A Few of my SPS

[sahin]

Milleporas are my favorite Acropora!!!

I have this as well, and cant get it to colour up HOT PINK:


I have another which is HOT PINK...so I think that may be as bright as it will get...?

[reefmutt]

Originally Posted by stonecold

I will have to figure out a way to make room and buy more corals should you decide to make another request.

Ha ha... Well... I wouldn't want to make any.. UNreasonable requests..

Curious.. Did you stop the pumps to take those shots, or are you able to use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the polyps like that?

Afishionado, interesting.. I didn't know that higher alk will actually cause acute stress to ulns acros..
How does the high alk do this only under uln conditions?
Thanks

[Ink]

Stonecold,
I hope not to appear fastidious; do You know what brand for NO3 and PO4 test have been used?

Thanks.

Luca

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by pancho

I had a few acros that had no polyp extension and dipped them in Bayer. After a few weeks polyp extension returned

I made a frag and have dipped it in Revive. I don't see any pest ie AEFW and/or Red Bugs. It also has no polyps extension. The colony is well encrusted so I don't want to remove it, but will try your advice. Thank you.

Originally Posted by afishionado

TOTM.

Nicely done, stonecold

Now, as far as the alkalinity discussion, from a few posts back, there are a few variables which many may not be aware of that enables this low dKH phenomenon without any adverse effect. Often times, people running ULNS find that their system/corals' characteristics, particularly those in the genus Acropora, improved greatly only then to find they were unaware of a gradual decline in alkalinity levels ... This is due to the acute stress high alkalinity has on Acropora under low nutrient conditions; a key factor of "tip burn" in Acropora sp. ... Simply put, for experienced ULNS/SPS reefkeepers "who have a 'successful' history/experience of keeping dKH levels stable" Id highly recommend an unusually low dKH of 5 over an unusually high dKH of 10. Given that they could/would keep it stable and with Ca >400 / Mg >1250

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Originally Posted by sahin

Milleporas are my favorite Acropora!!!

I have this as well, and cant get it to colour up HOT PINK:


I have another which is HOT PINK...so I think that may be as bright as it will get...?

I think we may not achieve that Hot Pink is due to the difference in our water, light and a bazillion other things. All I know is that I wish it can turn Hot Pink.

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Ha ha... Well... I wouldn't want to make any.. UNreasonable requests..

Curious.. Did you stop the pumps to take those shots, or are you able to use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the polyps like that?

Yours and others request will never be unreasonable. Just hope that you don't get bore looking at the same coral all the time.

All top down pictures were taken with the pumps completely shut off.

Originally Posted by Ink

Stonecold,
I hope not to appear fastidious; do You know what brand for NO3 and PO4 test have been used?

Thanks.

Luca

I notice that they had used API and Salifert when testing my water. I didn't want to stay in front and watch him. I am sorry, Luca, but I don't know which was use to test each parameter.

[PanicBuyer]

Nice color combinations. I will be using some of your pics as inspiration for my new tank.

[MBMAX]

Hey if you need test kits I could lend you a few.... Lol .. Since I have two and three of everything to test and then double check then I get the middle number and divide by 7 , then I get square root and multiply it by ............too much testing.
I hope One day I will learn to look at my tank with minimal testing and know what is going on.

Great job!!!!

[Oldude]

Originally Posted by pancho

I had a few acros that had no polyp extension and dipped them in Bayer. After a few weeks polyp extension returned

Agreed - I find that sometimes the occasional quick dip can give some corals a good "kick in the pants" and smarten them up afterwards.

[glaukos]

Oh god...another shot from nick!

Those milles are amazing!
So happy that you shared your "clicks"
You give me so much inspiration you can't even imagine!

Thanks buddy!

[Moser]

Voted

Mo

[MBMAX]

Stonecold , we voted...... now we need more pictures!!!!!!

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by PanicBuyer

Nice color combinations. I will be using some of your pics as inspiration for my new tank.

Originally Posted by Moser

Voted

Mo

Originally Posted by MBMAX

Stonecold , we voted...... now we need more pictures!!!!!!

Thank you so much everyone. PanicBuyer, welcome to RC and have fun with your new tank.

[stonecold]

Updates....

Casualties as of today.

I lost the Ice Fire Echinata in December.


For unknown reason and I have didn't do anything differently. I lost 3 of my Chromis and my Paired Purple Filefish during today's water change. They just died during the water change. :-(

[stonecold]

New additions and a few more pics. I apologize for the MH reflection. Tried multiple times/angles, but it still shows. :-(

[dr. todd]

Nick fantastic!!!!!!

[reefmutt]

looking great!
love the cardinals in front of the goni.. nice shot.

too bad about the ice fire.. how did it go?

[worm5406]

Stonecold... Not acceptable... I will not accept a apology for the MH view.

