesome idea,but what t5 bulbs would you use ? 

 

So that is the one thing I am not 100% on....I really didn't want to spend the extra on the newer Aquatic Life dimmable hybrid, but that would make it easier to not BLAST these tanks with too much light. I also just don't really love how the dimmable version looks compared to the older model, which does come in white as well.

 

With that in mind, I was thinking an ATI Coral+ and an ATI Blue+, which is what I had run in my NanoBox Reef Hybrid system on the old IM 25 Lagoon. I would leave the other two slots empty, until maybe I end up upgrading to a much larger tank down the line.

[Reefkid88]

Well there is the LET a 2 bulb retro,or you can try Sunblaster t5 strips,they are like $20-$30 each plus bulbs. 

 

 But B+ and C+ are the best combo. I need a new C+ myself. I am thinking I am going to use C+ and B+ in my hybrid. 

 

 Idk if you are following my thread,but this is the start to my hybrid,3 channels split between 2x NanoBox Beam Glow (8x Lux T Royals,2x Hyper Violets,2 Cool Blues between both boards) arrays and violets from 390-430nm and SemiLed Ultramarine Blue (445nm) .

[schgr.cube]

4 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

Well there is the LET a 2 bulb retro,or you can try Sunblaster t5 strips,they are like $20-$30 each plus bulbs. 

 

 But B+ and C+ are the best combo. I need a new C+ myself. I am thinking I am going to use C+ and B+ in my hybrid. 

 

 Idk if you are following my thread,but this is the start to my hybrid,3 channels split between 2x NanoBox Beam Glow (8x Lux T Royals,2x Hyper Violets,2 Cool Blues between both boards) arrays and violets from 390-430nm and SemiLed Ultramarine Blue (445nm) .

Hey those Sunblaster strips might be the ticket, I have an idea that would work very well with mounting them. Might pick two of those up soon and get to prepping. 
 

I had been, but haven’t over the last few days. That’s going to be awesome!! I can’t wait to see that up and running. 

[Reefkid88]

 I have used them in the past and they are great. Reflectors aren't as good ad ATI or LET but they still work. I mean shoot,it will do the job though. 

 

 Hybrids are amazing,that is for sure. 

 

 It SHOULD be awesome,we shall see lol.