Derek's Custom 180G SPS Reef Tank
- Thread starter spyd
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Darryl_V
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- Jun 29, 2011
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
I'd say..... really impressive Derek.
spyd
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- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
Thanks guys! Ben if you like that My Crazy, then you will definitely like this one as well:
Its time to move it on a tile. The green rim is growing under it mainly.
I call it my Raging Inferno chalice.
Its time to move it on a tile. The green rim is growing under it mainly.
I call it my Raging Inferno chalice.
spyd
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- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
Then of course there is this one. My Rainbow Raceway:
spyd
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
So here are some of the other pieces that are going to highlight the LPS tank. I will start with some beautiful colonies I got from my buddy Rich a little while back:
This is the original RR Hurricane chalice Rich purchased years ago. I love the blue speckle covering the entire piece:
Massive War Coral Colony:
Massive dual coloured chalice with glowing yellow eyes:
Here's a cheap $10 frag I purchased from Burc at the London show last year. It was brown when I bought it but saw some potential. I think it is going to be stunning and is growing fast! Red / Green with orange eyes.
Another stunning chalice:
Here's a killer Lepto I got from Darryl at the last London show as well. Growing nicely and far more orange than the phot shows:
I love this piece! Cheap little $10 frag that has turned into a beauty! Base is actually going blue in some spots as well:
Here is an absolutely CRAZY Astralomussa!! Starting to grow. Just needs to be fed lots. Red, green, yellow and blue!!
Some BS acan love:
Here's another beauty of an acan:
My Utter Chaos palys that started from 1 large head and 1 small baby head:
Dragon Scale chalice from Jerry:
That's it for now. Stay tuned!
This is the original RR Hurricane chalice Rich purchased years ago. I love the blue speckle covering the entire piece:
Massive War Coral Colony:
Massive dual coloured chalice with glowing yellow eyes:
Here's a cheap $10 frag I purchased from Burc at the London show last year. It was brown when I bought it but saw some potential. I think it is going to be stunning and is growing fast! Red / Green with orange eyes.
Another stunning chalice:
Here's a killer Lepto I got from Darryl at the last London show as well. Growing nicely and far more orange than the phot shows:
I love this piece! Cheap little $10 frag that has turned into a beauty! Base is actually going blue in some spots as well:
Here is an absolutely CRAZY Astralomussa!! Starting to grow. Just needs to be fed lots. Red, green, yellow and blue!!
Some BS acan love:
Here's another beauty of an acan:
My Utter Chaos palys that started from 1 large head and 1 small baby head:
Dragon Scale chalice from Jerry:
That's it for now. Stay tuned!
Darryl_V
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2011
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
Your definitely an addict. Nice lps!
spyd
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
Darryl_V link said:
I am in complete denial
Is there such thing as reefers anonymous? I sure hope not because I know my wife would check me in if there was!rowdy29can
New Member
Looks fantastic! Great job!
spyd
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- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
All right SPS time!
Group shot:
I moved my rockwork at the top a little and accidently cracked my Tyree Sand Dollar... It is filling in again but doesn't look as nice as it was. Above that on the right is an awesome frag I purchased as a "Pink Milli". I don't know if it is actually a milli though. The polyps are pink bu the base is an awesome orange / gold colouor! Behind that is the Tyree Rainbow Stylo and lower is my Red Planet.... Not so red though right now. I have to move it to higher ground!
Another group shot. My Palmers Blue is getting a lot lighter now that I moved it forward into more light. Great colouring! Also noticed a lot more growth on it and the Convexa since I moved them a head a little.
Red Dragon is kicking some butt!
Hawkins is growing nicely still and colouring up!
Tyree Purple Monster is growing quite well for a notoriously slow growing coral!
Another slow grower but its coming along nicely! Saratosa
Here is a nice cultured Pink Milli I got from Darryl a while back. It was slow to take off and now is starting to grow quite fast. Beside that is a piece of my wild SSC colony I purchased from RR. My colony started browning out and I got worried so I cut a bunch of pieces off as insurance policies. All most all of the SSC ended up making it and some pieces are coming back strong where others still need time. When my PO4 increased for a while there, the SSC was the only piece that really took exception to it but it is a lot happier now.
Tyree Pink Lemonade. Clipped some tips to try and encourage some more growth.
