Reefing Axioms

[hbrochs]

I'm interested in hearing how you know something is off in your tank just by observation as opposed to testing. Or if you have one animal that is first to let you know something is amiss.

I'll start it off:

I know my nitrates are creeping up when I have to clean my glass every two days.


Thanks,

Howard

 

[CedzAquAddictio]

I used to test all of the time when I first started off. Now, that my water changes are semi automated and the water is changed so often, I can't remember the last time I tested for anything other than calcium, alk, and mag. Probably not a good thing, but I haven't lost a fish to anything other than jumping in the past few years.

All of my corals are doing quite well, so I let it ride until I see some coral starting to not do so well...

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Same here, I don't test anymore as my 20% wc every two weeks keeps up with it. If my corals were to show any signs of stress or not as expanded as usual I'd test, but otherwise nope. Just do the scheduled wc's as I've been doing them and stay ahead of it. Since I've been adding corals lately both LPS and SPS I'm collecting what I'll need for dosing if the need arises.

 

[Reef Frog]

When I started 6 years ago, I bought some mushrooms & several zoanthid varieties and they prospered in a nutrient rich tank. After a bryoosis invasion I learned how to drive nutrients way down and keep them down and migrated to a mixed stony coral tank that I would describe as low nutrient.

The mushrooms disappeared from sight and I assumed they died off (I was OK with that!) and some of the zoas went away as well, and others simply stopped growing.

Lately I let nutrients & disolved organics rise because some of the SPS & LPS were losing color. To my surprise a side effect occurred: after several years, many of my long forgotten mushrooms came back to life. And some Zoas started reproducing as well. Luckily pest algae hasn't been an issue as I try to navigate this fine line.

These mushrooms & zoanthid condition now serve as a visual clue as to the overall effects of running a richer tank.

 

[hbrochs]

Thank you Reef Frog

Thank you Reef Frog

Thanks, thats exactly the kind of observation I was looking for.

I had a similar experience where I was keeping the tank too clean and nothing was growing. Then I started feeding like crazy and the corals grew and I had an algae exposion. Now I'm trying to walk the line. I feed less now, but also do less frequent water changes.

Howard