David's Red Sea Max C130
- Thread starter dgilbert2
- Start date
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
Update of the last couple of weeks.
Parameters still looking ok, thanks mainly to Foundation ABC+;
SG 1.025
NO3 0.2
PO4 0.015
KH 9.3
Mg 1335
CA 435
Iodine 0.06
Temp 25 deg C
StevesLED's now up at Blue 35% and White 45% (increasing 2% every 4 days).
Based on my Calcium weekly drop of around 20ppm, I'm now trying the Red Sea Colour programme and also their Coral Energy programme, especially as I have a low nutrient tank (low NO3 & PO4). Will see how this goes for a few weeks. I also have the Seachem Reef Trace and Plus following recommendations and good reviews. Taking it steady as always, going for the daily Red Sea Energy daily dosing for now but will change to Seachem in a couple of weeks to see if any difference.
Really seeing the benefit of supplying my pumps from 215V, as I'm able to control the tank temperature at 25Deg C now (was 28). Took the skimmer pump out to clean it the other day and the body was only luke warm after a couple of minutes, it used to get really hot!
Latest photos below and some new additions from a week ago;
and for my new additions;
Goniopora (captive grown);
Brain (Button?) Coral, interesting transparent flesh!
Trumpet Coral;
Small plate coral frag;
Parameters still looking ok, thanks mainly to Foundation ABC+;
SG 1.025
NO3 0.2
PO4 0.015
KH 9.3
Mg 1335
CA 435
Iodine 0.06
Temp 25 deg C
StevesLED's now up at Blue 35% and White 45% (increasing 2% every 4 days).
Based on my Calcium weekly drop of around 20ppm, I'm now trying the Red Sea Colour programme and also their Coral Energy programme, especially as I have a low nutrient tank (low NO3 & PO4). Will see how this goes for a few weeks. I also have the Seachem Reef Trace and Plus following recommendations and good reviews. Taking it steady as always, going for the daily Red Sea Energy daily dosing for now but will change to Seachem in a couple of weeks to see if any difference.
Really seeing the benefit of supplying my pumps from 215V, as I'm able to control the tank temperature at 25Deg C now (was 28). Took the skimmer pump out to clean it the other day and the body was only luke warm after a couple of minutes, it used to get really hot!
Latest photos below and some new additions from a week ago;
and for my new additions;
Goniopora (captive grown);
Brain (Button?) Coral, interesting transparent flesh!
Trumpet Coral;
Small plate coral frag;
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bazmackem
Active Member
Beautiful as ever mate!! Bet those lates corals cost you a bomb! I was an inch away from buying the orange plate in LFS a week ago... £45. Will def get one eventually! Flowerpot is beautiful.... Still can't believe mine (alveopora) was killed! Where did you get these - that brain is amazing.... Is it semi transparent like a jellyfish!? Was that and the plate pricey?Update of the last couple of weeks.
Parameters still looking ok, thanks mainly to Foundation ABC+;
SG 1.025
NO3 0.2
PO4 0.015
KH 9.3
Mg 1335
CA 435
Iodine 0.06
Temp 25 deg C
StevesLED's now up at Blue 35% and White 45% (increasing 2% every 4 days).
Based on my Calcium weekly drop of around 20ppm, I'm now trying the Red Sea Colour programme and also their Coral Energy programme, especially as I have a low nutrient tank (low NO3 & PO4). Will see how this goes for a few weeks. I also have the Seachem Reef Trace and Plus following recommendations and good reviews. Taking it steady as always, going for the daily Red Sea Energy daily dosing for now but will change to Seachem in a couple of weeks to see if any difference.
Really seeing the benefit of supplying my pumps from 215V, as I'm able to control the tank temperature at 25Deg C now (was 28). Took the skimmer pump out to clean it the other day and the body was only luke warm after a couple of minutes, it used to get really hot!
Latest photos below and some new additions from a week ago;
and for my new additions;
Gonipora (captive grown);
Brain Coral, interesting transparent flesh!