A nice shot of the Tubbs Pink Jade. You can see another chunk of the SSC on the left slowly starting to colour back up.
One last group shot:
My Tonga Shelf piece is all most done curing now and I will be re-arranging the bottom right of my tank to put it in place. The piece is 10" wide x 16" long. I will be taking out the plate piece on the right I have there now and the new piece will sit up a good 4" higher. This will allow proper light for the SPS on that side and give me more growing space. I will be selling off some additional pieces as I go. It is going to be a royal PITA to switch this piece over but it needs to be done to get the right light and look that I am after. I just pray it won't trigger a mini cycle as I have been curing this rock for quite some time now. I think I am still a good couple weeks from changing it over yet.
Group shot:
I moved my rockwork at the top a little and accidently cracked my Tyree Sand Dollar... It is filling in again but doesn't look as nice as it was.
Above that on the right is an awesome frag I purchased as a "Pink Milli". I don't know if it is actually a milli though. The polyps are pink bu the base is an awesome orange / gold colouor! Behind that is the Tyree Rainbow Stylo and lower is my Red Planet.... Not so red though right now. I have to move it to higher ground!
Another group shot. My Palmers Blue is getting a lot lighter now that I moved it forward into more light. Great colouring! Also noticed a lot more growth on it and the Convexa since I moved them a head a little.
Red Dragon is kicking some butt!
Hawkins is growing nicely still and colouring up!
Tyree Purple Monster is growing quite well for a notoriously slow growing coral!
Another slow grower but its coming along nicely! Saratosa
Here is a nice cultured Pink Milli I got from Darryl a while back. It was slow to take off and now is starting to grow quite fast. Beside that is a piece of my wild SSC colony I purchased from RR. My colony started browning out and I got worried so I cut a bunch of pieces off as insurance policies. All most all of the SSC ended up making it and some pieces are coming back strong where others still need time. When my PO4 increased for a while there, the SSC was the only piece that really took exception to it but it is a lot happier now.
Tyree Pink Lemonade. Clipped some tips to try and encourage some more growth.
A nice shot of the Tubbs Pink Jade. You can see another chunk of the SSC on the left slowly starting to colour back up.
One last group shot:
My Tonga Shelf piece is all most done curing now and I will be re-arranging the bottom right of my tank to put it in place. The piece is 10" wide x 16" long. I will be taking out the plate piece on the right I have there now and the new piece will sit up a good 4" higher. This will allow proper light for the SPS on that side and give me more growing space. I will be selling off some additional pieces as I go. It is going to be a royal PITA to switch this piece over but it needs to be done to get the right light and look that I am after. I just pray it won't trigger a mini cycle as I have been curing this rock for quite some time now. I think I am still a good couple weeks from changing it over yet.
Darryl_V
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2011
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
The crowding problems you will have in the future will be glorious buddy. haha
Seriously dont know how you fit all those corals. I wondered that about myself at one point too. One thing I would do differently next time is limit the encrusting montipora. Sunset monti especially is a major PITA. My confusa has also taken over the right hand side of the tank...I swear it's growing an 1" a week now.
Just curious what your NO3 and PO4 are at? ALso do you have a par meter?
Seriously dont know how you fit all those corals. I wondered that about myself at one point too. One thing I would do differently next time is limit the encrusting montipora. Sunset monti especially is a major PITA. My confusa has also taken over the right hand side of the tank...I swear it's growing an 1" a week now.
Just curious what your NO3 and PO4 are at? ALso do you have a par meter?
teebone110
Distinguished Member
Tremendous results Derek!
Keep the photos coming, as this is great inspiration for all of us.
I especially like the growth you are getting with the Purple Monster, incredible!!
8)
Keep the photos coming, as this is great inspiration for all of us.
I especially like the growth you are getting with the Purple Monster, incredible!!
8)
spyd
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
I haven't tested NO3 lately. I will check tonight and see if it is recording anything. My PO4 is at 0.00 now. I test it once a week ever since my issue there before. I have it pegged down to over feeding and a rock I put in a while back that was leaching. It was a dumb decision on my part. Threw it in right away and it was the only thing in the tank that would show a bit of cyano and algae growth. It is fully cured now and no issues anymore.
As for a par meter, I don't have anything right now but I will be picking one up soon to have on hand.
