Mark's 150 (72x18x27)

[Bello]

Kids went back to school this morning so I lost two co2 factories. Does it make a difference?

Hahahahah, CO2 factories :lol: , that's hilarious!

Glad to see that you were able to overcome the crazy pH issues, and that too, without shutting down any of the CO2 factories :lol:. Good stuff :thumbsup:

The pics look great, and the tank seems to be coming along really well :wave:. Love the side shot :thumbsup:. The cardinals seems awesome too. I tried sourcing out a school of them to try out in my tank, I got ONE!!! Useless!!!

 

[markalot]

So I made some animated GIFS for fun to give me an idea of growth. These are all over 10 days. I've taken more shots straight on so I can make more of these if/when I have time.

My slowest growing Acro

Latest FTS



Random shots

Thanks for visiting.

 

[callsign4223]

Mark, that tank is awesome. I only hope mine looks that good someday.

 

[adddo]

Hehe cool gifs, the birdsnest really grew in just over a week!

 

[markalot]

Mark, that tank is awesome. I only hope mine looks that good someday.

Thanks, good luck with your tank. Slow and steady!

Hehe cool gifs, the birdsnest really grew in just over a week!

Yea, that birdsnest is crazy and doesn't have a very attractive growth form, it just grows and branches and grows some more. I figured it would do well filling the corner.

 

[vasko2grama]

nice setup, i'm planning to follow your footsteps.

 

[markalot]

nice setup, i'm planning to follow your footsteps.

Thanks. Good luck with your new setup!

 

[markalot]

I should post an update.

I fighting Montipora Eating Nudibranchs that I apparently brought over unnoticed from one of my smaller tanks. Well, I'm not fighting them actually, I am observing and waiting patiently for them to destroy all my montis.

It's interesting how long it takes them to work, and I suspect either they are being picked off by my one lipped sixline wrasse or their mortality rate is unusually high. Regardless, I have no heart for this fight. I've always had a love hate relationship with monti caps and so far they have not attacked any encrusting montis. What I hate to lose most is my spongodes, but it seems like a favorite meal of these nudis.

The rest of the tank and corals are doing well and I'm already planning my monti replacements. :wildone: A couple more acros mounted on dead montipiora skeletons perhaps.

New corals: ORA Plum Crazy, UC Rainbow Milli, some kind of "brain" coral as a swap for a large chunk of green birdsnest

New Fish: Foxface, female Lyretail Anthias (still only eating frozen :mad2

Lighting Changes: BuildMyLED custom 72" strip similar to their 20K fixture but with equal numbers of warm and bright white LED's. I'm using the 36" 20K strip to help illuminate the back center of the tank. I've dimmed the Razors a bit to peak at 75%W, 75%B at 3PM dropping to 65%W, 65%B by 8PM with a slow ramp up and down on either side. BML strips ramp up at 2PM and down at 8PM.

The Brain

Isn't this just the cutest MEN? :mad2:

ORA Plum Crazy. Got this from Unique Corals, pic taken 2 hours after placement in tank. I call that quality shipping.

It's browned a bit since then but still doing well.

This is that coral I bought from another reefer. Simply stunning, even with my less than perfect water quality.

Cleanup Crew

My oldest SPS, unkillable but I never take pictures of it, so I did.
Purple Stylophora

 

[markalot]

...

Before my green birdsnest became the monster that it is I used to call this one Big Bird. Absolutely no regular shape and the color ranges from yellow/green to pale pink depending on light. I saved a small piece and had it laying around for a while till I decided to mount it in the back right corner. It's the fastest growing birdsnest in the tank.

FTS - don't look too close or you'll notice the millions and millions of bubble algae I need to take care of at some point. :uhoh2:

 

[markalot]

I suppose I should at least post the latest FTS.

Things are going well, stocking up on acros, hoping for the best. The tank is still infested with Montipora Eating Nudibranchs but they are slow and lazy and so far have only seriously damaged the spongodes on the right side of the tank. I'm using reverse psychology on them ... I want them to kill some of my montis so I can mount acros on them.



Some new promising looking frags on my frag rock.

I got a Foxface and he's become a favorite. Eats bubble algae like mad, threatens the punk tang with his barbs, what's not to like. Imagine how good this picture would be if I was a competent photographer.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Bello]

Looking good Mark :thumbsup:. Sorry to hear about the nudis... do you still have the sixline in there? It's possible that the nudis may not be taking your psychology course, but are getting hammered by the sixline? . A friend of mine had a similar experience, once he moved the sixline, nudis ... nudis everywhere!! :lol:

Love the Foxface, docile and useful, I have one as well . Like the red head solon wrasse as well :thumbsup:

 

[markalot]

Hi Bello, nice to hear from you!

I went and started a new thread in the SPS forum since that's all I care about anymore. I'm yet another one of those annoying multiple thread people.

Nudis are still slowly munching away, yet not fast enough for my liking. Dead monti caps would make great places to mount acros.

I carefully inspected, scrubbed, and moved frags of my prized montis into my 29, which now requires me to manually dose every day. It was supposed to be the care free softie tank, but not anymore. I've got it automated on my main Apex unit but I need a doser ... those new dosers for the Apex look great but the cost ... sheesh.

I hope what I read in Biggles thread is correct and you get back in the game in a couple of weeks.

 

[Bello]

I keep some small Monti frags in a makeshift ghetto tank with no dosing, just ato. Can't say that growth is good, but they survive. Weekly water changes from the main tank as well.

 

[Captainsreef]

Project seems to be coming along nicely! Be sure and post updates.

 

[troubadour11]

That last photo session was pretty sweet. I think that foxface shot is awesome whether you consider yourself a competent photo snapper or not :thumbsup: I always go back and forth on whether I think I'll try to add a foxface or a tang later when we get to the couple larger show fish for our 90. And this picture definitely keeps it in the running!

I see that anemone down there in the bottom right corner. I've never kept one but always thought I would for the clowns. Lately we've been avoiding them hoping that the clowns will take up shop in our torch (or similar) pieces. But I'm still sneaky interested in one. What's your take on having them in mixed reefs? Have you have difficulties keeping them? It must be getting kind of low par down at the bottom of the tank?

Things are looking great though and really coming along. Keep it up! I look forward to the next update! :bounce2:

 

[markalot]

I got my topdown portal thing from Avast Marine and I've gone full stupid since I promised Biggles I would.

I stopped for a second to share this first photo. This coral looks nothing like this from the front, but from above ... I might have cried. :lol:

 

[markalot]

Full Dump

 

[markalot]

 

[markalot]

 

[markalot]

I started putting vinegar into my Kalk to increase the effectiveness. It worked. I have been slowly climbing KH and dropping 2 part dosing to no avail, so now I'm at 10.2KH :mad2: Dropped 2 part dosing to 50ml a day which should start slowly dropping KH back down.

I did something impulsive as well. There was a steep clearance on 2 150 watt HQI MH pendants and I bought them, they will arrive with 10K bulbs tomorrow, and new 14K bulbs will arrive Saturday. :wildone: What will I do?

I might be the only person to do a light mockup using an online room design program.

Current LED layout is this.

The two razors fit over the tank but there is a dark area near the brace and between the fixtures. I am thinking of trying this with the pendants.

Those aren't microphone stands those are the lights, and feet = inches.

The reflectors are not very good, more like spotlights than a good spread, but at least I can try MH and see how I like it. Palting ran his 150 with 3 150 watters but using a custom designed Perfecto tank with double braces. If I like the way this looks I could try and fine 2 more pendants and do 2 + 2 on either side, or just put these in the corner and let them collect dust.

:beachbum: