My 65 Gallon Mixed Reef
- Thread starter biggles
- Start date
martinphillip03
New member
Where is Potatohead?
Marty
Marty
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
I caught a glimpse of Potatohead in the video posted above...but I think the fishes and Potatohead are not feeling well due to a lack of clothing on Biggles :lol: So they are hiding in the rocks...
Coral Frenzy
New member
Beautiful Tank and set up. Very well done.
martinphillip03
New member
Understand, I would hide also. But look at the results!
Marty
Marty
I caught a glimpse of Potatohead in the video posted above...but I think the fishes and Potatohead are not feeling well due to a lack of clothing on Biggles :lol: So they are hiding in the rocks...
troubadour11
Member
- HAhahahahahaha! :hmm3: I think some non-existing scientific papers need to be produced to fully describe the Nudist Reef Maintenance Method! :spin2:
And good to know my basic understanding of the relationship between the nutrients/light/alk is reasonably accurate. :reading: up on all this type of stuff hopefully helps me respond to my tank when I get to having more stuff in there! I really do appreciate all the helpful info and examples you've shared.
- That is fascinating to me! That burying it in the sand helps to stop the event. This is the first time I've ever heard of that. Really interesting and thanks for that tip! That is an awesomely unique tip/experience.After i posted last night i remembered what i used to do to stop RTN when i was too lazy to frag something or it was already too small. I discovered it years ago when i chucked a new small colony in the sump that was really blowing up with RTN from the bottom up the night i bought it. It was only $20 because the store knew it was in a bad pale way. Anyway the move to my tank was the final straw and within hours it began to get 'that' look and a few hours later after lights out i saw the flesh peeling away. After it reached up halfway in about 30 mins i grabbed it out and literally dropped it into the sump/frag section with the sh*ts over losing it. It was going so fast i didn't think it was even worth fragging.
The next morning i turned the lights on and the colony is upside down where it landed on the 1" deep sand bed. Completely white as expected. I pulled it out to throw it and all the branch ends that were buried in the sand were still covered in tissue. I placed it back in the display the right way up and 24 hours later there were about 50% more dead tips but the rest recovered and i fragged the you know what out of it to make a new mini colony with all the good bits and a tube of super glue.
So last night i took the branch and completely buried it in the sand in the sump, it had gone a bit further than in the video but it also lost about 10% more tissue after being buried. Tonight i took it from the sand grave and low and behold it still has tissue. Within about 2 hours i could see a tiny amount of PE on some of the tips so i'll be surprised if it starts RTN'ing again. There will probably be some more slow die off on some branches but a good portion of it will recover in most cases. If you think 'why not just frag it instead of burying it' - because with this way if you catch it soon enough you can preserve the integrity on an entire piece or colony without destroying all of the growth it's taken you years to see. Also works on small frags - yes i have experimented just as i always do - you know me lol.
It really does work but you can still see the tissue loss restart and lose everything just as can happen to last ditch frags, don't just sit and watch an acro implode - frag it or bury the bloody thing.
Here it is tonight. I only had the B+ lights on as it was bed time so i used the phone flash to light the shot. The yellow tang looks better than my acros at the moment which sh*ts me right up the wall tbh............
- And that picture fooled me for a moment. If I didn't know you kept a clean swept area at the front glass of your tank... I saw the image that the blue acro was 100% completely buried under your sand bed up against the glass. Kind of a nifty optical illusion going on there. At least in my brain. And definitely better to get an optical illusion involving the blue table rather then a Bare Bottom Biggles on maintenance duty.
- I'll look forward to some updates of the Blue Table RTN saga. Fingers crossed that it pulls through for you!I'll cross my fingers now that i can show you picks of that suicidal acro alive a week from now, if it all dies i'm going to blame Sahin just because i can, it can't be Bello's fault all the time, the minute you put your first SPS in the tank Troub you'll be joining the list of mates i attribute my reef misfortunes to.........My ytube channel would need to be called biggles blunders......
