Perams After a year. Where do I go from here?

[Grimreaperz]

Okay so my tank has officially hit just past the 1 year mark.... (established?)

I barely do tests anymore as they are always the same. With the exception being Mag, Cal and Phosphate. (Sometimes I'll check nitrate if something looks worrying but it's always the same.)
Perams are as follows.

Ph 8.1-8.3
Alk 7.5 ish (red sea blue at 7 yellow at 8 drops)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-2
Phosphate 0 (salifert)
Mag 1700 (algae)(salifert)
Cal 440 (api)
All except specified are Red Sea Tests.

I have an extremely low bio load.
2 juvie Picasso clowns
1 recently obtained Ruby Red Scooter Blenny.
And a hand full of blue leg hermits
Handful of bumblebee snails
3 red scarlet hermits (in fuge)
1 peppermint (in fuge)
Whole whack of trochus (they bred early on)

Corals are as follows

Softies:
Mushrooms
GSP (in fuge)
Zoas

LPS:
Tracyphyllia
Duncan
Plate
Frogspawn
Hammer
Favia
Candy cane

SPS:
First obtained a Green Slimer acropora
And once noticed growth just recently obtained the following

Birdsnest
Forest Fire Digi
Blue grey acro
Green plating monti
Bonsai

Also I have 1 RBTA

I feed fish lightly once a day with a good feeding twice a week with target feeding corals

Feed for fish is
Flakes
pellets
Brine shrimp
And DIY frozen fish food fed 2ce a week
Selcon

Feed for corals is
Phytoplankton
Oyster feast

DOSE: 2x a week
Aquavitro:
Calcium
Fuel
Vibrance

Kent's Tech M

My question is nothing really grows super fast and I think it's my struggle with keeping my nitrates at 2-5 instead of 0-2

I have tried reducing water change schedules
Turning skimmer off for sometimes a month at a time.
Not running filter sock in my sump/fuge
Putting sponges in my fuge to hopefully produce a bit of nitrate factory
And not vacuuming up left over food.... (usually the amphipods take care of that lol)

But nothing seems to work. (My tests do work my buddies nitrates are out of control and I tested his water to be sure it wasn't my tests)

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated....im hoping my clowns breed eventually so trying to keep them alone and focus on reefing aspect.

Sorry for the long write up and thanks for any advice.


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[Pond Boy]

What lighting are you using?

 

[Grimreaperz]

What lighting are you using?

I'm using LED lighting....china box....i know it's not the best I want to get hybrid t5/LED eventually but it was growing everything great until about 4 months ago when I noticed a bit of a slow down.

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[rtparty]

Feed more and get more fish if you want more nitrates

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

+1 on the lights
Nitrate up to 10 is now OK so no worries there, you need some.
Clowns will breed when they are ready even in a fish system.
Leave the skimmer on & keep up with water changes.

 

[jda]

0-2 is enough nitrate to grow corals. I would look somewhere else for your problem.

I would get the alk up to 10, or so. You don't have any SPS and most of the LPS can do quite well with a bit higher alk. I would get a Salifert alk test kit - this is your most important kit.

You need to keep on changing water. The trace elements that the softies use need to be replaced. This could help growth as well.

 

[jda]

BTW - if you have enough pods to quickly clean up uneaten food, you have a very healthy reef so don't do too much.

 

[Grimreaperz]

0-2 You don't have any SPS

You need to keep on changing water. The trace elements that the softies use need to be replaced. This could help growth as well.

Awesome thanks...i do actually have recently obtained SPS list is in my post.

Mainly why i am starting to worry about my parameters a bit more.

I'll try and get my alk up for sure! Doing a WC today so I'll check after that.

I'll keep an eye out for a new light and keep doing what I am doing....everything seem decent not dying but not the happiest either.....i think my light may be the culprit....but wanted to check perams as well....

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[jda]

Sorry that I missed the SPS. I would still do alk at around 9 and just need to not bottom out the N and P. This is easier to maintain and you will have good colors. For SPS, you only really need alk at around 7 if you want to drive the N and P down to zero.

 

[Grimreaperz]

Sorry that I missed the SPS. I would still do alk at around 9 and just need to not bottom out the N and P. This is easier to maintain and you will have good colors. For SPS, you only really need alk at around 7 if you want to drive the N and P down to zero.

Yeah that's kinda my problem nitrates are most of the times 0-2 but mostly 0 hoping to find a way to boost that but that's also why I target fees all corals to ensure they get enough nutrition.

Pics of my tanks

Sorry for the blues.

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[bertoni]

I agree with feeding a bit more to see how well that works. It's easy to try, and if you go gradually, the risk is small. You might see the phosphate level go up more than you'd like, though. At that point, you could consider adding some GFO or perhaps supplementing nitrate.

I'd also check that the lighting is working properly, and maybe consider adding some activated carbon to the system. Sometimes, coral toxins are an issue, and carbon can help with that. Sometimes, better skimming can help, too, by removing problematic organics.

I don't know anything about LED lighting, so I can't help there.

 

[Grimreaperz]

I agree with feeding a bit more to see how well that works. It's easy to try, and if you go gradually, the risk is small. You might see the phosphate level go up more than you'd like, though. At that point, you could consider adding some GFO or perhaps supplementing nitrate.

I'd also check that the lighting is working properly, and maybe consider adding some activated carbon to the system. Sometimes, coral toxins are an issue, and carbon can help with that. Sometimes, better skimming can help, too, by removing problematic organics.

I don't know anything about LED lighting, so I can't help there.

Okay thanks for the advice. I do dose carbon but not all the time usually every 2 weeks or so....i was told to only run it if I am concerned but I can definitely keep running it more frequently. I have been fragging lately so I always run it after that.

I skim daily as of right now since the SPS have entered the system it's in 24/7
I wish I could afford a PAR Meter maybe I'll ask a local reef club if there is one I can borrow.



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[bertoni]

Running activated carbon continuously should be fine. Dosing carbon (vinegar, vodka, etc) probably will reduce the nutrient levels even more. In case there's any confusion, I was suggesting GAC, or something similar.

 

[Grimreaperz]

Running activated carbon continuously should be fine. Dosing carbon (vinegar, vodka, etc) probably will reduce the nutrient levels even more. In case there's any confusion, I was suggesting GAC, or something similar.

Yeah sorry that's what I run is Marineland GAC I throw it in a mesh bag and in my filter sock....not the most effective method I am sure but it's all I got for now.

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[bertoni]

Okay, that should be good enough, as long as the carbon isn't getting abraded into dust.

 

[franz99]

Your lights are fine. This is a friend of mine's sps dominant tank that is under Chinese black boxes. Things just take time to grow man, you have been patient enough to have the beginnings of a beautiful tank. Just continue to be patient and all will be good. I also have Chinese black boxes and I have quick growth with some acros and also have slow growth with others. Just keep your parameters stable and all will be well.

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[franz99]

Here's my tank and a few of my sps pieces for reference.

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[Grimreaperz]

Here's my tank and a few of my sps pieces for reference.

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Awesome thanks so much!!! That definitely is reassuring. As anyone I talk to seems to have an issues with my lights even though it's growing everything....I will definitely keep being patient.



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