Viewpoints – A Photographic Journal of my Reef Tank

[urbaneks]

December 11th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

December 11th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

December 11th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

All looks so beautiful. I had no doubt from the start that this tank would look awesome. Keep the good work going. This is a tank that is easily a candidate for an upcoming TOTM.

sahin - Thanks for the kind words. IMO my tank has a long way to go before it can be considered for a TOTM. When I look at my tank, I still have a bunch of larger frags vs. the large colonies that you see in the past TOTMs. Perhaps another 2-3 years of growth and I may be in that conversation. Your kind words are appreciated all the same.

beautifully done! A search for Melanuras wrasse brought me to this thread and I've had to read every post. Thank you for sharing. I must ask about the flatworms and wrasse. Unfortunately I found my wrasse 3 days after terminating the worms chemically. In your experience is the wrasse even actually eating flatworms?

fortress - Thanks for your view and comments. That is pretty crazy that a Melanuras Google Search landed you on my tank journal. I've never seen a flat worm in my tank but that could be a result of him. If you are worried about your wrasse going hungry without worms, don't be. Mine will eat any and all food that goes in the tank. This includes pellets, frozen and nori. Enjoy the wrasse, they are neat fish.

 

[Bolo Tran]

Subscribed!

 

[Chriskid]

where did you get DE 250w radiums?

 

[urbaneks]

December 20th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

December 20th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

December 20th, 2012 - Response to Feedback

Subscribed!

Bolo Tran - Thanks for you view and subscribing to my journal.

where did you get DE 250w radiums?

Chriskid - Bulk Reef Supply carries these bulbs.

 

[coralreefdoc]

Urbaneks. Think you meant 20k XMs, Radium doesn't make a DE bulb in 250w ...

 

[kara13]

Beautiful tank and love the pics for the photo contest! Hope you printed and framed them.

 

[reckless1]

Loving this thread, amazing detail to setup and maintenance. I am really curious to see how the Recirculating Bio Pellets reactor works for you. I used to dose vodka but switched to vinegar and have had good results (requires some monitoring). I tried a Bio Pellets reactor before for a couple months but was not satisfied, however the recirc units allow you control over how much is allowed back in the tank which i think will make all the difference in the world...

robin

 

[fishmanstan]

Update

 

[urbaneks]

Viewpoints - First Attempt at Video

Viewpoints - First Attempt at Video

Viewpoints - First Attempt at Video

I spent a little time messing around with the Iphone and IMovie and it resulted in a quick one minute video of the aquarium. I think it's pretty neat that you can do all of this from a phone. The quality is not great but for a phone, it is down right amzaing. Creating this short video has me wanting to get a new DSLR that has video capability. This would allow from some really nice video through a macro lens.

Thanks for looking.

http://youtu.be/fjQ8OjIC8qY

 

[urbaneks]

Viewpoints - January 21, 2013 Photo Update

Viewpoints - January 21, 2013 Photo Update

Viewpoints - January 21, 2013 Photo Update

Happy New Years! It's been a while since I've posted any photos of the aquarium so I got the DSLR out tonight and snapped a few shots.

I have some exciting news to share in regards to my Clown Fish. For those of you that followed my Nano Cube, you know that I've had the same Clown Fish for 5 years now. In that time, I've provided Duncans, Hammers, RTBA and a Torch coral for them to host in. Despite my best efforts, they continued to love the return nozzle in both my Nano and the larger tank. Just before Christmas, my Torch Coral started to sting one of my SPS. As a result, I decided to move it to the very back of the tank where it was out of reach of all my corals. A day after I moved the coral, the Clown Fish decided it was time to make it their home. For those of you trying to get your Clown Fish to host, try an area of the tank with less flow, that seemed to be the biggest difference for me. Here are a couple shots of the Clown Fish in their new home.

Male Clown Fish - Enjoying the new Digs

Female Clown Fish - Safely tucked away for the night​

Another change that was made since my last update was a slight tweak to my aquascape which opened up the center trench and created a second smaller trench on the left side of the aquarium. I'm very happy with the new changes, it's opened the tank up quite a bit and created some additional points of interest. The tangs seem to be very happy with the wider center trench and extra swimming area. The smaller fish seem to really like the new smaller trench which provides some extra security.

The wider center trench, helped to open up the tank

The new scape created a second smaller trench that can be viewed from the left side of the aquarium[/CENTER]

One more photo for tonight's journal entry which is a macro shot of one of my Acros. This was was labeled as Mint Berry Crunch when I bought it. I'm not much into the names of corals but this is one of my favorites. It's maintained good growth and color for over a year now which included some learning periods with a few Alk swings. I really liked the composition of this photo.

Macro Shot - Mint Berry Crunch​

Thanks for looking. I look forward to your constructive feedback.

 

[fishmanstan]

Nice mint berry crunch!

 

[ReefKeeper64]

Urbaneks, I don't know what kind of feedback to give you other than to tell you its always a pleasure to see the updates you post sir. The trench work is fantastic and creates a most natural look. If you want something constructive, I can add that a Full tank shot to accompany the new close ups and macros are always good but its not a big deal. Thanks for all your posts!

 

[11f150]

Very nice tank and really nice pictures to go with it. What camera/lens are you using for your pictures?

 

[strendo]

Great thread! Love the spacers on the mounting screws- def gonna copy that!

