Rob’s 30g Tonga Shroom Garden

[intricate_reefer]

Looking forward to seeing the 80, looks like a lot of success going by how much your collection has grown . Are you in NC? I'm over in charlotte

New tanks are always so fun. It’s just going to be a frag tank but is still exciting. I’ve had great progress with the corals. I did have a mess up with some chalices. I’m not 100% convinced it was my doing but other than that my corals do awesome.

Yes I’m over on the coast in New Bern. Do you ever make it out this way?

 

[intricate_reefer]

Photo dump

BSA Gold spot

Neptune bounce finally starting to get some color and bubbles

Galaxy

Not sure was sold as hornets but I don’t think so

Iridium Flare

Stiggy Marley

Rainbow eclipse

Grand Master Krak

 

[intricate_reefer]

Flux RX worked great, algae is 99% gone. I haven’t posted an FTS in awhile

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Flux RX worked great, algae is 99% gone. I haven’t posted an FTS in awhile

Nice blenny, did you end up changing no3 and po4 levels, or is nitrate still around the 10-15 mark? How many days a week do you feed each polyp?

I don't get out to new bern area, I love the coast though, I wish I was there every weekend!

 

[intricate_reefer]

Nice blenny, did you end up changing no3 and po4 levels, or is nitrate still around the 10-15 mark? How many days a week do you feed each polyp?

I don't get out to new bern area, I love the coast though, I wish I was there every weekend!

Thanks! Yes nitrates are about 10 right now. I was dealing with algae out break so I stopped feeding the corals and stopped dosing daily aminos. I did a reef flux treatment and it’s now gone. Honestly I haven’t really seen seem much at all if any decline on grow or color this past month or so of not feeding.

Now the algae is gone I’m considering cutting way back on feeding the coral just because I’m worried about the algae. It may have just been finishing up the ugly stages though. I was growing cheato in one of the back compartments but it didn’t seem to keep up. Since I did the Flux RX treatment the cheato died. Probably won’t add it back for awhile and see how things go. If I do go back to feeding heavy I’m considering trying carbon dosing with the tropic marin system. They have three different products that you dose one of them based on your phosphate level. Also apparently the bacteria that are produced by carbon dosing the corals actually eat and it’s good for them. Not sure of the science Behind it but there was a live show on reef dudes with Lou from tropic Marin and he talked about it.

But back to your question, I was feeding mysis shrimp then a mixture of benereef and reef roids. The Hykari mysis is smaller and easier for the lps to eat than something like PE. I would spot feed mostly the acans and sometimes a little to the chalices with the mysis two times a week. Then the powdered food I would feed the gonis and some chalices like the day of or day before water change once a week. When feeding I would cut off all flow then spot feed. After about 20 minutes I would cut on just the flow in the tank and let the leftovers blow around for another 40 minutes or so.

It’s great out here. I love being by the water. It’s also nice not to have the hustle and bustle of a big city.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Oh forgot to add po4 has been hovering around 0.03-0.05 lately. I do kinda want it a bit higher but I think with me not feeding much it’s lacking a bit. Before when feeding a lot I was dosing a lanthanum product called phosphate Rx into the skimmer to bring it down.

 

[intricate_reefer]

My Goni collection has been growing. I have 5 mounted on this rock and two more still need to be glued. Also have four more coming in next week. They have started to become one of my favorites. The motion is just so nice. It’s going to be hard for me to fit them all on this rock so I’ll probably take the cristata torch off.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Wow, beautiful man!
I haven't seen a Midas blenny for almost a year lol

 

[intricate_reefer]

Wow, beautiful man!
I haven't seen a Midas blenny for almost a year lol

Probably my favorite fish I own. So much personality.

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Oh forgot to add po4 has been hovering around 0.03-0.05 lately. I do kinda want it a bit higher but I think with me not feeding much it’s lacking a bit. Before when feeding a lot I was dosing a lanthanum product called phosphate Rx into the skimmer to bring it down.

Cool deal, my nitrate level and phos level are a bit lower at 2ppm and .04 so at least I'm close. I'll be trying to follow your success with my tank.

Also, man, I dose carbon In the form of nopox at 1ml a day. I never had success with chaeto either prior to the nopox. I'd give the carbon dosing a shot but if you plan to use a doser it has to be very slow!

 

[intricate_reefer]

So I did a thing yesterday. There was a local who had 3 kessil 360x lights brand new with a WiFi dongle. I guess he bought them for a new build but never went through with it. They were a good deal at about half off so I picked them up.

I really didnt need them and the Noopsyche lights are fine but I just heard the kessils do really well with zoas and mushrooms. A guy that I have been buying zoas from uses kessils and his frags look amazing when they come in. I needed some lights for when I go to frag swaps so I’ll use the Noopsyche for that or if I ever set up more frag systems. Will also work as a good backup.

