ReefEnabler
Premium Member
I like your newfound Actinic photography skills!! I might have to try the coffee filter trick, since my actinic photos are just awful :lol:
Pete's 280 log
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psteeleb
Team RC
after trying all kinds of settings I took some with a flash, the end result was mostly browns but nice sharp photos. I decided to mute the flash and then to filter it. I think it's mostly fooling the camera that there will be a lot of light so it snaps a fast picture accordingly. This seems to mute the heavy blues but allows for florescent effect to still come through. If you completely block the flash you will get just the phosphoresces with no other structure so letting just a smidgen of light through helps give the coral some structure.
BigJay
New member
I'm glad to hear you're getting the hang of the kalk reactor. How much two part have you had to dose over the last week to keep Ca and Alk up? You were dosing around like a gallon or so every 10 days before, hopefully this cut your demand down.
My tank is doing all right, but I'm a little frustrated at the moment with the new naso not accepting food. I'll try to drop by today with some nori and borrow some garlic.
My tank is doing all right, but I'm a little frustrated at the moment with the new naso not accepting food. I'll try to drop by today with some nori and borrow some garlic.
psteeleb
Team RC
Kalc reactor auto dosing = 3 gallons a day
supplemented 2 part = zero
sps reaction = priceless
haha :lol:
I'll be out tonight - going to Denton to take my daughter a lawn mower and going to a concert at UNT of hers.
If you want to try something today, I know people have used the natural garlic chunks with the juice for encourging feeding. I've seen the stuff at Central Market but I can't recall what brands. There are a couple that use the same natural ingredients as Garlic Extreme by Kent. here is what is in it:
99% Allium Sativum Extract (Garlic Juice), Citric Acid and Ascorbic Acid (as preservatives).
again, there are several products that have one or the other preservatives, they are fine, just stay away from non natural products
BigJay
New member
Marc, one issue Pete had was that I believe he was running magnetic ballasts before switching to icecap. Magnetics will overdrive halides some and reduce their life even faster, especially the reeflux bulbs.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a 30% PAR increase with fresh bulbs, especially before they break-in.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a 30% PAR increase with fresh bulbs, especially before they break-in.
psteeleb
Team RC
Jay - if you haven't got T'Pal to eat yet, let me know. I can swing by tonight with my garlic extreme to see if it helps.
The lights are definitely brighter, my guess was 20% and Marc's chart would support at least that (30% wouldn't surprise me).
Shortly after the bulb change I moved several coral, some up higher and more centered under lights so they are getting a double whammy if not more of increased light intensity.
One mille seems to love the change more PE then ever and yet another mille has retracted some, but no burnt tips etc. so I suspect it will recover.
A prostrata mini colony is getting a ton more light then before, it took a day or so to get adjusted but is doing fine.
The granulosa Marc gave me took a hit, part of this frag was getting shaded light and was already going downhill. It was significantly weakened or dead in some areas, so by moving it into direct light with the increased intensity, these areas soon died off completely. The part (about half of the original frag) that was getting direct light is looking great.
My main prostrata colony that is about 20" below water surface has excellent colors but the PE seems to have retracted a bit. This may be the lights, or it could be that I've pulled it twice in the past 10 days for close inspection and a ReVive dip as I was concerned about some marks that appeared to be AEFW's signs. Fortunately nothing was found. I did notice one of my yellow tangs nipping it last night so that may be my PE issue on this coral.
I also moved several birdsnest corals, my pink (more brown/blue polyp) seems like it likes shade (see previous posts) so I moved it down and tucked back some under the big staghorn colony. I'll keep an eye out on it to make sure it does okay, but so far so good.
My green birdsnest (main and frags) all seem to be loving the more intense light.
Another BN frag (I think it's suppose to be yellow with light lime green tips) that I got a while back that has been in my frag area was moved up and under direct light and appears to be loving it also. Right now it's just yellow so I'm looking forward to see what the tips do.
The lights are definitely brighter, my guess was 20% and Marc's chart would support at least that (30% wouldn't surprise me).
Shortly after the bulb change I moved several coral, some up higher and more centered under lights so they are getting a double whammy if not more of increased light intensity.
One mille seems to love the change more PE then ever and yet another mille has retracted some, but no burnt tips etc. so I suspect it will recover.
A prostrata mini colony is getting a ton more light then before, it took a day or so to get adjusted but is doing fine.
The granulosa Marc gave me took a hit, part of this frag was getting shaded light and was already going downhill. It was significantly weakened or dead in some areas, so by moving it into direct light with the increased intensity, these areas soon died off completely. The part (about half of the original frag) that was getting direct light is looking great.
My main prostrata colony that is about 20" below water surface has excellent colors but the PE seems to have retracted a bit. This may be the lights, or it could be that I've pulled it twice in the past 10 days for close inspection and a ReVive dip as I was concerned about some marks that appeared to be AEFW's signs. Fortunately nothing was found. I did notice one of my yellow tangs nipping it last night so that may be my PE issue on this coral.
I also moved several birdsnest corals, my pink (more brown/blue polyp) seems like it likes shade (see previous posts) so I moved it down and tucked back some under the big staghorn colony. I'll keep an eye out on it to make sure it does okay, but so far so good.
