Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail

[reefmutt]

Thanks Conor!
I had aefw about a year and a half into my old 300. I removed all the sps and put them in an inferior system I slapped together as a qt system. I lost half my corals and it was a crazy difficult. If I had a smaller tank, I'd consider consider removing all the corals but not in my 200 gallon... I'm going to live with them..
Thanks for the compliment!
I have been scarce around here of late and have not kept up on most threads.. I think I just loose my motivation a bit during the dark days of winter.. Anyways I'll get over it!
Here's some recent shots to get me motivated..
Raging reef 's Furiosa.

That other nice coral from raging reef I've had for months.. It's really starting to take off at the base..

This guy has also been doing well.. It lost all its red in August from a nutrient drop but has since started doing very nicely..
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[mhucasey]

Ooh, I'm loving the Furiosa!!! The AEFWs are a pretty big boogeyman for reefers but the massive dipping of every coral is just too much for me as well. I don't blame you for seeking a different option. Good luck!!

 

[tripdad]

+1 on that Furiosa, very nice indeed.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

I am in love with the Furiosa :love2:.

 

[biggles]

The pest plan sounds like just the thing i would do Matt, really pleased you're not going to rip apart the wonderful reef you have growing now mate. :thumbsup:

Very envious in an evil cursing Canadian reefers kinda way of your beautiful Furiosa, another acro to add to my wild wish list. I have to say your growth is amazing, mine sucks lol.

 

[drawman]

That furiosa is gorgeous! Sorry to hear about the AEFW's I hope the wrasses keep them running scared!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

The pest plan sounds like just the thing i would do Matt, really pleased you're not going to rip apart the wonderful reef you have growing now mate. :thumbsup:

Very envious in an evil cursing Canadian reefers kinda way of your beautiful Furiosa, another acro to add to my wild wish list. I have to say your growth is amazing, mine sucks lol.

Andrew, if you replaced your Radium 20K with BLV 10K, you would harvest corals every few months. As you know BLV 10K peaks at 420 nm, so corals would not look too dull either. I know you will not listen to me, but just saying anyway lol.

 

[reefmutt]

Ooh, I'm loving the Furiosa!!! The AEFWs are a pretty big boogeyman for reefers but the massive dipping of every coral is just too much for me as well. I don't blame you for seeking a different option. Good luck!!

Thanks, Matt.. We'll see how it goes.

+1 on that Furiosa, very nice indeed.

Thanks,

I am in love with the Furiosa :love2:.

Scott, Bulent, thanks! I would definitely NOT kick her out of my reef!

The pest plan sounds like just the thing i would do Matt, really pleased you're not going to rip apart the wonderful reef you have growing now mate. :thumbsup:

Very envious in an evil cursing Canadian reefers kinda way of your beautiful Furiosa, another acro to add to my wild wish list. I have to say your growth is amazing, mine sucks lol.

Thanks, Andrew, I don't have the heart to pull it all down...
We really shouldn't get into an international 'I'm jealous of your corals' competition because the ONE country that will always loose that one, is yours!!!
Andrew, I think the only reason why you don't have fantastic growth is because you are too busy moving all of those ridiculous gems you have into new and ever more amazing placements to complement each other's colour and form.
But really.. I have some corals that have taken off and others that have not done anything in a year..

That furiosa is gorgeous! Sorry to hear about the AEFW's I hope the wrasses keep them running scared!

Thanks, drawman!

Andrew, if you replaced your Radium 20K with BLV 10K, you would harvest corals every few months. As you know BLV 10K peaks at 420 nm, so corals would not look too dull either. I know you will not listen to me, but just saying anyway lol.

Blv, you say.. Pretty sure blv makes giesemann mh bulbs.... I have no evidence of that being the case, however..
You know, I think I'd be happier with great colour and slow growth than the opposite..

Here's a colour shot.. Ssc in front, Cali tort in the left and myagi tort on the right..

 

[reefmutt]

tomorrow, I must find time to test..
In the mean time, some top downs..
My not so orange passion..

Unknown Fiji bonus drag from raging reef..

Another Fiji that after 7 months has just begun to grow..

The Tort Tangle... Cali, Myagi and what Fragbox called 'master tort' no clue what it is.. They are all very fast growers.. I'm going to have to separate them. I want to let them all grow out because that all have such amazing colour.

More of the 'master tort'

This guy was more khaki red/green when I got it but since it has decided to grow, it have reddened up nicely..

Ok.. I think that's it for now..
I'll try to post some numbers tomorrow..

 

[mhucasey]

Wow, that's a heck of a nice set of pictures- I love the orange passion even though it's not orange, and the fij with the blue tips is pretty special too! Looking good!

 

[nemodan]

Hi Matt

Are those last coral pictures the ones that you will take out of the tank ? ...... I take the first flight tomorrow to Canada !!!

Fantastic corals !!!

Best
Daniel

 

[drawman]

+1 even if it's not orange the passion is top notch

 

[Wrangy]

Matt I'm sorry to hear about the pest problems and I really feel for you mate!! As Andrew said, I'm glad to hear you're not pulling down your stunning reef and you're going to combat them in any and every way possible I really do hope that works out well for you Matt!

