downhill_biker Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I apologize to everyone that was upset when all of my pictures were deleted from rearranging my folders on photobucket. Here are the tank evolution pics, just to get things started. I will update more pics of individual corals and livestock later. All comments are welcome. Hope everyone enjoys. Feb 2008: Mar 2008: Apr 2008: May 2008: June 2008: Aug 2008: Oct 2008: November 2008: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 8, 2008 Author Share Posted December 8, 2008 These were my first SPS. I was so proud of them, most died in one crash or another that I had, but the crashing is over, and the tough learning is behind me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Tank looks awsome!!, you've got some really rich color in your corals. Looks like things are well established and growing was this a start over with the same tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny503 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Your tank is really nice.... I love to see the progressive tank, it make me wondering how my tank would look like :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Lookin good Curtis. I'll be by sometime this week to check it out in person!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 8, 2008 Author Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thanks guys!!! Smann: this is the same tank start to current. I just had some big jumps in the look when i got new rock, and when i got new lights. Throughout the process I lost a couple of corals, and got a bunch of new ones. I keep getting more and more colorful corals, and either selling or trading ones i dont need. some of my favorite corals are the simple ones, like green birdsnest and green slimer. Benny503: glad i could help inspire you. of course my tank is still very young, but i finally have most of the corals i want, now it is time to let it fill itself out. impur: look forward to seeing you this week. its been a while since you have been over here and i have got a TON of new corals for you to check out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Hippo tang has grown alot and is that a green scoly on the floor? nice looking(rock2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Nice job tank is looking great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 11, 2008 Author Share Posted December 11, 2008 thanks for the comments. spectra: the hippo has grown a bit, and will some day outgrow my tank. i hope that someone will want it when that day comes. he has very nice color and health, so i think it will be a no brainer when i decide it is time to get rid of him. the green coral on the bottom is a lobo, i really like it, and would like to get a couple more with some different colors. stylaster: thanks. it is always nice to hear kind words from someone with specimins like yours. i need to get up and see your tank some time. i know i am impressed with photos i have seen of your stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 Here are some before and afters of some of the original SPS that made it through my difficulties. They are what you would call a dirt=to=diamonds kind of thing. Blue/Purple/Green Acro Green Slimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 I currently have 2 clams. I enjoy the clams, and if I find another exceptional specimen i may consider another, but for now, 2 clams is good enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted December 14, 2008 Author Share Posted December 14, 2008 Here are a couple videos of my reef. The first video is from July 2008, and the second is from October 2008. This shows a little bit of the evolution involved in my tank. ENJOY!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Some new pics of my SPS Purple Bonzai Acro from Shawn Pokerstar Monti Colony Nuk Green Candy Cane from Miles Sunset Monti Superman Monti Other Monti Morningstar Monti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Very nice!! I take it you like monti.'s!?! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Downhill, I am just curious as to what caused the above mentioned crashes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Very nice!! I take it you like monti.'s!?! :) Ya I guess I do like montiporas. I think they have great color, both as colonies and close up. Here's another. I have some others...setosa, chilli pepper, ect, but they are still very small and aren't picture ready yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Downhill' date=' I am just curious as to what caused the above mentioned crashes?[/quote'] My first crash was caused by me trying to lower pH using vinegar, pH kept being slightly high, so I kept dosing. A couple days later, woke up to cloudy water. Spent the next couple days stressing over corals dying and trying to figure out why the tank was cloudy. Then Dennis, dsoz, said to put an air stone in there to help in case of bacterial bloom due to vinegar, and BAM, water clear in hours and corals stopped dying. Second crash was due to ATO float sticking and water pumping like crazy and taking my pH up to 9.3. I got home from biking and started to treat it, hooked the CO2 tank up to the skimmer for a couple minutes. Checked, litereally after 2 minutes, and pH was 6.8. I guess the skimmer was more efficient than I thought. Had a lot of die off, but only lost a xenia due to this. Several of the SPS bleached and receded a little, but everything basically survived. Hope this helps others not make the same mistake. If you pH is ever high, bring it down below 9.0 with Selzer Water, then let it drop naturally, you will be surprised at how well this works. Randy Holmes-Farley, well known reef chemist told me that below 9.0 pH the corals can handle pretty well, its the change that gets them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Thank you. I just find it helpful to me to see what errors others may have made. I am not saying anything at all bad about you. I have made plenty myself. But learning from others mistakes is often less painful than learning from my own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 agreed. that is why i dont mind sharing. i really feel confident now, but you never know what could happen, just hope it doesn't. i am getting more and more high end corals and a mistake now could be very costly and heartbreaking. the last one made me seriously consider leaving the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I understand that feeling,(fishhit). Some times I am afraid to look at my tank (hidesbehindsofa). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Downhill do you mind if I steal part of your signiture? I have a similar relationship with my wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefaquarist Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 gosh friken idiot. its not acropora from shawn. its shawns triple berry blast. it lost a berry or 2 in your tank(wife) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Downhill do you mind if I steal part of your signiture? I have a similar relationship with my wife. go ahead. i think that it is a great idea to have a sense of humor in this relationship between the tank and the significant other. you just have to hope that they have the same sense of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 gosh friken idiot. its not acropora from shawn. its shawns triple berry blast. it lost a berry or 2 in your tank(wife) sorry, i forgot the name. i almost called it shawns turd bucket acro. just kidding. i really like it. personally i like it with the pearlescent color and the white polyps, just my opinion. thanks for the great coral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefaquarist Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 yeah it looks good. im amazed the growth it looks to be encrusting good. seems like fresh cut sps frags grow faster than colonies. i dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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