Cheryl's Reefing Ideations.

[Tahoe61]

Awesome pics!

Thank you.

Those rastas are beautiful! I've been trying to get some from my LFS but everytime I go they're out. I'd definitely watch out for the utter chaos. They're great looking but grow like a weed so they'll take up real estate in a hurry.

Well I guess I will move the Utter Chaos to the macro tank, and the Bam Bams, I have too much orange going on.
The macro tank is crusing, mangrove growing. This week I am going to drop the water level in display (14 gallon tank), put in a nano power head. Not sure what I am going to do with back compartments. We will see how the Zoanthids or Palys respond to 250 watts MH.

 

[dbl]

Cheryl, I keep saying the same thing, but things are looking great.

 

[Tahoe61]

Cheryl, I keep saying the same thing, but things are looking great.

I am thrilled you stopped by, and thank you.;Happy

Woohoo page 5, I am a contender.;Singing

 

[Tahoe61]

Lowered the lights 1 inch, considering reducing intensity.
Bi-monthly water change.
Alk 7.6 ca 360. I am happy with that.

Saw a post about Cultivated Reef. Well I of course I checked it out. Found some corals I had on my wish list and the price was great. Coming next week, JF pink lemonade, yippie!! Tubs blue zoanthids and some cloves. Cloves and I have never been friends, hopefully I do not kill theses.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Looking good!

How are you acclimating your corals when you add new ones, particularly your lighting? I've never used the acclimation mode on my Kessil but I noticed with my most recent frag additions some of them weren't happy at first and I suspect it was the lighting. When I moved them to the sandbed they were much happier.

 

[Tahoe61]

Looking good!

How are you acclimating your corals when you add new ones, particularly your lighting? I've never used the acclimation mode on my Kessil but I noticed with my most recent frag additions some of them weren't happy at first and I suspect it was the lighting. When I moved them to the sandbed they were much happier.

Typically LPS are the only corals I acclimate.
Acros and sps go high in the tank right off the get go. I only acclimate Montiporia.
Zoanthids/Palys go mid to low. They are easy to move about. I put my Space Chaos up with the Acropora because I am looking for them to morph.

Frag racks and corals in the sand bed are not my thing, so I spend a lot of time planning placement. Pretty sure I have reached max capacity now. :-(

Run the Viparspectra 165 watts at 100/2 % blue/white, for 10 hours.

Kessil look like fantastic lights, great shimmer. You may need to go slower.

Since I am confined because of covid I have all the time in the world to watch for bleaching, long story short.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the frag rack or corals in the sandbed, but like you I'm running out of real estate. Or I'm worried that placement on the rockwork will lead to bleaching or shading of things underneath...sigh...I need a bigger tank. Haha!

 

[Tahoe61]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the frag rack or corals in the sandbed, but like you I'm running out of real estate. Or I'm worried that placement on the rockwork will lead to bleaching or shading of things underneath...sigh...I need a bigger tank. Haha!

You definitely need a bigger tank.

Make the 40 a frag tank. ;Bookworm

In 33 yrs of reefing I have a good idea of what corals work for me and what I fail at. I am pretty picky. But every once in awhile a coral surprises me, like the Utter Chaos, they grow too fast and big for my liking.

Hate, hate plugs but I am not willing to give up the ability to move corals. Tank is 9 months now and the plugs are just starting to cover.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have tried to kill this orange digitata for 4 months, finally it is happy and growing.

Pink Diamonds have sprouted 3 new polyps. The Space Chaos are weird, they are the most aggressive eater I have ever seen.

Dropped LED to 70 blue/1% white, glad I did.

 

[Tahoe61]

Live stock list. Thank god plugs are fading.

Zoanthids/ Palys.
Vivid Rainbow
Utter Chaos
Space Chaos
Scrambled Egg
Boom Asteroids
Rasta
Bam Bam
Candy Apple Red
Pink Diamonds
Tubbs Blue

Ok I think I am an a zoanthid fan, no idea how that happened.

