Mark's 150 gallon
- Thread starter markalot
- Start date
markalot
...
A few more things ....
I replaced the wet side of my left MP40 (with quiet drive controller mod) with the newer QD wet side. The change is that the top solid area was removed so the cage is similar to the MP10, meaning it tends to suck in air if positioned too close to the surface. Flow IS noticeably stronger. I did the QD upgrade because my old controller dies, so that's two things that have broken on this pump.
I re-aimed the RW-15 on the back left to improve circulation around the stags, I worry this will be a big issue as they get larger however the increased flow from the MP40 helps tremendously. I credit the health of the Horrida to the RW-15 on the other side of the tank aimed directly at it. Without a crap ton of flow the Horrida will quickly show reduced polyp extension and then skin loss.
I replaced the wet side of my left MP40 (with quiet drive controller mod) with the newer QD wet side. The change is that the top solid area was removed so the cage is similar to the MP10, meaning it tends to suck in air if positioned too close to the surface. Flow IS noticeably stronger. I did the QD upgrade because my old controller dies, so that's two things that have broken on this pump.
I re-aimed the RW-15 on the back left to improve circulation around the stags, I worry this will be a big issue as they get larger however the increased flow from the MP40 helps tremendously. I credit the health of the Horrida to the RW-15 on the other side of the tank aimed directly at it. Without a crap ton of flow the Horrida will quickly show reduced polyp extension and then skin loss.
markalot
...
markalot
...
Mark,
Tank looks great man, keep up the awesome work, those stags are coolAnyway, all your corals look great and the PE looks nice as well
Thanks Perry!
Some of my acros are doing quite well but honestly I almost nuked the tank with a series of unchecked newbie mistakes.
I changed bulbs.
I lowered fan speed to increase PAR.
I added some carbon to clear the water.
I reduced vinegar to clear up the water from having too much bacteria (vinegar + biopellets).
I OWN a PAR meter, but it doesn't work unless I use the damn thing. :headwally:
My PAR goal is 400 at the base of the highest acro and 200 on the sandbed. I was near 600 and 350 on the sandbed. Golly, I wonder why my chalices croaked? I haven't even cleaned the glass lids. Combine this with the fact I had been feeding less due to the back injury and I suppose it could have been worse.
I raised the fixture and put a couple of actinic bulbs in to help lower the PAR.
Bulb lineup is coral (Gieseman version), actinic, blue, coral, actinic, blue.
I also had to lower the LED intensity a bit. I will be watching KH very closely because I expect usage could drop here for a bit. The slimer was getting about 700 PAR and loving it.
I've lowered the output of the biopellet reactor and reduced vinegar in the topoff to 15ml a gallon from 20ml.
Did a full set of tests, just in case.
KH 8.0
Ca 410
Mg 1330
NO3 2.5
PO4 < .05
Salinity 35ppt
Another clue I ignored is how healthy the corals on the frag racks were doing compared to under the main lights. I saved 3 frags from my big purple Duncan colony that died a horrible death. I placed 2 of these on frag racks and one in the rocks. The one in the rocks is nearly dead. Very low nutrients plus a crap ton of light will do that.
Now I have to find the balance where everyone will be reasonably happy.
This acro was hit the hardest, but you can see healthy skin making a comeback already.
I did more pest checks, with flash, of the AEFW magnets and found nothing, plus those bite/scratch marks are gone so perhaps it was a nutrient issue all along.
My big Valida is receding, hopefully the lighting and nutrient fix stops this.
Other than that most of the acros look healthy, with nice puffy skin. I love this one, sitting on the top of the "dong" on the left side. Seemingly unphased by lighting or nutrients.
Wild acro frags on the left frag rack showing good color and healthy.
Miami Orchid (impossible to photo) could care less.
Slimer never cares.
Teal is the same way.
Now I must be careful not to overdo any changes. I've diluted the Kalk in anticipation of a KH rise. Will evaluate daily but I would rather be sitting at 7.5 then 8.0 so a slow drop will be good.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
We are working in parallel here - It must be Murphy's law week! I had the lights drop in the water, which ended up burning out some bulbs, leading to changing the bulb layout to a brighter mix. I added sand which was like putting a mirror on the bottom, and changed the photoperiod. I shudder to think how high the par is in there. To top that off I over adjusted the Bopellet reactor so it was just recirculating the same goop over and over. So far only lost a couple of frags, but its crazy how the tank disasters snowball!
Its good that you can see the recovery happening that quickly, thats a very good sign. Its also a good thing that you are anticipating an ALK change, just be careful to not overthink/overadjust.
