Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 6

original-reefland · #**126** 09/30/2005, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
Yes, it is connected to the Aqua Controller II, and Curt told me I could connect it up without the need to calibrate it. I bought it from him at MACNA, new in the box. If I need to calibrate it, I need to buy the solution and wait for that to come in.

Do you have the ORP probe mounted within 6 inches of the temperature probe? The temperature probe is the ground reference for the ORP probe. They need to be close together.

melev · #**127** 09/30/2005, 10:17 PM

I do now, Rich. I'll have to see what effect that has on the probe. Currently the reading is 470, and like I said it is brand new.

melev · #**128** 09/30/2005, 10:29 PM

A few SPS pictures... It really is nice to put a frag in my tank and it stay alive finally.

Of course, saying that, let me show you the two that are not doing well or are totally gone.

This one was from Zenya, and it was vivid green with a purple edge. I think it was in the sump too long, before it was mounted in the tank, but I'll try to get another piece soon.

This was in STNing (slow tissue neucrosis) but perhaps the tip of that one branch will survive. This is a light blue A. millepora from Dr. Mac.

Here are the rest of the new corals.

melev · #**129** 09/30/2005, 10:33 PM

Here's my Tyree LE frag.

This is the acropora I gave a haircut to, about 4 weeks ago.

Here's a coral from Keith.

Another suncoral baby in my tank.

melev · #**130** 09/30/2005, 10:38 PM

Here's a branching hammer that I got a VERY long time ago, and it was growing in the back of my rockwork. Or maybe it was just hanging in there. Because it is now growing, once it was repositioned here in the front of the tank. You can see the same Tyree frag in the foreground.

A shot from the end of the tank. It isn't colorful, but you can count about 9 SPS corals in this shot alone. The arrow is pointing to a frag that Nathan gave me last November. It didn't die. It doesn't look great as it used to be super green and extremely hairy, but it is extending short polyps now and is slowly gaining some color to it.

A Bengaii cardinal fish.

A group of leathers - Toadstool and Devil's Hand (including babies).

Neon Green/Pink Star Polyps.

Orange Ricordia.

Hop · #**131** 09/30/2005, 10:48 PM

Nice. i really like the coloring on the Neon Green/Pink Star Polyps. Another must have added to the list!

steve68 · #**132** 09/30/2005, 10:58 PM

Nice pictures.

melev · #**133** 10/01/2005, 10:33 PM

PLEASEDON'TDIEPLEASEDON'TDIEPLEASEDON'TDIEPLEASEDON'TDIEPLEASEDON'TDIEPLEASEDON'TDIE

A few months ago, I bought one of these Montipora digitata with bluish polyps. It looked great until the lights went out. At 3am it was bleached bone white and dead by morning. Did I learn from that? Umm... well, I just had to try again since my other corals have been doing so well lately. Plus it would be nice to have a fast growing SPS in my tank again. The picture was taken a few minutes after it was put in the tank, and the fish checked it over closely.

melev · #**134** 10/01/2005, 10:41 PM

Since I had the camera out, I thought I'd take a few more pictures.

This coral is from Nathan. I think he called it a Scripps Acro (based on its origin I'm sure). It survived all the water issues, including red slime on all the tips. A couple of times, something in my tank bit off every tip, giving it a haircut of sorts. It no longer had the red stuff on the tips, and it had to heal. This took a while, and the red slime reappeared at least two more times.

Tonight I not only noticed how healthy it was, but also suddenly realized how many new tips / potential branches were displayed.

This is the other frag I got from Nathan. The tip looks very healthy, and promising. The color is wierd, but that may change in time. I'm referring to the orangish SPS that is in focus.

Zenya told me in a PM to rotate how this coral was positioned, because in his tank it grows like a table. I figured, Why not?! So let's see what happens. It is an A. millepora.

melev · #**135** 10/01/2005, 10:51 PM

The Diadema urchin was up by the glass, while the lights were on. Check out those suction cups.

Some zoos everyone always wants. Tucker stopped chewing on them recently. Matter of fact, the Hippos have stopped chasing one another for whatever reason.

That ever-color-changing Acropora is displaying more green lately at the growth tips, but the base is varied. The Maze coral in the back continues to do well.

The blue Mandarin studies the Pini for pods.

The clown goby, aka Fang, is still in the A. millepora. I noticed its cheeks are white, which if this one does as the one in the past, may mean it won't live too much longer. It definitely has access to food, because when I feed the tank each night, the food passes right through the millepora. I've talked about trying to remove Fang, but haven't made the effort. If it does die / leave the tank, this coral will be fuzzy with polyp extention again.

