TheWB’s IM Lagoon 50

[TheWB]

Such a shame about the macro, I bet it the vibrant. Strange it doesn't seem to be affecting the Ulva as much. When used it, it killed my chaeto. What are you plans once the algae is finally completely gone, are you going to continue using the vibrant with just the maintenance dose of bi-monthly or monthly?

I think I will continue to use Vibrant at a minimal dose and see how it goes. If I can get more macro going maybe I won’t need it. The Tang has decided to start eating both mysis and flakes in much greater amounts over the last 3-4 days so I’m feeling better about having less algae in the tank. Next thing for it is to train on the nori clip. So far he hasn’t gone anywhere near it but will nip at nori if it’s free floating. That doesn’t last long until it ends up in the overflow grill or on a wave maker.
The rest of the fish are all doing well and the corals are in decent shape so I’m going back into slowdown mode and concentrating on getting parameters to stay stable. I’m a lazy tester so that’s going to involve upping my game in that area.

 

[TheWB]

For the first time ever I was able to evoke a feeding response from the Favia. It didn’t put out any tentacles but it puffed up when the food was squirted overhead. First 2 pics are when it was puffed up, 3rd and 4th are back to normal.

The Acan almost always is begging for food.

These are probably the best pics of the Zoas I’ve taken so far. Just an iPhone 8 Plus with no filters so usually they come out pretty blue. These seem to be a little better focused than I usually get.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Hey thats awesome about the favia eating, sometimes they just need to be trained. Your pictures are really improving, you got some really good shots dude. Especially for a cell phone, get yourself a $20 filter and it will take out a lot of the blue but still make the colors pop.

 

[TheWB]

Hey thats awesome about the favia eating, sometimes they just need to be trained. Your pictures are really improving, you got some really good shots dude. Especially for a cell phone, get yourself a $20 filter and it will take out a lot of the blue but still make the colors pop.

Thanks Rob, my pics are nowhere near as good as yours are but I was pretty happy with these. I’ve been meaning to order a filter and just have not got around to it yet.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Thanks Rob, my pics are nowhere near as good as yours are but I was pretty happy with these. I’ve been meaning to order a filter and just have not got around to it yet.

Its just the camera thats all, the one I have makes it really easy, trust me not much skill involved lol

 

[TheWB]

Today I ordered a battery backup, some Nopox, and some cyanoacrylate glue for a new project. The battery backup was long overdue, the Nopox will be added very lightly to see if I can start reducing nitrates a little better and if my skimmer can handle it. I’m going to be glueing a bunch of rock to a new platform I’m creating that will go up against the back wall. It will create more space for the Tang to hide if it wants to while opening up the back wall to more flow. I’m also going to raise the right island up another inch so the Tang has better access. When it was constructed I wasn’t planning on housing a Tang.

I’m also considering changing my light. There isn’t anything wrong with the Radion XR15Pro Gen 4 except that it doesnt cover the tank very evenly. It’s dead center of a 30” x 20” display area. I didn’t think I would care because I’m not doing any sps. However, I’ve noticed that the Zoas which are directly underneath the light have a very small footprint. There are 6 big polyps and a couple of small ones trying to peek through but the big ones are shading them out. I believe this is because the light is only coming from one direction and the colony is growing/stretching up instead of out if that makes sense. It’s not spreading out because there isn’t any other source of light to grow towards. Seems plausible to me but then again, it’s also possible I’ve got no idea what I’m talking about

I don’t really want to spend another $600 on a second Radion with a mounting arm and a diffuser and I’d have a difficult time making the mount fit with all the other things in my back chambers. So that leaves selling the Radion and going with another option. So far I’ve thought about 3 different lights. The Reefbreeders Photon 24 V2 seems interesting for $399. I’d get 24“ of coverage and people really seem to like them. Slightly worried about a disco ball effect with the LEDs spread out like they are but I don’t see too many people complaining. Second idea is a pair of AI Prime 16’s. This would cost a little more but the mounts would fit better and the lights could be spaced more evenly apart than I could with the Radion. This would cost the most but it’s not bad. Lastly I was thinking about the Current USA icPro 24” model. This would be two lights for only $251 but they are by far the weakest option. Since I’m only doing softies and lps and the tank is only 16 inches deep from rim to bottom glass I’m not sure it would be a big deal to “downsize” power in exchange for more even coverage. There are people on this forum who love them. These lights sit right on top of the screen top so no mounting brackets are needed although they do have some if I wanted to get them up a little higher. I have the Bluetooth controller for these lights because I’m running Current USA return and flow pumps already, the lights would just plug right in to the controller and I’d be good to go.

