My Bacteria Driven Journey

TJ,
Before i had my calcium reactor up and running i was using the 3 ESV additives you shown above, Great products. I was adding 25ml of each for my 110 gal system. Do you really have that much draw in your system?
 
Yep, I've got something like 50 different corals packed in there though. As well as the 3 clams, one of which is that like 8" T. Squamosa.
 
doesnt suprize me since you have so many sps in that small tank i dose a little bit more then that daily to my tank.
 
I think this is a list of all the corals in the tank:

SPS:
Purple Monitpora Digitata
Blue Montipora Digitata
Green Digitata
Superman Digitata
Tyree Sunset Montipora
Tyree Tri Color
Tyree Setosa
Tyree Ponape Birdsnest
Tyree True Undata
Tyree Soli
30k Lokani
Rommel's Rainbow Acropora
Paletta's Pink Tip Acropora
Purple Limeade Nasuta
Pink Birdsnest
Maricultured Pink Acropora Millepora
Maricultured Green Acropora Tenuis
Bali Blue Tip Stag
Oregon Blue Tort
Unknown Rainbow Table
Unknown White Acropora
Unknown Green Acropora
Unkown Purple Acropora
Unknown Purple/Blue/Green Acropora
Bali Green Slimer
Teal Acropora Turaki
Purple Tip Efflo
Tri Color Acropora
Teal Stag
ORA Bird's of Paradise
ORA Roscoe's Blue Acropora
ORA Pearlberry
ORA Joe the Coral
ORA Chip's Acropora
ORA Tri Color
ORA Tri Color Valida
ORA Marshall's Island Blue Bottlebrush
ORA Red Planet

LPS
Miami Hurricane Chalice (Pumpkin Patch)
Rommel's Watermelon Chalice (Ultimate's Watermelon)
Exotic Frag's Emerald Mummy Eye Chalice
Tub's Alien Eye Chalice
Cotton Candy Chalice
Steel Blue Chalice
ATL Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
Neon Green Trumpet Coral
8 types of Acans

Polyps:
Purple Hearted Zoanthids
Radioactive Dragon Eye Zoanthids
Dragon Eye Zoanhids
Nightmare Palythoas
Candy Apple Red Palythoas
Daytripper Palythoas
Pyro's Envy Palythoas
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15635213#post15635213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
Well I don't think the Kalk Reactor alone will be able to maintain my tank. Alkalinity continued to fall today, and I just tested it at 7.4 dKH. Luckily my ESV B-Ionics additives arrived today from Salty Critter. So I used the Reef Cheimstry Calculator, to buffer it back up to 8.0 dKH and will probably try to keep it locked in somewhere between 8.0-9.0 dKH.


Saltry Critter is great, and EVC is a solid brand...

However, I'd highly recommend considering Randy's 2/3 part. If you're planning on dosing for a while, it will keep the costs down. Buckeye Field Supply (who's close to us) has some of the two part supplies, along with other sponsors on RC.
 
Water parameters from today.

Still on the 0.8 ml Vodka dosage. I will be upping to 1.8 ml on Monday, as well as adding the larger 5 ml Microbacter 7 dose to compensate for the 10 gallon water change I intend to perform tomorrow.

WaterParams_09052009.jpg
 
Also, I was on a job interview the other day and happened to pass one of the LFS's that isn't exactly close to me. Anyway, I decided to stop in while I was out that direction and pick up one of these little guys.

SH2.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15653230#post15653230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RokleM
Saltry Critter is great, and EVC is a solid brand...

However, I'd highly recommend considering Randy's 2/3 part. If you're planning on dosing for a while, it will keep the costs down. Buckeye Field Supply (who's close to us) has some of the two part supplies, along with other sponsors on RC.
Yeah, I agree... once I go through this stuff I'm probably going to switch to one of the DIY recipes or 2-part kits that are available.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15652373#post15652373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
I think this is a list of all the corals in the tank:

