FL-FL-FL Fillory's Reef - SPS Evo 13

[Reef of Fillory]

Dropped down the halide, still getting a lot of light spill. Light is about 7" off the surface of the water.

The skimmer I added in is throwing a lot of microbubbles, but it's still breaking in.

LUX at the top of the tank

30k. 17.7k. 30.7k
43k. 34.4k. 49.5k
36.5k. 32k. 34.8k
22.4k. 19k. 22.5k


Had cooler weather over the weekend, so I was able to open up the windows and my pH shot straight up.

 

[Sipec]

Lookin good. What kinda firefish is that, it looks like a cross between a firefish and a magnifica

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Not sure, was marked as red firefish, we were looking for a purple but the wife liked it so we brought it home.

 

[Sipec]

I meant exquisite firefish and red firefish. I’m guessing its a hybrid between them cause it has a purple hat with a red body
Red: https://goo.gl/images/jckQAE
Exquisite: https://goo.gl/images/3Heick

 

[NanoDad]

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Thanks for sharing NanoDad, but i'd like to keep the media/contents of my build thread specific to my tank. Thank you for understanding.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Still having low pH issues, and haven't had a chance to hook up my CO2 scrubber. I'll be going to Home Depot tonight to get the tubing/connectors to get it hooked up and get my pH up.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Haven't updated much, but there's not much going on either which is a good thing!

The heat here in Michigan has made it difficult to keep the windows open and not run the A/C... Here's my Pre-A/C pH chart

After closing up the apartment to run the A/C:

This has made it hard to maintain a steady ALK value, as when I open up the windows, the demand shoots up and my ALK drops. When I close everything up, the ALK shoots up. To help compensate for this, i've been adjusting the dosing pumps through the APEX to dose less when I close up the apartment, and more when I open things up.

With that said, everything is growing and looking great. Some of the SPS I got a few months ago are showing their color in the new growth, but the bases still haven't recovered their color. Nutrients are very low, and chaeto is being trimmed by 2/3 every weekend.

Bubbles is showing her specks again, and turning green. She's moved down on the rock a bit and displaced the Acans to the sand.

The Clam has released from his original rock piece and dug down in the sand to grab the glass at the bottom of the tank.

The Clownfish bounce around between the anemone and the Frogspawn at the back corner of the tank.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I meant exquisite firefish and red firefish. I’m guessing its a hybrid between them cause it has a purple hat with a red body
Red: https://goo.gl/images/jckQAE
Exquisite: https://goo.gl/images/3Heick

My red/orange firefish looks exactly like that. I dont think his is a hybrid.
I've also got a purple firefish in my Evo 13.5. I think the firefish are awesome. I thought about having a 100% all firefish tank, and also getting the Exquisite and Helfrichi. Wasnt sure if 4 firefish was too much for only a 13.5 tank.

Reef of Fillory - Tank looks great! Awesome assortment of corals.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

My red/orange firefish looks exactly like that. I dont think his is a hybrid.
I've also got a purple firefish in my Evo 13.5. I think the firefish are awesome. I thought about having a 100% all firefish tank, and also getting the Exquisite and Helfrichi. Wasnt sure if 4 firefish was too much for only a 13.5 tank.

Reef of Fillory - Tank looks great! Awesome assortment of corals.

I'm looking at adding another fish to mine, i've thought about a second firefish, but since I don't have any ground/sand fish i'm thinking a small watchman goby with a pistol shrimp. I can't keep Nitrates in my tank, and have been waiting for the right set to pick up at LFS's.

I can't wait until the corals start filling in, it should look nice. I'm still keeping my eye out for some more bright corals, but everything in the tank is happy [Duncan is finicky, but everything else looks good]

The picture doesn't show her tail very well, it's pretty deep purple. She's really warmed up to the clowns and is out 90% of the time, but for the first month or two she hid 80% of the time. [identify it as "she" because "she's" got pretty colors]

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Some picture updates

Was running at a pretty low Alkalinity of 7.0 because of my 0.00 phosphate and 0 nitrate.

I've recently started to raise my Alk, going to try for a 8.0 and see how it goes

 

[Reef of Fillory]

This coral is fading on the top and the new growth. I think it's getting too much light.

The fragments of birdsnest in the previous post all came from the main colony. It was overgrowing the surrounding corals so I split it up.

If anyone in the Grand Rapids area would like a chunk of the birds nest above, let me know!

 

[Sipec]

Wish I could, but I don't have proper lighting. Corals look good

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Wish I could, but I don't have proper lighting. Corals look good

The birdsnest doesn't need too strong of light, if you'd like to give it a try, this would be a good opportunity to try some lower light sps

 

[Reef of Fillory]

@ksfulk would you like a frag of your birdsnest back? I just trimmed off 3 chunks of it. I know you took your colony in, thought maybe you missed it?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Got a new tank today, I'll be setting it up at the beginning of November when my wife and I move to a new apartment.

Acrylic 55 gallon drilled with DIY sump.

I plan on running metal halide and T5's.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Some update pics

My favorite coral in my tank right now (don't know what it's called)

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I cleaned up the glass and took a few more pictures today...

I got two mp10s put on the tank today. The two jebaos that I was using decide not to turn on half of the time according to my apex programming. They're soaking in a vinegar bath overnight. I think that the shafts were getting too covered in coraline.

The mp10s and the jebaos will be going into the 55 gallon when it gets set up.

I'll be buffing out the 55g tomorrow and finishing up the canopy and plumbing then it'll be time to paint everything.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Mp10s

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Tested my ALK and Phosphate last night [it's been a long time since i've last tested, honestly.


Phosphate 0.05
ALK 9.3 [i've been meaning to raise this - I added the Randall's and shrimp in order to increase nutrient levels to allow for better coloration (which is the hope) and allow for faster growth]

Similarly, I have not been cleaning my skimmer cup - i've just let it overflow back into the tank. I pretty much run the skimmer for aeration and to try to help keep the pH higher during the night as I suffer from chronic low pH in my apartment unless the windows are open.