Higher Calcium Level for SPS Growth? (vs Health)
- Thread starter Wally.B
- Start date
Wally.B
Active member
Matt,
I hear you.
I am going to replace that Turbo Snail. He won 3rd place in the Experiment.
Isn't enough growing to bring back the SeaHare (yet), but if needed I will.
I do have that Crowie in the Sump, but don't trust his with Corals.
Waiting for the Emerald to also move around. He's busy in his Favourite hang out spot.
I do need a replacement fish for he missing Diamond Watchman Goby. Maybe a grazing fish of some sort.
Watching closely, since I won't let the GHA come back more than a smidgen.
Other than the little bit of GHA, the tank is looking better each day. Coraline seems to be coloring up really fast across the rocks.
I hear you.
I am going to replace that Turbo Snail. He won 3rd place in the Experiment.
Isn't enough growing to bring back the SeaHare (yet), but if needed I will.
I do have that Crowie in the Sump, but don't trust his with Corals.
Waiting for the Emerald to also move around. He's busy in his Favourite hang out spot.
I do need a replacement fish for he missing Diamond Watchman Goby. Maybe a grazing fish of some sort.
Watching closely, since I won't let the GHA come back more than a smidgen.
Other than the little bit of GHA, the tank is looking better each day. Coraline seems to be coloring up really fast across the rocks.
Wally.B
Active member
Algae Prevention (Take 2) (Snails, Lighting), Skimmer was plugged a bit
So I quickly went and got a Turbo Snail and a few others for a total of 6 more snails.
Did this, since the GHA is really coming back (like never before after a cleanup). Very thin, but all over.
As you say Matt, Grazing this stuff will help control it while tank adjusts.
I also flipped the Ballast on MH lights from 175W to 150W, rather than changing Photo Period, or Light Height.
Then just now decided to check the skimmer since after cleanup it wasn't doing as good. Figured it was lack of all that GHA crap.
But found out why the bubbles didn't appear as fine. Some of the Cheato broke off and was plugging the Skimmer input, reducing it's efficiency.
All corrected and moving forward, again. I hope. Bit worried, since I don't want a scrub on my hands in a couple of weeks.
Last resort, if needed, is hire that Sea Hare again, but for the this tank. (Will need a bit more Algae than I have now).
So I quickly went and got a Turbo Snail and a few others for a total of 6 more snails.
Did this, since the GHA is really coming back (like never before after a cleanup). Very thin, but all over.
As you say Matt, Grazing this stuff will help control it while tank adjusts.
I also flipped the Ballast on MH lights from 175W to 150W, rather than changing Photo Period, or Light Height.
Then just now decided to check the skimmer since after cleanup it wasn't doing as good. Figured it was lack of all that GHA crap.
But found out why the bubbles didn't appear as fine. Some of the Cheato broke off and was plugging the Skimmer input, reducing it's efficiency.
All corrected and moving forward, again. I hope. Bit worried, since I don't want a scrub on my hands in a couple of weeks.
Last resort, if needed, is hire that Sea Hare again, but for the this tank. (Will need a bit more Algae than I have now).
Wally.B
Active member
Maybe this explains it (After Shock Reaction after Scrubbing GHA, and Periphyton?
I wish I could Credit who wrote this, but I got this from SantaMonica Filtration the maker of my Algae Scrubber. I was asking if I should scrub my rocks before starting the ATS and they forwarded this to me in a email.
It makes sense, and I tried to holding back on scrubbing. But it became insane.
READ THIS:
What is Periphyton?
Periphyton is what turns your rocks different colors. You know... the white rocks you started with in SW, or the grey rocks (or brown wood) you started with in FW. After several months or years, the rocks become a variety of different colors and textures. Why? Because the periphyton that has grown on it is a mix of different living things, of different colors, and thicknesses. And the important part is: It is LIVING.
That's right: The colored stuff that has coated your rocks is all living organisms. Sponges, microbes, algae, cyano, biofilms, and of course coralline. After all, "peri" means "around the outside", and "phyto" means "plant". Ever slipped in a slippery puddle? That's probably periphyton that made it slippery. It's a very thin coating on the rocks, sometimes paper thin.
