Mark's 150 gallon - Page 13

PederP · 12/20/2015, 01:10 PM

You keep lovely healthy corals.
Enjoyable read, and beautiful tank.

markalot · 12/20/2015, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cugly

Amazing Mark looks very healthy love the colors.

Thanks Dan.

markalot · 12/20/2015, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PederP

You keep lovely healthy corals.
Enjoyable read, and beautiful tank.

Thanks for visiting Peder.

-

So the tank is looking much better after 30 gallons of water changed out. I swear even the fish look better (male anthias is a nice deep red) so perhaps something nasty was in the water? Regardless, hopefully I can turn some things around.

The water second change was 10 gallons this morning along with a good gravel vac that removed a lot of really brown water and detritus from the sand. By this afternoon water was crystal clear.

NO3 = 5
PO4 = .16 (will need to retest prior to feeding)
KH = 7.8

Can't resit taking pictures of my best looking corals.

The polyp extension on the slimer was incredible this afternoon. I despise water changes, but perhaps I need to do more and more often for a while.

Under just blue LED, the blue stag is greenish.

mhucasey · 12/20/2015, 10:11 PM

The tank does look pretty spectacular in your pictures Mark!

nemodan · 12/20/2015, 10:27 PM

Mark that tank looks great. If you were vacuuming your sand a lot of stuff got free and an old local reefer told me once that it was good for corals. He used to remove the sand and stir the dirty from the rocks once a week. That was good food for the corals, he told me. Could be due to that, plus the WC, you saw better polyp extension.

Cheers
Daniel

DiscusHeckel · 12/21/2015, 02:56 AM

I like the staghorns. I have a soft spot for them.

SputnikNYC · 12/21/2015, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markalot

Thanks for visiting Peder.

-

So the tank is looking much better after 30 gallons of water changed out. I swear even the fish look better (male anthias is a nice deep red) so perhaps something nasty was in the water? Regardless, hopefully I can turn some things around.

The water second change was 10 gallons this morning along with a good gravel vac that removed a lot of really brown water and detritus from the sand. By this afternoon water was crystal clear.

NO3 = 5

PO4 = .16 (will need to retest prior to feeding)

KH = 7.8

Can't resit taking pictures of my best looking corals.

The polyp extension on the slimer was incredible this afternoon. I despise water changes, but perhaps I need to do more and more often for a while.

Under just blue LED, the blue stag is greenish.

That is an amazing shot!

plyle02 · 12/21/2015, 08:45 AM

Mark, tank looks amazing and those stags are massive

Great job man! Next time you bust out the camera, would you mind snapping a pic of your Red Robin? I would love to see it's growth pattern and color. I love the way your tank is evolving and look forward to seeing more updated pics in your journal.
Thanks,

SputnikNYC · 12/21/2015, 09:25 AM

Both of them staghorn?

markalot · 12/21/2015, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SputnikNYC

Both of them staghorn?

Hi Sputnik, thanks for stopping by.

Green is a slimer (Acropora youngeii), the blue is unknown, it was a purchase from a place that sells berghia nudibranchs and they happened to have one for sale. Best spontaneous purchase ever.

Staghorn is a growth term rather than an actual identification. The slimer has big bold green polyps that are always extended, the blue has tiny coralites and small bright blue polyps that only extend well at night.

markalot · 12/21/2015, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plyle02

Mark, tank looks amazing and those stags are massive

Great job man! Next time you bust out the camera, would you mind snapping a pic of your Red Robin? I would love to see it's growth pattern and color. I love the way your tank is evolving and look forward to seeing more updated pics in your journal.
Thanks,

Hi Perry, thanks!

The Red Robin is at the lower left of the first picture, behind the yellow tail. Only parts of the tips are showing a good red at the moment. Look how much it has encrusted!

cugly · 12/25/2015, 03:15 AM

Love the look of the stags Mark. Merry Christmas and Happy new year bud

nemodan · 12/25/2015, 06:39 AM

Merry Christmas Mark !!

