A Splash of Color
- Thread starter biggles
- Start date
sparker1663
New member
Oh wow, their tank is looking amazing! Hadn't seen an update from Ken and Jen in a while and was curious to know - now I know it's going awesome!
I think I can help with a couple of questions people have asked, but correct me if wrong.
1. Moo is a spotted sweetlips from memory? Definately a sweetlips, I am about 60% sure on the spotted part.
2. Skimmer is a RE
3. The acrylic chambers on the side with the white lid screwed down are Ken's awesome DIY reactors. I believe there is a GFO and a sulphur - but perhaps carbon too?
Andrew will be able to give more details, been months since I've seen this amazing setup!
I think I can help with a couple of questions people have asked, but correct me if wrong.
1. Moo is a spotted sweetlips from memory? Definately a sweetlips, I am about 60% sure on the spotted part.
2. Skimmer is a RE
3. The acrylic chambers on the side with the white lid screwed down are Ken's awesome DIY reactors. I believe there is a GFO and a sulphur - but perhaps carbon too?
Andrew will be able to give more details, been months since I've seen this amazing setup!
sparker1663
New member
Correction, clown or harlequin sweetlips
martinphillip03
New member
I have given this conundrum much thought. Maybe you can take close up photos of all your corals, straight on and a top down shot. Post them here. Now we have abase to compare future photo shoots. Then monthly take all the photos again and post them here. We all can compare the before and after photos and help you determine if and how fast your corals are growing. I am sure all of your followers would be happy to help you in this endeavor.
Marty
Marty
slavetonet
New member
He is out buying a calcium reactor and kalk stirrer
With his slow usage of alk and cal. He is going out to buy them?
Doesn't make sense. :hmm4:
martinphillip03
New member
Synodontis
New member
Where have you got to this time Andrew?? The Acro world is suffering withdrawal symptoms waiting for an update mate lol.
Thanks for your insights while you where here & we will have to do it again. T5's came today now just need to get tubes off Dave & hang them.
I'm side tracking your thread for 2 mins then disappearing again.
Thanks for your insights while you where here & we will have to do it again. T5's came today now just need to get tubes off Dave & hang them.
I'm side tracking your thread for 2 mins then disappearing again.
The loaches get Cauliflower, Broccoli, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Squash every now & then. Usually when it gets tossed off my dinner plate in to the tank
Tis a BK 500
They are DIY & after Andrew's visit soon to have T5 supplement lol.
Moo is a Magpie Sweetlips- Plectorhinchus Picus
There are 3 separate DIY reactors I made, 12" diameter & about 19" high. Just looks like one big lid. There is a little pressure in them. Sulphur into ARM then into Hydrocarbonate & Dolomite. There's about 20Kg in each so they haven't been opened since they were setup. Sulphur doesn't complicate anything, it helps reduce PH saving on Co2. Well that's the plan when I get around to hooking it up
martinphillip03
New member
Thanks for the updates. I see your not on RC to often. Your tank looks great, signed up to follow your thread. After the T-5's are up, will you be posting some pics? Hopefully Andrew will be back shortly
Marty
Marty
Where have you got to this time Andrew?? The Acro world is suffering withdrawal symptoms waiting for an update mate lol.
Thanks for your insights while you where here & we will have to do it again. T5's came today now just need to get tubes off Dave & hang them.
I'm side tracking your thread for 2 mins then disappearing again.
The loaches get Cauliflower, Broccoli, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Squash every now & then. Usually when it gets tossed off my dinner plate in to the tank
Tis a BK 500
They are DIY & after Andrew's visit soon to have T5 supplement lol.
Moo is a Magpie Sweetlips- Plectorhinchus Picus
There are 3 separate DIY reactors I made, 12" diameter & about 19" high. Just looks like one big lid. There is a little pressure in them. Sulphur into ARM then into Hydrocarbonate & Dolomite. There's about 20Kg in each so they haven't been opened since they were setup. Sulphur doesn't complicate anything, it helps reduce PH saving on Co2. Well that's the plan when I get around to hooking it up
biggles
Premium Member
I'm sorry i've been absent for a while guys and gals, i had some crappy stuff going on and i basically lost total interest in the hobby for a few weeks which resulted in everything going poopy. I then decided to redo the left end scape and moved the rocks around disturbing heaps of creamy yellow filth into the water which i kept doing even though i knew it was way too much at one time going into the water........... don't rescape when you have the sh$ts with your reef :thumbdown
Three days later i finally checked the alk which was 10......... i did another test and it was still bloody 10 - it was 7.0 five days earlier as it had been for months. Took 4 days of no alk to drop to 9 which was a worry but over the last week i've matched the drop and draw a bit until today when i think 80ml is close to right. Alk is resting at 8.5 atm and everything looks much better finally - now that i care again :debi:
I will answer any posts i need to in the next day or so but a quick look around the forum shows a lot of heavy threads going on with frayed tempers. I think everyone should take a deep breath and read what i did to Dave and how i caught it on camera. :thumbsup:
Turn your head 45 degrees to the left and look at the look on Daves face, it's bewilderment mixed with frustration and a splash of anger. I was looking at his face when i timed the shot and as such i think we can all agree i'm a gun at photography. :smokin:
I had taken some frags to Dave's two Saturdays back and he was insisting on giving me acros in return. He was trying to give me these two branches for the fireworks frag.......... no way i would accept but me being me i couldn't help myself..........
' What do you think, that's a fair swap for me ' and he had this huge grin on his face because he knew i would love the acros he'd picked out for me and the over the top swap offer.
