My Acro Nursery
- Thread starter maoiwowie
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maoiwowie
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@Gymped - The reefing world is even smaller, but LA is a big city. You never know. For an office tank, my set-up is a little over the top though. I have my desk then everything else is reef. I do sell frags and usually list some in the Socal Reefer section in the Reef Club forums. I have well over 70 colonies but I can only list a few at a time because its a lot of work to get to them all. Reefers usually come by and simply pick out what they like. If its fraggable, ill cut it for them. I dont do it to make money so reefers usually leave with plenty of designer frags on the cheap.
maoiwowie
New member
@Jonmf - Thanks! Hope those frags are growing for you.
@markalot - I have read your thread as well and know you have been on a rollercoaster. Sometimes we just arent sure what is going on and all we have left are crossed fingers. Ive been there and know ill be there again someday. Hang in there. I will say this. I tend to take a more natural approach to reach balance. Weekly water changes then a wait and see. The presence of cyano is an eyesore but it wont kill your corals either. Manual removal, reduced feeding, and time. Maybe consider going bare bottom and adding more live rock. You can also try using zeolites passively in a bag in your sump. It will take time to see any changes. Good luck.
@markalot - I have read your thread as well and know you have been on a rollercoaster. Sometimes we just arent sure what is going on and all we have left are crossed fingers. Ive been there and know ill be there again someday. Hang in there. I will say this. I tend to take a more natural approach to reach balance. Weekly water changes then a wait and see. The presence of cyano is an eyesore but it wont kill your corals either. Manual removal, reduced feeding, and time. Maybe consider going bare bottom and adding more live rock. You can also try using zeolites passively in a bag in your sump. It will take time to see any changes. Good luck.
maoiwowie
New member
@Sandman - Thanks for the compliments. Stability is important. I also tend to take a hands off approach to problems other reefers might react to. If its a cyano or an algae problem, something that looks ugly but wont immediately kill the corals, I let nature take its course. Right now my corals are pretty much out of control. Many pieces are touching or close to touching and I cant do anything about it anymore. I have this theory that the corals can sense this overcrowding and will regulate themselves. Growth and color start to morph. This goes beyond the obvious shadowing and sweeper tentacles. Its like a weaker colony will slow its own growth to avoid its neighbor or begin to STN to let other parts of the colony grow. Somehow this overcrowding is putting stress on the tank. Its just a theory...
Reeflife916
New member
@Gymped @ Nick - Thanks! The tank is located near downtown LA where i work. I live in Hollywood and do not have a tank at home. When we begin keeping reef tanks there is a natural progression toward SPS only tanks. But the transition is not easy. You develop habits keeping softies and lps' that are simply not appropriate for acros. I would see the TOTM compared to my sorry sticks and would be in almost disbelief that it was possible. How does my 6 month old 1 inch brown out with STN get to be that bright blue colony i see in the TOTM. Im doing everything right... Its impossible! You would read the same threads over and over... do this, try that, do not do that, you're fcuked, etc. I would always think to myself that I wished somebody would show me rather than tell me. Thats what I tried to do with this thread. It is indeed possible and dare I say easy. The tank is doing well. Humming along bursting with acros. If you look to the sides I have had to put shelves to hold mini colonies as there is simply no more floor space. Here is a photo taken just now.
Your colors are amazing! very nice tank!!
maoiwowie
New member
Thanks everyone!
@Sandman - I thought more about your question and firmly believe that because I only have aquacultured pieces that were grown from established colonies, my growth will outpace frags taken from maricultured or wild pieces. Alas as i mentioned before, the overcrowding is a bummer and taking away some of the pleasure in reefkeeping for me. I notice some colonies have STN from the bottom where it is shaded and i cant move them around to help them. Does anyone have any experience with overcrowding?
@Sandman - I thought more about your question and firmly believe that because I only have aquacultured pieces that were grown from established colonies, my growth will outpace frags taken from maricultured or wild pieces. Alas as i mentioned before, the overcrowding is a bummer and taking away some of the pleasure in reefkeeping for me. I notice some colonies have STN from the bottom where it is shaded and i cant move them around to help them. Does anyone have any experience with overcrowding?
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maoiwowie
New member
@ FF337 - Thanks. Im actually staring at my tank right now and it is no longer a source of pride, pleasure and peace. I cant even clean the glass without much effort and much damage. Im just bummed and anxious. What is the limiting factor for SPS health in a closed system? When does overgrowth become detrimental to the whole system? Nature has a way of balancing itself and this is what scares me. I feel like the SPS Police will be contacting me soon too... Ive sold many frags in the last 6 months and it has done nothing to save me from my overcrowding predicament... Perhaps its time to take a frag of each and start all over.
time for a new tank
I am currently trying to collect to my original collection. Back in 2014 our area had an ice storm which we were not prepared for. I am a fireman and was on duty with no access to a phone to tell my wife to connect the tank to the generator. I lost my entire 180 gallon sps reef. Roughly 75 acropora frags and colonies. I have had a few friends pitch in to spark my interest again. I recently sold the 180 and purchased a 93 cube. I also converted a storage room into a filtration room with a 34 gallon frag tank. One day I'll too have a problem, with over crowding if my SPS but I am far from it now. Adapting and overcoming is my main drive in the hobby.
I've tagged this thread for reference. Thanks again.
Seeing your issue with the ice fire echinata gave me flashbacks. My old colony was roughly 8" tall and it lost all of its flesh overnight.
I am currently trying to collect to my original collection. Back in 2014 our area had an ice storm which we were not prepared for. I am a fireman and was on duty with no access to a phone to tell my wife to connect the tank to the generator. I lost my entire 180 gallon sps reef. Roughly 75 acropora frags and colonies. I have had a few friends pitch in to spark my interest again. I recently sold the 180 and purchased a 93 cube. I also converted a storage room into a filtration room with a 34 gallon frag tank. One day I'll too have a problem, with over crowding if my SPS
but I am far from it now. Adapting and overcoming is my main drive in the hobby. I've tagged this thread for reference. Thanks again.
Seeing your issue with the ice fire echinata gave me flashbacks. My old colony was roughly 8" tall and it lost all of its flesh overnight.
Come on now, 99% of the fun of sps is watching them grow. I would not want to be responsible for denying anyone of that pleasure.
I agree on this. Outwitting potential disasters to keep a long lasting thriving tank is my fun. Watching them grow is the reward.
I look at it like this - we are recreating one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet, if not the most. There's an element of equipment, but also design. These aren't package deals and we all build them up and create a routine based off of advice and what we think might be best. SPS is the ultimate challenge and to see it grow and thrive is the absolute measure of success. IMHO.
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