Aside from the bad news, :inlove: the acro's are looking fantastic!! You really are an inspiration to me and us all mate!

 

[MichaelW]

I have heard a lot of good things about springeri damsels to help with AEFW. And they don't tend to have the same aggression problems as other damsels. My LFS keeps them in all his tanks just as precaution. He has about 15 in the show tank. I have watched them for a while and seen literally no agression from them. I will be getting about 8 to put in my tank just to do any help they can

 

[mhucasey]

I have heard a lot of good things about springeri damsels to help with AEFW. And they don't tend to have the same aggression problems as other damsels. My LFS keeps them in all his tanks just as precaution. He has about 15 in the show tank. I have watched them for a while and seen literally no agression from them. I will be getting about 8 to put in my tank just to do any help they can

Very Very Interesting!!!!

 

[MichaelW]

Very Very Interesting!!!!

Yes he started doing it because he was told (either by the wholesalers or the collection people) that they keep "loads" of them in their acro holding tanks for that reason. He also said they told him they keep the acros under just blue light for 24 hours a day... But that's a different topic.
Oh and this LFS owner is no acro keeping bum, he is a previous reef central totm recipient.

 

[reefmutt]

Wow, that's a heck of a nice set of pictures- I love the orange passion even though it's not orange, and the fij with the blue tips is pretty special too! Looking good!

Thanks, Matt! I gotta go catch up on your Aquaforest transition

Hi Matt

Are those last coral pictures the ones that you will take out of the tank ? ...... I take the first flight tomorrow to Canada !!!

Fantastic corals !!!

Best
Daniel

thanks, Da. these ones are staying.

+1 even if it's not orange the passion is top notch

thanks, i have to agree.. even though it does not have the orange polyps, lately, the colours have really come out.
I'm waiting on Raging Reef to grow me out a small frag of another (apparently an absolutely true, from the source!) orange passion which I want to compare to m current op..

Matt I'm sorry to hear about the pest problems and I really feel for you mate!! As Andrew said, I'm glad to hear you're not pulling down your stunning reef and you're going to combat them in any and every way possible I really do hope that works out well for you Matt!

Aside from the bad news, :inlove: the acro's are looking fantastic!! You really are an inspiration to me and us all mate!

Dom, thanks for the very kind words! I appreciate you saying that.. so many inspirational tanks around here!

I have heard a lot of good things about springeri damsels to help with AEFW. And they don't tend to have the same aggression problems as other damsels. My LFS keeps them in all his tanks just as precaution. He has about 15 in the show tank. I have watched them for a while and seen literally no agression from them. I will be getting about 8 to put in my tank just to do any help they can

Very Very Interesting!!!!

Yes he started doing it because he was told (either by the wholesalers or the collection people) that they keep "loads" of them in their acro holding tanks for that reason. He also said they told him they keep the acros under just blue light for 24 hours a day... But that's a different topic.
Oh and this LFS owner is no acro keeping bum, he is a previous reef central totm recipient.

Indeed, this is very interesting.. Any excuse to add some new fish, I'll take!! between the peppermint shrimp and the damsels, maybe I'll be able to keep them in check..
I was googling these fish a bit and Reef Builders wrote an article on them a few years ago stating that there were two different damsels being called springeri. They concluded that the all blue variety is the real springeri but almost every site has the blue with black splotches as springeri... I'll have to hit up some local fish gurus for more info on that!
Thanks for the info, Mike!
Here's one I forgot to post..

And this one I recently did a total chop job on. It is a Fiji that came in looking very delicate and pale.. Originally:

Turned into this:

But then I noticed it was only growing at the base. I was going to move it and when I pulled it off, I found that the tips were all crystallized and not healthy.. I decapitaded it. I'll get a pick of what it looks like now, soon..

 

[MichaelW]

Thanks, Matt! I gotta go catch up on your Aquaforest transition

thanks, Da. these ones are staying.

thanks, i have to agree.. even though it does not have the orange polyps, lately, the colours have really come out.
I'm waiting on Raging Reef to grow me out a small frag of another (apparently an absolutely true, from the source!) orange passion which I want to compare to m current op..

Dom, thanks for the very kind words! I appreciate you saying that.. so many inspirational tanks around here!





Indeed, this is very interesting.. Any excuse to add some new fish, I'll take!! between the peppermint shrimp and the damsels, maybe I'll be able to keep them in check..
I was googling these fish a bit and Reef Builders wrote an article on them a few years ago stating that there were two different damsels being called springeri. They concluded that the all blue variety is the real springeri but almost every site has the blue with black splotches as springeri... I'll have to hit up some local fish gurus for more info on that!
Thanks for the info, Mike!

Please let me know if you find any more information from your fish gurus.

 

[reefmutt]

Absolutely, Mike.

 

[nemodan]

Hi Matt.....

what do you meant by...." tips crystallized"..

I haven't heard that before and I would like to learn . I will do some Googling too.

Cheers
Daniel