- This tip being one of the main reasons why my Disco LED lights are going to be dimmable. That way I can easily adjust the power for treatment/acclimation/or just plain fun every so often.
1.) WHAT!!! You don't know everything.?.?. I do appreciate you clearing that up!
2.) I don't think you come across that way at all since we asked you to share your opinion/experience on your issue on your thread.
3.) An excellent job laying it out in detail for an inexperienced hopeful reef keeper. Thanks!
- I don't know if I could count the times biggles or bello have livened up the conversation with a sprinkling of Reef Sex, Bare Bottoms, Reef Porn, and now the NRM Method (Nudist Reef Maintenance). :facepalm: LOL
martinphillip03
New member
Big, When using the NRM method, does makeup or nail polish help?
Marty
(just looking for every advantage)
Marty
(just looking for every advantage)
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Biggles, what is your opinion of nitrates in a reef tank? Bello sort of raised this question also in his journal...
I believe somewhere in your journal you wrote that you have 0ppm Nitrate. Can you please let us know what test kit you use?
Can you please discuss your experience in respect of Nitrate?
What I would like to understand is how it relates in your experience to SPS colours? -
Have you had a tank previously where the nitrate was say 5-10ppm and you still had good colour?
What really pi$$es me off with this hobby is that in the past 10 years as SPS keepers were havent advanced our learning at all IMO! We just get thrown different potions by all these companies who are not interested in much else other than to sell sell sell...meanwhile many just dump potions into their tanks thinking that is the fix! Arrrrghhh! Myself included have been pulled into this trick many times...
But I am at a point now where I need to have a clear grasp of being able to start a tank and have colourful SPS within a year...Its not about the colourful SPS, its the knowledge how to get there that is what I am after and it seems like we havent progressed at all in the past 10 years...
The way things are going with potions and systems appearing on the shelves every month...I bet we wouldnt have progressed much at all in another 10 years! :headwally:
Sorry for the rant in your journal mate...I am just frustrated with the lack of real knowledge/experience/data in this hobby. I'll shut up now. :hmm5:
I believe somewhere in your journal you wrote that you have 0ppm Nitrate. Can you please let us know what test kit you use?
Can you please discuss your experience in respect of Nitrate?
What I would like to understand is how it relates in your experience to SPS colours? -
Have you had a tank previously where the nitrate was say 5-10ppm and you still had good colour?
What really pi$$es me off with this hobby is that in the past 10 years as SPS keepers were havent advanced our learning at all IMO! We just get thrown different potions by all these companies who are not interested in much else other than to sell sell sell...meanwhile many just dump potions into their tanks thinking that is the fix! Arrrrghhh! Myself included have been pulled into this trick many times...
But I am at a point now where I need to have a clear grasp of being able to start a tank and have colourful SPS within a year...Its not about the colourful SPS, its the knowledge how to get there that is what I am after and it seems like we havent progressed at all in the past 10 years...
The way things are going with potions and systems appearing on the shelves every month...I bet we wouldnt have progressed much at all in another 10 years! :headwally:
Sorry for the rant in your journal mate...I am just frustrated with the lack of real knowledge/experience/data in this hobby. I'll shut up now. :hmm5:
biggles
Premium Member
Before i reply to you guys i just wanna say one thing - my new top down camera box is going to get a work out today so be prepared for rainbow vomit shots like below to follow........
A piece of my fluoro aculeus on the tip of the raft rock, one of my favorites. He's doing well in his battle with the blue and flouro polyped acro.
A piece of my fluoro aculeus on the tip of the raft rock, one of my favorites. He's doing well in his battle with the blue and flouro polyped acro.
troubadour11
Member
Before i reply to you guys i just wanna say one thing - my new top down camera box is going to get a work out today so be prepared for rainbow vomit shots like below to follow........
A piece of my fluoro aculeus on the tip of the raft rock, one of my favorites. He's doing well in his battle with the blue and flouro polyped acro.
