Mhucasey's SPS obsession

[milsaltnewbie07]

Looking great Matt. Have you considered getting a matted filefish?. To me they have been key to getting aiptasia out of the main display. I have never been able to keep a CBB longer than a few months

 

[Myka]

There may be a component of AF that is creating a false high reading, some people who used NP Pro and ProBioS has high readings that dropped sharply when they discontinued it. I don't believe AF actually pushes Nitrate higher.

I don't think there is a scientific reason to get "false" high nitrate. Do you know of such a circumstance? I don't think it's possible besides a faulty/inaccurate kit. I don't think there are any ions that would throw test kits off, are there?

Regardless, the tank looks great to me. It does have the nutrient-rich look to it, so appearance-wise I would think the nitrate testing may be accurate.

 

[mhucasey]

Looks good Matt! How do you like the plastic rocks?

Looking great!

I'll lean on your hunch on the nitrate as I have never had a problem prior to the AF. Plus the tank looks insane color wise so I'll stop testing and freaking out about it LOL


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Nice!!!!

Looks great Matt !!! Congrats !!!

Looking really cool Matt.

Your tank continues looking better and better! Those last two full tank shots are looking beautiful. Keep doing what you're doing and this tank will be out of control!

What kind of plastic rock did you get?

Thanks everyone! Almost 100% of the rock in this tank is plastic The majority is made by a company called "Aqua-Know" but I couldn't find more of it this time. The new piece was found on eBay, and is made by a chinese company - very nice piece, high quality:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/172155557706?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=470992305276&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Looking very good. Nice collection of acros you have there.
Do you know what the red/pink/purple coloured substance is on the bottom?
I have something similar and have no idea what it is.

The pink/purple on the bottom is coraline algae, its tough to get off the Starboard bottom, unfortunately or I'd scrape it clear.

We must of thought about aiptasia issues...
I did buy a copper band butterfly fish today.
It is in the quarantine tank for observation for a week to make sure it is healthy and no disease on the fish. Give me a chance to feed it aiptasia rock one by one... Lol

Looking great Matt. Have you considered getting a matted filefish?. To me they have been key to getting aiptasia out of the main display. I have never been able to keep a CBB longer than a few months

I've had great success with Copperbands, but this one is a ringer. The LFS has been using it for clean-up for a while and its an aiptaisia eating machine. The owner wouldn't sell it to anyone but i did a little begging I tried the matted filefish, it ate frozen and seemed good then died after a week and a half without touching the Aiptaisia...

Nice!!
It's a coral wonderland in there.
Looking really good, Matt!
How many fish in there, these days?

Thanks Matt! Current fish list, both tanks:

2 stubby snowflake percula clowns
1 percula clown
1 pajama cardinal
1 Ruby Dragonette
1 Swallowtail angel (Genicanthus melanospilos)
1 indigo dotyback
1 gray head wrasse
1 vermiculate leopard wrasse
2 bangaii cardinals
1 mandarin
9 green chromis
2 Hutchii Anthias
1 Powder blue tang
1 Scopas tang
1 fireclown
1 green wrasse
5 Resplendent Anthias
1 Juvenile Imperator Angelfish
1 Copperband Butterfly
1 Bicolor Foxface
5 Springeri Damsels

So 40 fish total...

I don't think there is a scientific reason to get "false" high nitrate. Do you know of such a circumstance? I don't think it's possible besides a faulty/inaccurate kit. I don't think there are any ions that would throw test kits off, are there?

Regardless, the tank looks great to me. It does have the nutrient-rich look to it, so appearance-wise I would think the nitrate testing may be accurate.

Well I know that the Phosphate tests are very sensitive to the presence of an acid like vinegar(try adding a drop of vinegar to the vial sometime), so I know that other substances can interfere with the results for some kits.

It just seems strange with the amount of Liverock in the Flubber tank, plus 3 1/2 liters of siporax/ Eheim Substrat that have been in place for 4 months, plus another 4 liters of Matrix that I've recently added, zeolites, carbon dosing, etc. that the nitrate value rose quickly to about 10ppm and just stuck there. In previous systems I had to dose nitrates from time to time to keep the nitrate values from flatlining. Perhaps it is that high, it doesn't really matter to me. The same result was had with two kits, so it's not a bad test kit. Nitrates aren't detrimental to the reef, obviously, if they are that high.

 

[mhucasey]

A little update:
I changed the bulb combo last night for the fist time in a few months, which is some kind of record for me. Basically I swapped out two blue bulbs and replaced them with ATI Actinics, and changed the order a bit. Hopefully I will like it today as much as I did last night

The new combo:
AA-BluePop LED-B+-FP-Actinic-C+-B+-C+-B+-C+-Actinic-FP-BluePop LED-AA

 

[markalot]

Caught up on the 3 pages I missed. This thread has legs.

Colors look fantastic, thanks for posting information about dosing and traces.

 

[w3bbo]

Interesting to hear about the high Nitrate Matt. Mine usually runs between 1-3 when I was vodka dosing. Since switching to AF 3 months ago (prioiotic salt, Pro Bio S, NP Pro and Micro E) my Nitrates are now hovering around 50(Salifert) but like your tank, you wouldn't believe it looking at the corals.

