milsaltnewbie07
New member
Hey rovster just curious. Are you still carbon dosing ei prodibio or anything else??. What are you keeping your nutrients at now, and alk.
Rovster's Custom Reef Savvy build......FINALLY!!!
- Thread starter rovster
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rovster
New member
Yes, still dosing the Prodibio every 2 weeks, although I've missed a few doses here and there. I change my GFO every 6-8 weeks, I think I'm running just over a cup. I am also carbon dosing with a Vinegar/Vodka blend, but I have cut that back considerably since my alk issues started. Before I cut it back I was probably dosing about a third of what most people dose, now its probably 10% or less, but I plan on increasing that soon.
Nutrient wise, Nitrates run around 5, but 2-10 is the range. I checked it this past Sunday and is was slightly over the 5 mark. Phosphate ranges from 0.02-0.04 typically. I've also been growing chaeto again in my fuge and recently I threw away a volleyball sized clump because my nitrates were nearing 0 and I didn't want to bottom out (last time that happened I lost all my chaeto).
Alk has been hovering around 7 (6.7-7.2). I'm tying to ease it up to around 7.5, at least that's the plan. I used to keep it around 8.0-8.2, but that does not give me room for any kind of spike. Once my alk goes above 8.5 I see STN, its crazy.
I've also gone to bimonthly waterchanges or around 20-30gal, as opposed to 10gal per week. This has more to do with my personal schedule than anything else. As the kiddos get bigger, they get busier (soccer, ballet, parties, DISNEY, etc.)
milsaltnewbie07
New member
Yea I had the same issue with prodibio. I completely depleted nutrients and thing took a downhill slope fast. I started Kno3 dosing to get no3 to 5 and they are now at about 10ppm. But im getting some stn/rtn now and I have no clue why. Anyways glad your tank is doing great.
rovster
New member
Not doing great but on its way. That's funny you mention that I could never get my nutrients down without the additional carbon dosing. The Prodibio doesn't do it on its own. I also added additional Siporax to that will give me additional denitrifying capacity. I also add some NaNO3 from time to time when my nitrates start to go down. I did notice that there seemed to be a latent effect to that as well. You add, add, add, and then you realize its too much:deadhorse1:
I probably add some Nitrate twice a week, just a few squirts depending on how things are looking. I'm trying to be as hands off as possible currently, and just feed the fish and corals a few times a week.
milsaltnewbie07
New member
Well i added matrix to help out the prodibio, since it was taking about 6 weeks to even notice it drop. But after that week it took a nosedive to 0 literally overnight. This has caused so many problems for me. But it is what it is, lets just say im done with ulns systems lol
rovster
New member
I'm in no way trying to run an ULNS. Don't get me wrong. I do all the carbon dosing because I like to be overstocked with fish and feed like an animal. The carbon dosing is so I can keep my levels at a reasonable level. For nitrates as long as they are 10 or less I'm fine. I like them just under 5. Phosphate I like the 0.02-0.04 range I've had for a while now. As soon as my nitrate starts to plummet, I remove chaeto and add NaNO3 until its back to 5 or 10 again. I still plan on adding more fish too, but I was waiting for my Siporax to become a little more established and also I wanted to try and stabilize the corals as well before changing anything else.
rovster
New member
Yes, but its more complicated than that....at least that's what I make it, LOL!
Its not about adding something and taking it back out. Its more about balancing Nitrate and phosphate levels. You see, nitrate gets taken up a lot quicker than phosphate. If I let the nitrate bottom out by letting the chaeto go nuts, then I get phosphate to creep up. My ultimate goal is to keep Nitrate higher than phosphate. There have been times that just by dosing nitrate, my phosphate goes down with no other changes. Yes, I probably make it more complicated than it needs to be, but in reality, its not a big deal to me. I test my alk every day or every other day. Nitrate I test 1-2x's per week depending on how things are. I don't have a set regimen yet although I'd like to develop one. Not sure if that makes any sense.
It seems the nitrate dosing only comes into play in carbon dosed tanks, if it ever does. There are a ton of threads on this now on this and other forums.
Checked my alk yesterday and I did not need to add any manually. Looks like I'm getting close:bounce2:
Rogger Castells
New member
rovster
New member
Can you esplain to me in just what way the way I run my tank is more complicated than yours? If anything, you got dat fancy AWC and dual stage reactor with an electronic regulator......very fancy.....
Rogger Castells
New member
Don’t bother, it’s a republican thing, you will never win
AquamanE
Active member
purposely stripping your tank of ALL nutrients with fancy additives, only to then feed it other additives with nutrients???? simple?? why not just let simple things drop it to acceptable levels. :deadhorse1:
Rogger- Im not a Republican but i do detest mainstream liberalism, and big governemnt. if you let the liberals mandate we wont have a hobby, as they feed the Center for Bio-Diversity to put EVERYTHING in the endangered list in an effort to keep BS government supported programs going. Read the, still in congress bill, to stop the importation, and even the inability to have in your house of corals BS.
Rogger- Im not a Republican but i do detest mainstream liberalism, and big governemnt. if you let the liberals mandate we wont have a hobby, as they feed the Center for Bio-Diversity to put EVERYTHING in the endangered list in an effort to keep BS government supported programs going. Read the, still in congress bill, to stop the importation, and even the inability to have in your house of corals BS.
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Rogger Castells
New member
AquamanE
Active member
I was there yesterday. Here it is.
Looking good Rovi!!!!
rovster
New member
Small update. Things are still improving slowly. My alk has been running really low at around 6.7 but everything seems fine. I've been burned so many times running it higher that I'm hesitant to raise it much. I'm going to try to ease it up to over 7 but so far so good. Colors are finally coming back and I can see some new growth again.
I'm really loving the automatic neck cleaner as well. I cleaned it this weekend after 4-5 weeks of use and it was cleaner than 1 week without it!
Today I ordered the supplies to remake my light rack so soon I'll have another pair of T5s running. I'm trying to be as hands off as possible and things are responding well. I still have s few pieces that look like crap but it's s slow recovery.
Shot from today...
Disco shot....
I'm really loving the automatic neck cleaner as well. I cleaned it this weekend after 4-5 weeks of use and it was cleaner than 1 week without it!
Today I ordered the supplies to remake my light rack so soon I'll have another pair of T5s running. I'm trying to be as hands off as possible and things are responding well. I still have s few pieces that look like crap but it's s slow recovery.
Shot from today...
Disco shot....
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