Mark's 150 gallon

[markalot]

I'm super envious of the colors you are pulling. I bought a red Robin several months ago and I'll be damed if I can tell where it is in my tank. Thanks for all the incredible pictures.

Tell me about it, I've had that one for 2 years now, grew but did not color, I fragged it and put one piece in my smaller tank, luckily, lost the one in here and moved that piece back. It's finally starting to color but still nothing close to the color more experienced reefers can pull. If I look at it wrong I lose a shade of red.

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[plyle02]

WOW Mark, each update has killer improvement, the colors are coming through nicely, the tank looks superb! Awesome job Mark

 

[markalot]

WOW Mark, each update has killer improvement, the colors are coming through nicely, the tank looks superb! Awesome job Mark

Thanks for stopping by Perry!

So the tank is in the zone, a place I haven't been able to stay more than month, so let's see if this time around I've got the skills and patience to make it last. Adding small pinches of CaNO3 and waiting seems to be doing some significant magic, especially with the Katropora (subulata) that is finally turning into the stunner it can be.

It looks better today than yesterday but this is a pic from yesterday evening, with just a few branches going from green to knockout green. Purple is also deepening, finally.

I was worried I might lose my reds but no troubles yet, and like I said the other day the red problem might have been PO4 rather than NO3. With the PhosphateRx I've proven to myself I can keep PO4 low and steady month to month with the regular small doses. If, I say IF, some of my past problems were with PO4 then hopefully I've solved that issue and can enjoy a nice run here.

Macros from the front, the reds/pinks first.

Might need to look at this on a good monitor but Cousin It is getting a pink blush and I'll be damned if the polyps aren't starting to show some pink as well.

I really think the Red Robin can still greatly improve. Best I've ever managed, but the vibrant reds are still only visible from the top.

This is the unknown that I mentioned had a nice deep red with no hints of brown, unlike the millis. The polyps though ... need some work.

Miami Orchid, impossible to photo but I keep trying.

Extreme polyp extension hiding the turquoise of the horrida.

Finally the latest work in progress, was a nice blue with green highlights until I almost killed it. I've been feeding the beast by hand because those polyps look hungry. Hopefully I can get a nice growth burst out of it.

 

[koral_lover]

fantastic job on this reef - may I ask what you believe has contributed most to your deep colors - I am on the quest for some...never ending quest that is.

 

[markalot]

fantastic job on this reef - may I ask what you believe has contributed most to your deep colors - I am on the quest for some...never ending quest that is.

Thanks.

Stable Alk and stable + low PO4. Learning to do all changes slowly is he biggest hurdle, then waiting 4 weeks or so for any positive changes. This side of the hobby takes a lot pf patience.

 

[sayitfast]

stunning images... awesome!

 

[reefmutt]

Hey Mark, your tank is definitely in the zone.
Nice pe and nice colours.
I suspect that the reason I can't get any real orange from my op is because of my high p..
I'm going to concentrate in lowering p and keeping it low as well.
Looking good!

 

[markalot]

Hey Mark, your tank is definitely in the zone.
Nice pe and nice colours.
I suspect that the reason I can't get any real orange from my op is because of my high p..
I'm going to concentrate in lowering p and keeping it low as well.
Looking good!

Thanks Matt.

I took some more top downs, looking for changes since I started adding CaNO3 to keep nitrates between 0 and 2 (some color on the kit rather than clear). Nothing has declined, some acros have improved while others show no appreciable changes.

In addition to adding NO3 I've also started to ramp up my violet LED channels. I had forgotten that I turned the BML strips violets off months ago and was running the NanoBox arrays violet channel at 50%. I think T5 provides plenty of spectrum in this range so not sure what I am expecting to see.

Katropora LOVES nitrates so this changed the most, with the greens becoming extremely saturated while more and more purple showing on the tips.

This one continues to be an outstanding pink/red

Not sure the picture captures it but the Red Robin is more of a blood red, very intense and now 'across the room' noticable. WHat's really cool about this coral is the lack of brown ... the non red areas are either greenish or a gunmetal grey.

I always had an issue with reds and wanted more red acros but I may have overdone it. This unknown 'purple' acro looks like it's going to be a very nice red as well.

The smaller Katropora frag in slightly lower par.

Reefgen Orchid Stylo

I've had this bird for almost 3 years, letting it grow out then chopping up and keeping a frag alive until I find another spot for it. So when you look for a good cultivar of a tree one looks for good branching structure and a growth form that is sustainable. This ain't it. Wife says it looks like a basket of snakes.

Lokani

Next up I'll run through the acros that are still works in progress.

 

[markalot]

Work in progress.