So that’s my thought process right now. I have no timetable to make a change and may end up not changing at all. Basically I was just looking at the tank today and wondering if I could be doing better with a different setup and started spitballing ideas. Probably fueled by the constant desire to tinker. I’ll likely get over it while I’m messing with the new parts of the scape.

 

[Pauliex77x]

Have you considered T5's? If you DIY a hood you could add a pair or two of the t5 retrofit kits for 100$ to 200$ depending on how many bulbs you want. There are also fixture options on amazon that are 25-35$ each that would work. BRS also has the hybrid solutions from Gieseman and aquatic life that would work with your radion. That would give you plenty of light and coverage for pretty much anything. I know you said you dont plan on keeping sps but if you've already spent alot of money on a radion making a lateral move imo to an orbit or some ai primes seems like a waste to me. Spend the money on an upgrade so that down the road if you do change your mind on sps you dont have to completely retool your lighting setup for a third time. Plus T5's are tried and true. Just my 2cents anyway.

 

[TheWB]

Have you considered T5's? If you DIY a hood you could add a pair or two of the t5 retrofit kits for 100$ to 200$ depending on how many bulbs you want. There are also fixture options on amazon that are 25-35$ each that would work. BRS also has the hybrid solutions from Gieseman and aquatic life that would work with your radion. That would give you plenty of light and coverage for pretty much anything. I know you said you dont plan on keeping sps but if you've already spent alot of money on a radion making a lateral move imo to an orbit or some ai primes seems like a waste to me. Spend the money on an upgrade so that down the road if you do change your mind on sps you dont have to completely retool your lighting setup for a third time. Plus T5's are tried and true. Just my 2cents anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion. T5’s are not an option because I don’t want to do the things that would be necessary to have them. Doing a diy hood or hanging something from the ceiling is not an option because of location and aesthetics. I have been thinking about doing something like the acrylic surround in this thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/variants-shallow-reef.575397/page-3
but in black and taller, to replace the ghetto looking shade I made for the Radion but that wouldn’t let me mount more lights and it would be more difficult to take it on and off. I suppose if I was able to hide the fixture better I could maybe hang an led strip light off of the Radion fixture. It would look awful but with the acrylic surround that wouldn’t matter. I’ll figure it out eventually, right now I’m just thinking out loud. Appreciate your help and input. It always helps to have more perspectives.

 

[TheWB]

So I made a stop at the coral store on Tuesday. Had some leftover Xmas cash in my wallet and I decided to stop in and see what they had. I’ve been wanting a rainbow Acan and this particular shop usually has a nice selection of Acans and lps in general. The first three coral frags I bought came from there and all three have done reasonably well in my tank. Ended up with a rainbow Acan, a Blastomussa Merletti and a really nice Frogspawn.

Apologies as usual for the blue pics. I’ve got a camera phone clip on filter arriving in the next couple of days so hopefully that helps out my photography skills. First three pics are right after a dip in coral revive and then placement.

Next three pics are the next day and all have opened up and look more or less normal.

I went in looking for the Acan but I gotta say the Frogspawn is my new favorite. I didn’t realize how much I was missing coral with some motion to it. I’m looking forward to watching these grow.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Today I ordered a battery backup, some Nopox, and some cyanoacrylate glue for a new project. The battery backup was long overdue, the Nopox will be added very lightly to see if I can start reducing nitrates a little better and if my skimmer can handle it. I’m going to be glueing a bunch of rock to a new platform I’m creating that will go up against the back wall. It will create more space for the Tang to hide if it wants to while opening up the back wall to more flow. I’m also going to raise the right island up another inch so the Tang has better access. When it was constructed I wasn’t planning on housing a Tang.

