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Markos Finnex

The setup is only a few weeks old, and just got its first bit of diatoms 2 days ago. Now at an equilibrium between algae and cleaner consumption.
To my knowledge, a tank this new is not stable enough for sps.
 
The setup is only a few weeks old, and just got its first bit of diatoms 2 days ago. Now at an equilibrium between algae and cleaner consumption.
To my knowledge, a tank this new is not stable enough for sps.

Really depends on what is not keeping stable in the system. Once you have your tank dialed in, everything keeping stable with levels, I don't see what can really be an issue. Granted, newer people in the hobby should take some time before jumping all in so to speak (mainly to learn how to handle situations/routine), but starting with easier SPS shouldn't be a problem as long as you have a regimen for keeping the levels stable.
 
im not really new to the hobby. me and my dad maintained this tank until sandy killed it. after a year of nothing im setting it back up on my own.
so i know basic coral care and such.

my Ca has not deviated from 420 at all (yet), my kh is mostly at 11dkh and once went to 10dkh for a day, Mg is a bit low though (1100 was the lowest) so i have to figure that out before i get sps. temps and ph are perfectly stable.
 
im not really new to the hobby. me and my dad maintained this tank until sandy killed it. after a year of nothing im setting it back up on my own.
so i know basic coral care and such.

my Ca has not deviated from 420 at all (yet), my kh is mostly at 11dkh and once went to 10dkh for a day, Mg is a bit low though (1100 was the lowest) so i have to figure that out before i get sps. temps and ph are perfectly stable.

Gotcha, and sorry to hear that. I am looking towards winter and I am debating on getting a generator myself.

As long as you have the right mag, your kh and calc will most likely stay in line. There are a lot of factors that can affect KH, for example time of day. Once you start adding some more calcifying corals, your calc will likely go down. Nothing to worry about though since all those elements are covered in water changes.

Here is a good article on balancing mg, kh, and calc. Hope it helps.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/
 
Gotcha, and sorry to hear that. I am looking towards winter and I am debating on getting a generator myself.

As long as you have the right mag, your kh and calc will most likely stay in line. There are a lot of factors that can affect KH, for example time of day. Once you start adding some more calcifying corals, your calc will likely go down. Nothing to worry about though since all those elements are covered in water changes.

Here is a good article on balancing mg, kh, and calc. Hope it helps.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/
bubble algae was taking over, so the tanks lifespan was limited. the animals i am sorry for though.

yup. i read almost all the reefkeeping.com chemistry articles, and have to know a lot of that stuff for school anyway - im an animal sciences major.
and i remember some from the last setup. we had this one massive (compared to the size of the tank) red m. capricornis, and couldnt keep Ca and KH up. after fragging it heavily to be able to maneuver around the tank, Ca and KH stabilized. that one coral accounted for at least 75% of our calcification.

so you dont dose Ca++, CO3--, or Mg++; but rather rely only on water changes?
i was under the impression that dosing Ca and KH was SOP, using either a calcium reactor, or 2 part solutions, or kalkwasser and just the KH solution of the 2 part. thats what i was always doing. i use water changes just to keep trace elements i cant test for in line.

Oh, I really like this tank!!
thank you :)
 
bubble algae was taking over, so the tanks lifespan was limited. the animals i am sorry for though.

yup. i read almost all the reefkeeping.com chemistry articles, and have to know a lot of that stuff for school anyway - im an animal sciences major.
and i remember some from the last setup. we had this one massive (compared to the size of the tank) red m. capricornis, and couldnt keep Ca and KH up. after fragging it heavily to be able to maneuver around the tank, Ca and KH stabilized. that one coral accounted for at least 75% of our calcification.

so you dont dose Ca++, CO3--, or Mg++; but rather rely only on water changes?
i was under the impression that dosing Ca and KH was SOP, using either a calcium reactor, or 2 part solutions, or kalkwasser and just the KH solution of the 2 part. thats what i was always doing. i use water changes just to keep trace elements i cant test for in line.


thank you :)

I personally don't use water changes to replenish those elements. A calcium reactor is better suited to my size of system.

That isn't to say that water changes solely can't keep up with the needs of a full blown sps reef. I have seen systems that are run off water changes to handle both excess nutrient removal/replenishment of trace elements as well as the big 3.

The only real downfall I see with tanks that are run off water changes, is that there is more of a drop off in the Ca/KH/Mg over the period in which you do the water changes. That is easily remedied by increasing frequency of doing the changes, just to ease the shock to the system. Smaller, more frequent water changes, are better than bigger, more spaced out water changes. This goes both for stability/shock factor to the system.

