Little Rimless Radium Tank - 2 years of progress

Turkai (photographs similar in colour to the hawkins but is much more green in person)
original.jpg



My Hawkins (I've had some trouble with it lately. I fragged and just couldn't get it to stick back on the rocks afterwords. It just keeps falling over, but it seems to finally be coming back around. The frags look a lot better then the main piece)
original.jpg




Sapphire Milli (Round 2 - I lost the first frag I had of this coral a while back. Replaced it in March '12 This one is growing great but I can't get the colour to display right)

March '12
original.jpg


Jul '13
original.jpg



I got this milli from Copps as a freebee. It's seem to be happier in lower light and the body is a really nice blue. Slow grower but awesome colours
original.jpg





This is my favorite milli in the tank. Raced to buy this things when it popped online. While it's not as "intense" as a lot of other millis. It's sort of a rainbow but the Tips are Blue with a red dot around the polyp that doesn't photograph very well. It's colours patterns seem to change from branch to branch as do the coralite structures. Looking forward to this one growing out.

original.jpg



A few other pieces

original.jpg


original.jpg


original.jpg


original.jpg
 
Lots of real nice pieces in there.

I assume I am paying first class tickets :-)

Biggles whereabouts you at? I'm in Sydney along with my brother rodneyri
 
This is my favorite milli in the tank. Raced to buy this things when it popped online. While it's not as "intense" as a lot of other millis. It's sort of a rainbow but the Tips are Blue with a red dot around the polyp that doesn't photograph very well. It's colours patterns seem to change from branch to branch as do the coralite structures. Looking forward to this one growing out.

original.jpg



Awesome piece!

Thanks for sharing.
 
74Killer said:
This is my favorite milli in the tank. Raced to buy this things when it popped online. While it's not as "intense" as a lot of other millis. It's sort of a rainbow but the Tips are Blue with a red dot around the polyp that doesn't photograph very well. It's colours patterns seem to change from branch to branch as do the coralite structures. Looking forward to this one growing out.

original.jpg



Awesome piece!

Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

Agreed, amazing. Does it have a name, or could you share the source?
Would love to get a piece if it comes up.
 
1000_smiles said:
Agreed, amazing. Does it have a name, or could you share the source?
Would love to get a piece if it comes up.
Click to expand...

No name - I picked it up from happy coral. I haven't seen another like it. It originally was blue with red polyps but I haven't been able to get it to display those colours again.

original.jpg
 
Nice. It looks like it may be trying to turn back into a smurf, but I think I like it the way is is.

Also, I was wondering what you keep the alkalinity in your tank at?
Many years ago I used hW Marinemix but haven't been able to find it anymore. So I have been using Instant Ocean, but don't like the high alkalinity. Is hW available locally to you, or did you get it online.

Thanks
 
1000_smiles said:
Nice. It looks like it may be trying to turn back into a smurf, but I think I like it the way is is.

Also, I was wondering what you keep the alkalinity in your tank at?
Many years ago I used hW Marinemix but haven't been able to find it anymore. So I have been using Instant Ocean, but don't like the high alkalinity. Is hW available locally to you, or did you get it online.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Normally I keep my alk around 9-9.5 but I'm having some stability issues lately and I'm having a hard to keeping it from dropping. I've had to increase my alk/calc dosing rates by over 60ml a day over the past 2 months but it isn't working. Every time I increase it, it will start to rise for a week or so then go back to reducing. I'm not sure if it's a chemical imbalance (as everything tests correctly) or my corals just growing and every time I get things to stabilize they pick up the pace a little bit and destabilize the tank. Granted I'm not talking about a huge drop. Averaging .05 dkh a day but it took me from 8.4 to 7.7 in a little under 2 weeks so I have to be careful or it will keep dropping. I'm going to try increasing my water changes to weekly over for the next month to see if I can't get things back on track.

Here is my log if you are interested.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiJkwwBTLCi7dG12ZFhsTXBGTUFZellSWTZ3QkhiLVE&usp=sharing

As far as salt I've been using IO for the past few yeas, hW is to $$$ but I do prefer it. I live in a small town so no LFS for me. I get all my salt from LiveAquaria hW or IO.
 
Thanks, I will look through your log.

No worries about alkalinity bumps after water changes with Instant Ocean?
That's what worries me about using IO.
A 35 gallon water change seems like a significant change on a 65 gallon display, though you probably have maybe around 100g total water volume?

Your tank and Biggles' (shh, don't tell Biggles) are my favorites and give me hope. Thanks for sharing.
 
1000_smiles said:
Thanks, I will look through your log.

No worries about alkalinity bumps after water changes with Instant Ocean?
That's what worries me about using IO.
A 35 gallon water change seems like a significant change on a 65 gallon display, though you probably have maybe around 100g total water volume?

