Cali Kid Corals

Hi Everyone

xCry0x

Supporting Member
Hi,

I am new at this and just got my nano tank going back around september 2011. Recently moved back to the bay area and living in Pleasanton. I spend a lot of time reading/responding to threads on reef central and had wanted to join the club earlier, but being frugal could not justify spending $20 when I knew the renewal would happen in a month! (Sorry!) I have a 25g truvu AIO going, now that things are getting stable I am starting my venture into corals whenever I can find a good priced frag.

Currently working with LPS and have two favia frags that I really like (among a few others). Got one from Aquatic Collection, which is probably my favorite coral store in the bay and the other from aquarium concepts which I am pretty sure was misplaced because it was on the $5.99 rack.. Think I am going to keep my eye out for other favia frags because I really like feeding them as well as their bright colors, the $5.99 one is bright pink and green - think it is a christmas favia- and it looks awesome. Also on the lookout for fair priced florida rics since I like the color and overall look of those.

Anyways, I enjoy being part of these communities and am looking forward to being able to partake in discussions and maybe even venture out to a meeting.

Danny
 
Hah, all the pictures I have uploaded are 3-4 months old and look horrible because they are all camera phone shots, don't own a fancy SLR camera.

The FTS is also something I am not super proud of because I am on the verge of winning a algae battle thanks to my awesome BRS pukani rock leaching phosphates like crazy since touching water. I just got a gfo reactor set up a few weeks ago but it is still going through a few scoops of gfo on a bi-weekly basis which is kind of out of control.

I will grab a picture of the corals when I get home though.
 
Welcome. Try checking out next months meeting. Jestersix will be giving a cool aquascaping demo and you can meet some of the reef addicts...umm members. :D
 
gimmito said:
you can meet some of the reef addicts...umm members. :D


You don't have to sugar coat it, we know what we are ;)

We don't need gallery quality pictures here (though it seems some can take them anyway), you can usually learn more from problems then success anyway.
 
Here are the two that I think are favia, think the first one is a xmas favia? Colors are pretty accurate for the first although the second one looks blue in the picture where it is really purple.. camera phones LOVE blue leds ./sarcasm =)

As you can see I have some general brown-ness infecting my sand bed, whether it is cyano or just diatomes it is a pita. I have a mp10es and a mag7 pumping water under my tank into a reactor and back up so the GPH flow is high for a 25g tank.. pretty sure it is phosphate related. Skimming my head off with a tunze 9002 w/ the air intake mod and take is usually testing 0 nitrates, just PO4 in the .06-.10 range.

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1684f6bf9a291ff6.png
 
Not_Now_John said:
gimmito said:
you can meet some of the reef addicts...umm members. :D




We don't need gallery quality pictures here (though it seems some can take them anyway), you can usually learn more from problems then success anyway.


Yea but when you put time and effort into something you dont want to show off how bad it looks! haha. At this point there is not a lot I can do aside from keeping changing gfo and wait until my rocks finish their PO4 war on my tank.
 
Hey, that looks just like my sand at the moment!! LOL! Sounds like your plan of attack is perfect. I am sure you will be victorious in the end. Fingers crossed for the same outcome on my end. Nice corals! I'm not going to speak as to whether those are favia (looks like it to me) cause I am NO expert. Welcome!
 
I grew up in Danville and went to school in Colorado, I cannot believe how bad the water for Alameda is vs Contra Costa.. I need to start driving to San Ramon and bottling water out of public water fountains because it still is horrible even with a brita.


Yea that second frag was honestly sold to me as a chalice from Aquatic Collection in Hayward, I wanted an Acan but did not want to spend $80 on an acan frag so grabbed it instead because it looked similar. The heads are puffed up a decent amount, the other frag is a lot flatter but it is new also and probably acclimating to LEDs vs t5 still.
 
Nice, hopefully you'll resolve the sand prooblem with continued aggresive gfo. One often hears "you aren't seeing any x nutrient in your tests because the algae is using all too fast" though I wonder how much stock can be put into this idea.
 
Well I strongly believe there is a lot of truth in that, I usually test my PO4 after doing a 2-3 day lights out period to try to get a real view of the levels after significant algae die off. Of course at this point I am tired of testing the PO4 because the algae growing is a pretty clear sign that there is too much PO4!.

I just wish GFO was cheaper!
 
xCry0x said:
Well I strongly believe there is a lot of truth in that, I usually test my PO4 after doing a 2-3 day lights out period to try to get a real view of the levels after significant algae die off. Of course at this point I am tired of testing the PO4 because the algae growing is a pretty clear sign that there is too much PO4!.

I just wish GFO was cheaper!

If you use a lot, you can regenerate it. (Carefully)
Google "regenerating GFO"
 
rygh said:
If you use a lot, you can regenerate it. (Carefully)
Google "regenerating GFO"


Interesting, I think I will be able to survive because I only am working with a 25G tank so for me 'a lot' of gfo is going through a 1lb container in a month.




Already doing a 5G water change weekly which is at least 20% volume, realistically more in the 1/3 (33%) ish if you consider the volume taken up by sand & rock.

15LB of my ~20Lb of rock is pukani so I would rather not replace it this far long =) the expected leaching phase is about 6 mo so I should be getting over it soon, no rush.
 
Using ro water? Saw chatter about tap a bit back...I'd use ro for sure if you having problems. Keep on those water changes, should fix itself eventually. Maybe some nassirius snails to help keep sand stirred up?
 
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