Went From GFO to Seachem's Phosguard and I'm never Going Back

[WallyB]

I'm a tinkerer also, so I will try to keep from changing too much at once. I like to do a lot of DIY projects and some even work. I'm not sure those are sponges, but they may be.

I suggest, you start a thread of your own, and I'll try to follow along and help you a bit.
Biggest advice is be patient, and your tank won't show it's true self till about a year from now.
Many others may join in on your thread.

Best threads are beginner threads, since that's what a forum is about...
To Learn from others.....Just don't take everything that folks say.
Listen and digest the info yourself.

When it's comes to DIY, I can certainly help you there, just check out my thread for the things I've done.(to give you project ideas).
Pretty well everything is DIY.

One thing before you move off this "Off Topic Thread" is start slow.
Sure I too started with enthusiasm, and wanted every kind of pretty coral I could find when I started. (Cheap ones)
However you have Low Light stuff (like a sponge, which need no light, just shade), you may have some other Soft Corals that want less light (like LPS), and then you have SPS which want the most light, and most flow.
It's tough to mix all the 3 categories of Corals (in any tank), and placing Corals just right is Expert level.

I kind of though the photo you posted might be a sponge, since I had one too.
This is my LPS tank couple of years ago(Low Light/Low Flow) with Sponge on the BOTTOM left.

I learned that any bright lights would made it fade/disintegrate.
It only did well when I place it in a deep dark cave.

ANOTHER LESSON from photo above, is choose your corals wisely. I wish I never bought that first single green paly 15 years ago. It's a struggle to keep them contained and interferes with ability to grow certain corals like Zoa's. Hard to remove them too. I worry about Palytoxins too when cutting the palm's out.

But now I'm looking at your Photo again (since I saw it on my Tiny Phone screen, and color matched).
THat's looks like a live snail like, Molusk like creature not a Coral.
Be cautious of things you don't know what they are. Some are harmful to Corals, Fish, and maybe even you.
I once got a Cowrie snail. One of many kinds. I learned that it was a Tiger Cowrie, and the recommended food for it was "CORALS!!" . It attacked an ate quite a few before I figured it out.
Still have it, in my Sump, doing Great Cleaning.

 

[Afterburner]

I suggest, you start a thread of your own, and I'll try to follow along and help you a bit.
Biggest advice is be patient, and your tank won't show it's true self till about a year from now.
Many others may join in on your thread.

Best threads are beginner threads, since that's what a forum is about...
To Learn from others.....Just don't take everything that folks say.
Listen and digest the info yourself.

When it's comes to DIY, I can certainly help you there, just check out my thread for the things I've done.(to give you project ideas).
Pretty well everything is DIY.

One thing before you move off this "Off Topic Thread" is start slow.
Sure I too started with enthusiasm, and wanted every kind of pretty coral I could find when I started. (Cheap ones)
However you have Low Light stuff (like a sponge, which need no light, just shade), you may have some other Soft Corals that want less light (like LPS), and then you have SPS which want the most light, and most flow.
It's tough to mix all the 3 categories of Corals (in any tank), and placing Corals just right is Expert level.

I kind of though the photo you posted might be a sponge, since I had one too.
This is my LPS tank couple of years ago(Low Light/Low Flow) with Sponge on the BOTTOM left.

I learned that any bright lights would made it fade/disintegrate.
It only did well when I place it in a deep dark cave.

ANOTHER LESSON from photo above, is choose your corals wisely. I wish I never bought that first single green paly 15 years ago. It's a struggle to keep them contained and interferes with ability to grow certain corals like Zoa's. Hard to remove them too. I worry about Palytoxins too when cutting the palm's out.

But now I'm looking at your Photo again (since I saw it on my Tiny Phone screen, and color matched).
THat's looks like a live snail like, Molusk like creature not a Coral.
Be cautious of things you don't know what they are. Some are harmful to Corals, Fish, and maybe even you.
I once got a Cowrie snail. One of many kinds. I learned that it was a Tiger Cowrie, and the recommended food for it was "CORALS!!" . It attacked an ate quite a few before I figured it out.
Still have it, in my Sump, doing Great Cleaning.

Thanks for the advice. I gave one of those things I called a sponge to the guy that I bought the corals from and he send me a test today telling me that it is a Sea Pork (the other white meat). Basically a filter feeder, but pretty interesting looking in my tank. I also have some tall red sponges in my tank, but I don't think light will be an issue since I found them in about 30 feet of water in the wide open under full sun. When the guy I got the frags from came by to pick up a purple gorgonia, Sea Pork, and some weird macro algae, he mentioned that I needed more light, so I ordered the smme one he has on Amazon and I gets here tomorrow. BTW, my Phosphate slowly is headed back up, so I changed the PhosGuard today.

Your tank looks awesome.