^^^ If that coral was a drink... I bet it would taste like the old Koolaid Ecto-Cooler flavor! LOL
YAY! Top-down-a-palooza! I can't wait to see all the pictures to follow :thumbsup: Have some fun with them!
Fail_sh3d
New member
Before i reply to you guys i just wanna say one thing - my new top down camera box is going to get a work out today so be prepared for rainbow vomit shots like below to follow........
A piece of my fluoro aculeus on the tip of the raft rock, one of my favorites. He's doing well in his battle with the blue and flouro polyped acro.
So... Much... Awesome...
biggles
Premium Member
Even if i get the color adjustment off a bit i'm sure you'll all get the idea of what stuff looks like 
This pic shows the difference between the two SSC like acros i have. The top one is more like strawberries and cream in color with only the very slightest of green visible at times. The three frags below the orange pav are very green in low light but you can see the tips become less green and the pink more prominent as they are growing out from the shadows and receiving more light. That little piece of stylo is still recovering from when Lefty the crab had a munch on the tips - little bastard.
This pic shows the difference between the two SSC like acros i have. The top one is more like strawberries and cream in color with only the very slightest of green visible at times. The three frags below the orange pav are very green in low light but you can see the tips become less green and the pink more prominent as they are growing out from the shadows and receiving more light. That little piece of stylo is still recovering from when Lefty the crab had a munch on the tips - little bastard.
biggles
Premium Member
I've managed to not kill this flubbery thing whatever it is - quite an achievement for me.
More of the greener SSC from the other pic in high light - way paler branches. The blue tipped frags growing together normally have nice pale aqua colored branches but they're drab olive since the alk goof, should color back up over the next few weeks.
More of the greener SSC from the other pic in high light - way paler branches. The blue tipped frags growing together normally have nice pale aqua colored branches but they're drab olive since the alk goof, should color back up over the next few weeks.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Ouch! My eyes hurt! Its too green! Its toxic! :fun5:
That is an awesome representation on how different lighting affects the same coral:
That whatever it is, is beautiful mate:
I expect this journal to be flooded with more of these quality coral pics before the end of the coming week. :lol2:
That is an awesome representation on how different lighting affects the same coral:
That whatever it is, is beautiful mate:
I expect this journal to be flooded with more of these quality coral pics before the end of the coming week. :lol2:
biggles
Premium Member
Hot pink milli frag that has been looking amazing for 6 months but refuses to do anything. I passed on a 6" branch of this for $50- because it didn't look anything like it turned out to be - big mistake since i can't get the bastard of a thing to grow :headwally: I've been 'pulling a Bello' and keeping it hidden lol.
The blue stag from a West Aus reef is getting better color as time passes, still not happy with it though. The base is shaded and is turning greenish as are the lower light polyps - bloody green is like an infection.......
Yet more SSC, one of the frags on the magnet rocks in very low light and flow. The green is a bit greener than in the pic but otherwise it's pretty close. Goes to show you how many different acros you can get from one specimen if you luck onto one that likes all conditions. You would never think they were cut from the same branch.
The small frag top right was a piece of the same acro that RTN'd. It's all but dead too, it was going well until i killed it.
It may not look it to my eyes but the camera shows how much blue light the acros are getting. I had the LED's and 2 x B+ T5's off so it's actually more. Non color corrected pics to finish tonight......... why not.
The two SSC type acros near each other in high light and flow. Burnt tips on the stag far left and next to it is the ugliest acro i've ever seen - it turned this ghastly almost black color after i stuck the rock on it. No idea why i keep it tbh but you can see the stupid thing is still encrusting.
Potatohead being potatoheaded as usual when i take top downs. He actually jumped onto the bottom of the viewing box at one point.
I have over 30 bits of the 2 SSC type pink acros stuck around the reef - one day it's going to look awfully pink in my display lol. Few dead tips on the blue tipped acro top right. The bloody monti is swallowing the small blue acro frag i stuck on it a few months back. Going to leave it and see what happens.
