Hemmdog’s 90gal Seaciety and 40gal Vale of Shadows

[tdlawdo]

Wow! Well done! How’d you become this master jack of all trades? I like to consider myself a journeymen jack of all trades, but you’re a whole other level.

Haha. Dad!! I love doing things. I’m not great at them but I get better each time I do them . I lay my own tile, plumb, dry wall. Generally pick a room per year in this old farm house to redo. My dad was able to do all those things and taught all 4 of us. At any one time he was a semi pro football player, truck driver, city cop, warehouse worker, handyman you name it. Never had much money he used to drive a car until we couldn’t fix it anymore then we would push him to the top of the hill and he would drift down to the junk yard because you got 50 bucks instead of 25 if you drive it across the threshold. Then we would all run down the hill and we all would walk around this town lookin for a car to buy for 50 bucks that we could fix up.
So to this day I don’t pay anyone to do something I can do myself and have the desire still.

The old homestead

 

[Hemmdog]

Haha. Dad!! I love doing things. I’m not great at them but I get better each time I do them . I lay my own tile, plumb, dry wall. Generally pick a room per year in this old farm house to redo. My dad was able to do all those things and taught all 4 of us. At any one time he was a semi pro football player, truck driver, city cop, warehouse worker, handyman you name it. Never had much money he used to drive a car until we couldn’t fix it anymore then we would push him to the top of the hill and he would drift down to the junk yard because you got 50 bucks instead of 25 if you drive it across the threshold. Then we would all run down the hill and we all would walk around this town lookin for a car to buy for 50 bucks that we could fix up.
So to this day I don’t pay anyone to do something I can do myself and have the desire still.

The old homestead

That’s amazing. He sounds like a great guy.

 

[crusso1993]

My purple rim monti has been looking super happy as of late.

I forget what this coral is, but it needs to see the spotlight, it’s the most neglected coral in my tank, it’s hard to see due to being behind my controller stand. It is a cool one though. Super cheap little $10 frag awhile back, growing up to be something sweet.

And @crusso1993 will be happy to hear I officially sent @dantimdad his ora neon green birdsnest frags! I am a man of my word.

Yes I added a bunch of bubble wrap after the pic was taken lol.

Finally! I certainly hope no one ever needs a blood transfusion from you! Lol

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Finally! I certainly hope no one ever needs a blood transfusion from you! Lol

It is even better he is not an ambulance driver....lol!

 

[Hemmdog]

Grabbed a few things at the LFS. Picked up some rollands damsels(2) for the 40b

They are super cool, I needed some active swimmers, my flame angel and quinquevittatum don’t swim unless there is food.

Also got a deep water acro for my 90. Acropora Echinata; I’ve been eyeing it for awhile at the LFS, decided to give it a try even though he said they are pretty difficult and he’s killed every one he’s tried.
Blues

Polyp lab

 

[mattzang]

nice, i love the rolland damsels.. what's the quinquevittatum? this dude? https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1151/pinkface-wrasse?pcatid=1151&c=15+1379+1151

isn't that just gonna murder your damsels lol

where'd you put the echinata? i bought an "ice fire" echinata from the lfs about a month ago and it seemed i found several different placement opinions. middleish medium light, high up high light etc. i ended up putting it about as high up as i can in my tank and it seems to be doing well, but the blue only really comes out under more white light. shrug

 

[Hemmdog]

nice, i love the rolland damsels.. what's the quinquevittatum? this dude? https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1151/pinkface-wrasse?pcatid=1151&c=15+1379+1151

isn't that just gonna murder your damsels lol

where'd you put the echinata? i bought an "ice fire" echinata from the lfs about a month ago and it seemed i found several different placement opinions. middleish medium light, high up high light etc. i ended up putting it about as high up as i can in my tank and it seems to be doing well, but the blue only really comes out under more white light. shrug

Yep that’s the one. He’s a juvenile still so he hasn’t got crazy or mean yet. I plan on finding someone with a fowlr or large aggressive reef to rehome him to eventually.
I put the echinata low medium light, so 200 par and pretty good strong flow. It has awesome pe right now I think I’m gonna leave it here. What’s the name of the echinata that is blue and white? My LFS hates named corals, so even if it is a name, he’s just gonna tell me the scientific name. Lol. Admirable but annoying sometimes haha.

The Rolands are doing great. They really add something to my 40b. I’m enjoying looking at that tank now!

 

[Hemmdog]

Just noticed my austera has a new big branch! How fun!