' Are you joking Dave ? '
' What do you mean, you love high contrast pieces and that delicate deepwater is the mauve color you've been after for ages '
' The high contrast piece has a tiny spot of green on it Dave, you know i hate green sh$t, how many times do i have to say it mate. And if you look closely at the mauve thing you'll see it has red or purple polyps Dave, they'll make the mauve look crappy in comparison when they come out. You really don't listen to a word i say about acro colors do you Dave, i don't know why i bother '
About two seconds later i got the shot i was waiting for when Dave peered closer at the 'duds' - nailed it :beer:
Three days later i finally checked the alk which was 10......... i did another test and it was still bloody 10 - it was 7.0 five days earlier as it had been for months. Took 4 days of no alk to drop to 9 which was a worry but over the last week i've matched the drop and draw a bit until today when i think 80ml is close to right. Alk is resting at 8.5 atm and everything looks much better finally - now that i care again :debi:
I will answer any posts i need to in the next day or so but a quick look around the forum shows a lot of heavy threads going on with frayed tempers. I think everyone should take a deep breath and read what i did to Dave and how i caught it on camera. :thumbsup:
Turn your head 45 degrees to the left and look at the look on Daves face, it's bewilderment mixed with frustration and a splash of anger. I was looking at his face when i timed the shot and as such i think we can all agree i'm a gun at photography. :smokin:
I had taken some frags to Dave's two Saturdays back and he was insisting on giving me acros in return. He was trying to give me these two branches for the fireworks frag.......... no way i would accept but me being me i couldn't help myself..........
' What do you think, that's a fair swap for me ' and he had this huge grin on his face because he knew i would love the acros he'd picked out for me and the over the top swap offer.
' Are you joking Dave ? '
' What do you mean, you love high contrast pieces and that delicate deepwater is the mauve color you've been after for ages '
' The high contrast piece has a tiny spot of green on it Dave, you know i hate green sh$t, how many times do i have to say it mate. And if you look closely at the mauve thing you'll see it has red or purple polyps Dave, they'll make the mauve look crappy in comparison when they come out. You really don't listen to a word i say about acro colors do you Dave, i don't know why i bother '
About two seconds later i got the shot i was waiting for when Dave peered closer at the 'duds' - nailed it :beer:
tripdad
Frustrated Stick Gardener
Hey Andrew, good to hear from you. I hope whatever stuff was mucking up your life clears away for you. I think Dave is going to set a trap for you in return for that photo. I would use caution the next time you walk into the shop. I think your right about those acro branches, they're junk, just send them over here and i'll dispose of them for Dave, feel free to include all the other sub-par pieces in the box. Hope the tank continues in the right direction for you.
Hope the tank continues in the right direction for you.
reefmutt
Active member
Reef blues... I have been struck by this on MANY occasions.. sucks!!!
Walking away is the best thing to do because when you finally peer into the tank, there's usually a pleasant surprise... alk swings aside.
That photo I will call beauty and then beast.. sorry Dave, you are NOT the beauty.
Walking away is the best thing to do because when you finally peer into the tank, there's usually a pleasant surprise... alk swings aside.
That photo I will call beauty and then beast.. sorry Dave, you are NOT the beauty.
biggles
Premium Member
Thanks Scott and Matt, the acros may not be growing as usual but during the left side rescape i might have pinched 4 or 5 of the nicest acros from that end and moved them here...... every piece is a distinct individual pigment specimen except for two fireworks colonies.
I might have gone a bit silly but screw it, i had fun doing it
Everything left of the two cardinals is on a separate rock island - see the gap....
I might have gone a bit silly but screw it, i had fun doing it
Everything left of the two cardinals is on a separate rock island - see the gap....
biggles
Premium Member
I use the fish v because it contains more stuff than the straight vitamin mix Matt, probably makes no difference but that's what i use
Hi mate, i dose 3 drops of vitamins a night but i don't ever turn the skimmer off no matter what i'm dosing. I assume i'm wasting some stuff but if my skimmer isn't bubbling away i feel............ uneasy........ :reading:
Lol he looks like some contorted evil demon if you ask me Bill, he wasn't impressed with my take on the quality of those acros until he realised i was stirring him up as usual :lmao:
Here's a couple for you Marty, i'll even give you my honest opinion on them mate
The only reason it has such intense pink tips is because it's sleeping. The tips should be white, see the one new shoot near the base that shot out about 10 days ago and hopefully the rest will wake the you know what up too. The whole thing should look much paler pink with lots more white showing if it was growing as a colony.
The base is a stunning aqua baby blue but see the dirty pigments on the shaded spots of the branches........... that annoys the hell out of me Marty. It's right beside a fireworks colony so the contrast is pretty sexy can i tell you lol.
The new mauve colored delicate branch i showed you at Dave's shop. The little colony next to it is baby blue with dark blue highlights for color reference.
It has bugger all polyps in view because i bent it down about 30 degrees more than it was growing to overhang the sand more and the side you see was actually very pale when i got it because it's been shaded by other growth that was close to it within the colony and over the next few months it will become populated with polyp growth facing the light.
Because i have nothing remotely like it color wise i am in love with it already and i will cut anyone who comes near it......... :beer:
Time for bed so here's a porn pic......... you can't see the sand blown away from the bottom from the front.
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Jndragon79
Member
Thanks for the info. I have to say, I'm liking the results that I'm getting with the AF vitamins. I decided to go with the Fish Vitamins instead of the Coral ones because the bottle is twice as big and I'm only losing, if I can recall, 3 of the vitamins that the coral one has over the fish version for the half the price of the coral vitamin mix.
