Dawn's 56 gallon natural nutrient garden

[vlangel]

That sounds good Kevin. Okay, so I was remembering better than I thought where you live. I shouldn't have any trouble. I will give you a call when I am free. This week is pretty booked up.

You know that sinularia came from Reef Gallery when you own it? Anyway I fragged it the end of last week and both halves are doing well so one has your name on it.

I posted above a video so you could see the coral you gave me but forgot to add it to a reply, so check out the prior post.

 

[vlangel]

Here is a few pics of the new coral under peak day lighting. They looked great but especially the torch doesn't have the intensity of color that they have in your tanks. I am guessing that I use too much white intensity and not enough of the other colors, maybe especially red? Do you know what your intensity of colors are at peak daylight off the top of your head?
PS one of the pipe organ coral (the prettiest of the two) is behind the paly. Don't look too closely at the bubble algae in it! :-(

Great, don't wait till my tanks are settled in well (as you say) that will never happen, lol.

 

[kevinl]

Any blue channel is always 100% (blue, royal, violet, uv) I do add 5% cool white, 10% warm white, 5% green and 10% red. It was probably getting 200 to 250 par.
Are these the colors you saw yesterday? I showed the HG video for the flow that all my torches love. Remember our talk yesterday how I felt flow was so important for coral. Your flow looks pretty good.

 

[vlangel]

Any blue channel is always 100% (blue, royal, violet, uv) I do add 5% cool white, 10% warm white, 5% green and 10% red. It was probably getting 200 to 250 par.
Are these the colors you saw yesterday? I showed the HG video for the flow that all my torches love. Remember our talk yesterday how I felt flow was so important for coral. Your flow looks pretty good.

Thanks Kevin, that helps. Yes those are the colors I saw yesterday. I chose the reddish tentacled one with the blue tips (bottom video, bottom left).

Your color intensities will be helpful. I don't use enough blue and do use too much white, so I will work toward that. Also I realize that my ReefBreeder may not be able to replicate your Radion. Even if I can't get it just like it was in your tanks, I won't be disappointed. It's very nice already.

 

[kevinl]

You should run your lighting at what you like your tank to look like & at the proper par for the corals.
My sps systems run way more white, this allows me to get the 400 to 600 par needed.

 

[vlangel]

You should run your lighting at what you like your tank to look like & at the proper par for the corals.
My sps systems run way more white, this allows me to get the 400 to 600 par needed.

You are right, that is what I have always done up to this point. I like the natural look which is why I always have a lot of white light. I still may try to add some more blue however.

 

[vlangel]

Early this morning I was up when only the blue lights were on and the torch was the same color as @kevinl's tank! So there I have it, I only need to get up at 5:30 am to enjoy it at that color, ha ha!

 

[vlangel]

Today I bought new fish for the tank. I have been itching to get some new fish for a month or so and when I saw that my nitrates were low, that further encouraged me. Of coursing adding new coral spurred on excitement for the tank which also made me want new fish.
I knew what species of fish that I would consider and I figured cardinalfish and firefish would be easy to find and they were. I came home with a pair of each of those. I would have loved a Christmas wrasse but saw none but did see a small female fairy wrasse. She is not showy but I think if she acclimated to my tank she will be active and that will be nice.
I put my new fish additions in baby net enclosures so they can get use to their new water, lights without nosey or bullyish roommates harassing them. Mostly that has worked well. I will let you all know.
Finally, I know 5 fish is a lot at one time. Adding new fish is not only stressful on them, it stresses me. I prefer not to rock the boat when my fish are healthy and getting along so when I do add fish, it's always in multiples.

 

[vlangel]

So far so good. The new coral look great and the new fish are settling in fairly well. Surprisingly, the little fairy wrasse is the one who is most adjusted. She has been eating since day one and although shy she swims in the open some.
Next are the pajama cardinals which are also cautiously out and about. I have not seen them eat yet but that doesn't mean that they haven't, just that I haven't seen them.
Last are the firefish. They probably would be better adjusted if my ocellaris wasn't bullying them. I may have to try and catch it and move it to the sump for at least a time out.
I will get pics when everyone is less skittish.