Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail
- Thread starter reefmutt
- Start date
reefmutt
Active member
it smells like....iodine?
Well one of the few things I have done since adding the cheato is to add some potassium iodide, daily. It's been about a week that I am using a bottle of kz potassium iodide as per their instructions.
I did this after testing with salifert test kit and getting no reading.
I know it is an element that is rapidly depleted and therefore hard to test for but I'm sure the cheato is pulling it out quickly...
reefmutt
Active member
Hey Matt, it makes me happy knowing your tank is on the mend. Well done on turning the tank around buddy. :beer: Its no easy feat and can be downright frustrating; but it sure look like things are turning for the better.
Matt,
Love the direction of the tank, you can tell obviously that the corals are happy, considering the color, but the PE looks great too! Nicely done, looking forward to seeing your results by the addition of chaeto for nutrient uptake. Great update
Guys, thank you very much for the positive posts. I am currently feeling quite optimistic about the tank. For the first time in years!
reefmutt
Active member
Greg! I'll be knocking on your door soon...... Soon. I have a few more things to iron out, first..
Jo, I feel that to really get a good sense of a reefer and his/her tank, you have to look at the tank as it is but also see where it came from.. Not to mention the treasure trove of information threads like yours offer!
Since reading your thread and looking at that ARID reactor, I added the cheato fuge to my system and have begun dosing some iron. From what I have researched, and have seen myself while testing, iron is almost always taken up immediately in the system. Like iodine, it gets consumed extremely quickly. But UNlike iodine, some iron is beneficial- as long as you aren't causing a hair algae bloom- but if you dose a lot, it doesn't really cause any issues. I found a dose that will give me reading of .05 ppm about 3 hours after dosing. 24 hours later, the reading is 0 again. I dose this 3 times a week. The cheato is responding nicely!
I have also switched from calcium nitrate to potassium nitrate for n additions in an attempt to dose a little potassium.
I had been keeping n at around 3 ppm and p around .13 - just for stability's sake for the last couple months. Since everything has been doing so well- health wise but not really colour wise- with the cheato in there and my small amount of AIO pellets, I have been able to maintain n at 3 and I am slowly bringing p down. My p is currently at .1. Tomorrow, I will test n and p again and I expect p to be down another point or two. I'm hoping to see .09 or .08.
I will try to keep pulling p down and maintain n at 3 ppm.
If I see corals start to look unhappy, I'll back off..
Right now, I am feeding tons of food- I'm talking about 15 cubes of frozen foods and several pinches of reef roids/reef pearls daily.
With this nutrient input, I am still able to bring the p down bit by bit.
reefmutt
Active member
Couple more and then I'm going to bed..
Not sure what this is. But it's looking good
Another mystery coral that is doing well:
This is the best shot I can get of my speciosa. I'll have to attempt some top down when the corals start coloring up a bit more.. Sorry too blue..
And another small frag of a different plana.. Was more colorful when I got it.. Hopefull, when p falls down nearer to .02 or so, the colours will come out on everything..
Not sure what this is. But it's looking good
Another mystery coral that is doing well:
This is the best shot I can get of my speciosa. I'll have to attempt some top down when the corals start coloring up a bit more.. Sorry too blue..
And another small frag of a different plana.. Was more colorful when I got it.. Hopefull, when p falls down nearer to .02 or so, the colours will come out on everything..
cugly
Dansreeftank
I agree this one is really nice, glad things are looking for the better Matt
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks cugly and shih! This coral has to be the one coral that has been the strongest in my tank. It was the first to show pe and the first to begin encrusting. It grows slowly at the moment..
I'm hoping that when p drops a bit more, it will really begin to show its potential.
Sahin, markalot, cFloor, thanks!
I'm starting to like my tank again...
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Thanks cugly and shih! This coral has to be the one coral that has been the strongest in my tank. It was the first to show pe and the first to begin encrusting. It grows slowly at the moment..
I'm hoping that when p drops a bit more, it will really begin to show its potential.
Sahin, markalot, cFloor, thanks!
I'm starting to like my tank again...
Yeah buddy, looks like both of our tanks are heading in the right direction. :celeb1:
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Couple more and then I'm going to bed..
Not sure what this is. But it's looking good
Another mystery coral that is doing well:
This is the best shot I can get of my speciosa. I'll have to attempt some top down when the corals start coloring up a bit more.. Sorry too blue..
And another small frag of a different plana.. Was more colorful when I got it.. Hopefull, when p falls down nearer to .02 or so, the colours will come out on everything..
Things are looking good Matt! Have you completely transitioned to the Chaeto Fuge filtration? I want your Speciosa bad....I've been looking for one of those for a while!
JB NY
Active member
I think you are on your way! Those pictures look really good and it looks like you are getting the P down as well. You are right the iron gets used up extremely quickly so it is tough to overdose, but I agree just add the small amount that the tank really needs and it can help out a lot. You can probably add even a little more N to take it to 5ppm that should help to bring down your P faster if the chaeto continues to grow. I think your corals will continue to do well. mine have.
That a good amount of food, I am adding 6 cubes and 4-5 big pinches of pellets a day. Hopefully the color will be the next thing to come back. Keep up the good work!! :thumbsup:
shih87
New member
+1...
reefmutt
Active member
Ok!! Update..
Well about two weeks ago, I removed the mitras and added a third 150 w mh. So now I have 5 t5: 1 pure actinic, 1 actinic+, 1 giesemann lagoon blue, 2coral + and the 3 150w radiums. .. And the pair of 24 inch t5 on either side of the tank with an actinic and an actinic +.. I'm going to try using my wide angle lens to get a shot of all my lighting..
I installed two AI prime for dawn and dusk blue LEDs- I LOVE these led lights. Great color and controlled with a phone app. Very easy set up and control. They just barely cover my tank which is fine because I'm only using them for aesthetics and not really coral benefit.
I have been harvesting cheato like crazy and am still using AIO Biopellets. Matt- I have between 500-750 ml and I'd say I've got about 100gph.
For several weeks, p has been between .09 and .13 and I dose calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate to keep n at 4 ppm. I alternate because I'm worried about adding too much potassium.
Growth is annoyingly, frustratingly, maddeningly slooooooooow..
However, as you will see, color is not too bad BUT could be waaaaay better.
I have a total aptasia farm going because I have only just added a filefish. I am also looking for a copperband because the aptasia are taking over.
The bryopsis is also causing me issues. I have to go in weekly to pull it out. But it doesn't grow super fast.
I will begin Kent mag tonight.
I continue to add iron a few times a week and some color elements- less than minimum dose for my tank.
I've also been religious about water changes every week.. I've been adding some Purple Up to my ro water a day before mixing in my instant ocean. I don't know if it's really helping anything, but it certainly re mineralizes the ro water.
Lately, my alk has been sitting below 7 because each time I raise the co2 level in the reactor to produce more alk, it only goes up a tiny bit.. I am slowly raising alk back to 7-7.5 but not in a hurry..
So I finally tried using my macro lens in a viewing box for some top down shots. Was a bit tricky.. Some shots came out well but not all... I still have a ways to go with the photography..
Ok. I'll start with a cool frag I got about two weeks ago. Not sure what it is..
Side shot:
Top down:
It's starting to look very cool and I have high hopes for it..
Another beauty that I'm loving.. Again, don't know what it is.. Side:
Top down:
Ok. I'll post a few more in a minute..
Update..Well about two weeks ago, I removed the mitras and added a third 150 w mh. So now I have 5 t5: 1 pure actinic, 1 actinic+, 1 giesemann lagoon blue, 2coral + and the 3 150w radiums. .. And the pair of 24 inch t5 on either side of the tank with an actinic and an actinic +.. I'm going to try using my wide angle lens to get a shot of all my lighting..
I installed two AI prime for dawn and dusk blue LEDs- I LOVE these led lights. Great color and controlled with a phone app. Very easy set up and control. They just barely cover my tank which is fine because I'm only using them for aesthetics and not really coral benefit.
I have been harvesting cheato like crazy and am still using AIO Biopellets. Matt- I have between 500-750 ml and I'd say I've got about 100gph.
For several weeks, p has been between .09 and .13 and I dose calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate to keep n at 4 ppm. I alternate because I'm worried about adding too much potassium.
Growth is annoyingly, frustratingly, maddeningly slooooooooow..
However, as you will see, color is not too bad BUT could be waaaaay better.
I have a total aptasia farm going because I have only just added a filefish. I am also looking for a copperband because the aptasia are taking over.
The bryopsis is also causing me issues. I have to go in weekly to pull it out. But it doesn't grow super fast.
I will begin Kent mag tonight.
I continue to add iron a few times a week and some color elements- less than minimum dose for my tank.
I've also been religious about water changes every week.. I've been adding some Purple Up to my ro water a day before mixing in my instant ocean. I don't know if it's really helping anything, but it certainly re mineralizes the ro water.
Lately, my alk has been sitting below 7 because each time I raise the co2 level in the reactor to produce more alk, it only goes up a tiny bit.. I am slowly raising alk back to 7-7.5 but not in a hurry..
So I finally tried using my macro lens in a viewing box for some top down shots. Was a bit tricky.. Some shots came out well but not all... I still have a ways to go with the photography..
Ok. I'll start with a cool frag I got about two weeks ago. Not sure what it is..
Side shot:
Top down:
It's starting to look very cool and I have high hopes for it..
Another beauty that I'm loving.. Again, don't know what it is.. Side:
Top down:
Ok. I'll post a few more in a minute..
reefmutt
Active member
Ok! Few more.. Got my hands on a pieces of Orange passion:
Here's a mariculture piece that looks ok.. Not sure I'll keep it.. It's not bad..
Couple corals that have been growing:
Side:
Top down:
Mostly the corals have just encrusted like crazy.. Growth is starting ever so slowly..
Here's a mariculture piece that looks ok.. Not sure I'll keep it.. It's not bad..
Couple corals that have been growing:
Side:
Top down:
Mostly the corals have just encrusted like crazy.. Growth is starting ever so slowly..
reefmutt
Active member
My speciosa- side:
Top down:
Caroliniana? Side:
Top down:
Reef raft pink Floyd.. No pink in mine. Probably nutrients need to be lower..:
Here's another coral that has been doing well- side:
Top down:
So, I now have two corals that were both called ice fire echinata... Here's one, side shot:
Top down:
And here's a top down of the other- I think true ice fire..
They have totally different growth forms.
The first one I just got about two weeks ago. The other I've had for about two months.. Hasn't grown even slightly..
Top down:
Caroliniana? Side:
Top down:
Reef raft pink Floyd.. No pink in mine. Probably nutrients need to be lower..:
Here's another coral that has been doing well- side:
Top down:
So, I now have two corals that were both called ice fire echinata... Here's one, side shot:
Top down:
And here's a top down of the other- I think true ice fire..
They have totally different growth forms.
The first one I just got about two weeks ago. The other I've had for about two months.. Hasn't grown even slightly..