SPS.
Spongoads Montiporia
Bubble Gum Digitata
Psammarcora
Purple bonsai
Boom Blue Stag
Palmers Blue Millopora
Tyree Pink Lemonade
RR Vihn
Rose Bird's Nest.

LPS.
Duncan
Pink Goniopora
Micromussa times 3

Soft
Mandarin Cloves.


Maroon Clown pair
Orchid Dotty Back
Coral Beauty

 

[Tahoe61]

This little tank gives me a lot if joy. The metal halide make it too hot for any serious corals. There is a Montiporia in there though. Dragons breath is doing well. I add iron and skimmate and the water from the 40 goes in here after water changes. The neon Dottyback gets feed 2 to 3 times a day. It takes a lot of nutrients to get things to grow.

 

[Tahoe61]

Ordered a Maxima from PEA. Getting serious now. Pacific East Aquaculture has some really sweet Maximas right now.

Obligatory image. Vivids Rainbows.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Sweet! Have you kept a clam before? I've been considering taking the plunge but I would need to clear up some room on the sandbed under the light first. I also need to do a bit more research on potential incompatibilities with other livestock I have. I think my parameters are stable enough and the tank is just over 18 months old, so I'm hopeful I have what it takes to keep one. Love those zoas too!

 

[Tahoe61]

Sweet! Have you kept a clam before? I've been considering taking the plunge but I would need to clear up some room on the sandbed under the light first. I also need to do a bit more research on potential incompatibilities with other livestock I have. I think my parameters are stable enough and the tank is just over 18 months old, so I'm hopeful I have what it takes to keep one. Love those zoas too!

Clams used to be my weakness lol. The money I have spent on clams over the decades is shameful.
Judging from what I have seen of your tank I am confident you could keep one. Start cheap with a Derasa..I would have to look at your fish list though. Getting a healthy specimen initially is really important.
Has the flatworm issued resolved?

 

[muzikalmatt]

Clams used to be my weakness lol. The money I have spent on clams over the decades is shameful.
Judging from what I have seen of your tank I am confident you could keep one. Start cheap with a Derasa..I would have to look at your fish list though. Getting a healthy specimen initially is really important.
Has the flatworm issued resolved?

Thanks for the vote of confidence and the tips! I haven't dealt with the flatworms yet. I'm cycling my QT tank to pick up a wrasse so it'll likely be a month or more before I get him in in the tank. I don't want to go the chemical route (flatworm exit), so I'm hoping the wrasse will hold them at bay. I've been keeping an eye on their population though and they don't seem to be posing any issues to the corals so far.

 

[TheAquaNut_Fl]

Your tank has really taken shape and looking fantastic! Cant wait to follow along and watch this system really start dripping in coral growth

 

[Tahoe61]

There is a Palmers Blue Milleopra under all that PE. Alk utilization has really taken off. To keep alk above 7 dkh I am dosing twice a day now. One month ago I was dosing every other day. Time for pumps and mag test kit.
Clam gets here on Wed.

 

[Tahoe61]

BRS sent out $20 coupon, wonderful promotional, save 20, but I spent $160 duhhh. So got a back up battery charger air pump, new test kit, dosing pump and.....going to start Tropic Marine All For Reef. I have heard nothing but amazing things about it, really excited.

My female clown went rouge, out of no where she started destroying my corals. She ripped up my Duncan and Cloves. Had to rescape and remove corals. This is not good, corals come first. She might have to go.

Got a cheap kodak to see if I could get better images than my Android. Tell me what you think.

 

[Tahoe61]

Clown laid eggs last night, hence her fury the past two days. It is her first clutch, she is young. I have no intention of raising clowns.

 

[Tahoe61]

Had to rescape because of the clown, she is only aggressive with corals. The clowns might have to go.

The clam came, very small, advertised as 2 to 2.5 inches. Would have not bought such a small clam. Guess we will see how it goes.