I use 25 lb. dark olive drab braided fishing line. Can barely see it and it holds up well. Criss-cross it over the rock and macro to help keep it from being pulled out from under the line.
Randy's Tank and Learn Thread
- Thread starter Randy Holmes-Farley
- Start date
- Tagged users None
revhtree
Owner Administrator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Reef Squad
Partner Member 2026
Excellence Award
Photo of the Month
R2R App User
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
Article Administrator
Industry Professional
My Aquarium Showcase
- Joined
- May 8, 2006
- Messages
- 54,352
- Reaction score
- 120,751
Nice! Some great polyp extension!Tank Update
Things are going well. Remarkably, the demented Anthias is still hanging on!
I do need to come up with a better way to attach macroalgae to rocks I sink to the bottom when I’m away. Rubber bands just are not cutting it. Even expensive silicone rubber bands for cooking are half broken after a week. I suppose I could tie it on with nylon fishing line. I’m open to ideas!
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Thanks, I’ll think about those possibilities!
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Lurking Mantis!
I have already commented a while ago on your coraline growth but wow! I have had tanks since 1983 and never had that kind of rapid growth. Very cool. Hopefully it's not causing too much maintenance. Still like the "extra" critters.
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Thanks. No coralline maintenance issues. :)
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Fish Update
The demented Anthias finally disappeared this morning, several months after addition. Never visibly ate anything or even moved much. I suspect brain damage in shipping.
One of the anthias looks to be a male now, being more red than the others, more green on his back fin, and is a bit bigger. The one in the middle of this picture:
All other fish are also doing great. The mandarin’s have presumably paired up since they are often seen together. Everyone else gets along well.
The clown trio has stayed as a trio, patiently waiting for a new anemone. :)
The demented Anthias finally disappeared this morning, several months after addition. Never visibly ate anything or even moved much. I suspect brain damage in shipping.
One of the anthias looks to be a male now, being more red than the others, more green on his back fin, and is a bit bigger. The one in the middle of this picture:
All other fish are also doing great. The mandarin’s have presumably paired up since they are often seen together. Everyone else gets along well.
The clown trio has stayed as a trio, patiently waiting for a new anemone. :)
dwest
2500 Club Member
I would have bet that the clowns would be in your elegance within days of losing their anemone. Obviously I would be very wrong. Your tank looks great!Fish Update
The demented Anthias finally disappeared this morning, several months after addition. Never visibly ate anything or even moved much. I suspect brain damage in shipping.
One of the anthias looks to be a male now, being more red than the others, more green on his back fin, and is a bit bigger. The one in the middle of this picture:
All other fish are also doing great. The mandarin’s have presumably paired up since they are often seen together. Everyone else gets along well.
The clown trio has stayed as a trio, patiently waiting for a new anemone. :)
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
I would have bet that the clowns would be in your elegance within days of losing their anemone. Obviously I would be very wrong. Your tank looks great!
I guess they are just spoiled by having an anemone for a while. lol
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Chemistry Update
Nitrate 14.7 ppm. High enough. I turned off the ammonia dosing. The ammonia solution reservoir is in the first picture below.
Alkalinity 8.0 dKH. Perfect. No change to AFR dosing. AFR reservoir is in the second picture, on top of the mini fridge with the BRS 1.1 mL per min doser mounted on the wall near it. Also seen in that picture are two of the INKBIRD heater controllers, with 2 others downstream of them ( electrically) powered off because no heat is needed.
Third picture is the inside of the mini fridge where phyto is stored and dosed on a timed stirrer. Next picture is a new batch of AFR using that stirrer to dissolve,,then it goes up top of the fridge and the phyto returns to the stirrer.
Phosphate: 0.29 ppm. About where it has been for months.
pH about 7.8 in the first sump, which is currently dark. Tank may be higher.
Temp in display: 79.5, controlled 79-80 by my cooling systems, with those inkbirds shown in the last picture.