I’m also considering changing my light. There isn’t anything wrong with the Radion XR15Pro Gen 4 except that it doesnt cover the tank very evenly. It’s dead center of a 30” x 20” display area. I didn’t think I would care because I’m not doing any sps. However, I’ve noticed that the Zoas which are directly underneath the light have a very small footprint. There are 6 big polyps and a couple of small ones trying to peek through but the big ones are shading them out. I believe this is because the light is only coming from one direction and the colony is growing/stretching up instead of out if that makes sense. It’s not spreading out because there isn’t any other source of light to grow towards. Seems plausible to me but then again, it’s also possible I’ve got no idea what I’m talking about

I don’t really want to spend another $600 on a second Radion with a mounting arm and a diffuser and I’d have a difficult time making the mount fit with all the other things in my back chambers. So that leaves selling the Radion and going with another option. So far I’ve thought about 3 different lights. The Reefbreeders Photon 24 V2 seems interesting for $399. I’d get 24“ of coverage and people really seem to like them. Slightly worried about a disco ball effect with the LEDs spread out like they are but I don’t see too many people complaining. Second idea is a pair of AI Prime 16’s. This would cost a little more but the mounts would fit better and the lights could be spaced more evenly apart than I could with the Radion. This would cost the most but it’s not bad. Lastly I was thinking about the Current USA icPro 24” model. This would be two lights for only $251 but they are by far the weakest option. Since I’m only doing softies and lps and the tank is only 16 inches deep from rim to bottom glass I’m not sure it would be a big deal to “downsize” power in exchange for more even coverage. There are people on this forum who love them. These lights sit right on top of the screen top so no mounting brackets are needed although they do have some if I wanted to get them up a little higher. I have the Bluetooth controller for these lights because I’m running Current USA return and flow pumps already, the lights would just plug right in to the controller and I’d be good to go.

So that’s my thought process right now. I have no timetable to make a change and may end up not changing at all. Basically I was just looking at the tank today and wondering if I could be doing better with a different setup and started spitballing ideas. Probably fueled by the constant desire to tinker. I’ll likely get over it while I’m messing with the new parts of the scape.

Sounds like you have a lot of changes planned. I hope the nopox works well for you and you get the scape how you like it.

I think that’s a wise move changing your lighting to get more coverage. It would be nice getting another xr15, but like you said pricey. If it was me I would go with two primes.

Are you planning on eventually doing sps? The primes would probably work for easy stuff like montis, bird nest, digis but likely not enough for acros.

I hear the new prime 16s are nice but some people report the fan is kinda loud. If that would bother you, you could probably pick up some prime HDs pretty cheap used. I just got two with mounts and diffusers for $300 that I will use for backups and swaps.

Another option might be those Noopsyke led lights or what ever they are called. They are cheaper and I’m sure with two you would have more light then you would ever need. I’ll heard really good things about them other then the controller is kinda a pain. I would check out some of the threads on here if you are interested.

Really like the new corals man. That acan is sweet, I hope they do really well for you.

 

[TheWB]

Sounds like you have a lot of changes planned. I hope the nopox works well for you and you get the scape how you like it.

I think that’s a wise move changing your lighting to get more coverage. It would be nice getting another xr15, but like you said pricey. If it was me I would go with two primes.

Are you planning on eventually doing sps? The primes would probably work for easy stuff like montis, bird nest, digis but likely not enough for acros.

I hear the new prime 16s are nice but some people report the fan is kinda loud. If that would bother you, you could probably pick up some prime HDs pretty cheap used. I just got two with mounts and diffusers for $300 that I will use for backups and swaps.

Another option might be those Noopsyke led lights or what ever they are called. They are cheaper and I’m sure with two you would have more light then you would ever need. I’ll heard really good things about them other then the controller is kinda a pain. I would check out some of the threads on here if you are interested.

Really like the new corals man. That acan is sweet, I hope they do really well for you.

That Acan is pretty sweet, although fairly pedestrian by your ultra high end collecting standards . Every time I see you post pics of a new haul I’m totally jealous.

I don’t know that it’s a lot of changes but there’s definitely some stuff that may happen. Nopox just arrived today. Just got home a little while ago so I haven’t touched it yet. I’m hoping it will help bring down the Nitrates but I think that’s going to depend on how well the skimmer can perform. We shall see.

