I love those frags growing on that small rock at the bottom! I'm trying to do that in my tank, but my corals seem to slowly adapt to life down there and struggle to get great colors..
Maybe I *do* need 2 more T5's -_-
Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail
- Thread starter reefmutt
- Start date
I love those frags growing on that small rock at the bottom! I'm trying to do that in my tank, but my corals seem to slowly adapt to life down there and struggle to get great colors..
Maybe I *do* need 2 more T5's -_-
nemodan
New member
Ok.. last random photos of 2016:
Couple aussies and a red planet..
Another Aussie.. I hope when nutrient come down and this guy starts to grow, the blue tips will come back and the green will lighten a bit..
This may be my favorite Aussie I got..
This guy is still in recovery mode but coming back well..
Oh and my fasted growing frag!he's a total mutt.. but cute, smart and super mellow..
All the best to RC in the new year!
Matt..... your tank is FANTASTIC.
And I love the dog's picture. It is sooo cute.
All the best in the new 2017 !!!
Daniel
reefmutt
Active member
Hey Ward, thanks! Same to you and your growing family. Him.. we have to start planning his getting fixed.. The kids still (4 1/2 months later) day things like: 'I can't believe we have a dog!!' Or 'do you remember what it was like when we didn't have Bodie??'
It's very cute.
I already can't remember what it was like when we didn't have a dog. He's a very good boy.
I wouldn't be surprised if a slow release constant feed would be best for the corals.. but yeah, it would be tough to implement. In a way, that's what the fish are there for, though.
Thanks, Bulent. All the best. What are you doing beyond the bacto balance to reduce nutrients further?
Hey Andrew.. Sir Robin, I agree.. and not because disagreeing with you may lead to you dragging me from behind a galloping horse, while careening through a briar bush.. the corals do love/need that nutrient input.
Thanks, Flo! Same to you. Waiting for new shots from you.
Well, just after I took this photo, I noticed that the Hawkins was rtning. The skeleton is green which I seem to remember being an invasive algea species that can get under the skin of the acro and kill it off... I'd assume it comes from the stress from the alk drop and subsequent high nutrient levels..
I'm in the market for a new Hawkins.. I had the piece for probably two years. It was a slow grower. I now have 10 x 54 w t5s over the tank.. but even with the 150w radiums, the corals down there did just fine.. I would never put a spathulata or some other coral known for needing high light, down there but many seem to do fine.
Thanks, Dan! Same to you. He really is a big fluffy stuffed animal that walks and wags it's tail. He is all fur. When he is all wet, he looks like a rat!
Thanks, Mark!That last coral is really really hairy!Welcome to 2017! Great photos Matt, corals are all looking really healthy.
yes, his pe is quite extraordinary.It can become an issue in wet, fluffy snow however..
Took a good miserable 30 minutes with a blow dryer to get those 'snurball' out of his coat. And the puddle under him was significant!
Thanks, Connor. Happy New to you and yours as well. Bodie is a classic mutt, rebranded as a 'golden doodle' that's a golden Labrador mixed with a poodle. Bodie is actually a doodle mixed with a mini poodle. He practically doe not shed AT ALL.. shockingly.. with that fur, we though he'd produce huge amounts of fur but true to the 'breed' he doesn't shed, that comes from the poodle side of the gene mix. He is a fantastic dog. Smart, mellow, ridiculously cute and a cuddle addict.
Thanks Tim!
Hey Micheal, thanks! they are evansis. They are not easy to get eating but once they do, they are hearty.
reefmutt
Active member
It has been mentioned that they don't ship well and this is the reason that they are initially difficult to keep. Once/if they overcome their shipping stress, they do better. You kind of have to buy them expecting losses...
That's why I have a reef; to counteract the effect of living in a 6 month polar vortex.
I took a bunch of shots today and am now sitting in a hockey arena for 1 1/2 hours while my daughter practices... so! Pics!
not really super duper ones.. I need to let things grow again I think.Here's one of those useless to see anything but fun to look at fisheye shots:
And here's a neat shot from the upper left side of the tank.. it's really kind of a lousy shot but I like it because there is just enough barrel effect from the lens to make it look larger than it is..
And this is my artsy fartsy side again. Two aussies..
Speaking of ice station zebra, the coral in the upper left is getting the moniker, Aussi Blizzard around here. It come in super pale but seems the get a blue/green body with big fluffy white polyps.
reefmutt
Active member
So, just because I recently tested a few things..
Here are my latest results
No3: 50
Po4: .16
Alk: 7
Calc: 410
Mag: 1350
K: 400-430. Did a couple tests and varying results.
Those nutrient readings bother me a lot. N may still be climbing..
I got most of my siporax installed in the sump and I have added a bit more flow in the sump just to get some water moving around the containers.
I have also started using AF's pro bio and Continuum's Bacter gen m along with 4 drops (only) of np pro in an attempt to control the nutrient rise a little.
I am using a 1/3 dose of np pro just to try to get nutrient moving slightly downward instead of upwards!
Hopefully, it'll at least halt the rise.
So, this is a shot I take a lot but recently, it's been looking better than usual.
The orange coral is referred to around here as 24k and purple is a mystery coral as far as I know..
Here's the artsy fartsy macro:
The purple coral is one tough customer. It either kills or railroads any coral it comes into contact with. Here, you can see that it has completely surrounded the base of the 24k.. I will probably have to eventually break it off and more it or the purple beast will swallow it right up. You can also see where it is encroaching on the coral in the upper right. I really wish this one would take off.. I think it'll be very pretty if it grows..
This is a cool macro of a Red Bull or Red Robin or some red coral that went brown during the alk drop but the red is now recolonizing the coral.. pretty neat..
