Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.
- Thread starter SunnyX
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SHOmuchFUN
New member
I've been dosing AA and haven't been dosing any carbon source because my nitrates were 0 and my phosphates were undetectable. I'm starting to see some brownish diatom looking algae on my sand in shady/low-flow areas.
Should I start back up with vodka dosing? My colors are coming back and I just started running my i-tech skimmer.
Should I start back up with vodka dosing? My colors are coming back and I just started running my i-tech skimmer.
SHOmuchFUN
New member
I may just order the bioclean, to take some guesswork out.
SunnyX
New member
Well, it depends on what the brown stuff looks like. It is diatom or slimy?
Personally, I wouldn't dose AA without a carbon and bacteria source. the only reason most people dose AA is out of necessity. The carbon source strips so much of the nutrients out of the water that you need something like AA to add it back.
skyrne_isk
Member
yeah, there is just no way I feel good about dosing an algaecide with all the headache that would come after. Well, at least I need to be more frustrated than I am now to go that route! I am picking up some microbacter 7 later today per your suggested regimen to balance things out. I have never dosed the bacteria part but guess it's time i stopped dragging my feet and go ULN the 'right' way.
Some of the cyano is definitely not slime, more of a fuzzy type...still red, and i am pretty sure the vodka dosing is driving it's growth. it's quite patchy and comes off the rock easily. I wonder if it's just a strain i picked up somewhere that you haven't. Does this description sound familiar to you? I am trying to determine if these two types of cyano are related to the vodka and hoping that the same fix (dosing bac) will apply.
Some of the cyano is definitely not slime, more of a fuzzy type...still red, and i am pretty sure the vodka dosing is driving it's growth. it's quite patchy and comes off the rock easily. I wonder if it's just a strain i picked up somewhere that you haven't. Does this description sound familiar to you? I am trying to determine if these two types of cyano are related to the vodka and hoping that the same fix (dosing bac) will apply.
boodlefish
Premium Member
Sunny thanx for the reassurance.
cant wait to see your tank under the signature influence of vortech chaotic water flow!
cant wait to see your tank under the signature influence of vortech chaotic water flow!
SHOmuchFUN
New member
Right... Which is why I was seeing the paling/browning of my corals... I was dosing vodka and running GDO without a AA. Since dosing the aminos back into the tank, I've seen a noticeable improvement of my coral coloration... But I've also seen this brown diatom looking stuff in my sand. It's not slimey.
So now, I may need to go back to dosing vodka with the aminos... Unless I decide to start a prodibio regimen that will have the balance I need. I don't want to keep see-sawing with my dosing.
SunnyX
New member
[tQUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14703122#post14703122 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skyrne_isk
yeah, there is just no way I feel good about dosing an algaecide with all the headache that would come after. Well, at least I need to be more frustrated than I am now to go that route! I am picking up some microbacter 7 later today per your suggested regimen to balance things out. I have never dosed the bacteria part but guess it's time i stopped dragging my feet and go ULN the 'right' way.
Some of the cyano is definitely not slime, more of a fuzzy type...still red, and i am pretty sure the vodka dosing is driving it's growth. it's quite patchy and comes off the rock easily. I wonder if it's just a strain i picked up somewhere that you haven't. Does this description sound familiar to you? I am trying to determine if these two types of cyano are related to the vodka and hoping that the same fix (dosing bac) will apply. [/QUOTE]
The stuff you are describing is the same stuff I had. It is common is ULNS such as ZEO, prodibio, etc.
It looks almost like cotton candy, right?
yeah, there is just no way I feel good about dosing an algaecide with all the headache that would come after. Well, at least I need to be more frustrated than I am now to go that route! I am picking up some microbacter 7 later today per your suggested regimen to balance things out. I have never dosed the bacteria part but guess it's time i stopped dragging my feet and go ULN the 'right' way.
Some of the cyano is definitely not slime, more of a fuzzy type...still red, and i am pretty sure the vodka dosing is driving it's growth. it's quite patchy and comes off the rock easily. I wonder if it's just a strain i picked up somewhere that you haven't. Does this description sound familiar to you? I am trying to determine if these two types of cyano are related to the vodka and hoping that the same fix (dosing bac) will apply. [/QUOTE]
The stuff you are describing is the same stuff I had. It is common is ULNS such as ZEO, prodibio, etc.
It looks almost like cotton candy, right?
skyrne_isk
Member
EXACTLY.
*sigh of relief*
*sigh of relief*
SunnyX
New member
Actually, I got the replacement Vortech yesterday and it is great! I love I think I figured out what was causing my camera to go nuts so I will post some pics this afternoon.
I need an update shot as I have added many corals and moved some things around.
Look out for an onslaught of pics. :uzi: :uzi:
skyrne_isk
Member
I have ran great tanks before with little to no dosing, very little kalk occasionally. all this tinkering we do with additives, reactors, and whatnot with the touble it can cause makes me think i need to get my head looked at 
. thanks for the input.
. thanks for the input.
GSMguy
New member
My tank always looks great when using those specific products and with prodibio you can trust that the bacteria is viable because they go to great leangths to package it seperatly in glass with nitrogen.
I think based on my high school science education that other bac suppliments degrade over time, I can't imagine that once the package/ bottle is open and exposed to the environent there is not some competition between the species. This is why never buy anything but the 10ml bottle of zeobac and why I won't try microbac
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