Mhucasey's SPS obsession
- Thread starter mhucasey
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mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Thanks Guys, I'm still picky about the way they look but I was surprised how well they were coloring up and how fast everything is growing. Hopefully the trend continues
biggles
Premium Member
I purchased a set of camera phone filters which are just small squares of colored film. They were on the counter at the LFS and Dave said they do a good job on the iphone so i thought for $15- why not.
I tried the amber one out with the iphone 6 in the top down box today and whilst not perfect it removes all the harsh blue and will give you much more pleasing results Matt. If you like i can post a couple of untouched iphone pics using the filter on my journal if you want mate.
I tried the amber one out with the iphone 6 in the top down box today and whilst not perfect it removes all the harsh blue and will give you much more pleasing results Matt. If you like i can post a couple of untouched iphone pics using the filter on my journal if you want mate.
From your experience are there any corals that you will not put in your system, due to adverse effects on the SPS's?
I have seen some of these coral in your pics before though. How much of a mixed reef can or should a mostly SPS tank be?
GSP
Xenia
Mushrooms
zoas
colt
hammer, forgspawn, or torch
I have seen some of these coral in your pics before though. How much of a mixed reef can or should a mostly SPS tank be?
GSP
Xenia
Mushrooms
zoas
colt
hammer, forgspawn, or torch
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I purchased a set of camera phone filters which are just small squares of colored film. They were on the counter at the LFS and Dave said they do a good job on the iphone so i thought for $15- why not.
I tried the amber one out with the iphone 6 in the top down box today and whilst not perfect it removes all the harsh blue and will give you much more pleasing results Matt. If you like i can post a couple of untouched iphone pics using the filter on my journal if you want mate.
Any chance you have a brand name of the filters? Some photos with the filters only would be good too
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mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
The more exclusively SPS the tank is, the better SPS will do in it. I have heard GSP, leathers, and mushrooms cause chemical issues. I did have a big leather coral that was getting irritated and after removing it a few years ago the surrounding SPS seemed to improve. I don't think there is any issue with Zoanthids except that they can be invasive. Colt Corals are a weed and also wage chemical warfare with SPS.
Nothing wrong with Hammer, Frogspawn, or Torch corals, as long as you give them plenty of room. At night they can extend sweeper tentacles can digest nearby corals. A sneaky nighttime warrior is the Acan Echinata. The other Acans are ok but the Echinata variety is very territorial, as well as many Favia.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Things are looking really good!! Those filters Andrew talks about are decent when you have nothing else.
Thanks! Ill take what i can get to make the pictures look better
My biggest issue with the iPhone is the depth of focus, I won't be able to fix that until I get a real camera with a real lens...
reefmutt
Active member
Sporazoa, I'd definitely agree..
However, check this out..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24105493#post24105493
There are always exceptions to the rule..
Matt, there are a few companies making very good lenses for the iPhone.. There is a wide angle, macro and telephoto which doubles the magnification. I had a set for my old phone.. I used the telephoto a lot..
Olloclip is one company... Much cheaper than a new camera with decent results..
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Thanks, ill look into them
Also, I am sure you might have seen this guys tank, but he is keeping so many different types of corals. I have not gone into detail in his thread & I wonder how he does it...good skimmer, carbon, phophate removal, water changes....???? I wonder what is his secret?
I also wonder how things are so close & not stinging each other or stinging each other & causing a major system collapse. One coral sting/death leads to another & then the system collapses...that type of cascade event.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2395250
I also wonder how things are so close & not stinging each other or stinging each other & causing a major system collapse. One coral sting/death leads to another & then the system collapses...that type of cascade event.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2395250
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
So you are using a Reef Octopus Diablo EXT-200 on BOTH tanks back to back plumbed together, or is this skimmer just for the 120g? How do you like the skimmer & is it a pain to adjust & set? What other skimmers have you used & how do you compare it with this RO?
Yes, both tanks are plumbed to one sump and the skimmer pulls water from this sump. The. Skimmer is rated for up to 350 gallons so the 195 gallons of my system is still lower than the mfg rating. The Ext requires water to be pumped into it, but other than that complication it is easy to set up and adjust. I run it on speed 3 or 4 out of six total speeds.