I had one a couple of years ago, and when its cheeks turned while, it started getting thinner and thinner and perished. I don't wish that upon this fish, but it isn't like I'm trying to starve it out of my tank either. I'm just reporting what I'm seeing with the current clown goby.

Hop · #**136** 10/01/2005, 10:53 PM

You do realize that posting these pictures is like holding an ice cream cone over a small child on a hot day, allowing little drops to entice the child but then REFUSE to allow them to partake in any.

LOL. JJ, things are looking really good and are really making me a little envious

Airman · #**137** 10/01/2005, 10:56 PM

Nice pics!

melev · #**138** 10/01/2005, 10:56 PM

This guy is obviously lost. "Move along! There's nothing to eat here!!!"

The maze coral looks great. No recession at all along the edges. In the coral (right foreground), you may be able to make out some of the purple polyps of that acro.

How about a couple of closeups of the Pini?

Those speckles are so cool, but unless you press your nose up against the glass, you really don't notice them.

As I was shooting pictures this evening, I starting thinking about a theme: POLYPS!

melev · #**139** 10/01/2005, 10:58 PM

Thanks guys. It is so nice to post pictures of happy healthy growing corals again finally.

Last shots:

jcheever · #**140** 10/01/2005, 11:44 PM

marc, i've been following your tank since it's begining and i want to say it is an inspiration to me. you helped me with my own tank more than you know. i live in southern louisiana ans huricane rita hurt me in the worst way and killed allow my water dewelling children. my tank still has a lot of life the coraline and a lot of small inverts are still alive. but today when i finaly restarted the pumps and removed the dead fish and coral makes 8 days that the tank was not circulated. the water test are terrible but but after 8 hours and six quarts of thick foam from the scimmer the water is clearring up. there is no were open to purchase salt and i only had enough for a ten gallon water change and i have 90 gal of water in the system. the fuge is still allive and there are some pods moving. does my tank stand a change of survival or should i call it a loss and start over with new sand and rock. there is around 120 lbs of both.
thanks
jimmy

melev · #**141** 10/02/2005, 12:34 AM

Hi Jimmy,

Aw man, I'm really sorry to hear that. There have been so many losses due to Katrina and Rita.

If you have circulation now and the skimmer is pulling out the bad stuff as indicated, I would think it could recover. Water changes would be ideal, but as you pointed out water and salt are in short supply. Running carbon would be good if you happen to have access that that. You'll need a bunch of fresh test kits.

The water can't be all that bad if your inverts survived. That may be the foundation for your future livestock. Hopefully you can start to get things you need in the days and weeks ahead.

And finally...

[welcome]

melev · #**142** 10/02/2005, 12:09 PM

Well, my new blue polyped Montipora digitata is still alive today. Woohoo!!!

Randall_James · #**143** 10/02/2005, 05:53 PM

Nice to see your tank on the road to recovery.

Lunchbucket · #**144** 10/02/2005, 08:13 PM

pics look great as always melev

Lunchbucket

original-reefland · #**145** 10/02/2005, 08:43 PM

Any difference with the ORP probe since you moved it?

bheron · #**146** 10/02/2005, 09:40 PM

Those green/pink star polyps are amazing! I dont think i've ever seen them before.

melev · #**147** 10/02/2005, 09:41 PM

480. That seems surprisingly high to me, if others are struggling to get theirs up to 375. Do you happen to know what is required to calibrate the probe? What solution do I need specifically?

The blue polyped monti hasn't opened up much today, and I think one of my fish nipped it at some. Urgh!

original-reefland · #**148** 10/02/2005, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
480. That seems surprisingly high to me, if others are struggling to get theirs up to 375. Do you happen to know what is required to calibrate the probe? What solution do I need specifically?

Page 30 of the AquaController Pro manual has calibration instructions. If you don't have it, you can download the manual from Neptune's web site.

GregM779 · #**149** 10/03/2005, 09:37 AM

Nice additions! Any idea why you have such a hard time with SPS?? You obviously take care of your tank why can't you keep the SPS alive??

melev · #**150** 10/03/2005, 11:07 AM

Greg, I have some predatory asterinas in my tank I believe. And a few of my fish are less than honorable. Last night while on flashlight-duty, I saw one of my lovely acros with a white gash up the side. Something ate the tissue right off the skeleton all the way up and not in a straight line. I'm going to have to just start removing every last one of those darn starfish because I'm pretty sure they are the cause.

The blue polyped monti isn't doing well at all. How discouraging. All the other SPS in the tank look just fine, but the new one after 48 hours looks pathetic. I doubt I'll buy any more of those, from that store. Why those don't survive with all the other SPS around them holding strong makes no sense at all.

In a nutshell, if I knew exactly what was wrong, I'd fix it.