Sierra Bravo

Your link does not work for me to read the theory, but fourdrachma is dead-on in his summation that the specific bacteria a sulfur denitrator uses requires the exhaustion of oxygen for the bacteria to switch to nitrates in order to continue to oxidize sulfur.  The flow through rate is only 1-3 drops per second, and generally takes months to get your nitrates down.  If your drip rate is too high, not enough nitrates will be processed.  Too slow, and they consume too much sulfur.   I'm not sure that a passive bag of sulfur will create the same effect.  Nice thing is once you get everything balanced it takes care of itself and is almost maintenance free.

For what it's worth, I've been running one for 9 months or so and could not be happier with the results.

It's a sad day in the Austin reef community.  "So long - been nice 'growing' you."

Received in email this morning:

47 minutes ago, Dogfish said:

Hate to see your gas bill

That makes two of us.  😂

Been having a hard time controlling my alk, nitrates, and phosphates last month or two. This has lead to browning out, burnt tips on a few of the deepwater acros, and overall dull color.   Even though I should be trying to get things back to normal first, I could not pass up a great deal on a monster of a calcium reactor. Hooked it up last night and this morning. SRO CR5000D calc reactor, CarbonDoser regulator, and a ReefFanatic controller. The reactor is rated for 1000 gallons - it will probably be two years before I have to add media. I had to place it in an adjoining room and run the lines through the wall.

Conditions looked perfect; photography is incredible. 

You are living a good life, sir.  Congrats.

Made my own screen tops since my plumbing prevents me from using manufactured and custom tops are ridiculously priced. I made them a little different than what we typically see with the available kits. I thought they came out pretty well.

Here's a pic of it colored up from the person who gave it to me:

Best of luck with your move to CA.  

Couple more pics from this morning.  Man these things grow so much faster than sticks.  🙂

4 hours ago, mhart032 said:

If its Chips you will know once it settles in and see if it gets really shaggy from the polyp extension. If memory serves me right. I had some of it in the past, but mine was more green, but could have been water quality or lighting ( had it under Phoenix 14k mhs) bringing out the greens more. 

I've got Chips also and it is different.  I'll try to get a colony shot from the original owner.

3 minutes ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said:

When you get home from a week in Wyoming and your CO2 cylinder is bled dry and your alk dropped from 8.3 to 5.2, you use what CO2 you have until you can swap out the 20lb cylinder

With all the crap you come home to after your trips, you should market your corals as "Travel Tested®"  😋

If anything it reminds me a bit of ORA Chips, but that has a different growth structure and polyp color.

5 minutes ago, takoattack said:

I’m no expert but it looks a little like ORA Borealis, which is commonly traded in austin.


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Not Borealis - I have that one compliments of @FarmerTy

Thought I'd share some pics of my office mantis/zoa tank I've been working on and mentioned in my main build thread.  I haven't seen the mantis for a few weeks now and suspect he's molting. I have confirmed he's there and alive; I can see his swimmerets moving when I peek between the rocks. As far as the corals, everything appears healthy. The blasto is full, the zoas are producing new heads, and my hammer, which for a while I thought wasn't going to make it, seems to be doing better.   All in all I'm pleased with how it is coming out.

1 hour ago, WantToReef512 said:

Hi Sierra,

 

Would I be able to enlist your help on this? I actually tried to call up the Vet here, but they aren't available until Monday and I fear that will be too late. Everything I've read and seen pretty say if this isn't done the fish is likely done for.

He is in a QT right now (I QT all my fish). I have metro/kanaplex/sulfaplex/neoplex/acraflaven on hand.

I have all the tools to do this except for the needle. I'm having a hard time procuring a 30 gauge needle. Hopefully I can get on at WalGreen.

Please let me know if you can help. I think a second eye on this would be extremely valuable, especially knowing you have had to do this 3 times. The fish is fairly small (around 2"). It's a Yellow Coris Wrasse.

I'd be happy to help, but I'm in San Antonio and about to leave on a business trip.  I wouldn't be able to get to Austin until 4-20.  I'll PM you my phone number and you are more than welcome to call and ask questions.

I've done it twice with anthias and used the video above for guidance.  I had three fish I needed to vent.  I was successful with two of them, and they are healthy and healthy today.  The third I did not pull sufficient gas out of the bladder and had to repeat the procedure.  That fish developed an infection at the site of puncture and didn't make it.

Tips: 

• Make sure the fish is well illuminated from below.  I used a glass casserole with a cheap LED puck underneath.  I placed a piece of tape to block the light at the head of the fish because I felt it was too bright for its eyes. 
• Get the smallest diameter needle you can.  I bought an insulin syringe from Walgreens Rx. 
• Enlist a second set of hands to hold the fish while you do the venting.  You need to withdraw the gas slowly and this takes a steady hand.
• Have a QT tank set up in advance to receive the fish.  It's not going to like the procedure very much and needs peace to recover. 
• Don't skip the sanitizing procedure or iodine. Would not hurt to put the fish through metroplex/kanaplex while in the QT as well.
• If you have a healthy one, examine it under the light first to see what size you are aiming to get the bladder down to.

I hated having to try it for fear of killing the fish but resolved myself that if I didn't it wasn't going to make it long term anyway.

You're not limited to the OEM tank brackets, are you?  Why not make your own hanger and suspend either from the wall or ceiling?  There are a lot of really nice, professional-looking light suspension ideas out there.

You have a wide shot of the tank and area it will live in?

Does anyone know how to get in touch with the two guys that were listed as Obsessive Coral Desires?  I found an Instagram account only.

Welcome to ARC!  Looking forward to seeing your build come together.

Ty's Ectoplasm.  I really like this one.  Fast grower and a nice shade of color.  To the upper left of it partially out of view is a Pink Caddy that's going to be a stunner also.