djkms Ocean Adventure (detail, picture intensive)

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djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#161
#161
The macros are actually part of my display. I do have a 12 gallon fuge but minimal macros in there, its mostly for pod re population. I do have some frags but most of my corals are small colonies. Here is a recent FTS to give you a idea of what it looks like:
http://www.elitereefforums.com/download/file.php?id=130

It stays pretty clean when I am not dealing with nutrient spikes, just had one about a month or so ago and I am dealing with cyano right now :(
 
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djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#164
#164
Thanks. Not so awesome recently though. I have let my nutrients get out of hand and now my coral is bleaching out and the tips of some are dead. I did order some salt to get some serious water changes done.

Anyways I just have the base module with the addon that controls my lights (VDM) and the addon to control my Vortechs.
 
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djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#165
#165
Well its been a while since I updated this thread. Like previously stated I had a nutrient spike over the summer. My nitrates probably topped out at around 50ppm and Phosphate around .12. I did notice a pattern though. Both my nutrient spikes happened after I had alkalinity spikes. This leads me to believe that alkalinity not only effects SPS but I think it also can crash bacteria populations. Also, any nitrate level over 10 just seems to halt macro growth and nutrient uptake. I let the nutrient issues go for far too long, at least a couple months without doing anything. This was a bad idea. I lost some really sweet coral because of it, most notably my 80+ eye blue boobie chalice :(

I finally decided to do something about it, I got really sad sitting back and just watching my tank go to crap so I picked up a couple buckets of salt and went to work. I did 3 80 gallon water changes and have done about 4 30 gallon changes in the last couple weeks. My nitrate is now at 3ppm and phosphate at .01 and things are already starting to look better! The cyano is disappearing and the corals are starting to color up again.

I also have a problem with Valonia so I picked up 3 emeralds in hopes they will knock it out, might need a couple more though. I have also been dealing with a aiptasia outbreak. btw DO NOT KALKPASTE AIPTAISA! I had 3 aiptasia in my tank before doing anything i kalkpasted them. A couple weeks later I literally have over 2 dozen in my tank. After talking with Will at Premier he said not do kalk. He says when you kalk aiptasia they do polyp bailout and mutliply like crazy. He suggested adding peppermint shrimp to my system so I added a dozen a couple days ago. They will all eventually end up as food for my Marine Betta but I hope they knockout most the aiptasia before doing so. I am also picking up a matted filefish from the shop to help with the outbreak. I am also on day one of another 3 days lights out. I hope this will kill all the micro algae and with the system having such a low amount of nutrients now I hope my macros outcompete the micro.

So that's my story the last couple of months. Things got so bad I almost gave up on this tank and decided to switch to FOWLER. I was one day away of breaking this tank down due to all my issues but I just couldn't do it and I am glad I didn't, things are starting to look up again. I just need to be on top of my game better next time a issue arrises, never again will I let things slide for so long again, just not worth it.

I did snap a pic yesterday...not at the top of its game for sure but coming around:
 
miwoodar

miwoodar

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#167
#167
djkms;118037 said:
Well its been a while since I updated this thread. Like previously stated I had a nutrient spike over the summer. My nitrates probably topped out at around 50ppm and Phosphate around .12. I did notice a pattern though. Both my nutrient spikes happened after I had alkalinity spikes. This leads me to believe that alkalinity not only effects SPS but I think it also can crash bacteria populations. Also, any nitrate level over 10 just seems to halt macro growth and nutrient uptake. I let the nutrient issues go for far too long, at least a couple months without doing anything. This was a bad idea. I lost some really sweet coral because of it, most notably my 80+ eye blue boobie chalice :(

I finally decided to do something about it, I got really sad sitting back and just watching my tank go to crap so I picked up a couple buckets of salt and went to work. I did 3 80 gallon water changes and have done about 4 30 gallon changes in the last couple weeks. My nitrate is now at 3ppm and phosphate at .01 and things are already starting to look better! The cyano is disappearing and the corals are starting to color up again.

I also have a problem with Valonia so I picked up 3 emeralds in hopes they will knock it out, might need a couple more though. I have also been dealing with a aiptasia outbreak. btw DO NOT KALKPASTE AIPTAISA! I had 3 aiptasia in my tank before doing anything i kalkpasted them. A couple weeks later I literally have over 2 dozen in my tank. After talking with Will at Premier he said not do kalk. He says when you kalk aiptasia they do polyp bailout and mutliply like crazy. He suggested adding peppermint shrimp to my system so I added a dozen a couple days ago. They will all eventually end up as food for my Marine Betta but I hope they knockout most the aiptasia before doing so. I am also picking up a matted filefish from the shop to help with the outbreak. I am also on day one of another 3 days lights out. I hope this will kill all the micro algae and with the system having such a low amount of nutrients now I hope my macros outcompete the micro.

So that's my story the last couple of months. Things got so bad I almost gave up on this tank and decided to switch to FOWLER. I was one day away of breaking this tank down due to all my issues but I just couldn't do it and I am glad I didn't, things are starting to look up again. I just need to be on top of my game better next time a issue arrises, never again will I let things slide for so long again, just not worth it.

I did snap a pic yesterday...not at the top of its game for sure but coming around:
Click to expand...
I dig your red algae collection.

I HATE aiptasia. Have fun with your aiptasia CUC. These are all things I wish I had and I'll go the same route if I ever have another outbreak. I was in a position to basically restart from scratch so I was able to do mechanical removal on a scale not possible in an active system. I think I am finally, for the first time since I started in this hobby, aiptasia free (knocking on wood!).

Cheers to tank renovations!
 
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djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#169
#169
So I have been trying to get my hands on this super rare macro and finally scored some. Its called Lucky Macroalgae and let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint. Its a red macro that shifts from green to gold to purple depending on the angle the light hits it. By far the coolest algae I have ever seen.

Here is a video of it, not my video, but I just wanted to share. I will try to get pics of it in the next couple of days. The piece that was shipped to me is not even 1" big.
[video=youtube;DAhQH5jHmug]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAhQH5jHmug[/video]

As far as news with my system. I have taken almost all my macro algaes out of my display. I picked up a frag pack online of 15 or so named SPS so I had to make room. I did plumb in a 20L and half my macros are now in there and the other half in my fuge. I am also running GFO again on top of vodka/vinegar dosing in hopes to bring down my phosphate. It tested out at .07 last night. As soon as I get it to a 0 reading I will take the GFO back offline and continue the vodka/vinegar dosing.
 
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the_fish_man

the_fish_man

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#170
#170
If you ever frag that macro I call first dibs! That's the coolest macro I have ever seen
 
KhensuRa

KhensuRa

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#171
#171
That is sweet.
 
AlgaeBarn

AlgaeBarn

Angel Fish
#175
#175
That is freaking awesome!!! I'd love to buy some of that macro if you are growing it out for sale.
 
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djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#179
#179
The Idol has been fantastic! The only coral he has gone after has been candy canes. Just picked up a nice colony from bpreefer and he went to town on it so I had to pull it out. Other than that he has not touched any other coral.
 
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