Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.
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tas5tas
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I've only been running mine for about 2 months and my colors are already starting to morph. I think my corals have finally acclimated to the increased light output of the T5's as they have started growing again in the last week or so. I'm just not pleased with the overall spectrum.....but I'm adding another 660 and my VHO actinics next month, which I think will put it spot on.
maroun.c
New member
Well deserved Sonny.
Need some help with a dilemma I'm facing in my tank.
most of my corals are doing good with great growth on montiporas, milleporas and over all good coloration and PE.
However the followings:
ORA green Birdnest
Green Birdnest
superman montipora
are all loosing colours. the birdnests are still showing good PE, the superman lost all of it's coloration and became cloe to white.
Lowered all of them as I was told this could be an increased lighting issue but no change except for little improvment in coloration of the superman.
My water tested as follows:
Temp 83 (hottest duing the day and going down to 80 at night)
Sal 1.026
PH 8.15
alk 9.3
Ca 370
MG 1260
PO4 0-0.03
No3 has rised from 20 ish to 30-35 in 1 month
DSB looks black from below and shows some airbubbles so starting to work
fuge only has 1 strain of caulerpa left as it wasn't thriving in my tank and I never had to prune in years.
I can't dose vodka as I'm rarely around to monitor and think it's a bit risky if not properly monitored.
Couldn't find MB7 so I got probidio biodigest and will start dosing it without a carbon source.
Checked and cleaned sump and fuge from settled detritus and got 4 buckets of very dirty water out of the system which I presume was par tof the nitrates.
I'm a bit confused with the fact that some corals are growing like crazy and have very good coloration and PE while others are looking really bad.
Lately the ORA green birdnest got some brown tips which I was told was due to alkalinity shift.
other corals that are loosing some color but still are opening really well:
- Fropspan opening like crazy but looks a bit faint in color.
- RBTA that bleached and lost most of it s volume months ago looks a bit better colorwise.
I try to feed my corals with the following on alternating basis and no more than 1-2 times a week when I'm not on travel:
Kent phytoplex
Kent Chromaplex
Kent Coral accel
Reefsnow
JBL Korall Fluid
Tropic Marin Pro coral Phyton
Tropic Marin Pro coral Zooton
Tropic Marin coral snow
in adiditon to target feeding with some fish foods soaked in chormaplex coral accel and kent coral accel (1-2 times a month)
Do you think it's OK to dose some Amino Acids (prodibio reef booster) after a couple of doses of bacteria?
Any hints if this fits more with a high light, low or high nutrient problem? any idea on how to better assess what's happening.
Thanks.
tas5tas
New member
Calcium and magnesium are too low. Calcium should be between 420ppm and 460ppm and magnesium should be between 1300ppm and 1400ppm. 83 degrees is getting a little close to the warm side....have you double checked it with a seperate thermometer or temp probe?? High temps will cause bleaching.
maroun.c
New member
Thanks for your suggestions.
I am bringing Calcium and Mg higher.
Temp is checked against 2 thermometers, unfortunately my chiller arrived with a bad temp control board and I'm waiting for replacement parts. but anyway temperature should be going lower in the coming weeks as summer is ending.
What is weird is why only three corals will be afected while others will still be growing.
I am bringing Calcium and Mg higher.
Temp is checked against 2 thermometers, unfortunately my chiller arrived with a bad temp control board and I'm waiting for replacement parts. but anyway temperature should be going lower in the coming weeks as summer is ending.
What is weird is why only three corals will be afected while others will still be growing.
Lyfey
Member
Seems to me that you are only mentioning SPS corals that are on the downfall, your mentioned LPS corals are thriving. If that is the case you pretty much answered your own questions. Most LPS corals can thrive in much less that optimal conditions, which seems that you have. SPS corals are not tolerant to any fluctuations and intolerances to no3 / alk shifts. With your nitrate spiking like you have listed that could take a toll on your SPS corals. I believe also that you are feeding way too much 'coral magic' products and should just stick to feeding your fish and let the poo feed your corals. That could be the cause of your no3 problems and possibly your po4 problems. Alot of that 'phyto' junk is a marketing ploy IMHO. I believe alot of that stuff never gets eaten and causes more problems to your tank and wallet than anything else.
I would stop feeding the phyto products and just go back to fish food. Temp can be fine as long as its stable. I would not go any higher than 84 degrees IMO. Adjust CA / MG as said before (the lesser of your problems) keep your hands out of the tank and let your corals heal themselves, might take a month or two, but nothing good in this hobby ever comes quickly. A couple of properly executed water changes would be in order also. Im just trying to help out.
