Sniperhank's UPGRADED 55 gal Build

[Sniperhank]

Well, I'm at work. I had my gf at Mt house waiting for my package. Out is sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to get home at midnight and stay up to get the duster and red planet acclimated before my 7 to 3 shift on sat.

Oh, and I also just bought a new camera. Hopefully sometime next week there will be some really nice shots of my aquarium coming your way!

And I'm editing again...I left a message on the ecotech boards regarding how my corals, though growing like weeds, are losing their color to see if it is truely the light being too intense at 57% power like I continue to think that it is.

[needmorecowbell]

Just to tell you, right now my light is at 15% each. Yes, that low. The corals are finally happy with it. I'm not saying you should go that low, but that's how well LEDs can penetrate water.

I cant wait to see this pics!! I was going to save for a dslr but thats to the wayside now :/

How is that red sponge doing?

[Sniperhank]

The sponge is dead. It took a drastic turn and started dying fast so I removed it. It went out with the PWC.

[Sniperhank]

Tookwhen I got up before I went into work. I'm impressed with the duster, not only is it out already, it was out in the bag and when in the acclimation bucket. Dropped it for only about 20 min...aka as long as it took me to get the pods in the tank. I may have only ordered 2k, but it sure looked like more than that this time. Props to reefs2go on this order.

[needmorecowbell]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

The sponge is dead. It took a drastic turn and started dying fast so I removed it. It went out with the PWC.

That stinks :/ it's good you took it out though. The feather duster looks awesome, Im jealous. The red planet looks promising as well.

[Sniperhank]

Yeah, the pic doesn't even show the real color of it. BUT, new camera monday! Woke up today to the overflow being clogged and lost siphon. Tank almost overflowed again. Solved that issue...I want a drilled tank so bad! Oh, and while doing this, I discovered that what I believe was my birds nest got fragged by a fish. Glued it to rubble and good to go. While searching for that rubble, found a frag of the birds nest I forgot about. Both are side by side so they can grow out like the other one.

As for replies to the radions, so far only posts by people like us. Ranging from supplemental lighting to keep turning them down. Like hell I'm supplementing 800 dollar lights! Once I fix the laptop, the tune down will continue.

[Steve silbernagel]

That sucks my overflow did that the other day. Had about 2g of water poured out all over my floor

[Mrc8858]

Originally Posted by Steve silbernagel

That sucks my overflow did that the other day. Had about 2g of water poured out all over my floor

Which is why I'm against any reef not being drilled ... Hell I think every tank I setup now over 40 gallons I'm gonna drill and run on a sump, FW and SW.

[Sniperhank]

Yeah, I just dont even know where I'd get the supplies around here...Pittsburgh and Erie is all I have really. Have to keep an eye on craigslist. I'd be all over a drilled tank like flies on ****. Rearrange my living room for one and a DIY stand/canopy. I realized today how scratched up my 55 really is. It will be having a second life as a sump probably. The CPR overflow is really nice, just the byropsis is in the overflow and clogged it up. I cleared it, but it'll end up doing this monthly probably. I might take the sump down on my days off and bleach the thing clean.

Can't wait til the new camera gets here. I want to show off the good things going on in my tank..and try to ignore the bad. So, bad...um, meteor shower is still dying and probably beyond saving, clam is in the same boat...might be it, all I can think of. Coraline growth is still moving slowly. Growth on the sps has just been phenomenal and I'll have to post some before/after shots.

[Sniperhank]

Here is the birds nest 3 months ago


Pink damicornis /6/9/12


Pink stylophora 6/9/12

[Sniperhank]

Today

No longer pink...

[Sniperhank]

Ok, got my new camera on Wednesdday. Cannon EOS Rebel T3 and a EF 75-300mm telephoto lens. Sadly, the data card for it didn't arrive until today as I was leaving for work. So my hope is to start taking pictures after work tomorrow and having a nice file on my desktop full of nicely labelled stills. Along with that, there should be some new additions coming my way.

Update on the tank. Clam is finally dead, snails were all over it this morning. I'm not sure how I did it, but thinking too much light like my totally bleached meteor shower. The last post from my discussion with Ecotech they are telling me that my lights are too high above the water, should be 8 inches rather than my 20, but I should keep turning down the intensity since I am having trouble keeping coral that require a lower amount of light alive. I'll probably put them at 8 inches when I upgrade and have a canopy, it would be too much of a pain to do atm with the hang kit. That and it gives me spots on the side for lower light corals.

Continued great growth from most of my SPS. Birds nest is going nuts. Accidently broke another piece off so there is another frag to grow! I am totally out of room and there is coral coming my way soon! Ugh...

[needmorecowbell]

Haha toss some of that extra coral down my way!! That's the best problem to have.. Ever. And I'm sure you'll fall in love with your new dslr, it's a hobby in itself. Whenever you get the money ( its expensive, I know) try a 100mm macro lens. That's what most people use.

[Bearchumjs]

Can't wait to see the pictures you take! If you ever need to rid yourself of a birdsnest frag, let me know! lol!

I'm sorry your clam died. I was really hoping he'd pull through.

[Sniperhank]

Well, eventually the frags will be up for trade. They just need to encrust. Don't want anyone to get something that isn't doing well. But they are def in the way though...I need a larger or third tank. The either FOWLR/predator tank, softie/lps tank, and SPS tank. So much to do and so little money lol.

As for the clam, thanks but I knew it was going to happen so I didn't think twice about it. I have 2 new frag plugs now.

Only a matter of time before the secret squirrel coral society thing gets worked out. I'll need to figure out where everything in my tank will go...I need to rearrange things to make room. I should just get some tupperware containers and start sending my birds nest frags around! Lol.

[AquaRick]

Hey hank. Was reading up a bit on your post. I have a radion on my 60g cube. I tested coral growth with different variations of height and intensity. I currently have them 8" above the water @75% intensity. Everything is growing like crazy and with deep color.

Post pics with your new camera when you can.

[Sniperhank]

Will do Rick. This issue has really boggled my mind. I have some lesser light coral, the meteor showers and a scroll that improved when shaded so have still been assuming too much light was the issue. Everything else is growing like crazy though. Maybe I'll try to lower them...not sure how I'll accomplish that now since the wire locks in place...

[Sniperhank]

[Sniperhank]

[Sniperhank]