75g Mixed Reef

[phenom5]

I posted some new pictures on the big board, but I realized, I don't know if I've ever posted pictures of my 75 here.

The tank is in that ugly stage...lots of frags, but I'm still waiting for things to fill out a bit. And I'm not crazy about the color on some of my SPS. I started dosing carbon to see if I can drive down the N & P, and hopefully get things to really color up.

Anyway, some pictures. Still trying to hone my pictures skills. Photos have a little post done, most just a little LR to tweak the WB & the exposure where needed.


Full/ partial tank shots.

Under actinic. I have a really difficult time getting the color of actinic shots to come out right.

And some random shots.

Euphyllia

Red Planet...encrusting like crazy, but no branching...

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German Blue Polyp

Poker Stars

 

[phenom5]

Blue Acro (Valida maybe...not sure) receded a bit when I moved from the frag rack, but I think it'll bounce back.

Millie

Acro Hard to tell in this pic, but it's starting to color up. Very light blue at the tips, and the coralites are start to show some green.

Clowns

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My bi-color blenny getting into the shot.

And sponge...

 

[aquaph8]

Nice job, cant wait to see those frags grown out.

 

[savageAJC]

I hate you! I wish my torch was that big/crazy! Haha very nice tank!

 

[RLeclerc]

wow thats a torch? thought it was an anemone of some kind lol. also wats that neon green stuff in the last pic? i have some that looks like that kinda, but mine are bubbly

 

[phenom5]

Nice job, cant wait to see those frags grown out.

You and me both. I'm actually getting really good growth. The red planet & german blue polyp were really tiny when I got them.

I hate you! I wish my torch was that big/crazy! Haha very nice tank!

Thanks. :thumbsup:

wow thats a torch? thought it was an anemone of some kind lol. also wats that neon green stuff in the last pic? i have some that looks like that kinda, but mine are bubbly

That shot is under actinics, it's actually some yellow sponge (comes out a little on the green side under the actinics).

 

[Akwarius]

Nice, healthy zoa colonies. I also like the yellow sponge weaving in and out of the rockwork.

 

[sillygoose]

Great sponge - mine are kind of pearly to a more yucky gray. Their structure is cool but I want your color.

 

[Mr. Right]

Nice tank! +1 on the possible valida. The only thing that makes me think otherwise is the tips, they have a “boxy” shape, and valida’s tend to be more round/sometimes stubby. I guess we’ll see, nice piece anyways.

 

[savageAJC]

time to start fragging that sponge =p i also have the plain ol boring gray color

 

[Akwarius]

time to start fragging that sponge =p i also have the plain ol boring gray color

Let me know if you do. I would be glad to take some of it.

 

[phenom5]

Nice tank! +1 on the possible valida. The only thing that makes me think otherwise is the tips, they have a "œboxy" shape, and valida's tend to be more round/sometimes stubby. I guess we'll see, nice piece anyways.

That's the thing. It doesn't quite look like a valida, but it's close. It's also hard to tell since it's still small.

time to start fragging that sponge =p i also have the plain ol boring gray color

Let me know if you do. I would be glad to take some of it.

Guess I need to through some rubble rock on there and let it grow over so I can start spreading the sponge around.

 

[phenom5]

Updated FTS. Tweaked the aquascape a bit. Changed out my T5's, so I'm trying to get the camera & the new lighting to play nice together.

Growth is very good, but I'm not crazy about the colors I'm getting (or not getting) out of some of my SPS. NO3 is up, and it's not cooperating on coming back down. So I started dosing sugar, but I got some really weird color shifts out of some SPS. Some went to this really odd, pastel looking color, and my red planet looked almost black. Also got some pretty bad cyano on the sand, so I stopped. Now I've started dosing vodka. Much better results so far, at least no weird side effects. Hopefully I can get things colored up and looking good.

Need to (or want to) add a 1/2 dozen or so more corals, maybe another fish or two. I want to add a couple more LPS...war coral, favia of some sort, and a few more SPS...efflo, forest fire digi, another nice encrusting monti, maybe another acro of some sort. Then let stuff grow out and see where I need (want) to fill in any space. Adding any new stuff is on hold for the moment, until I can get my NO3 back under control. Need to clean out a bunch of those extra zoa rocks on the sandbed.

Did some digging on the unknown blue acro (found the old FS post). It was sold to me as an Ultra Blue Tenuis. Corallite structure doesn't look like a Tenuis to me though.

 

[aquaph8]

Looking good man. I have also had cyano problems with carbon dosing. Im running vodka currently and I'm thinking about switching to vinegar. What are you running for a skimmer? Let me know what kind of encrusting montis your looking for, I may be able to give you a good deal or work out a trade. Well, keep up the good work.

 

[phenom5]

Skimmer is a EuroReef rs-80. Works well, as long as I give it a good cleaning once a month. I'd like to swap it out for a SWC cone, but I can't justify spend the money right now.

I don't really know what encrusting monti I'm looking for. There's so many really nice montis out there. Short list...Appleberry, Sunrise Aequituberculata , Vesuvius.

Or then there's this one, morphed forest fire or moonrise...seen it called both, but whatever it's called, it's one of the sickest corals I've seen.

Picture is not mine...unfortunately.

I'll definitely be looking to do some trading once I get some frags to trade.

 

[sillygoose]

Do you have a fuge? Have you tried boosting your lights on chaeto or whatever macro you have in there?

 

[phenom5]

No fuge. Haven't run a fuge for years, and I'm not sure I could run a fuge that would have much of an impact. IDK, maybe that's something worth looking at, but would a 1 or 2 gallon fuge really have much of an impact?

 

[beex215]

the clowns mouth looks like a bunch of teeth making him look dangerous

 

[phenom5]

The clowns are dangerous. The Tomato has drawn blood...on more than one occasion.

 

[sillygoose]

Seems like you would need more than 1-2 gallons for sure. For our 90, we use an old 30 for a sump, about 2/3 of which is fuge.

BTW, your tank does look really cool - fierce looking watch-clowns too.