Mark's 150 gallon

No changes, good or bad. I expect to see something after 24 hours to more like 48 hours. In my 40 I left the skimmer on but raised the cup all the way (HOB skimmer) and after 2 days it started to pull out red crap. Tank was cyano free after 4 days. So far my skimmer in here dialed back all the way and running sump water as low as I can safely go, just a little clear water.
 
NO3 up to 10
PO4 up to .1

Seeing some browning in a few corals, which I expected. Sandbed is still green but obviously something is dying off. 1 more day.
 
markalot said:
PO4 is

.04 ELOS
.06 Hanna
55 (.17) Hanna ULR

Yea. :headwalls:
Click to expand...

Ime, both of the Hanna checkers are reliable provided you clean the vials REALLY well between uses, use only one vial for both the C1 and C2 portion of the testing, and be sure to insert the vial the same direction each time so that the test light goes through the exact same portion of the vial each time. Also, the test light needs a cleaning every once in awhile. I just use a dry Qtip.
 
Myka said:
Ime, both of the Hanna checkers are reliable provided you clean the vials REALLY well between uses, use only one vial for both the C1 and C2 portion of the testing, and be sure to insert the vial the same direction each time so that the test light goes through the exact same portion of the vial each time. Also, the test light needs a cleaning every once in awhile. I just use a dry Qtip.
Click to expand...

I've been cleaning but didn't think of the qtip, I'll have to try that next time. I pick what I see as the cleanest part of the glass and carefully make sure it's positioned as close as I can get it for both test parts. If I missed a small speck, or a floaty gets in the way .....
 
ORP has started to drop quickly. Turned on my dropcam and the white LEDs to check on the fish and all are swimming around normally. I'm guessing the cyano dieoff started sometime after midnight, if that's what the ORP is indicating.

I diluted my topoff+Kalk in anticipation of slower growth and KH remained stable yesterday so I diluted it with another 2 gallons of RODI just to be sure. I'd rather see a slow KH drop than for it to remain steady.
 
Sounds good Mark,
I hope you rid that stuff, it has been such a pain in my butt! I am using the ole elbow grease myself, I have a suspicion that I had a funk bottle of bacteria from AF, as the new bottle smells similar, but the old bottle smells like it, but gone bad, if that makes sense. I am now seeing a reduction. I hope this works for you brother, what a wild ride it has been, looking forward to seeing this one return to it's glory :)
 
Thanks Perry, things are on track.

I cleaned the hanna vial I use and did another test. 16 or .04ish. IS that accurate? Pffft. GFO appears to be working to keep it low but nitrates continue to rise, over 10 now. This tank loves high nitrates and a lot of color is returning to some corals. The slimer is nearing impossible green but still needs to show growth.

Gravel was light green and cyano looked to be diminishing. I repeated what I did in my 40 gallon and stirred the gravel to help move along the process. No changes yet, will wait one more day and then put carbon back in, do a water change, and try and dial the skimmer in enough to get some skimmate.
 
15% water change, added carbon.

PO4 .04 (ELOS)
NO3 10 (Salifert)
KH 8.1 (Salifert) post water change, 8.3 yesterday.

Gravel vacced and stirred. Some spots greenish but might have been stained, time will tell if this worked.

I had to clean the entire skimmer, stained with green, and now dialed in to hopefully not overflow.

No losses. :fish1:

Clowns laid eggs again, I guess this will be a regular thing now.
 
Things still going swimmingly.

FTS just to compare with later.



All my smooth and 'smoothish' skins continue to do quite well. Other corals alive and not dying but I would not call them thriving yet.

One odd thing I did notice. When I dipped the blue stag I sacrificed one branch to cut a healthy piece from the middle and mount on a frag plug, sideways. While none of the upright pieces have shown any encrusting growth this frag has not only started to encrust but has healed over on both sides, Things than make you go hmmm.



Lokani changes color now and again but continues to thrive. :bigeyes:
 
reefmutt said:
Hm..looks pretty good..
Is there still a bit of cyano left?
What's your snail population like?
Click to expand...

Some red cyano is still hanging around but I won't repeat the treatment unless the green gunk comes back.

Not very many snails, most die on me. I have a 3 year old nerite and cerith and recently added 6 trochus and 6 new cerith snails. There are 3 or 4 nasarrius in there as well.
 
Love that Lokani - one of my faves. Lost my purple one several years ago and have not been able to find another one to replace it with.
 
Oldude said:
Love that Lokani - one of my faves. Lost my purple one several years ago and have not been able to find another one to replace it with.
Click to expand...

Thanks Greg, I'm just thrilled it stayed healthy.

So the tank is slowly coming back, and behaving differently from prior to the cyano treatment. PO4 started to rise so I replaced GFO and instead of the tank showing stress the drop in PO4 made everything happy, really happy.

The first teal stag branch is encrusting. I know, baby steps, but I had lost all confidence anything good would happen in this tank.
2LwGd3kh.jpg


The horrida is also looking very healthy again, which means it's so furry you can't see much of the skin.
GhJpoVUh.jpg


My two Pavona frags have also started to grow. I'm not too familiar with pavona but I know this orange one hasn't been happy for months.
R0BzXhZh.jpg


Birdsnest have also started to show new growth, so at least I'm back to the point where easy SPS can survive. :lol:
1Bp9YJah.jpg


Punk is flaring at me and also looks a bit skinny. Will have to slowly increase feeding again.
Q1r0cY1h.jpg
 
I know what it feels like to have coral start "living" again after problems. Enjoy your dedication you've earned it. Good job getting things to turn around.
 
Good job Mark !!!

I will be arriving today at home after a full week out. I know I will find a cemetery in my tank. My parents sent me pictures. I will update my thread as soon as I can get good pictures.

Best Daniel
 
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