A Splash of Color - My SPS Peninsula Reef

[Oldude]

 

[biggles]

I haven't bloody caught up on all the posts yet you guys and now it's even worse. I'm getting stressed right out..............:crazy1:

Quick update before i go back:

Picking up the new tank from Willy tomorrow - 1690 x 815 x 470mm or 66 x 32 x 18". It has a 6" wide overflow all the way across the end drilled for 3 x inch and a quarter tank fittings. 2" euro bracing and a 4" center brace centered between the overflow and the viewing end. 10mm float glass with snapped edges as i'm too stingy to pay for fancy edge work.

Ordered online in Aus today:

2 x RW-15's as a cheap circulation startup. Already have a WP-40, 3 x RW-8's, 2 x WP-25's and the Tunze 6095 so i think i'll see how i go playing around with some of those in combination.

From Germany i ordered online:

An Eheim compact 5000 adjustable flow return pump, Elos phos test kit, 7 x tubes GroTech CorafixStick Quick 115g black. I bought a tube with the skimmer almost two years ago and it's the best putty i've used. Sets rock hard in 5 minutes and you can mix it with the white aquaneedit to any grey tint and it turns the aquaneedit into hard fast set - it is as Kevin would say ' the ducks guts ' of putty.

The pump is less than half the cheapest online price in Aus, the putty isn't available in Aus from my searching and using the Hanna sh#ts me right up the wall (and the top white bit falls off). If the Elos kit gets confiscated by customs or it's not stupidly easy to use like my Salifert kits i am going to give you a spray Sahin....... it better have needle droppers like Salifert so i feel all sciency and cool when in the 'lab'. :smokin:

A couple of pics from a while back.

Another piece of that last acro i posted flashed at night.

I bought this little golf ball sized colony just before the new year as it was brown branched with blue tips for $25-. It lit up like a blue xmas tree within a week of hitting the tank and is bright blue from tip to toe
That's mini creepy Dave btw, the real creepy Dave was taken out by Kevin a few days ago.

 

[sahin]

Biggles I hope you ordered the Elos HIGH RESOLUTION PO4 Test Kit...if you bought the Low Res version for newbies with softie tanks I'm going to pay for a dunce hat from school days for you to wear.

And no, the Elos kit doesnt have the fancy dipper things...The Elos kit has largish bottle to get 10 drops of fluid into a glass vial and then a little spoon to measure out the reagent. Thats it. You wait 3 minutes and done. View through the tops of the test vial and the control vial and its easy to determine PO4.

...which reminds me: Why are you even buying a fancy test kit if you dont run GFO anymore? I'm not using GFO now...been about 3-4 weeks and my PO4 is around 0.02ppm.

 

[glaukos]

New tank???Why did i miss that buddy?
Can't wait to see more about it

Loved that flashed pic and the blue acro is awesome!
Of course in that same last pic i can see some more amazing sticks but lets focus on that for the moment

 

[sahin]

New tank???Why did i miss that buddy?
Can't wait to see more about it

:facepalm: Earth calling Mike. Where have you been all this time? :spin2:

 

[glaukos]

:facepalm: Earth calling Mike. Where have you been all this time? :spin2:

I blame biggles....he writes much and i just focus on the photos
It's like one advertisement...blah blah...braw...blah blah underwear...blah blah...bed...blah blah...etc

 

[biggles]

Very nice biggles you have really beautiful pieces and I see your a fan on DW Acro too mate

If you would like any frags for the new tank bud just sing out I'd be more than happy to send you some

Thanks Scotty, i like any of the delicate branched acros typically found in deeper water. Very nice of you to offer some frags mate, once i get the new tank settled we should throw frags at each other across the border :wave:

What kind of light are you running what salt are you using? What are your water params? I dont ever see sps tank down here with the color and growth in seeing in your tank your doing a great job !!

I use a 400W radium bulb with 5 x 39W T5's and an 81W blue LED strip. Red Sea blue salt and close to NSW parameters.

Salinity - 1.0260
Alk - 7.5
Cal - 410
Mg - 1300

Very nice SPS tank. How's this 5 bulks SPS doing so far.... It's like finding a Picasso painting in a flea market....:thumbsup:

Thanks mate, it still looks pretty much the same light tan color but i have it in low light which might not be the right level. It has tiny hair like polyps on the branches at night but i can't actually see any corallites and the 'hairs' are so fine they only show up under torch light. The radial polyps are small but look like typical polyps.

