Mark's 150 (72x18x27)

Brief update.

Things are going well, keeping a routine, testing less and less, waiting and watching. :)

KH has slowly dropped to 7.5 and I'm at fully saturated Kalk now so I'll have to start dosing soon. PO4, via Elos expert est kit, staying at .03 while NO3 has been slowly falling from 5 after dosing CaNO3 6 days ago to 3 today. I like the nice slow drop. I'm still not sure exactly where I want to keep it, hoping the coral colors will tell me.

I made a few top downs to check on progress. Most looked the same, a few differences.

This is blockhead (unknown encrusted on a block). It has gotten really dark, the darkest acro in the tank at the moment.
EBf0AO.jpg


This is a big Aussie piece from Pacific East Aquaculture. Had green and yellow on the base but has faded as it adjusts. One new branch on the back is brilliant blue as is the base (washed out in this pic). A little brighter color than this picture shows, way too much contrast to get a good shot. I was worried this would die on me but it's encrusted quickly and stayed fairly colorful.
qkJzN9.jpg


One of my smooth skins, which has browned a bit since I raised the lights and cut the photo period. It may also not like higher nitrates. :twitch:
Y3H3TB.jpg


Frag rack doing well. Oh, and so are the acros on it. :spin2: The acro middle top is a exquisita that I browned and almost killed. Getting some green back.
bKaCeq.jpg


The big beneficiary of stability and higher nitrates is the slimer. This only the left half. :lolspin:
untPZw.jpg
 
One more bit about nitrates. I tested my little 29 and got 0, clear as can be. I put enough CaNO3 to raise it to 4 and in two days it was very close to 0 again. Silly little tanks! Coral colors have greatly improved ... dare I say dosing Nitrate will solve all the world problems.
 
Yeah, it's amazing how far the hobby has progressed in a few years. 3 years ago people thought it was lunacy to put nitrates into a tank:p.
 
Things are looking really good Mark! That is one seriously huge green slimer, haha.

Do you have any LFS's you frequent for SPS? I usually go to KY Saltwater Supplies in Lexington but he usually doesn't deal with SPS (no one buys it around here). I plan on making most of my purchases through BC, and other similar vendors, but it's nice to support LFS's when you can. (I don't mind a small road trip occasionally) My 80g will be up very soon, sooner than I originally planned, so I'm just curious.
 
Things are looking really good Mark! That is one seriously huge green slimer, haha.

Do you have any LFS's you frequent for SPS? I usually go to KY Saltwater Supplies in Lexington but he usually doesn't deal with SPS (no one buys it around here). I plan on making most of my purchases through BC, and other similar vendors, but it's nice to support LFS's when you can. (I don't mind a small road trip occasionally) My 80g will be up very soon, sooner than I originally planned, so I'm just curious.

Hi Josh, thanks.

There's a store near where I live, World of Pets, where I bought my tank. They have some SPS but it's usually random frags, occasionally some ORA frags. Nothing really high end. There is a reefer that lives somewhere between here and Lexington that grows this slimer and brings frags in twice a year. I say frags, I'm talking 2 foot pieces. :D They tell me he's been doing this for years. If you want a piece of this slimer come on up, I've got 3 large frags on the frag rack looking for a good home. :)
 
Hi Josh, thanks.

There's a store near where I live, World of Pets, where I bought my tank. They have some SPS but it's usually random frags, occasionally some ORA frags. Nothing really high end. There is a reefer that lives somewhere between here and Lexington that grows this slimer and brings frags in twice a year. I say frags, I'm talking 2 foot pieces. :D They tell me he's been doing this for years. If you want a piece of this slimer come on up, I've got 3 large frags on the frag rack looking for a good home. :)

Yeah I figured as much.

Really appreciate the offer but I'm going to have to pass, not sure I have room for another stag. I have 4 right now, what I really need are more tabling acros. :p Though I would love to take you up on swinging by the next time I'm in the area.
 
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More signs of progress.

My Acropora horrida is starting to color up. I know, it's not much, but humor me. :)

LKkXru.jpg


I see faces in some of the polyps, maybe I've been staring at acros too long. :spin2:

U4HUGL.jpg


My Purple Fuzz (Quality Marine unknown acro) has graduated from the frag rack back to the rocks. This was one of the acros that I almost lost from the great PO4+Alk spike in 2014.

kvnFoS.jpg


Under LED, Sept 2014 just before the incident.
6YToaR.jpg
 
More signs of progress.

My Acropora horrida is starting to color up. I know, it's not much, but humor me. :)

LKkXru.jpg


I see faces in some of the polyps, maybe I've been staring at acros too long. :spin2:

U4HUGL.jpg


My Purple Fuzz (Quality Marine unknown acro) has graduated from the frag rack back to the rocks. This was one of the acros that I almost lost from the great PO4+Alk spike in 2014.

kvnFoS.jpg


Under LED, Sept 2014 just before the incident.
6YToaR.jpg

Looking good! Hopefully the unknown acro regains its former glory! I love that growth form:)
 
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