Jimmehlee’s IM14- powerreef!

I’m going to need a bigger frag tank.
If I ever upgrade anything, it will probably be the frag tank. I’m too attached to the 14 to dismantle it.

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Yesterday afternoon I replaced the screen of my top. I had the original IM diy kit, and replaced it with brs’ 1/8” mesh. The difference is wild. I put my prime 16 on a 30 day acclimation starting at 80%, but wonder if I should start lower. I know the 1/8” mesh gives about a 5% reduction in par vs no lid, I can only imagine what the amount of reduction was with the old screen.

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Wow - so the old mesh is on the right in your upper images? Mine came with the stuff on the left. I wouldn't be surprised if that coarser stuff blocked more than 5% of the light!
 
Wow - so the old mesh is on the right in your upper images? Mine came with the stuff on the left. I wouldn't be surprised if that coarser stuff blocked more than 5% of the light!
Yeah the coarse stuff on the right is the old stuff. I bought it around 2.5 years ago? No kidding, that’s why I worry I should have started the acclimation lower lol, it had to be blocking a fairly substantial amount. I just never thought too much about it.
 
Although, I’m also thinking about adding a diffuser to the prime to help eliminate some shading as I add a few acros... that’d drop it back down a little lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Yesterday afternoon I replaced the screen of my top. I had the original IM diy kit, and replaced it with brs’ 1/8” mesh. The difference is wild. I put my prime 16 on a 30 day acclimation starting at 80%, but wonder if I should start lower. I know the 1/8” mesh gives about a 5% reduction in par vs no lid, I can only imagine what the amount of reduction was with the old screen.

A8650920-3D3C-4F6D-806C-698C271C8F61.jpeg 19A9AC70-5C44-45D5-9BA0-438FDA53B400.jpeg 75EC3808-9C15-4F0D-9E06-39652EC05716.jpeg
I did the same thing on my Lagoon 50. Those original mesh tops are solid but they block a lot of light. One of my zebra barred dartfish also got through it. I’m much happier with the 1/8 inch mesh. Way less reflection of light back up to the ceiling as well.
 
I did the same thing on my Lagoon 50. Those original mesh tops are solid but they block a lot of light. One of my zebra barred dartfish also got through it. I’m much happier with the 1/8 inch mesh. Way less reflection of light back up to the ceiling as well.

Yeah man, there’s definitely a visual difference! That 20000k setting is nice and deep looking now. Eventually I’m going to get brs’ frame and remake the whole thing, the spline brs sells is too small for the IM frames. I had to push it in doubled up side by side and pinch the frame with some needle nose pliers.
 
Yeah man, there’s definitely a visual difference! That 20000k setting is nice and deep looking now. Eventually I’m going to get brs’ frame and remake the whole thing, the spline brs sells is too small for the IM frames. I had to push it in doubled up side by side and pinch the frame with some needle nose pliers.
I reused the spline that came with the IM. It broke in a couple of places but it still worked. I will eventually get a new frame kit but for now this is working.
 
I traded in some of my zoa frags yesterday and took home a couple little acros. Walt Disney and vivid rainbow. Trimmed them and got them onto fresh plugs. They’re hanging out in the sand bed for now. I’ll cut down the plugs and glue em in a week or two. Bonus pics from around the reef. I still don’t have a clue what the lil green acro on my rock is, but it’s really nice and fuzzy. I think the three will look nice around that top rock. Savaged my red/orange lepto getting it off the top area, but it’s already grown back over the exposed skeleton. Hardly stayed mad for a weekend.

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Made a time lapse of my button scoly eating today. Real time was between 5-10 minutes... I kinda set it and walked away.

edited to fix lil’ vid
 
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I put together a 44g brute can mixing tub yesterday, tested it out today. Seems like everything is all set. Just have to put together a 14-15” y’all stand for it to sit on in the closet and it’s good to go.


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Lost my yellow goby. It never really looked right but generally acted normal. Just quit eating and withered pretty quickly. Was able to remove it. Since it’s been gone firefish hasn’t been coming out. It’s been a couple days now since I’ve even seen its tail poking out. Chalk bass looks skinny but he’s always out and eats.

Took some pictures during water changes today, the coral is all doing well. Acros are starting to encrust. I keep scraping the leftover lepto around the vivid’s rainbow but it’s persistent. We’ll see what happens.

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Well uh. Firefish never came back out. He was getting fairly old. The chalk bass was stuck to the mp10 yesterday. Definitely was not eating enough. What a time to be a resident of the 14!
There’s a wheeler’s goby and the pair of clowns from the frag tank in there now. Something happens to them, I’ve got a problem.

I also relocated my hammer to the frag tank, the torch was starting to sting it.

Enjoy more of my pups
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IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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