Your tank and Biggles' (shh, don't tell Biggles) are my favorites and give me hope. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliments! I don't have an issue with IO running a bit higher normally since I'm only water changing a % it only gives it a small bump. I also usually mix it a to 1.025-1.024 so the values aren't as high as they would be @ 1.026. I do this to counter act the salinity creep you get with 2 part. I have about 85g total of actual water volume between the DT, Sump and Frag tank. Lately with my alk running lower the bump has been a bit larger and it has caused a couple pieces to get a little po'd but it's what I need to make up for the slight draw. If I could find a salt that was like 8-9.5 dkh 350-400 calc and 1350-1400 mag and didn't cost an arm and a leg I would run that but it seems any of the salt that comes with mid to lower alk has really low mag and calc as well, or it's really expensive or the alk is to low.

RSCP has good stats but it crashed my tank and I had a very bad experience with customer service so I won't use their salt
Tunze, D+D, and hW are all great but $$. Tropic Marin Pro Reef looks good but I always read mixed things about it. IO just seems to work.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505
 
Last edited:
Hey Mammoth,

Currently, I'm going through a bucket of TM Pro Reef. But, usually I do a 50/50 mix of Oceanic and IO. Oceanic has always tested around 8.0-8.5 dKH for me, but Ca and Mg are through the roof. When I mix it with IO, I get very similar readings to what you're looking for. They're both pretty cheap. Although, as amazing as your tank is doing, I think I'd leave the salt alone. Hope that's helpful either way!
 
Thanks Kasey! I've thought about mixing I've seen a lot of great tanks where people do that combo and it seems to work well. I'm so bad when it comes to mixing my salt though I have like a line in my bucket I fill the rodi I think it's about 35g I'm not 100% I just kinda pour in half a bag then test..then add some more or if I botch it up add some more RO/DI one of these days I'll figure out the exact amount of salt I need per batch but until then I don't think I would do well with 2 salts hehe.. I can barely get mixing 1 right :)
 
I understand that; I had a buddy that kinda mixed his salt that way. Eventually, he had his container marked so that, once it was full, he just dumped a 50g IO bag, and it turned out perfect every time. I always thought that was fun. :p
 
kaserpick said:
I understand that; I had a buddy that kinda mixed his salt that way. Eventually, he had his container marked so that, once it was full, he just dumped a 50g IO bag, and it turned out perfect every time. I always thought that was fun. :p
Click to expand...

Hey Kasey! That's exactly what I do... and with my new system I'll be doing it too, but with three bags... :beer:

Copps
 
copps said:
Beautiful pieces, but you got the blueberry and the miyagi mixed up... the blueberry is the top piece and the original miyagi is the bottom piece.

:)

Copps
Click to expand...

I thought maybe I was just getting funky colours compared to you? That botton one only started turning that color recently and the top ones original frag colour is more purple while the bottom ones is more teal/blue? I thought (and I could be wrong) when I did my first buy from you we lost the Myagi in transit so you sent me another one, but the blueberry did fine. Have you had your Myagi's display green like that?

Otherwise everything I got turned out great although. Is the blue mili frag your Hulk Mili? I am still having trouble with 2 pieces that I just can't get to grow for some reason even after 2 years they are about the same size as when you sent them to me. I can't figure it out for the life. They have been humming along but staying stagnant for so long now. It's Your King Tut and your rainbow Undata. I've got to have them in the wrong spot or something, or who knows are you carbon dosing? Have you had any body else give you similar feedback? They are such awesome pieces I wish I could get them to grow!

Sadly I lost your neon green efflo when all my efflo/solis rtn'd at the same time a few years back. (nothing else was effected - It was really odd), and I also lost your Copps bonasi as a result of AEFW. I really wish I had more room to get another pack from you, I really want to get those pieces again from you they were 2 of my favorite and you have quite a few others that I really dig. Hmmm maybe if I get this frag tank plumbed in sooner then later I can make some room ;)

Oh yea your red dragon that thing is like a weed. I feel like in another year I'll need a tank just for it.
 
copps said:
Hey Kasey! That's exactly what I do... and with my new system I'll be doing it too, but with three bags... :beer:

Copps
Click to expand...

Hey John! Yeah, I'm really jealous; I wish I had the space to store that much water at a time. It's a great and easy way to mix water.

Also, I'm still waiting for my Blueberry Tort to take off. It keeps encrusting like a champ. It just needs to start growing UP! :p Of course, moving it to new system in February didn't help.

Mammoth, either way those 2 pieces look great. Continually jealous...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Apex Pro Failure - Lack of Support from Apex
Replies
4
Views
626
griss
griss
Formulator
8 year old tank with 2.0 PO4 and zero Nitrate
Replies
7
Views
1K
Scotty333!!!
S
pblogic
Returning to the hobby - could use tank suggestions
Replies
11
Views
1K
Reefing102
Reefing102
Paul B
The Benefit of Parasites
Replies
4
Views
714
kelly_12
K
griss
What's Your History in the Hobby?
2 3
Replies
56
Views
4K
ClarkiiGriswald
C
Back
Top