Xmas tree, the only green decoration was assaulted by one of the SSC decorations last night - tragic :lolspin:
The blue stag from a West Aus reef is getting better color as time passes, still not happy with it though. The base is shaded and is turning greenish as are the lower light polyps - bloody green is like an infection.......
Yet more SSC, one of the frags on the magnet rocks in very low light and flow. The green is a bit greener than in the pic but otherwise it's pretty close. Goes to show you how many different acros you can get from one specimen if you luck onto one that likes all conditions. You would never think they were cut from the same branch.
The small frag top right was a piece of the same acro that RTN'd. It's all but dead too, it was going well until i killed it.
It may not look it to my eyes but the camera shows how much blue light the acros are getting. I had the LED's and 2 x B+ T5's off so it's actually more. Non color corrected pics to finish tonight......... why not.
The two SSC type acros near each other in high light and flow. Burnt tips on the stag far left and next to it is the ugliest acro i've ever seen - it turned this ghastly almost black color after i stuck the rock on it. No idea why i keep it tbh but you can see the stupid thing is still encrusting.
Potatohead being potatoheaded as usual when i take top downs. He actually jumped onto the bottom of the viewing box at one point.
I have over 30 bits of the 2 SSC type pink acros stuck around the reef - one day it's going to look awfully pink in my display lol. Few dead tips on the blue tipped acro top right. The bloody monti is swallowing the small blue acro frag i stuck on it a few months back. Going to leave it and see what happens.
Xmas tree, the only green decoration was assaulted by one of the SSC decorations last night - tragic :lolspin:
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Biggles, I didnt realise you have Royal Blue LED's over your tank. I thought you just had the Radium and either 2 or 4 Blue+ T's.
Can you please provide some info on the Blue LED's? Thanks mate. Keep the stunning photos coming. Loving your thread even more now with all these latest photos.
Can you please provide some info on the Blue LED's? Thanks mate. Keep the stunning photos coming. Loving your thread even more now with all these latest photos.
prop-frags
SPS Slave
I've managed to not kill this flubbery thing whatever it is - quite an achievement for me.
Love the flubbery thing.
Please send frags. Virginia is for flubber lovers.
biggles
Premium Member
Biggles, I didnt realise you have Royal Blue LED's over your tank. I thought you just had the Radium and either 2 or 4 Blue+ T's.
Can you please provide some info on the Blue LED's? Thanks mate. Keep the stunning photos coming. Loving your thread even more now with all these latest photos.
I think it was about 6 weeks ago i added a LED light bar in between the front T5's and the Radium angled a bit so it points towards the middle of the tank. You can see it in this pic i posted a while back of the lights above the tank.
From memory it's 78W with 20 x 3W RB's and 6 x 410's. I bought it for the pop it gives to anything fluoro in the tank. It stays on all day with the T5's.
I would if i could mate
This is some of the mess up high near the overflow. Lots of stuff up here got damaged. The stupid red stag thing has turned to crap and some tips have that deformation that happens when alk and calcium get way out of whack. All the bits of that blue acro i took off the raft and stuck on the green monster were going great but they took the alk spike badly and have STN all over the place. The little fluoro aculeus frag was doing really well up there but it's lost tips. Just to the right is a bloody encrusting blue stag that happened when i moved a small frag from there and didn't realise a small piece of it was left on the rock.
Lots of stuff is showing up as damaged that i hadn't really noticed but now the brown algae is growing i am noticing more and more spots of damage all over the bloody place.
My alk draw has dropped from 150ml to 80ml a day - that's how p*ssed off the acros still are. :facepalm:
biggles
Premium Member
Potatohead will use anything to get as high up as he can before launching himself at me lol.
This is how crazy he is, he actually swims upside down at the water surface trying to reach me when i have my hands close to the surface taking pics. You can see how he's disturbing the water with his swimming - batsh*t crazy is our Potatohead................:rolleye1:
I was trying to show the SSC frags i stuck above the red table. The table has gone a bit off in color, it has a rusty red look atm which isn't crash hot but no damage from the alk luckily. Btw, most of my SSC have purple/bluish encrusting edges which seems to be the norm as both the different ones i have show the same thing, is that what you guys see as well.
