My Confession

[Craig Manoukian]

Originally Posted by KodiakBear

I'll get some pics up as soon as they arrive.

[KodiakBear]

Well, here are the new additions:


and a FTS after removing about 1 1/2 gallons of halimeda:


I also ordered some DIY LED grow lights from homegrownlights.com that should arrive next week. Hopefully they will suppliment my PC's enough to keep these lil' buggers happy in my tank.
I've heard that they benefit from dosing phytoplankton, anyone do anything else for these types of corals?

[Craig Manoukian]

Cool beans KB!

[KodiakBear]

I am not really sure what the fragging practices are with The Coral Broker, but I did find a gorilla crab on each one of the frags! On the acro it was very small, less than 1/8 inch across. On the Pocillopora there was a really big nasty looking one. It was about 3/8 inch across. There was also a little bit of feather calupra on the pocillopora's rock.
I'll be e-mailing the coral broker tomorrow to inquire about all that, but I suppose you're bound to get undesirable hitch hikers from time to time, even on the small frags.
Otherwise, the corals arrived in great condition, packaged exceptionally well, and began opening up after just a few hours in my tank. I'm really excited about the new additions. Next addition is going to be some upgrades to the lighting. The kits should arrive middle of next week!

[Craig Manoukian]

Wooohooo!

[Melanie]

How did I miss this GREAT chronicle! I have only read the first page so far, but I'm entranced. Love your story telling and photo illustrations. Can't wait to read more.

[prow]

great chronicle. i love it!! the halimda i like but with sps might become a issue, toxic tips and eats up lots of Ca. just an FYI incase you start to have issues.

[KodiakBear]

I originally put the Halimeda in to use up the excess Ca in my tank, so I'll be pulling it out if my levels start to drop too quickly.
What do you mean, 'toxic tips'?

[prow]

this is the same PM i sent you.
sure, with most corals i would say no worries, but with sps it might be a concern. halimeda is a caulerpa, not as aggressive as most, but still comes with all the same risks including sexual reproduction. the toxins are in the tips of the thallus, why fish dont eat it. if a peice breaks off best to remove it ASAP so it doesnt release anything.

here is some good info on it, look at page 12-14, its in pdf form. http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getD...__fulltext.pdf

this is a good one too, but its on a possible new discovery about halimeda containing bacteria that causes coral disease.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...m.php?news=449


here is quote from here Halimeda: The Cactus Algae by Kirby Adams - Reefkeeping.com
but the first link has more info.

Quote:
Halimeda go a step further to ward off aragonite-munching herbivores, such as parrotfish, by synthesizing noxious and potentially toxic secondary metabolites. The aptly named halimedatrial and halimedatetraacetate are diterpenoid compounds that appear to give Halimeda an extremely noxious taste and could prove toxic in large quantities (Paul and vanAlstyne 1988).-this is old but new info comfirms their thoughts on it.

hope this helps.

[KodiakBear]

I think I will leave the Halimeda in for now, and just keep it's population down unless I start to see a problem.

Here's a pic of the hitch hiker hanging out in a glass of RO/DI water.

[AQTCJAK]

My triggers or Puffers would have fun with that one

[Melanie]

Prow, thank you for those interesting links on halimeda.

KB, I had high levels of Ca (540!!) and I switched to Instant Ocean salt mix and I've been letting nature take it's course with weekly 10% water changes. Now I'm down into the 400s and my snowstorm is getting lighter.

[KodiakBear]

Originally Posted by Melanie

KB, I had high levels of Ca (540!!) and I switched to Instant Ocean salt mix and I've been letting nature take it's course with weekly 10% water changes. Now I'm down into the 400s and my snowstorm is getting lighter.

My calcium levels dropped too when I switched to IO. Overall, I feel it has a better balance of Ca, Alk, and Mg than the Oceanic I had been using previously. My calcium is still in the 400-425 range. I do weekly 10% water changes, and a 20% every 4th week. I use Kalkwasser for my makeup, and all my levels seem to remain pretty stable with this schedule. I suppose this is why I'm branching out and trying my hand with more SPS's.
Hopefully this won't bite me in the backside.

[prow]

i found reef crystals to be great. had to play with it for a while, now i think i got it. i mix up 20gal batches and add 2.5tsp of seachems adv. Ca. to each batch. this mixes levels to Ca 430, alk 4.4 and Mg 1350. i have done this and test many many batches and the level come out pretty steady at those numbers. i drip kalk and have a Ca reactor also. my tank levels with this stay at Ca 430, alk 3.5 and Mg 1250-1300.

[KodiakBear]

As much as it pains me to admit it: the 120 long was a bit too impulsive even for me. After talking it over with my wife for the last month or so, and doing our budget, and planning all the repairs/upgrades to the house I need to do, and figuring I'll be moving in just 2 more years anyhow... I've decided not to get the 120 up and running. Rather it is now up for grabs. I want to get at least what I paid for it ($620 after the tax). I'm going to put it up in the RS forum first, then ebay if nobody here wants it.
My 45 gal is still up and running, and the misses and I are planning on doing a custom stand and moving it from the office into the living room. Granted, that project is on a list including finishing the hardwood floors, tiling kitchen and baths, built in book cases, a new mantel for the fireplace, 3 new light fixtures, raised flower beds, and a pergola for the back porch. I'm going to be a busy little beaver for the next... oh... year or two.