ReefWreak's 29g SPS Biocube Adventure!
- Thread starter ReefWreak
- Start date
First up, it was requested to share a picture of an SPS mostly dead, and then recovering again slowly, growing back from it's axial corallite.
Basically, the whole body of this frag died, except the growth corallite on the end of the branch stayed alive. After recovering, it is slowly growing back again, trying to grow downwards back over it's old skeleton:
Basically, the whole body of this frag died, except the growth corallite on the end of the branch stayed alive. After recovering, it is slowly growing back again, trying to grow downwards back over it's old skeleton:
And one more update as well. I haven't had much luck with this frag since I originally added it to the tank almost 2 years ago, after the first Reefapalooza. It was kind of off to the side of the LEDs, not under the main ones, and while it survived, mostly brown, I finally moved it now that I've killed off the Green Star Polyps in the tank, and this coral has plenty of sunshine now.
I was worried it was bleaching, because the body was turning white, but I think it's actually turning from brown to green, and I can see some reds coming out of the individual corallites. So it looks like Strawberry Shortcake might be back in business. It also means that my hypothesis is correct, that the drop-off at the edge of LEDs is one of the confounding factors and issues with them as lights, and that I NEED MOAR LEDS. One day...
I was worried it was bleaching, because the body was turning white, but I think it's actually turning from brown to green, and I can see some reds coming out of the individual corallites. So it looks like Strawberry Shortcake might be back in business. It also means that my hypothesis is correct, that the drop-off at the edge of LEDs is one of the confounding factors and issues with them as lights, and that I NEED MOAR LEDS. One day...
You could try a baby crab? Put a bright yellow zip tie on him so you'll be able to find an pull him out when necessary !
That's a heinously good idea.
As is that one lol. I might give it a try. It's just so weird how the algae comes in waves. My feeding is mostly consistent, mysis block breaks about the same size every time, dosing every other night with AF products, and the vodka has been at 0.5mL/day, but now I'm going to start up at 1mL/day. I know it can go higher without issue but I like to play conservatively.
@ReefWreak -- I'd suggest using a little Vinegar too. The amount it will affect pH is miniscule, and it's an additional source of Carbon. People love and swear by NO
OX, citing (anecdotally) that it gives them better results than Vinegar or Vodka alone...
NoOX is just a mixture of Vodka/Vinegar. That's all it is!
Additionally, bubble algae spreads like fungal spores.. It may sound weird, but you know how you're not supposed to pop the bubbles as it will spread? Well, that's what they're designed to do. Once the bubbles are at their peak size they burst on their own, or with the help of any snails, hermits, fish, or what have you. So it should always come in waves, as one bubble pops and releases a ton of spores into the tank.
Even with Emerald crabs, it will come in waves. By eating them, they pop them, releasing 'spores'. The thing is they eat them fast enough each outbreak is toppled before the bubbles get large enough to release a bunch of spores. So each wave gets smaller.
Are you dosing Bio S, or Pro Bio S? I noticed when I stopped dosing Pro Bio S I had small algal outbreaks that subsided. Seems like it was keeping the biodiversity high while not allowing some strains of bacteria to die off -- This is what happens in aquariums. Eventually only a small handful of bacterial species will inhabit the whole tank, while specialized species get out competed for resources, or just die out as they are specialists that have ONE function and have depleted the tanks resources.
EDIT: Anecdotal -- But I've also noticed dosing kno3 has a big effect on algae. It promotes the heinous growth of film algae on the glass, which out competes the other strains of algae in the tank. It was a pretty cool effect I had never really expected. But once I stop dosing nitrates, other algae's slowly start poking up out of the tank here or there -- Once I get back on kno3 dosing, they shrink away.
Cleaning your glass twice a day is pretty rough LOL.
OX, citing (anecdotally) that it gives them better results than Vinegar or Vodka alone...No
OX is just a mixture of Vodka/Vinegar. That's all it is!Additionally, bubble algae spreads like fungal spores.. It may sound weird, but you know how you're not supposed to pop the bubbles as it will spread? Well, that's what they're designed to do. Once the bubbles are at their peak size they burst on their own, or with the help of any snails, hermits, fish, or what have you. So it should always come in waves, as one bubble pops and releases a ton of spores into the tank.
Even with Emerald crabs, it will come in waves. By eating them, they pop them, releasing 'spores'. The thing is they eat them fast enough each outbreak is toppled before the bubbles get large enough to release a bunch of spores. So each wave gets smaller.
