Quiverfull's Biggle Juice Expeeiment

[Quiverfull]

Just a quick update.

Manipulation:
1. Have now slowly reduced my "BiggleJuice" (Lugol's and KoralColor) dosing because everything was getting so green and other colors fading. In my reading, it seems that the increase in green intensity is quite common when dosing the Lugol's solution.
2. I have also switched to AF Probiotic reef salt for my water changes.
3. Changed my MH (14K Phoenix) and blue (+) bulbs.

Results:
1. Green is fading - most notably from my Cali Tort loosing green tint.
2. Other colors such as the pinks/reds are becoming more saturated.
3. I still am getting significant algae and Cyano - not overpowering but definitely slowly enlarging.
4. ALK dropped from 8's to mid to low 7's, Ca dropped from mid 400's to upper 300's (380/390) (which I believe is more inline with the AF salt and may also be a result of a higher demand with the growth occurring).
5. In general corals look very healthy with the best PE I have had, good growth and good coloration (to my eye) - most important.

What I want to achieve:
Get rid of cyano and reduce algae growth without loosing coral growth and color. As they say, as long as the corals look happy, I am not too concerned about the cyano and algae but they are a sign of some extra nutrients in the system that I would like to limit and get the right balance.

Possible Next Moves:
1. Increase my ESV two part to increase Alk to upper 7's - low 8's.
2. Consider adding the NP Pro and Pro Bio S.
3. Continue 15 to 20% water change every 2 weeks with AF ProBiotics Salt.
4. Consider doubling my snail population (only have about 35 trochus and 10 astreas in a standard 120).
5. Titrate the Lugol's and KoralColor to the amount of green and color saturation that I prefer - gonna hold off on both of these for now and see what happens with color, PE and growth.
6. Consider switching from my ESV 2 part to AF 3 part (would require me to add a second doser for part 3).

Any comments and/or suggestions are appreciated.

I will try to provide some comparison photos of some of the previous corals to demonstrate the color changes this weekend.

 

[biecacka]

Quiver did you see my pm? Great looking frags from Hollback too man, I picked up some as well. I'm in Columbus too and would love to check out your tank and talk reef maybe. I'm slowly joining the SPS craze and always looking for insight.

Corey

 

[JonezNReef]

I read this one a while back on a old thread... Has been a guide line when watching for stuff without testing in my own tank. Thought it might be a little of interest

I too have been blindly dosing a few drops of iodine or lugols.
Based on the "Color of Corals Guide" i would say in general these chems are atleast in line in my system:

Here is an synopsis I found and saved that some one posted somewhere. This may be what your referring to Acronic:

Yellows
Highly dependent on Nitrate and PO4 levels. Of course all SPS colors are highly dependent on lack of N and P so I wanted to start with probably the easiest color to get, yellow. Yellows are sort of you baseline; yellows will tell you a lot about what is going on in your tank, what is needed and what is overdosed. Nitrate and/or PO4 reduction is most important, either through technical means such as nitrate/phosphate reducers or biologically through DSB, Carbon dosing and/or water changes and fuges. Basically, if you want to do SPS, I would suggest starting with an acropora that is yellow. If you can get it to say yellow for several months, you should be ready for something else.


Greens
Greens would be the next easiest color to tweak. Most green coloration can be achieved through the addition of an Iron Concentrate (Kents is what I use, however Iron is Iron). You must be very careful with Iron because it is also an Algae accelerator; this is why it is so important for you to get your yellows colors first (your N and P will be lowered). Additionally, I use my yellows as indicators for my greens and blues. You'll notice a deficiancy if your greens are brown color or they are paling in color. I start off by dosing Iron at about 1 drop per 50 usg twice a week and take note of what happens, color changes, Algae growth, until my yellow acroporas display a green shimmer (it won't be a solid green but a shimmer of a green/yellow). Please note, a sign of overdosing is a darkening of tissue, when this happens you have added too much iron or too much iron is being added. Another sign of overdosing is Algae growth, stop immediately and possibly do a water change if necessary. Like everything else reef, go slowly.

Blues and some purples
This is mainly for blues but I have found is can also have an effect on purples. The supplement for this is Potassium Iodide Concentrate or Lugol's solution, ESV Potassium Iodide Concentrate will also work; don't just get something that says Potassium because that is a little different. Dosing should be done when blue colors become less intense. Again, using yellow corals as indicators, stop dosing when yellow corals display a green shimmer.


Reds/Pinks and some Purples
Primarily for coloring reds and pinks in Montiporas, Pocilloporas, Birdsnest, other Stys and Seriatoporas. The supplement is Potassium (not potassium iodide). If you are using a high potassium salt mix such as Oceanic, Tropical Marine Pro and you are doing regular water changes, you are more than likely not going to need to supplement this much. For dosing you can use your monitporas, especially caps as indicators. Supplementing is required when Montiporas display slower growth and appear washed out to grey appearance. Indicators on Stys and Pocs are when they look like they have been exposed to air. Polyps are completely withdrawn and colors are light. Other indicators of potassium deficiency is when the pinks turn into a light brown and when acroporas loose their color and get lighter and pale. A major potassium deficiency is seen when tissue is lost, mostly starting from the base opposed to spotting (patchy look). And overdose can lead to tip burning so don't mistake tip burn for new growth. Tips burns will be white with no polyps.


Purples
Probably one of the hardest coloration of all acroporas from my experience since it is a combination of several variables.
First and foremost is water clarity, which means Carbon and/or filter socks. I have also had good result from biological filters such as using cryptic zones, which produce seasquirts, sponges and other filter feeding animals. Zeo Sponge Power, which can be used in any system, feeds sponges. Sponges are great because they can filter a mass amount of water for better water clarity. From what I have noted, increased water clarify will first effect SPS tips but not the complete base. I have seen nana and valida with really nice purple tips but brown/tan/white bases. I have seen the same nana and valida in another's tanks, which met all other parameters with a full purple from base to tip.
Second being lighting. From my observations of my own tank and others, purples seem to love 420-440nm range light spectrum, those found in actinics and 20K halides. Some of the best purples I have seen are in tanks that have 440nm blue actinics (ATI Blue+, Giessman Actinic) or 20K Halides (Radium, XM 20K).
Third, supplements such as Iodide and Potassium (see blues and Reds/Pinks). Again, make sure your greens are green and yellows are yellow. Your blue should be bright with depth. Iodide will also help if you have tip burn.
These are just my observations through testing and I am sure in the future other factors will be seen and added. Please feel free to comment with your own observations, data is very important to moving forward.

 

[Quiverfull]

Start Over

Start Over

Planning on a total redo. Will be doing a tear down and rebuild over the next several months.

 

[unchin]

How's your tank doing after all these years?

 

[Quiverfull]

Thanks for asking. Lost most of my SPS due to ignoring it for a while. Had some extra family move in and was not able to do my routine maintenance. I am about to do a full restart which is the exciting and fun part. I am actually looking forward to it. I was getting really overgrown and could not add any more corals. Once I get up and running again, I will try to chronicle the come back. This is one positive to the COVID-19 shutdown... could not ignore it anymore.