Hart's Nano SPS Reef - Deep blue shallow tank, oxymoron?!?
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We have some great location reefers, got a frag of Ora red goni, one of my all time fav corals for $25, a gorgeous rainbow Stylo for $20, red dragon for $25 and a hawkins for $25. I think rainbow stylo might be one of my new fav corals.
So the progression from clam to reef is good, haha.
So the progression from clam to reef is good, haha.
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Lost the hippo clam. Bummer was hoping it would make it.
This picture is typical of what I have seen but you can see the mantle has literally dissolved in a section here. So sadly it would seem that there is a disease that killed/killing them and not illumination or nutrients/feeding as I had hoped. This will be the 2nd time disease got my clams. I wonder what it is and how they got it.
Anyone remember a long time ago when clams were considered easy?
Mr Riddle called it.
This picture is typical of what I have seen but you can see the mantle has literally dissolved in a section here. So sadly it would seem that there is a disease that killed/killing them and not illumination or nutrients/feeding as I had hoped. This will be the 2nd time disease got my clams. I wonder what it is and how they got it.
Anyone remember a long time ago when clams were considered easy?
Mr Riddle called it.
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Got an order from Divers Den over the weekend. A tcn weeping willow toadstool, tcn Japanese weeping willow (green cap), Fiji yellow leather, red plating sponge and a long polyp turbinaria.
Since the Fiji yellow needs intense light it can go in the middle where clam spot once was. I raised the lights to get really nice coverage and that spot is around 350-400 PAR. Also angled the a160s so they reach end to end.
Trying to do a tank with some corals that you don’t see all the time.
Since the Fiji yellow needs intense light it can go in the middle where clam spot once was. I raised the lights to get really nice coverage and that spot is around 350-400 PAR. Also angled the a160s so they reach end to end.
Trying to do a tank with some corals that you don’t see all the time.
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Pic of the Japanese weeping willow from DD and the Fiji. I am running the a360n in the middle 6hr a day, but in 2hr blocks with 1hr off between as it’s pretty intense.
Also have some interesting guys coming from unique corals. Couple types of branching Cyphastrea which I have always loved. A snake polyp and few types of montis that branch.
Also have some interesting guys coming from unique corals. Couple types of branching Cyphastrea which I have always loved. A snake polyp and few types of montis that branch.
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And i got excited with aquaSD live sale of course... ha.
I picked up a reefbreeders reef power RP-M powerhead too. Holy cow this thing is impressive! I have it turned down very low. This, a tunze powerhead and mp10 are all running on various pulse setting and not surprising there are some insane currents! I think the RP_M could do it all alone though, it's really impressive. I have to think these style and the AI are going to be the future of water motion. GYRE were promising but had issues (however for long distance water movement they are tops). I can see beginners not thinking the powerhead is strong b/c the flow is so broad it's mass water movement and will not reach across a long tank.
Always been a fan of multiple powerheads on pulse setting to get some really crazy flow but then also have it calm down in spots for a second or two.
Anywho not lacking for flow. The yellow fiji is interesting. The polyps are out, but the yellow isn't. Just in a couple spots. It looks like they can retract polyps and color? Or maybe they extend the polyps more and you see yellow.
I picked up a reefbreeders reef power RP-M powerhead too. Holy cow this thing is impressive! I have it turned down very low. This, a tunze powerhead and mp10 are all running on various pulse setting and not surprising there are some insane currents! I think the RP_M could do it all alone though, it's really impressive. I have to think these style and the AI are going to be the future of water motion. GYRE were promising but had issues (however for long distance water movement they are tops). I can see beginners not thinking the powerhead is strong b/c the flow is so broad it's mass water movement and will not reach across a long tank.
Always been a fan of multiple powerheads on pulse setting to get some really crazy flow but then also have it calm down in spots for a second or two.
Anywho not lacking for flow. The yellow fiji is interesting. The polyps are out, but the yellow isn't. Just in a couple spots. It looks like they can retract polyps and color? Or maybe they extend the polyps more and you see yellow.
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Thanks! It is doing quite well, maybe not what I hoped but i am finding happiness with it and I'm sure to any person who isn't a clam fanatic they like it much more.
Honestly I don't care about the money, losing all those clams has been my low point in fish keeping the past 20 years, 30 plus if you count being a kid.
I wish more was known about clam diseases and possible treatments although with ones this small it was probably hopeless. Wish I had just made this a reef and kept my tough Petco clam from the pico, but perhaps someday this pathogen will die off and I can have a clam in my reef tank.
Honestly I don't care about the money, losing all those clams has been my low point in fish keeping the past 20 years, 30 plus if you count being a kid.
I wish more was known about clam diseases and possible treatments although with ones this small it was probably hopeless. Wish I had just made this a reef and kept my tough Petco clam from the pico, but perhaps someday this pathogen will die off and I can have a clam in my reef tank.
