Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail
- Thread starter reefmutt
- Start date
reefmutt
Active member
Well.. I think it's update time..
Since getting back from Cuba, the tank was pretty good. So can't complain. Got home, got busy, got sick and then I did a lighting update.
I went back to 3x 150w radiums and added 3 t5 on either side of the radiums.
I put a coral+, lagoon blue and pure actinic in the back and a coral+, lagoon blue and blue + in the front.
I also have 4 AI Primes instead of the 3 I had before but they aren't running yet because I can never add a new prime to my existing configuration without screwing it all up so I have to organize a call with the tech people to get them going again.. Anyways, not critical.
This combo has really trued up the color- not nearly as blue as before. The coral+ really warm it up..
I like it and when I get the less going, I will have that blue led pop I am missing at the moment. With the radiums on, the tank looks really good.
The t5s have really brightened up the back corners. I'm not sure how the par faired in the removal of the 250w radiums... I guess I'll see what happens..
The following pics can act as a benchmark.
I haven't changed anything but I'm about to make a chemical tweak..
I have been watching my nitrates creep down below 1ppm over the past few months and using the aluminum/gfo hybrid from seachem (Phosbond) on has been sitting around .07.
I wanted to bring my n up a bit because a few corals were looking a little pekish so I increased feeding by a couple of cubes a day.. This brought n up to just 1ppm but pushed p to .14..
Now, if I didn't have problems with bubble algea (which actually caused a total collapse of the right side of my rockwork- and required a total rebuild and a lot of glueing of smashed corals..) and problems with some crazy brown leafy algea in my frag system (which my tiny sailfin, vlamingi, orange shoulder and another tang I can't remember can't seem to even make a dent in..) and the bryopsis (which isn't too bad, actually) I wouldn't really do much about the po4 levels but I need to slow down the algea growth a bit..
So... I'm going to start using a Carbon source and add kno3 at the same time.
I'm starting Aquaforest's NP pro.. 4 drops daily in my 300 gallon system and will begin adding a small amount of kno3 as well..
I'd really like to get nitrates up to around 3-5ppm and p down to below .05...
If I did a super rough estimate in fish in my system right now, I'd guess I'm up around 40..
Ok enough rambling.. Some shots.. Couple wide-ish shots to start..
Crap... I just realized I haven't uploaded them to photobucket yet!!!! Grrr..
Photos to come...
Since getting back from Cuba, the tank was pretty good. So can't complain. Got home, got busy, got sick and then I did a lighting update.
I went back to 3x 150w radiums and added 3 t5 on either side of the radiums.
I put a coral+, lagoon blue and pure actinic in the back and a coral+, lagoon blue and blue + in the front.
I also have 4 AI Primes instead of the 3 I had before but they aren't running yet because I can never add a new prime to my existing configuration without screwing it all up so I have to organize a call with the tech people to get them going again.. Anyways, not critical.
This combo has really trued up the color- not nearly as blue as before. The coral+ really warm it up..
I like it and when I get the less going, I will have that blue led pop I am missing at the moment. With the radiums on, the tank looks really good.
The t5s have really brightened up the back corners. I'm not sure how the par faired in the removal of the 250w radiums... I guess I'll see what happens..
The following pics can act as a benchmark.
I haven't changed anything but I'm about to make a chemical tweak..
I have been watching my nitrates creep down below 1ppm over the past few months and using the aluminum/gfo hybrid from seachem (Phosbond) on has been sitting around .07.
I wanted to bring my n up a bit because a few corals were looking a little pekish so I increased feeding by a couple of cubes a day.. This brought n up to just 1ppm but pushed p to .14..
Now, if I didn't have problems with bubble algea (which actually caused a total collapse of the right side of my rockwork- and required a total rebuild and a lot of glueing of smashed corals..) and problems with some crazy brown leafy algea in my frag system (which my tiny sailfin, vlamingi, orange shoulder and another tang I can't remember can't seem to even make a dent in..) and the bryopsis (which isn't too bad, actually) I wouldn't really do much about the po4 levels but I need to slow down the algea growth a bit..
So... I'm going to start using a Carbon source and add kno3 at the same time.
I'm starting Aquaforest's NP pro.. 4 drops daily in my 300 gallon system and will begin adding a small amount of kno3 as well..
I'd really like to get nitrates up to around 3-5ppm and p down to below .05...
If I did a super rough estimate in fish in my system right now, I'd guess I'm up around 40..
Ok enough rambling.. Some shots.. Couple wide-ish shots to start..
Crap... I just realized I haven't uploaded them to photobucket yet!!!! Grrr..
Photos to come...
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Tease!
reefmutt
Active member
Sorry! I swear I forgot to upload.. 
Ok.. Here's a few..
Lower mid section:
Nauty spiral is a beast
OT
Orange passion and I'm beginning to think the red one to the left is a red diablo but I'm not sure..
A no name from Raging reef but is sure looke like Apple Jacks..
Upper left hand side..
Some Fiji stuff hiding up in a corner. Now that is has started growing, it's getting nice.
Ok.. Here's a few..
Lower mid section:
Nauty spiral is a beast
OT
Orange passion and I'm beginning to think the red one to the left is a red diablo but I'm not sure..
A no name from Raging reef but is sure looke like Apple Jacks..
Upper left hand side..