Oh, and I'm still super jealous of your Teal stag. When spring comes we should swap some frags. I'm growing a big crop of my best corals as frags as we speak:thumbsup:
Its good that you can see the recovery happening that quickly, thats a very good sign. Its also a good thing that you are anticipating an ALK change, just be careful to not overthink/overadjust.
Oh, and I'm still super jealous of your Teal stag. When spring comes we should swap some frags. I'm growing a big crop of my best corals as frags as we speak:thumbsup:
markalot
...
Yea, Murphy's law.
Colors are coming back quickly, I'm quite surprised at how fast. Is it the lower light, less vinegar, both? The actinic bulbs really seem to be bringing out some more colors as well.
I have never shipped a coral but I've got a lot of folks pining over that blue stag, which I thought was common but haven't seen it for sale since I bought it. Check a store called salty underground. They have one listed, Aquacultured Blue Acro Coral, that may be it. I was told it had been grown for years by a local hobbyist who brings in frags from time to time. I was buying berghia and added this to my order on a lark.
Make sure to dip for pests and triple check.
After 2 dips...
it was a solid light blue when I got it, I have yet to achieve that color.
3 weeks after i got it was the great Alk spike of 2014 that browned or killed half of my acros.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I've never shipped one either, but that stag is anything but ordinary. We will talk in the springYea, Murphy's law.
Colors are coming back quickly, I'm quite surprised at how fast. Is it the lower light, less vinegar, both? The actinic bulbs really seem to be bringing out some more colors as well.
I have never shipped a coral but I've got a lot of folks pining over that blue stag, which I thought was common but haven't seen it for sale since I bought it. Check a store called salty underground. They have one listed, Aquacultured Blue Acro Coral, that may be it. I was told it had been grown for years by a local hobbyist who brings in frags from time to time. I was buying berghia and added this to my order on a lark.
Make sure to dip for pests and triple check.
After 2 dips...
it was a solid light blue when I got it, I have yet to achieve that color.
3 weeks after i got it was the great Alk spike of 2014 that browned or killed half of my acros.
. Right now shipped frags would probably freeze!
markalot
...
Thanks Mike, I will be sure to let you know but honestly I dread even thinking about shipping.
Thanks Matt!
Took a bunch of topdowns until the back started to protest. The actinics seem to be either fooling the camera (and my eyes) or creating some new colors in the corals.
Here's the acro the browned out big time and appears to be recovering. Normal color is green with purple highlights. Note the brown base, which was green just a couple of weeks ago.
The Lokani is getting purple on it now. To the right is the Hawkins echi which browned and lost a few tips but continues to encrust.
Jacquelineae is growing fast but look at all the brown.
I threatened to get rid of this one but it's slowly showing more and more color. Tips have a distinct almost pink color to them with more green showing up in the interior.
Maricultured Valida might be showing some green lower on the branches.
I get nervous even looking at this frag. It was a nice size UC super blue tenuis and a rapid PO4 drop killed all but a tip that I saved by snipping and super gluing to this frag plug. Finally, after 6 months, I see new encrusting. Whew!
Right hand frag rack, illuminated by the main lights with the help from two old BML strips well above the tank. PAR is still low, 200 or a little less, and yet colors are doing quite well. Middle bottom is a frag of the Jacquelineae that I accidentally broke off some time ago. It did not brown. Why?
Artsy pic of the teals tag. I have to be careful, I can almost hit this tip with the topdown box.
From the other frag rack, under a single old BML strip and even lower PAR. Saved this branch from a dying maricultured colony.
One more teal.
biggles
Premium Member
Couldn't have said it better Josh, that teal stag makes all mine look like rubbish Mark.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Artsy pic of the teals tag. I have to be careful, I can almost hit this tip with the topdown box.
One more teal.
You should do more top downs of the teal stag...don't worry about hitting it with the box, thats how baby corals are made
The Lokani looks good no matter what shade its showing, and things are looking pretty good all around. That first Acro is the old avatar one, right?
markalot
...
Thanks Josh!
Couldn't have said it better Josh, that teal stag makes all mine look like rubbish Mark.
Appreciate the kind words, even if you'er wrong Andrew.
You should do more top downs of the teal stag...don't worry about hitting it with the box, thats how baby corals are made
The Lokani looks good no matter what shade its showing, and things are looking pretty good all around. That first Acro is the old avatar one, right?
Ha! Yep, same one, thanks.
Thanks Daniel, but you know I'm trying to get mine to look like yours!
Loooking really really nice Mark!!
If only it was Firetruck red! Thanks Dom.
Ha, thanks.
And thanks everyone for the kind words, it really means a lot.
