YHSublime September 22, 2016 Share September 22, 2016 How about a FTS? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals September 24, 2016 Author Share September 24, 2016 I have rearranged the bottom of the tank finally and am almost done placing the corals on the flat up top. This was taken with everything loose before I started gluing. I switched over to the comp 1,2 and 3 jugs to make it easier on myself. Nitrates are undetectable and I have started using potassium nitrate to reduce phosphates. I took the gfo offline in order to be able to read what they were staying at which is about .08 so i may have to keep it in a bag like I do carbon. Today I am hooking up a nitrate solution and a better potassium mix to my dosing pumps. I had a salinity drop when the bubble king overflowed down the floor drain. I need to fix my backup float switch. Also a alk spike to 10 because I just added salt back to the tank since I cought it right away, bad thing was I had to use instant ocean :( I figured it would be better to not slowly bring the salinity back up since it was low for only a few hours. This system amazes me at how high the alk can get without all the problems most have with carbon dosing and higher alk above 8 or so. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM September 24, 2016 Share September 24, 2016 I fixed your title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals September 24, 2016 Author Share September 24, 2016 Hey thanks man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCReefer1964 September 28, 2016 Share September 28, 2016 I have rearranged the bottom of the tank finally and am almost done placing the corals on the flat up top. This was taken with everything loose before I started gluing. I switched over to the comp 1,2 and 3 jugs to make it easier on myself. Nitrates are undetectable and I have started using potassium nitrate to reduce phosphates. I took the gfo offline in order to be able to read what they were staying at which is about .08 so i may have to keep it in a bag like I do carbon. Today I am hooking up a nitrate solution and a better potassium mix to my dosing pumps. I had a salinity drop when the bubble king overflowed down the floor drain. I need to fix my backup float switch. Also a alk spike to 10 because I just added salt back to the tank since I cought it right away, bad thing was I had to use instant ocean :( I figured it would be better to not slowly bring the salinity back up since it was low for only a few hours. This system amazes me at how high the alk can get without all the problems most have with carbon dosing and higher alk above 8 or so. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk I see you still have the magic touch. Stop chasing numbers and just focus on the look of your coral. Paul in Reffing you know chasing perfection leads to a crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals September 28, 2016 Author Share September 28, 2016 Only reason I am going for a certain number is because that's where the color is best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCReefer1964 September 28, 2016 Share September 28, 2016 @Piper27 Just protecting my future frag supplier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals September 28, 2016 Author Share September 28, 2016 Haha, you know I got you. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals January 29, 2017 Author Share January 29, 2017 So I have been working on my 8' stock tank more than anything recently. I had an issue with my rodi water which was fixed but things got a little stressed back then. Growth has started up good again but I lost and got rid of a few corals I wasn't to fond of. I will be slowly replacing all these colonies from my stock tank upstairs whenever I see something come in that intrigues me. I will get pics of both tanks today. I did make plans on taking the t5 fixture off the right side of my stock tank too, which will be replaced by halides which I have better luck with growing frags out using them. The 4' ATI is coloring up wild and maricultured pieces pretty well so far but if I get the chance I am going to go all halides. It's been a lot of work keeping so many freshly imported acropora colonies but it seems to be working out good. I have to check them daily for multiple reasons but it is very fun for me so I don't mind. I am still on the fence about what my overall goal with the 8' tank will be though. I did add two more reefbrites to the cube so there is four total, one for each side facing the middle of the tank. I am hoping to get nice even coloration by doing this. Took the t5s off because 4 bulbs wasn't even showing through the two 400w halides. Which I need to change the bulbs out on. And get new ballasts but I don't know which ones yet and would rather get some cheap used ones lightly used instead of paying so much for new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf February 3, 2017 Share February 3, 2017 How about an updated FTS, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic February 5, 2017 Share February 5, 2017 Also would love to learn more about what you are dosing from AF. I started using their pro salt and boy, am I getting some dark black juice out of my skimmer. I am considering going all the way with AF. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 5, 2017 Author Share February 5, 2017 I will post some pics today, I finally made some room to move a few favorites over. I switched back to a 10k XM for my main lighting so things can grow out a little better. So I am using four reefbrites one from each side angled inward and two 400w se 10k XM bulbs. Very yellow but I like natural light, not a fan of blue lighting that's for sure. The reefbrites don't really even punch through the halide light but they help corals color especially angled inward and it looks good at night with everything flouescing. The aquaforest stuff is great but the three dosing containers with all the elements is very weak. It's about 1/3 as strong as bionic so that's why people are having to bump up their dosing when they first start. I don't think it causes big growth spurts. That's why I switched to a calcium reactor too. I am still using flourine, iodine, micro e, coral e, and Aminos but I am not dosing some of them as much as I was when I started. The micro e does help give some nicer hues on some corals when everything is healthy and growing. I am using rox carbon and sometimes group both in media bags hanging up in the sump. I only add grow when phosphates are readable on the Hanna uln checker. I am still using zeomix in a vertex reactor and nutrients are very low. But definitely available, I feed so much I am not worried about paling what so ever. I am still dosing vodka and veniger at 50ml each a day, maybe a bit more. I stopped no pro because it was to expensive but for a small tank it should work well for a carbon source. I like how it's the same as biopellets but easier to use. I also use the red Sea energy a and b often, about a whole measuring cup full. I dose that upstairs where I keep the new acropora. There is so much life in the tanks it's amazing me. Pods swarm in areas and there is sponge taking over my rock tank where I dose the carbon sources. I added a powerhead in there to keep detritus from settling and to keep water moving. I was dosing the carbon sources in the corner of that tank where water wasn't moving much at all and it was creating some nasty stuff over time so I think the powerhead will help move stuff around better. I keep the temperature between 76 and 78 and lots of the snails in the display have been spawning. Red scooter dragonets are doing their mating dance nightly too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 5, 2017 Author Share February 5, 2017 This is my wife's tank with mainly zoanthid mushrooms and a few chalices and a couple other lps. This is what my tank looks like now before I move over a few of my favorite wild and maricultured pieces. I made a lot of room recently. Sorry it's hard to take a picture with a phone under so much light. I will take a picture in a bit after I move things over. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 5, 2017 Author Share February 5, 2017 This is the frag tank I setup upstairs. I finally got two halide fixtures to setup on the right side. The 3' 6 bulb isn't doing it for me. The four foot ATI is doing OK and slowly coloring up the acros I have left in there. Some of them went through a rough trip on the way here and most are very light colored by the time they get here, even on a perfect shipment. It takes a bit of time for things to recover. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 17, 2017 Author Share February 17, 2017 I tried to think of the fish I had in each tank so here is what I saw when I looked. I am sure there are a few hiding I can't remember. I have removed a lot of big fish from the coral holding tank and my tank a few months ago thankfully. In the 150 gallon cube display... Yellow tang Square tail kole tang Sailfin tang Ebli mimic tang 2 - male bartlett anthias 2 - female bartlett anthias 3 - black bar chromis Filefish Tinkeri Butterflyfish Flame angel 2 - Bellus angel Emperator angel 2 - blue eyed Cardinals 4 - big pj cardinals 2 - bengaii cardinals Mystery wrasse Wife's zoanthid tank... 3' long 18" tall 20"wide rimless Purple Tang Yellow Scopas Tang Yellow eye kole tang Indonesian Leopard wrasse Potters Leopard Wrasse Yellow Coris wrasse Nako Fairy wrasse Lined Dartfish Goby Bicolor blenny Lawnmower blenny Paired scarlet red scooter dragonets. Chromis Platinum clownfish Black and white clownfish Blackcap basslet Coral holding tank... 8' long 12" tall 18" wide Convict tang Yellow eye kole tang Hoeven's wrasse Scarlett pinstripe wrasse I also put two 250w radium's back on the tank. The 10k were too yellow. I used to suppliment with t5 bulbs which I actually could stand but the blue LEDs alone weren't pushing through. I removed the four t5s I had on the tank because they were not adding much par, just color. I finally moved over the corals I have been planning to add and also pulled some frags that have been sitting idle for a long time. I got tired of looking at them and am hoping the different light and tank will give them a boost. A friend hooked me up with some nice halide fixtures to replace one of the t5 fixtures on my coral tank. Me and a friend have to rewire them and I can't wait to see what they can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 18, 2017 Author Share February 18, 2017 I added some more colonies to the display tank. Each one had a crab which I pulled off while washing the corals. Here is a couple I added, went with some smooth skins I don't normally have a lot of. The two echinata are from figi, one the normal green and blue and the other has lighter branches with a different hue in there. Looked orange when I first came in, who knows what will color come out in my tank. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpu933k February 18, 2017 Share February 18, 2017 Nice, where did you get those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 19, 2017 Author Share February 19, 2017 I got them shipped straight from the islands where they are collected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 19, 2017 Author Share February 19, 2017 This stag I had to glue because of some rtn and it started to green a little since. Hopefully it grows out because it's a stunner with red polyps and blue tips. This red piece looks bad but is coloring up since being moved over. It came in with hints of blue coralites and yellow polyps. A stunner if I had to bet. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 19, 2017 Author Share February 19, 2017 Hard to get good clear pics with my phone but here it is with radium's and corals added. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef February 19, 2017 Share February 19, 2017 That tank is packed with lots of nice corals. Will it be tough to manage as they grow out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 19, 2017 Author Share February 19, 2017 No they are each on their own base so they will be very easy to move and a few of them won't look as good as I hoped I am sure, or won't grow well and I will have to move them to another tank. I placed most taking in consideration how they grow so it will be a while before anything touches. Unless I can keep my hands out of the tank, that's the main thing that has kept growth hindered for me. I suspect it will be a year before anything grows to the point they touch. I have no idea how long the tank will be up either. Could be a year at the least. The fts makes things look packed but there is room between anything that is placed permanently. A few pieces are just sitting on the sides waiting to get acclimated to the light. Still have about 8 frags I am going to remove to make more room to place the new pieces. Plus clipping corals to make them grow a certain way is a fun way to help things grow when close together. But certainly if I slack off when things start growing well I may be in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 20, 2017 Share February 20, 2017 Are those trapezia crabs that live in acros? If so I think they are good guys, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainRon February 20, 2017 Share February 20, 2017 You always have such impressive tanks Paul. Getting those "unknown" colonies is always fun too. I love the gamble of growing them out and hoping for that stunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 20, 2017 Author Share February 20, 2017 Yea those crabs are definitely good guys. Thanks Ron! Yea after a while in the hobby, getting frags you know are going to color up a certain way is just not fun anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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