Some of my Acro Collection

[coral reeftank]

can I have a copy of your radion schedule?

Sure! Send me a pm with your email
My phosphates are .2-.5 ppm

 

[Sweet Reef Corals]

Sure! Send me a pm with your email
My phosphates are .2-.5 ppm

Was that supposed to be .02-.05?

 

[chipchipbro]

Was that supposed to be .02-.05?

I dont think so brother

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Growth spurt of my crt nitro

 

[coral reeftank]

Took some pics today!

 

[coral reeftank]

Humina Humina Humina!

 

[coral reeftank]

Night time = Picture time

CRT Two-Face Lokani, The graft on this piece really makes it look like two different pieces in one!

TGC Starry Night, I had a massive colony of this back in the day and now this one's catching up!

CRT Hangover, This one's riding the edge!

TGC Redinator, a classic!

 

[coral reeftank]

Happy Sticks, Happy Life!

TGC Midnite Mamba

RMF Psychoberry

RTE 66 Merlin's Staff

CRT Sweet Petunia

 

[coral reeftank]

Kalkwasser and high PH get the job done!

CRT Golden Eyes, gettin a nice growth spurt on this piece

TGC Megatron

RRC Pink Cadillac, this one's reaching dinner plate size again!

CRT Delight, gonna need to trim this one back soon

CRT Trump Card

 

[chipchipbro]

golden eyes is a true killer!
any idea how to boost PH when dosing just 2 part?

 

[coral reeftank]

golden eyes is a true killer!
any idea how to boost PH when dosing just 2 part?

Add kalkwasser! Lol
I also run a very dry skim and run my dc pump skimmers on ful blast with the gate valve very open to maximize the gas exchange.

 

[coral reeftank]

SniperSPS Rainbow Stag

CRT Toxic Lemonade

CRT Red Doom

 

[coral reeftank]

Finally in there sps forever home!

A baby biota regal that I got last year, she’s grown a lot since then and eats whatever I feed now. For a bit I was scared that she wouldn’t eat but then saw how crazy she loved pellets. I love these fish and can’t wait to see how grows to adulthood.

Australian Copperband Butterfly, I got this one hand caught off the reefs thanks a lot to a friend. He told me that these were much hardier and would eat frozen right away so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get one. Been nursing this one for several months now too and it’ll even eat out of my hand!

 

[coral reeftank]

Some more smoothskin goodies!

RRC Jaw Dropper

TGC Bugatti

A quick tease on this one!

 

[coral reeftank]

Since I often get asked what I dose to my systems and about my methodologies, I've decided to write a post detailing my most current style of husbandry and my thought process behind why I employ certain techniques. Hopefully this post serves to stimulate more discussion among new and old reefers to advance our wonderful hobby.

So first, let's start off with system filtration.

1. Protein Skimmer
   All my skimmers are set to skim a very dry skim. They primarily serve as gas exchange chambers, I do not want them to remove too much from the water column as I want the corals to be doing that for me. To me, I see no point in over skimming/ skimming wet since all that will do is remove excess water and valuable trace elements and nutrients from the water column.
2. Bio Media
   In all my systems, the sump becomes storage for extra bio media. Every large coral operation I've visited does the same. Thousands of galIons of barebottom systems filled with corals plumbed to a sump with copious amounts of bio media. I place live rock, zeolites, and marine pure blocks in my sumps for ecological/biome stability. This emphasis on bio media ensures that my systems can process and metabolize the waste created by my bio load and is paramount to preventing any nuisances from popping up in the main display. In these cryptic zones in my sump, sponges, feather dusters and other lifeforms actively filter particulates from the water and making sure that unwanted algae cannot take root. A strong and diverse microbiome mitigates the proliferation of infectious pathogens and unwanted organisms by limiting their population through competition.
3. Mechanical Filtration
   To filter sock or not to filter sock, that is the question. For me, no filter sock! While I do run filter socks on some systems I rarely clean them. I use the mesh ones that don't clog very often and primarily use them to catch large particulates. The fine particles that pass through ultimately collect in the cryptic liverock zones and I suck out the detritus bi-annually. Again, I see no need to have super crystal-clear particulate free water. These particles feed my corals! Why would I want to starve my corals? Our corals do not come from crystal clear sparkling waters! The water they are in is turbid and is filled with food particulates that the corals eat 24/7.
4. Chemical Filtration
   I was a long time passive carbon and GFO user. As in, fill a bag and leave it in the sump for a month then replace. However, now I use carbon and GFO more as spot treatments. I have not used GFO in about a year and now place my carbon in a media reactor that runs for only two hours a day. This ensures that my water does not get too tinted and prevents RTN events due to carbon stripping too much from the water column.
5. Water changes
   I perform weekly 5-10 gallon water changes on all of my systems. The system volumes range from roughly 140-180 gallons. My old AP Bio teacher always jokingly said "Dilution is the solution to pollution!"