Trumpet Coral;
Small plate coral frag;
Re your levels, I haven't got that far into testing etc yet, but everything seems fine. Still have nitrate of approx 10 but is it right that it shouldn't be absolutely eradicated? I'm waiting for my to unit to arrive... Which salt do you go for... I've read Red Sea coral pro has calc etc in it to help corals pop!
Any chance of a pic of the plate coral and brain with just the blue on?
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
Hi Baz, i got the orange plate coral some weeks ago for about £45. If you look back through my photos you can see how much bigger it expands now. All my new corals were around £40-45, mainly from Wharf Aquatics Pinxton (really, really helpful and thoroughly recommended). They have an amazing flourescent pink bubble coral (I think) which cost £149. Absolute stunner but I chickened out at the price!
My Nitrates are low but I've had my Live Rock for about 8 years so the anaerobic bacteria is well developed now without any help from me. The advice I've had is you need 0.05 - 2 Nitrate but with established live rock it must be quite hard to get it to go up!? What unit are you waiting to arrive?
I now use H2Ocean salt as of the last couple of months. I did use Instant Ocean but the foundation levels were not high enough.
I'll get those photos in a few minutes.
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bazmackem
Active Member
Sorry I have bought a portable to unit, so about to start mixing my own!! Read good things about that Red Sea coral - will look at yours, you happy with it? They had a bleeding apple scolymia (?) for £199 in LFS and it was amazing but too early for that kind of madness!!!!!!
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
The photos you asked for below (just Blue LEDs), not sure if that's what you meant though!
The brain coral does not pop much at all, the plate coral does a little but the photo looks really strange! My other brain coral below though does pop, even the frogspawn in the background of the photo!
NickF
Well-Known Member
Some great looking corals there, love the yellow plate and the colour on the Brain coral is amazing, though I think it looks more like a Cynarina (button) coral. They had a couple at my lfs but the colours weren't anywhere near that nice, they called them doughnut corals.
Goniopora are supposed to be hard to keep, I had one that slowly bleached over a couple of months then died but I think it was partly due to every time I target fed it my emerald crab would make an appearance and pick out all its food, and I mean EVERY time! I was gutted, they are really nice corals.
Goniopora are supposed to be hard to keep, I had one that slowly bleached over a couple of months then died but I think it was partly due to every time I target fed it my emerald crab would make an appearance and pick out all its food, and I mean EVERY time! I was gutted, they are really nice corals.
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
You will not regret being able to prepare your own RO/DI water and mixing your own saltwater.
Red Sea Coral Pro and H2Ocean salts are probably on par with each other?
I know what you mean about the prices, you don't want to wake up to £200 worth of coral being eaten!
bazmackem
Active Member
What did you
What did you target feed with nick??
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
I'm terrible with the names, perhaps it is a button coral, the structure of the skeleton is just like a brain though hence my confusion?!
Yes the Gonioporas are harder but was told as it was captive-grown they were hardier? Fact or a good saleman
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dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
To be honest I don't look at my tank under moonlights. The white in the brain coral is actually green, just the camera struggling. The plate looked "ok" but the real star was the last Brain picture hence I shared it above.
NickF
Well-Known Member
That is apparently a fact:
"Captive-grown coral grow faster and are hardier than wild-collected colonies. Not only has the coral itself adapted to captivity but the bacteria, zooaxanthellae, and other symbiotic organisms also have adapted."
Full article with some very good info on Goniopora:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/10/aafeature2
"Captive-grown coral grow faster and are hardier than wild-collected colonies. Not only has the coral itself adapted to captivity but the bacteria, zooaxanthellae, and other symbiotic organisms also have adapted."
Full article with some very good info on Goniopora:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/10/aafeature2
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
Thanks Nick, fingers crossed then
bazmackem
Active Member
Is that the green one on the full tank shot?
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
Yes it is, lower right hand side.
bazmackem
Active Member
Beauty, what's the green stuff just above it?? I can't believe you don't look at it under blues... My favourite viewing!!
dgilbert2
Well-Known Member
The algae above it is Halimeda, it's a calcareous type that just appeared!
We're always snoring when its time for moonlights