When My tank was starting to have issues I brought a lot of slimer frags to a LFS in trade for mostly non SPS, fortunately. They had half killed this pinkish acro during an Alk accident and gave me a frag that I ended up half killing. It's finally showing some color and top growth. The original, under 20K radiums, was very attractive.

This is one of two frags of a maricultured piece I nearly lost. Growing great, but refuses to show much color. I expected Nitrates to brown this out but tips showing more blue and perhaps some color on the branches.

Cousin It has put on a LOT of weight, but could use more pink. It's sitting under 420 PAR way up near the top, might have to make a frag and keep it lower to see if lower light helps. I would assume it prefers high light. All my millis have color issues at the moment.

Center top is another trade I almost killed. It appears to be SSC like and just now starting to show more color.

The other side of the frag rack. Look how well colored the KBG acro (green) is. Much more saturated than the one mounted higher up in much higher PAR. Top right is a frag of Miami Orchid, showing a very near purple/blue combination I don't see in the colony. To the left of the KBG is 3 tiny frags of the pink acro mounted together and now encrusted into one. Apparently it must have more PAR to produce the deep pinks.

For those wanting an indestructible monti, Mystic Sunset fits the bill. I am not sure how it got started on this frag rack but there it is, and growing fast. All I can figure is a small spec encrusted off a frag plug I had on here ot a chip fell off and somehow got stuck long enough to encrust. This weed is also growing out of sight along the back rocks on the right side of the tank, eating up my Alk.

You wouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, would ya? Silly question.

 

[w3bbo]

Stunning tank and beautiful SPS mate. How are you getting on with the AEFW? Are you treating the tank with anything (FWS perhaps)?

 

[Alfrareef]

Great colors. I love it every time I visit this thread. Congrats and keep posting pics while explaining about it.

 

[markalot]

Stunning tank and beautiful SPS mate. How are you getting on with the AEFW? Are you treating the tank with anything (FWS perhaps)?

As far as I know I don't have AEFW. I spotted eggs a long time back before the tank hit a rough spot, and I have had some bug issues but Interceptor took care of those.

 

[markalot]

Great colors. I love it every time I visit this thread. Congrats and keep posting pics while explaining about it.

Thanks Alfra!

 

[FloformAustria]

looking good Mark!

love the frag rag!!

Cheers

 

[deaclauderdale]

Things are coming around Mark. Glad that you stuck it out, and that the corals are regaining their colors.

Reef keeping is life!

 

[drawman]

Mark tank is looking great! That pink acro is definitely a good one and I always love the nice PE on that horrida.

 

[kevlow]

I think I have commented on the red and pink piece before. It is a beautiful acro with a very unique color, kind of an in between shade. I am watching the Cousin It as well. Please post the results if you place a frag of it in lower par. I may have a frag of this that I purchased as an unknown. I can not decided if it needs more light or less.

Everything looks great!

 

[joshky]

Mark your tank is looking great. :beer:

I like the shark photo too... I mean clownfish.:lol2:

 

[kevlow]

The weed/indestructible monti reference made me laugh. I just traded off a very large amount of mystic sunset. Was taking up space and alk. I too missed a small piece and it was off and growing again. I have quickly placed it on a frag plug that I may pass it on to it's next victim.

 

[markalot]

looking good Mark!

love the frag rag!!

Cheers

Thanks Flo.

Things are coming around Mark. Glad that you stuck it out, and that the corals are regaining their colors.

Reef keeping is life!

Thanks. Reef keeping is life alright.

Mark tank is looking great! That pink acro is definitely a good one and I always love the nice PE on that horrida.

Thanks drawman. The horrida is turning a bright turquoise, visible between the polyps. It's still morphing so hopefully I can keepit steady and see what the full potential is.

I think I have commented on the red and pink piece before. It is a beautiful acro with a very unique color, kind of an in between shade. I am watching the Cousin It as well. Please post the results if you place a frag of it in lower par. I may have a frag of this that I purchased as an unknown. I can not decided if it needs more light or less.

Everything looks great!

Thanks kev. I will be fragging soon, though I keep putting it off, to see how some of these do in different light.

Mark your tank is looking great. :beer:

I like the shark photo too... I mean clownfish.:lol2:

Shark is right. Thanks Josh.

The weed/indestructible monti reference made me laugh. I just traded off a very large amount of mystic sunset. Was taking up space and alk. I too missed a small piece and it was off and growing again. I have quickly placed it on a frag plug that I may pass it on to it's next victim.

I really like the Mystic Sunset but even in poor conditions it manages to grow.

I was comparing FTS from about a year apart. Things are very different, and the blue stag still hasn't regained it's blue color.

Sept 2015

Last Week