Now that concludes the filtration for my systems. Very simple. It's just small weekly water changes, rock, protein skimmer, and maybe carbon/gfo.


Now let's discuss my feeding.

1. The Fish
   My fish are the guardians of my reef. They maintain the algae, they eat the pests, and they bring me joy! To reward them I feed my systems very heavily to ensure that they are well fed, healthy, and can continue their jobs. I feed a two inch rectangle of rods food everyday, along with a sheet of nori. I also throw in NLS pellets/flakes everytime that I am in the fish room. This ensures that my fish are fed AT LEAST 2X a day and upwards to 10X when I am around them. These small consistent feeds ensure that the fish are always happy, peaceful and pooping!
2. The Coral
   As we all know, fish poop is #1. But what happens when your corals crave more than what your fish have to offer? Well, this means that you must feed your corals! The best time to do so is at night when the corals have their polyps fully out and are in feed mode. This is when I will put in my coral foods and turn off the return pump for one hour, allowing the food to circulate in the display. Coral nutrition is often overlooked, I for one was not a big proponent in feeding SPS corals. They just never seemed to react when I fed reef roids or those other powdered dry foods. However, since I discovered Fauna Marin Min S I have since changed my mind. I find that acropora are actually responsive to this food and you can see the individual tentacles on the coral polyp retract and feed. I have spot fed several bleached acropora to test and have noticed positive results. The tissue and polyp health noticeably increases when fed, opposed to those that were not fed. I find that feeding the corals is much more advantageous than just dumping in nitrates and phosphates due to how the corals obtain N and P. While the N and P levels in some of my systems are considered high for SPS standards I believe that these elevated levels provide the beneficial bacteria with resources to proliferate which the coral then actively consume. My hypothesis in regards to why the ocean levels of nitrates and phosphates are so low is because that these nutrients are bound in the biomass of the live foods that the corals eat out in the wild. I presume that wild corals catch a large amount of live prey that we cannot replicate in our systems so we rely on coral feeds. The majority of the foods offered today are not live feeds so they rapidly decay in our systems leading to the elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates. This probably leads to boom and bust cycles in our microbiome which can fuel pathogens. If your system is young, or not fully loaded with corals ready to eat and uptake nutrients, these elevated levels along with microbiome instability can be deleterious to the health and goals we set for our aquarium so I advise that you only begin to feed your corals when your system is ecologically sound. If your goal is rich, vibrant coloration on your acros you must provide them with proper nutrition! Feed with caution to prevent undesirable events from occurring. Start slow and adjust based off your system's ability to metabolize and process the foods you put in.
   • Note: I have transferred corals from ULNS to nutrient rich systems and vice versa with no ill effect. One would think that the sudden drop or rise in N or P would shock the corals and lead to RTN or other ailments. But not in my experience. This is because corals don't directly rely on N and P out of the water column. They acquire it through the bacteria they consume. So I think when people try to emulate these values to get better colors they do not account for the composure of their microbiome. A healthy microbiome with elevated N and P will yield vastly different results than an unstable microbiome with similar N and P. You can very easily throw the equilibrium in your system off by chasing numbers. Instead, train your eyes. Observe your coral and develop that 6th sense.

Now let's discuss my dosing and parameters.

