Finally after 6 years

[abhishek@1985]

Thanks Ed !!! It means a lot coming from you .

So here's a RAW unedited footage of my tank . Only lights are my halides and unlike many, i love a white tank with minimal blue tint in it.
Lights are 2x250 watts radium running on M80 ballasts.

Realised how horrible am I at taking videos but you get the picture !!! :headwallblue:

Pardon the sand and dust floating around as it was just after dinner in my tank and my wrasses enjoy blowing sand all over which I do not complain at all :mixed:




Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

Its 1 year since I started the tank. Few things changed but overall things have been growing good. No major setbacks and thats what am thankful for.
All aiptasia gone - thanks to nudis ! Now they are starving , so Ineed to find some aiptasia for them

Lights changed to 2 geissemann Crystal 17.5K 250 watt halides. I am loving them wayyyy more than radiums. Th eblues and purples in acros never looked this good and I love a whiter tank than radium.

Stupid video but you get the idea :headwallblue:
Am ashamed to even post the video but this is teh best I could do with my iPhone 5

https://flic.kr/p/Ef2QmN

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Looks good to me

 

[abhishek@1985]

Decided to take mobile pics of my acros. As of now, just got only 5. Need to find ways to reach the rest . Around 35 acros so lots of pics !

My all time favorite - Oregon Tort :rollface: . I love it so much that I have 2 frags of it .And it got deepest blue after I switched to Giessemann lower kelvin bulbs from radium.



Pink Shortcake from Big E



BC Glowstick again from Big E :- This thing actually glows under actinics
and lately has amazing PE to rival any millis I have



Hawkins Echinata :- Another classic and I love it the most in my tank



Stay tuned for more pics .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[reefmutt]

Ooooh nice additions! Hey look super happy..
Very cool recovery on that wild frag. It’s aleay so interesting to see where a mystery frag will go.
Looking good!

 

[abhishek@1985]

Ooooh nice additions! Hey look super happy..
Very cool recovery on that wild frag. It’s aleay so interesting to see where a mystery frag will go.
Looking good!

Thanks Matt!! Well as much as it is fun to collect wilds, I prefer aquacultured from reputed vendors like battlecorals and cherrycorals and WWC so that I dont avoid pests.
Once i have a full fledged quarantine system up and running for acros, it will be maricultured and wild only acro tank while I transfer all my existing aquacultured to a new bigger tank.

All coming in 2018 spring :frog:

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

The classic old forgotten Leng Sy cap - This reminds me why I should never switch to leds and stick to lower kelvin metal halides. I could never get those deep glowing purple edge even with radium on M80.

Love it to death and my favorite monti of all times .

Leng Sy :-

https://flic.kr/p/Eq12uo

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[jda]

UVL Super Actinic is the best bulb in the world for coloring up a Leng Sy, IMO. They seem to really love some large amounts 350 to 400nm spectrum.

 

[abhishek@1985]

UVL Super Actinic is the best bulb in the world for coloring up a Leng Sy, IMO. They seem to really love some large amounts 350 to 400nm spectrum.

Yeah absolutely !!! I just cant fit a VHO or T5. Thats why using geissemann halides which has huge spikes in 400nm range . Makes them pop .
There are so many new montis but nothing comes close to a fully grown Leng Sy cap beauty in my eyes .

You should show yours !!! I bet it would be jaw dropping for anyone !

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

Wild suharsonai or lokani looking hot today under halides



Regards,
Abhishek

 

[reefmutt]

Oh nice!!
I never ever see lokani anymore..
I haven’t seen lokani around here literally in years.
Not sure that’s lokani but it’s nice!

 

[abhishek@1985]

Oh nice!!
I never ever see lokani anymore..
I haven't seen lokani around here literally in years.
Not sure that's lokani but it's nice!

Honestly even am not sure if it's a lokani or a suharsonai . Came in all brown and green . Took like 2 months and looking good only now .

I do find lokani and suharsonai but not many yellow ones

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

So thought of making a video of tank. The focus is off as am horrible with vieos and photos but you get the idea.

As I mature along with my reef tank , i realize that less is always more in this hobby. Running just a skimmer although its one of the best in its class I believe and nothing else for filtration . Lights are still Geisemann 250 watt megachrome crystal - simply love it more than radiums even ! Doesn't wash out purples and blues and very crisp .

Stopped all coral foods and increased fish feeding to 4 times a day and a daily feed of phyto at night .

Dropped temparature of reef to 76 and increased ALK to 8 - 8.5 .

Effect is that my blue start leopard is transitioning into male. Its not often I have seen leopards transitioning without females in young tanks like mine. So am pretty stoked about it .

Acros are showing amazing PE with high nutrients and high flow I think. I have 1 gyre , 2 Tunze 6095s, 1 6055, 1 6040, 1 6105 and a gyre + a return seaswirl and still feel flow is not enough. Might add another gyre. Don't know about turnovers but I feel - the more indirect flow the better . Am not stopping unless my fishes are pinned to the glass . After talking to some of the successful acro growers and other experienced anthias and wrasse keepers , it makes me realise that flow should be ripping !

Also, my black knight torch from reefraft have grown into 5 heads now which is amazing - thats the only torch I like !

Today's nitrates are 24 ppm and PO4 around 0.27 .



Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

Sanjay's leprechaun's Beard after heavy feeding of tank with mysis , LRS and a few drops of Oyester feast



Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Pife]

Look at that hairy beast! I always find it incredible how fuzzy acros can get. Nice job.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Wow your purples reaaly jump out.

 

[abhishek@1985]

Look at that hairy beast! I always find it incredible how fuzzy acros can get. Nice job.

Thanks man !! Yeah its one of my most favorite acros . Everytime I feed the tank heavily which is 4 times a day , it gives the feeding response . i hope its feeding response and not irritation

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

Wow your purples reaaly jump out.

Thanks man !!! Its the blues and purples for which I switched bulbs from radiums to geisemann . Radiums or other lights like T5s and leds seemed to wash out purples and blues !
Some of my favorite old TOTMs had screaming blues and purples and pinks as they used xm 10000K bulbs . I want to go that route and making slow changes !

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[abhishek@1985]

Lately my bubble King has been in complete sync , pulling out some of the nastiest skimmate I have ever seen ! I have used many skimmers from Deltec, Vertex to reef Octopus but bubble King seems to be in a league of its own !
No wonder you pay so much for such amazing craftsmanship and capability .
This is just in less than 36 hrs of complete cleaning and skimmer is in lowest setting to skim dry !!!

Funny bunch we are - getting excited over poop :dance:



Regards,
Abhishek

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Thanks man !!! Its the blues and purples for which I switched bulbs from radiums to geisemann . Radiums or other lights like T5s and leds seemed to wash out purples and blues !
Some of my favorite old TOTMs had screaming blues and purples and pinks as they used xm 10000K bulbs . I want to go that route and making slow changes !

Regards,
Abhishek

Man I miss the TOTM articles. Why have they not been brought back