Nitrate 14.7 ppm. High enough. I turned off the ammonia dosing. The ammonia solution reservoir is in the first picture below.
Alkalinity 8.0 dKH. Perfect. No change to AFR dosing. AFR reservoir is in the second picture, on top of the mini fridge with the BRS 1.1 mL per min doser mounted on the wall near it. Also seen in that picture are two of the INKBIRD heater controllers, with 2 others downstream of them ( electrically) powered off because no heat is needed.
Third picture is the inside of the mini fridge where phyto is stored and dosed on a timed stirrer. Next picture is a new batch of AFR using that stirrer to dissolve,,then it goes up top of the fridge and the phyto returns to the stirrer.
Phosphate: 0.29 ppm. About where it has been for months.
pH about 7.8 in the first sump, which is currently dark. Tank may be higher.
Temp in display: 79.5, controlled 79-80 by my cooling systems, with those inkbirds shown in the last picture.
Why the pitcher in the first pic? Ammonia spill containment system?
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Yes, the glass milk jug is heavy, but if it tipped it would dump out. The pitcher essentially gives it more stability.
Tank is looking great! Any insight on to your programming of the freshwater blades? I am currently running 6 blades on my tank and love almost everything about them. Only thing I feel I’m lacking is that warm white spectrum. I’m currently running (4) Grow and (2) Glow. Thought about subbing out a couple of the grow for freshwater. What are your thoughts on this? Also, what’s the breakdown of each channel in programming on the freshwater version. Thank you!
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
I like the look. It’s still not like the look when the direct sun hits the tank, but I’m satisfied with it.
Here’s a picture of the lighting setup from April and I don’t think I changed it since then. Bear in mind there are 3 freshwater and one glow, so the bottom three colors are substantially more intense than the top three from the glow.
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Tank Update
All fish and corals are doing well. A peppermint shrimp has learned to hang upside down under one of the auto feeders to have first dibs on the food. lol
Starting to see some patches of cyano reappear. Ci hit them with a turkey baster and hope that delays the progression. I need to plan to replace GAC tomorrow. Hopefully I will not have to go the antibiotic route again.
All fish and corals are doing well. A peppermint shrimp has learned to hang upside down under one of the auto feeders to have first dibs on the food. lol
Starting to see some patches of cyano reappear. Ci hit them with a turkey baster and hope that delays the progression. I need to plan to replace GAC tomorrow. Hopefully I will not have to go the antibiotic route again.
jonelder68
Valuable Member
Manual clean like you are with turkey baster. Then go by petco and grab a bottle
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Photo Update
Tank photos from this morning. The montipora is starting to grow some nice curves to it. Yellow ball sponges are also still doing fine. They thrive the best of the sponges I’ve tried.
:)
Tank photos from this morning. The montipora is starting to grow some nice curves to it. Yellow ball sponges are also still doing fine. They thrive the best of the sponges I’ve tried.
:)
OP
OP
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Ultimate Member
Excellence Award
R2R App User
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Manual clean like you are with turkey baster. Then go by petco and grab a bottle
I’ve never had any results in my fight until I started dosing it weekly. I’ve changed nothing else but the cyano is literally lifting in sheets off the sand then floating to the top for easy removal with a net. It seems to not be coming back where it was before. It’s not instant results but it’s definitely working! I’m on week 4 and my sand bed was completely covered solid! It’s only 1/3 to 1/4 covered now. It also completely eliminated the Dino’s that I’ve always had a few patches that would never go away. Never seen any results with a bottled bacteria but this stuff is legit!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Love that Monti cap's shape. Fortunately or unfortunately, they are never static for very long.Photo Update
Tank photos from this morning. The montipora is starting to grow some nice curves to it. Yellow ball sponges are also still doing fine. They thrive the best of the sponges I’ve tried.
:)
Good to know about the yellow ball sponge. I am thinking about adding one (and a red branching sponge) currently.
Similar threads