 

[jmonker]

Stunning!!!!! X-Factor Cap? Wow i need a piece of that?

 

[oldiron]

Stunning build fella makes me want to bin my t5's & go back to the infiniti top light.

 

[Balletomane]

Every post is like a trip to a Zen Garden. This is a kind of tonic. And a testament to your experience/dedication and understanding of how to establish and grow a complex microecosystem. Just lovely. (Grabs array of scrubbing implements and seeks to get another leg up on tha Dino and Bubble algae).

 

[urbaneks]

Viewpoints - January 27, 2013 Response to Feedback

Viewpoints - January 27, 2013 Response to Feedback

Viewpoints - January 27, 2013 Response to Feedback

Nice mint berry crunch!

fishmanstan - Thanks for the view and comment. The MBC has been a great coral for me. It's been forgiving through some of my early learning phases.

Urbaneks, I don't know what kind of feedback to give you other than to tell you its always a pleasure to see the updates you post sir. The trench work is fantastic and creates a most natural look. If you want something constructive, I can add that a Full tank shot to accompany the new close ups and macros are always good but its not a big deal. Thanks for all your posts!

ReefKeeper64 - Many, many thanks for your kind words. Here is a FTS for your that was taken tonight.

FTS - January 26th, 2013​

Very nice tank and really nice pictures to go with it. What camera/lens are you using for your pictures?

11f150 - Thanks for the comments. I have an old Canon Rebel with a 28-135 lens. Most of the macro shots are taken with extension rings. (Poor Man's Macro Lens). FWIW, a new camera and macro lens are in my near future.

Great thread! Love the spacers on the mounting screws- def gonna copy that!

strendo - Copy away, it definitely adds a nice touch to the equipment board.

Stunning!!!!! X-Factor Cap? Wow i need a piece of that?

jmonker - I can arrange a shipment to you.

Stunning build fella makes me want to bin my t5's & go back to the infiniti top light.

oldiron - Many thanks! I love my MH's especially the shimmer and shadows that it creates.

Every post is like a trip to a Zen Garden. This is a kind of tonic. And a testament to your experience/dedication and understanding of how to establish and grow a complex microecosystem. Just lovely. (Grabs array of scrubbing implements and seeks to get another leg up on tha Dino and Bubble algae).

Belletomane - Many, many thanks for the Zen Garden comparison. Perhaps that is why I spend so much time sitting in front of the tank.

 

[ReefKeeper64]

Your latst FTS brings it all together. The color balance grabs the eyes attention and I marvel at the progression of your reef and all that you have accomplished. Thanks for posting sir!


ReefKeeper64 - Many, many thanks for your kind words. Here is a FTS for your that was taken tonight.

FTS - January 26th, 2013​

 

[urbaneks]

Viewpoints - January 28, 2013 Photo Update

Viewpoints - January 28, 2013 Photo Update

Viewpoints - January 28, 2013 Bio Pellet Update

A few months back, I made mention that I was planning on adding Bio Pellets (BP) to the aquarium. It's been just over 5 weeks since I added them so I felt an update was necessary.

Bio Pellet Summary
I'm using the BRS Bio Pellets which are running in a Reef Dynamics Bio Pellet Reactor(BPR135). I'm currently running the BRS recommend amount of pellets for a 100g tank. I started 1/2 the recommended amount for the first 2 weeks, went to 3/4 the recommended amount after one month and just recently added the remaining amount to get me to the recommended amount for my tank. I've tested my phosphates and nitrates 2x per week to make sure I'm not stripping nutrients from the tank to quickly.

My nitrates were reduced to .5ppm from 2.0ppm and continued to inch down with each weekly test until my last test. Nitrates had went back up from .5 to 1.0ppm. This is what prompted me to add the final amount to get me to the full recommended amount. My phosphates have remained undetectable during the introduction of BP while running 1/2 the amount of GFO that was running before pellets. I've continued to run GFO the entire time and will do so for the foreseeable future.

I did not see a bacterial bloom or pH drop as many people experience. I had a small cyano issue prior to the start of BPs that has continued over the first month of BP. The form of cyano is a brown dusting on the sandbed. It actually looks more like diatoms from a distance but it disappears at night and returns with the lights. The Cyano is not present on any rock or coral. I had a similar issue one year ago and was able to rid it with Coral Snow. Up to this point, I have not been able to get rid of it. It has not gotten worse but has not gotten better either.

I have not seen a change in growth rate since adding the BPs. My two part dosing was not impacted by the addition of BPs.

The biggest change in the tank has definitely been coloration improvement in several corals. My green Monti Cap has went from bright green to nuclear, my Acropora Plana is getting dark purple tips which it did not have before and another acro went from a pale blue base to a darker rich blue. Overall polyp extension has improved which to me is a sign that the corals do get some food source from the biofilm.

The jury is still out on the BP's, I believe the longer they are online the more benefit they have to the tank. Up to this point, I don't regret adding them and I'm optimistic on their impact to the tank. Here are a few photos of some of the corals that have seen a color shift since the addition of BPs.

Hands down, this Monti Cap has seen the biggest color shift. It has been bright green for some time but since the addition of BPs it's become almost a nuclear green.​

I mentioned above that my Plana has developed deep purple tips, prior to BPs, the coral had a smooth milky appearance to it.​

Another coral that has seen a slight color shift is this Mint Berry Crunch​

Here is one more shot that shows most of the tank as it looks today​