Higher Calcium Level for SPS Growth? (vs Health)

[Wally.B]

Algae Wars - Eposide I (UPDATE)

Just want to inform everyone that I continue the efforts on the Movie Production.

It keeps getting better and better, since each skit is leading to more ideas.

To keep things on schedule I may release a Part 1, since the complete production will take longer.

Stay tuned.

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday with your family and friends.

 

[Wally.B]

Posting here to ensure folks know the experiment continue on another thread.

Please use the main thread where I make update for BOTH Movie progress, and experiment.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2546250


ALGAE Hunger Games (EXPERIMENT) Update: Phase 2 (Other Food)

Quick updated.

I continue to monitor activity in the Algae Tank.
I have added a new freshly loaded Rock. Everyone is working on it. However hunger has dropped, since I think they are getting full.
There has been concern that Conch may not be getting enough food without a large sandbed. (Watch Conch. He seems to be wandering away from Sandbed).

Moving on to extra experiments.

As per photo below, nature is kicking in. The tank is starting algae on glass, and also on white egg crate. Look brown to me.

I also added some Purple Sea weed to see if any citters are interested and will eat.

BTW. Work on the movie continues. These creature are amazing in TimeLapse. They are natural stars, and seem to do thing just right to enhance the plot.

 

[Wally.B]

Algae Scrubber Update on SPS tank

So this thread is back to my tank. The other thread will be my Algae Experiment.

Here is an update on ATS. Took a look inside today.

I've been running it at 12 hours ON. And Chaeto hasn't bleached. Hard to tell it it's grown much.

PLUS some Green Algae is starting to show up on rough surface.

Time to crank up the photoperiod to 14 hours. And check in a few days.

 

[Wally.B]

Cheato Algae Piece (GROWTH) in Sump Return Catch (No effort result)

For those of you who have followed this Tank thread, you may remember my attempt to start a mini Refugium in my Sump.

I just threw in some Cheato and a light above.

Things didn't work out. The Cheato constantly got crap build up, and never grew much.

So I cleaned & broke up what Chaeto I had left and threw a small piece into my other Tanks sump.

No light other than room lighting and light from nearby tank.

Well I just took a peek at that piece and it's doing quite well.

Sometimes things work out without any special efforts.

 

[Wally.B]

ALGAE WARS (MOVIE) - Pre-Release (Galaxy Map) HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

Some hesitation at first but thought it would be a treat to release the Galaxy Map from the Algae Wars Movie - Episode I

Doesn't give much away, but you get the setting.

See you in 2016.

Happy New Year and MAY THE FORCE OF TANK STABILITY be with you.

WallyB.

 

[westreef]

I love to read this thread. You always make it so colorful and entertaining.

May the force be with you, Happy and successful reef keeping New Year!!!

 

[Wally.B]

Algae Wars (ENDING).....

Of Course I would never reveal the Ending of the Algae Wars Movie.

However I'll be including this into the Ending Somehow.

The Algae War for me is Over.

With going back to work tomorrow, and a new 2016 year.
I decided to spend today overhauling the Algae Infested Tank.

Was surprised to see how my Coralline had grown under the GHA.

(Also While cleaning I found about 30 empty Snail Snails, which the DiamondWatch Golby has stocked in a cave)

Took about 8 hours, but I wanted to be thorough.

This is the new look for 2016. Still clearing up....(I'll post a photo when it does and MH light on)

I like the new layout. So do the fish so far.


BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Wally.B]

Tank's Fresh New Look (Lights ON)

Water cleared up quickly , so I couldn't resist turning on MH Lights for a few minutes..

 

[Wally.B]

Moving forward (Algae Prevention)


So tank is nice and 99.9% Algae Free. I want it that way for long term.

So these are my 5 steps for Algae Prevention:

1) Control My Feeding of Fish & Corals. ** TOP PRIORITY **

2) I got rid of my Diamond Watch Goby, since he was always making a mess.
Sure great for Sandbed cleaning, but his spraying of Sand everyone was too much. Damaging to Plate Type Corals where sand accumulated..

