Solbby's tank.

[jackson6745]

Really looks great Shaun! Can your please list your maintence for this tank?

 

[ShaunW]

Really looks great Shaun! Can your please list your maintenance for this tank?

Thanks Rich!

I really don't do much these days, just sitting back and watching it grow. Maybe the newest problem is that the SPS are beginning to fight with each other as they grow together.

Maintenance:
Water changes once a month - 40 gallon change or 1/3 water volume.
ESV Bi-ionic & two part dosing using an aquamedic doser (I switch back and forth).
Addition of L-aspartic acid to the top off water which is dosed slowly using the aquamedic doser (I'm sure this will spark your attention).
Feeding flake food three times a week; cylopeeze and freeze dried phyto twice a week during the dark period of the tank (max polyp extension).
Strict policy of no additions of corals/fish without QT. This has keep me from going back wards via pest addition.

 

[spykes]

so uhm shaun im gettin me some of that huh?

 

[jhale]

I worked on getting the color neutral for Shaun so the colors look like they do in person.

 

[ShaunW]

so uhm shaun im gettin me some of that huh?

Of course, :shhh: . You better stock up on glue.

 

[jhale]

Strict policy of no additions of corals/fish without QT. This has keep me from going back wards via pest addition.

something we all should be doing :happysad:

of all the AA's how did you settle on L-aspartic acid to dose ?

 

[ShaunW]

I worked on getting the color neutral for Shaun so the colors look like they do in person.

Looks closer Jon, thanks (can you make the image bigger?). My camera sucks, I just can't get the images that you can.

 

[ShaunW]

something we all should be doing :happysad:

of all the AA's how did you settle on L-aspartic acid to dose ?

It is the number one component of the tissue matrix of SPS. It also is one of the few AA that is unable to be made via photosynthesis in SPS corals. Providing it fills in the gap.

I have notice a major color shift from dosing it, much more colorful corals and many more growth tips occurring. It is all anecdotal however. It is EXTREMELY important to get the dose right, since too much will cause the opposite effect, i.e. brown corals and lack of growth. Additionally it stimulates all the single cell organisms within the tank, algae and bacteria alike, so my gut feeling is that P needs to be seriously controlled.

 

[Vic8361]

tank looks great Shaun. Would love to see it again in person some day.

Vic

 

[jhale]

your camera is fine, you just need photoshop to color correct the images
the camera's white balance can't deal with the different color temp's coming from the bilb the way our eyes can.

I still have not figured out why I can't get the photo larger
I'll ask Josh.

 

[jhale]

You did not mention a P reactor in your maintenance.
When was the last time you tested for it?
Adding a reactor could be beneficial to the tank.
What levels do you keep the Ca,alk, and Mg at?
If you know, what are the P and No3 levels?
At this point are you aiming for color over growth?

 

[Omega]

Very Impressive. Beautiful tank solbby.

 

[ShaunW]

tank looks great Shaun. Would love to see it again in person some day.

Vic

Thanks Vic.

Very Impressive. Beautiful tank solbby.

Thanks!

You did not mention a P reactor in your maintenance.
When was the last time you tested for it?
Adding a reactor could be beneficial to the tank.
What levels do you keep the Ca,alk, and Mg at?
If you know, what are the P and No3 levels?
At this point are you aiming for color over growth?

I don't have a P reactor, but I almost pulled the trigger on one yesterday, :lol: . I do run Phosban, but just have it in a bag in the sump. Dave took my P test kit so I haven't tested P in a long time, however the kit isn't an accurate one anyway.

Ca-450, Alk-12, Mg-1400, P-unknown, Nitrate-undetectable (I have never had a postive nitrate reading). The reason I mention controling P is that before using L-aspartic acid I would clean the glass on my tank every two weeks. Algae growth would never be bad such that you couldn't see through. But, since dosing L-aspartic acid I need to clean my glass twice a week. The build up of green algae is much greater than before, so to control this and still keep adding the AA my gut feeling is to get P limited more than it is in my tank at the moment. This would then limit the algae, or just get more snails, :scratch: .

 

[jhale]

ged rid of the P, more snails will just add more poo, increasing the P, then algae, then having to get more snails :lol:

I may be stocking up on ROWAphos for the same purpose.

 

[danny]

solbby 120

Hi! Solbby:

Since you almost threw in the towel last year, I guess the purple tip & green pollup acro did not make it. I am always lurking around the site because it is hard to stay away from this hobby. I am thinking of starting a 12 gallon nano. lightly stocked with soft corals should have alot less maintenance than my 120 was. The tank really looks great.

:givebeer:


Danny

 

[ShaunW]

Hi! Solbby:

Since you almost threw in the towel last year, I guess the purple tip & green pollup acro did not make it. I am always lurking around the site because it is hard to stay away from this hobby. I am thinking of starting a 12 gallon nano. lightly stocked with soft corals should have alot less maintenance than my 120 was. The tank really looks great.

:givebeer:


Danny

Hi Danny! THANKS! Glad to see you still around and thinking about getting another tank.

That coral didn't make it I am sorry to say, . But I do have one very similar now, purple tip, green coralite, green polyps. Sorry for losing it, still makes me sad to think about it.

 

[jhale]

shaun, I'm also curious if you see a difference between the 2-part and the b-ionic, how often do you change between the two?

 

[ShaunW]

shaun, I'm also curious if you see a difference between the 2-part and the b-ionic, how often do you change between the two?

Lately (past two months) I have been only using B-ionic, :shhh: . But my tank is sucking it up, and it is getting expensive since I am using up approximately 1 gallon of each part/month.

I also think that my remote DSB is kicking in, :Up_to_som .

 

[rickytsui]

shaun how much sand do u have ? and also by adding the remote sand bed was the ca and alk usage went up?

 

[ScottK]

Nice stuff, Shaun! How big is your remote DSB (ie what size tank) and how do you have it plumbed?