 

[Diesel3443]

Interesting to hear about the high Nitrate Matt. Mine usually runs between 1-3 when I was vodka dosing. Since switching to AF 3 months ago (prioiotic salt, Pro Bio S, NP Pro and Micro E) my Nitrates are now hovering around 50(Salifert) but like your tank, you wouldn't believe it looking at the corals.

Im glad to see another! Looks like when your nitrates start to pop that high on AF you have began to find the sweetspot! :bounce2::bounce1::wildone:

 

[Myka]

Well I know that the Phosphate tests are very sensitive to the presence of an acid like vinegar(try adding a drop of vinegar to the vial sometime), so I know that other substances can interfere with the results for some kits.

It just seems strange with the amount of Liverock in the Flubber tank, plus 3 1/2 liters of siporax/ Eheim Substrat that have been in place for 4 months, plus another 4 liters of Matrix that I've recently added, zeolites, carbon dosing, etc. that the nitrate value rose quickly to about 10ppm and just stuck there. In previous systems I had to dose nitrates from time to time to keep the nitrate values from flatlining. Perhaps it is that high, it doesn't really matter to me. The same result was had with two kits, so it's not a bad test kit. Nitrates aren't detrimental to the reef, obviously, if they are that high.

Well, yeah I think vinegar would mess up any test kit, but you're talking about a very large amount (relatively) of vinegar to a very tiny amount of phosphate. Plus, why would there ever be more than a tiny, tiny trace of vinegar in a test vial anyway? Unless you're known to collect samples near the drip lines, which I would consider poor practice anyway. :lol:

I agree though, that regardless of what the nitrate is really at, the corals look just fine. Don't "fix" what ain't broke!

I'm curious to check out the nitrate in my tank in the next few weeks. The tank is certainly getting a much larger load of foods simply with the dosing of the bottles and the Reef Chili (in place of AF Coral Food), so I wouldn't be surprised if nitrate crept up.

 

[mhucasey]

Well, yeah I think vinegar would mess up any test kit, but you're talking about a very large amount (relatively) of vinegar to a very tiny amount of phosphate. Plus, why would there ever be more than a tiny, tiny trace of vinegar in a test vial anyway? Unless you're known to collect samples near the drip lines, which I would consider poor practice anyway. :lol: I always take my samples directly from the display area of the tank.

I agree though, that regardless of what the nitrate is really at, the corals look just fine. Don't "fix" what ain't broke!

I'm curious to check out the nitrate in my tank in the next few weeks. The tank is certainly getting a much larger load of foods simply with the dosing of the bottles and the Reef Chili (in place of AF Coral Food), so I wouldn't be surprised if nitrate crept up.

The way I found out about vinegar was I had some very high phosphate test results after cleaning the vials with...you guessed it...vinegar!:uhoh2:

I rinsed the vial multiple times with DI and it still was enough residue to throw the test off.

 

[Myka]

The way I found out about vinegar was I had some very high phosphate test results after cleaning the vials with...you guessed it...vinegar!:uhoh2:

I rinsed the vial multiple times with DI and it still was enough residue to throw the test off.

Hmm, well that is interesting for sure. I use ethanol to clean vials. Except the Salifert Potassium kit calls for vinegar soak, so I do that.

 

[chercm]

any videos on your FR ? how fludized is the phosphate minus ?

 

[rburns24]

The way I found out about vinegar was I had some very high phosphate test results after cleaning the vials with...you guessed it...vinegar!:uhoh2:

I rinsed the vial multiple times with DI and it still was enough residue to throw the test off.

-
If you use a Q tip to sort of scrub the inside of the vials, there won't be any vingar residue.
-

 

[mhucasey]

-
If you use a Q tip to sort of scrub the inside of the vials, there won't be any vingar residue.
-

I had done this, then rinsed with tap, then DI....even so, a tiny race remained. I knew my tank wasn't running phosphate at 0.3:uhoh3:

Rinsed several more times, retested and got the normal value close to zero I was expecting.

 

[mhucasey]

Coming to the tank this Wednesday:

 

[rburns24]

I had done this, then rinsed with tap, then DI....even so, a tiny race remained. I knew my tank wasn't running phosphate at 0.3:uhoh3:

Rinsed several more times, retested and got the normal value close to zero I was expecting.

-
You've just convinced me to give up using vinegar for soaking vials. Do you know what lab people use?
-

 

[plyle02]

Coming to the tank this Wednesday:

WOW!!!
Flame tip huh? Going to be cool for sure in your system Hope all is well Matt, just getting caught up on the journals and you can get lost fast on yours, lol... Everything in your system is glowing, thanks for the inspiration, your tank inspires many!!!
Cheers

 

[milsaltnewbie07]

Omg Matt, is that an ASD piece??? Wow

 

[Myka]

Nice Acro Matt!

I tested N and P this morning, so far so good - 0.5 ppm and 0 ppb respectively. I'll keep my eyes peeled though. I'm using Red Sea Pro for N and Hanna ULR for P. Is everyone with high NO3 tests using Salifert? I do have Salifert too, I could cross reference on my next tests.

 

[Diesel3443]

that piece is crazy!

 

[Diesel3443]

Nice Acro Matt!

I tested N and P this morning, so far so good - 0.5 ppm and 0 ppb respectively. I'll keep my eyes peeled though. I'm using Red Sea Pro for N and Hanna ULR for P. Is everyone with high NO3 tests using Salifert? I do have Salifert too, I could cross reference on my next tests.

I am using Salifert