Perry's 120 Gallon Reef
- Thread starter plyle02
- Start date
plyle02
Active member
Thanks Sahin,
Yeah, I hear you on a couple of months back, the switch seemed kind of drastic, but in reality, it really was not. I think there is a sps sweet spot, mostly on the big3, without stability there, switching would have not occurred. I mostly pay attention to alk, I have been stable at 7.34dkh for months now, every test, every time, not even a slight swing. This tells me that I am in ionic balance. This balance as well as nutrient balance is what I feel drives colors. I used to be more in tune with numbers, especially for NO3 and PO4, however, I rarely test and use the glass algae as a means of understanding what I need to dose and how much. I currently use 1ml per day of zeostart3, and 2ml of MB7 every other day. The importance I find is to know that without bacteria being populated, zeostart3 will just drive NO3 down too far, which leads to cyano outbreaks, which is being fueled by carbon source. That said, I use MB7 to keep PO4 down, in line with NO3, my idea is that upping the bac population starves cyano, allowing carbon source to lower PO4 in a linear way. Using a carbon source alone is not enough, IMO. Last check revealed higher than normal NO3(2-5ppm Salifert), and .08 PO4(hanna pockemeter). This may be from the addition of 10lbs of dry rock added to the tank. I also tested the day after I fed a half cube of cyclopeeze and a chunk of Larry's frozen. That said, the glass algae needed swiping after 2 days, this told me nutrients were rising, so I decided to up both C-Source and Bac Source up to it's current dosing. All of that being said, I simply now use the glass algae to determine MY acceptable level of nutrients, in all honesty, I would rather be 4-5 days without swiping to dial in a bit lighter coloration in zoox, as I prefer not to have colors too rich. I suppose it is all in the eye of the beholder, I just wanted to explain my current husbandry practice. Thanks for the compliments, I truly appreciate all the feedback, and comments.
Thank You,
biggles
Premium Member
Beautiful colors showing on your acros Perry, thanks for taking the time to explain your nutrient control methods my friend. :thumbsup:
If i clean my glass first thing in the morning it needs cleaning again before the lights go off the same day so i'm kinda thinking i've overdone the feeding of late lol.
If i clean my glass first thing in the morning it needs cleaning again before the lights go off the same day so i'm kinda thinking i've overdone the feeding of late lol.
plyle02
Active member
Thanks Mark,
While I have no scientific data to back up my theory on glass swiping, I do have personal experience with test results vs. coloration, vs. the amount of days I go with algae build up on glass. Just a theory of my own, but it helps me in making dosing decisions, kind of like figuring out how much 2 part to dose daily to lock parameters in. I suspect that my recent frequency of every other day of algae build up is likely due to new dead rock, it is now getting the first color of algae after 2 weeks, I see pinkish hues settling in on the rock which eludes me to believe coralline is about to take off, that would be great news. Maybe just a mini cycle and PO4 release from the dead rock. Anyway, I am not concerned
I do however feel there is a symbiosis created between C-Source dosing and Bacteria additions. I am even thinking of getting more types of live bacteria as to diversify my bacteria in the tank. I just ordered more zeostart3, actually considered the NOPOX or even making my own VSV, but decided to spend the extra $ on what has worked for the last couple of months.Regards,
rhickman17
New member
Corals look great Perry, keep doing what you're doing, they seem to be happy !
plyle02
Active member
Thanks Andrew, makes sense, but as long as your acros look great mate, I wouldn't rush to anything drastic, lol... I have a personal theory of mine regarding not running the stones in the zeovit lineup, and perhaps why the C-Source and Bacteria source dosing is working for me. I will break that down later. But for now, I am feeling good about my direction with the tank, my frags are doing well, encrusting nicely to their respective spots, and the main colonies are showing color at or better than their respective lineage. :beer:
Thank you sir, that tank of yours is looking pretty sweet too, nice since the additional panel, thanks again!
Thank You very much!
plyle02
Active member
Thanks Dan, I upped my zeostart3 to 1 ml from .5ml per day, I am seeing a very nice response in corals and colors. I recently put a 1.5ml dose of zeospur in the tank as well, love this product, but needs to be used with caution. I have a full bottle for almost 2 years now, it is only bi-weekly that I dose, and much under recommendations.
Thanks Matt, that is why I put the pic up, when I looked at the pic, I immediately knew this one would be posted, something about that RR that I am so stoked on. It is actually growing without any warfare with the green slimer, really cool to see them working so well together. The purple nana gave a nice contrast to the pic. Thanks again, stoked that colors are moving along so nicely.
plyle02
Active member
Great memory Perry, yes that's me
Incredible tank, it's such a good feeling when you get things dialed in and your corals start looking like that. Congrats on your success!
Yep, I remember that acrylic bomb that I scored from you, that thing was a beast... 1" acrylic, all the way around... Good to see you back in the game, I always loved your setup's and your corals glowed. Look forward to your return.
Regards,