Daniel

markalot · 12/25/2015, 07:22 AM

Good morning, and Merry Christmas! Hope you all have a great holiday. We watched the new Star Wars Yesterday, really enjoyed it.

mhucasey · 12/25/2015, 12:11 PM

Merry Christmas to you and yours Mark!

markalot · 12/26/2015, 06:58 PM

So I did a second gravel vac water change this morning, I think the tank is getting some mojo back.

I just might have to do this more often.

I noticed this while doing the change, growing on top of a pocci outcrop. The only place caulerpa can grow without being eaten.

While working I, um, made a frag of the valida.

and moved this sarmentosa frag off the frag rack. Always a reliable green, why not put it front and center.

SSC. The yellow tail can't stand anyone near this area, even if I'm outside the tank.

With this second change the more vibrant colors appear to be returning, now I need a few spots of basal recession to stop.

NO3 10+
PO4 0.1
7 KH (low)

markalot · 12/26/2015, 11:11 PM

Well, I found what was eating my poci's and perhaps doing more damage?

Shrimp in the center, good crab below and to the left.

Better pic of his claws.

nemodan · 12/26/2015, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markalot

Well, I found what was eating my poci's and perhaps doing more damage?

Shrimp in the center, good crab below and to the left.

Better pic of his claws.

Mark....Do You think is the crab ?

Nice to read that all is moving well.

Cheers
Daniel

reefmutt · 12/27/2015, 09:18 AM

I don't know about that. Both the crab and the shrimp are commensal animals. The crab for sure.
Imo, the shrimp wouldn't do any damage.. I guess I could be wrong about the shrimp.. But..

markalot · 12/27/2015, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

I don't know about that. Both the crab and the shrimp are commensal animals. The crab for sure.
Imo, the shrimp wouldn't do any damage.. I guess I could be wrong about the shrimp.. But..

Looks like a snapping shrimp, which is supposed to be beneficial, but why is he ripping polyps off? I witnessed him grab and pull one off and both pocis are declining. Could two "beneficials" be too much? He's still in the green poci this morning so I will soon send him to my anemone tank.

markalot · 12/27/2015, 03:22 PM

Both the crab and shrimp are in the anemone tank along with the green Poci.

I've had this purple Poci for years and never any trouble until the last few months, this included surviving to incidents that killed acros.

In the morning more skin would be injured, missing polyps and lighter in color. By the end of the day asterinas would have consumed the flesh. Time will tell if the damage stops and this thing recovers.

The fishless very low maintenance, and very ugly, BTA tank.

markalot · 12/29/2015, 07:29 AM

I was browsing for articles or notes on tiny white bugs, smaller than red bugs, and found a good video on one of the crabs I have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gpEcFrgE_U

This guy is living on the pocis and probably too "needy" for what I have, which explains the damage to pocis but not other corals.

In other news, I believe I have a white bug infestation. Somewhat related to red bugs but smaller and still capable of doing damage. The base of the valida is covered in these white fleas and still slowly receding. The good news is no AEFW anywhere, but these fleas are either doing damage or the result of damage.

Ironically KH usage has been steadily climbing. Tank dropped to 6.7 KH so I'm attempting to slowly get that back up to 7.5. Tested Mg and it was a little low, 1250, so I'm raising that as well.

I'm planning on doing 5 gallon water changes every other day (Kent reef salt, high in Mg) for a while here to see if I can improve conditions before taking more drastic action. The Nasuta had bug issues as well but has managed to recover and now looks healthy brown with thick skin and decent polyp extension.

plyle02 · 12/29/2015, 07:58 AM

Oh man, Mark I am sorry to hear about bugs, I have never heard of the white ones, hope you can run interceptor and have success like with RB's. The display looks beautiful, so no need to get worked up, I am sure with time and patience you will have any of your issues resolved in short order

Happy New Year!

glaukos · 12/29/2015, 12:34 PM

I loved that fts buddy

Happy no aefw are present

That bugs might be a result like you said and not the cause.At least that's what i wish!

markalot · 12/29/2015, 09:24 PM

Thanks for the positive words guys, much appreciated.

I rescaped the right side to open it up and improve flow. The RW15 is aimed behind the rocks and providing some good movement behind the valida and down to the sandbed in back. This also moved the big Miami Orchid up to where it can be better appreciated. It's getting BIG.

