The Don't Tell My Main Tank That I Have A Side Tank Build

[YHSublime]

Nice! That’s how I feel about what I was calling a “frag tank” that has turned into a “side tank.”

[JJKK]

17 hours ago, DaJMasta said:

Those are some nice looking clams!

Thanks!  I am quite surprise that they are growing in there as I am using one AI 26HD(don't know what percentage), and 4 24" T5s.  The light fixture is 12" above water line and T5s are only on for 3 hours a day.  Not sure what ALK and Calc are in this tank as I don't test the water in there.

 

16 hours ago, YHSublime said:

Nice! That’s how I feel about what I was calling a “frag tank” that has turned into a “side tank.”

 

Thanks.  At least you clean all panels of your side tank.  Mine only gets occasionally scraping in the front view.

 

 

 

[YHSublime]

Thanks.  At least you clean all panels of your side tank.

Mmmmmmmmm, debatable

[JJKK]

ICP Testing for the main tank came back today with a pretty clean bill of health.  Addressing the Iodine issue(3 days of .25ml recommended) now.  Not sure I am going to get Manganese supplement as it recommends .68ml one time to correct the issue.

 

Here is the report and a Full Tank Shot from tonight:

 

[YHSublime]

Display is looking amazing! So much ?

[JJKK]

57 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

Display is looking amazing! So much ?

Thank you.  Might have to crank up the Radions a bit to get closer to the PAR you were giving the Homewrecker.  It is fuzzy as all get out but the pink highlights are not as pronounced as when you kept it in your tank.

 

Before:

 

Now:

[YHSublime]

Thank you.  Might have to crank up the Radions a bit to get closer to the PAR you were giving the Homewrecker.  It is fuzzy as all get out but the pink highlights are not as pronounced as when you kept it in your tank.
 
Before:

 
Now:

Oh wow! You weren’t kidding! Most of the pink has faded! Do you know what par you’re getting where it is? That’s fascinating!

[JJKK]

4 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

Oh wow! You weren’t kidding! Most of the pink has faded! Do you know what par you’re getting where it is? That’s fascinating!

It is about 350-380 PAR where it is sitting now.

[YHSublime]

It is about 350-380 PAR where it is sitting now.

I wonder is it’s too much, that feels good. I’ll check tomorrow and report back exactly what it was getting

[YHSublime]

But per my notes, 370


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JJKK]

25 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

But per my notes, 370


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Huh.  Must be the spectrum and that I have more NO3 and PO4 than you. 

[roni]

It might just need to settle in too.  It hasn't been super long since you traded right?

 

Tank looks great!  Any closeup shots of those trachs?

[JJKK]

4 hours ago, roni said:

It might just need to settle in too.  It hasn't been super long since you traded right?

 

Tank looks great!  Any closeup shots of those trachs?

Thank you.  It's been long enough to have Isaac chop of all the tentacles on the nem and it fully recovered.  I checked the exchange texts and it was done in the middle of November.  So maybe it still needs to adjust to my parameters before regaining a stronger pink highlight.

 

Here are close-ups of the 2 trachys.  I don't know how well they are doing.  I notice the Copperband occasionally jab its snout at them.  I don't think it is really eating the trachys as opposed to grabbing the pods crawling on them.  But he does it with vigor and I have seen chunks of flesh coming off of the trachy.  Also, when I do spot feed them, the Copperband and other fish will grab the food right off the mouths of the trachys.  This week, I started putting the trachys and scolys in an acclimation box before I spot feed.  I then put them back into the sand when they are done eating.  Not sure if they like all these extra handling.  But I am trying to get food in them.

 

[YHSublime]

18 minutes ago, JJKK said:

Thank you.  It's been long enough to have Isaac chop of all the tentacles on the nem and it fully recovered.  I checked the exchange texts and it was done in the middle of November.  So maybe it still needs to adjust to my parameters before regaining a stronger pink highlight.

 

More than chop off tentacles, that thing looked like a pile of mauled snot! After you found those low numbers, I've upped my feeding, and I'm seeing even brighter colors on my SPS. I think Roni might be correct on the it's still acclimating concept. 

 

Some acropora does really well for me, others just stay stagnant. I have a Cherry Bomb frag that has stayed the exact same size, I got it with the Homewrecker. Tip nipping my slower growers has promoted a ton of growth for me. I had an Orange Passion in the same space as where the Homewrecker was kept, and that doubled in size in like 6 months. 

 

Those trachy's are beautiful, wish I sent mine with you before it's slow decay! 

[JJKK]

 

1 hour ago, YHSublime said:

Some acropora does really well for me, others just stay stagnant. I have a Cherry Bomb frag that has stayed the exact same size, I got it with the Homewrecker. Tip nipping my slower growers has promoted a ton of growth for me. I had an Orange Passion in the same space as where the Homewrecker was kept, and that doubled in size in like 6 months. 

