14gal Nano Reef Build

[Discus-n00b]

You must be creepin or read my mind Ricardo because I have the camera on the tripod in front of the tank as we speak. Going to eat and after that snap some photos. Not to much has changed really, you might be able to see a little bit of growth. I've beaten the brown algae though!

[rickztahone]

I'm right outside your window! lol

[Discus-n00b]

Plot twist, changed my modem the other day so lost remote connection to my SW tank lights. Still run on schedule but I can't update or control them until I find a USB to USB cable. So in the middle of taking pictures my lights are on the downward slope to night mode and I can't change it. Might be a day or so before I can get the photos and get them up lol. I do plan on shooting some Tropheus FTS tonight though.

[Discus-n00b]

Only one I could manage before the lights started going. Tell you what though, I STRUGGLE taking good pics of Saltwater. MAN it's tough for me. I don't know if it's the spectrum of the blue LEDs or what but it's rough getting a FTS. And I don't exactly know how to post process them fully saltwater wise. My blue corals look totally washed out, can't capture greens correctly....ugh I need some work lol.

[rickztahone]

See, now don't call me old, or old fashion, but tell me you don't miss it when all you had to do was hit a switch for the lights to come off and on? lol. Love the Apex and all the bells and whistles, but I also like practicality.

With all that said, the one shot you managed to get is a very nice one. I know what you mean about the colors but keep in mind, the sensors of our cameras are no where near our human eyes. Some things are just meant to be appreciated personally .

Good growth going on for sure though. Your frag rack looks way more full than before.

[Discus-n00b]

Well my lights are running on Ecotech's wireless Reeflink. Problem is I don't have a USB cord to hook it up to the computer to change the wireless connection it piggy backs off of lol. When I don't have to change modems because of AT&T's failure to provide the correct service it's excellent and at any time I can use my phone or a switch to do that! I can also log into ecotech's support site and go to any point in my program which is what I usually do to take pictures, the high noon effect usually. I need to practice more though SW wise. Gotta get the colors down. May have to stack for this.

Thanks. Yeah I need to clear the frag rack, I keep saying that but never do. I have 1-3 frags up there that I would have no problem selling or trading right this minute and then 6-7 others that I want to keep but really have no real space for on the rock at the moment lol so it's a tricky situation. I either need a tank upgrade or to limit my frags. I would like to lean towards the upgrade haha.

[rickztahone]

Well my lights are running on Ecotech's wireless Reeflink. Problem is I don't have a USB cord to hook it up to the computer to change the wireless connection it piggy backs off of lol. When I don't have to change modems because of AT&T's failure to provide the correct service it's excellent and at any time I can use my phone or a switch to do that! I can also log into ecotech's support site and go to any point in my program which is what I usually do to take pictures, the high noon effect usually. I need to practice more though SW wise. Gotta get the colors down. May have to stack for this.

Thanks. Yeah I need to clear the frag rack, I keep saying that but never do. I have 1-3 frags up there that I would have no problem selling or trading right this minute and then 6-7 others that I want to keep but really have no real space for on the rock at the moment lol so it's a tricky situation. I either need a tank upgrade or to limit my frags. I would like to lean towards the upgrade haha.

what?!? That is a real surprise! A person with a smaller tank wants to upgrade to a larger, more expensive tank?!? lol. Kidding aside, I tihnk you should keep the frags for when you do get the larger tank. You will have a great start up.

[Second Hand Pat]

Those frags are so addicting...just like every else wet.
Pat

[Discus-n00b]

Here is your update Ricardo! I hadn't done a WC for close to a month. Did one in October, then the SC flooding happened delaying my next one due to boil water advisories and such that I didn't want to risk, and I finally got around to it. Should start to see more growth now. First picture is blurry, I need to get a new one but you can get an idea. I glued a few more frags to the rocks but am running out of room to allow growing space. Shame, guess I need to hurry up and move and get a bigger tank!

It's getting to the point where I'm going to have to trim the green slimer, this thing is massive in a 15gal.





Retina Blaster, broken tip from the water change yesterday. Hawkins Blue to it's right, hard to capture the nice blue color of this one.


Top down of a nice growing Tenuis. Small idaho grape frag top left, strawberry something or other from CC bottem left, Needle in a Haystack from CC bottom, and a milli right above it.


