Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail

[kainic]

Your icefire is not looking good, is looking amazing! Pure colors
Whats your current dosing and manteinance routine?

 

[markalot]

So happy to see the pictures after all this gloom and doom talk. Looks fantastic, hopefully you solve the little issues with the reset.

 

[codydemmel4]

everything is looking great! also very nice pictures!

 

[reefmutt]

Your icefire is not looking good, is looking amazing! Pure colors
Whats your current dosing and manteinance routine?

Hey Sergi, thanks! I dose kalkwasser over night and run a ca reactor full time. I try to do a 10% water change every week.
I have a mixture of equal parts reef pearls/reef roids/FM reef vitality that I take a pinch from every night and add it to the tank. I feed 8 cubes of frozen food a day.
Currently, I add no additives. I stopped everything in October when my alk swing shook up the tank.. but his may change.. I am very seriously considering using JBNY's Zinc/iodine/manganese mixture in the near future.
I just recently stopped using god that I was changing weekly because I thought that maybe thencopious amounts were causing the tip burn I am seeing and general 'off' ness of many corals.
I run carbon and change it every two weeks.
I think that covers it..

So happy to see the pictures after all this gloom and doom talk. Looks fantastic, hopefully you solve the little issues with the reset.

Hey Mark thanks but I don't consider this a little issue.. there is a tank wide malaise going on. Besides the tip burn, things just don't seem right to me. Pe isn't great, colours aren't great.. I am going to go through all of my pumps to see if any are starting to split..
Here's a good example of the tip burn I am seeing:

You can also see a coral in the upper right of the pic with the SSCs that is receding a lot.
The corals begin to extend their mesenterial filaments and then within a day or two the flesh is receding.. not sure what it is but I find growth has slowed down on most corals and colour is shifting.. very odd..
Yes there are still many happy corals but I don't like the trend away from happy..

everything is looking great! also very nice pictures!

Thanks, Cody.. I think things should be looking better..
Here are a few more of the 'great' looking corals..
Ice fire from the front:

JFF. Not growing but stable..

Back a bit..

Green I know but I like the shot..

RR fruity pebbles


I got more..

 

[this is me]

Incredible SPS collection you have.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

I love this photo Matt.

 

[reefmutt]

Incredible SPS collection you have.

Thanks, Nick. I wish I had your tank to put them in.

I love this photo Matt.

Thanks Bulent.. I need to take a few more fts type shots. I love doing close ups so much I neglect the bigger picture..
Here are a few more.. some groupings..
Centre stage- yes I take this shot a lot.. the bruise, OP and PL..

Two unknowns top down

Side:

Two more unknowns:

Side view of one on left in above shot:

The coral on the left in this shot is on the right in the top down above:

Side view..

Still got some more.. tomorrow I think..

 

[tripdad]

Hey Matt, You are so right about this hobby, there is always something of concern it seems. Just some little something that's not right. I'm glad to see so many good things going on in your tank, hope it continues an upward trend. Good luck beating the gremlins that are hanging around. I'm also glad to see that light purple skinned acro in the last two picks surviving, think that's my favorite in your tank, it's really something when it's all colored up. All the best Matt.

 

[markalot]

I hate issues like that. The rest of the coral looks puffy and healthy while that one branch looks like something contacted it. Hopefully it settles down.

 

[reefmutt]

Hey Matt, You are so right about this hobby, there is always something of concern it seems. Just some little something that's not right. I'm glad to see so many good things going on in your tank, hope it continues an upward trend. Good luck beating the gremlins that are hanging around. I'm also glad to see that light purple skinned acro in the last two picks surviving, think that's my favorite in your tank, it's really something when it's all colored up. All the best Matt.

Thanks Scott! That piece has changed quite a bit.. I'm not sure it'll regain what it had before but it's still nice with the purple and red polyps..
Here's a pair of similar shots from last September...

Closer:

I hate issues like that. The rest of the coral looks puffy and healthy while that one branch looks like something contacted it. Hopefully it settles down.