Your tank is doing awesome, Biggles! It reminds me of zon's tank.
Interesting numbers you posted. 0 n and .1 p. I find this to be common on reefs with dsbs when there is no intervention by the owner. And often the coral looks just as good as yours. Which is damn fine, by the way! When I set up my new tank two years ago, these were the number I had and I was getting vrery nice colors and slow growth. But then my p started to drift up... And I went crazy... Anyways...
Question.. I know your system is stable and healthy and doing amazing and the old adage 'If it ain't broke,don't fix it' would apply rather aptly here, but have you given any thought to trying to reverse those numbers?
6 or seven years ago, this question would never have come up because you wouldn't have been asked by anybody to test your tank for p but nowadays, you have to..
Given that we are always striving to maintain natural sea water chemistry (or some of us are, anyways) and considering that little monster redfield's ratio, has the thought crossed your mind to try to raise your n and lower your p to get it more in line with what is found in nature?

Hey Matt, i didn't mean to give you the impression i was happy with that phos reading. I dropped it to near zero within about 4-5 days and lots of acros suddenly woke up and started shooting new tips with zero effect on the colors. I have nitrates just visible sideways through the Salifert sample vial which is better but i think i'm going to bite the bullet and run GFO in a chamber on the peninsula for the very reason you mentioned - Redfield's ratio. I need to sort that nitrate/phos imbalance out in the new tank.

Fantastic video and topdown! And here I am wondering if I have too many acros.

I like the acro crab video as well. I got one of these little guys with a recent purchase, lots of fun to watch them. Should I target feed to make sure they get enough food?

Thanks Mark, i've never target fed the crabs and i'd have at least 30 in the display. If he's in an acro that doesn't sit where the water brings him food he'll simply move to another better placed acro, no need to target feed but you can spoil him if you like Mine are always taking over each others acros and booting each other into another acro, it's like a chain reaction as each crab takes over a slightly smaller crabs acro and so on and on lol. It's crab eat crab in the acro real estate wars.

Fantastic topdown!!!

Thanks my friend.

+1

Love the top down shot. The reflections in the glass make it look like the corals are in a sea of sand. Everything looks great!

Thanks very much Kasey, you'll have the same in no time i'm sure mate.

Biggles, I have no idea why I thought of this. In your last thread, you bought a bright green Aussie, I believe flouro coral. You said the coral was deadlier than a cornered Cassowary.
Did the coral make it?

Marty

I have no idea which acro you mean mate, i have a lot of fluoro acros.

Awesome work Biggles. I award you unofficial TOTM in recognition of your SPS colouring up talent. :thumbsup: Now of course such an award requires a long post about your secret colouring up method.

Whats the most up to date ETA on the new tank?

Thanks mate, tank is a day away

love it, amazing tank. I love the top down shot and the video!

Thanks very much mate.

 

[biggles]

Biggles I hope you ordered the Elos HIGH RESOLUTION PO4 Test Kit...

$%#@$@ now you highlight the high res bit - after i tell you i ordered a kit. Just checked and it's the low res one - $25- down the drain. I'm gonna get you for that Sahin................ gonna get you good..........:mad2:

 

[sahin]

$%#@$@ now you highlight the high res bit - after i tell you i ordered a kit. Just checked and it's the low res one - $25- down the drain. I'm gonna get you for that Sahin................ gonna get you good..........:mad2:

Dunce hat on the way to you Biggles. I will have Scotty and Kevin confirm if you are wearing it...

What a newbie mistake. :facepalm: I bet if you tasted the tank water you'll be able to guess the PO4 better than some $25 low resolution PO4 kit...

I am certain I made reference to the test kit being HIGH RESOLUTION. I think you ought to spend more time reading my posts, than thinking up witty comments or looking for silly clown photos on the net. Serves you right! :lmao:

 

[reefmutt]

Ya know... It's entirely possible that I mentioned the High Res test kit, as well on my thread...
It's a very good test kit.
I use both the Elos and a Hanna egg for comparison. Usually get very similar results..

I LOVE the dimensions of your new tank!!

 

[biggles]

Picked the tank up from Williamstown and everything looks great

I made Kevin squeeze into the overflow to check the hole sizing........

Also bought a male solorensis wrasse, hippo tang, 6 lyretail anthias and a 1" blue clam.........

 

[biggles]

Wow biggles:eek1:
Awesome vid and you made me cry with your top down shot!!!!
Can you tell me what's your favorite piece?....because i can't mate!:beer:

You know what i've noticed??...too many greens in there buddy!Are you changing relegion??

Hey Mike, i have quite a few acros now that are favorites - some have green bits on them too......:fun4:

Looking good biggles! That top down shot is amazing!!

Thanks Marty, how are things going with your new system mate.

Okay fess up time..... when people come over and see your tank it's the green acro's that glow that they pick out, right? Just seems like they pop. Tank is looking good sir.

Thanks mate, visitors always notice the fluoro green acros first because they glow so brightly i guess lol.

All that green must be on account of the high p levels and low n..............

