My Very Shallow Reef Tank Re Do

K

kevlow

New member
Hello All,
It has been awhile since I have been active in online reefing boards. About fifteen months ago I started to revive this tank as an LPS/Chalice low maintenance tank. Then I started remembering all the reasons why LPS did not hold my interest in the past.
About four or five months ago I started placing a few SPS frags in the tank. Some easy birdsnest and Appleberry Monti did well. I have been reading the RC SPS section for about a year now and the talk of becoming a bacteria driven tank verses an algae based tank has kept my attention. The results from the regulars in this forum has been inspirational to say the least.

Two months ago I stopped dosing various products and simplified my husbandry. Besides Alk and Cal, I only dose Koral Color [I started off with the full Biggles Juice program but I cut off the Trace Hard because of my water change program] I have 5 liters of Matrix in the sump for 6 weeks now. This week I have started to dose two drops of Pro Bio S to help seed the bacteria in the system.

I will post a few pics of the two months growth for comparison. I am happy with the direction things are going but I am still trying to get everything dialed in.
This was a Red Planet frag approx. two months ago. Please excuse my phone pictures.
https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn....=e28914f3c89e9db719f18792848a814d&oe=579D74CB

Now less then two months later:
https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn....=1add26ffa67984865cc43da265bce557&oe=57D5085E

https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn....=680588ef0ab273ffdff9abf71feccafe&oe=57D85800

Edit: Sorry, I thought that would post the pictures. I will try again.
 
Tri Color frag 2 1/2 months old and then as of today. There is a
lot of new bright blue branches out the other side not visible to the camera.
Green dragon.Growing and encrusting.
 

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Finally figured it out. Front shot.
 
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Most of the growth on the Red Planet and the Blue Tenuis has been in the last six weeks since feeding heavy and dosing only Koral Color.

I don't know the names of the next two corals but they both came to me nearly white or tan. Next they turned maroon and now morphing into their own colors.
a>

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I received this as a "Wild Aussie Acro" nearly bone white.After six weeks it is turning lime green. The coralite tips are trying to turn Rose.
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Another wild Aussie that was tan with TN purchased cheap. I cut the white and saved the end piece. Went from brown to purple. Now the coralites are turning lime green.<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/13254564_1223470447678086_3214623440961856911_n.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/13254564_1223470447678086_3214623440961856911_n.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 13254564_1223470447678086_3214623440961856911_n.jpg"/></a>
 
I think I have a little bit better quality pics. This time I nabbed the wife's IPad.

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Last edited:
acesq said:
Tank is looking great! Nice colors and PE. How are you lighting it?
Click to expand...
Thank you and thanks for looking.
The lighting is two Radion Gen 3 with wide angle lenses. They are supplemented with older Par 38 bulbs that I had in storage.

The length and width of the tank is a challenge to light properly being only 7" of water. I must make use of all available space since there is no depth. Leds, being very focused light, does not give good spread to cover all the tank. I had to use the lenses and raise he fixture up 15" above the rim to get the spread. But then I lost a lot of Par being that high up and using the lenses. So I supplemented with the Par 38s.

I had 200-250 PAR in the center of the tank before I added the Par 38s.. I have not used the meter again since adding the Par 38s but I would gues I have 300-350 Par in the very center.

To get full coverage and corals getting light from more the one dirction, I think I would need a third Radion. or I could spend half the money and get 4 more Par38s and place two to the outside of each Radion.

I am happy with the LEDs as to color and growth. The coverage and directional light is a challenge. The lack of radiant heat put off in the room is much better then when I had T5sor Halides.


You can see the shading on the edges of the tank.
 
Update time. I am three months into my current configuration and husbandry routine. Growth has been good on some pieces, ok on others. Color has been very good. My nitrates have been as high as 25 but the last two weeks have brought them down to 5. But when the nitrates came down my phosphate jumped a little from .04 to .1.

I am really trying to not chase numbers, but rather watch my coral. I am only making very minor adjustments in feeding but not breaking from my Koral Color dosing.
a>
<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47761.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47761.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47761.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47851.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47851.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47851.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47891.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47891.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47891.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47921.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47921.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47921.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47981.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47981.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47981.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47521.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47521.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47521.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47551.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47551.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47551.jpg"/></a>
 
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I am very happy with this little Lokani. All my pieces start as tiny frags since I have a shallow tank. This little guy encrusted first and is now growing fairly rapidly. . He is turning a nice blue and beginning to ranch out. It think It will be a very nice coral.<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47571.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47571.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47571.jpg"/></a>
 
Blue stag has doubled in size rescently. I can't get around the LED shading of the underside. In direct light it is a crisp blue.<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47691.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Tank%20June%202016/IMG_47691.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_47691.jpg"/></a>

Red Planet growing aggressively. It is a common coral but I think a bright, rich, red, Red Planet is an eye catcher and an excellent center piece.
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Some top down with the pumps off view.
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My end of July update is running a little late. I would like to wait for my wife to return from out of state with the IPad to take better photos then my cheap phone camera.

I have made many changes including placing a light over my sump in order to move corals down below to create space above. I tried to get rid of some chalice, monti, frogspawn and lps but got resistance from the rest of the family. My wife, sons, and family pet ferret organized and formed a resistance movement. Rather then give them away or selling them, I got to compromise by spending more money on lighting for the sump.
Now I have more space for acros in the prime high light real estate.
Overall growth is OK. A few pieces are growing fast, a few not at all, and the rest just gradual.
Color has been good and I am very happy with this. I am four months into Andrew's Biggle Juice Koral Color program but without the Trace Hard. Using regular water changes instead.I have added AF Pro Bio S and NP Pro. It appears colors are best at about 10 nitrates and Phos around .04 or so. When nitrates drop below 5 my colors seem to fade a bit.

I would be happy with a bit faster growth on a few more pieces.
 
I would like to Thank Perry for his insight and time spent showing his tank and teaching.
I will be getting a few collect pieces from him soon but bring home a green slimer and another acro that I cannot remember the name of.

I will post a couple of phone pics now and do a full up date when I have the better camera back home.
Thanks again Perry! Both pieces are doing well and are taking off.
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Kevin,
Thank You for your kind words, glad to see those little frags doing well. The one you forgot the name is Rommels Watermelon Acro :) That Green Slimer looks awesome, best one I have ever owned, lol... PE looks insane, colors look great too, glad to see the tank taking off, nice top downs man! Cheers :)
 
A quick little video of the Rommels Watermelon with the return pump off. Usually when I get frags they are very small and very brown. It is always a surprise to see what they end up being. This is the best condition coral that I have ever started with. I do not believe that it will disappoint.
<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid1212.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc458%2Fkevlow1%2FVID_20160801_171836.mp4&title=">
 
Now I have the IPad for end of July update.
First off, I placed a light over half the sump to move my montis, chalice, and some general flubber out of the way. <a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_4812_1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_4812_1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_4812_1.jpg"/></a>
Freed up some room in the display and now the sump looks alittle more cluttered but the family is happy I did not get rid of their favorite pieces.
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