SPS:
Purple Monitpora Digitata
Blue Montipora Digitata
Green Digitata
Superman Digitata
Tyree Sunset Montipora
Tyree Tri Color
Tyree Setosa
Tyree Ponape Birdsnest
Tyree True Undata
Tyree Soli
30k Lokani
Rommel's Rainbow Acropora
Paletta's Pink Tip Acropora
Purple Limeade Nasuta
Pink Birdsnest
Maricultured Pink Acropora Millepora
Maricultured Green Acropora Tenuis
Bali Blue Tip Stag
Oregon Blue Tort
Unknown Rainbow Table
Unknown White Acropora
Unknown Green Acropora
Unkown Purple Acropora
Unknown Purple/Blue/Green Acropora
Bali Green Slimer
Teal Acropora Turaki
Purple Tip Efflo
Tri Color Acropora
Teal Stag
ORA Bird's of Paradise
ORA Roscoe's Blue Acropora
ORA Pearlberry
ORA Joe the Coral
ORA Chip's Acropora
ORA Tri Color
ORA Tri Color Valida
ORA Marshall's Island Blue Bottlebrush
ORA Red Planet

LPS
Miami Hurricane Chalice (Pumpkin Patch)
Rommel's Watermelon Chalice (Ultimate's Watermelon)
Exotic Frag's Emerald Mummy Eye Chalice
Tub's Alien Eye Chalice
Cotton Candy Chalice
Steel Blue Chalice
ATL Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
Neon Green Trumpet Coral
8 types of Acans

Polyps:
Purple Hearted Zoanthids
Radioactive Dragon Eye Zoanthids
Dragon Eye Zoanhids
Nightmare Palythoas
Candy Apple Red Palythoas
Daytripper Palythoas
Pyro's Envy Palythoas
 
2 weeks of heavy MB7 per the instructions in both tanks that were already seeded with prodibio plus 6 weeks into vodka with gtts of MB7 daily and still doing the prodibio every 15th night (I don't do MB7 those days) and my hair algae is literally disappearing slowly--which hopefully means for good.

I'm also doing algaefix once a week

Bacteria is the way to go.
 
apparently it did not post my response to your list...

Thats quite an extensive list.. wow and its all crammed into 35 gallons?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15659881#post15659881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stanley-Reefer
2 weeks of heavy MB7 per the instructions in both tanks that were already seeded with prodibio plus 6 weeks into vodka with gtts of MB7 daily and still doing the prodibio every 15th night (I don't do MB7 those days) and my hair algae is literally disappearing slowly--which hopefully means for good.

I'm also doing algaefix once a week

Bacteria is the way to go.

gtts of MB7 daily? Could you please quantify this?
 
Hi! Found your thread today and it looks like things are going well for you. I am always impressed near nano tanks with so much success as it much harder.

Just a few observations.

-Wet skimming makes sense with initial MB7 and Vodka. I did (think) I saw an improvement.

-However, wet skimming and adding iodine is counter productive. I'd just run MB7 and vodka until hair algae is out of gas.

-What is the current state of your refugium now? Are your running powerhead in sump?

Thanks and good luck!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15659881#post15659881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stanley-Reefer
2 weeks of heavy MB7 per the instructions in both tanks that were already seeded with prodibio plus 6 weeks into vodka with gtts of MB7 daily and still doing the prodibio every 15th night (I don't do MB7 those days) and my hair algae is literally disappearing slowly--which hopefully means for good.

I'm also doing algaefix once a week

Bacteria is the way to go.
I'm curious as to why you are dosing Prodibio and Microbacter 7? Since both are bacteria, are you just trying to get some diversity?

I have noticed some lighter patches in the tank where I'm beginning to be able to see some of the rock below. My guess is it's either the tang or sea hare doing their job though.

Vodka dosage is being upped to 1.8 ml today.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15660336#post15660336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Padrino
apparently it did not post my response to your list...

Thats quite an extensive list.. wow and its all crammed into 35 gallons?
:lol:

Yeah, I've had some issues to. My Sunset Monti has tried to take out 2 corals already, so I had to move those corals to other locations. Also, I have a few corals that I have been on the hunt for showing up Wednesday, and there really isn't anywhere to put them. So it looks like I'm going to start swapping less desirable corals out.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15661711#post15661711 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slow_leak
Hi! Found your thread today and it looks like things are going well for you. I am always impressed near nano tanks with so much success as it much harder.

Just a few observations.

-Wet skimming makes sense with initial MB7 and Vodka. I did (think) I saw an improvement.

-However, wet skimming and adding iodine is counter productive. I'd just run MB7 and vodka until hair algae is out of gas.

-What is the current state of your refugium now? Are your running powerhead in sump?

Thanks and good luck!!
Thank you.

Can you elaborate a little regarding how wet skimming and adding iodine is counter productive?

