SDReef's 330G CDA Acropora Dominant Mixed Reef

[chipchipbro]

Thank you. To be fair, coral colors look a little deeper when viewed from the top down, but I'm really happy with the shape of the colony and how the colors have developed.

this is really an awesome acropora.. im still stunned
Whish I could get my hands on this one.. imo best color combo ive seen.. where did you get that?

 

[sdreef]

this is really an awesome acropora.. im still stunned
Whish I could get my hands on this one.. imo best color combo ive seen.. where did you get that?

I got this from a friend, I'm not sure where he got it. It's very similar to battlecoral's kenberry acro. Same species and similar distribution of colors.

 

[sdreef]

Actinics

Vivid's Confetti

 

[sdreef]

I'm still waiting for consumption to go up to add my calcium reactor. I'm really excited to get it going, but I definitely bought it way too early for my tank. I'm happy I followed @ScottB's advice and added a kalk stirrer first. The pH is stable now at 8.2-8.4.

Here is an overlay with the kalk dosing. I'm currently adding 2 liters of kalk a day. I'm not planning on changing this volume and have been gradually increasing the amount of dosing to account for increases in consumption as the corals grow.

I dose most of the kalk in the evening from 6 pm to midnight which does help flatten the pH curve to a degree. Initially, I was adding more overnight to flatten the pH curve more, but this was leading to more fluctuation in the alkalinity since the tank has very little consumption from midnight to 6 am. For that reason, I adjusted the amount of kalk in the intervals to flatten the alkalinity curve as much as possible. Interesting that most of the consumption occurs after the most intense lighting period and not during. The alkalinity ranges between 7.7 and 8.1 dKH in a given week and generally less than 0.2 dKH in a given day.

I also added a conductivity probe to measure the potency of the kalk solution, and have found that following Avast's instructions works best. I simply add half a cup of kalk to the reactor every two weeks based on the volume of kalk solution I am adding weekly.

 

[ScottB]

I'm still waiting for consumption to go up to add my calcium reactor. I'm really excited to get it going, but I definitely bought it way too early for my tank. I'm happy I followed @ScottB's advice and added a kalk stirrer first. The pH is stable now at 8.2-8.4.

Here is an overlay with the kalk dosing. I'm currently adding 2 liters of kalk a day. I'm not planning on changing this volume and have been gradually increasing the amount of dosing to account for increases in consumption as the corals grow.

I dose most of the kalk in the evening from 6 pm to midnight which does help flatten the pH curve to a degree. Initially, I was adding more overnight to flatten the pH curve more, but this was leading to more fluctuation in the alkalinity since the tank has very little consumption from midnight to 6 am. For that reason, I adjusted the amount of kalk in the intervals to flatten the alkalinity curve as much as possible. Interesting that most of the consumption occurs after the most intense lighting period and not during. The alkalinity ranges between 7.7 and 8.1 dKH in a given week and generally less than 0.2 dKH in a given day.

I also added a conductivity probe to measure the potency of the kalk solution, and have found that following Avast's instructions works best. I simply add half a cup of kalk to the reactor every two weeks based on the volume of kalk solution I am adding weekly.

Excellent pH chart you got going there. Arguably, this combo of APEX and Octo is one of my better additions to the system -- both in terms of environmental value and ease of maintenance. My range is now 8.33 - 8.43.

Interesting observation on dKH consumption being highest AFTER peak light versus during. Kinda lines up to those studies showing that photosynthetic activity stalls above 350 PAR...

 

[sdreef]

A little shuffling of some of the acros. I moved the shortcake variant a little lower and rotated a bit in order to see its colors a bit better from the front glass. I moved the BC Kenberry to an area where it will get a little more flow and hope that will stimulate it to begin growing a little more.

Previously when I attempted this strain of elegance the skeleton had been cut in several locations and it ended up with a bacterial infection. This time, I ensured that I got one with an intact skeleton. I placed the coral in a location that I thought would have ideal light and flow and I have not touched it again for the past month. It looks good right now. I really love this coral and I"m hoping I can have longer term success this time round.

WT Tierra Del Fuego

TGC Redwing Millie

Hung's Rainbow explosion, been in the system for a couple month, just encrusting for now. Interested to see what this one might look like as a colony. Currently sitting at about 400 PAR.

After encrusting for the past year, starting to get vertical growth and there are some nubs starting to develop. Polyp extension was better a couple days ago, I had a filefish that started nipping, and he is now living in the fuge until I take him back. Caught him in about 20 seconds last night by finding where he sleeps.

Choat's leopard

 

[Minhaj Qazi]

A few LPS additions to the tank. These pictures are from right after everything went in the tank so things still need to open up. Still no acros in my acro-dominated reef, but hopefully can start adding some over the next couple months. I have a couple tester frags healing up on my rack.

 

[Minhaj Qazi]

very nice tank build step by step.

 

[sdreef]

very nice tank build step by step.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

 

[sdreef]

Crocea clam quite happy for the past couple months.

No name, tabling acropora

Acropora austera, 'Poletti yellow tip'

RRC Jawdropper

Hawkins echinata

A. tenuis, JF Jolt

No name smooth skin, in captivity 2 years and found a good spot for it now. Starting to accelerate in growth. Really bright contrasting polyps.

