Myka's 69 SPS Tank 2015
- Thread starter Myka
- Start date
Myka
Reefing since '93
Thanks! Did you read the part above where I contributed most of the improvements to the use of the Components 1+2+3+? I think it's the additions of the micros that made the biggest difference for my tank. YYMV.
I'm about a week late to the actinic discussion, but would the use of LEDs replace the need for actinic bulbs? I'm running an 8 x 80w ATI Powermodule Hybrid and run blues and royal blues only at about 30% for most of the photoperiod, with just a 1 hour midday burst of full spectrum.
Myka
Reefing since '93
I think so too Matt! :bounce3: About time this tank starts to produce - it's a late bloomer. :uhoh3:
The jugs say exactly this (it's so hard to read...the print is tiny! lol):
Component 1+ contains: Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Co, Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Cr (50 mL raises of 9 mg Ca/100L and 0,6 mg Mg/100L).
Component 2+ contains: NaHCO3, F, I (50 mL raises the KH of 1,3 dKH-Alk 0.46 meg/l)
Component 3+ contains: Mineral salts and K, Bo.
Rybren
Well-known member
I've ordered a few things from MOPS and found them to be quite good. Their prices and shipping are reasonable and they do a quick turnaround from the time of order until it is shipped.
Myka
Reefing since '93
Great update Mindy, I absolutely love the direction these corals are heading
Beautiful coloration
Cheers
Thanks Perry! Me too.
Finally!Good to know, thanks! I notice they only carry partial lines of products though, so I was wondering if they just buy bulk at discount prices and maybe won't always have stock. I haven't really watched them.
Myka
Reefing since '93
Well I had a contractor here working in the house today, so I had to stick around. As nice as it is outside, I figured it was long overdue for me to spend a few hours messing around with my hands in the tank. There has been an increasingly annoying population of large Vermetid Worms in the tank that have been irritating the corals a lot lately with their webs. Last weekend I got some epoxy out and put little balls of epoxy over a bunch of their shell openings. I noticed some were able to push their "prison door" off, so it only partially worked. I decided to get in there today with some frag nippers and broke a bunch off including the ones I epoxied... the smell was disgusting! *barf* I think I got 90% of them at least. I also changed out a rock on the left side that was really annoying me. I had one ready to go in the sump, so now it's blaringly white in the tank! :lol: The shape works better though I think.
I'll take some pics hopefully tonight and post them up. Grow has continued to be good and color is slowly improving, but not as quickly as in May when it improved leaps and bounds. Every week I'm turning the doser up to keep up with demands. I have increased dosing by 65% in the last 4 weeks!
Unfortunately, because of this increase the alkalinity has been ramping up and down between 6.8-7.6 which is more of a swing than I like to see. I should start testing and adjusting twice a week - but it's summer and "what tank??? Oh, is that beer???" :lol: However, I've noticed that when the alkalinity swings down in the 6.8 dKH range that the polyp extension on the SPS actually increases compared to when alkalinity is 7.2 dKH. I worry about the LPS with alk lower than 7.0 dKH though. Hmm...what to do???
As far as dosing goes, I stopped AcroPower a few weeks ago now hoping to chew back the hair algae in the one area of the tank as well as a couple small patches of green cyano. The hair algae is now starting to die off, so I'm happy about that.
The Electric Flame Scallop has now been in the tank for 8 1/2 weeks and it looks better now than it did in the store. It is a lot more "fleshy". It moves around every few days. I hope that is not a sign that it is unhappy. I was curious if the Aquaforest method provided enough food for a critter like the Flame Scallop and so far so good, but it's too early to tell. I'd love to add a couple NPS Gorgs in the future too.
Today's test results:
S 35 ppt (freshly calibrated)
Ca 410 ppm (S)
Alk 121 ppm, 6.8 dKH (H)
Alk 6.55 dKH (S) (new test kit...noticed it reads 0.2 dKH lower than the previous kit)
Mg 1320 ppm (RSP)
K 410 ppm (S)
NO3 0.25 (RSP)
NO3 0.5 ppm (S)
PO4 4 ppb, 0.01 ppm (H ULR)
I'll take some pics hopefully tonight and post them up. Grow has continued to be good and color is slowly improving, but not as quickly as in May when it improved leaps and bounds. Every week I'm turning the doser up to keep up with demands. I have increased dosing by 65% in the last 4 weeks!
Unfortunately, because of this increase the alkalinity has been ramping up and down between 6.8-7.6 which is more of a swing than I like to see. I should start testing and adjusting twice a week - but it's summer and "what tank??? Oh, is that beer???" :lol: However, I've noticed that when the alkalinity swings down in the 6.8 dKH range that the polyp extension on the SPS actually increases compared to when alkalinity is 7.2 dKH. I worry about the LPS with alk lower than 7.0 dKH though. Hmm...what to do???As far as dosing goes, I stopped AcroPower a few weeks ago now hoping to chew back the hair algae in the one area of the tank as well as a couple small patches of green cyano. The hair algae is now starting to die off, so I'm happy about that.