There is a lot of photosynthetic organisms in periphyton, and this of course means that they need light; but they need nutrients too (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate). And as you might figure, they will be on the lighted portions of the rocks. And they will grow to intercept food particles in the water, based on the water flow. Just think about how sponges orient their holes for water flow; the micro sponges in periphyton do it too but on a tiny scale.
What about under the rocks, in the dark areas? Well these periphyton don't get light, so they are primarily filter feeders. So they REALLY grow and position themselves to be able to intercept food particles. And they don't really need to fight off algae, because algae does not grow in the dark, so they have no need for anti-algae tactics like plants in illuminated areas have.
Reef studies have shown that at certain depths, more of the filtering of the water comes from periphyton and benthic algae than comes from the phytoplankton which filters the deeper water. And in streams, almost all the filtering is done by periphyton. So, what you have on rocks that are "mature" or "established" is a well-developed layer of periphyton; and all the things that comes from it.
This is why mandarin fish can eat directly off the rocks of an "established" tank (tons of pods grow in the periphyton), but not on the rocks of a new tank. Or why some animals can lay their eggs on established rocks, but not new ones. Or why established tanks seem to "yo-yo" less than new ones. Even tangs can eat periphyton directly when it's thick enough. Yes periphyton can also develop on the sand, but since the sand is moved around so much, the periphyton does not get visible like it does on rocks. So thick periphyton on established rocks is your friend. And totally natural too. Keep in mind though I'm not referring to nuisance algae on rocks; I'm only referring to the very-thin layer of coloring that coats the rocks.
But what happens when you "scrape the stuff off your rocks"? Well you remove some of the periphyton, which means you remove some of your natural filter and food producer. What if you take the rocks out and scrub them? Well now you not only remove more of your natural filter and food producer, but the air is going to kill even more of the microscopic sponges in it. And what if you bleach the rocks? Well, goodbye all filtering and food producing for another year. It's an instant reduction of the natural filtering that the periphyton was providing.
However, what if you just re-arrange the rocks? Well, some of the periphyton that was in the light, now will be in the dark; so this part will die. And some of the periphyton that was in the dark will now be in the light, so it will not be able to out-compete photosynthetic growth and thus will be covered and die too. And even if the light stays the same, the direction and amount of water flow (and food particles) will change; sponges that were oriented to get food particles from one direction will now starve. So since the light and food supply is cut off, the filtering that the periphyton was providing stops almost immediately, due only to the re-arranging of the rocks.
Starvation takes a little longer. The periphyton organisms won't die immediately, since they have some energy saved up; but instead, they will wither away over several weeks. So on top of the instant reduction in filtering that you get by just moving the rocks, you get a somewhat stretched-out period of nutrients going back into the water. And after all this, it takes another long period of time for the periphyton to build up to the levels it was at before: 1 to 2 years. Even changing the direction of a powerhead will affect the food particle supply in the area it used to be pointed at.
So a good idea is to try to keep everything the same. Pick your lighting, flow, layout, and try to never move or change anything. It's a different way of thinking, but you should have a stronger natural filter and food producer because of it.
Phosphate flow out of rocks
Many people, when they get their scrubber running for the first time, get worried when more (not less) algae starts to grow on their rocks. It seems really strange, especially when nitrate and phosphate have gone lower than before. What is happening is that phosphate is coming out of the rocks. Remember, phosphate is invisible, so you can only see the effects of it, and it always "flows" from higher concentrations to lower concentrations (just like heat does).
Example: If your room is warm, and you put a cold object on the floor, heat from the air in the room will "flow" into the object until the object and the air are the same temperature. Example 2: If you put a hot object on the floor, heat will "flow" out of the object and go into the air in the room, again, until the air and the object are the same temperature. Now suppose you open your windows (in the winter). The warm air in your room will go out the windows, and it will get colder in the room. The object on the floor is now warmer than the air, so heat will flow out of the object and into the air, and then out the window.