Are you dosing Bio S, or Pro Bio S? I noticed when I stopped dosing Pro Bio S I had small algal outbreaks that subsided. Seems like it was keeping the biodiversity high while not allowing some strains of bacteria to die off -- This is what happens in aquariums. Eventually only a small handful of bacterial species will inhabit the whole tank, while specialized species get out competed for resources, or just die out as they are specialists that have ONE function and have depleted the tanks resources.
EDIT: Anecdotal -- But I've also noticed dosing kno3 has a big effect on algae. It promotes the heinous growth of film algae on the glass, which out competes the other strains of algae in the tank. It was a pretty cool effect I had never really expected. But once I stop dosing nitrates, other algae's slowly start poking up out of the tank here or there -- Once I get back on kno3 dosing, they shrink away.
Cleaning your glass twice a day is pretty rough LOL.
I've read all of the controversies around bubble algae from the last 10-15 years on reefcentral. I guess if the spore theory is true, then the only way to win is low nutrients, which makes sense. I might try some emeralds then, next time I hit an LFS.
I'm not dosing bio s or pro bio s, I'm dosing the aquaforest 4 main supplements. I'm sure some of it is adding nutrients, but it should be pretty minimal. I throw in some brightwell microbacter7 now and then, though I don't think it's bacteria, I believe it's just enzymes that help nitrifying bacteria.
I do have a bottle of kno3 crystals for FW tanks, I just have been nervous about dosing it, since it still seems pretty counter intuitive as a method to reduce algae... Speaking of which I should really test my phosphates...
Also, why the hell does my tank run so well at 1.030. I have to struggle to reduce the salinity, and any time I do reduce it, I end up having issues with corals. Yes, I've calibrated my refractometer at 1.000 and 1.024 with reference solutions. Any time I reduce the salinity, a quart at a time, the corals don't appreciate it.
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I'm not dosing bio s or pro bio s, I'm dosing the aquaforest 4 main supplements. I'm sure some of it is adding nutrients, but it should be pretty minimal. I throw in some brightwell microbacter7 now and then, though I don't think it's bacteria, I believe it's just enzymes that help nitrifying bacteria.
I do have a bottle of kno3 crystals for FW tanks, I just have been nervous about dosing it, since it still seems pretty counter intuitive as a method to reduce algae... Speaking of which I should really test my phosphates...
Also, why the hell does my tank run so well at 1.030. I have to struggle to reduce the salinity, and any time I do reduce it, I end up having issues with corals. Yes, I've calibrated my refractometer at 1.000 and 1.024 with reference solutions. Any time I reduce the salinity, a quart at a time, the corals don't appreciate it.
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Why mess with something that doesn't need to be messed with?
Also, the dude from Battle Corals runs high salinity. I thought he ran 1.028 but people say he's running OVER 1.030+
Bagabaga
Member
your high salinity concern may help me explain why I had such great growth when my tank almost evaporated out of water while I was on vacation. Due to the kalk clogging my float.
But when I got back my tanks coralline algae and everything looked great. Maybe I'll raise my salinity slowly and see how they like it. Maybe my hydrometer sucks and I need to get a refractometer again.
Either way you have a fantastic looking tank and I wouldn't change a thing. Congrats on the baby as well.
But when I got back my tanks coralline algae and everything looked great. Maybe I'll raise my salinity slowly and see how they like it. Maybe my hydrometer sucks and I need to get a refractometer again.
Either way you have a fantastic looking tank and I wouldn't change a thing. Congrats on the baby as well.
soulpatch
New member
Rakie, hobby hydrometers arent accurate at all but a good glass lab unit is more exact then refractometers as thry are not reliant on temp or lighting
But yes for the hobbyist refractometer is one of the best unless you want to go digital
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But yes for the hobbyist refractometer is one of the best unless you want to go digital
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Very true! A digital one popped up locally for $40, while I thought about it the darn thing sold -_-
I was sharing images in other threads, so figured I'd drop this top-down update here. Tank is doing pretty well. Continuing to grow. I've been dosing 50:50 vinegar:vodka since we last discussed it, almost a month ago. Not making much of a difference, though it did darken skimmate right when I started. So far so good. I have a new pH probe because I assume my tank isn't at 7.5 all day every day, but haven't gotten around to replacing it.
I'm ready for a new tank... But my domicile isn't.
My how time flies, and things change. From Sept 2015:
I'm ready for a new tank... But my domicile isn't.
My how time flies, and things change. From Sept 2015:
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