Myka's 69 SPS Tank 2015

[DiscusHeckel]

Bülent, could you please explain why mg/L to ppm conversion makes a big difference with Mg?

I will try to explain with an example:

Salinity of FM Solution is 35 ppm/53,0 mS at 25 C. Based on this salinity at this temperature, magnesium reading is 1397 mg/L (see attached). 1397 mg /L is equal to 1361 ppm, i.e. 1397 / 1.02637 (at 25C) = 1361.1075. So, if you compare your Salifert test result of this solution you need to target 1361 ppm as opposed to 1397. A lot of folks complain that there is a big discrepancy between the test kit reading and the solution. When I raised this issue with Habib (CEO of Salifert) he advised me to apply the above calculation.

I hope this helps.

Bülent

 

[markalot]

I missed another month, but no pictures. Thanks for posting your triton results, always nice to see how other tanks are doing vs what the tests say.

 

[JB NY]

If you are going to start dosing some trace elements I would start with Zinc and Manganese first. It think you will see the biggest change in corals with these two.

 

[Myka]

I missed another month, but no pictures. Thanks for posting your triton results, always nice to see how other tanks are doing vs what the tests say.

Nothing interesting to look at. They're growing, and look ok, but nothing to brag about. :facepalm:

If you are going to start dosing some trace elements I would start with Zinc and Manganese first. It think you will see the biggest change in corals with these two.

That's exactly what I was thinking, and exactly what I was planning, but then I found that bottle of Kent Essential Elements, and it looks like it would boost up pretty much everything that was "undetectable" on the Triton test. I'm still on the fence. :uhoh2:

 

[biggles]

If you are going to start dosing some trace elements I would start with Zinc and Manganese first. It think you will see the biggest change in corals with these two.

What sort of positive changes would dosing zinc bring about Joe ?

 

[bobssecrtsn]

any updatessssssss?!

 

[sahin]

We need a pic update Mindy

 

[Myka]

any updatessssssss?!

We need a pic update Mindy

I gave up trying to get nutrients into the tank about a month ago because it seemed like no matter what I put in the tank I never got more than a whiff of NO3 or PO4 and it was a lot of effort feeding that much. The corals are pale again and growth has really slowed so I think my efforts actually were helping. I'm going to do some testing today and see what is going on. I missed last week's water change, so the tank is looking messy. There is a large Bubble Algae outbreak even though there are about 4-6 Emerald Crabs in there. Maybe they quit eating it? I don't know why all of a sudden it's going nuts in there - especially since feeding really cut down. I'll take some pics today or tomorrow. I bought a RR Pink Cadillac awhile back, but that's all I've added in quite awhile. I have a couple Tiger Queen Anthias in the QT (with Furan2) - they were at the shop for a couple weeks and doing really well (even eating pellets) so I couldn't resist. Too bad they aren't a trio.

 

[Myka]

I managed to get the water change done today, and cleaned the tank up a bit. Tomorrow I will take pics. Also, I forgot to mention that a few days ago I started switching the skimmer off at night. I'm a bit concerned this may exacerbate diurnal pH fluctuation, but I will circumnavigate this issue by not testing pH.

Oh, and sorry I haven't been around here lately - been working time and half all the time these days!

 

[Myka]

Pics didn't happen...unexpectedly ended up redoing a client's plumbing that was old and fragile and needed to be done. Would have been nice to schedule it, but it scheduled itself. [emoji38]

Anyway, I decided to try a new route...this is my current daily schedule:

930 pm lights off
10 pm ish SWITCH SKIMMER OFF, dose 2.25 mL Pohls Xtra, 3 drops Sponge Power, 5 mL Phyto Feast, 5 mL Oyster Feast.
7 am ish switch skimmer on, dose 3 mL Coral Snow
830 am lights on

What shall happen?

 

[markalot]

White snot from the Pohls Xtra after about a week.

I really don't know but that's what happened in my dirtier tank when I tried it. I do like SpongePower.

Have you tried ReefRoids in the past?

 

[reefmutt]

I'm always totally baffled by tanks that can't get nutrient off the ground! It's always the opposite for me.
Maybe it's the big pinch of reefroids I add before lights out every single night...
..omega fatty acids, all essential aminos... that wonderful fishy stench... the stuff is gold.