Think of phosphate as the heat, and your rocks as the object, and your windows as the scrubber. As the scrubber pulls phosphate out of the water, the phosphate level in the water drops. Now, since the phosphate level in the water is lower than the phosphate level in the rocks, phosphate flows from the rocks into the water, and then from the water into the scrubber. This continues until the phosphate levels in the rocks and water are level again. And remember, you can't see this invisible flow.
This flow causes an interesting thing to happen. As the phosphate comes out of the rocks, it then becomes available to feed algae as soon as the phosphate reaches the surface of the rocks where there is light. So, since the surface of the rocks is rough and has light, it starts growing MORE algae there (not less) as the phosphate comes out of the rocks. This is a pretty amazing thing to see for the first time, because if you did not know what was happening you would probably think that the algae in the scrubber was leaking out and attaching to your rocks. Here are the signs of phosphate coming out of the rocks:
1. The rocks are older, and have slowly developed algae problems in the past year.
2. The scrubber is new, maybe only a few months old, and has recently started to grow well.
3. Nitrate and phosphate measurements in the water are low, usually the lowest they have been in a long time.
4. Green hair algae (not brown) on the rocks has increased in certain spots, usually on corners and protrusions at the top.
5. The glass has not needed cleaning as much.
Since skimmers, filter socks, etc don't remove any nitrate and phosphate, and waterchanges and macro's in a fuge don't remove much, most people have never seen the effects of large amounts of phosphate coming out of the rocks quickly. But sure enough, it does. How long does it continue? For 2 months to a year, depending on how much phosphate is in the rocks, how strong your scrubber is, and how many other phosphate-removing filters you have (GFO, carbon dosing, etc). But one day you will see patches of white rock that were covered in green hair the day before; this is a sure sign that the algae are losing their phosphate supply from the rocks and can no longer hold on. Now it's just a matter of days before the rocks are clear.
Make sense eh? But I did scrub my other tank last year. It did aftershock a bit, but eventually stabilized and is Alage free for about a year. Hoping the same for this one.
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Wally.B
Active member
NEW Testing / Monitoring (Organics)
I guess I didn't have the patience to leave things alone with my GHA to die off Naturally. (I simply couldn't, since it was killing my Corals).
I do have hope with the following:
- Algae Scrubber this time
- New Bio Wall (Tomorrow my Order for Zeo Bak Arrives, and I'll be seedng the tank with Nutrient Feeding Bacteria)
- I Have started Dosing Vinegar (Carbon)
- I am running GFO 24/7 (Forget wanting readable PO4 for now) .
Plus this KIT arrived today and will start using it.
Never knew this kit existed, till I found it online last week.
- Will be interesting to see what reading I get.
- Will be interesting to compare kit reading to my other Tank which is Algae free and only 1 fish.
- Will be interesting what kit reads as (ATS, BioFilter, and Carbon Dosing) start doing for this tank.
Stay tuned....
I guess I didn't have the patience to leave things alone with my GHA to die off Naturally. (I simply couldn't, since it was killing my Corals).
I do have hope with the following:
- Algae Scrubber this time
- New Bio Wall (Tomorrow my Order for Zeo Bak Arrives, and I'll be seedng the tank with Nutrient Feeding Bacteria)
- I Have started Dosing Vinegar (Carbon)
- I am running GFO 24/7 (Forget wanting readable PO4 for now) .
Plus this KIT arrived today and will start using it.
Never knew this kit existed, till I found it online last week.
- Will be interesting to see what reading I get.
- Will be interesting to compare kit reading to my other Tank which is Algae free and only 1 fish.
- Will be interesting what kit reads as (ATS, BioFilter, and Carbon Dosing) start doing for this tank.
Stay tuned....
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Wally.B
Active member
FULL WATER TESTS (Multi-Tank) Results
So to compare I did a full test on both tanks, and also did the Organic test on the Tank Which I scrubbed my rocks (still not cleaned, and sitting with waste water).
The ORG test is not very granular. Basically has GOOD, and BAD result.
