Just got home from a long trip...

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Just got home from a long trip and man oh man my tank looks sooooo good! Sps are all colored up, no algae, montipora spreading, zoas growing and the sand is white! Oh and all the fish look great after 8 days away.

The Chaeto has grown tremendously as well.

I'm so stoked because it's normally the exact opposite.

Anyone else ever come home to good surprises?

 

[PSLReefer]

What would you attribute that result to?

 

[4FordFamily]

Nope. You know how my trips end!

 

[Dsnakes]

On occasion it does happen! Almost as if the tank enjoys some of its own alone time mine is usually a couple new heads on my acans. I'll take what I can get!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Just got home from a long trip and man oh man my tank looks sooooo good! Sps are all colored up, no algae, montipora spreading, zoas growing and the sand is white! Oh and all the fish look great after 8 days away.

The Chaeto has grown tremendously as well.

I'm so stoked because it's normally the exact opposite.

Anyone else ever come home to good surprises?

That's awesome! Maybe there's something to that "keeping your hands out of the tank" thing!? Lol

 

[120reefkeeper]

Picture or it didn't happen. [emoji12]

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

What would you attribute that result to?

Honestly a few weeks before I left I quit trying to make my alkalinty and Calcium be a certain level. It leveled out around 7.5 and I saw some improvement in color but it was just starting to get better. So I left the tank dosing at a lower level just maintaining the numbers.

Also around that same time I added a basketball size amount of Chaeto to the refugium and a Kessil grow light running 24/7. Mostly because I was battling what I thought to be a Dino outbreak. That worked for eradicating the algae for the most part before I left. The whole section of Chaeto is totally full now. This was a two fold blessing because it also caused my PH to rise to a better level.

I had also been battling algae in the inline frag tank and that had also been consumed.

Also right before I left I installed a shop fan to blow over the water of my sump to keep the temps down because they had been rising to around 80-81. This knocked the temp down to 78 and also caused my PH to rise a little more which was good!

So there you have it!

Pardon the wires in the photo!

Nope. You know how my trips end!

Sorry man...

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Also note the fuge area is 20x22" so it's not small.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Funny that lower alk and calcium has been helping my corals increase in color as well. 7-8dkh

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Daughters nano is looking great too! Needs glass cleaned but here it is.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I'll get a photo tomorrow of my tank.

 

[Dsnakes]

Looks great! I love the little plate,
That's going to be my next coral! I've been eyeing one a while.

 

[PSLReefer]

Honestly a few weeks before I left I quit trying to make my alkalinty and Calcium be a certain level. It leveled out around 7.5 and I saw some improvement in color but it was just starting to get better. So I left the tank dosing at a lower level just maintaining the numbers.

Also around that same time I added a basketball size amount of Chaeto to the refugium and a Kessil grow light running 24/7. Mostly because I was battling what I thought to be a Dino outbreak. That worked for eradicating the algae for the most part before I left. The whole section of Chaeto is totally full now. This was a two fold blessing because it also caused my PH to rise to a better level.

I had also been battling algae in the inline frag tank and that had also been consumed.

Also right before I left I installed a shop fan to blow over the water of my sump to keep the temps down because they had been rising to around 80-81. This knocked the temp down to 78 and also caused my PH to rise a little more which was good!

So there you have it!

Pardon the wires in the photo!

Sorry man...

Sounds like the chaeto reducing nutrients, hence the growth, with contributing factors of lower temp, PH running closer to ideal and lower alk(which in my opinion is better for color) a perfect storm so to speak happened. In addition to no hands in the tank!!! Lol

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Sounds like the chaeto reducing nutrients, hence the growth, with contributing factors of lower temp, PH running closer to ideal and lower alk(which in my opinion is better for color) a perfect storm so to speak happened. In addition to no hands in the tank!!! Lol

Agreed!

 

[renato120]

I'll get a photo tomorrow of my tank.

Forgot something? Lol

 

[ubasu]

Im always amazed at the growth when I come back from vacation. I think most of it can be attributed to me not noticing the small growth and my general anxiety about leaving the tank being relieved. But when I come back from a trip my tank looks awesome.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Forgot something? Lol

Man I took photos but they were terrible! I'm gonna try to break out the good camera.

 

[eschulist]

So besides BRS where else did you go Rev?

There are 2-3 good LFS in the Twin cities area, Neptune 2016 MAHY David Grigor is from here, Chris' Algae Farm is local, My 3 Foot Nano now moved home was close, and a short drive across the border is jlangers 120gal Arts and Crafts Reef. There are a ton of other great tanks in the Twin cities but they don't all have build threads I can easily link.

 

[shubunk]

Awesome!
I am currently on vacation. I come back on Sunday. I hope I come back to health growing corals.
I have Apex so I've been monitoring my pH, temp and salt and making sure there aren't any leaks. Everything seems to be somewhat stable. Also hired a neighborhood kid to feed and make sure all the water and chemical levels are right.
He also sends me pictures of my tank which I appreciate.

 

[Paul B]

That always happens to me because I think my fish like the Supermodel fish sitter I have better than me.