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Yep, red sea pulsing xenia. Fun, fast growing coral. I've fragged that stuff numerous times.

I guess I probably know more about Reef than some of our other plant friends! I am still not very good with it. I normaly hand off questions about that stuff to my bosses or other coworkers. For some reason the plan questions tend to come to me....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

You definitely seem to know more than LF at least . I'm sure tetratech has been reading up as he is soon to join me on the dark side...muwahaha.

You should start handling those questions. That's how I learned a lot of what I know. I'd get questions about specific fish/invert and I'd say "hey let's find out" and I'd go grab a book and figure it out with them. That's only if it's not too busy though.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

You should start handling those questions.

Yeah I know I should. It is not like I pass it off everytime. It really depends on how much info the customer is looking for. I often talk to people about their SW tanks but I would way rather be talking FW plants.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

update?

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

Matty, i feel like you've earned yourself the title of the official FP SW guru...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

only because you and DRO don't post anymore. I surely don't have the experience to be called a guru, But thanks. You guys sure helped me out in the beginning. I just try to pass it along.

As for update...the frags all did well, and I still have them. I dunno why though, I just haven't had time to try to get rid of them. I also have some news on my lights. I suppose the T5's were a bit too bright . I talked to the T5 guru on RC and he said with the three I had on there it would be like a 400w halide. So I took another bulb off and only have 2 bulbs up there. His specific advice for the setup was to get a ballast that wouldn't overdrive the bulbs like the icecap does and run all 4 bulbs. I didn't much feel like going through the hassle and $$ to get a couple new ballasts though.

And beside that, I'm thinking of downgrading to a 20G long. I'd use the light in my sump (2X65w pc) and the return pump for a closed loop. I've been really pressed to get a water change on this one every once in a while and things are starting to show it. I figured that It would be tons easier on me with a smaller tank. I'm also going to have to move again, and a small tank will be a lot easier to move than the two 30's were. Still tossing it around in my head though.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Corals don't seem to be adjusting to the 2 bulb routine. I may have to buy those ballasts and use them. I've decided against downgrading for the time being, and instead I'm going to be doing a little makeover. I'm probably going to take out most of the sand and a couple peices of live rock and give it a new scape. I have new plans for the sump as well. I'm going to remove the DSB, keep a small layer of sand and rubble, keep the cheato and add some frag racks. Dunno when I'll have time for it though. I'll work on that later .

So I also took some shots of my clown dancing around. Here ya go:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

How in the world I could have lost contact with this thread, I have no idea! I kept up with the first couple pages, then forgot about it till now when I saw it again. Boy did I see it! I went through all 15 pages! That is amazing what you have done!! I know nothing about SW, so not sure what I was seeing....... plants I assume. Those were beautiful pictures! And you have some beautiful fish too! You have obviously been doing things right to achieve all that! I'm truly impressed! /:'

Thanks fish patty!

I know nothing about SW, so not sure what I was seeing....... plants I assume.

Corals mostly, they're actually animals with a symbiotic relationship with algae....so they're kinda like plants in that they get most of their energy from photosynthate.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Interested in seeing this makeover matty.

I would be afraid to move around that live rock and sand, it just seems like one is disturbing so much more than one would when remaking a planted tank. All the relationships between coral and algae, and all the critters known and unknown lurking around, I dunno, I'd be afraid of killing everything good luck with it!

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Back in the saddle!

I'm not much afraid of killing everything nowher, but I am afraid of upsetting things. I think I'm going to start with the sump, give it a week or so and do the display. I'm mixing up about 10g of saltwater right now, started last night, so tonight I should be able to go play around in the sump a little. Getting rid of all the crazy growing macro algae for good is going to be a problem I think.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Took some more pics. Mostly corals this time. Enjoy

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Nice shots Matty!

Let me try my luck at this stuff.

Feather duster
Frog Spawn
?????
Candy Cane
Sun P.
Zoo
Zoo

How did I do?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Feather duster
torch coral
blasto merletti
Acan. Lords
turbinaria "scroll coral" just a little frag...I can't blame you for missing that
and 2 zoas.

Not bad for a freshy. At least the ones you got wrong looked similar (especially the torch coral, sometimes I call it a torchspawn because it forms extra tips). Thanks for stopping in.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Yeah, I tend to mix up the Torch and Frog spawn. Life goes on. I didn't do too bad though. I like your zoo's though.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I received my refractometer in the mail today:



My coralife hydrometer reads 1.0023 and the refractometer reads 1.0030. I guess it was worth the $30 I paid to find out I need to lower the salinity ALOT.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Well last night doing a 15G water change I got the salinity down to about 34-35ppt, which translates to about 1.0025 sg. I had been steadily lowering it all week by just taking out a pitcher of SW and letting the ATO fill the tank with RO/DI. Everything is looking good, and corals keep on coloring up since the most recent lighting change.