 

Those trachy's are beautiful, wish I sent mine with you before it's slow decay! 

I hear you on the acros.  This Walt Disney survived the great Tin Debacle but it has just been encrusting for more than 2 years.  I've been waiting for branches to shoot off but have reserve it to be just a new type of encrusting monti like Kung Pao or the Minion.

 

 

Meanwhile, I have corals that have taken off.  The best example is this LRO Rainbow Blossom from @gioNVA that went from this frag:

 

To now:

 

 

My trachys can be more puffed up.  I blame it on the Copperband's occasionally pecking.

[JJKK]

One of the things I like to do when I get my ICP test result is to compare it to the Trident readings as well as the Hanna Checkers.  At the time that I collect the water samples to be sent into ATI, I am also doing testing with the Hanna High Nitrate and Hanna Phosphate checkers.  I also do it close to when my Trident have done its scheduled testing.

 

 

 

I use a lab grade salinity tester as opposed to relying on the APEX salinity probe.  So that checks out along with all the other measurements are probably within acceptable error range for their respective device.

[YHSublime]

That's a smart way of getting a reference. And yeah, I'll say I'd take that range! How frequently do you do ICP tests? 

[JJKK]

2 hours ago, YHSublime said:

That's a smart way of getting a reference. And yeah, I'll say I'd take that range! How frequently do you do ICP tests? 

I do ICP tests typically about 5 or 6 months apart.  One tip is to get an ICP test when things are going well so you have at least some reference to get back to if/when tank goes to H-E-double hockey sticks.

[roni]

Those trachs are great!  You have your side tank; why not move them over to there if they are getting picked on (potentially).  My zoas and meaty LPS are slowly moving over to the kids' tank as I prep for potentially less reef safe fish.

 

I think why certain corals thrive in certain systems and others don't is always a mystery.  I have a tck pikachu that almost died off and is now recovering at a much lower par.  It's probably the one acro that hasn't done well that I can't figure out why.  I think part of the trick is trying different flow/lighting and part of it is just deciding how important it is to keep that particular coral.  I do think that some of the slower growers in terms of acros are those that take a long time to really adapt to changes and take off.  My oregon tort is a coral that historically hasn't grown fast but in the last couple months is really starting to put on some size (still basically a frag though).  That LRO piece from Francis is nice!  He hasn't been on the forums in a while. 

[JJKK]

15 hours ago, roni said:

Those trachs are great!  You have your side tank; why not move them over to there if they are getting picked on (potentially).  My zoas and meaty LPS are slowly moving over to the kids' tank as I prep for potentially less reef safe fish.

 

The side tank is in an unfinished basement area and often neglected.  I had to move the clams there, otherwise they will be eaten by the Copperband.  The trachys in the display are doing okay, not thriving.  I am hoping that by spot feeding them in an acclimation box, they will come back meaty and fluffy.  Just started that routine this week.

[roni]

11 hours ago, JJKK said:

The side tank is in an unfinished basement area and often neglected.  I had to move the clams there, otherwise they will be eaten by the Copperband.  The trachys in the display are doing okay, not thriving.  I am hoping that by spot feeding them in an acclimation box, they will come back meaty and fluffy.  Just started that routine this week.

ah, makes sense.  Both of the reefs are on the main floor.  My qt set downstairs in the unfinished has the same neglect.  Out of sight...I bet the trachs will do better with that extra attention.  I had good luck with my last copperband, which munched on aiptasia but left everything else, including zoas, alone.  

 

 

[JJKK]

Another tender loving care session for the trachys and scolys.

 

 

Hope it is worth the effort and they puff up happy again.

[JJKK]

Been looking to bring back the vintage Purple Monster acro back to the area.  They are very slow grower and finding a legit one is very hard.  I found a seller on R2R back in fall.  He was finally ready to ship.  Welp... FedEx delayed the shipment from expecting it Thursday by noon till Friday at 4:30pm.  Temperature in the box was 58.8 degrees.  I didn't see any cloudiness in the bags so I temp acclimated the corals in the bag.  I know that were stressed so I didn't bother dipping them as I've communicated with the seller before hand about dipping.

 

The freebie coral(pictured in front left) was sloughing fiercely so I just took that out.  The other looked very pale but the Purple Monster looked alright.

 

 

Then this morning... I think I lost them all.

 

If you know where I can find a Purple Monster acro locally, please let me know.  Seller refunded me but back on 6-8 months wait list.

[lynn.reef.nerd]

Hope you find the purple monster.  :( 

[JJKK]

6 hours ago, lynn.reef.nerd said:

Hope you find the purple monster.  :( 

I hope so too.  I got to believe someone else local must still have it.