1. Calcium reactor
   All my SPS systems utilize a calcium reactor to replenish the elemental needs of the corals. To me it is the most cost/time effective method to provide my systems with the elements it requires.
2. Kalkwasser
   To mitigate the low pH effluent coming from the calcium reactor, I utilize kalkwasser via my ato. Kalkwasser is a game changer for any SPS keeper. The corals grow noticeably faster when I use it due to the boost in pH, alkalinity and calcium. My system now ranges from 8.1-8.5 pH.
3. ICP, Core 3 and Trace elements
   On all of my systems I shoot to keep my alkalinity, calcium and magnesium in the ranges of
   Alk : 8-10
   Cal: 380-450
   Mg: 1350-1450
   Attached here is my most recent ICP results. I try to send out an ICP every month if I'm actively tinkering with the system, but if not then I only send test when something appears fishy. I only dose 3 trace elements. They are strontium, iodine, and fluoride. I shoot for 1.5 mg/l of Fluorine, 90 µg/L Iodine and 8 mg/L strontium. I always dose less than is recommended, I only dose these because they appear to get depleted quite rapidly.
   At the time of this test, my calcium reactor ran out of media so that explains the lower calcium value. I have since added more media. But beside the low calcium value the rest of the elements appear to be in check.

1. Supplements
   Oh boy, touchy subject. Let me get some things out of the way first. I am not sponsored by any of these companies, nor did any of them pay me to say any of these things. I 100% believe that you can have an awesome sps tank without the use of any one of these products. While it is possible, only few will ever achieve a product-less dream reef. I was perfectly capable of growing sps without the use of any of these things. But I think the usage of these supplements allow me to reach the pinnacle of coral coloration and health.
   • KZ
     
     
     
     I use these products.
     • Flatworm Stop: makes the tissue of the acros very plump. Also makes your acros unpalatable to AEFW so corals that have been exposed to it in the long-term will have a higher resistance to these nasty bugs
     • Coral Booster: KZ claims synergistic effects when used along with Flatworm Stop. I presume it contains certain trace elements that are often depleted in closed systems.
     • Pohl's Xtra Special: Prevents nutrient depletion, not exactly sure what is in here but it will aid immensely if you are running a ulns or are prone to bottoming out.
     • Zeobak: As a previous Zeovit user I saw the power of zeobak. This stuff will keep your tank CLEAN! I use this to reinforce my microbiome. In addition, coral can eat this bacteria too! It is also a very strong nutrient control mechanism, so do not overdose this!
     • Acroglow: This is a newer addition to the cabinet. Upon adding this to my regimen I have found it to help bleached acros regain their color very fast given that everything else is in order. Much faster than I had in my past experiences with coloring up acros.
   • ME
     I met Mark several years back when he began ME corals and his products really stood out to me. What sold me was the fact that all their products use USP grade ingredients, so I trust that I am getting a clean product. I use their products to dose my aminos, fluoride, iodine, and strontium.
     
     
     Fun fact: Several of their products feature my photos!
   • Fauna Marin
     These are the newest products among my arsenal. Those German Gurus sure know reefing!
     • Min S: My favorite coral food. Acros actively eat it unlike the dry powder products. The worst part about this is the smell. If you can't handle strong odors... but the things we do for the ones we love, right?
     • Organic: another broad trace element product, supposed synergistic effects along with the use of Min S. This helps me keep certain trace elements from bottoming out.
     • Amin: A broader amino supplement than the ME coral stuff.
     • Coral Vitality: This product is worded very very vaguely. However, I notice that usage of this makes the acros much slimier. It claims it is the "optimal supply for the important bacterial fauna of corals" whatever that means. However my corals do appear "more stress resistant and vital than animals with insufficient symbiosis bacteria".
       
       

• Doctor Tims
  I have experienced weird seasonal bleaching events. It is very sporadic and unpredictable. Completely separate systems will be affected and the corals will begin to decline. I have heard anecdotes from other reefers experiencing the same issues. I hope that by prophylactically using this in conjunction with the other bacterial supplements that I can prevent these future events.
  