However it does show that the Scrub Tank has High ORG Content, but that tank is inhabitable and nothing would do well in there.
My LPS (no Algae ever) tank has a bit higher ORG value than my SPS tank (so SPS tank should be fine).
- The other interesting result is PO4
- My Just Cleaned SPS Tank after running P04 reactor (1 week) still has PO4 which should be accurate since not much GHA
- Also interesting is my LPS tank which hasn't had a PO4 reactor running on it for a year has somewhat acceptable PO4 (but only 1 fish)
SUMMARY:
My SPS tank is fine, and needs to stabilize after the clean up.
Going to open up the ATS and see how much Algae is in there now.
So to compare I did a full test on both tanks, and also did the Organic test on the Tank Which I scrubbed my rocks (still not cleaned, and sitting with waste water).
The ORG test is not very granular. Basically has GOOD, and BAD result.
However it does show that the Scrub Tank has High ORG Content, but that tank is inhabitable and nothing would do well in there.
My LPS (no Algae ever) tank has a bit higher ORG value than my SPS tank (so SPS tank should be fine).
- The other interesting result is PO4
- My Just Cleaned SPS Tank after running P04 reactor (1 week) still has PO4 which should be accurate since not much GHA
- Also interesting is my LPS tank which hasn't had a PO4 reactor running on it for a year has somewhat acceptable PO4 (but only 1 fish)
SUMMARY:
My SPS tank is fine, and needs to stabilize after the clean up.
Going to open up the ATS and see how much Algae is in there now.
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andriytheaaa
New member
How is your magnesium?
Wally.B
Active member
Table above says how much Magnesium. MAG=1300 ppm
My goal is to always be over 1250, and below 1400. Over a bit is ok. Under is not.
Wally.B
Active member
New Fish (SailFin Tang) in QT (Replacement for Diamond Watchman Goby)
So as mentioned, I wanted to quickly get a food eating fish back into my Tank since Diamond Watchman is gone.
I'd love a Powder Blue, or Brown tang, but they really need a larger tank.
So today came across a Medium Size - Very Healthy/Good Looking SailFin Tang. They are one of the Smaller Tangs, but Fins make them look bigger.
I'm sure My Established Yellow Tang will put up a fuss, but this Fish should hopefully hold up his ground.
He may peck at the algae, we'll see.
I do plan during QT to make sure he learns to Pellets (which I have JARS of since most of my other fish wont).
So as mentioned, I wanted to quickly get a food eating fish back into my Tank since Diamond Watchman is gone.
I'd love a Powder Blue, or Brown tang, but they really need a larger tank.
So today came across a Medium Size - Very Healthy/Good Looking SailFin Tang. They are one of the Smaller Tangs, but Fins make them look bigger.
I'm sure My Established Yellow Tang will put up a fuss, but this Fish should hopefully hold up his ground.
He may peck at the algae, we'll see.
I do plan during QT to make sure he learns to Pellets (which I have JARS of since most of my other fish wont).
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Wally.B
Active member
ALGAE HUNGER WARS (Part II-The Algae Factory) Experiment REVERSE (Let it grow!!)
So I was about to drain and clean the Rock Scrubbing tank from the Hunger Wars Experiment, when I got an idea.
The tank is a GhostTown, with all the left over crap.
My cleaned up tank is starting to show a bit of GHA return. This may be part of a normal cycle.
However, I realized that the scrubbing tank may be an opportunity to see what makes Algae grow.
So I'm going to run it under the Worst Display Tank conditions, which normally are hard to simulate.
I have the following:
TANK with:
1) High Organic Content
2) High Nitrate Level
3) High PO4 Level
4) MH Light Bulb that are old
5) Crappy skimmer
6) Have some of my most feared Additives (Amino's)
I am going to run this tank and play with it, to see what really makes Algae grow.
Stay tuned and for future updates, it will be on the Hunger Wars Thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2546250&page=4
So I was about to drain and clean the Rock Scrubbing tank from the Hunger Wars Experiment, when I got an idea.
The tank is a GhostTown, with all the left over crap.