The refugium looked to be suffering early on, but lately has been coming back. I run a manifold on my system, and run one of the outlets into the refugium to provide flow in that section. Since removing the substrate, I no longer have any deritus settling in that section.

I'm considering upping my Microbacter 7 dosages this week, as my skimmate color and production has dropped since I began Vodka dosing. I don't think the Vodka had anything to do with it, but when I started Vodka, I also drastically reduced my Microbacter 7 dosage from 10ml per day to 1ml per day per the instructions.
 
Wet skimming might pull out micronutrients. But more importantly should need any micronutrients until algae is where you want it. They will act as fuel/food for them.

I read refugiums and MB7/Ethanl don't go well togther.

Do you think this is true?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15587608#post15587608 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
I really dislike my calcium reactor setup, and it's been a battle to keep it in line since I hooked it up. It's the main reason I hope to switch to a dosing pump system soon.

Can you elaborate more on the problems you're having? I am also at a similar cross-roads, and would like to hear more about what you're experiencing please.

I can also give you some insight into a long spin urchin and algae. They are fantastic, however they grow like nobody's business. I bought mine two years ago to clean up a grow-out tank. This was the tank (below), the urchin cleaned paths all over the rock, and the algae never returned. However, now two years later my urchin, who lives in a different tank now, has a total diameter of over a foot.

DSC_0110.jpg
DSC_0120.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15662646#post15662646 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slow_leak
Wet skimming might pull out micronutrients. But more importantly should need any micronutrients until algae is where you want it. They will act as fuel/food for them.

I read refugiums and MB7/Ethanl don't go well togther.

Do you think this is true?
I don't believe wet skimming would impact the Iodine level significantly. If I had an Iodine test kit, it would be easier to back up my statement though. :lol:

Thus far my refugium has been hanging in there, and actually this past week seems to have started growing again. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. As I'm unsure if it will impact my results in a negative fashion or not. I guess it could potentially compete with the bacteria for nutrients... so I'll need to put some thought into the current situation, before deciding how to proceed.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15663266#post15663266 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michika
Can you elaborate more on the problems you're having? I am also at a similar cross-roads, and would like to hear more about what you're experiencing please.

I can also give you some insight into a long spin urchin and algae. They are fantastic, however they grow like nobody's business. I bought mine two years ago to clean up a grow-out tank. This was the tank (below), the urchin cleaned paths all over the rock, and the algae never returned. However, now two years later my urchin, who lives in a different tank now, has a total diameter of over a foot.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b286/michika/DSC_0110.jpg http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b286/michika/DSC_0120.jpg
I'm going through some very bad hair algae, bubble algae, and red turf algae at the moment. So far reducing feedings, running GFO, increased water changes, and wet skimming have done nothing to impact it. So about a month ago I decided to pursue this system.

A long spine urchin would probably be a train wreck in my little system. :lol:

So far the benefits I have experienced have been:

- Increased Polyp Extension.
- Return in color to some corals.
- Less algae building up on the inside panes = Longer time frame between cleanings.
- White sandbed... I used to get a brown dusting about once a week, but now it has subsided.
- Skimmate production and color has seemed to vary with the amount of Microbacter 7 dosages.
 
Thanks, I noticed some more "lighter patches" in the tank today. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it's a sign of things to come.

My system is pretty small, and packed with coral... so it would be very difficult for it to move around the rocks without sending things flying or causing damage, and with how large they get... well my tank footprint is only 30" x 22" (28.5" x 20.5" ID). :lol:

Also, I'm having salt mix issues. Since my tank has such a small water volume, I do have to worry about the parameters in the freshly mixed water for water changes... primarily the alkalinity. The first batch of Red Sea Coral Pro I mixed up tested at 13.4 dKH! So I scrapped that... or well used it in the QT tank, then mixed a batch of Coralife up that tested at 11.8 dKH! After seeing that result I figured something must be up with the test kit, and pulled out the 7.2 dKH test solution. After testing it with the solution, I figure my kit could potentially be off .05 dKH on the high side at the very most (taking into account that the calibration solution can be off + or - .03). So not enough to skew the results significantly.

I think the Coralife (which I just ran out of) will be the safest to use at this point, but either way I'm pretty disappointed. I figure there could be a chance that the Red Sea bucket may have had settling issues or something, so I gave it a good mix with a piece of PVC and plan on making up another batch tomorrow to see if there are any changes.
 
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