Some Fiji stuff hiding up in a corner. Now that is has started growing, it's getting nice.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Gorgeous Matt! Things are starting to really take off! It's a bummer about the algae issues, but it looks like the Cyano is keeping away at least. Hopefully you find a fish that does the trick with those bubble algae- I hate that stuff!
I'll be very interested to see what the response is to the NP Pro. Make sure to get some good reference pics so you can compare in a few weeks!
I'll be very interested to see what the response is to the NP Pro. Make sure to get some good reference pics so you can compare in a few weeks!
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks Mark!
I really wanted to do the lights because I was using 150s before and wanted to give them another shot. I am very limited for power with this tank because originally, I had planned to go led.
I reduced the my MH wattage by 200w and added 100 watts of t5.. It may have reduced my par hotspots but I'd definitely brightened the darker areas..
As for the Carbon dosing.. Well, I'm getting really fed up with the persistent algea problems and I want to experiment with Micro e and Koral color but I won't even go near that until I have nutrients stable where I want them for at least a few months..
Here's a closer up of the orange passion... Under the pure actinic and blue plus, from the top down, the polyps are quite orange.. Not that that means much..
Furiosa is furious!
Closer of that nice wine coloured Acro from upper left..
Pink matrix is really busting out..
My Jawdropper is colouring up a bit..
This piece was a basic cultured piece from Fragbox.. It was a kahki green but it has been getting cool sort of gold coloured growth branches..
Closer..
And the classic blenny shot..
I really wanted to do the lights because I was using 150s before and wanted to give them another shot. I am very limited for power with this tank because originally, I had planned to go led.
I reduced the my MH wattage by 200w and added 100 watts of t5.. It may have reduced my par hotspots but I'd definitely brightened the darker areas..
As for the Carbon dosing.. Well, I'm getting really fed up with the persistent algea problems and I want to experiment with Micro e and Koral color but I won't even go near that until I have nutrients stable where I want them for at least a few months..
Here's a closer up of the orange passion... Under the pure actinic and blue plus, from the top down, the polyps are quite orange.. Not that that means much..
Furiosa is furious!
Closer of that nice wine coloured Acro from upper left..
Pink matrix is really busting out..
My Jawdropper is colouring up a bit..
This piece was a basic cultured piece from Fragbox.. It was a kahki green but it has been getting cool sort of gold coloured growth branches..
Closer..
And the classic blenny shot..
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks, Matt. Things are definitely taking off for about 80% of the corals.. The others are being stubborn..
I have added about 15 emerald crabs for the bubbles.. We'll see.
The last cyano beat back I did seemed to really do the trick. Cyano is currently non existent. Not a trace..
I'm going to go slow with the np pro.. I want to reverse the n/p ratio and I'm sure the corals won't like it if it happens too quickly..
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks Tim! I'm really happy with things in general, right now.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Thanks Mark!
I really wanted to do the lights because I was using 150s before and wanted to give them another shot. I am very limited for power with this tank because originally, I had planned to go led.
I reduced the my MH wattage by 200w and added 100 watts of t5.. It may have reduced my par hotspots but I'd definitely brightened the darker areas..
As for the Carbon dosing.. Well, I'm getting really fed up with the persistent algea problems and I want to experiment with Micro e and Koral color but I won't even go near that until I have nutrients stable where I want them for at least a few months..
Here's a closer up of the orange passion... Under the pure actinic and blue plus, from the top down, the polyps are quite orange.. Not that that means much..
Furiosa is furious!
Closer of that nice wine coloured Acro from upper left..
Pink matrix is really busting out..
My Jawdropper is colouring up a bit..
This piece was a basic cultured piece from Fragbox.. It was a kahki green but it has been getting cool sort of gold coloured growth branches..
Closer..
And the classic blenny shot..
Ooooooh the wine colored Acro and the Jaw dropper are awesome! I love the unusual colors and forms!
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks! I almost took that wine Acro out..
The Jawdropper is a very interesting coral. I know it'll never look like all those on line photos but you are right, it has a very distinct growth form.
Here's a few more. Couple different coloured Aussie frags of the same type of coral.
Closer..
This one should be very interesting when it starts to grow.
This guy is taking off as well..
The Jawdropper is a very interesting coral. I know it'll never look like all those on line photos but you are right, it has a very distinct growth form.
Here's a few more. Couple different coloured Aussie frags of the same type of coral.
Closer..
This one should be very interesting when it starts to grow.
This guy is taking off as well..
Usernam Invalid
New member
Wow some real stunning pieces you have in there
plyle02
Active member
Holy Smokes Matt!!!
First off, congrats on the vacation to Cuba, I am sure it was a lot of fun, a needed break from the cold temps I am sure. We from FL often over look the fact that our weather is like this for pretty much 9 months of the year. Now, 4 of them are sticky hot, but still not as extreme as the winters you face. Also, those coral pics are tasty, the colors are magnificent and the growth appears steady. The ingredients that us SPS gurus dream about. Thanks for the updates and glad you had some needed family time
First off, congrats on the vacation to Cuba, I am sure it was a lot of fun, a needed break from the cold temps I am sure. We from FL often over look the fact that our weather is like this for pretty much 9 months of the year. Now, 4 of them are sticky hot, but still not as extreme as the winters you face. Also, those coral pics are tasty, the colors are magnificent and the growth appears steady. The ingredients that us SPS gurus dream about. Thanks for the updates and glad you had some needed family time