My green birdsnest (main and frags) all seem to be loving the more intense light.
Another BN frag (I think it's suppose to be yellow with light lime green tips) that I got a while back that has been in my frag area was moved up and under direct light and appears to be loving it also. Right now it's just yellow so I'm looking forward to see what the tips do.
psteeleb
Team RC
as soon as I say that other birdsnest is all yellow I get home and it's getting more color. It's a Seriatapora Guttatus, yellow with lime green tips, but looks like it starting to green all over. Maybe it's just an acclimation to light issue and old growth will turn yellow
side view
top view
side view
top view
psteeleb
Team RC
Update on the lil chromis that could
Update on the lil chromis that could
the lil chromis must have gotten spooked or something;
yesterday my wife was looking all over the tank for him and thought he may have finally met his demise. But low and behold, there he was swimming around in one of the overflows.
When I got home later in the day I had to scrape the overflow to see into it enough to fish him out. After several failed attempts I decided to wait till lights out. Sure enough he was hanging around the top and I netted him on the third time. I released him back to the main tank over the stag horn thinking he would settle into his old home.
I checked on him a couple minutes later and found him down by Beast's cave. I was afraid with him being a little lethargic and scared he would certainly be a goner. The next morning before I headed out the door I looked around and did not see him, so I kind of thought the worst and couldn't help but think after all he had been though how rough life can be to end up as a Lobsters dinner. But, later today during feeding time, there he was and tonight he's back in the staghorn
Update on the lil chromis that could
the lil chromis must have gotten spooked or something;
yesterday my wife was looking all over the tank for him and thought he may have finally met his demise. But low and behold, there he was swimming around in one of the overflows.
When I got home later in the day I had to scrape the overflow to see into it enough to fish him out. After several failed attempts I decided to wait till lights out. Sure enough he was hanging around the top and I netted him on the third time. I released him back to the main tank over the stag horn thinking he would settle into his old home.
I checked on him a couple minutes later and found him down by Beast's cave. I was afraid with him being a little lethargic and scared he would certainly be a goner. The next morning before I headed out the door I looked around and did not see him, so I kind of thought the worst and couldn't help but think after all he had been though how rough life can be to end up as a Lobsters dinner. But, later today during feeding time, there he was and tonight he's back in the staghorn
melev
Well-known member
Re: Update on the lil chromis that could
Re: Update on the lil chromis that could
That's just amazing.
Re: Update on the lil chromis that could
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13434459#post13434459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb
the lil chromis must have gotten spooked or something;
yesterday my wife was looking all over the tank for him and thought he may have finally met his demise. But low and behold, there he was swimming around in one of the overflows.
When I got home later in the day I had to scrape the overflow to see into it enough to fish him out. After several failed attempts I decided to wait till lights out. Sure enough he was hanging around the top and I netted him on the third time. I released him back to the main tank over the stag horn thinking he would settle into his old home.
I checked on him a couple minutes later and found him down by Beast's cave. I was afraid with him being a little lethargic and scared he would certainly be a goner. The next morning before I headed out the door I looked around and did not see him, so I kind of thought the worst and couldn't help but think after all he had been though how rough life can be to end up as a Lobsters dinner. But, later today during feeding time, there he was and tonight he's back in the staghorn
That's just amazing.
psteeleb
Team RC
thanks
It has - my wife even swears it's starting to grow back (fill in)some :eek1:
the really odd thing was, no other fish including the other chromis pestered this guy at all, when he was initially hurt or healing. I thought for sure the other fish would do him in, as it seems they always will pick up a sick or injured fish, but in this case they always treated him like part of the gang.
psteeleb
Team RC
I spent the better part of the last hour and a half killing off Majono's and some other unwanted Ric's. This time around I used ApstasiaX, as it seems to work pretty well as long as you can cover the pests in the stuff. I'm sure I'll get some of the Mojano's back, as this just seems to be a once a month routine. It seems that the ApstasiaX has about the same kill rate as kalk paste, but it does not make the pest close up right away, so you have a better chance of getting it on the oral disk. I have no idea how it will work on the Ric's, I wouldn't be surprised if they just split. 
For getting to the bottom half of the tank I use a piece of rigid tubing that I bent the end end of. I also made the end a little small diameter, both the bend and compression was done under a flame to soften the rigid tubing so it could be reshaped.
I also spent some time relocating several coral frags from my frag area to a more permanent home. I can't wait to see how they do as most of these were in shaded light. I also got a nice purple encrusting monte this weekend from BigJay. I don't know the name of it but I think it's going to be a nice looking coral. I love freebees
For getting to the bottom half of the tank I use a piece of rigid tubing that I bent the end end of. I also made the end a little small diameter, both the bend and compression was done under a flame to soften the rigid tubing so it could be reshaped.
I also spent some time relocating several coral frags from my frag area to a more permanent home. I can't wait to see how they do as most of these were in shaded light. I also got a nice purple encrusting monte this weekend from BigJay. I don't know the name of it but I think it's going to be a nice looking coral. I love freebees
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