150g Starphire Peninsula Build Thread. SPS and BTA's. Pic Heavy!
- Thread starter ajcanale
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ajcanale
New member
Thanks
Hard to say, some have grown extremely fast, others very slow. I've also added in batches of frags at a time over the years. Fragged particular colonies a lot as well. I can definitively say that A. Millepora frags grow incredibly slow until new branches form... they they take off! This is the case for a lot of acropora species, but specifically Millepora.
A. Nasuta has always been a relatively slow grower for me... Tenuis as well.
Monti Setosa, A Carduus (Red Dragon) have been very fast growers.
There are obviously factors aside from species at play here... i.e. placement in regards to flow and lighting.
stscream4187
Member
Wow, awesome tank. A couple questions regarding the Gyre. Do you only run one on your 6 ft tank? And that's all you use for flow? I'm asking because I have a 6 ft tank and was looking into getting one but thought I needed 2, one on each end. Also, how do the LPS like the flow? Thanks!
ajcanale
New member
Well I have a 5ft tank... though I wish it was 6. Regardless I think it's impossible to say whether or not two would be necessary. In fact, running two gyrs simultaneously is a tricky feat in itself, at least if you want a true "gyre" type of flow. Personally I'm using the Gyre on the far side of the tank, and two MP40's on the other side (with the overflow) I run one of the MP40's on long pulse mode with max set at 70ish percent and the other on reef crest at 65ish.
Since day one my biggest complaint with Ecotech pumps has been the inability to change the "Minimum" frequency with any given mode, you can only change the max. I think it highly restricted the overall performance and output of the pumps (unless run on static mode...)
That said, there might be a fix around this through ecolink or WXM module for Apex but I don't think that should be necessary to utilize what in theory, should be, a basic feature.
I got a little off topic there but yeah. Gyre kicks ***.
ajcanale
New member
Sort of... DIY algae turf scrubber. I no longer use Biopellets, as I've had to start dosing nitrates.
Red Sea Coral Pro, but I've significantly reduced water changes since implementing a Ca reactor.
tdb320reef
Active member
That is an amazing cube. I really enjoyed the Video thank you for taking the time to post that. You have a great tank with a very nice selection of corals with eye-popping colors!
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
How long have you been running the DIY algae scrubber? Any pics? Or links to where you got the build design from?
Thanks.
ajcanale
New member
Here's the DIY video I based mine off of (the 4 lights he uses are absolute overkill, I use 2 of the same Red LEDs)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/68YDW23qmM0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I plumbed it into a Mag5 thats also used for GFO and Carbon Reactors.
cugly
Dansreeftank
Video looks great...what camera and lense are you using thanks i am still learning one day i can get my vid and tank to look like that awsome job.
reefmutt
Active member
This thread is soooo overdue for an update...
Agreed!! This tank is awesome.
Zacktosterone
Active member
Your corals are absolutely astounding. I never thought sps could be grown so well with LEDs. Obviously parameters play a bigger role in the mix, but do you feel a lot of your success is influenced by using these LEDs? What's your opinion on metal halide.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Be it T5 or LED or MH; under the right parameters corals will shine with great colours.
Water quality and nutrition is far more important IMO.
ajcanale
New member
This thread is soooo overdue for an update...
Thanks for the continued interest, and I agree!!
Unfortunately, things have been pretty rough lately, so there is not much to update on.
Between battling some major dinoflagelate outbreaks, and in general not having the time or energy to keep up with everything, my tank has suffered greatly.
Good news is that losses have been minimal. Growth has slowed significantly and color on many acros has diminished. Polyp extension on many of my acros is poor now as well.
Over the past months I've attempted all of the following (though not simultaneously):
Lowered intensity and photoperiod of lighting.
More aggressive with GFO and Carbon. GFO definitely seems to help.
Algae turfscrubber.
Nitrate dosing.
H2O2
Cut back on feeding.
Elevated PH
Initially I was delaying doing any water changes... which probably made things worse
The past two months on the otherhand I have increased water changes and syphoning which has definitely helped.
Things have gotten better the last few weeks, hopefully I'll be able to get a hold of this. I'm considering using my BP reactor again, just to see if it has any effect. Also I came to realize when my SPS were at their absolute best, in terms of PE and color, I was using biopellets... maybe coincidental, maybe not. Hrmmm. :hmm1:
Maybe I'll post a FTS soon....
Thank you, I don't believe LED's provide any benefit over MH or T5 in regards to success of keeping SPS. I use them for controllability, aesthetics, low heat output, and low maintenance.
I agree completely!!
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Oh man...sorry about that. Look up Jason Angel on this forum. He doesnt post much here, but has a thread. He also has a thread on the other forum. In the thread on the other forum (his handle is Aussie Reefer there), he describes how he beat Dinos. I think it might be worth your time to take a look. Actually, I just done a search now: open up google and search for "My Australian 950lt SPS tank". Its the third link in the results. On the other forums thread he explains what he did.
I think he did multiple attacks (not one thing at a time): Hydrogen Peroxide dosing, algae filter, increased pH etc etc He beat it.
Good luck. Hope you beat this crap.
I think he did multiple attacks (not one thing at a time): Hydrogen Peroxide dosing, algae filter, increased pH etc etc He beat it.
Good luck. Hope you beat this crap.
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