I've had some of the smooth skins brown out on me, as well as the red planet frag, but the Lokani and stags have been unaffected.

Closeup of the right site. The Midas has made his home in the big rock on the right side for over 2 years, all the way back to my original 40 gallon. He's trying to push the Red Planet rock off his rock, fortunately it's heavy enough not to budge.

Mag rock with Aussie Sarmentosa

Almost there ....

12/20/2015, 01:10 PM	#301
PederP Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Denmark Posts: 82	You keep lovely healthy corals. Enjoyable read, and beautiful tank. __________________ Current system 436 gallon. DT: 240 gallon. Frag: 46 gallon. Sump 100 gallon. Water exchange tank 50 gallon.

12/20/2015, 10:11 PM	#304
mhucasey Acros & wieners, oh my! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oceanside, California Posts: 3,706	The tank does look pretty spectacular in your pictures Mark! __________________ - Matt I call the big one "Bitey" - Homer Simpson See my tank thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468548 Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Rimless Starphire Shallow Reef. Reef Octopus Diablo EXT-200 skimmer, Chaeto Reactor, Lighting: ATI Sunpower 8X39W, 6X39W Sunpower

12/21/2015, 02:56 AM	#306
DiscusHeckel Acropora Gardener Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 2,780	I like the staghorns. I have a soft spot for them. __________________ Featured Tank OCT 2016 \| "Reef Hobbyist Magazine" TOTM OCT 2016 \| "Ultimate Reef", UK FB \| "/troutsReefTank/" 65G SPS Reef- ATI 8 X 39W PM; TM [Bacto-Balance A-; Reef Actif; Nitribiotic; Iodine]

12/21/2015, 08:45 AM	#308
plyle02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lake Helen, FL Posts: 5,526	Mark, tank looks amazing and those stags are massive Great job man! Next time you bust out the camera, would you mind snapping a pic of your Red Robin? I would love to see it's growth pattern and color. I love the way your tank is evolving and look forward to seeing more updated pics in your journal. Thanks, __________________ Perry "Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" ~Buddha~ Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon AIO Cube, Aquamaxx WS-1 Skimmer, LED/ Hybrid 4x24 watt t5

12/21/2015, 09:25 AM	#309
SputnikNYC Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New York Posts: 222	Both of them staghorn? __________________ 63g Rimless/30g SumpFuge \| AquaticLife T5 6-Bulb 240w \| AquaC EV-120 - MagDrive 7 \| MagDrive 12 - Oceanic Chiller \| BRS Mini reactor ROX 0.8 carbon \| RKL \| 2x Vortech MP10WQD

12/20/2015, 10:27 PM	#305
nemodan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Westford, MA Posts: 1,063	Mark that tank looks great. If you were vacuuming your sand a lot of stuff got free and an old local reefer told me once that it was good for corals. He used to remove the sand and stir the dirty from the rocks once a week. That was good food for the corals, he told me. Could be due to that, plus the WC, you saw better polyp extension. Cheers Daniel

12/25/2015, 03:15 AM	#312
cugly Dansreeftank Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: chula vista Ca Posts: 1,388	Love the look of the stags Mark. Merry Christmas and Happy new year bud __________________ 48x30x20 Leemar rimless starphire panels, lit by an Ati hybrid powermodule, apex controller with apex dos, ghl dosing, mp40qd and tunze. And korallen skimmer.

12/25/2015, 06:39 AM	#313
nemodan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Westford, MA Posts: 1,063	Merry Christmas Mark !! Daniel

12/25/2015, 07:22 AM	#314
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	Good morning, and Merry Christmas! Hope you all have a great holiday. We watched the new Star Wars Yesterday, really enjoyed it. __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

12/25/2015, 12:11 PM	#315
mhucasey Acros & wieners, oh my! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oceanside, California Posts: 3,706	Merry Christmas to you and yours Mark! __________________ - Matt I call the big one "Bitey" - Homer Simpson See my tank thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468548 Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Rimless Starphire Shallow Reef. Reef Octopus Diablo EXT-200 skimmer, Chaeto Reactor, Lighting: ATI Sunpower 8X39W, 6X39W Sunpower