  

This pretty much concludes how I operate my systems and what goes into them. While this is how I operate, it is by no means a straight shot to success. You could go out of your way and purchase all these products to put in your tank and emulate my set up. However, that does not mean your results will be the same as mine. You must stay proactive and always on your toes. Remember, this hobby is about maintaining an entire ecosystem and keeping it at equilibrium. Much easier said than done.
If you do not dedicate your time, adapt, and stay open minded your dreams will stay dreams and never become reality. The beauty of this hobby lies in it constant evolution and the plethora of unknowns ready to be discovered. If you are ever to be discouraged in your system, be strong. Time, knowledge, and experimentation are your friend. Do not be shy to explore, try new things and change your preconceptions.

Feel free to ask questions and offer critique to any of my methods. I am always open to constructive criticism and opportunities for growth.

As always, Happy Reefing!
Allan

 

[Perry]

Since I often get asked what I dose to my systems and about my methodologies, I've decided to write a post detailing my most current style of husbandry and my thought process behind why I employ certain techniques. Hopefully this post serves to stimulate more discussion among new and old reefers to advance our wonderful hobby.

So first, let's start off with system filtration.

1. Protein Skimmer
   All my skimmers are set to skim a very dry skim. They primarily serve as gas exchange chambers, I do not want them to remove too much from the water column as I want the corals to be doing that for me. To me, I see no point in over skimming/ skimming wet since all that will do is remove excess water and valuable trace elements and nutrients from the water column.
2. Bio Media
   In all my systems, the sump becomes storage for extra bio media. Every large coral operation I've visited does the same. Thousands of galIons of barebottom systems filled with corals plumbed to a sump with copious amounts of bio media. I place live rock, zeolites, and marine pure blocks in my sumps for ecological/biome stability. This emphasis on bio media ensures that my systems can process and metabolize the waste created by my bio load and is paramount to preventing any nuisances from popping up in the main display. In these cryptic zones in my sump, sponges, feather dusters and other lifeforms actively filterparticulates from the water and making sure that unwanted algae cannot take root. A strong and diverse microbiome mitigates the proliferation of infectious pathogens and unwanted organisms by limiting their population through competition.
3. Mechanical Filtration
   To filter sock or not to filter sock, that is the question. For me, no filter sock! While I do run filter socks on some systems I rarely clean them. I use the mesh ones that don't clog very often and primarily use them to catch large particulates. The fine particles that pass through ultimately collect in the cryptic liverock zones and I suck out the detritus bi-annually. Again, I see no need to have super crystal-clear particulate free water. These particles feed my corals! Why would I want to starve my corals? Our corals do not come from crystal clear sparkling waters! The water they are in is turbid and is filled with food particulates that the corals eat 24/7.
4. Chemical Filtration
   I was a long time passive carbon and GFO user. As in, fill a bag and leave it in the sump for a month then replace. However, now I use carbon and GFO more as spot treatments. I have not used GFO in about a year and now place my carbon in a media reactor that runs for only two hours a day. This ensures that my water does not get too tinted and prevents RTN events due to carbon stripping too much from the water column.
5. Water changes
   I perform weekly 5-10 gallon water changes on all of my systems. The system volumes range from roughly 140-180 gallons. My old AP Bio teacher always jokingly said "Dilution is the solution to pollution!"

Now that concludes the filtration for my systems. Very simple. It's just small weekly water changes, rock, protein skimmer, and maybe carbon/gfo.


Now let's discuss my feeding.

