Looking really nice... reading any advice you get. I'm in the same boat having raised softies for several years. I decided to update lighting and flow about 6 months ago and have entered the SPS world... reading anything I can about them. Red Planet is my favorite so far :}
While I say that I try to support my LFS as much as possible I took it upon myself to purchase online a batch of SPS Acros and a few more stonies yesterday. I have had good feedback about a place called pacificeastaquatics.com so I tried out their 12 acros for $100 and a another that is 6 acros and 6 hard corals for $100 I should have them in tomorrow.... Prey I dont get burned. I will update when they get here.
Its designed to be 34 gallons overall... I got about 22 in the tank with nothing in it the first fill up. The sump holds the rest.
Being the tight butt I am I took a shot at buying corals online. This is my first SPS only tank and I honestly have no clue other than what I have been reading on what I am doing. SO, at that, I could not justify buying 30-50 dollar pieces at the LFS that are beautiful just to have them die later where someone else that knows what they are doing could take better care of them. I did however buy from a place called Pacificeastaquatics.com. They had excellent service fast shipping and a well packaged box. I bought a 12 acro deal for $100 and a 6 acro 6 hard coral deal for $100.... I have them all in now and to be honest, they are not bad. They have went through a brown out. Some are all the way but others you can still see purple or pink on the tips and some green in the body. I am sure shipping from Maryland had to have taken its toll but over all they all seem healthy. There is a Chalice that shows bright green centers, a birds nest that is still pink, Two pociliporas that are both pinkish and two monties that are orange even what I think is a enchanta that is showing purple tips. I think that by doing it this way I am giving these guys a good shot at being stars and at the same time learning from them. I will post to keep track of the color and the changes they go through.
Here are a few of the ones I got in... Now I have to wait and hope they brown up. This tank is clean and has a 250w MH 14k on them so I am hoping it wont take long.... The one that I got from the last meeting is starting to show some good yellowing now and thats been 3 weeks.... I am hoping in a month or so these babies will be rock'n.
My Brown Box... LOL I have already noticed polyp color and tip color coming back to a few of these guys and while the others are brown most have great polyp extension...
First of all, let me first say that I really have enjoyed your tank progression. You have a great tank in the works. I know that you want all the frags to quickly color up. I don't consider myself an expert, but seem to think that feeding good foods would also help improve coloration too. I alternate coral frenzy, cyclopeze, rotifers, and seachem's fuel in my tank and get pretty good coloration. I have also heard that Rod's is great too, but I haven't personally tried it. Obviously, don't over feed. You don't want to create a nitrate problem, but I feel that it is beneficial to feed your livestock the best foods available. Anyway, congrats on a great start to an awesome little tank. When that thing fills up, I can foresee the need for the club's saw. Good luck!
Any thought on Vodka dosing and overfeeding.... Everyone seems to have awesome results dosing like a milliliter of vodka along with amino acids and over feeding. I have cyclopease, and coral frenzy, I am going to pick up some of Rods oyster eggs too.. I have heard they are great. I will have to look into the fuel thing too. I would like it to color up quick but at the same time I would rather them be healthy and brown than me do something that will harm em. I am at the point now where I can sit back and observe and thats where I was shooting for. Now my big tank is the one that I am going to dissect.
Glad to see you enjoying your new tank so much. I wish you all the good luck and you should soon have a very beautiful mini reef.
Enjoy? This thing has brought blood, pain, misery, frustration, almost a divorce, tears, and sweat. Any sane person would have given up by now and carried everything back to the fish store and walked out... I guess its more of an obsession right?...LOL I do enjoy it though. After the work is done and everything is in line and test come out in the acceptable ranges and I can finally sit back and watch it do its thing, its worth it.
