Mark's 150 gallon

[markalot]

Progress Mark,
You are going to see some whacky things unfold as your biology changes, just have water prepared to do some larger water changes. I think this, and running some well rinsed carbon will help as you clear out the madness. Looking forward to your next design, I am sure it will be awesome.

Hi Perry, thanks.

I'm making a full Brute can of water today using Red Sea Blue Bucket so I don't spike KH if I need to use it all to suck out the pally death.

Next design will not be awesome, but it may be better.

 

[markalot]

You are probably right, its something in the water, i was just trying to reassure you that the amount of light wouldn't have caused it at least from the T5 source.

Ah right, I understand now. Thanks Matt.

Many times it's not about par, but spectrum..........too much of a good thing or not enough of the right spectrum hitting the coral.

Thanks Ed, appreciate the visit. Yea, I know I should turn the LED off for a while and just use what we know works, but I love my blue LEDs. :facepalm:

 

[Big E]

Ah right, I understand now. Thanks Matt.



Thanks Ed, appreciate the visit. Yea, I know I should turn the LED off for a while and just use what we know works, but I love my blue LEDs. :facepalm:

I hear ya...........I don't want what I'm saying to just poke at the LED. Nothing wrong with using them, but a narrow single spectrum or too high a level can be an issue.

Sometimes with the smorgasbord of bulbs some people use the coral is just under the wrong bulb. Simply moving it can help a lot. Each bulb only has about a 4" reach of width. With T5 bulbs it's only a color/growth issue, not a damage problem.

 

[nemodan]

I hear ya...........I don't want what I'm saying to just poke at the LED. Nothing wrong with using them, but a narrow single spectrum or too high a level can be an issue.

Sometimes with the smorgasbord of bulbs some people use the coral is just under the wrong bulb. Simply moving it can help a lot. Each bulb only has about a 4" reach of width. With T5 bulbs it's only a color/growth issue, not a damage problem.

This hobby is soooo complicated that I am always asking myself...... "what the hell you were thinking Daniel".

That is why my reef way of thinking is " this is all what I can do for you frag and I hope you can survive ..."

Sooooo many variables. We can just keep some of them and some frags will survive and others not.

Just written thoughts ..... don't pay attention to them Mark

Cheers !!!

Daniel

 

[mhucasey]

I hear ya...........I don't want what I'm saying to just poke at the LED. Nothing wrong with using them, but a narrow single spectrum or too high a level can be an issue.

Sometimes with the smorgasbord of bulbs some people use the coral is just under the wrong bulb. Simply moving it can help a lot. Each bulb only has about a 4" reach of width. With T5 bulbs it's only a color/growth issue, not a damage problem.

Interesting you say that, I've noticed with some bulb arrangements I had corals perform poorly in certain areas and in some cases it was that the coral was under two purple bulbs. Overall the light mixed together nicely, but that particular position was not ideal. My very first bulb combo used an Aquablue Plus and there was a stripe below it where corals were actually burned. I had the lights very close to the water line at that time.

One distinct advantage of a combo like yours Ed(50/50 Blue plus/Coral plus) is that there is a nice even color distribution.

 

[glaukos]

I think that the guys have a point regarding the light.Those pics look very close to what i was seeing when i burnt my corals a few years ago mark.
Wish that's the reason so you will take the needed measures buddy!
Some of the corals look really good by the way:beer:

 

[markalot]

I think that the guys have a point regarding the light.Those pics look very close to what i was seeing when i burnt my corals a few years ago mark.
Wish that's the reason so you will take the needed measures buddy!
Some of the corals look really good by the way:beer:

Hi Mike, thanks. Lighting, water, chemical warfare, :sad2:

Snow day today so I'm working again. I was able to somehow get that base rock out without breaking anything. It's a fairly porous and soft rock so I was able to easily chisel out the infested spot and then put it back in the tank.

I'm paused with this at the moment, still have some arranging to do and then I'll think about the left side.