1. The Fish
   My fish are the guardians of my reef. They maintain the algae, they eat the pests, and they bring me joy! To reward them I feed my systems very heavily to ensure that they are well fed, healthy, and can continue their jobs. I feed a two inch rectangle of rods food everyday, along with a sheet of nori. I also throw in NLS pellets/flakes everytime that I am in the fish room. This ensures that my fish are fed AT LEAST 2X a day and upwards to 10X when I am around them. These small consistent feeds ensure that the fish are always happy, peaceful and pooping!
2. The Coral
   As we all know, fish poop is #1. But what happens when your corals crave more than what your fish have to offer? Well, this means that you must feed your corals! The best time to do so is at night when the corals have their polyps fully out and are in feed mode. This is when I will put in my coral foods and turn off the return pump for one hour, allowing the food to circulate in the display. Coral nutrition is often overlooked, I for one was not a big proponent in feeding SPS corals. They just never seemed to react when I fed reef roids or those other powdered dry foods. However, since I discovered Fauna Marin Min S I have since changed my mind. I find that acropora are actually responsive to this food and you can see the individual tentacles on the coral polyp retract and feed. I have spot fed several bleached acropora to test and have noticed positive results. The tissue and polyp health noticeably increases when fed, opposed to those that were not fed. I find that feeding the corals is much more advantageous than just dumping in nitrates and phosphates due to how the corals obtain N and P. While the N and P levels in some of my systems are considered high for SPS standards I believe that these elevated levels provide the beneficial bacteria with resources to proliferate which the coral then actively consume. My hypothesis in regards to why the ocean levels of nitrates and phosphates are so low is because that these nutrients are bound in the biomass of the live foods that the corals eat out in the wild. I presume that wild corals catch a large amount of live prey that we cannot replicate in our systems so we rely on coral feeds. The majority of the foods offered today are not live feeds so they rapidly decay in our systems leading to the elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates. This probably leads to boom and bust cycles in our microbiome which can fuel pathogens. If your system is young, or not fully loaded with corals ready to eat and uptake nutrients, these elevated levels along with microbiome instability can be deleterious to the health and goals we set for our aquarium so I advise that you only begin to feed your corals when your system is ecologically sound. If your goal is rich, vibrant coloration on your acros you must provide them with proper nutrition! Feed with caution to prevent undesirable events from occurring. Start slow and adjust based off your system's ability to metabolize and process the foods you put in.
   • Note: I have transferred corals from ULNS to nutrient rich systems and vice versa with no ill effect. One would think that the sudden drop or rise in N or P would shock the corals and lead to RTN or other ailments. But not in my experience. This is because corals don't directly rely on N and P out of the water column. They acquire it through the bacteria they consume. So I think when people try to emulate these values to get better colors they do not account for the composure of their microbiome. A healthy microbiome with elevated N and P will yield vastly different results than an unstable microbiome with similar N and P. You can very easily throw the equilibrium in your system off by chasing numbers. Instead, train your eyes. Observe your coral and develop that 6th sense.

Now let's discuss my dosing and parameters.

1. Calcium reactor
   All my SPS systems utilize a calcium reactor to replenish the elemental needs of the corals. To me it is the most cost/time effective method to provide my systems with the elements it requires.
2. Kalkwasser
   To mitigate the low pH effluent coming from the calcium reactor, I utilize kalkwasser via my ato. Kalkwasser is a game changer for any SPS keeper. The corals grow noticeably faster when I use it due to the boost in pH, alkalinity and calcium. My system now ranges from 8.1-8.5 pH.
3. ICP, Core 3 and Trace elements
   On all of my systems I shoot to keep my alkalinity, calcium and magnesium in the ranges of
   Alk : 8-10
   Cal: 380-450
   Mg: 1350-1450
   Attached here is my most recent ICP results. I try to send out an ICP every month if I'm actively tinkering with the system, but if not then I only send test when something appears fishy. I only dose 3 trace elements. They are strontium, iodine, and fluoride. I shoot for 1.5 mg/l of Fluorine, 90 µg/L Iodine and 8 mg/L strontium. I always dose less than is recommended, I only dose these because they appear to get depleted quite rapidly.
   At the time of this test, my calcium reactor ran out of media so that explains the lower calcium value. I have since added more media. But beside the low calcium value the rest of the elements appear to be in check.
4. Supplements
   Oh boy, touchy subject. Let me get some things out of the way first. I am not sponsored by any of these companies, nor did any of them pay me to say any of these things. I 100% believe that you can have an awesome sps tank without the use of any one of these products. While it is possible, only few will ever achieve a product-less dream reef. I was perfectly capable of growing sps without the use of any of these things. But I think the usage of these supplements allow me to reach the pinnacle of coral coloration and health.
   • KZ
     