Before this one I used an eShopps needle wheel skimmer on this system. I found it to do ok but would go nuts and overflow from time to time. I've used airstone skimmers and Venturi skimmers but it's been a while. My LFS is very happy with Reef dynamics skimmers, and if money was no object I'd probably consider Vertex skimmers.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I'm very familiar with his tank
. You can have many types of corals together but it requires careful management and placement. LPS can get very large and will go where the current pull them.Thanks for your valuable input, as I am trying to fine tune my reefing skills & knowledge.
1) How many pounds of LR would you say you have in the 120 DT?
2) What are those darker spots on the glass of the last pic...coralline algae, that green algae that grows on glass walls, or cyano?
3) Also, what do you think about the venturi line of skimmers by LifeReef or will you never want to go back to a venturi skimmer after a needlewheel?
1) How many pounds of LR would you say you have in the 120 DT?
2) What are those darker spots on the glass of the last pic...coralline algae, that green algae that grows on glass walls, or cyano?
3) Also, what do you think about the venturi line of skimmers by LifeReef or will you never want to go back to a venturi skimmer after a needlewheel?
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
In the 120, it's almost 100% resin. Maybe 2 or three pounds of actual live rock in there as a couple of small rocks. In the 96 gallon tank there is maybe 50 lbs.
On the side walls? That's the greenish brown algae that grows on glass with some coralline mixed in. I scrape it off every so often with a razor but mostly I leave it and don't worry about it.
I don't know anything about their skimmers, but generally Venturi skimmers use more juice to perform their work. Electrical usage is a concern for me, especially for equipment that runs 24/7. My big needle wheel uses about 30 watts for the skimmer itself, that's pretty hard to beat.
Oh man, I love the fact that you use mostly resin, as it makes your tank even more impressive. I would imagine you see the typical growth on the resin as you do on rocks; the tube worms, feather dusters, barnacles (small white dots), coralline algae of sorts, & maybe some sponges?
I always saw my rock as a nitrate factory, as they would just get loaded with detritus & I would have to turkey blast & suction them out when doing a water change. Years ago I did a little side tank with minimal rock & a medium sand bed & it worked out just fine, although the tank had only 4 small fish & sparingly fed & no skimmer and always wanted to take it to the extreme. I got that idea from a fish only guy that I met at a LFS in 2001, who told me he found the secret to keeping salt water fish & that he fed them very well. He kept nothing in the tank at all & no sump either. He vacuumed out the bottom easily & it made for easy maintenance, although it made for a very bland landscape. But he did his weekly water changes though.
1) Now lets push the envelope on the minimalistic mark. Do you think someone can have a successful SPS only or semi-mixed reef with only the rocks & plugs the corals came on & no other rock work. So nutrient export would be with the following:
-Water column
-Rocks & plugs corals came on (with bacteria & fauna) & whatever grown on the glass walls & pipes.
-The corals themselves, as they filter the water & absorb nutrients
-Over rated skimmer
-Carbon & phosphate remover if/as needed
2) Have you seen evidence of reefs that push this envelope of minimalistic to the extreme? Any links?
3) If you were breaking down your system would you wash the resin rocks with 1:1 vinegar:water or maybe Clorox & water...do you know what others have done?
I always saw my rock as a nitrate factory, as they would just get loaded with detritus & I would have to turkey blast & suction them out when doing a water change. Years ago I did a little side tank with minimal rock & a medium sand bed & it worked out just fine, although the tank had only 4 small fish & sparingly fed & no skimmer and always wanted to take it to the extreme. I got that idea from a fish only guy that I met at a LFS in 2001, who told me he found the secret to keeping salt water fish & that he fed them very well. He kept nothing in the tank at all & no sump either. He vacuumed out the bottom easily & it made for easy maintenance, although it made for a very bland landscape. But he did his weekly water changes though.
1) Now lets push the envelope on the minimalistic mark. Do you think someone can have a successful SPS only or semi-mixed reef with only the rocks & plugs the corals came on & no other rock work. So nutrient export would be with the following:
-Water column
-Rocks & plugs corals came on (with bacteria & fauna) & whatever grown on the glass walls & pipes.
-The corals themselves, as they filter the water & absorb nutrients
-Over rated skimmer
-Carbon & phosphate remover if/as needed
2) Have you seen evidence of reefs that push this envelope of minimalistic to the extreme? Any links?
3) If you were breaking down your system would you wash the resin rocks with 1:1 vinegar:water or maybe Clorox & water...do you know what others have done?
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