Higher Calcium Level for SPS Growth? (vs Health)

[reefmutt]

The redfield ratio is 116C(organic carbon): 16 N(fixed ntrogen):1P(phosphorous). It is an en masse measure of plankton in the seas. Tanks will vary based on the species of organisms there and the environment in the tank including the nature of bacterial activitry and other processes in play. NSW nitrate runs around 0.2ppm in reef surface water IIRC.

Thanks, Tom.
If you remove the extra 16 from the carbon and add it to the n, I was right on the money!

 

[Wally.B]

Thanks for the Redfield Ratio details.

Will keep that in mind once I get to fine tuning Coral Perfection. Not quite there yet .

 

[Wally.B]

TRIAL (Put Back Cowrie [#2] )

Cowrie [#1] the Pollicipora Eater has been given away. To a friend with a FOLR tank.

However, I'm giving Cowrie [#2] a chance. Under close supervision (Time Lapse Web Cam).

#2 never touched a coral, and since gone, my GHA has gotten a bit out of control.
Spent like an hour pruning last night, and never finished since got tired doing it.

Will get more snails, but Cowrie was very effective. We'll see.

BTW. The Pollicipora is recovering very quickly. Even the shaved sides.

 

[Wally.B]

Welcome to my TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Hey Mon, :beachbum:, the Corals are doing great. They don't care, so I don't (anymore).

NO3=5, and PO4=0.055

This is just a couple of days after a good long weekend pruning. Kapow!!

I'm not distraught at all. Find it kind of funny.

Main cause is I'm now ramping up Photo Period.


Hope the Cowrie who is snoring somewhere wakes up soon.

I'll ride this out (Somehow), BUT I going to continue ramping up to my Target Photo Period = 8 hours.

NO CYANO!!


Maybe this stuff eventually burns itself out. Never been there (8 hours).

 

[reefmutt]

Wow.. That's crazy. If I were you, I'd go out and buy 50 snails and slap them in there..

 

[Wally.B]

What kind? Astrea, or a good variety mix.

I think there was one trigger. Two 5 ml doses of AcroPower that I haven't used for the while. Still an under dose.

Did nothing else other than extra light time.

 

[reefmutt]

Extra light will do it.. So will acro power..
At n of 5 and p of .05, I'm not sure you really need aminos..
Anyways, I like astreas, they are a good cleaner.

 

[Wally.B]

Extra light will do it.. So will acro power..
At n of 5 and p of .05, I'm not sure you really need aminos..
Anyways, I like astreas, they are a good cleaner.

I won't be touching the Amino Bottle anymore (I barely did), and I'll hold off on any further lighting increases (But I'm not backing off on lighting like I did so many times, unless I really have to.)

I'll get mostly Astreas, and maybe a few Mexican Turbo's.

Once they catch up, my other tank could use any extra's.

The good news is this GHA is easier to prune when it's like this, vs the thin strands that aren't grippable (with my long locking forcep tweezers)

THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE (is I started using a new frozen food. Hikhari Brine Shrimp with Spirolina, to get fish more vitamins. I rinse it)

Got to check my skimmer too, since I've noticed it isn't skimming as wet as it used to. It was cleaned like a week ago, and there was a Mangrove tree leave partially blocking the input.

I guess, still stay away from GFO? (one comment, is I did have a bit of GFO running (1/8 of a cup), and I did remove it totally not too long ago.

 

[sahin]

Is it hair algae? Hopefully it isnt bryopsis.

It looks bad, but its not the worst thing that can happen (hopefully it is hair algae). Dinos/Cyano etc are worse.

I'd get loads of different snails; Mexican Turbos x 3, Trochus x 10, Astrea x 10.

Let them loose on the rocks. I'd also spend maybe an hour each weekend scrubbing some of the rocks with a toothbrush/manual removal.

Once you noticed the algae start to reduce significantly, sell/give away/take back to the LFS some of the snails. But leave at least 40%.

The stuff WILL burn itself out. Unless the PO4 starts to climb further, I'd rather not take any significant action against PO4 than whatever you are already doing.

Keep the thread going. This is good documentation. :thumbsup:

 

[Wally.B]

I think it's Hair Algae. Very fine. Easy to remove. Doesn't smell. Light as feather, and totally collapses when removed from water. Get's upright when circulation is stopped.

I have one stupid theory that I researched, but found nothing. Since there is a coincidence that this happen to me last time.

COULD THIS ALGAE BE TRIGGERED "by Infrared Light" from my TimeLapse Video Camera?
(Especially at Close Range, high Intensity, which the camera is)

Last time I went on Vacation , I was watching tank with camera. (HAD A BLOOM)
This time I put on camera for watching Cowrie Snail (HAD A BLOOM)

I know RED light is a Algae Culprit.