My cleaned up tank is starting to show a bit of GHA return. This may be part of a normal cycle.
However, I realized that the scrubbing tank may be an opportunity to see what makes Algae grow.
So I'm going to run it under the Worst Display Tank conditions, which normally are hard to simulate.
I have the following:
TANK with:
1) High Organic Content
2) High Nitrate Level
3) High PO4 Level
4) MH Light Bulb that are old
5) Crappy skimmer
6) Have some of my most feared Additives (Amino's)
I am going to run this tank and play with it, to see what really makes Algae grow.
Stay tuned and for future updates, it will be on the Hunger Wars Thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2546250&page=4
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Wally.B
Active member
INSPIRATION during The Painful Wait (Algae Cycle)
So the Algae is creeping back slowly. I say SLOWLY. So this may be ok. (The Encouraging Good news is Corals look great. All Polyps fully extended)
However it is painful to see a perfectly Algae Free TANK fading from Corraline Only Rock greatness.
I did get some inspiration this weekend, after visiting a great SPS store.
They have some of the nicest, colorful and rare SPS corals I've ever seen.
Most of their frags are from the own grown Colonies.
Every Frag I bought from this store (in past) has done extremely well.
Never went brown, and still is doing well (even after this last Algae Bloom).
I think the key is purchasing Aquacultured Corals VS Wild Corals. (As least for Learners like me)
I picked up one more very small frag (Green type).
What I learned from their setup is their simplicity.
1) They use strictly T5's for Lighting. No Fancy LED, and no Intense MH.
2) They do water changes regularly with plain Instant Ocean Salt (not Reef Crystals).
3) For Calcium & Alkalinity and trace Elements they Dose ESV B-Ionic. No other additives, (Mag Levels are kept up with the Water Changes)
4) And they have quite a few Large Fish within their 3 systems, (which they feed a lot)
5) Their only nutrient export is a Skimmer.
I'm going to follow that approach.
1) I just converted my A/B dosing to two bottles of ESV B-Ionic. (My Randy's HomeMade A/B was running out anyway)
2) I'll continue to use the salt I have for now (Tropic Marine Pro), which also has a Low Alk (ideal for dosing). Tropic Marine Pro is Pricey, and next salt purchase will be Instant Ocean (regular).
3) New Fish is in Quarentine so Fish load will go up.
4a) I will continue NOT TO DO ANY ADDITITIVES (except my ZeoBak, and Vinegar) for Bacteria. Maybe a bit of Zeovit Sponge Power (which I started for my other LPS tank)
They also pointed me to a really good article about SPS corals and Coloration and taking baby step from Easiest to Hardest Colors.
4b) Once I get my Yellows and Green SPS stable, I'll move into other more advanced Colors (as per this Article).
Failure in past was getting Purple, Blue & Pink Acro's (which I really like), but most difficult to maintain. And now they are all brown.
ARTICLE (Just Google) Guide-of-sps-coral-coloration-make-them-more-vivid-bright (Some reason I can't put the URL here for R E E F B U I L D E R S Site) (Does Reef Central Censor certain URL's)
I also picked up some more snails (various mixes (Cerith's etc), and 1 more Mexican Turbo for grazing the slowly growing Alage. and a couple of Medium Nassarus's for the Sand bed)
Also hoping the Snails, Algae Scrubber, and Vinegar dosing overcomes the Algae recovery and it ends once and for all.
So the Algae is creeping back slowly. I say SLOWLY. So this may be ok. (The Encouraging Good news is Corals look great. All Polyps fully extended)
However it is painful to see a perfectly Algae Free TANK fading from Corraline Only Rock greatness.
I did get some inspiration this weekend, after visiting a great SPS store.
They have some of the nicest, colorful and rare SPS corals I've ever seen.
Most of their frags are from the own grown Colonies.
Every Frag I bought from this store (in past) has done extremely well.
Never went brown, and still is doing well (even after this last Algae Bloom).
I think the key is purchasing Aquacultured Corals VS Wild Corals. (As least for Learners like me)
I picked up one more very small frag (Green type).
