Can someone tell me if my coral is bleaching? Pic attached.
- Thread starter Nalchadz
- Start date
Regardless of which method you choose, I would invest in a good NO3 kit. All mentioned (biopellets, vinegar, NOPOX, etc) will work well in reducing nitrates for you and they all have advantages/disadvantages ime. With SPS, the main thing would be to 'go slow' and make sure not to 'strip' the water too fast with whatever method you choose.
The salifert or Red Sea NO3 test kits are nice. You can do some research to see which one you like best. I've used them both and prefer the salifert kit mainly because I believe it is easier to perform and doesn't take as long. It is a little harder to determine the color on the salifert kit though to me. It is cheaper than the red sea kit up front as well.
Red Sea Nitrate kit video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf7jXkNBmX8
Salifert Nitrate kit video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aLax-umuwc
The salifert one is in turkish or something... but you can at least watch him perform the test.
alexx2208
Member
Agreed, it'll all work, just depends on how much you want to care for it...
Here are some pictures. I was not able to get a picture of the back of my tank because there is no space. However the 1st picture (001) is exactly what my tank has in the back chambers except in chamber one where the heater is, I have added a phosphate reactor and chamber 3 I have installed the Coralife UV Sterelizer. The rest of the pictures is everything that's in my tank. For picture 007 I had to turn off the lights so the white areas on the SPS were visible. For lighting I have upgraded and am using the RapidLED Aurora puck + additional 10 LED's and Storm X controller. Light cycle is roughly 10 hours a day including 1 hour Sunrise and 1 hour Sunset.
LED Setup 31 Total LED's
14 x CREE XT-E Royal Blue
04 x CREE XP-E Blue
04 x CREE XP-G2 5W Cool White
04 x SemiLEDs Violet UV
02 x CREE XP-E Green
02 x CREE XP-E Red
01 x CREE XP-E Red-Orange
LED Setup 31 Total LED's
14 x CREE XT-E Royal Blue
04 x CREE XP-E Blue
04 x CREE XP-G2 5W Cool White
04 x SemiLEDs Violet UV
02 x CREE XP-E Green
02 x CREE XP-E Red
01 x CREE XP-E Red-Orange
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Okay, I will move the Acros to the top and see what happenes.
Yeah, I would think it's nitrates...
Just so you know, vinegar does the same thing as biopellets, but you must continue to does daily or your tank will crash, biopellets do the same thing, just don't require dosing. You slowly increase the vinegar same as biopellets. It's giving food for nitrifying bacteria. If you also wanted to eventually automate the dosing, it would make vinegar dosing more expensive then pellets also....
If you want, shoot me pms, I will do my best to answer any question you ask. I could be your person you know with experience
I'm going to go with the biopellets and in the mean time I'll do 20 % water changes every other day. Does this sound like a good plan? I can also get a hang in the back refugium for about $200.. is it worth getting the refugium in addition to biopellets ?
PaleHorse
New member
I think your putting in so much for a easy system.
Do you have chemi pure elite and purigen?
Yes, the media basket bottom shelf is Chemi Pure elite which I change once every two weeks and middle shelf is purigen which I change once a month.
PaleHorse
New member
You don't mix your own water.......... :eek1: come on bro...... I don't trust the LFS for anything
I have been using reef crystals. High Alk and cal for very little dosing.
PaleHorse
New member
Sounds good. Then the only issue is the water
I was buying Real Ocean Water thinking since its from the ocean must be better then anything i can mix to simulate. I'll start mixing going forward.
PaleHorse
New member
Sounds good. Then the only issue is the water? Besides your LEDs of course
Besides my LEDs? those a problem too? lol
alexx2208
Member
There's nothing wrong with your LEDs, all that could be done is replace a few blues with whites.....
I use Reefers Best Salt since I'm starting my system zeovit, but I used to use tropic marin pro reef, then upgraded to bio actif, which says will reduce nutrient levels, not sure how though. Aquavitro salinity seems good too... If you want happy SPS, stay away from basic salts unless you want to check your parameters daily. People will say there happy with basic salts, but they do a lot of dosing that shouldn't be needed to be done in a biocube.
SPS seem to like lower alk in my waters... Around 7-8. Calcium between 400-420, mag around 1300+
I use Reefers Best Salt since I'm starting my system zeovit, but I used to use tropic marin pro reef, then upgraded to bio actif, which says will reduce nutrient levels, not sure how though. Aquavitro salinity seems good too... If you want happy SPS, stay away from basic salts unless you want to check your parameters daily. People will say there happy with basic salts, but they do a lot of dosing that shouldn't be needed to be done in a biocube.
SPS seem to like lower alk in my waters... Around 7-8. Calcium between 400-420, mag around 1300+
Should I just add more white LEDSs or replace Blues with Whites?
northernreefe
New member
been using reef crystals for years, no problems.
btw the tank looks great!
btw the tank looks great!
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