Pc Superman & Wolverine are encrusting nicely too.

 

[Sod Buster]

You'll love that superman. Still my favorite table. Makes me miss the one I nuked. I know I can get one from BC, and I will.

 

[Hemmdog]

Oh and I tested parameters in the 40b for the first time. I let it marinade for a month without stressing over numbers. We are a little off but not to bad at:
Alk 9.4
Cal 480
Mag 1350
Nitrate 18
Phosphate .1
I’m going to go with either my rocks are leeching phosphate from being in the biocube with no media for a year, or my fish sitter overfed pellets when I was in Maui. Either way, I started a small 35g rated bag of chemipure elite & chemipure blue to get nutrients down a bit and help with overall clarity. Corals are doing great in the 40b though, well lps aren’t to picky lol.

 

[Hemmdog]

You'll love that superman. Still my favorite table. Makes me miss the one I nuked. I know I can get one from BC, and I will.

It’s one of my favorites in there for sure, I just can’t wait for it to be bigger and get its happy colors, it’s a little green for me now.

 

[Sod Buster]

If the wolverine is a blue yellow, and the SM is red,white, blue, that will be a interesting focal point in the tank down the road. Just need a pink lemonade or PC rainbow to throw in to the group to make a trio!

 

[Hemmdog]

If the wolverine is a blue yellow, and the SM is red,white, blue, that will be a interesting focal point in the tank down the road. Just need a pink lemonade or PC rainbow to throw in to the group to make a trio!

I have pink lemonade and pc rainbow both right behind and to the left of them! It should be cool down the road!

 

[mattzang]

Yep that’s the one. He’s a juvenile still so he hasn’t got crazy or mean yet. I plan on finding someone with a fowlr or large aggressive reef to rehome him to eventually.
I put the echinata low medium light, so 200 par and pretty good strong flow. It has awesome pe right now I think I’m gonna leave it here. What’s the name of the echinata that is blue and white? My LFS hates named corals, so even if it is a name, he’s just gonna tell me the scientific name. Lol. Admirable but annoying sometimes haha.

The Rolands are doing great. They really add something to my 40b. I’m enjoying looking at that tank now!

the one i have, the ice fire echinata, is supposed to be like white base with blue tips. shrug, i'll call it a win since it's growing and alive lol

that's what it looks like under just random ambient room light

then..

just looks really white

oh and tiny polyp extension. the lfs i got it from said it should have polyp extension, but the ones they have in their frag tanks don't have any polyp extension either.. so?!

 

[Hemmdog]

the one i have, the ice fire echinata, is supposed to be like white base with blue tips. shrug, i'll call it a win since it's growing and alive lol

that's what it looks like under just random ambient room light

then..

just looks really white

oh and tiny polyp extension. the lfs i got it from said it should have polyp extension, but the ones they have in their frag tanks don't have any polyp extension either.. so?!

Very nice! Mine looks similar, just smaller

 

[mattzang]

Very nice! Mine looks similar, just smaller

hah yeah i think i paid.. $40? pretty decent price considering that lfs is usually pretty expensive. they had a decent sized two branch frag of forest fire digi and i asked how much, he said he was gonna cut it up and do frags for $80. i was like whatttttttt. maybe 80 for that entire piece, not 80 for some tiny piece. pays to know what prices are generally decent and what aren't!

 

[Hemmdog]

hah yeah i think i paid.. $40? pretty decent price considering that lfs is usually pretty expensive. they had a decent sized two branch frag of forest fire digi and i asked how much, he said he was gonna cut it up and do frags for $80. i was like whatttttttt. maybe 80 for that entire piece, not 80 for some tiny piece. pays to know what prices are generally decent and what aren't!

Very true. I think I got my forest fire for $40, it started really small though. The echinata I got for a steal at $25, it was marked as $60, he hooked it up. Maybe he figured he would kill it soon with his bad deep water acro luck lol.

 

[najer]

Good luck with the echinata, they can be tricky.

 

[cracker]

Hemmdog. I have great respect for the 3 year anniversary . Iv's been working/ struggling with this for some time now ! I laud your strength !

 

[Hemmdog]

Hemmdog. I have great respect for the 3 year anniversary . Iv's been working/ struggling with this for some time now ! I laud your strength !

Thank you @cracker you will get there! Reefing has helped me immensely to stay sober, so you picked a good hobby! Relaxing & too expensive to afford extra “hobbies” lol.