Bolick's 55gal mixed reef

[H2OPlayar]

Sounds like you need to dump some cheap dried flakes and pellets in! Haha

Edit: nope, its more frozen food you need, I knew I got it backwards

 

[Bolicks]

Sounds like you need to dump some cheap dried flakes and pellets in! Haha

I think Randy recommends frozen for higher NO3/PO4 unfortunately! I wonder why pellets tend to be higher in PO4 - bone meal as filler?

 

[H2OPlayar]

I think Randy recommends frozen for higher NO3/PO4 unfortunately! I wonder why pellets tend to be higher in PO4 - bone meal as filler?

Phosphates, in particulate Polyphosphates, are often used as a preservative for foods, especially for flake, pelleted and ground (coral foods) products.

Are Excess Phosphates Lurking In Your Fish Food | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

At one time or another, it seems like all aquarists deal with excessive phosphates in their tank. Phosphates could be silently lurking in your aquarium causing unsightly algae blooms…

reefbuilders.com

 

[Bolicks]

Small picture update:

Looking good overall! Full sized skimmer and fuge making nutrient control much easier than the biocube. Tank starting to fill out, especially after the swap! Now, I just need to patiently let things grow in

Also, any way to change the name of this thread? Would like to have it reflect the upgraded tank.

FTS:

Budding euphyllia garden (thanks @svreef for the hammer and frogspawn from the swap!)

How compatible are torches/hammers/frogspawns when it comes to touching each other?

Favia encrusting:

Budding monti rock (Mostly from @Coral reefer IIRC)

 

[Coral reefer]

What do you want the title to be?
Usually I keep torches apart from everything else.

 

[svreef]

Usually frog spawns and hammers can be together. Torches apart. Looking awesome!

 

[DaddyHook]

Very nice euphyllia garden! Tank looks great!

 

[Bolicks]

What do you want the title to be?
Usually I keep torches apart from everything else.

Could I change it to "Bolick's 55gal mixed reef" please?

 

[Bolicks]

Could I change it to "Bolick's 55gal mixed reef" please?

Thanks!

 

[Bolicks]

After using the PAR meter, it seems that I need to turn my lights up!

PAR map at 40% blue/40% white/40% royal on 2x AI sol (This is what the tank's been on for the past couple of months)

PAR map after turning up to 80% blue/80% white/80% royal on 2x AI sol

Spread seems OK, but I definitely need to get closer to the second setup. Recommendations on how fast I should bring the intensity up?

 

[Coral reefer]

After using the PAR meter, it seems that I need to turn my lights up!

PAR map at 40% blue/40% white/40% royal on 2x AI sol (This is what the tank's been on for the past couple of months)
View attachment 29508

PAR map after turning up to 80% blue/80% white/80% royal on 2x AI solView attachment 29509

Spread seems OK, but I definitely need to get closer to the second setup. Recommendations on how fast I should bring the intensity up?

I would suggest getting to 70 w, 85 b, 100 rb. I’d go up maybe 5 on each channel per week or two

 

[Bolicks]

I would suggest getting to 70 w, 85 b, 100 rb. I’d go up maybe 5 on each channel per week or two

Thanks for the recommendation, will do!

 

[MolaMola]

Your tank is looking great!! Very cool coral assortment.

 

[Bolicks]

Seeing more clown-on-clown aggression than before, even though the smaller male appears to be submitting. The female seems to have taken a decent chunk out of the male's tail... Should I intervene or let the pairing behavior continue?

 

[Squist]

From what I see in my clowns, normal. Tail webbing grows back : ) Just tonight, watching a 5x-size female harassing the male, the male deked and dodged and came back and nipped her tail when she wasn't looking. They remind me of my cats.

 

[Bolicks]

From what I see in my clowns, normal. Tail webbing grows back : ) Just tonight, watching a 5x-size female harassing the male, the male deked and dodged and came back and nipped her tail when she wasn't looking. They remind me of my cats.

Reassuring to hear mean little fish!

 

[yoyohead]

Your sand bed looks so clean, are those little Cerith Snails I see in the your pictures ?

 

[Bolicks]

Your sand bed looks so clean, are those little Cerith Snails I see in the your pictures ?

Yep, ceriths are doing a lot of work down there. Otherwise, I credit my fuge and low nutrients (PO4 often undetectable now, NO3~5ppm), seems to be helping.

 

[Bolicks]

Seems like the clowns have mellowed - they're semi-peacefully sharing the anemone now. Remarkably, the male clown's fin has healed and re-grown completely in only 10 days!

 

[Bolicks]

Reef running nicely - starting to dose AFR as my SPS are starting to grab quite a bit of Ca.

Alveopora's been looking kinda weird lately - when the lights come on, the polyps look like they're "breaking", and these weird lines disappear towards the end of the day. Anyone seen this before?