So I have the Conch, added the Perl Snail and today got a Sand Sifting Starfish.

3) For Algae Cleanup on rocks and some Valonia Bubble Algae I noticed during cleaning, I am bringing back the Emerald Crab from the Sump.

4) The Algae Scrubber is Running and starting to slowly build up Alage

5) As I plan to add more fish, I am adding a Bio Filter, similar to my wall of Live Rock in other Tank's sump.

 

[Wally.B]

OFFICE LOOKS MUCH Better WITHOUT (ALGAE VIEW) to Finish off Algae Wars Movie

I'm more in the mood to finish the Algae Wars Movie, looking at my Office Tank.

Problem is that I want to make the movie better, so will take longer.

 

[reefmutt]

Very nice new scape, Wally!
Lets hope it stays clean..
That shot makes it look like the tank is sitting on your desk.

 

[Wally.B]

Very nice new scape, Wally!
Lets hope it stays clean..
That shot makes it look like the tank is sitting on your desk.

Thanks.

I gave my wife and kids all my Amino's and Coral Foods, and told them to hide in a safe place. Keeps me out of Algae Bloom Troubles.

 

[neededahobby]

like the new scape - quick question
did you hide the long wavemaker pump that was at the center top down low behind the new scape or get rid of it?

 

[Wally.B]

like the new scape - quick question
did you hide the long wavemaker pump that was at the center top down low behind the new scape or get rid of it?

(NEW CIRCULATION Setup for New Rock Scape)

I see you are paying attention. Yes, I redid the circulation setup for new setup.

In last photo, I didn't have Gyre back. I was soaking it as I did other things in Vinegar, and then Double soaked with "Cords" in Hydrogen Peroxide for full Algae clean up. Plus I redid the Gyre paddles for No Gyre Alternating A/A Paddle setup, to get Max power in Forward.

As shown below, I did hide pumps better with new rockscape.

Gyre is on Left pushing across tank. For now 80% forward, and 90% quick pulse (on a custom Built Mode Shifting Controller). Gyre OFF at night, while Koralia's do mix wonders combined with Sea Swirl Return, via Apex Controllable DC Waveline 10000. This DC pump can make my Overflow SCREAM at 60%!!

The tank now rocks with Circulation Power. But with wide distributed Random flows, That don't knock corals over, and fish swim well with places to hide during any major thrust combos. You can see the sand dune in the middle result of a Power Sweep Storm.

Also now with DiamondBack Goby gone, I can push circulation more since sand isn't flying constantly. I hated that, and had to back off, under-utilizing my circulation potential.

I think fish appreciate the new setup. Same for Corals. Me too!

 

[Wally.B]

DONT MISS OUT ON THE ALGAE WARS MOVIE (Teaser Trailer Announcement)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24232802#post24232802

WallyB.

 

[Wally.B]

Glad I got rid of the Diamond Watchman Goby (Rocks staying clean)

I do miss the Diamond Watchman Goby, since he was always fun to watch shifting the sand.

But even into a few days of new tank, I notice the change without him.

Water is clearer, without him constantly throwing up the sand, during strong circulation.

Rocks are not getting dusted with gravel, constantly. Even worse on the corals.

I see that all the constant detiritus type covering of rocks, and suspension of nutrients, was probably a contributing factor for GHA starting on rocks. Not the only reason, but I've always seen GHA attach to detritus first, compared to clean live rock areas.

I'll probably never have sand as clean as I had, a year from now.
One trade off for another.

Now I do need more fish to keep processed nutrient in tank, or I'll go back quickly to pale corals.
He was a big fish, ate stuff in sand, and a massive appetite during feeding time.

He needs to be quickly replaced. Not sure what.

Still waiting for my Black Capped Basset fish, my wish list fish (on order). On the small side, so need more.