18" is not a lot of room to work with. I'm trying to center everything with a little more space in front to make sure I have good flow everywhere.

 

[markalot]

Remind me again why I bought a tall tank?

I stopped for the night, trying to figure out what is wrong. The trench is not inviting, I think it needs to angle more to the left? Not sure.

 

[aggie13reef]

I don't think that it looks bad. I am critical on myself with my scape because I see so many tanks on here that I wish I could have mimicked before just throwing a scape together. I think that the slimer helps balance the left side to the taller right side. Maybe try making the trench wider and see if it pleases your eye more? Or try and offset it somehow to the front or the back. I would tinker with it while you have the opportunity but I know that is easier said than done I hate moving things around because I break things :facepalm:

When it all comes down to it, it is whatever pleases you not anyone else as you have to look at the tank daily :thumbsup:

 

[mhucasey]

Ok, don't be mad, but you asked:hmm2:
It's not following the "rule of thirds". The branch rock is too distracting in the center and it leads your eye to nothing. The lines that flow from the right side rocks pull your eye to the right overflow. The left side structure is too small in comparison to the right.

This is a good thread to get some ideas from: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217633&highlight=aquascape

 

[nemodan]

Mark.... I think that until you get the plastic rocks it will be difficult to visualize what would you like. As said in a previous posting "is easy to say than done". For now, after all what you have done the tank looks nice. And that is,already a Triumph! !!!!. I will never have the courage to do that. I know it by fact. But that is another story.

Tank looks great. Let it settle a little in the meantime the new rocks arrive and I am sure you will see what you want that will please your eyes and corals.

I will read now Matt's link. I am sure there are things to learn.

Job well done Mark !!!!

Daniel

 

[markalot]

I don't think that it looks bad. I am critical on myself with my scape because I see so many tanks on here that I wish I could have mimicked before just throwing a scape together. I think that the slimer helps balance the left side to the taller right side. Maybe try making the trench wider and see if it pleases your eye more? Or try and offset it somehow to the front or the back. I would tinker with it while you have the opportunity but I know that is easier said than done I hate moving things around because I break things :facepalm:

When it all comes down to it, it is whatever pleases you not anyone else as you have to look at the tank daily :thumbsup:

Thanks Nick

Ok, don't be mad, but you asked:hmm2:
It's not following the "rule of thirds". The branch rock is too distracting in the center and it leads your eye to nothing. The lines that flow from the right side rocks pull your eye to the right overflow. The left side structure is too small in comparison to the right.

This is a good thread to get some ideas from: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217633&highlight=aquascape

Not mad, I appreciate it. I certainly recognize that technique and the examples are gorgeous, but that branch rock is for the blue milli to sit behind the fuzzy red and get a good amount of light. I know, not artistic, but I'm ok with that. That may mean I don't get the nice inviting trench due to the bad lines though.

Mark.... I think that until you get the plastic rocks it will be difficult to visualize what would you like. As said in a previous posting "is easy to say than done". For now, after all what you have done the tank looks nice. And that is,already a Triumph! !!!!. I will never have the courage to do that. I know it by fact. But that is another story.

Tank looks great. Let it settle a little in the meantime the new rocks arrive and I am sure you will see what you want that will please your eyes and corals.

I will read now Matt's link. I am sure there are things to learn.

Job well done Mark !!!!

Daniel

Thanks Daniel. Plastic rock should arrive tomorrow, but the snow might have delayed it.

 

[mhucasey]

Not mad, I appreciate it. I certainly recognize that technique and the examples are gorgeous, but that branch rock is for the blue milli to sit behind the fuzzy red and get a good amount of light. I know, not artistic, but I'm ok with that. That may mean I don't get the nice inviting trench due to the bad lines though.

