no growth and pastel color

[franklypre]

I would imagine most tanks look yellow when 80-90% of the light in your tank is actinic, or close to it. It makes the coral look good but gives me a headache after a while. I covered all the white LEDs with electrical tape just to see the difference, I like blue just not to the point where it alters the color of everything. I've been diving down in the Keys and can say your tank is definately a deepwater color, I prefer the 10-15 foot range of spectrum on a day to day basis. I would like a little more blue in my tank though. My rainbow montis haven't eben been in my tank for much more than a month so they should color up quite a bit.Need a FTS

[daveonbass]

I would think a month would be more than enough time...

[Chris Lakies]

Originally Posted by franklypre

I firmly believe you are now able to run your lights at the proper height because you now have nutrients available in the system, allowing your coral to use the light they are getting. Looking back over the thread there is one other aspect that may have more to do with it than anything, your SG was 1.029 right? Seems like lowering that had a very positive effect. As far as going LED on the nem tank I am having an old moment, I thought you already had LEDs on it. And this hobby is simpler than we make it most of the time, we just don't have the ability to keep it simple. OCD

I myself found that having the SG approaching 1.030 that it really affected the corals negatively, colors fading and less polyp extension. Reduced the sg to 1.025 slowly and bam Colors came back better polyp extension.

[daveonbass]

Yeah I'm sure it helped.

Frank, I think that the golden unknown coral I saw that was expensive was maybe a Gardineroseris. The coralites look familiar.

[franklypre]

those monti's were from Mr.Coral, meaning wild coral cut into frags and shipped out the door, not to mention the dying plusrite, I may switch it out to the 7mo old pheonix until I pick up another bulb. Darn halides and bulb replacement, and heat. I'm gonna have to start converting to LEDs or T5s soon. You headed to Dallas anytime soon?

[daveonbass]

Oh crap I am...I need to see if I can convince my ride to let me stop in and get some fuel while I'm in a city that has marine stores.

[daveonbass]

Man, Christy and I are looking in my tank and we are really dead set on getting a shallow coral frag tank...cause theres a lot of stuff I wanna just get out of my main display and either culture or just outright sell off. And that would make room for more grow out of my frags that I want to keep and the current colonies. I wish I had more money than I currently have...(or don't have in this case).

[franklypre]

what are you wanting to get rid of?

[daveonbass]

Green palythoas, gsp, maybe trim down my birdsnest. Stuff that I always mention to you. Basically weeds that grow crazy in my main display. Stuff that you worked hard to get rid of. :P

[franklypre]

My fight continues with the blue cloves, just cut it off the rock and toss it in the nem tank. If you want to you can throw it in my sump/frag tank, which is getting a proper frag rack soon. I like putting GSP on dead acro bases I used to collect. I should have a little more room in the frag tanks over the next few weeks.

[daveonbass]

Nah, nothing grown in the nem tank...I need a skimmer and a real light on it. I may have to bite the bullet and buy a new mh bulb. Poo.

I think I may get a frag tank that's like 6-9 inches tall...and probably use the rapid led gift certificate to build a proper frag light set up for it. And yes I would plumb it to the main tank.

[franklypre]

Sounds like a good idea so long as you want the entire system in your bedroom. I am interested in seeing the LED build, I may follow suit with my frag tank. I have a CPR HOB, add a wooden airstone and it will do well. I think I found a frag we can coop, Red Dragon from Battle Corals. It's about the only coral I wouldn't just outright pay for, only 100 bucks a frag.

[daveonbass]

Yeah, I've always wanted a red or purple dragon. Vivids rainbow delight is also a delicious coral that I've been looking at.

[franklypre]

No rainbows, they never are rainbow when you grow them out. Red dragon has a beautiful growth pattern, and decent color. You should get a FTS up here so we can get some input from others. I have a frag of my rainbow ready whenever, been doing quite a bit of cutting here lately, ready to be done with it for a while.

[daveonbass]

You can stop at any time...no one is making you frag. Haha. Like I keep telling you, you gotta keep you hands out of the tank for a while.

I do love the dragon grow out pattern...as far as the rainbow stuff, it always stays colorful for me...that's why I love them.

I will probably call you Sunday, I'm not doing much except tank stuff.

[franklypre]

My dad and grandma will be here till around dark, but after that I'll be here. rainbow's stay pretty but usually only keep 2 maybe 3 colors. There are many monti's I would like from BC as well.

[daveonbass]

Ok, call me when you're free. What is BC...I can't place it?

[franklypre]

Battle Corals

[daveonbass]

Yeah they do have some nice stuff...good prices too. I may have to considered them when my frag tank is up and running.

[franklypre]

I was thinking of coop for some of those like the red dragon. I'll give them a try when I get rid of some of the frags I have. I'd like to sell/trade about half of what's in there.

[daveonbass]

I don't have the money yet, or a frag tank to put them in...but one day.

[franklypre]

what are you wanting to use as a frag tank? You can pick up a 40b for 40 bucks in Dallas right? I'm thinking about a 120g frag tank that is on Craigslist, just can't get a response from the guy. It would take me a little while to fill that up. Maybe.

[daveonbass]

Yeah I saw that tank...too ugly for my room...haha. to expensive too.
I just want like a 24"x24"x8" frag tank. And then the led light that I want to expeiment with.

[franklypre]

If you find a good deal on them let me know I'll take one or two. I really want a 36X18X8 but as long as it is shallow I don't mind. I need a SPS frag tank so I can start on LPS again, maybe some zoas.

[daveonbass]

I think 24x24 is my limit just based on the space I have available. even that is probably pushing it for me. But I figure that an extra 20g tank like that will be a good start for a shallow frag tank for my purposes. I only really plan of fragging a few pieces at a time and letting them grow out in peace. IF my bangaii cardinals ever spawn again it would also be nice to have a dedicated tank to throw them into as well. Plus I could feed all the BBS that I want and it would just feed the corals more. All in all I'm also looking for a slick looking frag tank that I can be happy seeing every day in my bedroom along side of the main display. The big question is if I want to build it myself or buy it from someone and get an acrylic tank. (oh and money, I'll need more of that too.)