Pete's 280 log

[psteeleb]

couple coral updates

Marc's unk - continues to grow out nicely (taken under 10ks, so it shows some peach coloration in its base)

this pink jade is starting to explode with new growth

my Oregon Tort Frag that I got from MakoJ, and what was sold to me as an Oregon, but I'm thinking is a ORA blue on the left (under 10ks) I realy like the colors on both

Blue Tort fraglets that are growing off an encrustation from where an arm of my main tort colony was resting against the rock. These will hopefully one day help pay for a CA reactor. Let's see now that's 1,2,3,4.....

microcladus, marc's mille, chips, blob and orange plate. In the forground is the pink jade

 

[ReefEnabler]

that blue tort is breathtaking

 

[melev]

They all are! I need to take some new pictures from above, as Pete is really making me drool.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13767805#post13767805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
that blue tort is breathtaking

thanks Ryan - are you referring to the Oregon, the other, or both?
In some ways I like the other one a little more, maybe just because it has more size and structure to it, but I do like the blue on purple.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13767947#post13767947 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
They all are! I need to take some new pictures from above, as Pete is really making me drool.

Thanks Marc - I have determined that drooling is a contagious side effect of this hobby. I wonder if it's a good carbon source :lol:

 

[BigJay]

Pete, that's the reason I want to add some torts to my tank. Those are probably my favorite corals.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13770306#post13770306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
Pete, that's the reason I want to add some torts to my tank. Those are probably my favorite corals.

Thanks for sharing.

I'll be selling those frags once I treat for the redbugs. I tried our vet and they didn't sell the interceptor. I also tried an online company with no luck, so I just need to check with some other suppliers.

 

[psteeleb]

blue tip staghorn (Acropora Formosa) growth pics in slide show

blue tip staghorn (Acropora Formosa) growth pics in slide show

 

[psteeleb]

I was playing with some camera settings today and decided to try some pictures in TIFF mode. I think it gives me a bit more clarity - what do you think

Marc's mille

the blob - anyone care to guess what the heck this is now that it's getting some structure

aqua delight

blue tenuis

 

[erics3000]

TIFF Tagged Image Format is a better quality than jpeg....So yes...

 

[melev]

The colors of your corals are just stunning. I'm starting to not like you as much as before. :lol: Need to get you a new frag of the Granulosa, and I'm still thinking efflo on that blob of yours. We should know soon enough because it is displaying a burst of growth.

 

[psteeleb]

thanks Eric - I'll have to try taking some other pictures using the TIFF mode

Marc - I'm not sure about the efflo but I haven't counted it out as it does resemble some of them that I've seen. The main difference I'm picking up no is the branches are more vertical then horizontal. You can't tell from the top down so here are a couple night time flash pictures I just took looking straight on.

and as you can see I do get good PE on it at night

 

[BigJay]

Pete how are your KH levels working out?

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13782754#post13782754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
Pete how are your KH levels working out?

pretty good Jay

I tested Sat

Alk was 8 DKH
Mg was 1420
I didn't test Ca - but last week it was 560 and needed to drop more. I may test it tonight

I'm dosing 2 gals of limewater a night and every 2nd - 3rd day I add 3 tbls of baking soda and the Alk has been slowing rising.

I'll do another water change this weekend. As a minimum I should go through the feeding routine with you before I head out of town next Wed. I'll load up the Kalc reactor and clean the skimmer before I leave so you shouldn't have to bother with them. But just as a precaution, I'd appreciate if you could swing by maybe Tues night and I'll show you the Kalc addition and Skimmer cleaning routines.

I may head to Marc's, Franks and Daves on Sat to pick up and drop off some things, let me know if you want to tag along.

 

[BigJay]

I'm game for the road trip Saturday, maybe we can head to the frag swap as well. I'm hoping to find a nice green slimer and tort frag.

We'll go over the tank and feeding routine this weekend. Leave out your alk test kit and I'll test it every day.