This is more the direction I would go:

compare to your arrangement:

 

[Big E]

Interesting you say that, I've noticed with some bulb arrangements I had corals perform poorly in certain areas and in some cases it was that the coral was under two purple bulbs. Overall the light mixed together nicely, but that particular position was not ideal. My very first bulb combo used an Aquablue Plus and there was a stripe below it where corals were actually burned. I had the lights very close to the water line at that time.

One distinct advantage of a combo like yours Ed(50/50 Blue plus/Coral plus) is that there is a nice even color distribution.

Yes, those two bulbs satisfy the whole range of pigments /chromo proteins & they radiate good consistent par. The only variable is how high/low to place the coral.

All the other bulbs or a tilted B+/ C+combo are for aesthetics.

 

[plyle02]

Mark,
If it were me, I would isolate the corals to one side of the tank, or pull them to a holding bin for a minute. The tricky thing about tall tanks, IMO, is that the scape will look empty if you do not utilize vertical space. That said, a shallow tank, for example, Matt, or Andrew, are able to limit live rock to small size pieces of live rock, or nothing... This allows them to be able to use the bottom of the tank and still grow acros effectively. I am somewhere in between, but must admit, trying to fill 24" height to make the tank "not" look empty is sort of a challenge. If you tank is taller, let's say 30", I would utilize columns, if your tank is 48" across, two should suffice, 60" or 72", you may want to make 3... That or a pyramid type structure to utilize height at the peak may look cool too, then leave maybe 12" open space on either side. So maybe build your structure up to12" from the water surface in the middle, then cascade it down on either side. As you drop your structure on either side, you can make caves, dips, shelves, utilize pieces of branch sticking out to plug corals on, it is really endless. Once you have completed your structure, the place each coral based on color, growth pattern, your show corals sort of facing full front if you will. This way you can consider where each colony is to be glued or epoxied down. I would do the frags after, then finally place your non sps corals, probably down near the bottom. I know you know this, but when water is spilling, towels are going from dry to wet, the water is splashing all over the front of the tank, your pants and shirt is wet, and you start to get frustrated, then I think that is when we lose our artistic potential. At this point with me, I am usually like screw it, and settle for something less than what I envisioned. Please take my comments or thoughts with a grain of salt, I think no matter what... This is going to be a good experience, and I am certain that you will be glad you went through all the hard work, trust me, I have been going through it since November, I feel like my tank is finally where I want it, and just relaxing and watching my corals do their thing Cheer Mark, stay warm, heck, it is in the 40's in FL, that is downright cold for us, lol...

 

[markalot]

Thanks for the ideas guys, really appreciated.

If my fake sticks arrive today, and I kind if doubt it, maybe I can work with them. They hit a post office in Maryland and that was the last update. I also have to deal with the shading of a center brace. :headwally:

 

[markalot]

So what is the secret with A Horrida? Since moving mine down to the egg crate it's started to color up and showing numerous new growth tips, more than I've seen since I got it a year ago. :lolspin:

Does it like the light, does it like the flow, does it like the fact I've been stirring up so much detritus there are times when I can't see into the tank?

Under blue moonlight the polyps are glowing green and it looks fantastic. I don't want to leave it on the eggcrate though.

 

[markalot]

I'm not exactly done, but done for now. Using my 25 gallons of RSBB I scraped and sucked out all the remaining pallys and send them down the drain. I'm sure I missed a few floaters but for now the tank is clean.

The collector in me won out so the left side is unfinished. Seriously, I have problem. :jester:

All done?

Not exactly.


Seriously!

I do love watching the little frags though.

 

[markalot]

Another angle.



View from my chair.


Sometime this week I will place a few more corals into their locations and decide what I'm going to do with the smaller slimer. It doesn't look bad up front but that won't last very long.

Some frags and a few larger corals look worse today but others are steadily increasing in color. I want to stay out of the tank for a while and see how everything does.

 

[nemodan]

Nice Job Mark...... all is going as you planned. I am sure all this work will pay off with a super amazing tank. I added "super" because the tank looks amazing already.

Feel proud of your work. This thread teach a lot !!!

Best
Daniel