Another XR15 would be the best solution but there really isn’t a way to make it go where I need it to go without major changes to how I support them and it would also mean changing the screen top. I’m not very motivated to do that. And besides, now that I’ve seen the new Gen 5 Radion I really have to have that instead, right? I will end up doing nothing and rolling with what I have until I get a little too much spare cash and then I’ll get a Gen 5 XR30. What’s another $1000.00 for a light, mount and diffuser

I don’t have any plans for SPS and I don’t see that changing anytime soon but who knows. I seem to make spur of the moment decisions when I buy coral. Probably not so smart to continue to do that. Right now I’m enjoying the few corals I’ve collected and my fish. The next big thing will likely be an anemone for the clowns. I want a rose bubble tip but I don’t particularly want to pay $200 for a tank raised specimen and that’s what they seem to be going for around here.

I believe my filter set for the camera phone is in one of the boxes I received today so I’m going to go unpack that now. Maybe I’ll have some better pics of the tank later tonight.

 

[TheWB]

Took a few pics with the new Icecap yellow and orange filters on my iPhone. These are still under the blue lighting and are a much better representation of what I actually see except for the Zoas. They are washed out because they’re directly under the light. I have no idea how to adjust exposure on the phone camera or if that’s even possible. I have not used the macro lens attachment yet, probably try that out tomorrow.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Looking really good, those little filters make all the difference world.

 

[TheWB]

Here’s a couple of Macro shots with the new lens and a yellow filter.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Here’s a couple of Macro shots with the new lens and a yellow filter.

Looking sharp! Does that acan have some yellow in it? Tip, play around with the different spectrum settings on your light to see what works best with your particular filter.

 

[TheWB]

Looking sharp! Does that acan have some yellow in it? Tip, play around with the different spectrum settings on your light to see what works best with your particular filter.

It is yellow, or at least yellowish. I’ll try to get a better picture of it with the filters. I might have to move it because the part I’ve been getting pictures of is near the front glass and slightly shaded.

 

[TheWB]

Silly clownfish is trying to turn my Zoas into an anemone.

Usually you can’t see the stalks or the smaller polyps because the bigger ones cover them up. The clown has been snuggling there in between so the z’s are just going every which way now. I guess this is a cry for an anemone to arrive soon.

 

[intricate_reefer]

So cute and great picture, zoas seem to be growing well! A nem would be a sweet addition, I remember you saying you want to a rase bubble tip. How are the new frags settling in and did you start with the NoPox yet?

 

[TheWB]

So cute and great picture, zoas seem to be growing well! A nem would be a sweet addition, I remember you saying you want to a rase bubble tip. How are the new frags settling in and did you start with the NoPox yet?

I was actually looking at a tank raised black widow at the lfs yesterday but $150 isn’t in the fish tank budget right now. Frags are settling in ok I believe. They all got a feeding to mixed results. The blasto ate, the Acan probably ate and I have no idea if the Frogspawn got a meal. It was a targeted broadcast of small particulate food and the Frogspawn probably wants something bigger. The Nopox has been dosed daily for a few days now. I’ll be testing again tomorrow and I’m hoping Nitrate will be below 25. Everything looks pretty good so I’m not trying to do any big changes but I’d like to get the N down below or around 10. Hopefully the green cyano goes away as the nutrients drop to more normal reef parameters. Water change on Sunday should help. I may do 9 gallons instead of 4.5.
Picked up some LRS Nano frozen food today, going to feed with that now and see how the fish like it. They’ve only had mysis or brine as far as frozen food goes. This should be better.

 

[TheWB]

Seems like lately as soon as I complain about something with the tank it fixes itself. The Zoas that were only stretching straight up have now separated a little which is allowing some of the smaller polyps to grow that were shaded. Possibly this is because of the male clown who has decided to move in to the Zoas as if they were an anemone. Whatever is happening there has been a spurt of new growth with the z’s. Vibrant has done a great job of clearing out the hair algae breakout I was having. However, since the algae went away there isn’t much for the Tang to forage on. Until today he wouldn’t go anywhere near the nori clip let alone eat anything attached to it. It’s been kind of frustrating watching him ignore the clip. But today that changed and the Tang just started digging into the nori in the clip. Maybe he just had to get hungry enough? So now that that stuff seems to be fixed I will now complain about the green cyano I’ve had since the other algae was starved out by the Vibrant. Based on how things are going it should be gone in a couple of days . If that actually happens my next complaint will be about how I have not yet won the lottery. Cuz that’ll work, right?