nburg

I've found the cal solutions will drift over time, maybe from evaporating water?

Good post to raise awareness! I am done with refractometer calibration solution. When new, they are correct at 35 ppt, but over time they must evaporate water because they always go up. I had some corals doing poorly and wasn't sure why. Someone gave me some calibration solution with a refractometer they were getting rid of (nice to have backups) and I was like hey, this is 2 ppt too low... then i got to thinking, and got a third one brand new... it was 2 ppt low as well. I was frustrated with a pretty big difference in the 3 and bought the TM hydrometer and turns out my main calibration solution was 37 ppt instead of 35 ppt. I continued to use the new, correct fluid to spot check every week but thankfully if my refractometer comes back wonky, I compare the solution to my TM hydrometer. Sure enough, the third bottle drifted. conveniently enough, I run my tank at 77F so no temp compensations needed. Now I will calibrate my refractometer to my hydrometer every couple weeks. If my DT or my fresh mixed saltwater come back weird (they're usually consistent) I will spot check.

I had this happen to a nero 3. notorious for cracking on the inner motor. I think the plastic is so thin to keep it in a small size form factor. I had a few corals decline over the last few months and I am wondering if it was the cause. I think it was cracked for months as I heard it clicking but never bothered to look at the inner magnet around... I think Tunze seems to be the best at longevity but no plastic covered magnet will last forever. Check the magnet mount AND the pump motor area!!

I have a captive bred one and the only thing he aggressively flashes is me, which I am cool with. It was very cryptic when it was small but comes out more and more as it has grown. Slower eater at first and now eats readily out of the water column, but still not a huge eater since it doesn't actively swim a lot. I don't have shrimp, but doesn't bother snails or hermits, doesn't bother fish and is super cool. I always stop to watch when it comes out. Usually just pokes his head out of the cave all day. EDIT: I've also read mandarins have a toxic and bad tasting slime coat so many fish spit them out if they try to eat them.

To me, anything euphyllia with more than 5-6 polyps is a colony and any acro maybe 3 -4 inches or more depending on type (like stags would be a little bigger or a table a little smaller since they are more rounded)... if you ask vendors, anything over and inch or more than 3 branches is a colony

You’re showing your age in the hobby with wet web media. I remember when I first started, I would submit questions to WWM and was excited when I would get answers from Bob Fenner. His short answers always required follow up questions, lol. Better than the randos from reef central. i think the best thing for newbies is reference the Berlin method: skimmer, live rock and water changes. At least until they learn the basics.

Hey, if that frag tank is still available, i will probably take it!

Wow, looks sweet!

I would agree with the others... in a new tank, getting any decent growth in a year is good. Looks like the acros you posted are laying a good base and should start taking off soon. Once they get going, they can grow quick. You could expect in ideal conditions for that slimer to put on an inch a month on some branches. Mine would only grow from a few branches while other branches did nothing. I think I have colonies from frags that had 2 or 3 branches that are now 6-7 inches tall on one branch while the other initial branch never grew from when I got it 2 years ago.

Sucks to see this. Good reminder to double check things. Im always afraid of my light mounts giving way and falling into the tank.

Thanks guys! I’m not a blue light guy, but the tank does look good under blues!

fwiw, when I started dosing nitrates, my phosphate settled to around 0.1 where I like it and dose to keep nitrates at 10ish. Your best bet for algae control is probably some big Mexican turbo snails. They’re not super easy to keep long term. I think the longest I had one was about 2 Years, but typically anything over a year is about what you can hope for. Or maybe some emerald crabs too. I have found as corals grow, they can out compete algae too

I’ve had those come and go over the years. Population booms followed by them just disappearing one day. I think my mandarin ate them all a while back. She got fat around the time I noticed them gone.

Is that a different kind of peppermint or do they call those Camel Shrimp?