 

[ScottB]

Crocea clam quite happy for the past couple months.

All very nice. Photo 3, is that Cali tort? Photo 5, is that Hawkins echinata?

 

[sdreef]

All very nice. Photo 3, is that Cali tort? Photo 5, is that Hawkins echinata?

Thank you. Number 3 is a Poletti's yellow tip, Acropora austera. It was in my last battle box. I had asked for a couple corals with more vertical growth with the intent of filling in the background a bit. Really nice coral, starting to get its yellow tips and I like the blue polyps.

And number 5 is Hawkins echinata. Originally picked it up around seven years ago. I had a large colony that I fragged up before starting this tank.

 

[Acropora52]

That no name tabling acro almost looks like A. Carolina but with flow resulting in tabling behavior. Whatever it is, it's pretty!

 

[sdreef]

That no name tabling acro almost looks like A. Carolina but with flow resulting in tabling behavior. Whatever it is, it's pretty!

I got it from my LFS. The called it their highlighter acro and thought it was A. granulosa, but coralites look like it be A. caroliana too.

I've had this colony from a small frag for four or five years, and I love how it's tabling out into the system.

 

[sdreef]

Anthias continue to do well. I did lose the largest subdominant male recently. He was getting larger and coming out to court the group of females. It wasn't received well by the dominant male.

Otherwise the tank has turned a corner. The corals are generally looking healthy. The polyp extension on all of the goniopora are improving as well. The 'amazeballs' that I have grown from a tiny frag started demonstrating progressively poor polyp extension in November. At the time I attributed this to the nutrients reaching some threshold, but I now suspect it was some toxin in the salt mix. Part of the reason I suspect this over the nutrients is the rapid decline in my maxima clams that were previously doing well. It was an abrupt change. This is purely anecdotal, and I'm not confident enough to let my nutrients get to the unconventionally high levels to experiment again (for now).

I've used TM Pro salt for the past seven years, and considered switching salt after the recent problems. But for now, I'm continuing to use TM Pro salt from Germany.

 

[ScottB]

Anthias continue to do well. I did lose the largest subdominant male recently. He was getting larger and coming out to court the group of females. It wasn't received well by the dominant male.

Otherwise the tank has turned a corner. The corals are generally looking healthy. The polyp extension on all of the goniopora are improving as well. The 'amazeballs' that I have grown from a tiny frag started demonstrating progressively poor polyp extension in November. At the time I attributed this to the nutrients reaching some threshold, but I now suspect it was some toxin in the salt mix. Part of the reason I suspect this over the nutrients is the rapid decline in my maxima clams that were previously doing well. It was an abrupt change. This is purely anecdotal, and I'm not confident enough to let my nutrients get to the unconventionally high levels to experiment again (for now).

I've used TM Pro salt for the past seven years, and considered switching salt after the recent problems. But for now, I'm continuing to use TM Pro salt from Germany.

Really looks great. Not sure I would mess with things much. I think it really is a great challenge -- a nearly impossible one -- to keep everybody happy all the time in a truly mixed reef. Solving for one species discontent can bother another species. Heck, I see that in a more simple acro only tank. I end up just choosing a middle path and try to peg it there. Or try to.

 

[sdreef]

Really looks great. Not sure I would mess with things much. I think it really is a great challenge -- a nearly impossible one -- to keep everybody happy all the time in a truly mixed reef. Solving for one species discontent can bother another species. Heck, I see that in a more simple acro only tank. I end up just choosing a middle path and try to peg it there. Or try to.

I'm with you on not messing with things too much. I don't know what the issue was with the salt, but it's been ok for me for the past seven years and I figures whatever the issue they experienced in the manufacturing last year it could happen to any salt maker. So I figured, why add another variable by changing salts at this point.

That's the challenge of the mixed reef. Take a bunch of organisms from different depths and environments in different oceans with different light requirements, feeding requirements, and flow requirements, and then expect them all to thrive in a glass box that's two feet deep. A definite recipe for success, LOL.

Here's a brief iphone video from this morning. The feeder pump came on which is why all the fish bolt there.

 

[sdreef]

I've been using the Apex DOS for my automatic water changes. I have spare heads available, but wasn't sure when I should change the heads. I noticed yesterday one of the heads is wobbling. After a couple years in continuous use, I think it's time to change both heads.



I've been using the Clarisea SK-5000, there are two automatic rollers in series. The first roller is off most of the day and cycles on once a day, the second roller runs off the float sensor. This configuration has worked well for me and extends the life of the rolls. The roll on the first filter lasts more than 6 months and the second roller lasts 3-4 months. Changing the rolls has gotten easier, but one challenge is removing the old roll. It never pops off the way Clarisea demonstrates in their videos. For a period of time, I would unroll the dirty roll, which isn't the end of the world, but not ideal. I've moved to cutting the roll with a 10 blade scalpel and this works very well and takes under a minute.

 

[Acropora52]

Nothing like cutting to the heart of the matter, amiright

Tank's looking great!

 

[sdreef]

Nothing like cutting to the heart of the matter, amiright

Tank's looking great!

Thank you! I think things are headed in the right direction.

Took a couple photos this evening.
Cherry Bomb, under actinics