My Very Shallow Reef Tank Re Do

Finally! My SSC is getting some other color then green. I have been referring to it as a Pistachio Shortcake. It has been very near to the executioner's block or becoming a door prize at a local club meet. It has begun growing some shoots and getting pink tips. This does not mean that I am satisfied or that it has earned a permanent home in my tank. It only means that a stay has been ordered and the jury is back in session. Hopefully the green can receede some and more pink and red take over.
<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_20170228_182624.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_20170228_182624.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170228_182624.jpg"/></a>
 
Does anyone have any idea what this is? Bought it as a frag about 1 1/2" tall. The arms are whiter then the camera shows but there is a purple/blue core showing through. It appeared pretty traumatized and depleted of zoa when I purchased. The polyps are just beginning to poke out. They said they thought it was a Beast Mode frag but I have never heard of this and it means nothing to me. I just thought the piece had potential. I would be glad if anyone could say what type of acro if the commercial comic book name is unknown.

<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_20170228_183801.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_20170228_183801.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170228_183801.jpg"/></a>
 
Okay, I finally made the addition of the second 32" SB Reef Light to double my amount of LED emitters. I have dialed back the power percentages on each channel until the coral has time to adapt.

My goal has been to create the effect of T5s as far as coverage. It is better to have far more lights and dial them back, then to have a few pucks cranked up to high power. This only created par fall off areas and Led shading effect.

Really what I have wanted is a bigger area with LED emitters shining straight down, rather then light hitting corals from an angle.




My tank is 24" from front to back and I now have 19" of coverage with LED emitters shining straight down. The fixtures are 32" long and they cover the area from my left overflow to my right overflow perfectly, as it is exactly 32".

I hope this addresses what I see as the main weakness in LEDs.
 
A couple day progress picture on the new coral. Looks like some sort of Blue/purple acro. The polyps have started coming out and the center is coloring up.
 
Geeray said:
Lots of potential hopefully it turns into a stunner!
Click to expand...
Yes, I am hoping for something spectacular. I got this for $15.00 and I want this to be one of those great finds on the discount shelf. It looks like the polyps are trying to get some color. I can't tell if they are or I am just trying to see some color where there is none. Time will tell.
 
reefmutt said:
Hey Kevin, looking good!
Nice addition of the second light, that should seriously reduce shadowing.
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt. Between the increased flow and additional light, I am pretty anxious for the next couple weeks to go by to see what direction things go. I think the improved flow will be as big a change as the lights.

Previously some of these polyps were barely moving. Everything is looking a lot better with the new flow. I was afraid of too much flow in a shallow tank, that it would blow the skin off the acros but all seems good.

Excuse the cell phone video but it is enough to see the improvement.


http://vid1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/VID_20170305_202522.mp4
 
kevlow said:
A couple day progress picture on the new coral. Looks like some sort of Blue/purple acro. The polyps have started coming out and the center is coloring up.
Click to expand...

This bad boy is changing almost daily. It is going almost too good. It is continuing to color up, the blue and purple core is darkening.


<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_20170308_182148.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_20170308_182148.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170308_182148.jpg"/></a>
 
<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Collage%202017-04-04%2018_15_10.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Collage%202017-04-04%2018_15_10.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Collage 2017-04-04 18_15_10.jpg"/></a>

I have learned a lot about the value of flow in the tank. Because of how shallow the tank is I was always afraid to have much flow. I worried that any flow would be direct flow and hurt the acros.

Apparently I was really wrong. The acros are loving it. I just increased power even more three days ago and there is already a positive response.

This Lokani was photoed one week ago and the changes are visible. Increased PE and growth, and the tips are rounding out.

I am very happy with the increased light and flow. Maybe I can post some more comparison pics this week.
 
Another progress shot. This is an SSC that I am not very fond of, therefore it does not get photographed much. The pic on the left is from a month ago. Color was better with higher nitrates and much higher Kelvin temp. Pic on lower right is from about two weeks back. Decreased the amount of blue light and lowered the nitrates. Top right pic is yesterday 4/4/17. Increased flow and light. Much improved growth and a little more PE. Color saturation is not as good at 5 nitrate as at 20.

<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Collage%202017-04-04%2019_11_55.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Collage%202017-04-04%2019_11_55.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Collage 2017-04-04 19_11_55.jpg"/></a>
 
I have never known for sure just what type of milli this is. It was sold as a light blue millie for $10. It turned brown then back to powder blue. I think it may be in the Cousin It family.
It did not do too much at first. It responded well to the increased light. Enjoyed the increased flow. When I turned the flow up even higher it loved it even more. Appears to be taking off. The arms have developed longer, reddish hairs to go with the powder blue hair on the main body.

