Mike M.

Below is a full tank shot I took with a Reeflux 20K(left half) and Aquaconnect 14K(right half) 400W lamps. Both lamps driven by a Coralvue eballast. No opinion here, I just look for comparison photos from time to time and they are hard to come by.

Mike

I totally agree with Mark...hate to do it boys, but I do think he's right. I have observed the same result with ALK swings or low or excessively high alk in my stylos and stags primarily. It seems these are more sensitive than others to the ALK thing. Get it under control and stable and all will be well. Then you just have to decide if you want to perform fragging surgery or not.

Just went through this last month in my tank due to an algae plug in my calcium reactor return line.

Put me down for an 1/8" please. Do you offer payment plans? I can afford $10 a month...

I think you should consider reducing the flow rate through your vertex reactor. I have seen similar results when the water gets over filtered by a fresh load of zeo stones. Happened to me in the last three weeks. Reduced the flow rate and even broke the day down into timed sections and a week later, all affected corals are looking better. I don't think it was the epoxy given what is going on chemistry wise in your tank. Food for thought!

Too bad. Honestly, that silly thing has made me well over $150 over the last year. Let the mother colony go to the next guy to farm. Luke is a good guy so I'm glad I could get it to him for a little next to nothing. Meanwhile, M80 ballasts....

Glad to hear yours is doing well. Like I said, this stuff is a home run!

Be sure to bring a container to take this home it. It will break into a half dozen pieces in a bag. That would be a shame!

Sale Pending to Luke!

Thanks for the quick response!

I am taking the red digi out of my tank...or I have taken it out. Big mother of a stalk sitting on my frag rack needs to go to a new tank. This was one of my first successful SPS as I made the shift towards a SPS dominant tank. This thing is huge. Come on up today for $15 and get a nice colony. Here's the pic. I am up at Anderson Mill and 183 in NW Austin, just inside 620.

Thanks,

Mike

Consider carbon dosing or biopellets to help control excess nutrients that are feeding the algae and diatom blooms.

Skimmer for sure!

Timers to control photoperiod and cut that back to minimum needed on the MH lights to sustain any invertebrates you may have would be a good first step also. This will not, however, eliminate algae until the nutrient supply is also limited...hence the recommendation to either use a carbon source and bacteria culture like MB7 or Zeo's ZeoBak in conjunction with a carbon source like Vodka or Zeo Start 2. If you go with the zeo product, use 2 drops Zeobak per day and .5mL of Start 2 daily. You MUST have a skimmer for either carbon dosing scheme. Same with biopellets. So, back to the buy a skimmer idea.

You can get this under control. I'd estimate six weeks.

Carbon in a filter bag would be a good idea also to reduce dissolved organics.

So, buy a skimmer. If you have money for timers, get those too!

Finally, remember that nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank.

Mike

I have always been pleased with the work of those red and white striped cleaner shrimp. I have always tried to keep one in the tank to clean parasites from fish and with each new addition, the ich affected fish will spend time at the shrimp's cleaning station and to date, the cleaner shrimp has always taken care of the problem. Might be worth a trip to pick one up before you nuke your tank with meds or stress the fish further with freshwater dips or other treatments.

Food for thought...

So I googled "tunze wavebox tank failures" and only found a thread where Roger V. of Tunze responded to a poster that no failures had been reported, but physics makes it a possibility. Now that was in 2005, but the fact that I couldn't pull up any reports suggest that this is a concern, but not a tremendous risk. Get you one!

I've never personally met, nor have I personally (formally you could call it) met anyone online that has had a direct linkage of a leak due to their wavebox. I have however read hundreds of reports of tanks spontaneously leaking without a wavebox within it. That's how I judge my risk, if they suddenly leak anyways who cares?

So +1 for ignoring the concern and pulling out the old credit card and adding a wavebox!

It was fun having you in Vu. Have a great week!

So I want to approach this matter from another angle... Are there numerous reports of tank failure with the condition that the tank had a wavebox installed? If there are just a handful of failures, I say go for it. I have one and liked the effect in my unbraced 120. If there are tons of reports where actual failures and not just concern of failure are out there, then maybe there is cause for concern. What have you all seen?

A. Horrida - 1 frag still available. Help me wipe the rack clean!

Yellow Millie and Tommy Knockers green millie still available as well as Red Digi, Red Monti Cap. See my two other ads.

Mike

The pleasure was mine. I enjoy having each of you out to hear what you are up to with your tanks. Take it easy on acclimation!

Mike

My pleasure, glad you are happy!

Here are directions:

Didn't realize I posted this publicly. I'll private message directions. Security concern...

I am in NW Austin, Anderson Mill/183. Available Friday-Sunday before 6:00pm. PM for appointment to pickup frag. First come first serve.

