It's A Diverse World After All (125g reef build) LED New Pics pg. 5

[johnyardavid]

Yay! I'm a charter member now. The membership was given to me by my sister. My name doesn't say it yet but I can see the charter only stuff! Well, my tank is taking off. All of my SPS are taking off. In the last two months I have added sour apple birdsnests and some favia brain. The birdsnests have been growing and splitting. The favia are too new to see growth but they are maroon on the outside and green centers. I have been reading up on all chemical levels in aquaria and I believe my understanding of the relationship between alkalinity, ph, calcium, and magnesium are the reasons for my recent growth. Pics will come soon.

[johnyardavid]

Ok everyone, here's the skinny. I apologize for not updating in awhile. I'm automating my tank, and have several new additions to it. On top of that I started my spring semester at UTSA. I will be a junior in college after this semester with a mechanical engineering major. I'm staying until my masters can be earned. That being said, I have not neglected my tank. Everyone is getting along as well as they can.

Current Stock Lists

Fish:
4 Ocellaris Clownfish (1 Snowflake, and 3 regular)
1 Diamond Goby
2 Barred Gobies
1 Scooter Blenny
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 Citrinis Clown Goby
2 Banggai Cardinalfish

Corals:
1 German Blue Monti
2 Ponape Birdsnest
2 Montipora Caps
4 Pulsing Xenias
2 Colonies of Some Kind of Pink Xenia
1 Tricolor Valida (Still has not regained coloration)
3 Heads of Frogspawn
10+ Colonies of Various Zoa's
10+ Kenya Trees (Some have 2" diameter trunks)
1 5lb Rock COVERED with a Brown and Green Paly Family
6 Head Miami Hurricane Chalice (Was recently knocked over and suffered some tissue loss. I can see the white, thin, bony plates).
12 Head Frag of Favia Brain (Green center and brown edges, beginning to encrust).
1 Green Bubble-tip Anemone.
4 Small Colonies of Green Star Polyps

I am running biopellets in a homemade reactor. I am still on the Coralife 125 skimmer. It has been a great skimmer that pulls some dirty skimmate. Sadly it is not quite large enough to handle my 125, so I'm looking for a suitable upgrade. I test for my aquarium levels several times a week, to include calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, iodide, and strontium. So far I have a range of test kits. Contrary to what I have read, many of the different brands available test at the same levels as each other. Accuracy, has not been an issue. In my canister filter I run carbon and phosguard (The GFO counterpart, Aluminum Oxide). For the past few months I have had an auto top off system to keep my salinity stable, and make life easier. The only issue I have is that the GBTA which I've had for 3 months now is still very shy. One of my rocks has a cylindrical hole that the foot of the anemone fits perfectly in. It does not like to fully expand, or even spend much time open. I feed it twice a week and it gets plenty of light. Probably he won't be in my tank too much longer, I want to trade him. Hopefully this week I will post new photos of my aquarium. Thanks for tuning in! John'yar

[johnyardavid]

Ready for a big change?













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[mkengr45]

good luck with the mechanical engineering program. I did both my bachelors and masters in mechanical engineering from UTSA.....good field to be in. Nice tank too!

[johnyardavid]

Thanks a lot. I'm enjoying the program so far, and I am going on to my master's before I get out into the workforce. The army is paying for it so why not .

[mkengr45]

I went straight from bachelors into the masters.....don't take a break, you would be surprised how fast you forget stuff if you don't use it regularly. I had friends that took a semester off before pursuing the masters, and when they came back they couldn't hang and really struggled. MSME ain't no joke....but if you stay sharp you'll be fine.

Randy