FastUno
New member
What you guys still maintain reefs in the nude? That is so old school...I use my wet suite hooked up to my apex controller.
I agree on TOTM material, you should be next! Plus you have the desire to teach & get the point across. I have learned the most from you RE sps's.
1) Holly Friggin Sh*t. That is a lot you pour into your tank. That skimmer must be the bomb or my skimmer must be as good, but that I just never put that much crap into my tank. I always RINSE out the mysis, brine, & blood worms before adding it into the tank.
If I were not to do that, then ALGAE hell is what would ensue from my experience years ago. So you feed like this EVERY SINGLE DAY?
That is some dedication for you to go through this turning this on & off and waiting 10min & then another hour each day. To be quite honest, I don't know if I can do that for any length of time before deciding to wing it.
2) So 6 months ago I started my reef tank, after years being out of hobby. I also started enjoying & keeping more SPS's. I was an impatient idiot 3 weeks ago & added a rock to my main tank from another reefer. He took the rock out of his system & let it dry out. It did not look bad at all & after months of having it sit around I needed a piece badly & so threw it in.
The next day my biggest SPS, pink birdsnets, started to bleach out. From the bottom it started to get white & by the end of that 2nd day it was mostly gone, with RTN. It also started to bleach 2 nearby SPS's, so I fragged the tops & placed in my 29g experimental tank.
Mind you I had not done sand in years, yet chose to do a DSB in this little tank. I placed all my cuts all over, including plugs into the sand bed. All further RTN stopped mostly BUT. Areas that were covered with sand it bleached ALL the way just in the spot covered with sand. Even days after if sand was shifted & blocked a part of SPS, you can bet where it touched & blocked the SPS for a few hours it would turn white.
I have very fine & soft sand & the corals in question were pink birdsnets, birds of paradise, green tip orange birdsnest, & green pocillopora damicornis. So I would put a little warning lable on the sand idea. I was shocked at this & asked isn't there sand in the ocean & during storms I was sure it would get all over?
I agree on TOTM material, you should be next! Plus you have the desire to teach & get the point across. I have learned the most from you RE sps's.
1) Holly Friggin Sh*t. That is a lot you pour into your tank. That skimmer must be the bomb or my skimmer must be as good, but that I just never put that much crap into my tank. I always RINSE out the mysis, brine, & blood worms before adding it into the tank.
If I were not to do that, then ALGAE hell is what would ensue from my experience years ago. So you feed like this EVERY SINGLE DAY?
That is some dedication for you to go through this turning this on & off and waiting 10min & then another hour each day. To be quite honest, I don't know if I can do that for any length of time before deciding to wing it.
2) So 6 months ago I started my reef tank, after years being out of hobby. I also started enjoying & keeping more SPS's. I was an impatient idiot 3 weeks ago & added a rock to my main tank from another reefer. He took the rock out of his system & let it dry out. It did not look bad at all & after months of having it sit around I needed a piece badly & so threw it in.
The next day my biggest SPS, pink birdsnets, started to bleach out. From the bottom it started to get white & by the end of that 2nd day it was mostly gone, with RTN. It also started to bleach 2 nearby SPS's, so I fragged the tops & placed in my 29g experimental tank.
Mind you I had not done sand in years, yet chose to do a DSB in this little tank. I placed all my cuts all over, including plugs into the sand bed. All further RTN stopped mostly BUT. Areas that were covered with sand it bleached ALL the way just in the spot covered with sand. Even days after if sand was shifted & blocked a part of SPS, you can bet where it touched & blocked the SPS for a few hours it would turn white.
I have very fine & soft sand & the corals in question were pink birdsnets, birds of paradise, green tip orange birdsnest, & green pocillopora damicornis. So I would put a little warning lable on the sand idea. I was shocked at this & asked isn't there sand in the ocean & during storms I was sure it would get all over?
Similar threads
