Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[Tbduval]

Melev....I was thinking, which is a scary thought! How many times has the RTN'ing occurred shortly after you used Chemi-Clean? Could this be the common denominator? Just a thought.

[argo]

Marc, did you by any chance examine the branches that you cut / disposed off? One of my corals lost its color and the last time it happened it was followed by an STN and eventually an overnight RTN. A week later I discovered AEFWS; that's a month after my third treatment for RBs. That was some bad Juju.
I followed your thread ever since the 14-day move. You've accomplished alot and shared your success and minor set backs with all of us - I personally learned alot. I wish Good Juju upon your tank, man. May this be the last of your setbacks. No more PO4 wars.

[melev]

RTNing happens whenever it feels like it. Eric Borneman did some research on this but I don't believe he's published his results yet. From what I've heard, the cause is within the coral, rather than some surface issue.

I was thinking today about where the corals are, and how the RTN spread. Let's assume the two corals to the right were perfectly healthy. The flow from the pumps on the left side of the tank may have carried the necrosy onto the two others, since their proximity was so close.

The frags I saved in the prop section died. The little bit I left on that rock is quietly receeding, and may be gone by morning. I'm thinking of moving that one healthy coral that I got from Gabriel that is just to the right of the purple milli.

AEFW aren't known for bothering millis, and both of these corals were very very hairy. I didn't see any sign of them. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[poppin_fresh]

Originally posted by Alaska_Phil
What's GFO?

Phil

granular ferric oxide- the material that absorbs phosphates (like phosban, etc.)

[Alaska_Phil]

Thanks Poppin' Guess I'm familiar with it without even knowing
So does it irritate leathers? I refilled my reactor this afternoon and a couple hours later my fingers and toadstool were all completely closed up.

Phil

[melev]

Normally not, if you rinsed it out well. The water over the media should be completely clear.

[Alaska_Phil]

That would be it then. I thought I'd rinsed it well, but got a little puff of dust when I first started it in the tank. See how they're doing in the morning I guess.

Phosphates are holding steady below 0.03 now (where 0.5 to 1.0 before) and my nitrates are undetectable now. So I guess Hair makes a good algae scrubber. And I've had to start dosing Ca since I started running GFO, guess my corals are getting happier and using more.

So, having only very limited (and accidental) experience with SPS corals myself, what is the theory behind what causes RTN?

Phil

[melev]

No-one really knows, but Borneman seems to have found the key. Speaking completely without any facts, I believe he's determined it takes place in the gastro-intestinal area of the coral, rather than being something it could catch. If this is true, then that would explain why fragging corals doesn't necessarily save anything because the problem is already within the coral (like a cancer) and breaking it up can't stop it since it is IN the coral's skeletal area. Again, this is just what I think I understood from a single conversation back in January while we stood outside waiting for someone to unlock the door to our conference hall.

What matters even more to me is not the 'why' but rather the cure. Sell me a bottle that stops the problem or heals the coral, and I'll buy it by the case.

[jnarowe]

Phil,

I have my GFO effluent going through 2 fine filter socks before entering the tank.

[Alaska_Phil]

Not a bad idea Jonathan, but fortunately everything looks good again this morning. Well, other than the fact there's still hair algae in the tank.

Phil

[melev]

Here's a few pictures from this evening. First of all, my tiniest BTA has decided to wander around a bit. If it gets within my reach, I'll give it to someone local, but if it's smart, it'll work its way back up to the rest of the BTAs and be a good family member.



Remember the Tricolor Acropora that had AEFWs on it? When I pulled it out, a speck of coral remained on the rock. And that speck has been growing quietly and hopefuly doesn't have any flatworms in cloaked-mode! I also have the tip of this coral in another location in my tank. I'd tried to mount it where that pink (deltec) putty is, but it didn't hold that day, and I didn't bother with it since.



Enjoy it while it lasts: The final speck of my Purple Milli. What a huge loss - it just makes me mad thinking about it.



This is that Montipora undata (I believe that was the right name) that I bought several months ago. The polyps were hiding, but never went away. They seem to be making a reappearance finally.



This blue-tipped acro is a fast grower. For some reason, I have a heck of a time getting a picture of it. Each time I take the shot, it looks good on the 2.5" LCD screen, but on my monitor it is a blurry disaster. This one came out better, shot in Manual mode.



I have two frags in my tank mounted on AquaMags, secured to the overflows. The first is a Blue Torte frag I got two months ago, and OMG it is still alive.



The other coral is one I got from a club member. I don't know what it is, but it encrusted beautifully and the tips are lavendar while the body is green. It is a 3" long piece, but from this head-on shot, you can't see much of it.

[lhoy]

Nice shots Marc. The undata has some wicked color to it!

Lee

[melev]

Thanks!

Here is the Green Slimer I got from TCU_reefer months ago. It was declining, but polyps out anyway. Maybe the lower nitrates will be the solution to this particular coral that eludes me.



The Lawnmower Blenny posed for me.



Here is a close up of a tiny patch of Montipora foliosa that I got from Robert long ago. It is the type that once it is happy, the coral is a beautiful plating green with a lavendar or purple rim. At this point, all I can say is I'll believe it when I finally see it. In his tank, it was amazing. In mine, it died away, but a speck survived and has spread to cover about one square inch. This is really just an ugly picture, but I do like to document growth sequences, so it was included today.



This frag was one I brought home from the CRASE conference. I don't know what it is, but maybe I'll know soon. Lots of new tips appearing.



Here is the bubble coral, framed.

[melev]

And here are some pictures of the orange Montipora capricornis. I love this coral, and hope one day it'll be something big and impressive.

[lhoy]

The last picture rocks. That is some sweet shapes to the Monti!!Just curious, do you have a Quarantine tank? In the countless photos I have seen here and on your own site I don't remember seeing one?

Just curious.

Lee

[melev]

Yes, and I even take pictures of it from time to time. What I need to do, and have it on my list, is to make a page about quarantining.

[Alaska_Phil]

Marc, I love that Montipora capricornis! As soon as I get the new light hood on my 20 I'll be on the look out for one. After all, my encrusting monti is growing better than anything else in the tank. The mystery spot I posted a while back turned out to be a second colony that's now overgrowing my star polyps!

[Zoom]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by melev
[B]Thanks!











Melev do you have DINOS ? looks so much like the dinos i have on my rocks.

[lhoy]

No, that is a form of macroalgae. Dinos are long, stringy and don't have that texture. Trust me, if he had them, he would be busy posting nice coral photos right now.

Lee

[Zoom]

Ok...
Here is two pictures a year apart.
First picture .
When the Dinos was growing like wildfire in my tank.





Ok this is a new picture after a year look at the small yellow spots
Do you think is any Dinos in this picture ?

[melev]

I think it is a minor diatom bloom in my tank, probably caused by treating with Chemi-Clean. I'd rather see a little brown dusting here and there than to see sheets of Cyano bacteria.

[jnarowe]

When my electricity went out, my Tunze Nano didn't restart and the fuge filled up with cyano. Maybe you can work on flow to keep it at bay?

[lhoy]

Agree with Marc. I had Dino's and let me say they are no fun as you are well aware. Came from moving stuff to a bigger tank and messing with substrate (IMO).

Sprung's book on Algae is a great resource (which is probably one of the cheaper books in our hobby) and another great resource is Marc's (Melev's) website - click on his red house. He has a bunch of ID photos on there as well.

Lee

[melev]

I just added a few items to the ID page a couple of days ago.

[jnarowe]

Your site is getting better and better Marc. About time to start charging ad dollars I would think.