MadReefer

I have a Seachem cal test kit. Alk and mag I think are API. Phosphates test at zero and I think they must be low because I have no problems with pest algae and my macro isn't growing as fast as it has in the past. My alk is about 8-10, cal is about 380-420 and mag I don't test very often but it was 1280 last time I tested (at this time my cal was a little low at 360 so I started adding more cal at that point). I use Seachem's Complete Calcium because it also has mag and other stuff. I have been working on a dosing schedule for all my tanks that will hopefully keep all these at higher levels. I started low and have been working up as my tests are still sometimes on the low side. Maybe cal, alk and mag levels have been fluctuating as my dosing rose and that is why I am getting washed out color? Maybe I just need time now that I'm dosing more? Is it possible that I don't have the same type of coralline as these purple tanks I see? I did have an urchin (traded it to a LFS) and when it was in there it seemed like the coralline grew better, except where it liked to graze. Maybe the urchin helped release stuff from the rock into the water? My corals are growing and look happy and my clams are putting on quite a lot of shell rather quickly so I thought the coralline would also grow well. I'm starting to wonder if I just have different types of coralline then those very purple tanks. If that is not it I'm sure it has to be that I'm missing something that my dosing is lacking. I'll go get a picture of one place that is growing well. It is not in the light but it grows nicely slightly in the shade.

Oh, I should say, I have coralline, it's just that it appears much more white than I see in pictures of others tanks. It grows best for me out of direct light. Maybe my light is off spectrum and more red which causes white coralline growth??

I see so many systems with purple coralline and great corals. I can get pretty good corals and in some places coralline, but not everywhere. I'm wondering if I need to feed more, but I feel like I overfeed. I feed twice as much frozen as what is eaten in three minutes by fish and then add pellets and flakes from time to time daily. I don't have any mechanical filtration and I only have a skimmer on one of my four systems. But all my systems look the same. The only thing I have in common is I wish I had money for more light on all my systems. I count on LR, LS, and algae mainly for filtration. I don't do water changes much. And my systems look dry of nutrients. The issue is that my tanks look like a desert. Dry and without much growth. My macro in the display grows slow. My chaeto grows good but other reefers don't like it so I doubt that it is taking all the nutrients and acting as that good of a filter. I monitor my cal, alk and mag and they are all good. I add Seachem and Kent for alk, cal, iron, trace and more. I add PhytoPheast for my clams and sometimes for all tanks. Mainly that is all I add. I'm starting to think that there is something not tested for that is needed, or it's my lighting that causes this problem. The last time I had the coralline growth I wanted, I was using tap water for SW and top off. Please let me know what you think. Light? Nutrients? Chemicals? Something I'm not considering? Or maybe I'm just worrying and haven't run a system long enough?

I see all these pictures of cool sps and acropora, but so much of it looks the same and there are so many names.

Happy Birthday!

Very cool. I dream of a setup like this.

Your dKH should be fine and come down with time. It might be high because of the new sand and rock. Or maybe you had a point when you had a low pH and it brought the alk out of the rock. It could be the salt you used. I doubt it will stay high on it's own.

I agree, not redbugs. If they brush off easy they could be flatworms. The tiny flatworms that I have seen stay in the light because they are photosynthetic.

Ricordia mountain is cool.

Beautiful stuff, good job.

Beautiful stuff. I love the acan.

No I couldn't make it.

I know what you mean now, and I should have mentioned the other thread when I made my first post here. My stream of thought isn't always as clear as I think.

Sometimes photoshop can help. Some people take it too far so it looks unreal. I play with all the settings and take lots of photos. As you stated on a different thread, white balance can help. I miss my old SLR 35mm, but I don't miss paying for developing. I hope to spend $1k on a DSLR camera this year sometime.

I was speaking of your other post about mail. And are you saying, no that's not cool, it's just what you do? Because I never said you seemed to want to sell them.

I can't get the color of mine with my camera. I really want another camera but I can't stop buying reef stuff long enough to save money.

I hope the Steelers win, but I don't know if I even care enough to watch the game.

That's cool CA2OR. These have sold for so much lately that I thought you where just talking some BS to see what people would say.

It's a good thing I got hip boots and a shovel, it's deep.

Congrats!!

48 hours ago I setup my 40 gallon tall that has been in storage. It is tied into my mangrove bucket and my first diy sump. It doesn't look great right now but someday I might add some seahorses and pipefish to it. I still have a lot to do but here is a pic.

(worthless) Where are they?

The refs gave it to the Cardinals. I hate pro sports when it's such crap.

Well said Jay.

The TDS in SLC was 330 when I tested it. But when I used it for my tank without filtering it, it was great water. TDS doesn't tell you if the water is good or bad for saltwater tanks. Calcium, kh, mag, and other great elements could be all it is. It's too much copper or other heavy metals or fluoride or other spikes of bad stuff that was my reason to buy a filter. TDS does tell you how good the filter is working. In SLC I was very happy to go from 330 to 5 with my filter, and a lady at a water store said that was very good for a home filter unit. I know I'm not getting as good as I could be now, because I need to replace some filters. I'm curious what mine is at.