What I learned from their setup is their simplicity.
1) They use strictly T5's for Lighting. No Fancy LED, and no Intense MH.
2) They do water changes regularly with plain Instant Ocean Salt (not Reef Crystals).
3) For Calcium & Alkalinity and trace Elements they Dose ESV B-Ionic. No other additives, (Mag Levels are kept up with the Water Changes)
4) And they have quite a few Large Fish within their 3 systems, (which they feed a lot)
5) Their only nutrient export is a Skimmer.
I'm going to follow that approach.
1) I just converted my A/B dosing to two bottles of ESV B-Ionic. (My Randy's HomeMade A/B was running out anyway)
2) I'll continue to use the salt I have for now (Tropic Marine Pro), which also has a Low Alk (ideal for dosing). Tropic Marine Pro is Pricey, and next salt purchase will be Instant Ocean (regular).
3) New Fish is in Quarentine so Fish load will go up.
4a) I will continue NOT TO DO ANY ADDITITIVES (except my ZeoBak, and Vinegar) for Bacteria. Maybe a bit of Zeovit Sponge Power (which I started for my other LPS tank)
They also pointed me to a really good article about SPS corals and Coloration and taking baby step from Easiest to Hardest Colors.
4b) Once I get my Yellows and Green SPS stable, I'll move into other more advanced Colors (as per this Article).
Failure in past was getting Purple, Blue & Pink Acro's (which I really like), but most difficult to maintain. And now they are all brown.
ARTICLE (Just Google) Guide-of-sps-coral-coloration-make-them-more-vivid-bright (Some reason I can't put the URL here for R E E F B U I L D E R S Site) (Does Reef Central Censor certain URL's)
I also picked up some more snails (various mixes (Cerith's etc), and 1 more Mexican Turbo for grazing the slowly growing Alage. and a couple of Medium Nassarus's for the Sand bed)
Also hoping the Snails, Algae Scrubber, and Vinegar dosing overcomes the Algae recovery and it ends once and for all.
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Wally.B
Active member
Another Motivator during this Challenging Time for (SPS Tank), is Kitchen Tank doing Great (Finally have figured out Zoa's).
After Months of trying to get Zoa's to stay Alive, I finally figured it out. (Slow Lighting Acclimatation, and Weekly Feeding).
Just this weekend I've moved them up on to Rocks for Final Placement, and new Location appears to be acceptable by all.
(Zoa's have been sitting on Bottom and in shady spots for weeks, and just last week I slowly brought them into Full Lighting).
The Zoa's are still on Egg crate Plug Tracks, but if they like their placements, they will be glued down.
Yup. Just one fish (far left). He is a HawkFish who I added to clean up all the critters that were also Aggravating the Zoa's. He did a great job, and is pretty Fat from all that work. I feed him almost nothing.
I always ponder if I should throw in a SPS frag into this tank (Since Main Lighting is T5's and a Kessil), plus no Algae. But the chemistry/nutrients might not be ideal.
After Months of trying to get Zoa's to stay Alive, I finally figured it out. (Slow Lighting Acclimatation, and Weekly Feeding).
Just this weekend I've moved them up on to Rocks for Final Placement, and new Location appears to be acceptable by all.
(Zoa's have been sitting on Bottom and in shady spots for weeks, and just last week I slowly brought them into Full Lighting).
The Zoa's are still on Egg crate Plug Tracks, but if they like their placements, they will be glued down.
Yup. Just one fish (far left). He is a HawkFish who I added to clean up all the critters that were also Aggravating the Zoa's. He did a great job, and is pretty Fat from all that work. I feed him almost nothing.
I always ponder if I should throw in a SPS frag into this tank (Since Main Lighting is T5's and a Kessil), plus no Algae. But the chemistry/nutrients might not be ideal.
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Wally.B
Active member
Another Time Lapse YOUTube Video. (CUC cleaning a bit better with more Snails)
After adding few more snails, cleaning appears to be better.
Still see some GHA spots, but Snails haven't quite covered the whole tank yet.
Don't want to add too many snail, since if this works, and ATS kicks in, they may not have enough to eat (Turbo's in Particular).
https://youtu.be/YwETO3D29wU
After adding few more snails, cleaning appears to be better.
Still see some GHA spots, but Snails haven't quite covered the whole tank yet.
Don't want to add too many snail, since if this works, and ATS kicks in, they may not have enough to eat (Turbo's in Particular).
https://youtu.be/YwETO3D29wU
Wally.B
Active member
SAILFIN Tang has Died in QT
So this is a first for me, but value of doing proper Quarantine is Proven.
I've never lost a fish so quickly, but I do feel very responsible since there was an accident when I brought the fish home.
The bag with the fish slipped out of my hand as I was attempting to cut it open. Store didn't put much water in, and I think it got banged around pretty bad since it did fall from about 3 feet on a hard floor (Bag ruptured). At first it didn't appear hurt, but I knew the following day/s that it wasn't doing well. (Must have been the shock, or internal organ damage). When it died it did have kind of bruise or marks on one side.
Quite unfortunate, and two lessons learned. Handle slippery bags more carefully, and glad I did proper QT, and not introduced into tank since that would have been worse. (Who knows, it may have not been the drop, but I did properly drip the fish, and QT was properly done).
Time to find another replacement. It may not be another Sailfin just because of this bad memory.
So this is a first for me, but value of doing proper Quarantine is Proven.
I've never lost a fish so quickly, but I do feel very responsible since there was an accident when I brought the fish home.
The bag with the fish slipped out of my hand as I was attempting to cut it open. Store didn't put much water in, and I think it got banged around pretty bad since it did fall from about 3 feet on a hard floor (Bag ruptured). At first it didn't appear hurt, but I knew the following day/s that it wasn't doing well. (Must have been the shock, or internal organ damage). When it died it did have kind of bruise or marks on one side.
Quite unfortunate, and two lessons learned. Handle slippery bags more carefully, and glad I did proper QT, and not introduced into tank since that would have been worse. (Who knows, it may have not been the drop, but I did properly drip the fish, and QT was properly done).
Time to find another replacement. It may not be another Sailfin just because of this bad memory.
Wally.B
Active member
Post Cleanup (Update) SPS Tank (Algae stable), 3 new Frags (Green&Yellow Acros)
So that initial Algae burst subsided, and isn't growing anymore. Just growing where I didn't scrub enough. (No new growth!! Yahoo)
Coralline continue to get better across the rocks.
I feel confident enough that I added a couple of new frags. (TOP of Tank)
Picked One Yellow and two Green since really want to make sure I get the easy colors to stay stable, and grow.
What is interesting is some of my original YELLOW corals are now Green (So need to work on that).
One of the Digi Coral Tips broke off (Fish impact), so for fun, I placed it into my other LPS/mix Tank to see how it does.
So that initial Algae burst subsided, and isn't growing anymore. Just growing where I didn't scrub enough. (No new growth!! Yahoo)
Coralline continue to get better across the rocks.
I feel confident enough that I added a couple of new frags. (TOP of Tank)
Picked One Yellow and two Green since really want to make sure I get the easy colors to stay stable, and grow.
What is interesting is some of my original YELLOW corals are now Green (So need to work on that).
One of the Digi Coral Tips broke off (Fish impact), so for fun, I placed it into my other LPS/mix Tank to see how it does.
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Wally.B
Active member
ALGAE SCRUBBER UPDATE (Week 3) WOW! Kicking In
Picture says it all. Been running last week at 18 hours Light On.
Must be doing something to help!! If not growing in here, it would be growing n my rocks!!
Hard to tell in the pictures, but the Algae harvest is a very thick/dense clump. That tangled itself around the Cheato Piece.
Removing Cheato for next round.
Picture says it all. Been running last week at 18 hours Light On.
Must be doing something to help!! If not growing in here, it would be growing n my rocks!!
Hard to tell in the pictures, but the Algae harvest is a very thick/dense clump. That tangled itself around the Cheato Piece.
Removing Cheato for next round.
