TOTM quality 6' SPS tank for under $1k? The 5.56 build thread; AKA a really bad idea

[mannyhernz]

I asked him a month back and he said he was looking for it too, Mr V has a O-tort frag $50, I'd rather get one sooner than later as it is a slow grower.

JF has lime in the sky but he want's like $60 + $60 shipping which is fair but out of my budget.

I am getting frustrated with teh lack of corraline algae. My alk and calcium have been consistently ~9.5 and 430 for months but I don't see much corraline algae spreading. My SPS are growing and encrusting nicely but no corraline algae

I think the coraline algae depends on the batch you seed from. I have one that i seeded from a lfs rock that started up within 2 weeks of introducing it. Too bad you are far or i could give you a seed rock.

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[five.five-six]

Thanks Manny

I do have some seed from a LFS rock and on the plugs of several frags. I am seeing spots of it on some of the rock and the thank has only been wet for 3 months now it’s just that I had expected more progress in the corraline algae department thus far.

 

[Rakie]

I don't really have much coraline on my rock, but my glass is thick with it. Never really took to my rockwork.

 

[five.five-six]

Fun thread!
I got 20$ you get penalized at the home stretch(20-25months)[emoji12]


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Sadly I think you may be right.

I have all the hardware I need and even a spare set of new Radion 20k's

I'm fairly well stocked with frags

But I only have $135 left in the budget. I still have things to sell but it seems like it's mostly stuff that nobody wants

I'm at a point where I would like some more fish and I'm looking for more variety in sticks

I don't need to add anything to it, I could just let it run and watch it grow out but I really enjoy adding new things.

I'm going to post some progress photos this weekend. The tester frag from 3 months ago has done very well.

 

[five.five-six]

I ended up underestimating the time required in a job this weekend and had to work saturday and sunday I have nothing planned for this weekend, I’ll post some photos.

 

[gcarroll]

I ended up underestimating the time required in a job this weekend and had to work saturday and sunday I have nothing planned for this weekend, I'll post some photos.

Really, nothing planned?

 

[BeanMachine]

Really, nothing planned?

Me neither!

 

[five.five-six]

Yea, telecom for some decades.

First tester frag in, purple polyped digi, wish him luck

10 hrs later, we have some PE

10 weeks later and the tester frag seems to be doing OK

 

[five.five-six]

Really, nothing planned?

Me neither!

Oh, yea... can't wait... I ment no work planned.

 

[mannyhernz]

TOTM quality 6' SPS tank for under $1k? The 5.56 build thread; AKA a really bad idea

Sadly I think you may be right.



I have all the hardware I need and even a spare set of new Radion 20k's



I'm fairly well stocked with frags



But I only have $135 left in the budget. I still have things to sell but it seems like it's mostly stuff that nobody wants



I'm at a point where I would like some more fish and I'm looking for more variety in sticks



I don't need to add anything to it, I could just let it run and watch it grow out but I really enjoy adding new things.



I'm going to post some progress photos this weekend. The tester frag from 3 months ago has done very well.

135 is still good spending money, what ya have left to buy?

I'm in the telecomm field also...
My morning so far...guess what I'm doin'?

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[five.five-six]

Looks like you are certifying fiber.

I still need to pick up several acros and there’s not many fish in the tank.

 

[Rakie]

Don't stress Mark, I'll hook you up with some goodies when they grow out a bit more

 

[five.five-six]

New cash on hand total $105

New cash on hand total $105

Don't stress Mark, I'll hook you up with some goodies when they grow out a bit more

The only one I was in a rush for was the Oregon tort because it's such a slow grower. As luck would have it, I stopped by an unnamed LFS to beg for a frag of his giant mother colony and it turns out that a fish had broken off a 1" tip a few days ago. $40 and he threw in a frag of his green slimmer and his yellow base with purple polyps birds nest


This was/is my wishlist:

Oregon tort (with liniage) Unnamed LFS
Lime in the sky we'll see how it grows but I think I got this from Dodgerblew/Rik
Hawkins Echinata.
Miami orchid Thanks Rakie/Tim
Kimbeensis
Purple rim green monti
Needle birddsnest Unnamed LFS
Graf bonzie RAP
Green slimer Unnamed LFS
Purple monster
Red dragon acro RAP
Joe the coralThanks Rakie/Tim
Setosa Thanks Rik/Dodgerblew

I think I should buy a lotto ticket for my tank today. I'm not particularly thrilled with the 7.77 pH but the tank is still very immature, I'm sure it will come up with time and maturity.

Next week I'm going to start selling a few small colonies I've grown out 3-6". Duplicates or things I don't really want, orange digitata, a purple digi, Hollywood stunner, green cap and about 50 heads of button polyps. That should net me a few bucks

 

[five.five-six]

New total $36.85 cash on hand

New total $36.85 cash on hand

So I messed up and ended up with 2 dragonets. My wife bought a mandarin a few weeks back and then yesterday I went to the LFS to buy some aquastick and my son bought a red scooter blenny which is really just a red mandarin dragonet. Emergency $60 order of Copepods from algae barn $60

Here's a photo of the guy, he's usually out in the open and brilliantly red with yellow accents but he's also camera shy and hiding in a dark cave when the iPad comes out.

 

[Rakie]

That birdsnest sounds nice, is it named or wild?

Although the naming is a little heavy handed, it does make it easier to nail down what something is -- So long as the seller isn't out to burn people and make a few extra bucks of course..

 

[five.five-six]

Birds nest is probably named. That LFS has had it for probably 10 years. I’m not sure if it will make is . He cut it from the bottom of the colony and I first had it in too much light, then it was in/under the sand for a few days... haven’t seen much PE from it and the color is all wrong I should probably move it but it’s where it is.

 

[Rakie]

It happens! Sometimes a frag just doesn't like change, sometimes you wake up to see that new $300 frag got knocked into an Anemone by intrigued snails, and sometimes it just happens for no good reason.

The good news is -- There's always more.

 

[Rakie]

Second tunze in -- Thanks again Mark

 

[five.five-six]

Good good good! Lots of flow improves color and growth rate.

 

[Rakie]

Absolutely! It looks cleaner without 4 pumps too.

Although the Radion put my corals in "everything is changing" freakout mode. Dropped Alk dose in half -- It'll get used to lighting in a few weeks. They seem to take a week or two to readjust.