Born on the 4th of July

dragon99 · Dec 28, 2017

So I took a picture the other morning with the lights out. This is just from ambient light in the morning. Not the sharpest picture because the camera struggled with the low light (OK maybe me not the camera).

I can't get over how deep pink the birdsnest is. That color gets washed out by the blues when the lights are on.

dragon99 · Feb 11, 2018

Tank is looking better finally. Although I have some cyano creeping in :mad:

The change back to T5's has been great. I don't worry about my lights anymore. Never have to wonder if the blues are too high, the red too low, if I should adjust the ramp or intensity....
Just ON/OFF. Beautiful.

Here's a coral that's growing in the back, not visible in the FTS. I picked this up last year in April at Reef Currents. I liked the yellow highlights it was showing on the tips.

And man are they starting to shine. The picture doesn't really convey how much the tips glow. I'm thinking it's an acropora aculeus

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 11, 2018

dragon99 said:
Tank is looking better finally. Although I have some cyano creeping in :mad:

The change back to T5's has been great. I don't worry about my lights anymore. Never have to wonder if the blues are too high, the red too low, if I should adjust the ramp or intensity....
Just ON/OFF. Beautiful.

Here's a coral that's cooking in the back, not visible in the FTS. I picked this up last year in April at Reef Currents. I liked the yellow highlights it was showing on the tips.

And man are they starting to shine. The picture doesn't really convey how much the tips glow. I'm thinking it's an acropora aculeus

Just beautiful!

Glad ya found a happy medium on the Lights. Not always about what’s “best” for the coal, it’s about what’s best for the reefer imo.

dragon99 · Feb 11, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
Just beautiful!

Glad ya found a happy medium on the Lights. Not always about what’s “best” for the coal, it’s about what’s best for the reefer imo.

Absolutely, there was nothing wrong with the Mitras, I'm just more comfortable with less sliders to mess with.

dragon99 · Feb 17, 2018

Get an anthias they said, they're beautiful

dragon99 · Mar 21, 2018

This hammer was dying in my nano for some reason. So I moved it to the main tank and it has perked right up.
Middle of Jan to today:

dragon99 · Mar 25, 2018

This one can't decide what color it wants to be, it's shifted between purple and green a couple times now
mid Feb

and last week

dragon99 · May 3, 2018

When you haven't been updating your build thread....

#reef2reef, #worldwidecorals, #mywwccontest

HolisticBear · May 22, 2018

dragon99 said:
The change back to T5's has been great. I don't worry about my lights anymore. Never have to wonder if the blues are too high, the red too low, if I should adjust the ramp or intensity....Just ON/OFF. Beautiful

saltyfilmfolks said:
Not always about what’s “best” for the coal, it’s about what’s best for the reefer imo.

Congrats on your Reef Tank 365, great tank!
Well said @saltyfilmfolks, it's so true. About to ditch the Mitras for similar reasons.

dragon99 · May 22, 2018

So at least an updated FTS is in order.

dragon99 · May 22, 2018

Update time!

The anthias all died.

After about a month in the DT, they died one by one over about 3 weeks. Not really sure what happened or why.
So I'm back to wrasses, added an adorned (halichoeres cosmetus) and pintail (cirrhilabrus isosceles)

Corals are...OK? Still feel like something is holding my SPS back. Most are growing, but very slowly. A couple look pretty rough. Like my PC rainbow. I gave a frag to a local reefer and within 9 days of being in his tank the colors are dramatically better and its showing PE. My colony is brown with no PE....

Sent out an ICP sample last week so maybe that can lead me to something.

Picked up some new frags:
Kung Pow Monti

ASD Dragon Queen

WWC Blueberry Limeade

dragon99 · May 30, 2018

Some growth on the new corals. The coralline algae is filling in also.
May 10/17/22

May 10/22/29

Corner FTS. That's the KH Director on the side. It's been a nice addition.

dragon99 · Jun 24, 2018

Been trying to correct some water quality issues. Following those ICP results I did three, ~20% water changes 3 days apart. I also added some cuprisorb and ~1cup activated carbon (Red Sea reef spec) in a media cup. I also changed up my DI resins using the BRS cation/anion followed by dual mixed bed. Hopefully this will eliminate any silicates trying to sneak thru.

I wish I could say I've seen immediate improvements, but we all know that never happens. I do see signs on new growth on my monti and purple stylo so hopefully in a few more weeks the acros will show some improvement also.

I did catch a trochus snail spawning today shortly after the lights came on fully. First time (I think) that a trochus has spawned in the tank. The other trochus seemed agitated/excited by the spawning, but didn't join in.

dragon99 · Jul 4, 2018

Time for a 2 year birthday update! ;Woot ;Snaphappy

Apparently that wasn't the first snail spawning. I found these guys in the skimmer.

Some selected growth photos.

I got my latest ICP results back today! After making some water changes, activated carbon, cuprisorb, etc. The tin is gone! And curiously so is the aluminum I've had showing up since I added the marine pure. Maybe the cuprisorb pulled that out too?

Hopefully I'll start seeing positive results in the SPS!

I purchased a battlebox last week and also a few frags from boom corals.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/battlebox-and-boombox.411854/

All and all, it has been a good year. I might actually be learning something...

dragon99 · Jul 14, 2018

When you're out of town but still want to spy on the tank....

dragon99 · Aug 7, 2018

My wife says I've taken over the laundry room. This is after I've removed the QT setup.

She's on to me...

dragon99 · Aug 23, 2018

RR Aussie gold, 5 months growth. The colors could be better, but I'm happy with it's progress

dragon99 · Aug 25, 2018

Pintail is turning male!

Added a 3rd MP40 to the back wall. I've been keeping it as a spare, but finally decided more flow, more better.

dragon99 · Sep 12, 2018

Been trying to keep consistent habits lately. Weekly WC of ~18g, small doses of Red Sea Colors a few times a week. Feeding LRS mostly along with the occasional Hikari pellet. I did add in some reef roids once or twice a week.

Still have low PO4, 0.01-.02 is all I ever get. I throw of pinch of monosodium phosphate in every day or so, but it only results in a very temporary increase.

With one or two exceptions, everything is look better week after week. Colors are improving and growth is apparent.

This coral came from @PSXerholic awhile ago (Aug/Dec 2016). Two frags were acquired 4 months apart, although at the time I didn't realize they were the same coral.

First frag in my tank (Dec 2016)

And the second frag, placed nearby because I thought the colors would contrast nicely....

Fast forward a couple months and I realize they are the same coral (Feb 2017)

Jump forward a year and I've almost successfully murdered the poor coral (Jan 2018)

Fortunately it's been recovering and is putting on some great growth this year and color is improving, though nowhere near it's original color (Sep 2018)