 

[Myka]

White snot from the Pohls Xtra after about a week.

I really don't know but that's what happened in my dirtier tank when I tried it. I do like SpongePower.

Have you tried ReefRoids in the past?

Crap! I hope not! :facepalm: I haven't used Xtra on this tank before. The label sounds good. :lolspin:

I do have ReefRoids and Reef Chili too. I was using Chili for a few months - I'm not sure if I saw a difference or not, but I have my jar out to soak some for tonight to add to the roster. I was adding 3 scoops of the Chili, and at one point I subbed one of those scoops with a scoop of ReefRoids which seemed to correlate with green cyano. I could give it a shot again. :uzi:

I'm always totally baffled by tanks that can't get nutrient off the ground! It's always the opposite for me.
Maybe it's the big pinch of reefroids I add before lights out every single night...
..omega fatty acids, all essential aminos... that wonderful fishy stench... the stuff is gold.

You likely the roids too eh? Hmmm...

My typical tank: no nutrients and lots of bubble algae. :facepalm:

 

[Myka]

Ok, I fnally took some photos...haven't taken photos since Oct 10th.

However, my photos today are pretty bad! Sorry, it's all I got today.

I just moved this Cap to a very high light area of my tank. It looks a lot like the Leng Sy Cap, so I moved it to see if it will develop the blue/purple peaks.

Reeftech Starburst Monti Cap

Bali Loripes - look close, it has sweet red polyps, but hasn't colored up for me yet.

CM Blue Polyp Nasuta

Cali Tort

Garf Bonsai, has looked better...

CC Red Acro

RRC Orange Passion

Bali "deepwater"...any guesses on species? I haven't tried to ID yet. Just starting to color up.

Another Bali "deepwater". It came in mounted in a vertical fashion though it appeared to have grown horizontally. For this reason, I think it may be Acropora elegans, but I haven't really looked at it yet. Any guesses?

 

[markalot]

Yea, those are horrible, I could hardly stand to look at them.

:clown:

Seriously, they look great to me, and I see happy polyps so better color can't be too far behind, right?

 

[milsaltnewbie07]

Man those are gorgeous. That OP is so sexy. Im dying to buy one for reef.

 

[reefmutt]

Looking really nice!
Love the red polyps on the loripes.
What's CC (red acro)
Loving the deepwaters... obviously..

 

[Myka]

Yea, those are horrible, I could hardly stand to look at them.

:clown:

Seriously, they look great to me, and I see happy polyps so better color can't be too far behind, right?

Hahaha, sorry Mark, I meant that the photo quality is terrible. Focus is awful. I took a photo of every coral in the tank (I always do when I take photos), and these were the only ones that were halfway focused. PE is better now that I started feeding at night again - I guess that's just another sign that my feedings were doing something even if I didn't see it on paper (NO3 & PO4).

Man those are gorgeous. That OP is so sexy. Im dying to buy one for reef.

You won't regret it! That piece always looks nice in my tank, that's what I like about named corals - they are proven winners. Although you have to be careful, it seems like everyone is throwing names on corals these days. I mean, a proven name that's been around awhile - those are the proven winners.

Looking really nice!
Love the red polyps on the loripes.
What's CC (red acro)
Loving the deepwaters... obviously..

I haven't found the sweet spot for the Loripes - I'm going to hunt around and see what conditions people are putting them in. I've been abusing it though - I need to glue it down because it keeps falling over since it's unbalanced on the plug.

CC I made up for Canada Corals.

The Loripes and the two unnamed deepwaters are the newest pieces in my tank. The green corallite one came in VERY bleached. At one point it looked like it was going to go red or purple base like a Pacman - I'm glad it didn't go red base (well so far) because if I wanted a Pacman I'd just go buy one. I want something NEW! It would be super awesome if it went purple base though.

 

[reefmutt]

Purple base would put it into realm of the purple dragon eyes which is my holy grail coral.

 

[Myka]

Purple base would put it into realm of the purple dragon eyes which is my holy grail coral.

That was totally the direction it was headed. Time will tell I guess.