The Electric Flame Scallop has now been in the tank for 8 1/2 weeks and it looks better now than it did in the store. It is a lot more "fleshy". It moves around every few days. I hope that is not a sign that it is unhappy. I was curious if the Aquaforest method provided enough food for a critter like the Flame Scallop and so far so good, but it's too early to tell. I'd love to add a couple NPS Gorgs in the future too.
Today's test results:
S 35 ppt (freshly calibrated)
Ca 410 ppm (S)
Alk 121 ppm, 6.8 dKH (H)
Alk 6.55 dKH (S) (new test kit...noticed it reads 0.2 dKH lower than the previous kit)
Mg 1320 ppm (RSP)
K 410 ppm (S)
NO3 0.25 (RSP)
NO3 0.5 ppm (S)
PO4 4 ppb, 0.01 ppm (H ULR)
Last edited:
Myka
Reefing since '93
Ok, let's try this again...
Top down photos from today!
On the left is ORA Red Planet, on the right is Fragbox's Fantastic Acro:
A. papillare(?). I just moved this one to its current new location. It used to hold a premier location and I didn't think it deserved it, so it's been downgraded. It's nice, but it's not reeeally nice. In its old premier location is now gtareef's Blueberry Wine.
Unknown Bali piece. It appears to be taking on a strong tabling growth habit, so I've changed its location to the "tabling" side of the tank on the left rock.
M. crapitosa
is showing some interesting lime green striations in the middle of the photo that I was just barely able to capture in the photo.
A. echinata also in a new placement. The blue tips are metallic in person and just GLOW. Love this one. It might be my current fav...not sure.
A. microclados (nasuta?) which this particular photo does it no justice. However, it does show where I nipped the ends off the unproductive tips to urge them to start growing. I did this to a couple other pieces in the tank too.
Top down photos from today!
On the left is ORA Red Planet, on the right is Fragbox's Fantastic Acro:
A. papillare(?). I just moved this one to its current new location. It used to hold a premier location and I didn't think it deserved it, so it's been downgraded. It's nice, but it's not reeeally nice. In its old premier location is now gtareef's Blueberry Wine.
Unknown Bali piece. It appears to be taking on a strong tabling growth habit, so I've changed its location to the "tabling" side of the tank on the left rock.
M. crapitosa
is showing some interesting lime green striations in the middle of the photo that I was just barely able to capture in the photo.
A. echinata also in a new placement. The blue tips are metallic in person and just GLOW. Love this one. It might be my current fav...not sure.
A. microclados (nasuta?) which this particular photo does it no justice. However, it does show where I nipped the ends off the unproductive tips to urge them to start growing. I did this to a couple other pieces in the tank too.
Myka
Reefing since '93
A. tenuis(?) Bali "Wolverine". Fuzzy lil thang.
A. millepora(?) I don't remember what color it's supposed to be - it browned out real bad. I haven't had it long, but some color is starting to show through again.
CM Green Dragon (olddude) and A/ caroliniana. Nice color comparison. The GD doesn't really have a placement yet.
A. nasuta which has been an ugly brown turd for 10 months and is finally starting to perk up. The polyps are now very rich royal blue.
A. millepora(?) I don't remember what color it's supposed to be - it browned out real bad. I haven't had it long, but some color is starting to show through again.
CM Green Dragon (olddude) and A/ caroliniana. Nice color comparison. The GD doesn't really have a placement yet.
A. nasuta which has been an ugly brown turd for 10 months and is finally starting to perk up. The polyps are now very rich royal blue.
Myka
Reefing since '93
The non-Acros
Indo Torch
RBTA playing host to a couple breeding SA Onyx Clowns (Thing One and Thing Two) with M. crapitata in the foreground.
Mr Hot Pants the Electric Flame Scallop
Candy Apple Reds
From left to right; Emeralds on Fire, Tubb's Blues, Sunny D, Solar Flare.
Indo Torch
RBTA playing host to a couple breeding SA Onyx Clowns (Thing One and Thing Two) with M. crapitata
in the foreground.
Mr Hot Pants the Electric Flame Scallop
Candy Apple Reds
From left to right; Emeralds on Fire, Tubb's Blues, Sunny D, Solar Flare.
Myka
Reefing since '93
The Clean Up
This is the mess I allowed to accumulate.
Here's the cleaned up version.
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Another view so you can see the rock formations better.
A close up of the left side with Snoopy, Fang, Skipper, and Red Eye hangin out. I can see Streaker too, but I doubt anyone else can. Hahaha!
The right side with Red Eye and Skipper again as well as Mr Hot Pants under the rocks, Thing One, Thing Two, and Margaret.
This is the mess I allowed to accumulate.
Here's the cleaned up version.
Another view so you can see the rock formations better.
A close up of the left side with Snoopy, Fang, Skipper, and Red Eye hangin out. I can see Streaker too, but I doubt anyone else can. Hahaha!
The right side with Red Eye and Skipper again as well as Mr Hot Pants under the rocks, Thing One, Thing Two, and Margaret.
