My Bacteria Driven Journey
- Thread starter Tswifty
- Start date
aquariumclown
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15548294#post15548294 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ian
TJ, you just started today? For some reason I thought you started soon after starting this thread
He has a lot more patience than the rest of us. :lol:
Tswifty
New member
I was unable to find any of the additives locally. So I ended up ordering online, and had to wait a couple days for them to be delivered. Salty Critter actually got everything to me surprisingly fast considering they had to special order the Brightwell Aquatics additives. I think I placed my order on Wednesday, and everything showed up Friday morning.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15548294#post15548294 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ian
TJ, you just started today? For some reason I thought you started soon after starting this thread
Also, I had to shift some of my water parameters before I could begin. I normally run my alkalinity between 10-12 dKH, and had to walk it down gradually to within the recommended 7-9 dKH range.
The main reason for starting the thread a bit earlier than the dosing was just to get my plan out in the open, and make sure I understood everything properly.
EDIT: I just checked, and the thread was only started a little over a week ago (9 days). So it hasn't been thaaaaaaaaaaaat long.:lol:
I just wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered first.
I'm currently looking into a Profilux dosing pump system, and may switch to dosing Ca, Alk & Mag independently... rather than using the calcium reactor.
aquariumclown
New member
I got one of those, I love it. I'm considering getting another 4 pump unit for dosing other stuff like aminos and what not.
melev
Well-known member
6 weeks? Why so fast? It took me 28 weeks to reach 15ml. I'd imagine that bloom was the rapid increase of vodka dosage in such a short time.
I realize the article is a guideline, in that it recommends that we increase .5ml each week. I'm just wondering why you were dosing at what appears to be warp speed.
aquariumclown
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15548497#post15548497 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
6 weeks? Why so fast? It took me 28 weeks to reach 15ml. I'd imagine that bloom was the rapid increase of vodka dosage in such a short time.
I realize the article is a guideline, in that it recommends that we increase .5ml each week. I'm just wondering why you were dosing at what appears to be warp speed.
Your right Marc, to be honest with you, I was seeing good water clarity and when I didn't see NO3 and PO4 drop, I upped the dosage. My tank had been neglected for 3 years and kept it as fish only with an anemone and one leather, there was a bit of red turf algae I was trying to get rid of, so I was erroring on the high side. That's why if you read back this thread a bit, you'll see that I recommended Tswifty to go slow on the vodka. Do as I say not as I do, lol.
Tswifty
New member
Borrowed the Hanna Photometer today. First test showed PO4 at 0.03
It has to be a skewed reading though, because within the past couple of weeks I've noticed a lighter colored hair algae rapidly expanding through the tank. I usually feed my tank 2 fairly large portions of frozen Hikari Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, and Rotifers. Perhaps I'll back it down to 1 feeding per day until I get the algae under control.
It has to be a skewed reading though, because within the past couple of weeks I've noticed a lighter colored hair algae rapidly expanding through the tank. I usually feed my tank 2 fairly large portions of frozen Hikari Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, and Rotifers. Perhaps I'll back it down to 1 feeding per day until I get the algae under control.
aquariumclown
New member
Very sensible plan. I was doing 2 feedings a day and backed it down to 1, I don't think I'm going to go back to 2 per day unless there's a reason to.
aquariumclown
New member
If your NO3 and PO4 levels are completely undetectable and your corals are light in color because of it, it's a good idea to feed more as the tank is low on nutrients. In my case, it's not completely 0, my NO3 is about 3-5 and my PO4 is .003 fairly consistently now. In my case, it might take much longer for those values to be undetectable. I have a large bio load and nutrients that are on the rocks built up from years of UHN (ultra high nutrient) :lol:
sedorusc
New member
trying this myself. picked up the mb7 and lugol's from brightwell. reading the instructions on the lugols it says to add a maximum one drop a day. I read yours saying to add one drop a week do you know if the concentration is different. label reads Iodine (min) 3.750 mg/oz (126,803 ppm). just curious to the differences in brands
aquariumclown
New member
Congrats, that will continue for awhile till the water is rid of the nutrients.
Tswifty
New member
The concentration on the Kent (1oz bottle) label lists...
Iodine (min)...... 11.835%
The directions on the Kent version say to add 1 drop per 25 gallons per week. However, after some RC members cautioned me about using Lugol's, I scaled it back to 50% of the recommended dose to start.
Thanks. I'm guessing cleaning my waste collection container this time around is going to be a bit more unpleasant that usual. :lol:
:lol:
Yeah, I usually check the AC3's display under the stand before I hit the sack. Wiping the skimmer's neck with a paper towel only adds like 30 seconds to the task. I started doing it after I viewed a local guy's Royal Exclusive BK 300 with the Self Cleaning Head attachment... I thought it was a cool idea... not a $1,300.00 idea... but a cool idea nonetheless.
I'm not gonna lie and say I haven't missed a day or two on occasion though.
It's listed in the Reefkeeping Magazine Article.
I'm going to hold off on water changes during the initial 2 week "loading" period of the Microbacter 7. Then move back to my normal 10% weekly water changes. Also, I'm going to try my best to leave my sandbed alone now (I usually stir it with a turkey baster once a week). I believe SunnyX stated that after he vacuums his sandbed (once a month) he doses a larger than normal portion of Microbacter 7 to replace any bacteria that was lost during the process.
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Padrino
New member
How often must you vacuum your sand bed. TJ, You and i use the same sand which is the caribsea fiji pink. This is known to many as a finer sand which actually works in denitrification. You are not supposed to stir the sand bed if you have a DSB but with a SSB, are you supposed to stirr it or leave it alone? Stirring it up will release nitrate into the tank no? I can see the denitrification happening in my tank especially agianst the front where the sand bed meet the glass. How often do you vacuum your sand bed and what do you suggest since we have the same setup more or less.