And here it is up in the centre island with my orange passion and pink lemonade..you can see that parts are more intensely red than others. It gets more and more uniformly red each week.. too bad the orange passion won't take a hint from it and get some orange polyps!!!
Here are my latest results
No3: 50
Po4: .16
Alk: 7
Calc: 410
Mag: 1350
K: 400-430. Did a couple tests and varying results.
Those nutrient readings bother me a lot. N may still be climbing..
I got most of my siporax installed in the sump and I have added a bit more flow in the sump just to get some water moving around the containers.
I have also started using AF's pro bio and Continuum's Bacter gen m along with 4 drops (only) of np pro in an attempt to control the nutrient rise a little.
I am using a 1/3 dose of np pro just to try to get nutrient moving slightly downward instead of upwards!
Hopefully, it'll at least halt the rise.
So, this is a shot I take a lot but recently, it's been looking better than usual.
The orange coral is referred to around here as 24k and purple is a mystery coral as far as I know..
Here's the artsy fartsy macro:
The purple coral is one tough customer. It either kills or railroads any coral it comes into contact with. Here, you can see that it has completely surrounded the base of the 24k.. I will probably have to eventually break it off and more it or the purple beast will swallow it right up. You can also see where it is encroaching on the coral in the upper right. I really wish this one would take off.. I think it'll be very pretty if it grows..
This is a cool macro of a Red Bull or Red Robin or some red coral that went brown during the alk drop but the red is now recolonizing the coral.. pretty neat..
And here it is up in the centre island with my orange passion and pink lemonade..you can see that parts are more intensely red than others. It gets more and more uniformly red each week.. too bad the orange passion won't take a hint from it and get some orange polyps!!!
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks, yeah.. I'm certainly not complaining. Colours are coming back nicely.. maybe they'll just keep coming and go right in through to brown.. hope not!
Last few random shots..
My original pink matrix. I thought I was going to lose this but recently, pe is coming back.
Fragbox called this 'master Tort ' it is growing like a monster. Here's a tip of it.
An Aussie frag from uncle Raja:
A moody macro:
Last few random shots..
My original pink matrix. I thought I was going to lose this but recently, pe is coming back.
Fragbox called this 'master Tort ' it is growing like a monster. Here's a tip of it.
An Aussie frag from uncle Raja:
A moody macro:
Sand Dollar
New member
Things are looking great Matt. You can tell the color is really coming back. Not that it seemed too off in spite of the Alk incident. I really love it when you break out the fish eye lens:thumbsup:
jsdancer
New member
reefmutt
What can I say? It took several hours to go thru your entire thread and boy I thought I had issues but you have them as well!!!!
What is amazing and an inspiration is that you keep going. You keep trying, you don't rest on your laurels, you are always on the look out for a better way to keep your corals.
Speaking of corals you are like me I see something in the store and most walk right by it. I look at it and say there is something there and bam I buy it lol!!
Your tank is truly amazing and the corals are spectacular!
Ok here is more wooing in your direction lol but your pics of the corals and the top down shots are book worthy as many have posted throughout the thread.
Keep up the great work and when you come down to Florida you can bring any frags lol of anything you want!!!!
What can I say? It took several hours to go thru your entire thread and boy I thought I had issues but you have them as well!!!!
What is amazing and an inspiration is that you keep going. You keep trying, you don't rest on your laurels, you are always on the look out for a better way to keep your corals.
Speaking of corals you are like me I see something in the store and most walk right by it. I look at it and say there is something there and bam I buy it lol!!
Your tank is truly amazing and the corals are spectacular!
Ok here is more wooing in your direction lol but your pics of the corals and the top down shots are book worthy as many have posted throughout the thread.
Keep up the great work and when you come down to Florida you can bring any frags lol of anything you want!!!!
ULNS is the biggest lie in SPS.
And things are coming along very well, everything is still looking quite nice! Sad to hear about your Hawkins. I've recently just placed a mille and a light loving table on the lower rock and they both seem quite happy. They're in the middle of a 6x24 so even only 4-5" off the sand they're getting decent light.
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reefmutt
Active member
Thanks. Yeah, colours are definitely coming back. I hope they don't just go right on by with the high nutrients. We'll see..
Thanks, Mark. Ha! Jealous of my nitrates.. hm.. I certainly do have some stellar greens at the moment. You can have some of my nitrates (AND po4) whenever you'd like.That fisheye pic is fantastic as are the top downs. I am jealous of your nitrates ... look how the greens and some of the other non red colors are popping.
I'll have to do some more fish eye shots..
Thanks
as long as my tank cooperates, I'll keep shooting it. Wow! Thanks for the very kind words and thanks for even making an effort to get through the whole thread. You must be a supercomputer to have gone through it in an evening.
Yes, I am the quintessential coral whore! I cannot say no. I wish it was easy to get corals over the border. There are so many crazy nice corals in the US.
Thanks again.
Thanks, Matt. Glad to see you back! I'll take a pic of the whole coral. It's go a bizarre growth pattern going on.
I fragged up the Hawkins and salvaged 2 pieces. They are hanging in so far.. but they still may be receding.
I actually think that there can be a fair bit of intensity down near the front glass. I suspect that there is some light reflection that bounces off the inside glass and back onto the lower sections of the tank, near the front.
I wouldn't necessarily say that ulns are a lie.. I've seen a few fantastic ones. The lie is that just by keeping the tank nutrient free, you will have success. All the ulns that are successful have significant nutrient inputs despite the low nutrient test readings.
I think the real balance is low nutrient test results and good nutrient input.
Ulns are so often misunderstood and not properly implemented, that's the problem.
Here's one last photo. Not special but nice and crisp.. I want the get the redness back in the polyps like when I first got it.
This is from March of 2016
