Homers 80G Started on RC

[homer1475]

Its crazy you wouldn't think messing with the tank does that, but I recently did that to 2 different systems one to get out peppermint shrimp, and one to get out hitchhiking crabs but disturbed all the rock the same(no sand in either) and put it back. All kinds of algaes and cyano for a couple weeks then just went away. I guess its the systems way of saying its ticked off at you, but then it gets over it.

I've done it a couple times now with this tank. Everytime it acts the same. I would have to believe you in saying that it's the tanks way of showing you it's ticked off.

 

[homer1475]

Ha always forget about the build thread unless someone reads it, likes something, or posts in it.

Nero 3 came weeks ago, and have it setup on the right side down low to provide flow across the fron sandbed.

Recently took a weeks trip to the OBX region of N. Carolina. Had my neice babysit my dogs, and tank.

Surprisingly, my tank actually looks better with no one touching it(other then feeding the fish), including cleaning the glass, then if I was home and putzing over things.

Maybe a sign that I shouldn't change things so much, or to quit putzing with the tank? Not that I change a lot, but there is always something to play with, or change up. Suppose this is telling me to leave it be.

 

[SamMule]

Great looking tank!
Is that a white RFA on the bottom right? Looks pretty intriguing!

 

[homer1475]

Yes white RFA.

Stark white bleached when I bought it. It has taken on more of a cream color. It's the momma to the many babies in my tank. I'm assuming(we really have no way to know) it is the lone female in a tank full of males.

It is the only one I have ever seen spit out babies, and all the rest of them I have seen spit out "smoke".

 

[i cant think]

I’ve never noticed that white RFA, I guess it blends in with the sand too well.

 

[homer1475]

It has moved a few times over the years, but stays pretty much in that spot.

It was front of the right rock, moved to the side a bit, moved back, moved under the overhang a bit, moved back center, and now has been on the right side for a couple years now.

Even after tearing the tank down, like 3 times now, it has stayed in that spot. Yet every other RFA I have never really stays put. They don't walk around like a BTA would, but aren't as permanent as say a haddoni is.

 

[SamMule]

Gotta love RFA's!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

What lighting are you running? Your Tank looks amazing, perfect use of space!

 

[homer1475]

99% of those pics are with a 6 bulb ATI sunpower fixture running 2 purple+, 2 coral+, and 2 actinics. I also had 2 reef brites super actinics I think they were.

I recently switched to a 8 bulb powermodule hybrid. So I'm currently running 8 bulbs with 2 LEDS. I run 6 blue+, 2 actinics, then run the LEDS in the purple+ spectrum.

I have not put a par meter on the new fixture, I can visually see it's brighter, and my coral have really responded. Acros that were dull have started to color up, and my 2 part consumption has nearly doubled.

 

[homer1475]

I suppose I should update this........

Lets see, absolutly nothing has changed since may! Corals get bigger, fish get fatter, maintenance never stops, pretty much the same thing day in, day out.

Some of my equipment, and livestock has changed, so I guess I will post that?

80G SCA cube Tower style overflow in back center
30G sump
Bubble magus curve 5 elite skimmer
BRS mini reactor with carbon and small amount of GFO mixed together
Finnex titanium heating rod on a ranco, and apex as backup
Roughly 4 cups of seachem matrix media in a bag in a very low flow area of my sump.(I find these work great at keeping nitrates in check for me)
Varios 4 return pump
Tunze 3155 ATO
2 MP 10's
2 jeabo PP8's
2 nero 3
8 bulb ATI powermodule( I run 6 blue +, and 2 true actinics. I then run the 2 LED pucks in a purple plus config with a bit more white).
Apex classic runs the entire thing

Livestock minus coral:
Pintail fairy wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse
black leopard wrasse
moyers leopard wrasse
melagris leopard wrasse
1 midnight female clown
bumblebee goby with a randalls pistol
lantern basslet
lemon peel angel
blue eyed kole tang
orchid dottyback
Mandarin dragonette pair

I honestly couldn't even begin to name all the coral.