You need to fix this.

I am ignoring the wonderfull view until it is fixed.

Ya know... the view is wonderful, in person and on your camera.

I need to modify the way I take pictures and see what I can do.

Keep up the good work!

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by dr. todd

Nick fantastic!!!!!!

Thank you, Dr. Todd. Hope all is well.

Originally Posted by reefmutt

looking great!
love the cardinals in front of the goni.. nice shot.

too bad about the ice fire.. how did it go?

I "think" the Echinata croaked as a result of the flesh/tissues from an aptasia. I had an aptasia outbreak so I purchased a Matted Filefish as a cure/preventative. There was a big aptasia near the base of the Echinata. What I notice about this fish eating behavior is, it sucks out the aptasia from the creavice. While the aptasia is suspended, the fish eats it in multiple bites. By doing so, I think some of the aptasia's flesh must have been "caught' and stung the Echinata as it STN the next day. I took for granted that the base may recover, but it never did. When I fragged the colony, it was too late.

[sahin]

Superb shots Nick. Its a shame about the fish death and the Icefire too. The Icefire is one of my favorite SPS.

I think you are correct about the Aiptasia flesh material killing the Icefire colony. I once had a bit of Chalice slime land on an Echinata frag. The parts where the slime landed melted right away. I thought the frag might survive, but a few hours later, the rest of the flesh floated right off!

Now if I ever add a dipped coral, I make to suck the slime off the coral with a Turkey Baster to ensure the slime doesnt land on another coral and potentially killing it.

[dvanacker]

Grrrrrrrrreat shots!

[ptreef]

Great pics as usual.
Keep us updated on the Morish Idol. I have liked these but not sure of the risk in a SPS dominate mixed reef.

[Acronic]

One of my fav tanks ATM

[glaukos]

Can't pic my favorite pic nick!
Amazing photos!

Sorry for the losses.
I love the moorish.
Is he a model citizen?Diet?

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by worm5406

Stonecold... Not acceptable... I will not accept a apology for the MH view.

You need to fix this.

I am ignoring the wonderfull view until it is fixed.

Ya know... the view is wonderful, in person and on your camera.

I need to modify the way I take pictures and see what I can do.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you, worm5406. When your schedule permits, I'm gonna need another refresher (step by step) on how to upload and post a video.

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by sahin

Superb shots Nick. Its a shame about the fish death and the Icefire too. The Icefire is one of my favorite SPS.

I think you are correct about the Aiptasia flesh material killing the Icefire colony. I once had a bit of Chalice slime land on an Echinata frag. The parts where the slime landed melted right away. I thought the frag might survive, but a few hours later, the rest of the flesh floated right off!

Now if I ever add a dipped coral, I make to suck the slime off the coral with a Turkey Baster to ensure the slime doesnt land on another coral and potentially killing it.

Originally Posted by dvanacker

Grrrrrrrrreat shots!

Originally Posted by Acronic

One of my fav tanks ATM

Thank you so much, Sahin, dvanacker, Acronic.

Sahin, you owe us a FTS!!

dvanacker, have you consider keeping your tank going? It would be such a shame to shut down such a beautiful tank.

Acronic, you need to mount those awesome corals. I know your hands are itching!!!

[stonecold]

Originally Posted by ptreef

Great pics as usual.
Keep us updated on the Morish Idol. I have liked these but not sure of the risk in a SPS dominate mixed reef.

Originally Posted by glaukos

Can't pic my favorite pic nick!
Amazing photos!

Sorry for the losses.
I love the moorish.
Is he a model citizen?Diet?

This is my 2nd Moorish Idol. The 1st one was great. It ate well/everything, never bothered any of my corals and it even ate aptasia. I sold it along with all of my big fishes. It is 1 fish that I wish that I had kept.

This 2nd one is doing so so. Much like everyone in the Fish Forum has shared. Every fish is a hit and miss. Due to my aptasia outbreak, I was hoping that this 1 would do the same as the first...eat aptasia. I have had this 1 since October. At the beginning, all it ate was sponge on my LR and it wouldn't eat anything that I introduce to the tank. Once the sponges were all gone, it started to nip on any SPS that is red. So, I put gave it "time out" and placed it in my sump. There, it started to eat Nori. It was in the sump for 2+ months and I felt sorry for it so I put it back in the DT last week. As of today, it only eats Nori, but it hasn't touch any of my corals this time around. Hopefully, the eating habit will improve.

Another difference between this and the first Idol is the way it eats. The 1st actually "attack and will bite" its food. This 1 pushes its mouth into the Nori and whatever breaks/floats it will eat that. I had an exchanged with PaulB who has great knowledge about these Idols. Paul has confirmed that this is something that he has also notice about these Idols. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any evidence as to why they do that.