All that being said, it really depends on what works for you, your time needs, and how much you want to invest lol. I really don't think method is superior to another for consumer tanks (systems under 200g probably), just consistency/stability of either is more the key in having a successful reef. Once you get into bigger systems, money becomes more of a factor and you look into alternatives so it is more cost efficient.
 
i got 2 part solutions for now. maybe later ill switch to something else. but until i see a problem, why change? i thought about calcium reactor, but never looked too far into it.

i picked up a helfrichs firefish from AO a short while ago. he is acclimating right now. thanks mnat for the heads up on AO, btw.
ill post pics of the gorgeous guy later today.
 
i got 2 part solutions for now. maybe later ill switch to something else. but until i see a problem, why change? i thought about calcium reactor, but never looked too far into it.

i picked up a helfrichs firefish from AO a short while ago. he is acclimating right now. thanks mnat for the heads up on AO, btw.
ill post pics of the gorgeous guy later today.

2 part does well. Just make sure to keep an eye on your Mg. Also make sure to get pics of the new additions after they get acclimated.
 
im testing every 2-3 days. once i get a good pattern going, ill drop down to weekly testing.

naturally. :)
especially if they are as photogenic as this sexy guy:
8fls.jpg

kfq.JPG

a4p1.jpg

izms.jpg

9n4x.jpg

oyg1.jpg

zv8.JPG
 
thanks.
im in love with the firefish. its a total coward, lol. darts into a hole in the rockwork the instant i move in a way that isnt consciously slowed within 2' of the tank. but it comes out soon after, and looks gorgeous.
not a very active thing. but when it does swim, its pretty graceful about it.
eating well. eats mysis and brine very readily. and after a few attempts i got it to accept golden pearls and flakes after soaking in AminoOmega. originally it was tasting and spitting out. but now it eats em. :)
hoping after a month of high HUFA and carotenoid content in the diet it colors up even more.
 
got my 2 picasso percs. they are really nice - im in love already, haha. i hope they start hosting the xenia in the next week or so.
didd.JPG

p7t5.jpg

zvqv.jpg

q43m.jpg
 
thanks. im very pleased. i paid for them as reg picassos, but they seem to be as white and intricately patterned as premium picassos. got em both for $100 direct from ORA (got a friend who orders wholesale and he added them to his order for me).

though they arent eating all that well. so far they nibbled on a little bit of flake, and 1-2 BS each, and did not notice pellets. im hoping they are just adjusting to the new tank and will soon eat like pigs.
 
a little update. got 2 corals from pacific east and a gold torch locally. a glorious plate coral - that was much larger than expected - im very happy. and a "tazmanian devil" chalice frag that didnt quite make it... :( fortunately the folks at pacificeast were very good about it and offered me the value in store credit or a replacement frag of the same chalice with my next order. right now the dying thing is in my tank, as im hoping maybe a little bit survives and grows back out.

FTS:
c317.jpg


the clowns refusing to host either the xenia or torch, of course:
gi9x.jpg

i5cp.jpg


favites pentagonia with a barnacle (actually has a ton of them, but only one was visible in the shot):
7zw2.jpg


gold torch - looks drab under 14k, but spectacular under actnic:
ym1w.jpg


the king midas zoas are growing:
p8zj.jpg


chalice:
b5fo.jpg


purple rim fungia:
jgr7.jpg
 
looking into my fuge earlier today, saw some interesting stuff.

there are this things that look like mysis:

qzam.jpg


and some sort of snail, anybody know what it is?:

wf0e.JPG




also, my plate has been gaping its mouth open now and then. like one hour open, one hour closed. and it has not accepted food yet. should i be worried, or is it just healing from the stress of shipping?
 
got a bunch of new corals.
largely acroporas - its a bit early but params are stable, and the deal was just too good - most frags were only $10.

FTS:
j9gw.jpg


my plate is dying. i dont know what happened, but it looks beyond saving. im just gonna leave it alone - maybe i get lucky and it forms anthocoli from surviving clusters of cells, probably not though:
1c5p.jpg


blue staghorn:
akco.jpg


green seriatopora:
7vkg.jpg


green acro - millepora maybe? any ideas?
2j9g.jpg


acropora - kinda like valida:
gcqt.jpg


no clue - it was encrusting red and green in the guys tank:
wjjh.jpg


acropora echinata - hawkins echinata looks like:
u2lx.jpg


red planet acro:
yu9s.jpg


i think one of the hermits thought it would be a good idea to walk all over the chalice and damage it further:
apva.jpg


meteor shower cyphastrea (thanks greybolt! :) ):
w5h9.jpg


hollywood stunner chalice:
wi75.jpg

sweeper tentacles on the first night - hardy boy, he at too:
ived.JPG

v5u2.jpg

qn2p.jpg

l1ad.jpg


purple stylophora from a shaded out colony - hope it colors up:
1nq2.JPG



and the nimue the helfrichs firefish:
vjtk.jpg

5w64.jpg
 

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
The little mysis shrimp in your sump are good, they are pods which is good eating for your fish. Plates can be very tough and tend to go like that no matter how good you are with them. I would move your chalice down or even put it in the shade. Chalices are low light and can bleach and get spiked like that when they have too much light.

The eh fish look great and your sps frags have great color.
 
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