Junior's Reef

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have Chaetomorpha, a couple of different kinds of Caulerpa and this (yet to be positively identified) red stuff

 

[magdelan]

See? It's no joke that allof our money ends up in our tank!!!

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

From the looks of it I think it's red gracilaria, I could be wrong. Tangs love that stuff!

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

See? It's no joke that allof our money ends up in our tank!!!

:lolspin:

returns from the main pump (Iwaki 100RLT) are 1" ID.
Return from pump splits into two return lines capped with penductors.
I have no overflow "box". Surface skimming is accomplished with two upturned 90 degree elbows.

I have a lit 10 gallon refugium which contains a DSB and macroalgae.
I don't do any form of carbon dosing.

thanks, you're great help...I hope my tank turns out just as nice as yours is! :fish1:

 

[pascal32]

I'm beginning to think that you have a "Junior" template. It seems that you can paste him into any picture! Here's junior near the Torches, here's Junior under the montiopora, here's Junior at the Louvre....

Seems like Junior does show up everywhere...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

looks like the Kona coast :lolspin:

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Pavona maldivensis (orange) is growing nicely

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

How is it attaching to the rockwork? Is it actually encrusted out to the edge of the plate, or just under the "spire?"

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm not sure how much of this coral is actually attached to rock......

 

[dan10342]

Wow awesome Growth there Gary!

 

[dreaminmel]

+1

Looks happy!

 

[delphinus]

Hi Gary,

Sorry if this is a bit of a FAQ, but looking at your pictures now it seems to me your gyre must be vertical. Is that correct? For some reason I had always pictured it as being horizontal (ie. whirlpool like). Where do you have the Tunze and Vortech situated? I don't remember seeing them but I'm about to go look at all your pictures again just to be sure.

thanks for all kind words.
Basic good aquarium design will have surface water pushing towards drains and that's how the gyre (strong water flow) in my aquarium is best described.
Two water returns on the short sided viewing end are capped with penductors and are fed by main (Iwaki 100RLT) pump and push water towards the drains which are located between the aquarium and wall (of the house).
Right now I have a Tunze Stream and Vortech that work to alternately push against the main gyre and assist it.
The reflector in my light hood is actually very small. This aquarium receives a lot of ambient (sun) light from the sides- a fact that Sanjay noted immediately when he visited.
This post (taken from my "New Canvas" thread) helps to illustrate what I'm describing above.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

the main gyre is horizontal- towards overflows at the surface and away from them at the bottom. (Notice where sandbed particles eventually end up.)
This is the most important water flow in my aquarium.

I also have some other things going on: there's some vertical water movement via holes drilled into the water returns. The main gyre is massive but it's broken up every two minutes by a VorTech MP40. (I sold my Tunze yesterday.)

Long story short, there's a lot of water movement happening in my aquarium.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

trick or treat?

trick or treat?

this Goniopora.

10/24/10

10/31/10

the Goni was placed in the same spot my Galaxea previously occupied. This particular Galaxea was grown out from a single surviving polyp.

 

[EllieSuz]

Wow, treat for sure!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Wow, treat for sure!

that Goni resembles the zoanthids I got from you. Beautiful!

 

[maxxII]

Gary,
I've always loved that particular color morph of Goniopora. But I've always been hesitant due to the dismal track record of Goni's in the hobby.

However, since ORA is now propagating them in that morph, I've been sorely tempted to give one a shot. I'm just curious though:

Are you feeding it anything specific? Is it being target fed or just whatever bycatch it gets on its own? How long have you had it?

Nick

 

[pascal32]

Pavona maldivensis (orange) is growing nicely

What lighting & flow do you have this in. I've got a small piece of pink and some green. both at bottom of tank at about 130 par. seem fine, no growth though.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

hi again, Nick

hi again, Nick

you always ask the good questions!

as you already know, most Goniopora have a dismal track record in captivity.
(Back in the '90's I had a Goni for about a year before it died. I consider one year a failure. A fish killed my first Goni which was doing very good on rotifers.)
My (yet identified to species) Goni came from another person's reef aquarium. (How long they actually had this particular coral I'd like to know.)
I'm aware ORA is propping this one so (whatever the case with it's previous owner) it's a good candidate for captivity in my system- as long as my fishes leave it alone!

I've had it a week and I've been feeding it a slew of stuff. I also started dosing an Iron and Manganese (Fe & Mn) supplement.
Justin Credabel has a lot of recommendations posted online that I've been heeding.

 

[Hiltonc57]

wow im speechless. wish i could see this in person!