My 65G Shallow Reef Tank

[fscmocsaj]

If you still have those setosa frags I would be willing to take one of your hands! I've been looking for one for quite some time but either my LFS doesn't have any or they are way overpriced.
Either way tank looks great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DML08]

Very Nice, really likeing you top down pics!

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by fscmocsaj

If you still have those setosa frags I would be willing to take one of your hands! I've been looking for one for quite some time but either my LFS doesn't have any or they are way overpriced.
Either way tank looks great!

I would not mind sending you one if you were closer to me. Thank for your compliment.

Originally Posted by DML08

Very Nice, really likeing you top down pics!

Thanks.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Absolutely stunning top downs, Bulent!
Perfection.
What's that blue acro? I think I have a piece. It's got the best blue colour in the reeding world next to an Oregon Tort.
I am amazed at the growth or your sermantosa. Not to mention the nice pink tips that were eluding you at first, if I recall.

Many thanks Matt. I appreciate it.

That blue Acro is A. gomezi. It is solid blue with no hint of green It is my centre-piece coral.

I am letting A. sarmentosa spread at the expense of my pink A. millepora.

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Maybe it depends on the type of peppermint..
This has not been my experience at all with my carribean origin peppermints.
They do not stay in packs and they love to eat aptasia even when the tank is being fed heavily.
I find mine to be mostly solitary. They will tolerate each other when a snail dies or when I add new corals- they will come out to investigate but will quickly disperse again behind the rocks.
About two years ago, when I had a rampant infestation of aptasia (and the beginnings of aefw, that I was not yet aware of) I added close to 50 peppermints to my 200 gallon tank. Within 6 weeks, there was not a trace of aptasia in the tank. Today, I cannot find one indication of aefw anywhere in my system. I keep peppermints in both my display and my frag tank.
They have also never touched my ponape birds nest.
But I have seen some peppermints eat out the centre of birds nest corals.. I assume it was peppermints from a different region of the world.

When I kept peppermint shrimps, I also has Pocillapora damicornis colonies. The shrimps almost always nipped at their polyps. I am not having any more shrimps in my tank as I would rather feed fish than shrimps.
I am getting a small file fish tomorrow as a precautionary measure against aptasia.

[reefmutt]

Originally Posted by DiscusHeckel

Many thanks Matt. I appreciate it.

That blue Acro is A. gomezi. It is solid blue with no hint of green It is my centre-piece coral.

I am letting A. sarmentosa spread at the expense of my pink A. millepora.



When I kept peppermint shrimps, I also has Pocillapora damicornis colonies. The shrimps almost always nipped at their polyps. I am not having any more shrimps in my tank as I would rather feed fish than shrimps.
I am getting a small file fish tomorrow as a precautionary measure against aptasia.

It's pretty amazing how different two people's experiences can be when it comes to reefing.. or just about any hobby I guess.
I've resolved to never keep a filefish again because the last one I had was an sps polyp eater.. but the shrimp are model citizens..
I love your gomezi. I hope I can get mine to look half as good!
Happy new year, Bulent!

[fscmocsaj]

Where are you located?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by fscmocsaj

Where are you located?

United Kingdom.

[fscmocsaj]

Originally Posted by DiscusHeckel

United Kingdom.

Oh you're really far haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DiscusHeckel]

Here are some photos, which I have just taken to mark the end of 2016 in my reef. Thanks for looking and a happy new year:

[DiscusHeckel]

While preparing the above pictures, I looked at the pictures I posted in the new years eve of 2015. Wow. My corals have grown since then...

Just compare the growth rates of A. gomezi, A. millepora and above all A. microclados (at the back):

[salty_boris]

That's some growth in 12 months, Bulent.
Tank is looking even better for the rearrangement and cutback.

Your little watanabei looks like a like a chunky one, great to see.

Happy new year to you.

[reefmutt]

What a difference!
The current photos are just gorgeous, Bulent.
The colonies are taking on that mature growth pattern.
Love it
Happy new year. Al the best fr 2017

[biggles]

The reef is looking wonderful Bulent, colors are so rich and yummy.

I'm always in awe of the growth you achieve with your acros mate, i hope you have a great 2017 my friend.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by biggles

The reef is looking wonderful Bulent, colors are so rich and yummy.

I'm always in awe of the growth you achieve with your acros mate, i hope you have a great 2017 my friend.

Thank you Andrew. I really appreciate your praise and feedback.

I want you to know that I have been using Koral Color since the end of last November at your recommended dose of 1 ml per 600 lt. Unlike my last experiment, this time round I did not stop dosing Bacto-Balance. I am very pleased with the results so far. As you predicted, pinks in particular become more pronounced according to a local reefer who visits me fairly regularly to collect frags. Furthermore, unlike the last time, growth rates of my corals did not slow down. Nutrients do not rise either.

My main motivation in restarting to dose Koral Color was to observe the effects of one of the ingredients of this product, lithium, on bryopsis. I am pleased to report that since I started to use Koral Color on 27th November 2016, I have managed to stop its spread. The algae have spread to nearly a dozen locations in my display tank since last June. But it is now only confined to five locations. This is a massive progress. Having halted their growth, I am trying to discover the lethal dose without harming my corals.

Happy new year Andrew. May the new year bring lots of growth to your corals. Thank you for inspiring me.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

What a difference!
The current photos are just gorgeous, Bulent.
The colonies are taking on that mature growth pattern.
Love it
Happy new year. Al the best fr 2017

Thank you Matt.

