Melonbob's 46g build!

[yote]

the drs, did sale that epoxy.I dont know if they still do or not.But it would be worth looking to see.

 

[Bifferwine]

Very nice looking set up, that wrasse is spectacular.

Regular colored epoxy will get covered in coralline in no time. So I never saw a point in paying extra for the purple colored one.

 

[Altohombre]

what is that stuff called that dries coralline purple?

 

[Bifferwine]

Huh??

 

[Piggy]

Your tank is looking really good.

 

[Melonbob]

OK, this is what I picked up on my way back from Detroit, the LFS was not very helpful, but assured me they were easy corals to take care of....so I'm looking for identification please!

Full tank shot

I have no idea

Aussie Gorgonian?

Once again, no idea at all

Blasto?

Anyways, I picked the two unidentified pieces out because the tips looked blue under his lighting. Unfortunately, they don't look the same under mine, or they haven't acclimitized to my tank yet. Very happy with the colour of the gorgonian and the blasto though!

 

[Melonbob]

Also, anything special I should be doing for these guys? And lighting requirements?

 

[reeffreak]

High light for the two acropora corals.(the first and third pics of the corals)
I don't know much about gorgonians but that one sure looks nice.Most of the shallow species generally need moderate lighting and ocassional feeding of invert food/coral food.Phytoplankton,marine snow,coral frenzy-stuff like that.First three also require high chaotic flow as well.

Blasto-low to low moderate flow and moderate light.No feeding require.This coral is the only one I consider fairly easy.Now that you have acroporas,you will need to stay on top of calcium and alkalinity.

Nice additions,good luck with them.

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with Freak, the blastos are the only ones that can be considered easy. Most SPS (including the acros you got) require very pristine water conditions and good calcium and alkalinity levels. As for gorgonians, they are known to be very difficult to keep. Good luck!

 

[ccCapt]

Tank looks good. Watch that anthelia/xenia crop you got going on the right side of your tank. That stuff can get out of control. I frag and trade mine to a lfs for store credit.
I agree with the others about the acros. That 1st one looks either really bleached and/or stressed (zero polyp extension) or is an awesome tricolor. Hard to really tell from those pics.

 

[yote]

Looks great.

 

[Piggy]

I love the color of the two red corals. They have to be prettier in person. Your tank looks awesome.

 

[Melonbob]

They are pretty cool yes, I was trying to get away from the pinkish colour of all our softies. The blasto is my favorite, its a deep crimson. The two acros had a blue to their tips, thats why I picked them, but it must have been his lighting, cause it hasn't looked that way in my tank, kinda disappointed I spent 40 a pop for them

 

[RyanG]

Good looking sysem Mel and Bob digging the blasto.

 

[Doc]

melonbob,

great pics. Your tank looks amazing. You should be really proud. I love the blastos.

Gorgonians are simply my favorite soft coral. they are, well, near impossible to keep alive. No idea why. I have tried many times. Sea fans are the worst, the yours in the next hardest....on earth. I hope you have better luck. the purple ones are the easiest.

-Doc

 

[Bifferwine]

Melonbob, I think your LFS lies to you. A lot. Just my opinion. He told you those corals you picked out were easy. He lied.

 

[Melonbob]

Biff, this wasn't my regular lfs......I was in Toronto and stopped by a place down there. What do I have to do out of the normal for these. I put them in the higher flow areas, except for the blasto and the gorgonian which calls for low light, low flow.

 

[Melonbob]

OK, heres a few pics of how the tank is looking lately. I haven't been adding much cause I'm still getting the odd RIP, seems to come out of nowhere, I left the tank alone since my last death, did absolutely nothing and everything was looking great.....then I wake up one morning and my purple firefish is tits up. I did add a golden head sleeper goby, and he does a great job keeping the sand looking good. My algae is pretty much gone now. I'm in no rush to add anything else for a good month or so, I have my hands full with the lionfish tank as it is. Anyways, here you go!

 

[Melonbob]

oh, the sad looking leathers and hammer you can kind of see in the main pic are rescues from the tank I picked up for the lionfish. I didn't think anything was gonna live, but it looks like it all will!

 

[reeffreak]

Looks nice and clean.

I really like the red blastos and the aquascaping.