-Chris
maroun.c
New member
Thanks Chris.
I'm also having a frowgspawn that has lost a bit of its colouring but still opening very well.
Xenia that's not opening in 3 areas of the tank since few week which I forgot to mention.
what I don't really understand is that with the total absence of alga in my tank and as I'm not using PO4 remover why would nitrates spike and not phophates? aren't they produced and consumed proportionally by fish wastes and DSB? my new fresh water and fresh mixed saltwater tested 0 nitrates.
As to those feedings it is true that it's a big vaiety but I could go for weeks on travel without feeding and when i feed it's only 1-2 of them and then a rotation so they are not all used that frequently. Still I am shocked tat even with those I don't get he coloration and growths others get without feeding.
already don'e 2 water changes and my nitrates dropped to around 25 yesterday, doing a 3rd water change today.
My ORA birdnest has a few branches sloughing tissues and all branches have brown skeleton tips now. an other green birdnest seems to be improving a it in color with godd PE.
I'm also having a frowgspawn that has lost a bit of its colouring but still opening very well.
Xenia that's not opening in 3 areas of the tank since few week which I forgot to mention.
what I don't really understand is that with the total absence of alga in my tank and as I'm not using PO4 remover why would nitrates spike and not phophates? aren't they produced and consumed proportionally by fish wastes and DSB? my new fresh water and fresh mixed saltwater tested 0 nitrates.
As to those feedings it is true that it's a big vaiety but I could go for weeks on travel without feeding and when i feed it's only 1-2 of them and then a rotation so they are not all used that frequently. Still I am shocked tat even with those I don't get he coloration and growths others get without feeding.
already don'e 2 water changes and my nitrates dropped to around 25 yesterday, doing a 3rd water change today.
My ORA birdnest has a few branches sloughing tissues and all branches have brown skeleton tips now. an other green birdnest seems to be improving a it in color with godd PE.
tastingSalty
New member
+1 on the more pics - let's get an update! 
Timoweb
New member
Hi Sunny,
I have been dosing Lugol's at 1 drop a day at night for the past month and have noticed a few corals look more vibrant, the only downside is I have some pink pom pom Xenia and it's growing like mad now.
You could try a adding Strontium, week on week off that's how currently dose and it really seems to spur growth after the week off but not as much if I dose every day but it's very hard to tell for sure. I dose 1/2 a teaspoon every night for a week then give the tank a full week off on my 100g system.
I got a bottle of that MB7 and I have noticed that dosing small amounts each night is really making the water look extremely clear. I normally use Zeobac but have run out and my LFS had a bottle of the MB7 so I thought I would give it a try from your recommendations on the net, so far I'm quite impressed it looks to be working.
Timo
I have been dosing Lugol's at 1 drop a day at night for the past month and have noticed a few corals look more vibrant, the only downside is I have some pink pom pom Xenia and it's growing like mad now.
You could try a adding Strontium, week on week off that's how currently dose and it really seems to spur growth after the week off but not as much if I dose every day but it's very hard to tell for sure. I dose 1/2 a teaspoon every night for a week then give the tank a full week off on my 100g system.
I got a bottle of that MB7 and I have noticed that dosing small amounts each night is really making the water look extremely clear. I normally use Zeobac but have run out and my LFS had a bottle of the MB7 so I thought I would give it a try from your recommendations on the net, so far I'm quite impressed it looks to be working.
Timo
SunnyX
New member
Hello,
20 drops should equal 1ML. I would be careful with upping the dose as many have found that it will cause an outbreak of a diatom like substance. I would give the vodka a few more weeks of use before increasing the MB7 dosage.
Concerning the skimmer production, what you have described is normal. Depending on how much you are feeding you will a change in the skimmate from week to week. In my system it has leveled off but I do see an increase in skimmate production when over dosing on MB7.
Good luck! :thumbsup:
SunnyX
New member
Sorry for the late response.
What bulbs did you end up going with? I like the XM 10K's with a few actinic supplements, but the color and intensity isn't for everyone. I do not run filter socks. I ran them in the past on my old setup but that was only to combat micro bubbles. In the new tank I am using a MUCH smaller return pump so I no longer have to mess with socks.
If you do decide to go with a bacteria/carbon dosing regime I would stay away from filter socks as they will quickly clog up due to excess bacteria and bio-film.
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