     
     
     I use these products.
     • Flatworm Stop: makes the tissue of the acros very plump. Also makes your acros unpalatable to AEFW so corals that have been exposed to it in the long-term will have a higher resistance to these nasty bugs
     • Coral Booster: KZ claims synergistic effects when used along with Flatworm Stop. I presume it contains certain trace elements that are often depleted in closed systems.
     • Pohl's Xtra Special: Prevents nutrient depletion, not exactly sure what is in here but it will aid immensely if you are running a ulns or are prone to bottoming out.
     • Zeobak: As a previous Zeovit user I saw the power of zeobak. This stuff will keep your tank CLEAN! I use this to reinforce my microbiome. In addition, coral can eat this bacteria too! It is also a very strong nutrient control mechanism, so do not overdose this!
     • Acroglow: This is a newer addition to the cabinet. Upon adding this to my regimen I have found it to help bleached acros regain their color very fast given that everything else is in order. Much faster than I had in my past experiences with coloring up acros.
   • ME
     I met Mark several years back when he began ME corals and his products really stood out to me. What sold me was the fact that all their products use USP grade ingredients, so I trust that I am getting a clean product. I use their products to dose my aminos, fluoride, iodine, and strontium.
     
     
     Fun fact: Several of their products feature my photos!
   • Fauna Marin
     These are the newest products among my arsenal. Those German Gurus sure know reefing!
     • Min S: My favorite coral food. Acros actively eat it unlike the dry powder products. The worst part about this is the smell. If you can't handle strong odors... but the things we do for the ones we love, right?
     • Organic: another broad trace element product, supposed synergistic effects along with the use of Min S. This helps me keep certain trace elements from bottoming out.
     • Amin: A broader amino supplement than the ME coral stuff.
     • Coral Vitality: This product is worded very very vaguely. However, I notice that usage of this makes the acros much slimier. It claims it is the "optimal supply for the important bacterial fauna of corals" whatever that means. However my corals do appear "more stress resistant and vital than animals with insufficient symbiosis bacteria".
       
       

• Doctor Tims
  I have experienced weird seasonal bleaching events. It is very sporadic and unpredictable. Completely separate systems will be affected and the corals will begin to decline. I have heard anecdotes from other reefers experiencing the same issues. I hope that by prophylactically using this in conjunction with the other bacterial supplements that I can prevent these future events.
  
  

This pretty much concludes how I operate my systems and what goes into them. While this is how I operate, it is by no means a straight shot to success. You could go out of your way and purchase all these products to put in your tank and emulate my set up. However, that does not mean your results will be the same as mine. You must stay proactive and always on your toes. Remember, this hobby is about maintaining an entire ecosystem and keeping it at equilibrium. Much easier said than done.
If you do not dedicate your time, adapt, and stay open minded your dreams will stay dreams and never become reality. The beauty of this hobby lies in it constant evolution and the plethora of unknowns ready to be discovered. If you are ever to be discouraged in your system, be strong. Time, knowledge, and experimentation are your friend. Do not be shy to explore, try new things and change your preconceptions.

Feel free to ask questions and offer critique to any of my methods. I am always open to constructive criticism and opportunities for growth.

As always, Happy Reefing!
Allan

Bro!!!
Insane write-up!!!
I skimmed and pressing off to work! I cannon wait to sit at my computer later to read without hurry or distractions.
Awesome

 

[coral reeftank]

Bro!!!
Insane write-up!!!
I skimmed and pressing off to work! I cannon wait to sit at my computer later to read without hurry or distractions.
Awesome

Thanks Perry, your thread finally gave me the inspiration to finish up my write up. I've had so many people ask why this, why that, I figured I'd finally compose a write up that I can easily point people towards.

 

[jp_75]

Very well done! Thx for all the info!

 

[BaliReefBox]

thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge on me the stumbo..hope i get half as good as you

 

[coral reeftank]

thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge on me the stumbo..hope i get half as good as you

Spread the wealth and enjoy, that's life and the hobby for you!

I've also just uploaded the pdf of my ICP if the link does not work.