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Got two SPS packs today, one from liveaquaria and one from unique corals. The UC pack was almost all acros while the LA pack was almost no acros, haha. Still all arrived in good shape and after a bayer dip are in their home. Pretty much stocked up on corals now. Just add time to grow them out. It will be interesting to see alk consumption rise.
I am shooting for phosphate levels of around .1ppm and nitrates around 10 but we will see how easy those are to maintain. That phosphate is higher than most targets, but I have found it helps fight off dinos and have not had issues with browning out. Would like to keep alk around 10dkh if I am able to keep the nutrients that high.
The weeping willows are almost fully extended, however the Fiji yellow while the polyps are out isn't yellow yet, I can see some areas where it is yellow, it must have some interesting ability to extend polyps but not the yellow areas, I wonder what that is or if it's getting ready to shed. It's in 400 plus PAR when the main kessil is on as I have read they are high light corals.
I am shooting for phosphate levels of around .1ppm and nitrates around 10 but we will see how easy those are to maintain. That phosphate is higher than most targets, but I have found it helps fight off dinos and have not had issues with browning out. Would like to keep alk around 10dkh if I am able to keep the nutrients that high.
The weeping willows are almost fully extended, however the Fiji yellow while the polyps are out isn't yellow yet, I can see some areas where it is yellow, it must have some interesting ability to extend polyps but not the yellow areas, I wonder what that is or if it's getting ready to shed. It's in 400 plus PAR when the main kessil is on as I have read they are high light corals.
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The divers den sps pack wasn't labeled so no clue what coral was in it. For nearly the same price unique corals pack was far better and the water arrive warmer. Nice job UC!
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Need to clean it a bit but shows fun top down view I have been going for. Hard to get the flow I want and still have a clear top view but the powerheads on pulse and putting them on the bottom keep it viewable most the time and have a lot of flow.
Working on some algae but for right now I am happy keeping nutrients quite high.
Working on some algae but for right now I am happy keeping nutrients quite high.
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Ever since the orphek video on BRStv (even before that) I have felt they are the most interesting LED fixture out there... so guess what I have coming today. Going to retire the kessils and put on a V4. I like the kessils, but they were bought with planning for clams and with this being a now (sadly) traditonal reef tank I want to go another direction with the lighting. I am hoping to use the kessil tank mounts, so I might need to get creative with those, and I am hoping to mount high enough to preserve the top down view.
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I will get some pics later but I have to say this orphek is the most impressive lighting I have ever seen in person and I have used quite a bit. Kinda amazing the cost wasn't all that much more than the 3 kessils...
I did manage to use 2 of the kessil tank mounts for it. I tried hanging at 1st from them but that didn't work. Ended up drilling out the holes a little bit on the mounts and unscrew the orphek bolts and fitting them in. Seems like a win!
I did manage to use 2 of the kessil tank mounts for it. I tried hanging at 1st from them but that didn't work. Ended up drilling out the holes a little bit on the mounts and unscrew the orphek bolts and fitting them in. Seems like a win!
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The weight is heavy... So just now I rigged it to the stand a bit more. I found 1" black pvc slips over the kessil pipe. So I put the black pvc up to the bottom where the tank clamp is and then bolted the PVC into the stand with standard pipe holders. I feel so much better about the weight on the glass as I can keep those screws finger tight and it's sturdy.
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Based off another thread recommendation picked up this auto brine shrimp hatcher to feed the coral. It's pretty slick! I don't see how feeding baby brine shrimp could be easier.
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Some quick iPhone pics as the lights come up.
I have been keeping phosphates pretty high after seeing dinos but slowly bringing it down so have some algae but not worried about it as will resolve with time.
I have been keeping phosphates pretty high after seeing dinos but slowly bringing it down so have some algae but not worried about it as will resolve with time.
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System has been consuming around 3ppm nitrate a day. I assume it's mostly the chaeto and ulva in the sump which I enjoy growing. Once phosphates come down I will put the kessil h80 on its timer but been running 24/7. Alk is around 7.0 which is lower than I like but things have been going well so I have been hesitant to change anything. I will need to watch the coral for bleaching with the new light. Running the coral growth and color program along with heavy clouds. After reading a few things about how fast coral can reach light saturation plus the owner of orphek running clouds I think it makes sense to run it and with the overall design of the orphek being so impressive I am trusting their pre built program and just adding longer moonlights.
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One thing about the orphek that surprised me is how well the lens and diffuser work together. You can see how high it's mounted, with the and the kessils I had them so the light just started to spill over the edge, the kessils were still pretty bright in your eyes sitting next to the tank, not bad when compared to t5 of course, but bright. Somehow the orphek design doesn't do this. My wife (as of last week - just married!) commented how much she likes how it doesn't get in her eyes.
After a couple weeks might start and orphek review thread because I am so impressed but I want to wait a while because most of them time people, like myself, just get excited and can't give an objective reivew for a while.
After a couple weeks might start and orphek review thread because I am so impressed but I want to wait a while because most of them time people, like myself, just get excited and can't give an objective reivew for a while.
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