The Garden -- Rakies shallow SPS cube

[Rakie]

Yes my hair is brown with a slight red tint. That's enough for me lol. I don't forgive, and I don't forget.

Rakie, don't let foolish behavior of others ruin your spirit. It's perfectly fine to let it out now and then.

Unfortunately all my decisions are finite, and now F is out. I'm sure he doesn't think he did anything wrong, even though he was complaining about the business cost of a Gi at $160 -- But hey, he couldn't care less about my costs.

This is the third time he's whined about it. I thought we had come to an understanding that business was separate from friendship, I told him he could have any of the SPS I have no problem -- But the stuff I invested in specifically to help pay for college, that is only half mine, was off limits, as these were not purchased for fun, or because we liked them. They were a business investment, purchased to make me money and help offset the cost of $800 text books -- And then the next dang morning he started up again.

I don't know how a business owner cannot understand that you can't just give **** away -- I know he wouldn't.

But hey, if that's how he wants to treat someone whose helped him with every single stage of the hobby, it's his loss. He is not capable of apologizing enough for me to forgive him for this. Three strikes is more than I give anybody.

The more you help someone, the less grateful they become.

 

[Rakie]

Anyways -- onto more pressing topics...

I'm finally getting a calcium reactor. lol

 

[Amoo]

When you own a business and have friends it's really best to try to limit the mix of those two, or at the very least set an understanding up front.

As an example, when I went to work at the body shop as a manager for a year, I would occasionally go have a drink after work with the guys, but we didn't do a TON of stuff together outside of work. There was also the ground rules set up front that work is work and outside of work is different.

Now that the wife and I own a clinic it's very much the same thing. I'm very open and honest with friends up front. Most of the people I keep as friends don't expect a discount, but we do give one to our closest friends and it's a set amount across the board. For example, my wife's parents get the same discount at the clinic as my next door neighbors (who are my best friends).

If people can or won't understand the rules of one vs the other then it's not worth your time to continue the friendship. I know that sounds harsh, but especially as a youngster it's really important to learn and keep in the back of you mind.

It's okay not to be the popular guy with lots of friends. People will eventually show you their true colors, and if a "friendship" starts to become too one sided and people start to become different than who you thought they were, don't be afraid to quietly back out of it.

 

[Janci]

Anyways -- onto more pressing topics...

I'm finally getting a calcium reactor. lol

Nice turn of events

 

[Rakie]

Nice turn of events

Very much so!

Just need to get a reactor and co2 bottle now. I'm not sure what to go with for reactors.. I was thinking the AquaMaxx Tech-C Nano, but honestly my buddy has half as many corals as me and half the size, and he's destroying all the media in two months. Because of that, I'm thinking of getting the one a size up.

But at that size, I could go with a Geo 612. It's about $100 more, not sure if it's worth it or not.

 

[leahfiish]

Thanks for the reviews on those coral foods you tried. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on the fauna marin foods. I like how they have a specific ricordia food. And I've heard people say that the LPS growth pellets are great for keeping and increasing color on their acans.
Also for the reef roids, have you tried making it into a thick paste? I know a lot of people prefer to feed it that way.

 

[Rakie]

Thanks for the reviews on those coral foods you tried. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on the fauna marin foods. I like how they have a specific ricordia food. And I've heard people say that the LPS growth pellets are great for keeping and increasing color on their acans.
Also for the reef roids, have you tried making it into a thick paste? I know a lot of people prefer to feed it that way.

Nah I haven't made polyplabs a paste yet. I've read the same just haven't tried. Acans tend to like meaty foods, they seem to do well with mysis, and the fauna Marin lps pellets. My wall hammer absolutely loves the fauna Marin pellets. The problem is it takes a very long time to eat them.. gotta turn off powerheads at least an hour.

My zoa's go nuts for polyp labs, acans eat anything that isn't sand so that's hard to judge, and my SPS seem to really like polyplabs too.

My mushrooms that won't eat polyplabs won't eat anything. I thought one of them wanted some of the fauna Marin pellets but it seems more like he was moving to get the pellets off of him

So far, all I would truly recommend is polyplabs

 

[Rakie]

Some dirty cheater "Actinic" shots, before I cut 13 frags for one of my grateful non-cheap-butt friends. You can clearly see restarting everything with new rock that was cooked for three months, and completely removing all of my existing rock and sand only allowed for a different invasive algae to take over... Such is the hobby.