Happy new year to you and your family. In addition, happy travelling for hockey games in the new year. I am really missing my football related travels to different parts of the UK since my son stopped playing football two years ago due to injury and in pursuit of academic interests.

Originally Posted by salty_boris

That's some growth in 12 months, Bulent.
Tank is looking even better for the rearrangement and cutback.

Your little watanabei looks like a like a chunky one, great to see.

Happy new year to you.

Thank you salty Craig. Welcome to my thread.

Despite its appearance in the photo, the new arrival is still a thin fish. However, it is eating very eagerly. It will not be long before she looks fat.

Happy new year to you too.

[biggles]

I'm glad the koral color is working well for you Bulent, i started using it along with zinc 6 days ago and i can already see significant improvements in the pinks/reds and purples. I'm using zinc instead of trace hard as i had sky high Triton copper readings after using the trace hard.

Why don't you get some Triton elements lithium and keep your koral color dose stable while you add a bit more lithium only to the dosing regimen. i have all the individual elements that make up koral color - had to get them from bloody Germany but it allows me to tweak my koral color in any way i wish. Anyway just a thought buddy

Watch your green acros and if they begin to get a slight coppery metallic tinge to the polyps or the tissue the koral color dose is too high. You will know it when you see it as it's a weird looking hue.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by biggles

I'm glad the koral color is working well for you Bulent, i started using it along with zinc 6 days ago and i can already see significant improvements in the pinks/reds and purples. I'm using zinc instead of trace hard as i had sky high Triton copper readings after using the trace hard.

Why don't you get some Triton elements lithium and keep your koral color dose stable while you add a bit more lithium only to the dosing regimen. i have all the individual elements that make up koral color - had to get them from bloody Germany but it allows me to tweak my koral color in any way i wish. Anyway just a thought buddy

Watch your green acros and if they begin to get a slight coppery metallic tinge to the polyps or the tissue the koral color dose is too high. You will know it when you see it as it's a weird looking hue.

Thanks for the advice Andrew. I can get Triton's zinc element separately from my lfs. I should also be able to source lithium. Once I get them, I will resort to your brain power for the right dosages.

PS. I have just watched two of your videos on YouTube. I have found the National Anthem-related video quite amusing and have made proposals for two further experiments. lol

PPS. What is your view on keeping photosynthetic gorgonians along with Acropora.

[sahin]

Originally Posted by DiscusHeckel

Thank you Perry. Despite all the upheaval my constant deforestation effort brings to the tank, corals seem to get on with it. I guess taking things very slowly must help.

I can confirm that I received rather large store credit. The mother colony has already healed and started to grow.

16th December



Today

Bulent please disclose what sort of growth hormone you are feeding the corals? That is bloody good growth! Rest of the corals look great.

Happy New year to you my friend.

[biggles]

I've covered Russia, tomorrow i'll be checking the reaction to the American and Canadian anthems in two more top down experiments. I need videos of your tests please Bulent otherwise it won't be real science

Dom has a gorgonian and i intend to get one too as they look awesome imo. They aren't as hard to keep now that we don't strip our water of every particle of life as we did years ago.........

As long as you have a spot sheltered from strong flow i think you should get one. If it turns out to look better than mine you'll have to return it ok.

[biggles]

You really are clueless at times Sahin...........

Classic SEFW bite marks at the base of Bulent's setosa colony.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by biggles

I've covered Russia, tomorrow i'll be checking the reaction to the American and Canadian anthems in two more top down experiments. I need videos of your tests please Bulent otherwise it won't be real science

Dom has a gorgonian and i intend to get one too as they look awesome imo. They aren't as hard to keep now that we don't strip our water of every particle of life as we did years ago.........

As long as you have a spot sheltered from strong flow i think you should get one. If it turns out to look better than mine you'll have to return it ok.

I am looking forward to my new experiments.

The reason why I have asked about gorgonians is that I have read that similar to leather corals they may release toxins to the water column which may irritate or even stunt the growth SPS. The fact that I am using GAC, albeit passively, should counter this problem, but just wanted your opinion on this aspect. Regarding flow, I thought strong flow would favour their development as they shed their skin quite regularly. I used to keep a bright yellow and purple gorgonians three years ago.

[biggles]

I'm thinking that a moose call will suffice for the Canadian anthem if i have trouble finding a copy..........

I didn't know about the toxin thing Bulent as i don't feel the need to research any purchase as you know.

Ok, new plan. You get a gorgonian and i will wait a month while i watch to see if you or Dom have a crash.

[DiscusHeckel]

Originally Posted by sahin

Bulent please disclose what sort of growth hormone you are feeding the corals? That is bloody good growth! Rest of the corals look great.

Happy New year to you my friend.

Cheers Sahin. I use a cocktail of legal substances as shown below . Would you mind letting me know where you bought Australian acros that came from The Farm please.

Happy new year

[DiscusHeckel]

I bought a baby filefish yesterday as a new year's present to myself. It is about 0.75". It struggles to swim in the middle of my tank due to flow. It is showing close interest to the polyps of my A. aspera, but it has not nipped at them so far. Phew.

[DiscusHeckel]

I finally took a decisive step to eliminate the last remaining sections of plating Montipora monaseriata this afternoon. I also took the majority of my rocks out of water to rinse them under old tank water and scrape odd algae and brown polyps growing on them as well as siphoning crap that accumulated under the rocks. Surprisingly there was not much. Anyway, my tank is now free from that thing. I hope my corals appreciated my efforts even though they had to stay out of water for a few hours. I will be relaxing from now on and enjoying my reef. Finally, here are some yucky pictures for a change: