I'm the worst reefer ever.
- Thread starter NCNBilly
- Start date
No one reads! The low temps are chiefly for the seahorses, as seahorse keepers have found that vibro (a common bacteria, and one that can kill seahorses) multiples and mutates at a much greater rate above 74 degrees than it does below it. Also, my hair algae growth is nil when the tank is down to its lowest temps (69 degrees), without having to cut back on feeding (which, with two seahorses and two mandarins, I do a lot of.)
The tank wouldn't be most people's cup of tea. I have a huge gorgonian; some easy, not very sting-ful LPS; softies like xenia and a very small toadstool; mushrooms and rics. A few not-too-showy inverts (like nass, ceriths, a bigger algae eating snail, a few hermit crabs), two H. erectus seahorses, a pair of mandarins, a naked ocellaris, a blackcap gramma, a Lubbock's fairy wrasse, a pair of copper/red stripe cardinalfish, a coral beauty angelfish, and a citron goby. The naked ocellaris used to be a pair, but then one just disappeared overnight and the next morning one of the dogs had a belly ache.
I just sort of happened upon these seahorses, but want to make the best of it for them. This species is currently being found from FL north to MD, NJ, and NY -- even RI and MA. Historically, they were even found in around Labrador.
My other tanks run a bit warmer than this one, but I don't like to have a normal operating temp that is too high. This house isn't air conditioned, so I need to keep the "normal" temp low just in case the ambient temp would rise during an oppressive heat wave. You can only do so much when the house is 87 degrees....
Welp, the tank is rebounding. My mysterious high Ph is now in the normal range, temps are steady 78.4-78.9. Most of the zoos are open, and for the first time in ages I actually have coralline growth.
NO3 is still pretty high, around 40, but it has been coming down on its own which is what I was looking for. I think I'll probably leave my setup as-is, with no additional stocking until I can get the tank 100% clean.
NO3 is still pretty high, around 40, but it has been coming down on its own which is what I was looking for. I think I'll probably leave my setup as-is, with no additional stocking until I can get the tank 100% clean.
m0nk
Zen through Reefkeeping
Hey man, hope the tank starts coming back together.... sorry to hear about the troubles. I went through the same thing after moving all my best stuff into a 29g in May (had to sell the 180g after getting laid off). I lost a ton of stuff and though I've got the nitrates finally under control, I've got a lot of work to do before the tank will be back to it's former glory.
Best of luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!
Best of luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!
I dose carbon (vodka) and after a year of 0 N03 and 0 P04 I started dosing potassium nitrate to bring my nitrates up. My SPS were pale.
My corals have colored up nicely and the cyano problem i had is now gone. The theory is a nitrate limited tank will grow nuisance algae because they utilize P04 even at low levels in the absence of N03
Nitrate can be a good thing for corals. As long as your P04 is low.
My corals have colored up nicely and the cyano problem i had is now gone. The theory is a nitrate limited tank will grow nuisance algae because they utilize P04 even at low levels in the absence of N03
Nitrate can be a good thing for corals. As long as your P04 is low.
Just to continue this thread, I'm still the worst reefer ever. (Even though I never connected my heater to a light switch).
NO3 is still hovering around 40, I haven't fed Joel's devil damsel in about 2 weeks and the bastard is still fat so I'm assuming he's doing well on his own. However it also shows that my liverock is sand bed are basically worthless at reducing nitrates.
I'm going to take out about half the rock and cook it after my next big water change (tonight or tomorrow).
stephenrsaiz
New member
Nitrates are at 20ppm, which is due to me doing some large water changes. Nice thing is that the snails are become much more active. I took a maxijet and blew out all the crap in the rocks that I could, got a nice layer of crud out.
I also noticed some chaeto growth, which is surprising giving the actual amount that was alive. I don't know if it was flow, bacterial growth, competition or what, but I've never been able to get any real growth. Of course, it's in the 20L with a new 150W MH bulb over it, so that probably has something to do with it.
I restarted dosing vodka too, .4ml for another two or three days then I'll bump it up. The sulfur reactor is online too, but at best I can only get about 5ppm NO3 out no matter how slow the drip is.
My goal is to get to 10PPM within the next week and I think I can get there.
I also noticed some chaeto growth, which is surprising giving the actual amount that was alive. I don't know if it was flow, bacterial growth, competition or what, but I've never been able to get any real growth. Of course, it's in the 20L with a new 150W MH bulb over it, so that probably has something to do with it.
I restarted dosing vodka too, .4ml for another two or three days then I'll bump it up. The sulfur reactor is online too, but at best I can only get about 5ppm NO3 out no matter how slow the drip is.
My goal is to get to 10PPM within the next week and I think I can get there.