Thanks,

Mike

Neon Green Hydnophora Frags -SOLD OUT for NEW INQUIRES

Those of you with "reservations" for Warp Speed, I've got you covered. That is to say, if you have contacted me already, I've got you covered. No additional Hydnophora available as of Monday. Once again, if I have messaged with you about picking one up, there is one for you. New inquiries, I need to ask for patience. I'll be fragging it again in 8-12 weeks. Sorry...the old man has been chopped back!

This has been a fun colony. Hairy, metallic…it doesn't care what the conditions are. High light, medium or low. Flow, no flow. Just stick it somewhere and it will grow! I have a large colony that I want to frag back pretty significantly. Frags will be 2-3" fresh cut, multi branch pieces. I grew this from a less than one inch frag so it doesn't take much to get it to take off.

Red Digitata Branches-$10 Each

This is another great SPS coral to for stoney starters. Once again, grows anywhere under most any conditions. It grew for me even when my phosphates were well above the legal limit for SPS. I have one 3-4" piece mounted and need to take 2-3 more large branches off the colony. After the first is gone, the rest will be fresh cut. Velvety red and fast growing.

Warp Speed Montipora-$10 frags-SOLD OUT for NEWINQUIRES

Those of you with "reservations" for Warp Speed, I've got you covered. That is to say, if you have contacted me already, I've got you covered. No additional Warp Speed available as of Saturday. Once again, if I have messaged with you about picking one up, there is one for you. New inquiries, I need to ask for patience. I'll be fragging it again in 8-12 weeks. Sorry...the old man has been chopped back!

Mounted low in my tank, this monti doesn't demand much. Stick it on and let it go. No need for 400W MH lamps. It'll grow under most anything. I have three mounted frags and could easily chop more off if you all want it. Another great "starter" SPS.

Purple Digitata Frags-$10

Same story…monti's are great like that. My purple digi needs some massive trimming. Anticipating 3-4 good frags off this colony to take it basically down to the live rock. Fast growing, tolerant SPS.

Montipora Capricornis Frags - $10

Break'em off like potato chips. Red monti cap in the back of my tank can always be fragged. These things grow so fast that at times, I think it is annoying. I have two colonies in the back of my tank that I'd like to frag. We'll get you either a big chunk or multiple pieces for $10 to seed your tank. Put it low and let it grow. Here's photo of some of it when it lived in the front of my tank:

I am in NW Austin, Anderson Mill/183. Available Friday-Sunday before 6:00pm. PM for appointment to pickup frag. First come first serve.

Thanks,

Mike

Purple Validia Frags -SOLD OUT!

This has been an amazing colony. I bought one frag from Aquatek about two years ago and it has turned into these two colonies. Truly a fast growing and forgiving SPS with great smooth, deep purple color. Three mounted frags available and I can fresh cut probably 3 more.

A. Horrida Frags - $15 Each-1 Frag Available

Okay, take a look at this one:

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This has a light blue color or purple under actinic. Bushy morphology and another fast grower for me under 10k and 12k lamps. Moderate light position in tank and dense branching formation. Cool little surprise of a colony. Here are the frags:

I am in NW Austin, Anderson Mill/183. Available Friday-Sunday before 6:00pm. PM for appointment to pickup frag. First come first serve.

Thanks,

Mike

"Tommy Knockers" Milliepora Frags-$20 each-PRICE REDUCTION!

I fragged the Tommy Knockers 2 weeks ago and came up with these five mounted frags. This has been a furious growing millie in my tank and has gross polyps. Appears to grow with thicker branches and longer green polyps as compared to my blue, pink or yellow millie. Frags range from 1 1/2"-2". $20 each

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M2 Rose Milliepora-$20 each-SOLD OUT!

Same story of these three frags. The mother colony is a smooth pink color with dark polyps. Frags are 1-11/2". I put the colony in my tank in February and it grew to the point that I needed to trim these three branches. Another fast growing millie. All three frags are multi branched frags and will be good colony starters ASAP.

Frags are $20 each

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Yellow Milliepora Frags-$15 each

This little millie colony has had a growth rate that exceeds my blue or pink millie. It has grown like a weed so to speak and I have five of these frags. The frags have moderate length polyps on a yellow/gold background. Fast growing in decent water. Frags are 1 1/2" $15 each

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I think the most insane deals are the Blue Wave Pulse Start Ballasts. If memory serves, they are excellent overdrivers of Radium 400W lamps. Very tempting to replace my Coralvues and start the Radium addiction...

I did pick up some zeo supplements.

Mike

You are welcome to borrow my Hanna meter. I find it to be a very frustrating insturment and wouldn't mind it living somewhere else for a few days/week.

Mike

Will,

There will be a lot of us interested in the progression or even transformation of your tank with the changeover. Please, stop what you are doing ASAP and take some photos of your tank prior to letting this carbon source system run for 4-6 weeks. That will give us a point of comparison on growth and color.

This is a very intriguing method and I predict it will make all of us stop using Vodka, Zeo, Polyp Lab, and Brightwell in favor of this what appears to be great way to control phosphate and all the other junk that make it tough to prevail with our corals.

Thanks for being a pioneer!

Mike