[401jas]

Well i've been growing coral for a little over a month now and I think i've got the hang of it. It's crazy how all the chemistry works out. Here are a few pics of the baby reef in the making. I have seen the GSP almost double in size in the last month! I love those things. Anyway here are the pics.

[Cela Vie]

Looking good. What kind of rock is that pillar looking thing?

[401jas]

it's a dead piece of coral i cound when i was swimming in the gulf of aden off the coast of Africa. I don't know what it was but when i dug it out of the sand i was set on bringing it back home. I'm active duty Air Force and i was deployed to Africa last year. I'll be going back too and you can bet i'll have many more pieces.

All the little pieces are from Africa too. Nothing was alive when i took it, i know better than that. I actually yelled at someone because they took a live brain coral out of the water....i was pissed off.

So far i have two kinds of Zoo's, some GSP's, and some plate montipora (which i am in love with by the way). What should i get next. I do have a Flame Angel so i need to be carefull of what i get...i don't want her taking interest in something. I may of may not have to get rid of that beautiful fish, we'll see.

Thanks
Jason

[Cela Vie]

Wow. That was a big coral. Too bad it died...

I'm all about getting aquacultured stuff.

How about some shrooms? They are cool. Got a pair of purple/metallic blue and it's nice. How about pulsing xenia? It's mesmerizing!

[401jas]

I have thought about shrooms. Pulsing xenia would be nuts, i would sit in front of the tank even longer. There were some at my LFS but he sold all of them. He's ordering more soon.

I've been looking on the internet at coral reef's trying to figure out what that pice might have looked like alive.

any ideas?

[Cela Vie]

Not a clue, but you may want to get a cleanup crew in case you don't have one. In looking at that piece I notice the substrate, is that crushed coral?

[401jas]

I had just added some live sand...i wanted the sand bed a little more deeper. There are 15 snails and about 15 blue, 2 red, and one wierd black with yellow striped hermit crabs in there. Also one skunk cleaner and two pepermint shrimp.

[Cela Vie]

You're good on the CUC. Now back to those shrooms and xenia...lol

[Br14n55reef]

By the looks theres a lil bit of hair algae growing try testing for phosphates they help hair algae grow and do 4 or 5 gallon water changes weekly before you know it hair algae will be no more...
Good luck
btw nice tank

[401jas]

The hair algea is all gone now. The snails got to it and now it is no more. I started the tank with tap water not knowing about the phosphates but have since used RO water for a couple of 10g water changes and all the top off water is RO water and RO w/kalkwasser.

I just added some pulsating xenia....i can't wait for that stuff to grow! It sure does like the MH, i noticed it pulses faster when the MH is on that with just the PC's on.

Thanks
Jason

[Br14n55reef]

Sweet ....glad to hear you maintain your tank.....all in time things will take off.
good luck

[401jas]

Thanks, my GSP's have doubled in size in less that a month! Soon I'll be able to get them growing on another rock. The plan is for the to take over a rock that is triange shaped and is 14" long.....that's going to be beautifull!

Even the Cap Montipora that i've had for a week now is showing new growth! The Watermellon Zoos have put off a few babies as well and my fat pink and brown zoo's.

This does take alot of time to check water quallity and get everything setup but it's worth it. I imagine that once i've been maintaining the reef for a few more months it will become easier.

Today i'm getting a skimmer and firing that bad boy up. Next month i'm getting a RODI unit so i don't have to keep going to the store to get gallon after gallon of water.

My tank evaps 1gallon a day......poor me has to buy a crap load of water and at 75 cents a gallon it's going to be wayyyy cost effective to just get a rodi unit.

Jason

[cappy290]

Your tank is looking pretty sweet cant wait to see what it will look like in a few months from now.

[cappy290]

Forgot to tell you that is one cool looking rock or coral in your tank that is a really nice piece to add to the tank.

[ncdiablo]

If I can make a recommendation for your tank, I would say mushrooms like others have said, also frogspawn, frogspawn, frogspawn, and of course hammer / anchor coral too. These are just wonderful additions and gives your anenome type look for your tank. Just added those to my tank and now instead of just me staring at the tank I have to fight for some space because my wife is now staring at the tank.

Pulsing Xenia is love love love too. Can't wait for mine to grow and take up a little more residence so it becomes all the more entrancing.


Steven

[sanjaypawar]

I added pulsing Xenia and they bring so much life to the tank. Also I would recommend green or blue clove polyps (I have pink). Octopus Hammer coral is awesome too..... Oh! and Green Torch coral....Dude the list can go on.....go as crazy as you want.....enjoy.

I almost forgot...........if you are into expensive stuff get the Japanese deep sea Dendrophyilla (I am not sure if I spelled it right but that's a coral to have. It needs low to moderate lighting.

[401jas]

Wow thatnks for all the info! I am in love with frogspawn and hammer corals. Those will be my next addition. I do think i'll pick up some shrooms....don't know what ones yet. My LFS has some blue ones that are one of a kind!

As of now I'm not burning the MH but 1-2hrs a day. The corals are still adjusting to the intensity of the light. It's not bad for a $9 ebay 14K mh light bulb and a Advanced $15 ebay ballast.

I'll keep this thread and update pics in a month to compair growth.

I just picked up a corel life skimmer raited for 65g. It's in the brake in period now and i guess i have to leave it like that for 72hrs....so no skimming just yet.

One of my true perculas is sick and in a 10g med tank now.....he has two white spots so he's being greenex'ed and vitamin'ed. I sure hope he pulls through, his buddy missis him.

Thanks again!
Jason

[401jas]

Here is a vid of the Xenia and some pics.

Video of pulsing xenia - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting








And the new skimmer

[sra_chipmunk]

The tank looks awsome Jason. Im getting more and more excited.

I hope the coral I found will look that good. The ones I found were on the rocky clifs of the island and were already dead. The waves that smash into the cliff had already smashed alot of really nice (dead) coral into the rocks, but the ones I found were intact and perfect. I will snatch some more for your tank while Im here.

[401jas]

hell yeah tom, hook me up! I'll do the same when i'm there. Rock that's good for aquasculpting is expensive. Free is nice.

[sra_chipmunk]

Originally Posted by 401jas

hell yeah tom, hook me up! I'll do the same when i'm there. Rock that's good for aquasculpting is expensive. Free is nice.

Word on that.

Hey man, get a sea horse. They are like $60 but they look pretty cool.

[401jas]

you have much to learn young one.....there is no way in hell a sea horse could survive in my tank, or the one your going to set up.

[sra_chipmunk]

Originally Posted by 401jas

you have much to learn young one.....there is no way in hell a sea horse could survive in my tank, or the one your going to set up.

awwwww, im so stupid. I will go drink everything under my sink now.

[Br14n55reef]

No your not stupid your just learning dear...theres nothing wrong with wanting/wishing/ we all do it ;>)

If I were you I would build your self a refugium right next to your tank then you can have sea horses..

a refugium should only be turned over 2-3 times per hour at the least.
Thats not to much flow for sea horses..

[sanjaypawar]

Brian is spot on about the flow needs for sea horses. Also, seahorses will not compete for food and therefore will not survive in a tank with others.

Don't worry about wrong posts....there is no such thing as stupid on this forum (atleast that's what I like to think.....)

I have made some comments on RB which now I think were.....retarded. I say its better to post candidly and have your mistakes corrected....than to do the wrong things and mess up the your reef!!