Top down shot of the right side. Love that Crayola Plana. Cali tort up top and a Purple Plasma directly to it's left. Some kind of deepwater aussie something or other like Needle in a hatstack top right, and a nice sunset/sunrise milli below.


Here is a side shot of the Crayola Plana

[rickztahone]

Absolutely stunning. That purple plasma must be super nice in real life. The color seems hard to capture. In your first pic, what is the one at the bottom right on its own?

The green slimer really stands out here. These are SPS's?

[Second Hand Pat]

Matt, this little tank and the corals etc look actually fabulous. You have me yearning for a marine tank.
Pat

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks!

Ricardo, the blues and purples are always real tough to capture. These are all SPS except the polyps on the rocks and the stuff sitting on the bottom of the tank. The coral you are referring to is an LPS, i've been told it was a "branching Lobo" (Lobophyllia) a type of brain....but I'm honestly not 100% on it. I got if for $1 in an online live sale lol. Think it looks pretty good on the bottom. It's made consider getting a few other things for the bottom of the tank.

[rickztahone]

Thanks!

Ricardo, the blues and purples are always real tough to capture. These are all SPS except the polyps on the rocks and the stuff sitting on the bottom of the tank. The coral you are referring to is an LPS, i've been told it was a "branching Lobo" (Lobophyllia) a type of brain....but I'm honestly not 100% on it. I got if for $1 in an online live sale lol. Think it looks pretty good on the bottom. It's made consider getting a few other things for the bottom of the tank.

$1?!? that is crazy. I'd buy a few more at that price. What type of auction is it? Thanks for the clarification of the SPS vs LPS. I still have not gotten down what is what, but I am starting to learn some of the names of a few. Especially and Efflo, not that I could ever afford one, or even take care of one if someone gave it to me, lol. It is weird to think that I didn't find an appreciation for these type of tanks before actually researching them. It is quite the transition, and I can see how so many people spend so much time/money on them.

[Discus-n00b]

Oh you can get frags for less than Discus!

A live sale. Its a new way for merchants to sell goods online. These coral retailers will be based on a forum much like our sponsors here, and then they will occasionally host a live sale running from like 1pm-1am or something crazy like that. Every 30mins or however often they feel like it during that time they post in the live sale thread a photo that links to a specific coral frag on their website. It's all WYSIWYG. If you are the first person to click it and complete checkout for that item you win it. Crazy good prices and its usually a lot of failed attempts due to the mad dash. At the end of the sale the merchant tallys up your purchases in their system and ships it as a whole to you. They usually sell a "shipping module" flat rate type of deal on their site after the live sale, so you just buy one of those and boom...all of your live sale purchases at once! It's a lot of fun. Very tiresome but crazy deals if you are fast enough with a mouse. I usually have my CC info saved or copied to make checkout faster Most of these i've seen go on over at Reef2Reef.

The other green brain on the bottom of the tank came on a piece of live rock. I selected the piece specifically for the brain attached to it LOL. I think the LFS missed it....my gain for inspecting it!

[rickztahone]

Oh you can get frags for less than Discus!

A live sale. Its a new way for merchants to sell goods online. These coral retailers will be based on a forum much like our sponsors here, and then they will occasionally host a live sale running from like 1pm-1am or something crazy like that. Every 30mins or however often they feel like it during that time they post in the live sale thread a photo that links to a specific coral frag on their website. It's all WYSIWYG. If you are the first person to click it and complete checkout for that item you win it. Crazy good prices and its usually a lot of failed attempts due to the mad dash. At the end of the sale the merchant tallys up your purchases in their system and ships it as a whole to you. They usually sell a "shipping module" flat rate type of deal on their site after the live sale, so you just buy one of those and boom...all of your live sale purchases at once! It's a lot of fun. Very tiresome but crazy deals if you are fast enough with a mouse. I usually have my CC info saved or copied to make checkout faster Most of these i've seen go on over at Reef2Reef.

The other green brain on the bottom of the tank came on a piece of live rock. I selected the piece specifically for the brain attached to it LOL. I think the LFS missed it....my gain for inspecting it!

Good ol' LFS, lol. Good score. I saw the 22g Mr. Aqua come back on sale at Marine Depot. I can't pull the trigger because a whole bunch of expenses I currently have going on, but I wish I could get it.