impressive Perry. I like the barber chairProgress...
Room is a big mess, but a low boy, drilled, eshopps 800gph kit installed, off to the hardware store for pvc, let the fun begin!!!
Reefbreeders Photon V2 32 pro and hydra 26 to fill gap.
impressive Perry. I like the barber chair
Your acros are doing incredible!Hello,
It's August and time for an update
The 3ft cube acro lagoon continues to evolve, the landscape is an ongoing process, and is inching closer to final aestitic approval, me, lol. Likely, all the corals currently homed in the DT will stay until there is a reason to update. That said, I have some corals getting quite large, and have had to do some reef surgery on some colonies. The prop system is a life saver for that
Speaking of the prop system, it's now humming along, a 1" sand bed offers stability to the entire system. Sharing water between the prop system, 50 gallons, the sump 75gallons(40working gallons), and the cube lagoon at 112 gallons, puts me right around 200 total gallons. As the system matures, I will add in prop systems as needed. This is an easy solution to be able to gain landscape, without massive volume, due to the 10" depth of the tanks. This is exactly my direction. The cube lagoon will be a mature acro reef, then the collectible goodies grown out in the prop systems. I tend to lean on smooth skin corals, and haven't purchased anything but smoothies in the past year. As the focus continues on these corals, I would like to offer the collection as the colonies allow for pruning.
Thanks for looking over the journal, I have provided some random photos taken in the month of August.
Impressive as always. Gives me hope.Good Evening,
With Idalia not really doing much, I took advantage and did some much needed maintenance. The prop system has been bugging me, and the sand was too. I pulled the sand, back to barebottom on the entire system. I have gone back and forth in my mind regarding detritus, and while I think it's OK if undisturbed, I am too ocd to run my system without socks, and as detritus free as possible.
Anyway, I took a few top downs to share
TGC Bugatti
Tyree Pinky The Bear
SCOP
CC Pink Highlighter
WD
BC Mondo Rainbow
JF Fox Flame
You know..., its people like you (reef master supreme deluxe) that make people like me(regular guy) think they can be successful at reef keeping. I've been struggling for 7 years, inspired by tanks like this, unwilling to give up. Meanwhile you can slap a tank together and its amazing in 6 months(rinse and repeat). I know it can be done, I'm the problem. Success is around the corner. I appreciate the inspiration good sir!!July update:
112 gallon DT-
As the prop tank was added to the reef room, the display is thinning out. The front 1/3 is kinda empty, but as the corals grow, I can stretch the reef. So far I am quite pleased. Colors getting dialed in, as nutrients are now present and holding fairly stable. N03-5ppm, P04- 0.05-0.09. As far as N03, I really don't do much, barebottom with proper application and management fixes nutrients. P04 on the other hand is being consumed more efficiently, and is managed by heavy feeding, and a 1/4 teaspoon of Reef Roids, or 2ml of Seachem phosphorus required daily.
PH- The chase is worth it, kalkwasser dispensed at 375ml every hour of the day, except for 4 hours of main tanks photo period, works out to just under 2 gallons of fully saturated kalk to my approximately 200 gallon volume. Prop tank photo period is 5am-5pm. Main tank is 9am-9pm. This staggering effect, with kalkwasser has the system cruising, seeing peak at 8.4/8.5, and low at 8.1/8.2. This changes depending on if someone, other than dogs are home. Gets me thinking about vacation crashes, and perhaps unanticipated ph jumps due to lack of carbon dioxide. Hmmmm....
Levels are maintained at NSW values, and AF Reef Salt, mixes exactly to those managed parameters. I try and maintain an elevated mg, so it's tested and doser delivers daily for rapid replenishment /stability. For trace, I currently use RS 4 part program, but will likely move to ESV brands. I will also automate. As a caveat, I have NEVER used ICP, and don't plan on it. It wasn't available when I started and ran acro systems before, so no sense on the chase. I dose 25% of recommendations, it's there, so I am content!
I am a huge observer, I spend hours daily studying corals, if colors seem off, I test, and perhaps bump applicable trace for specific color boost. KZ Flatworm Stop used daily at 25%, KZ Sponge Power used 2 times per week at 5 drops. AF Coral Boost used at 6 spoons 2 times per week. Once per week I dose 1.5 tspn of Fauna Marin Rebiotic, this is for biome stability, due to lack of sand. DIY Coral Snow with 6 drops of AF Bio S used weekly, post scrubbing the display.
That's about it for July, thanks for following!!
