d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[rtparty]

I'm trying to keep things as stable as possible and not sure there is anything else that is real low in mag and has lower alk/calc too.
A 100% water change with my current salt would probably work best but don't think I really want to do that either.


Yeah, i'm not the only one who had this problem. Lots of reports of inconsistencies came out on my local FB group when discussing it.
When this happened to me with Tropic Marin, they jumped on it and took care of me hooking me up with a free bucket of salt and recommending i use the standard version which is lower in Mag. Good customer service.

The ESV I tried once before but its not for me. Too much work. :frog:

Yeah I read about the inconsistency after I saw your post. Luckily, my current bucket will last me a while. Hopefully, Fritz figures it out because it's a major black eye when you tout how great your product is because you only make one. Then your one salt product has issues.

This is for another topic but why is making a good, consistent salt so tough for all of them? Every salt company seems to mess with something and run into issues IME. Maybe there is something to just sticking with regular old, cheap IO salt. If they are all going to have issues that we, the end user, have to fix then the cheapest makes sense...

 

[d2mini]

This is for another topic but why is making a good, consistent salt so tough for all of them? Every salt company seems to mess with something and run into issues IME. Maybe there is something to just sticking with regular old, cheap IO salt. If they are all going to have issues that we, the end user, have to fix then the cheapest makes sense...

Yup, good question.
FWIW, my most consistent and trouble free salt has always been Salinity. Pricey, but I always seem to end up going back to it. Have used it for about 95% of my last 5 years of reefing.

 

[choss]

Been using Tropic Marin Pro and always happy with it. Dennis great coral shots! Things are looking up!

 

[HidingReefer]

Wow....those SPS are popping!

 

[SPotter]

wow dennis everything looks amazing. I tried finding what light program you are running with the radions but couldnt find it so, what program are you using?

 

[d2mini]

wow dennis everything looks amazing. I tried finding what light program you are running with the radions but couldnt find it so, what program are you using?

Thanks! Of course I took pics of the best looking stuff.
Some of the others are kinda meh looking... waiting for them to color up better.
I'm running the coral lab AB+ program.

 

[d2mini]

Here's a few random fishy pics I grabbed while shooting the coral stuff above.

 

[CountrysideVinc]

Hey Dennis,
As always, amazing shots of these guys! I do have a question, and dont think I have seen you say anything on it yet. With the Blue Star did you feed anything special from the start, or did it fall in pretty easily as far as eating goes?

 

[d2mini]

Hey Dennis,
As always, amazing shots of these guys! I do have a question, and dont think I have seen you say anything on it yet. With the Blue Star did you feed anything special from the start, or did it fall in pretty easily as far as eating goes?

She was already eating at my LFS and did ok for me right away.
But they suggested I add some Cyclops to my food to make sure there was stuff small enough for her.

 

[Morgan]

Thanks! Of course I took pics of the best looking stuff.

Some of the others are kinda meh looking... waiting for them to color up better.

I'm running the coral lab AB+ program.

Did you adjust the intensity or schedule?


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[Joe Kelley]

Love that clown pic!!!

 

[d2mini]

Did you adjust the intensity or schedule?


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After speaking with Ecotech and discussing their new DLI findings along with my light schedule and intensity and low nutrient system, I decided to lower the light intensity a little bit. But that was after these pics were taken. I also need to start feeding more. I haven't been feeding the tank anything specifically for the coral and other than the tang, most of my fish are small. Will see if the colors intensify at all.

Love that clown pic!!!

Thanks!

 

[CountrysideVinc]

She was already eating at my LFS and did ok for me right away.
But they suggested I add some Cyclops to my food to make sure there was stuff small enough for her.

Thank you sir, headed to pick mine up tomorrow! Pretty excited to get her into the tank. Did yours dive into the sand on you at all? Or was she just ready to be out and happy?

 

[d2mini]

Thank you sir, headed to pick mine up tomorrow! Pretty excited to get her into the tank. Did yours dive into the sand on you at all? Or was she just ready to be out and happy?

I don't recall her being skittish. Pretty chill from what I remember.
She may go under at night, but I don't think I have ever actually seen her dive into sand.

 

[deaclauderdale]

Here's some more coral...

Dennis send me a frag of pic number 6 please...lol

Man things are looking amazing, your photos are so beautiful!


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[d2mini]

I was walking by the tank last night with the lights almost all the way out and saw my Basket Star expanded. Tried to take a few pics for you guys since we don't see these very often in captivity. They don't tend to last, but so far he's been in my tank, in this same spot, since my restart almost 5 months ago. He stays wrapped up tight during the day, and then at night he'll expand to filter feed. In order to take the pics I had to turn my lights up, but as soon as I did that he would start to close. So I had to be quick and unfortunately the pics are not the sharpest or he's no longer open much. But hope you'll enjoy anyway.

 

[Jndragon79]

That is so cool. Dis it come with the Orlando rock?

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[d2mini]

That is so cool. Dis it come with the Orlando rock?

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Yes, it hitchhiked in with my Tampa Bay Saltwater order.

 

[tc2007]

Dennis, would you mind sharing your Radion schedule file as a download? Thanks.

 

[fishresponse]

Very cool. Have you been spot feeding him at night?