12/26/2015, 06:58 PM	#316
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	So I did a second gravel vac water change this morning, I think the tank is getting some mojo back. I just might have to do this more often. I noticed this while doing the change, growing on top of a pocci outcrop. The only place caulerpa can grow without being eaten. While working I, um, made a frag of the valida. and moved this sarmentosa frag off the frag rack. Always a reliable green, why not put it front and center. SSC. The yellow tail can't stand anyone near this area, even if I'm outside the tank. With this second change the more vibrant colors appear to be returning, now I need a few spots of basal recession to stop. NO3 10+ PO4 0.1 7 KH (low) __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

12/26/2015, 11:11 PM	#317
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	Well, I found what was eating my poci's and perhaps doing more damage? Shrimp in the center, good crab below and to the left. Better pic of his claws. __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

12/27/2015, 09:18 AM	#319
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	I don't know about that. Both the crab and the shrimp are commensal animals. The crab for sure. Imo, the shrimp wouldn't do any damage.. I guess I could be wrong about the shrimp.. But.. __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

12/27/2015, 03:22 PM	#321
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	Both the crab and shrimp are in the anemone tank along with the green Poci. I've had this purple Poci for years and never any trouble until the last few months, this included surviving to incidents that killed acros. In the morning more skin would be injured, missing polyps and lighter in color. By the end of the day asterinas would have consumed the flesh. Time will tell if the damage stops and this thing recovers. The fishless very low maintenance, and very ugly, BTA tank. __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

12/29/2015, 07:29 AM	#322
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	I was browsing for articles or notes on tiny white bugs, smaller than red bugs, and found a good video on one of the crabs I have: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gpEcFrgE_U This guy is living on the pocis and probably too "needy" for what I have, which explains the damage to pocis but not other corals. In other news, I believe I have a white bug infestation. Somewhat related to red bugs but smaller and still capable of doing damage. The base of the valida is covered in these white fleas and still slowly receding. The good news is no AEFW anywhere, but these fleas are either doing damage or the result of damage. Ironically KH usage has been steadily climbing. Tank dropped to 6.7 KH so I'm attempting to slowly get that back up to 7.5. Tested Mg and it was a little low, 1250, so I'm raising that as well. I'm planning on doing 5 gallon water changes every other day (Kent reef salt, high in Mg) for a while here to see if I can improve conditions before taking more drastic action. The Nasuta had bug issues as well but has managed to recover and now looks healthy brown with thick skin and decent polyp extension. __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

12/29/2015, 07:58 AM	#323
plyle02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lake Helen, FL Posts: 5,526	Oh man, Mark I am sorry to hear about bugs, I have never heard of the white ones, hope you can run interceptor and have success like with RB's. The display looks beautiful, so no need to get worked up, I am sure with time and patience you will have any of your issues resolved in short order Happy New Year! __________________ Perry "Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" ~Buddha~ Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon AIO Cube, Aquamaxx WS-1 Skimmer, LED/ Hybrid 4x24 watt t5

12/29/2015, 12:34 PM	#324
glaukos Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,106	I loved that fts buddy Happy no aefw are present That bugs might be a result like you said and not the cause.At least that's what i wish! __________________ Mike Just doing my hobby and having great fun with it....no room/need for drama:) the only way to win with a toxic person, is not to play

12/29/2015, 09:24 PM	#325
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	Thanks for the positive words guys, much appreciated. I rescaped the right side to open it up and improve flow. The RW15 is aimed behind the rocks and providing some good movement behind the valida and down to the sandbed in back. This also moved the big Miami Orchid up to where it can be better appreciated. It's getting BIG. I've had some of the smooth skins brown out on me, as well as the red planet frag, but the Lokani and stags have been unaffected. Closeup of the right site. The Midas has made his home in the big rock on the right side for over 2 years, all the way back to my original 40 gallon. He's trying to push the Red Planet rock off his rock, fortunately it's heavy enough not to budge. Mag rock with Aussie Sarmentosa Almost there .... __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays Last edited by markalot; 12/29/2015 at 09:34 PM.