Recent FTS I just took:

And yes I have a small cyano issue. Just need to do this weeks maintenance.

 

[biecacka]

Are those sps epoxied to the overflow box?


corey

 

[homer1475]

Yes. Plastic overflow. I believe those are pinky the bear, and WD.

I made an epoxy cradle, then super glued that to the plastic overflow.

Ive been toying with the idea of making a "frag rack" out of epoxy, but permanently glued to the overflow. I have a couple higher end SPS I would like to grow permanently there.

I did glue a pretty big sarmentosa mini colony onto an encrusting sunset monti. I need to get some kalk paste out to kill back the monti. Didn't know who would win that war, but apparently the monti is.

I can't stop buying sticks, but I have no more room. lol

 

[biecacka]

Haha. Bigger tank…..
that is a pretty cool idea to grow them on the overflow box though.

corey

 

[homer1475]

Found something super cool last night about an hour after lights out.

I was looking around with a flashlight, and my large pavona colony has literally hundreds of micro brittle stars living in it. I had no idea as I have never seen it before. There were literally thousands of tiny legs waving in the current. I actually thought it may have been sweepers which I have never seen on a smooth skin pavona. But as I inspected further, I could see it was actually thousands of tiny striped legs. Some were tiny, but some were the size of a large thumbnail!

It was a pretty cool sight to see, and I don't think I could get a pic of it.

 

[death-by-reef]

thats actually really cool

 

[homer1475]

Not the best picture, but about the best I could do with no lights. You can see all the striped legs waving in the flow. This colony is about the size of a football, and there is literally thousands of brittle stars living in it.

 

[Miami Reef]

I suppose I should update this........

Lets see, absolutly nothing has changed since may! Corals get bigger, fish get fatter, maintenance never stops, pretty much the same thing day in, day out.

Some of my equipment, and livestock has changed, so I guess I will post that?

80G SCA cube Tower style overflow in back center
30G sump
Bubble magus curve 5 elite skimmer
BRS mini reactor with carbon and small amount of GFO mixed together
Finnex titanium heating rod on a ranco, and apex as backup
Roughly 4 cups of seachem matrix media in a bag in a very low flow area of my sump.(I find these work great at keeping nitrates in check for me)
Varios 4 return pump
Tunze 3155 ATO
2 MP 10's
2 jeabo PP8's
2 nero 3
8 bulb ATI powermodule( I run 6 blue +, and 2 true actinics. I then run the 2 LED pucks in a purple plus config with a bit more white).
Apex classic runs the entire thing

Livestock minus coral:
Pintail fairy wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse
black leopard wrasse
moyers leopard wrasse
melagris leopard wrasse
1 midnight female clown
bumblebee goby with a randalls pistol
lantern basslet
lemon peel angel
blue eyed kole tang
orchid dottyback
Mandarin dragonette pair

I honestly couldn't even begin to name all the coral.

Recent FTS I just took:

And yes I have a small cyano issue. Just need to do this weeks maintenance.

What’s your bulb combo?

Your tank looks outstanding!

 

[homer1475]

Thank you! Always nice to get a compliment from a fellow reefer.

I run 6 blue+, and 2 true actinics. I then set the LED's to purple+ with a bit more white. I prefer the whiter look over a windex tank, but I do like a bit of the widex look at night when my lights are ramping down.

 

[Miami Reef]

Thank you! Always nice to get a compliment from a fellow reefer.

I run 6 blue+, and 2 true actinics. I then set the LED's to purple+ with a bit more white. I prefer the whiter look over a windex tank, but I do like a bit of the widex look at night when my lights are ramping down.

I also like the whiter look.

I only use T5 and I have a 1:1 combo of blue plus and coral plus; my tank looks like yours, however, your bulbs looked like only blue plus.

I’m going to pick up a Duncan this week because yours look fabulous.

 

[homer1475]

That duncan started off as 2 heads about 2 years ago. It's now the size of a soccer ball. It grows and loses heads daily. It actually keep my green slimer, and sunset monti in check.