I took some pics of the tank and some corals today and thought I'd share:


All pics are of Acanthastrea sp. which are definitely one of my fav coral classes:






Somehow they just don't look as good in the pics. I still need to work on the white balance a bit.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Just read the whole log Pretty inspiring stuff, makes me wish I had the $$$ for a nice salty tank and the knowhow to do it. So to you. Couple questions, whats the crusty stuff on the back of the tank? is it some kind of algae? How is the first fish that you added to the main tank. We haven't seen pictures of that one in a while...rainford's goby I think.

whats the latin name of that last acans, looks a stunner!

keep up the good work matty!

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

whats the crusty stuff on the back of the tank? is it some kind of algae? How is the first fish that you added to the main tank.

That is coralline algae on the the back glass. It's generally considered good for the tank, though a nuisance to keep from growing on the glass.

The first fish I got was the yellowhead jawfish, he's doing very well. The rainfordi I lost quite a while back, it was killed by a rock crab.

whats the latin name of that last acans, looks a stunner!

That's an xmas acan lordhowensis. I love the new growth on it, must be doing something right I guess.

Thanks for the comments guys

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

The rainfordi I lost quite a while back, it was killed by a rock crab.

Sorry to hear that, it was a very nice looking fish. You tell that crab to mind its own business and leave the fishies alone.

Hate to sound cruel, but I killed the crab, not in a real quick way. It wouldn't come out of its hole, so I made real sure it stayed in there permanently. I know it was just doing what comes natural, but then again I guess me killing it for disposing of a beautiful $20 fish is quite natural as well.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Now I think I remember reading that earlier in your log. I probably would've done something mean to that crab to...and likely fed it to the other fishies when I was done.

I got some more pictures for everybody. A couple of my little helper...a florida cucumber. He's the reason my sand is staying clean lately. Here he is:





And these are some of the blastos I have. A couple merlettis and a wellsi:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Lookin good Matty!

Thanks DRO

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

How long have you had your florida cucumber? I looked at one but I was afraid he might dig up under my rock and cause an avalanche

-Josh

Been well over a month now Josh, maybe two. It doesn't excavate or dig holes really. It's an equal opportunity sand grazer in my experience so far. I don't think I'd worry about your rock work collapsing unless you did a poor job stacking up the rocks.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I might have to invest in one...

-Josh

how do you have so much money to put out on all these corals and fish?!?!?!?

I work at my LFS, and get 1/3 off salt stuff and 1/2 of hardgoods. Plus I'm always on the lookout for good deals on frags, and trade things in for credit and what not. The discount is THE big factor though. That and researching A LOT to minimize mistakes so you don't have to pay for things twice. I haven't messed up much, thankfully.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Made a purchase today and did a water change last night, so things were lookin' good enough to take some pics. Here Ya go:

FTS:


Sump....can't tell I did a water change :


Couple of the jawfish:




Coral growth pics; monti, acan, and blasto:






And three shots of my new addition, a wheelers goby:






Enjoy!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Very cool shots. All the colors are fantastic. If I ever start keeping salty tanks I will most likely also have those jawfish. They look like they have soo much personality.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0636.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0304.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/000_0252.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0303.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0302.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0169.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i121/Melosu58/100_0144.jpg

Thanks Ryan....and errm...Mike I guess. Nice pics Mike.

Jawfish definitely have the personality. I highly recommend them. Good and sturdy too.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I know you have already seen my pics Matt. They are some great pics you have there also.

I know you have already seen my pics Matt. They are some great pics you have there also.

Thanks, just trying to one-up me with your shweet 125, huh?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I've been wanting to update this log a little more frequently instead of letting it slide for a month. Everything is doing well. Still have a bit of red slime algae. Not sure what it's from, PO4 and NO3 are 0. Thinking my RO/DI was the cause, I got to change out some prefilters and put in new resin today. Was making 3-4 tds water, now making 0-1 tds water. The resin was old too. Guess it still works. I've been making water for about 12 hrs. and have about 30 gallons to show for it. That's reasonable considering the water pressure is only about 40psi. Hopefully the water change with better source water will help. Gotta keep on top of that a little better I guess.


To the pics for those who don't like to read

Monster-sized green zoa colony:


Purple with orange ring echinata:


Purple and green blasto merletti, compare growth to 3 months ago....sloooooow:

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

A couple more....

Another of my wheeler getting a little more comfy, more yellow in the bands this time. He's starting to eat anything that sinks....frozen mysis, brine, spirulina pellets, and regular old pellets. Here he is:



And one of my hammer coral hosting my occ clown. The hammer is still a bit bleached, but starting to make a comeback, a little pink and green can be seen.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients