Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail
- Thread starter reefmutt
- Start date
reefmutt
Active member
Oh, you DID, do you? 
I personally plan to start at half the recommended dose- when I try it..
You do have to use enough to have an effect, if there will be one.. Going too small may not yield any results..
You're seeing such good improvements right now, anyways, it's going to be tough to guage the micro e's effects..
I think I would start at 2 drops per day in your system..
I personally plan to start at half the recommended dose- when I try it..
You do have to use enough to have an effect, if there will be one.. Going too small may not yield any results..
You're seeing such good improvements right now, anyways, it's going to be tough to guage the micro e's effects..
I think I would start at 2 drops per day in your system..
reefmutt
Active member
Oh, you DID, do you?
I personally plan to start at half the recommended dose- when I try it..
You do have to use enough to have an effect, if there will be one.. Going too small may not yield any results..
You're seeing such good improvements right now, anyways, it's going to be tough to guage the micro e's effects..
I think I would start at 2 drops per day in your system..
Thanks, Tod!
I love the cardinals because they group together so well and since they breed all the time, it is really interesting watching them pair up, do their mating dances and hold the eggs in their mouths.. They are also completely non aggressive.. Very cool fish. They are also out all night if you are a night owl..
Hentz
New member
Coming from a ZEOvit user, I'm excited to see your results with AF long-term!
I'm with tmc1313, those cardinals arengorgeous!
Loving the videos as well. Your reef is incredibly vibrant. I've followed this new rebuild since day one and sadly have never commented on it! Making that a change as of today lol.
I also really enjoy reading your posts here and there about the "Industrial Age" of reefing. As a young reefer, I was instantly introduced to Radions, ATI, Aqua Illumination, Kessil, etc.. So I find it really intriguing to read what this hobby came from because you don't often hear or see anything about it.
Enjoying the thread, as I have since day one, Matt!
I'm with tmc1313, those cardinals arengorgeous!
Loving the videos as well. Your reef is incredibly vibrant. I've followed this new rebuild since day one and sadly have never commented on it! Making that a change as of today lol.
I also really enjoy reading your posts here and there about the "Industrial Age" of reefing. As a young reefer, I was instantly introduced to Radions, ATI, Aqua Illumination, Kessil, etc.. So I find it really intriguing to read what this hobby came from because you don't often hear or see anything about it.
Enjoying the thread, as I have since day one, Matt!
Hentz
New member
Why're you thinking of going non-ZEOvit?
shih87
New member
No particular reason, Zeovit is an excellent system/product, but after have it on my two tanks for last 6 years, thinking try something new for fun. Who know maybe one day change back to Zeovit .......
Hentz
New member
I can completely see your reasoning then. Don't blame you at all for wanting to try something different!
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
AF has a forum here on Reef Central in the sponsor forums. Af can be run very similar to Zeovit but the difference between them and Zeovit is they list everything in their products, and the system itself is flexible to fit your needs.
reefmutt
Active member
Hey Hentz! Thanks for posting- you are always welcome! And thanks for the kind words.
It's pretty cool where this hobby has come in 30 years but the real pioneers were doing it 30 years before that..
It's really still an emerging art/science. That's part of what makes it so intriguing, I guess.
Joseph, I'm very honored that you mentioned me. Very nice!
Just to clarify something though.. I am not a true aquaforest user.. I am not using the aquaforest method. I do use a couple of their products but not the entire system..
If you really want details about the full aquaforest system, visit Matt's thread (mhucasey)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468548&page=102
Or Perry's (plyle) thread..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2381737&page=38
Theses guys have adopted the whole system with great results..
reefmutt
Active member
Well.. update time. Been a few weeks without photos.. Couple vids, yes but time for some shots!
And I got lots.. That rhymes, by the way.. I'm a poet and I.. Never mind..
First.. An update on my recent dip into using Aquaforest's Carbon source NP Pro along with nitrate additions in an attempt to pull down phosphates..
Well, it was not effective.. Probably because I didn't stick it out long enough.. I got up to about 12 drops of np pro per day along with significant amounts of both cano3 and kno3. I started to ask myself what the heck I was doing, slamming all of this product into the tank with the intention of keeping n where it would otherwise sit without any additions.. Yes p was supposed to come down but it wasn't.. Probably because I hadn't reached the proper amounts of np pro and nitrates but I just didn't want to add more kno3 and cano3.. So I stopped.
Then I cleaned out an algea infested frag tank and by doing this, reduced my nutrient export somewhat..
My last test showed n at 8ppm and p at .16..
I'll test again tomorrow.
Corals really haven't cared either way.. I would say I have lost some pe but not much else. The corals have shifted colours a bit. Some for the better and some for the worse but nothing dramatic. Pe is still there but some corals not quite as good as before.
Also, last Monday, I started adding Aquaforest's flourine additive. This is iodine and flourine together. To begin adding this, I have started with a half dose (6drops daily) and reduced by half my Lugol's additions. Now at 2 drops/day.
So my dose is 6 drops Flourine and 2 drops lugols daily..
We always want to see instant benefits from whatever new product we add.. I think my Oregon tort and Cali tort have pretty good blue. I have some photos to show but it is really difficult to photograph the blue of the OT and Cali..
Between the increased nutrients of the last month and the flourine.. I'm not sure if the blue looks better to me or not OR which may have caused it.
Before I just spew a total photo bomb, I wanted to show you guys this new.. Animal growing in the tank.. It's some sort of colonial tunicate type thingy. It is very pretty and grows in the shade right up to where direct light hits but not in direct light..
Any idea on what it is would be most welcome..
This at a spot low in the tank..
Here it is below the OT, behind the Fiji fruit bowl..
This shot is near the back of the tank, photographed through some coral branches..
I think it's really pretty. There was a green and black version growing for a long time and this new orange, white and black one has begun to appear as the other one has subsided.
More photos to follow..
update time. Been a few weeks without photos.. Couple vids, yes but time for some shots!And I got lots.. That rhymes, by the way.. I'm a poet and I.. Never mind..
First.. An update on my recent dip into using Aquaforest's Carbon source NP Pro along with nitrate additions in an attempt to pull down phosphates..
Well, it was not effective.. Probably because I didn't stick it out long enough.. I got up to about 12 drops of np pro per day along with significant amounts of both cano3 and kno3. I started to ask myself what the heck I was doing, slamming all of this product into the tank with the intention of keeping n where it would otherwise sit without any additions.. Yes p was supposed to come down but it wasn't.. Probably because I hadn't reached the proper amounts of np pro and nitrates but I just didn't want to add more kno3 and cano3.. So I stopped.
Then I cleaned out an algea infested frag tank and by doing this, reduced my nutrient export somewhat..
My last test showed n at 8ppm and p at .16..
I'll test again tomorrow.
Corals really haven't cared either way.. I would say I have lost some pe but not much else. The corals have shifted colours a bit. Some for the better and some for the worse but nothing dramatic. Pe is still there but some corals not quite as good as before.
Also, last Monday, I started adding Aquaforest's flourine additive. This is iodine and flourine together. To begin adding this, I have started with a half dose (6drops daily) and reduced by half my Lugol's additions. Now at 2 drops/day.
So my dose is 6 drops Flourine and 2 drops lugols daily..
We always want to see instant benefits from whatever new product we add.. I think my Oregon tort and Cali tort have pretty good blue. I have some photos to show but it is really difficult to photograph the blue of the OT and Cali..
Between the increased nutrients of the last month and the flourine.. I'm not sure if the blue looks better to me or not OR which may have caused it.
Before I just spew a total photo bomb, I wanted to show you guys this new.. Animal growing in the tank.. It's some sort of colonial tunicate type thingy. It is very pretty and grows in the shade right up to where direct light hits but not in direct light..
Any idea on what it is would be most welcome..
This at a spot low in the tank..
Here it is below the OT, behind the Fiji fruit bowl..
This shot is near the back of the tank, photographed through some coral branches..
I think it's really pretty. There was a green and black version growing for a long time and this new orange, white and black one has begun to appear as the other one has subsided.
More photos to follow..
reefmutt
Active member
Since the fruit bowl and the Tort made it into those photos, I'll show my torts and fijinfruit bowl..
Hers a couple of my Cali tort..
Side:
One branch top down: I really had to tweak this photo to try to bring out the blue.. Lots of saturation, warming, dimming.. Anyways.. Here it is..
Here's my OT from the side..
It is growing directly upwards so it is nearly impossible to get a decent shot from the top down.. I think it appears in some of my wider shots that I'll post later..
Here's the Fiji fruit bowl.. It has changed with the increased nutrients. It's still very cool but not the same..
Side:
Top
Here's the two of them from March 26..
Hers a couple of my Cali tort..
Side:
One branch top down: I really had to tweak this photo to try to bring out the blue.. Lots of saturation, warming, dimming.. Anyways.. Here it is..
Here's my OT from the side..
It is growing directly upwards so it is nearly impossible to get a decent shot from the top down.. I think it appears in some of my wider shots that I'll post later..
Here's the Fiji fruit bowl.. It has changed with the increased nutrients. It's still very cool but not the same..
Side:
Top
Here's the two of them from March 26..
reefmutt
Active member
Here's a few wide shots..
Upper back left corner:
Upper back left.. A little to the right..
Closer.. Right side of upper back left..
As a contrast.. Here's a brown turd I got from Raja about 3 weeks ago.. These are the reference shots.. I'm hoping it'll turn into something cool. Side:
Top:
It really doesn't look like much but I think (hope) it's got some potential..
Here's another piece I got at the same time that I am watching..
Ok.. I'll pull back again..
Some centre island shots..
Left ish side of centre and lower front.
Lower front centre..
Left of centre.. Furiosa is still growing well..
And a final wide shot.. Centre and right side..
Upper back left corner:
Upper back left.. A little to the right..
Closer.. Right side of upper back left..
As a contrast.. Here's a brown turd I got from Raja about 3 weeks ago.. These are the reference shots.. I'm hoping it'll turn into something cool. Side:
Top:
It really doesn't look like much but I think (hope) it's got some potential..
Here's another piece I got at the same time that I am watching..
Ok.. I'll pull back again..
Some centre island shots..
Left ish side of centre and lower front.
Lower front centre..
Left of centre.. Furiosa is still growing well..
And a final wide shot.. Centre and right side..
reefmutt
Active member
Thanks Matt. If all my acros free straight up, I'd be laughing! It is packed. Too packed. But my sickness makes it impossible for me to stop adding new pieces!
Indeed...
it is very yummy.. I may have to do some macros of that coral. It's got so much going on in it..
Pife
Active member
It really is crazy the amount of diversity we can achieve in our small closed systems. That tunicate looks really cool, and so do your corals. The dramatic pinks you have are fantastic. The furiosa is very contrasting and beautiful. To get my po4s down the best thing I've found is dripping lanthum chloride directly into my skimmer body. Once I got them balanced out they have stayed steady work my nitrates.
