My 4 Ft Tank

[DeepBlue]

Agree with DB... Bought one months ago... Open up den close and it remain close till it die... Lolz... Not a easy coral if you ask me... Somemore pink color sia... Nice...

most of the time...its not your fault or your tank parameter....was reading the eric borneman book -

elegance corals used to be common and successful among reefers in the west....but the decline could be attributed to the harvesting and shipping...most of them dun last long as handling of elegance becomes questionable.....

I have also seen so many reefers who buys LPS without slowly allowing the tentacles and meaty parts of the corals to gently retract first, they just take the whole piece out of the water immediately....these guys dun know they are throwing away money when they do that...............

[bubble_gum]

most of the time...its not your fault or your tank parameter....was reading the eric borneman book -

elegance corals used to be common and successful among reefers in the west....but the decline could be attributed to the harvesting and shipping...most of them dun last long as handling of elegance becomes questionable.....

I have also seen so many reefers who buys LPS without slowly allowing the tentacles and meaty parts of the corals to gently retract first, they just take the whole piece out of the water immediately....these guys dun know they are throwing away money when they do that...............

didnt noe tt they were tt sensitive....

[FuEl]

Yep...in my view it's always best to allow a LPS to shrink before you remove it from water or you pack it underwater.

[DeepBlue]

took some more shots of my new acro from a LFS...

has white-creamy base and purple tip

[DeepBlue]

among my acros now....actually hoiping the whole piece doesnt turn purple....I like the white/creamy base.....

hint hint...same source where I got my purple acro

[DeepBlue]

still trying get the true colour of my tank...shots still appear too blue than actual look...must go get a filter...

[DeepBlue]

my open brain coral...still searching for the true red rimmed ones

[roidan]

bro....

wah...near full capacity for sps liao ah...seems like not alot of space left leh....time for tank upgrade?

[DeepBlue]

last shot for the evening...still havent got a proper name...a meat/button coral...

[DeepBlue]

bro....

wah...near full capacity for sps liao ah...seems like not alot of space left leh....time for tank upgrade?

not really lah...............remember....? Ron calls my tank the bottomless PIT .....

When time comes, I will create more space for the acros...

[19percula]

beautiful

[Marineman]

last shot for the evening...still havent got a proper name...a meat/button coral...

Cynarina lacrymalis, when fully opened looked like this, also a good indicator of water quality

[DeepBlue]

wow...I am hoping mine will do that....I tend to struggle with LPS a bit

The nicest I have seen so far is still in Roidan's tank...lovely pink

[weileong]

Cynarina lacrymalis, when fully opened looked like this, also a good indicator of water quality

Are those brown stuffs on the sandbed diatoms? Maybe a bit reddish so probably cyno? Can't really tell from the photos

[DeepBlue]

I always feel that LPS and softies do quite well in a more nutrient rich environment.....not necessary superb water quality.....

[weileong]

agreed but what does Marineman meant by "good water quality"?

Good water for LPS and softies => high nutrient?

I think I always interpret it as water with low nutrient so it will not support those algaes.

Maybe misunderstand on my part what he's trying to say here

[Marineman]

Are those brown stuffs on the sandbed diatoms? Maybe a bit reddish so probably cyno? Can't really tell from the photos

Yes, I have difficultly getting rid of the totally, change 20% water every 2 weeks, maybe I feed a little too much!

Still can't tell the diff between cyno and diatom, can you help?

[weileong]

If I am not wrong the brown ones are diatom and reddish ones are cyno.

If you did not use DI/RO water for water change then there is a chance that the water you used might contain PO4 and silicates so you can keep on changing water but it still does not solve the problem.

Have you tried using rowaphos to remove the PO4? Maybe need to improve on the skimming?

Higher flow in the tank will also help with the diatoms.

[Marineman]

agreed but what does Marineman meant by "good water quality"?

Good water for LPS and softies => high nutrient?

I think I always interpret it as water with low nutrient so it will not support those algaes.

Maybe misunderstand on my part what he's trying to say here

Yes, some corals like nitrates! Not too high though. When I siphon off the detritus from my shallow sand bed, the scolomia and bubbles goes into feeding mode!

[DeepBlue]

also a good indicator of water quality

But how to get that water quality? when? after your water change? if it always opens up this way.....and you are having a litttle diatom problem....is that still consider good water quality?

Do enlighten me..thanks

[FuEl]

Diatoms is'nt that bad...copepods feed on diatoms.. So if you have alot of diatoms it does'nt necessarily mean its bad. It might look unpleasant, but its beneficial to your copepod population..

[weileong]

Errm..... cyno is good?? That indicates high PO4 and insuffient flow in the tank.

[Marineman]

If I am not wrong the brown ones are diatom and reddish ones are cyno.

If you did not use DI/RO water for water change then there is a chance that the water you used might contain PO4 and silicates so you can keep on changing water but it still does not solve the problem.

Have you tried using rowaphos to remove the PO4? Maybe need to improve on the skimming?

Higher flow in the tank will also help with the diatoms.

Thanks, I do use RO water and skimmer (Aqua C remora Pro) and currently using rawaphos, currently under control. Water flow is quite good with one Tunze stream 6100 for the whole tank 42*24*24.

I suspect my nutrients are high at about 25ppm as I was told by an experienced hobbyist that ther are too many bioballs (200) in my overflow box leading to my refugium. He told ne that I have a nitrate factory and asked me to remove them bit by bit, is he right?

[DeepBlue]

I suspect my nutrients are high at about 25ppm

so I am deducting :

high nutrients to get LPS to do well here...

cant do that...my sps wont like it.

[weileong]

high nutrients to get LPS to do well here... 

You can say that is "good water quality" do you?

Should be high nutrients enviroment for LPS

Have you used any test kit to determine your PO4 and NO3 levels in your tank?

Which RO system are you using? Hopefully not those sold in shopping centers.