Bubba's SPS Journey

[bubbaque]

Which sand are you using? I love the look. Sorry if I missed it in previous posts.

Caribsea special grade.

What par is this one at? Mine does look nearly this good.

The pics are under all blue so that adds more pop but it isn’t getting high par. Roughly 275 par with leds.

 

[Cell]

I've got mine at like 350ish. Decent growth, but not super colorful. I might reconsider its placement. Thanks!

 

[reefanova]

I think this is the best book i have ever read!Took me a long time, but i got through the entire thing.Thank you for sharing your journey with the community. Your coral pics are amazing. You have inspired me to start adding frags back to my tank after so long without corals.Hats off to you sir!

 

[bubbaque]

Just a word of advice for anyone struggling with a refugium. This tank I couldn’t grow chaeto for nothing or it would grow and also grow all kinds of nasty stuff on it. At TSA they use Pom Pom Macro Algae but just because I always used chaeto I was reluctant to try it. I grabbed some from TSA and swapped my chaeto to Pom Pom and it worked great! My nitrates were 25 ppm and it dropped them down to 1 ppm over 3 weeks and my po4 from .14 to .06.

Anyone struggling should give it a try. On a plus it’s kinda pretty lol.

 

[drawman]

Just a word of advice for anyone struggling with a refugium. This tank I couldn’t grow chaeto for nothing or it would grow and also grow all kinds of nasty stuff on it. At TSA they use Pom Pom Macro Algae but just because I always used chaeto I was reluctant to try it. I grabbed some from TSA and swapped my chaeto to Pom Pom and it worked great! My nitrates were 25 ppm and it dropped them down to 1 ppm over 3 weeks and my po4 from .14 to .06.

Anyone struggling should give it a try. On a plus it’s kinda pretty lol.

Is this a type of gracillaria?

 

[bubbaque]

Is this a type of gracillaria?

I believe so.

 

[Pdash]

I believe so.

Ever try feeding it to your tangs?

 

[BirdFish5000]

Best way to go is a mix of macro algaes.

 

[Potatohead]

Well Bubba you have inspired me. I had a chaeto refugium for a few years and it always grew like mad until a few months ago, it slowly withered away over two months or so. I’m not sure why, I thought maybe I need to dose iron but my dosing contains trace elements, so I don’t know. I decided to give the tank some time without it but I have noticed slightly slower growth and definitely more green cyano on my rockwork without it.

So because of your post yesterday I went and got some gracilaria this morning, along with another handful of chaeto and I am going to give it a whirl.

 

[bubbaque]

Ever try feeding it to your tangs?

I have not. I imagine they would eat it but I don't want them pooping back into the tank, lol.

Well Bubba you have inspired me. I had a chaeto refugium for a few years and it always grew like mad until a few months ago, it slowly withered away over two months or so. I’m not sure why, I thought maybe I need to dose iron but my dosing contains trace elements, so I don’t know. I decided to give the tank some time without it but I have noticed slightly slower growth and definitely more green cyano on my rockwork without it.

So because of your post yesterday I went and got some gracilaria this morning, along with another handful of chaeto and I am going to give it a whirl.

You will like the Pom Pom. It works just as well cheato and it has a very slight slime to the leaves, which I think stops nasty stuff from growing on it.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I have not. I imagine they would eat it but I don't want them pooping back into the tank, lol.

You will like the Pom Pom. It works just as well cheato and it has a very slight slime to the leaves, which I think stops nasty stuff from growing on it.

G. hayi is great for a fuge macro. You are right, the slick stems prevent most algae from sticking. If some does get caught up on it, just a quick shake and it comes off.

Also makes for a good nutrient recycle if you want to feed it to the fish. All herbivore/omnivore fish I have eat it.

 

[Potatohead]

I have not. I imagine they would eat it but I don't want them pooping back into the tank, lol.

You will like the Pom Pom. It works just as well cheato and it has a very slight slime to the leaves, which I think stops nasty stuff from growing on it.

I'd like to get some feather caulerpa also, if for no other reason than it looks nice.

 

[aquaticlog]

Do you change your Radion light to a certain look before you take your photos?

 

[bubbaque]

Do you change your Radion light to a certain look before you take your photos?

Yes I do.

 

[aquaticlog]

Yes I do.

What do you set it to? Say for XR15 Blue. Thank you.

 

[bubbaque]

What do you set it to? Say for XR15 Blue. Thank you.

Really depends on the light. Most of the time it’s all blue under radion gen 4. The gen 5 all blue isn’t the same as all blue in the gen 4. I hate taking pics under gen 5’s as the color just looks off. I know you don’t use radions, so I not even sure what settings to use on your light.

To try and answer your question since you asked about gen5 blue, I would try all blue with 10% cool white.

 

[aquaticlog]

Really depends on the light. Most of the time it’s all blue under radion gen 4. The gen 5 all blue isn’t the same as all blue in the gen 4. I hate taking pics under gen 5’s as the color just looks off. I know you don’t use radions, so I not even sure what settings to use on your light.

To try and answer your question since you asked about gen5 blue, I would try all blue with 10% cool white.

Thank you. I actually do use XR15 Blue on my frag system
So all 4 blue channels at 100% and just white at 10%? Red, green, teal at 0%?

 

[bubbaque]

Thank you. I actually do use XR15 Blue on my frag system
So all 4 blue channels at 100% and just white at 10%? Red, green, teal at 0%?

Correct. Give that a try.

 

[aquaticlog]

Correct. Give that a try.

Thank you, forgot to ask - do you use an orange filter?

 

[Steven Garland]

I know I do not post too often anymore but I figured I would pop in and drop a pic.

I do not feel like I see this one too much but it's a looker.

Cricket Spine

First off,this piece is amazing. And I had no idea or maybe I did and just forgot.. But you live in CFL ANNND work at TSA ?!