But InfraRed running all night (approx 16 hours since in basement)!!!

And the Algae bloom started exactly the time I put on the Camera. Exactly.


*** WHILE WRITING THIS I checked something ***
*** This Time, the Camera is only on Front of TANK (I setup only one) ***
*** Algae isn't blooming as much at BACK of TANK ***

Just took Camera off InfraRed mode.

 

[Wally.B]

It's not Bryopsis. I google it, and nothing close. Plain old Hair Algae.

 

[Wally.B]

Time to Pull out Hair Algae (Prune) Task Force Tools Arsenal

GHA is very loose, and I came up with these tools from the past. (They are long, so pretty well, no hands in tank)

** PLUS these tools (unlike BRUSH Scrubbing in tank), don't release any of the Algae to float around, and re-attach elsewhere. **

- The Clamping Forcep has teeth, and locks on Algae so it doesn't float Away.
- The Extended Syringe is great for those long loose (THIN) pieces that Clamp can't get a grip on. (plus works much faster).
------> Wooden Dowel, provides accurate positioning. (Curve tube for around corner reach)
------> I used it in two ways. A push blast for a jet of water (to loosen), followed by a Vacuum Suck up.

I had an idea to improve the Dual-Mode Syringe idea.

Have a Air Tank added with two lines (one for a Air Blast, and one for suction [side-by-side lines at the Target tip] ).
May finished that project (Have all the parts......Now Have the motivation renewed.).

 

[icy1155]

You may be overthinking it. Why not put a filter sock in the sump and then have a tube siphoning water into it. That way, there is no need to mess with the syringe, you can keep going for a long time, and the water goes through the sock and the algae stays.

 

[Wally.B]

You may be overthinking it. Why not put a filter sock in the sump and then have a tube siphoning water into it. That way, there is no need to mess with the syringe, you can keep going for a long time, and the water goes through the sock and the algae stays.

I've done that before (many times, it does work). It's a bit tricky, and I find not enough suction or pointpoint control with a larger hose to get Siphon working.
Sihpon is fast and uses lots of water, which has to be returned to tank,(so time consuming)
Does a good broad sweep of the really loose stuff, but not completely.
Large hose doesn't reach everywhere, and clumsy control can break off SPS tips.

Anyway, I'm going to do this properly (while they are still Frag Corals).

Last time I did part of the tank and left GHA at bottom, so it spread.

Preparing for a proper Top to Bottom scrub. (then some more Snails)

(Kind of planned for this possibility, Kept last 3 waters change Water in sealed buckets for Chem Matched scrubbing water)

Here we go. (Water warming up)

 

[reefmutt]

Good luck, Wally! Go crazy.
What a pain...

 

[Wally.B]

You may be overthinking it. Why not put a filter sock in the sump and then have a tube siphoning water into it. That way, there is no need to mess with the syringe, you can keep going for a long time, and the water goes through the sock and the algae stays.

Hey Icy,

Thanks for the Inspiration.

You got me thinking....so I modified my Syringe concept, to work just like a Siphon hose with Sock, but better.

- Used a Xacto knife and cut the line tip have a chisel end for scraping.
- Shiphon with FULL HOSE should be stronger and continuous, but the tapered line slows/concentrates the flow.
- Kept the guidance stick

(Concept is you start the Shipon with the big Hose for water Weight, then add the tapered tip)
(Flow will be slow enough, for return pump and overflow to continue working)

Will use TEST THIS GIZMO as first pass cleaning.

Maybe no need to pull the rocks out. Current Snails might be able to complete the work.

 

[Wally.B]

More modifications needed.

It does work but only on really loose GHA , and scrubber tip isn't as good as I thought (Since GHA does hang to rock a bit).

Trying another Mod.

 

[Wally.B]

TANK GHA Thinned out and NEW CUC Members Added


That Shiphon scrubber did a great job once I learned how to use it. Just had to go at the rocks at a angle. (Best part is not a single strand of hair got loose).

I didn't tear apart the tank after all, since I thinned Algae out enough to feel that snails could do the rest.

Was going to get more Astrea snails, but LFS recommended otherwise for GHA specifically.

I picked up something different for a CUC mix.

 

[Pife]

Hang in there man. I bet those rocks are just leaching p04s. When they level out the algae will dissappear.

 

[icy1155]

I think those two cuc additions will help with the algae problems. Just be sure that everything is securely glued down... my urchin is a #!@$ and will pick up any loose frags and then hide them behind my rockwork. I swear it does it just to **** me off.