<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/Collage%202017-04-05%2005_13_54.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/Collage%202017-04-05%2005_13_54.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Collage 2017-04-05 05_13_54.jpg"/></a>
 
Kev you definitely have happy corals. Nice progression.
Those light patches on the lokani, I wonder if that is light stress..
could you try shading it?
 
reefmutt said:
Kev you definitely have happy corals. Nice progression.
Those light patches on the lokani, I wonder if that is light stress..
could you try shading it?
Click to expand...

It is sitting in 400 par.[maybe 440 factoring in the Blue LEDs on the Apogee meter]

It had less color on the branches while at lower par; yet the center was still white-ish. At a higher nitrate level the color was a little more solid.

I am sure that is a combination of things, mostly the type and strength of light hitting it. Also the nutrient level while it is getting hit with that combination of light.

It may possibly want a slight bit less par, higher kelvin and more nitrates. I have not glued down the rock it has encrusted so moving it is still possible. I am still learning and adapting the tank to the conditions it likes the best so nothing is off the table at this point.
 
I made the executive decision today to add another display tank to my system. I have ordered a Deep Blue 80G. 48"x24"x16". This will sit on a stand directly beside my current shallow display. I will plumb it into the same sump.

This will allow me to remove the light and corals from below and allow it to return to being a sump and nothing more. It will still function in the same simple, open manor but will have additional filter socks and more matrix.

The new display will house the larger acros and fish. It will also help create a larger water volume to corals ratio. This should stabilize the tank a little more. [Who am I kidding, I will probably just fill it up with acros and the ratio will remain the same.]

I plan to take it slowly and remove the larger pieces to start with. Then as choice pieces mature in the shallow tank, I will move them over into the larger display. Hopefully, they will have room to spread out and become full colonies. In the shallow tank I must start fragging back piece once they are little more then mini colonies.

I will post pics as this starts to happen.

Thank you to Reef Central SPS forum for providing inspiration and knowledge. This place sets the bar very high and shows what is possible in a hobbyist's aquarium.
 
I want to make a photo record of some new frags and nubs that were acquired in a trade with another hobbyist.

I was just told blue and purple acro. It is about two inches tall and nearly bone white when placed in my system. It still has rather nice PE. When looking down on it from above there is still some light blue tint shading the skin.

<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_20170411_204637.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_20170411_204637.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170411_204637.jpg"/></a>

This seems to be they way I get most pieces; bone white, tan, or brown. The tan and brown are more sure to survive but take longer to color up. The white is a bit more sketchy. They seem to color up quicker. But I have lost pieces like this where as I have never lost a brown piece during the first few months.
 
Since doubling the amount of LED emitters and creating a much larger area of coverage with higher density, this Blue Stag has taken off. But it's growth has been horizontal not vertical. I am not sure if this is because so much more light is hitting it from all sides now that it can grow in all directions; as opposed to just vertical growth towards a single light source. Or, would it have grown this way regardless. I don't know but it is growing much faster with more light and flow.
<a href="http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/kevlow1/media/IMG_20170411_205142.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc458/kevlow1/IMG_20170411_205142.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170411_205142.jpg"/></a>
 
This Perry's Planet has become a fast growing , beautiful piece. It can vary in coloration and saturation according to my nutrients available. I have dropped the nitrates from 20 to 5 and it has lightened the red from strawberry red with dark cherry coralites to a lite red all over. I prefer the look with the heavier nutrient load. Still an awesome piece.
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Acros are looking fantastic Kev, i also find the nitrates a little higher is best for my colors and they have been resting at 10 for quite a while now instead of the 2-5 i used to aim for.

The SSC pigments developing tell you you're doing all the right things mate :)
 
biggles said:
Acros are looking fantastic Kev, i also find the nitrates a little higher is best for my colors and they have been resting at 10 for quite a while now instead of the 2-5 i used to aim for.

The SSC pigments developing tell you you're doing all the right things mate :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for stopping in and looking and commenting.

Your tank is a benchmark and standard of this hobby. Never stop pushing the limits and setting new standards in husbandry.

When I told my wife that I wanted to vacation in DeerPark, she was very happy. I think she thought it was like Central Park in New York City. Being we live in west central Florida she wants a trip to the cool north. I think it will be really cool.
 
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