So here's my bubble algae garden -_-

And a new pickup -- The most amazing Acan I have ever seen. It will never grow large enough for me to consider fragging. The vendor I bought it from even regretted selling a two head frag so much he would only sell it if he cut it in half. When a vendor doesn't even want to sell it, you know it's true name should be "Unobtanium".

The Patchwork acan. The only sky-blue acan I've ever seen, with a legit 4-tone rainbow center.

Everytime I post something really unique I get PM's. Don't ask, you can't get this from me for any amount of money, or any trade. It's only the second acan I've ever loved, besides my pink hero;

I finally have two acans worth having.

 

[Rakie]

So just adjusted my doser again. After turning up the whites/greens/reds my alk consumption is now at 160mL/day.

 

[Katrina71]

Beautiful acan! Can you get a pic from the top?

 

[Rakie]

Beautiful acan! Can you get a pic from the top?

Yeah, I will. Just need to pull out the ole diy porthole. The thing looks like a hot mess but dang if it doesn't do what it's supposed to.

 

[Katrina71]

No judgement on a DIY. If it works, it works.

 

[Rakie]

No judgement on a DIY. If it works, it works.

Don't get me wrong, it's so horrible looking it's almost endearing. I definitely enjoy it, the worse it looks the more character it has. I had a photography geek over at my house to buy a coral pack once and he loved my pictures, in his own words he wanted me "to tell him everything I'm doing, and don't be afraid to get nerdy with the details". He was pretty surprised when I told him I barely did anything and used a 12 year old point and shoot. camera.

Avast makes a really nice one of these, called the Port Hole. I call mine the CrapHole. PVC tube, poorly cut acrylic octagon because circles are hard to make with a table saw.. Some glue, and a few drilled holes so I can zip tie it onto my camera.

There's no two ways about it, this little thing is one ugly *******.

But it lets me get pics like this easily, so I love the dumb thing

 

[Katrina71]

It looks cool. Kinda genius really. It clearly does it's job+

 

[Flippers4pups]

Congratulations on reef tank 365! Well deserved!

 

[joseserrano]

You going to do the reef hd tabs to treat the bubble algae?

 

[Rakie]

Thank you @Flippers4pups !

You going to do the reef hd tabs to treat the bubble algae?

I'm not sure.. I've tried stuff like that before, and it works but then something different takes over... Thats how I ended up with bubble algae after treating bryopsis, and bryopsis after treating dinos. lol.

 

[WallyB]

There's no two ways about it, this little thing is one ugly *******

I actually like the Look of your Portal

Kind of like one of those Deep Sea Diving Robot Subs.

Why the Cap thingy for? Accesss to something?

Mine is a square box (which is good for looking around), but I like your idea of round and going over my DSLR lense to free up my hand more.

 

[Rakie]

I actually like the Look of your Portal

Kind of like one of those Deep Sea Diving Robot Subs.

Why the Cap thingy for? Accesss to something?

Mine is a square box (which is good for looking around), but I like your idea of round and going over my DSLR lense give me a free hand.

So the best sized tube was a T fitting. It's like 2" tube with a 3/4" Tee LOL, so yeah, just closed the tee. The price was right so I said who cares.

 

[WallyB]

Some dirty cheater "Actinic" shots, before I cut 13 frags for one of my grateful non-cheap-*** friends. You can clearly see restarting everything with new rock that was cooked for three months, and completely removing all of my existing rock and sand only allowed for a different invasive algae to take over... Such is the hobby.

So here's my bubble algae garden -_-

Whoa!!! When did the the BUBBLE start? I've never seen that much coverage. At first glance I thought it was the texture of rocks or just dark bubbly plastic structure.

I would suggest an Emerald Crab for Bubble Algae, but that looks like some plucking needs to be done first.

I always have this memory. Probably 25 years ago when I was starting my first Salt Tank.
In a store there was a Tank with a rock, with a Large Bubble Algae on it.
One big bubble the size of a Golf Ball. It was green, shiny, and perfectly round.
"I asked how much?"