Clearly different corals can tolerate excesses and defincies differently.. it's bugging me.. I guess it's possible it's my high nitrates that are just turning some corals off but I don't think so..
I have to get to checking all my pumps for issues..

Here's a few more recent pics..
This guy is clearly happy:

Another closer:

The bruise has lost some purple..

OP and the bruise..

This is a very nice mystery piece from the coral rescue of late 2015. This is a fast growing frag that is 2 inches off the bottom of the tank right in front. It's growing very delicately but it's puuuurdy..

Macro of a branch through front glass.

The pale rider.. a super fast growing dragon.

I think I have a few more shots..

 

[Usernam Invalid]

Don't stop now keep the pics coming. Looking good [emoji106]

 

[reefmutt]

Don't stop now keep the pics coming. Looking good [emoji106]

Music to my ears.
A happy pink matrix with pink Cadillac in top corner..

Another shot of it.

Suharsonoi I think.. starting to bud out

The blue Aussie frag in last shot. This was doing better. Has stopped growing. Still looks ok but it isn't as healthy as a month ago.. really not sure if it will live. I've had a few that did this and just peeled overnight..

I take this shot too much, as well but it's got such nice colours..

Not so great looking JF aqua delight.


To end... My artsy fartsy shot..

 

[markalot]

Awesome Matt!

 

[Geeray]

Impressive as always!

 

[mhucasey]

I think everything looks great, though I understand you can see a difference in health from what you saw recently. I have finally had an improvement in polyp extension and visible health in my tank, but like a dummy I had done three different things at the same time so I'm not able to identify what worked. I would put a poly-filter in your sump, ideally where the flow can move through it. That would eliminate metals and some chemicals from the water that could be potential irritants.

 

[Pife]

Your pictures make me sick in a good way. I'm having a tough time with my tank right now but looking at all the things you and others have went through is just great motivation for me.

 

[selje]

Your Acropora looks amazing! That Icefire is the nicest I've ever seen! Corals like that we only dream about here in Norway :rollface:

 

[reefmutt]

Awesome Matt!

Impressive as always!

Thanks guys!

I think everything looks great, though I understand you can see a difference in health from what you saw recently. I have finally had an improvement in polyp extension and visible health in my tank, but like a dummy I had done three different things at the same time so I'm not able to identify what worked. I would put a poly-filter in your sump, ideally where the flow can move through it. That would eliminate metals and some chemicals from the water that could be potential irritants.

Thanks for the suggestion, Matt. The poly filter went this morning.. we'll see.
I completely stopped the np pro I was dosing and sill have not put gfo back. The tank is looking like nutrients are dropping but my tests aren't showing that. Algea is going away on the glass and I only have to clean the front glass every 3 ish days.. odd.. bubble is happy however.
I might start dosing some strontium. My lates test showed it is quite low.. not sure low sr would be the cause of my problems..
Glad to hear your tank is polyping out!

Your pictures make me sick in a good way. I'm having a tough time with my tank right now but looking at all the things you and others have went through is just great motivation for me.

Thanks! It seems to be a constant battle for me.. I've never had one of those picture perfect tanks where everything is fluffy and growing like a weed. Gotta keep tying though!!

Your Acropora looks amazing! That Icefire is the nicest I've ever seen! Corals like that we only dream about here in Norway :rollface:

Thanks! Very nice of you to say. It's such a slow grower but so beautiful.
Good luck with the re do!

 

[bif24701]

Matt, do you really have all that lighting in your signature over your 190?

 

[reefmutt]

Matt, do you really have all that lighting in your signature over your 190?

I did until I nuked the tank with my alk spike, in late October I think. Then, I removed the mh and led for 4 tubes of t5. But I've en been recently hearing whispers in my head that my old lighting was doing a better job. The whispers are becoming shouts...
So, rather than go to the trouble of rewriting my signature, I think I'll just go and change my lighting back...
I miss the MH shimmer and the supplemental, programmable led.
I just can't the mh out of my mind.. they are like sugar, once you've had some, you can't stop wanting it!