I'm nearly up to a full cup (200 ml) of two part per day to keep up with demand on my tank, and I don't need to dose baking soda anymore. I don't understand how my demand can be anywhere near yours at this point, I suspect my kits are off or your demand is much higher.

PS: How long do you go between stirring and dosing on the reactor? If any of the slurry hits your tank, it counts as much more than 2 gallons of saturated kalk. 2 gallons is only around .75 alk and 5ppm calcium in a 300 gallon system.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13783418#post13783418 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
I'm game for the road trip Saturday, maybe we can head to the frag swap as well. I'm hoping to find a nice green slimer and tort frag.

We'll go over the tank and feeding routine this weekend. Leave out your alk test kit and I'll test it every day.

I'm nearly up to a full cup (200 ml) of two part per day to keep up with demand on my tank, and I don't need to dose baking soda anymore. I don't understand how my demand can be anywhere near yours at this point, I suspect my kits are off or your demand is much higher.

PS: How long do you go between stirring and dosing on the reactor? If any of the slurry hits your tank, it counts as much more than 2 gallons of saturated kalk. 2 gallons is only around .75 alk and 5ppm calcium in a 300 gallon system.

I almost forgot the frag swap - I'll just catch up with Marc and Dave at it, as I won't have time for both.

Don't worry about testing Alk every day, it's been stable to going up slightly as planned with the extra baking soda, and I'd rather not use up my test kits. If it was all over the place it would be a different story. Testing Ca tonight will give me a read on how the 2 gal of limewater holds up. At one time I calculated I needed just short of 3 but needed to drop the Ca levels (that were off the chart) and raise Alk a bit. I don't think 2 gallons will cut it on a daily basis so I may go 2/3/2/3 and see how that does. I suspect it may be a tad short of demand, but nothing a weekly or bi weekly dose of 2 part won't fix. My other option for now is to force more evaporation and go back to 3 gal a day.

My Kalc reactor turns on for five minutes as the dosing reservoir fills. So the water in the reactor should become fully saturated right before dosing. The way the reactor is designed its very unlikely I would get any slurry in the tank. When mixing the slurry level is very evident when compared to the saturated water. And at most it reaches about 55-60% of the reactor height. With the feed coming off the very top I just don't see how much if any slurry at all would get into the tank.

Something just seems wrong with you dosing that much. Are you using recipe 1 or 2 (baked baking soda or plain). Don't forget I was dosing recipe one with the baked baking soda, I think it's twice a potent as the recipe 2 per volume.

 

[BigJay]

Frag swap it is then, I'll call you 1:00PM Saturday after I get my girls from dance class. The doors open at 2:00PM.

You're right about the slurry, I remember how it works now. At the very worst you could be adding a tiny bit of undissolved fine, but I doubt you're even getting that.

I'm using recipe one, and I'm currently adjusting my dose. I fell from an alk of 12 to 10.5 since Saturday dosing 120 ml. So I raised my dose to 200 for the last two days, and I'll see where I am tonight. I'm betting it will be around the same, meaning that demand is met. If it sticks for a week I think I've got it. If it's too high, I'll add a little less tomorrow. I think my problems are the monti and pocillipora you gave me, they're both growing so fast it's silly.

 

[psteeleb]

bugs

bugs

still got the red bugs - my vet doesn't carry interceptor and my first internet attempt at buying didn't go through. So I'm still tracking some down

all corals are looking good though

chips

marcs mille getting more colorful ever day it seems

yellow/green cats paw

the blue tip stag - keeps on growing

as does the tort

saying goodnight with a mid tank shot

 

[psteeleb]

bugs

bugs

still got the red bugs - my vet doesn't carry interceptor and my first internet attempt at buying didn't go through. So I'm still tracking some down

all corals are looking good though

chips

marcs mille getting more colorful ever day it seems

yellow/green cats paw

the blue tip stag - keeps on growing

as does the tort

saying goodnight with a mid tank shot

 

[melev]

Pete, just call my vet. She'll take care of your need. Great pictures buddy. I don't know why you want me over there with my camera.

 

[Hop]

Red bugs or not, things look great! I'm fascinated with the stag!