The universal mount I was using with them worked out great for the kessils. I’m only using two of them so I’m not sure what I will do with the 3rd. Maybe I will keep it but considering selling. I wonder how one would do on the acan tank. He also had a used MP10 for sale with an extra wetside. I’m playing around with it on the SR80. I had a Jabao SLW 20 on it and believe it or not the MP10 seems to be putting out similar flow.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Cool deal, my nitrate level and phos level are a bit lower at 2ppm and .04 so at least I'm close. I'll be trying to follow your success with my tank.

Also, man, I dose carbon In the form of nopox at 1ml a day. I never had success with chaeto either prior to the nopox. I'd give the carbon dosing a shot but if you plan to use a doser it has to be very slow!

With how little this tropic Marin says to dose, I don’t think a doser will be doable for my small tanks. That’s unless you are able to dilute it down a bit. I think these X1 doser only go down to 0.5ml minimum dose. Even then I’m not sure how accurate it would be at that low. Still haven’t started feeding heavy so nutrients are staying in check. I did just start to dose aminos again at half dose so we will see how things go.

 

[TheWB]

Hey Rob, I got bumped off your updates just like you got bumped off mine. I didn’t get anything after 9/16. So aggravating.
Your collection of Zoas is pretty spectacular. My next ones are definitely coming from you.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Hey Rob, I got bumped off your updates just like you got bumped off mine. I didn’t get anything after 9/16. So aggravating.
‘You collection of Zoas is pretty spectacular. My next ones are defin coming from you.

For sure, just let me know brother

 

[intricate_reefer]

Photo dump, the shroom addiction is real

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Dang the 7th pic down is insane, never seen one like that before. Also dig the forest fire rhodactis looking one a couple up from it.

I think I read earlier you used tropic marin all for reef. Do you recommend it?

 

[intricate_reefer]

Dang the 7th pic down is insane, never seen one like that before. Also dig the forest fire rhodactis looking one a couple up from it.

I think I read earlier you used tropic marin all for reef. Do you recommend it?

Thanks, I’m really getting into the shrooms, it’s quite addictive. The only tank I use the All for reef is in the acan tank, mainly just Acans, gonis and a few chalices. I think it’s great and corals look good. I actually do the DIY and mix it myself. Also nice to only need one dosing pump, I have the X1 and am happy with it. Actually picked two more up for the SR80 but I’m doing ESV B ionic on that one. I say if you have a Nano or something under 40-50 gallons, go for it.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Not much new with the tanks. I have really been on a buying spree and the SR80 is pretty much full. Oh and I lost my Midas blenny again, 2nd on now . I try to be good about keeping the top and only keep it off when I’m working on it but he jumped out and I didn’t notice. He was probably my favorite fish which sucks. I don’t know if I’ll get another one.

Havent tried the carbon dosing yet. I decided to go back to weekly 4g water changes on the 25 and 30 and 8g on the SR80. That seems to be keeping everything in line. Before I said I didn’t really notice a difference in the corals when I stopped dosing aminos. Well I started back at a half dose and am seeing a big improvement especially on the acans. Guess you don’t really notice when you stop overtime.

Photo dump

A zoa pack I sent out yesterday.

 

[TheWB]

Not much new with the tanks. I have really been on a buying spree and the SR80 is pretty much full. Oh and I lost my Midas blenny again, 2nd on now . I try to be good about keeping the top and only keep it off when I’m working on it but he jumped out and I didn’t notice. He was probably my favorite fish which sucks. I don’t know if I’ll get another one.

Havent tried the carbon dosing yet. I decided to go back to weekly 4g water changes on the 25 and 30 and 8g on the SR80. That seems to be keeping everything in line. Before I said I didn’t really notice a difference in the corals when I stopped dosing aminos. Well I started back at a half dose and am seeing a big improvement especially on the acans. Guess you don’t really notice when you stop overtime.

Photo dump

A zoa pack I sent out yesterday.

Glad to hear all is well. That’s a really nice pack of Zoas. Wish you weren’t 3000 miles away so I could swing by and hand pick my own pack and avoid the shipping

 

[zuri]

xD even ur new tank looks like a display tank at my LFS xD not healthy hoarding all these beautiful corals rob xD send me some chalice's
i just don't understand how you can get away with placing them so close !!!!!! I have corals in my lil 17g that have begun duking it out at 5 plus inch's a starter goni that is somehow reaching in 3 directions to beat the crap out of few grand in chalice's......im just dumfounded here you have ruined my day with this....this i can't even if you were in my guild you would get no heals from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!