Hooked's 90 Tank Rebuild

[NaH2O]

charlie - I can answer that, since I'm here , the copperband came from Premium Aquatics. I know the one Katrina purchased was eating captive foods very well, and is in good body condition (i.e. fat).

what did you guys do to maxx, he must still be recovering?

Woops!!! I think he must have gotten lost in the woods, and we forgot about him! Hopefully, when he finds his way out, the mosquito bites and ticks won't be too bad. ROFL! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Beeba]

I still have sand too but it sure is tempting to make a change. I just need to convince myself that it is better than what I already have. My sandbed is now 19 months old and my water parameters are good (except for calcium) so maybe I'll follow up with Hooked over the next few months and see how she likes the change.

 

[NaH2O]

Beeba - you really have to look at your system as a whole, and the types of corals you keep. A barebottom tank may not be better for your system, so switching from SB to BB might not be a good idea. Katrina is keeping SPS in her tank. There were some issues with the SPS (most of which were not due to the sand), however, her LPS and zoanthids in the tank all looked great! The SPS prefer an environment of higher flow, and better water quality/lower nutrients in comparison to the others. Hopefully, Katrina can elaborate on her decision process.

 

[Elmo18]

Thanks Charlie

Katrina,

Just out of curiosity, did you by any chance replace some sand once awhile?

- Elmo

 

[Beeba]

Nikki... thanks for the info. I have been reading more about this over the past several months so I'm not hurrying into anything. This thread has given me a little more information and I hope to see how well her tank does with the LPS and zoos as well as the SPS with the new change.

 

[Hooked]

The Copperband is eating well and he's quickly learned that I'm the food source. He went into the tank Sunday night and by Wednesday he was coming to the glass to see me whenever I approached the tank. I've always wanted one because of the look, but if he turns out to have a great personality too, that will be a bonus.

Elmo, I had siphoned out some sand about a year ago--probably less than 10 lbs, but I never added any. I really thought the sand was in pretty good shape. I had three cukes in there working it over. When I only had 2--I had some cyano on the sand issues.

My decision to remove it was based on achieving the flow I wanted rather the the condition of the sand. I could not run the Tunzes in the positions they're in with a sandbed in the tank. While I had at least 4500 gph of flow (50x turnover) it wasn't in all the right places for optimal sps conditions. By reducing the amount of rock and having a looser structure for the water to flow through, I think I've accomplished my goal.

Nikki, I did get the moonlight installed and am using the night mode--it's pretty cool. The intensity of the moonlight gradually increases, then decreases as the night goes on. It also changes in intensity based on a 29 day cycle.

I really like the Tunzes. They are big and do take up some room, but the flow and the programming options are great.

 

[Hooked]

purple-polyped birdsnest

A friend has to take down his tank, so I went by and bought some of his livestock.

The first pic is a purple-polyped pink birdsnest, the second is a close up of the polyps. The pic isn't very clear, but they are really purple.

I also got a neon green cap--this came from my tank originally, but it was yellow in my tank--be interesting to see what the color does.

Also pics of an unknown sp. purple with lime green polyp acro and a blue millepora

 

[jetaero]

Power to sand! I hate having to add kalk more than every other day. Were together here elmo.lol

 

[NaH2O]

Sweet Katrina!! Can't wait for both of our corals to grow out some, so we can have a good swap!

 

[Hooked]

Just an update. I have a nice diatom bloom on the starboard. I'll do some serious siphoning tomorrow.

I picked up a couple of more sps colonies at PA today. The following pics are two pieces I bought from a local reefer followed by one I bought from PA. We think it's a sarmentose (sp?). The other is a pink table that I placed in the back of the tank and I can't get a decent shot. Actually, none of the pics are very good

 

[Hooked]

Here's the tank in 3 sections. You can just barely see the pink table on the overflow on the left

 

[Woodstock]

Very nice Katrina! Beautiful corals and fish..... especially the copperband

 

[jetaero]

Very pretty tank, looks well established too

-Josh

 

[Hooked]

updated pics. Things seem to be doing pretty well -- since I removed the Phoenix bulbs. I know it sounds crazy and no one else has reported this problem, but I swear they were burning the tips off of my acros.

I put tha ABs back in a couple of weeks ago and things are coloring up and growing again.

The Sargassum trigger is MIA. I can't find any carcass inside or outside of the tank :?:

 

[CarlaW]

Looking really good Katrina. In the first pic, is that a Pocillopora in the center-back?

 

[Hooked]

Thanks Charlie. Yes it is and the polyp extension has been unbelievable since I pulled the sandbed

 

[CarlaW]

Thanks Charlie. Yes it is and the polyp extension has been unbelievable since I pulled the sandbed

Just on that coral, or is it an all around thing? Do all the the corals show polyp extension during the day too?

 

[Hooked]

Especially on that one, but all except the granulosa show polyp extension during the day. The granulosa has never extended its polyps during the day--I've had it for 2 years

 

[CarlaW]

Especially on that one, but all except the granulosa show polyp extension during the day. The granulosa has never extended its polyps during the day--I've had it for 2 years

Heck, I have had corals like that for 4 years. I have never had any corals , besides milles, that really show good polyp extension during the day. The nite however is different.

 

[NaH2O]

It really is amazing...the difference with the corals since the ABs were put back on the tank. I'm so glad the granulosa is coloring back up. It is one of my favorites.....along with that new table .

Katrina - do the pics seem yellow? Must be something with the camera and the lights because it looks crisp white in person. Oh....and you need to post about the changes with the set-up.....what you added . I was so sad about the trigger. He/She was my favorite to watch swimming around. Such a cutie.