Last edited:
moatdaddy
New member
Hey wally. Read from start to finish and let me begin with a thank you. You loading pictures. Doing comparisons, highlighting and describing them speaks volumes to your dedication. I am not here to point out x or y to change your growth outcome. I do have a question. In the time from march to now your growth is still slow. I have read over another sps growth build in this forum.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2470271&page=24
What is your guess to his overwhelming growth compared to your results? You and shin are both maticoulus reefers to an ocd practicality in my opinion. I once again thank you for your input and wish you the best of luck on your growth.
Brandon
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2470271&page=24
What is your guess to his overwhelming growth compared to your results? You and shin are both maticoulus reefers to an ocd practicality in my opinion. I once again thank you for your input and wish you the best of luck on your growth.
Brandon
Wally.B
Active member
Hey Brandon,
Thanks for that thread. I'm reading it bit by bit. Nice setup he has. (Read where his PAR numbers were SUPER HIGH. Almost Impossible for T5).
-(1) Yes, my corals are growing too slow. I figure it is lack of fish (good kind of nutrients), which I want to work on.
- (2) Plus my algae problems of recent past, due to wrong kind of nutrition (Coral Feeding).
- (3a) And since My Algae has been a problem (I am not reaching my Lighting Potential, both lowering lights and Photoperiod)
- (3b) I'm actually now running my MH bulbs at 2x150W to simmer down Algae. I could be running 2x 175W, 2x 250W (but can't since Algae goes nuts).
I think it's those 3 things above. Since my Chemistry Alk, Calcium, Mag is stable and fine. Trace Elements should be good since I do Tropic Marine Pro Water changes (Almost weekly).
Hoping this ALGAE will end with the ATS and BioWall nutrient Export. Then I'll be able to improve lighting for these SPS corals.
I'm just about to do a Triton Water test on both my Tanks, to possibly find a clue in my chemistry. (maybe none), we'll see.
Just found out Triton Tests are here in Canada (No need for Europe or US for us Canadians anymore).
Just this week, they setup their lab and will be taking tests very soon..(Lucky me, 20 minute drive from my house in the Toronto Area)
Can't wait to do a test, and at least see my parameters in complete analysis detail.
Thanks for that thread. I'm reading it bit by bit. Nice setup he has. (Read where his PAR numbers were SUPER HIGH. Almost Impossible for T5).
-(1) Yes, my corals are growing too slow. I figure it is lack of fish (good kind of nutrients), which I want to work on.
- (2) Plus my algae problems of recent past, due to wrong kind of nutrition (Coral Feeding).
- (3a) And since My Algae has been a problem (I am not reaching my Lighting Potential, both lowering lights and Photoperiod)
- (3b) I'm actually now running my MH bulbs at 2x150W to simmer down Algae. I could be running 2x 175W, 2x 250W (but can't since Algae goes nuts).
I think it's those 3 things above. Since my Chemistry Alk, Calcium, Mag is stable and fine. Trace Elements should be good since I do Tropic Marine Pro Water changes (Almost weekly).
Hoping this ALGAE will end with the ATS and BioWall nutrient Export. Then I'll be able to improve lighting for these SPS corals.
I'm just about to do a Triton Water test on both my Tanks, to possibly find a clue in my chemistry. (maybe none), we'll see.
Just found out Triton Tests are here in Canada (No need for Europe or US for us Canadians anymore).
Just this week, they setup their lab and will be taking tests very soon..(Lucky me, 20 minute drive from my house in the Toronto Area)
Can't wait to do a test, and at least see my parameters in complete analysis detail.
Last edited:
moatdaddy
New member
In his he battles algae also. He doesn't go into depth about his nutrient export. Also his par is so high because that is in essence t5 and a black box of LEDs. Those units are nice but silly expensive. I would say he doses and feed for coral more based on me re reading the thread. In the end its not a one solution fits all. My ultimate guess is you have never had a long photo period longest I read was 6 hours I believe. Natural sunlight is more than double that and I would be curious to see your new PAR numbers. Someone with more SPS experience could chime in. Maybe I'm way off the mark.
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