The rock in the first group shot definitely needs to be raised a good 4" or so to get better lighting. As of right now, it is only a few inches from the sandbed. Not ideal for SPS. Saying that, the Purple Dragon, Poison Ivy and a few others seem to like the lower lighting.
As for a par meter, I don't have anything right now but I will be picking one up soon to have on hand.
The rock in the first group shot definitely needs to be raised a good 4" or so to get better lighting. As of right now, it is only a few inches from the sandbed. Not ideal for SPS. Saying that, the Purple Dragon, Poison Ivy and a few others seem to like the lower lighting.
spyd
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
All right... Maybe one more pic. The soon to be star of the LPS tank... The Tyree Space Invaders Pectina:
teebone110
Distinguished Member
which type phosphate test kit do you use? I assume you have the Hanna?
spyd
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- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
I use the Hanna checker. I read as high as .08 for some time and it took a good month or longer to get it back down to 0. I used HC GFO and less feeding to battle it.
One thing that was strange at that time as well were my bio-pellets growing some strange bacteria. It was like pink and black bacteria spots on them. They were tumbling fine but it was strange stuff. I dosed some Prodibio directly in my reactor to combat the stuff and it worked all most instantly. Within a few days my pellets were back to normal.
I had a pick but I must have deleted it off photobucket. I will post a pic of what they looked like using a macro lens when I get home today. Never seen anything like it before.
One thing that was strange at that time as well were my bio-pellets growing some strange bacteria. It was like pink and black bacteria spots on them. They were tumbling fine but it was strange stuff. I dosed some Prodibio directly in my reactor to combat the stuff and it worked all most instantly. Within a few days my pellets were back to normal.
I had a pick but I must have deleted it off photobucket. I will post a pic of what they looked like using a macro lens when I get home today. Never seen anything like it before.
davesolo29
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2012
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
I'm sooooo upset. I can't see the pics.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
spyd link said:
Score one for prodibio!!! Lol
Seems like things like this can happen....somehow I managed to strip my tank of nutrients and make everything ultra clean for awhile....sps didn't seem to mind but lps and chalice and zoos did not really like it. I had to up my feedings drastically....
Now, I seem to be a little more balanced.... I'm seeing a little more algae on the glass and some brownish spots in the sandbed but yet I have cut feedings a lot to the lps, chalice, and zoo corals directly and yet still see colour and growth.... My sps don't seem to mind it too much either.... Seems like the way I am now is much more balanced....
I'm still not seeing clear answers from my Hanna ulr po4 checker.... Derek, are you using just the regular po4 checker or the ulr?
I'm thinking about buying the regular one....but depends on your reply lol
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spyd
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2011
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
Pics should be back up tomorrow.... Darn bandwidth. The Hanna I use is just the regular phosphate tester. It has all ways seemed to work properly for me and honestly, if it reads 0.00 then that's good enough for me.
I checked my nitrates today. First time in over a year. My level was good I think as I am running between 2 to 5 which isn't crazy high. I could add more pellets, however, I think I have a good balance where my sand is nice and clean and I don't have any cyano issues whatsoever.
As for the Prodibio, I dont use it very much at all. I started with it at first to add bacteria to my pellets right off the bat a few times. After that, I have not used it for over a year. Once I saw this odd bacteria, I noticed my skimmate stunk to high heaven. Not normal, like beyond smelly and so bad my wife would complain constantly and my sump is in the basement. So, I decided to try and change the strain of bacteria and that was my thinking when I added the Prodibio. It seemed to work and that will be the only time I dose it again for a long time. The less I mess with things the better.
I checked my nitrates today. First time in over a year. My level was good I think as I am running between 2 to 5 which isn't crazy high. I could add more pellets, however, I think I have a good balance where my sand is nice and clean and I don't have any cyano issues whatsoever.
As for the Prodibio, I dont use it very much at all. I started with it at first to add bacteria to my pellets right off the bat a few times. After that, I have not used it for over a year. Once I saw this odd bacteria, I noticed my skimmate stunk to high heaven. Not normal, like beyond smelly and so bad my wife would complain constantly and my sump is in the basement. So, I decided to try and change the strain of bacteria and that was my thinking when I added the Prodibio. It seemed to work and that will be the only time I dose it again for a long time. The less I mess with things the better.