Lol, you might be right Matt. :fun5:

Bravo Biggles, not only are the corals looking amazing but this is a very unique take on the top-down shot, I absolutely love it!

Thanks very much mate

What type of lighting is currently on the tank, did I miss it. Is it a 400w radium with 6t5s?
Or is that for your new tank?

I have the 400W radium, 5 x 39W T5's and an 81W blue LED bar over the current display mate.

Don't let the greeners get you down biggles!

Been trying mate but i'm having greener nightmares now....:hammer:

Fantastic reef!!!

Thanks Greg but it doesn't hold a candle to your display my friend

 

[biggles]

+1.... What is the secret colouring up method....We want all details:thumbsup:....

Lol, you don't need any help with colors mate :wave:

+2!
Tell us your coloring up secrets biggles and i'll share how you can make them brown

Your acros will color back up in no time Mike.

Biggles the tank looks fantastic!!! i love the colors you're getting. I subscribed to your youtube channel so I don't miss future videos.

Thanks Richard, you have the colors i have with the growth i don't lol. :beer:

I LOVE this acro!
Beautiful.
Biggles, you're allowed to a a green acro or two with beauties like this.
I want to see this in a month or two. The polyps have big potential

Thanks Matt, i'll definitely keep you updated on how it's going mate :thumbsup:

This is an awesome piece Biggles:

Very jealous mate.

Thanks mate, it's very pretty in real life.

very nice piece indeed

Thanks Ryan.

:fun4:Too much clowning around here lets see more pics..:jester:

I might take the odd snap or two this weekend........


All caught up on the posts now - as caught up as i could manage, i work less than this at bloody work..............

 

[mhucasey]

Good job on catching up the posts!(you had better respond to this one too:spin3

The tank looks great, very similar to the dimensions of the tank I'm contemplating for an upgrade.

 

[biggles]

Dunce hat on the way to you Biggles. I will have Scotty and Kevin confirm if you are wearing it...

What a newbie mistake. :facepalm: I bet if you tasted the tank water you'll be able to guess the PO4 better than some $25 low resolution PO4 kit...

I am certain I made reference to the test kit being HIGH RESOLUTION. I think you ought to spend more time reading my posts, than thinking up witty comments or looking for silly clown photos on the net. Serves you right! :lmao:

Ya know... It's entirely possible that I mentioned the High Res test kit, as well on my thread...
It's a very good test kit.
I use both the Elos and a Hanna egg for comparison. Usually get very similar results..

I LOVE the dimensions of your new tank!!

Just received an email from the German online store:

'the ELOS Phosphate Test is currently not available. We only have the HIGH Resolution Version which is more expensive.
You may what 2x Salifert Phosphat Test or something else? '

Already paid the extra to get the high res kit - biggles has a win ! :dance:

I'm really pleased with the dimensions now that i can see the tank in person Matt, i know most peninsulas are taller but i like to have lots of acros hovering just above the sand

Good job on catching up the posts!(you had better respond to this one too:spin3

The tank looks great, very similar to the dimensions of the tank I'm contemplating for an upgrade.

I didn't know you were planning an upgrade mate, spill the beans on what you're thinking of going with please !

 

[sahin]

Wow. This thread just went to number 1 spot for popularity with those new tank shots Biggles! :thumbsup:

Dual 400w Radiums I pressume? With ATI Blue+ and Royal Blue LED's as the icing on top. So much new space...so much lovely light...

 

[jackson6745]

Biggles, when you get a chance, could you post a pic of your lighting? I just want to see how you fit everything together. I fear my lighting retrofit upgrade will look like some sort of abomination

 

[biggles]

Thanks Sahin

Goes without saying that twin 400W Radiums, ATI T5's and a few blue LED's will be filling in the shadows on the reef. I highly doubt you're going to see out 2015 before you finally bite the bullet and join Richard and i dancing around the glowing Radium acro fire mate............. we will have to 'blood' you with acro slime of course as a payment to the Radium gods......

 

[biggles]

Biggles, when you get a chance, could you post a pic of your lighting? I just want to see how you fit everything together. I fear my lighting retrofit upgrade will look like some sort of abomination

I seriously doubt you'll have any hope of attaining the high level of precision coupled with the clean lines of my lighting hood and setup Richard. I screwed precision cut bits of wood at angles on the inside for the T5's and LED bar to rest on. The LED bar fell into the display once but stayed on the whole time so i decided to use a screw to prevent this acro smashing event happening again.

I use salt spray on all the lighting to increase the light diffusing properties of my tubes.

As to knowing any secrets to coloring up acros, i know of no such secrets............

 

[markalot]

lol, always enjoy these posts.

Do you need to blow a fan across that to keep things cool?