 

[Wally.B]

New Clean Tank (Project resurrection ) Carbon Dosing (Vinegar/Vodka)

So this project has been on the backburner for a while. Time to restart.

I don't Dose A/B in my other tank. Just adjust Alk/Calc every month or so. It is mostly LPS tank (no SPS), so doesn't matter if there are swings.

However I did get parts a while ago (from China) to dose.

- I got this 3 part container,, from China Fish-Street. Looks great (Cheaper than many singles on market), but #3 unit container had no purpose, till now.
- (Some people dose Mag, but I find it unnecessary), and I dare not even think Coral Additives (NO NO for me)

- The pumps were bought a year ago, cheapo china ones, for a project some day.

Should be easy to setup, with Pumps and my Apex.

I did dose Vinegar (for 4+ months) after re-building the last tank, during Fallow stage, and it's been great ever since.

So thinking our starting Dosing Vinegar on this tank, since it's re-freshed clean. Also with Biol Wall, dosing Carbon will bring up bacteria.

I still have this Vinegar Dosing Ramp Up table that I used last time, Paper stuck on my wall. Don't have the original URL, so if anyone has a link please provide.

Anyone have any thoughts on Vinegar dosing (for this SPS tank) ?

Any warnings?

- Actually, I just thought of WARNING #1 (Place dosing containers low, till I trust these Cheap dosing pumps. Don't want a siphon draining the dosing container, since tube goes to bottom)

 

[cferrell7100]

This has been a interesting thread. I have learned a lot as I have had some of the same problems but things are getting better. This could be a tv show lol. Keep it up Wally

 

[Wally.B]

POST-GHA Cleanup Tank/Coral Reference

As in the past, I'm capturing a snapshot in time of my tank, post the GHA clean up.

This will allow me to compare progress in the future. (Will post a overhead shot shortly)

Some corals were GHA suffocated, and have damage (marked in Photo), so I will be watching them closely, if needing pruning.

I find posting on Reef Forum an better TimeCapsule/Time Reference, since my photo's over time are difficult to find.



(CORAL ID#'s)

(Tank Corals #'s (LED White))

(Tank Corals (LED Blue (Reference White Balance))

This directly above photo was taken using Manual White Balance on camera, with a White Reference Shot (under Blue LED Strip)
It better shows the coral tissue conditions, where living, and where damage is.


Over next while, I will be monitoring these 3 conditions:

- Coral Growth
- Coral Coloration
- Coral Self Healthing


Till Next Checkpoint. WallyB

 

[Wally.B]

I think I may have found the Cause of my Green Hair Algae Outbreaks.

It all goes back a while ago. When someone mentioned after a year+ of having this SPS tank running that my Rocks and Pumps had very little Coralline on them. Person recommended increasing Potassium.

However without a test kit for K, I really didn't want to start. So I got lazy and bought ZeoVit Potassium Iodide AutoElements, which is a automatic Tablet like product, which doses small amounts of both Trace Elements automatically.

But around the time before this last crazy Alage Bloom, I started doing more frequent Water Changes with Topic Marine PRO Salt. Went from Monthly water changes to weekly.

I think the water changes brought up my Pottassium to good levels, but the dosing was still happening. And what I just read is TOO MUCH POTASSIUM will lead to Alage bloom.

There is a clue, that support this theory. Remember my rocks for over a year didn't get much coralline (I wondered why). But after this last GHA outbreak I finally broke down and scrubbed the rocks. Under the GHA the rocks were dramatically covered in Purple and Red Coralline like never before.

Thus it could be that the Elevated levels of Potassium gave me GHA and Coralline. (I only wanted one )

Proof is that my PO4 was low (0.02) and same with Nitrate (1-5ppm), and I thought that was due to Algae absorbing it. (true, but Potassium could have been fueling the bloom).

SO I REALLY NEED A Potassium Kit. I hear Elos is hard to read, Salifert is delayed with production come back. Other are insane to do.

Anyone know of any good, reliable and easy to do Potassium test kits. Read somewhere there is one from Europe.