Starting with AF- SPS heavy

[plyle02]

Yeah,
I was sort of thinking that, you could bump to full dose of Aminomix, Vitality, and Build at this point. I would dose on alternating nights for now. I do Aminomix and Vitality the same night, next night I do Energy and Build opposite nights. I would remain at 1/2 dose on Energy until you get the nitrates up. That and I would feed you fish more, and using frozen if you have it. I personally use LRS Reef Frenzy, and LOVE it I notice you use Power Food too, I would also dose this every night after lights off. This will help get more food to the corals. To me, it sounds like the nutrients have bottomed out, you now know your threshold, so you can feed without worry. If you can get the nitrated to around 2ppm, I think you will be very happy with the results! Cheers!

 

[BryanS4]

Thanks for the advice. Dosing up to full strength tomorrow.

I use LRS Reef Frenzy as well, nothing else goes into my tanks!

I just dosed a little nano3, to hold me over until full strength of the others.

 

[BryanS4]

I have been dosing no3 and its stating to look a little better. I'm m curious that see how the colors look next week after 2 weeks of no3 over 3.

 

[BryanS4]

Towel tossed in.

Travel to much for this and also can't say I'm happy with results. Pale corals and my glass is nasty, green film after a day.

If anyone in Florida reads this, AF products for really cheap.

Back to the proven.

 

[plyle02]

Bryan,
Sorry to see you having troubles Please let me know if I can do anything to help you get the system right for you? You have a lot invested, and would love to see your tank achieving the results that many are having. It could be something fairly simple. Like backing off one product and increasing another. Also, I know you travel, but I have done so as well and my girlfriend was able to dose the simple stuff, like just the NP Pro and Pro Bio S. I simply did not use supplements while out of town. I just catch up when I return. I am not trying to convince you to stay with something that you are convinced does not work for you, however if you are still on the fence, I will gladly lend you my time. Please let me know Thanks

 

[BryanS4]

Bryan,
Sorry to see you having troubles Please let me know if I can do anything to help you get the system right for you? You have a lot invested, and would love to see your tank achieving the results that many are having. It could be something fairly simple. Like backing off one product and increasing another. Also, I know you travel, but I have done so as well and my girlfriend was able to dose the simple stuff, like just the NP Pro and Pro Bio S. I simply did not use supplements while out of town. I just catch up when I return. I am not trying to convince you to stay with something that you are convinced does not work for you, however if you are still on the fence, I will gladly lend you my time. Please let me know Thanks

You have been awesome and I can't thank you enough for answering pms and also questions on the boards.

I guess you could say I'm on the fence, but my corals are not loving life. They looked so good 8 weeks ago and today, no so much.

Just so mad color is looking this way I rush to judgement .

 

[plyle02]

Do me a favor Bryan, update your thread on Tampa, or post me some pics here. Also, could you please let me know details? Current parameters, feeding routine, amount of fish, lighting, etc. I understand how you are feeling, it does get frustrating when things are not looking so good. Let's see if we can maybe determine what is going on. Cheers!

 

[BryanS4]

Below is rough idea of what I have going on.

140g total water volume.

Alk- 7.5
Ca- 420
Mg-1300
No3- 5, dosed to this level
Po4- 0 on Hanna Ulr

I don't have a ton of fish, but I feed pretty heavy. 3 tangs, 2 anthias, 1 chromis, 1 Royal gramma, 2 clowns. Fed twice a day, LRS Reef Frenzy.

For lights I have ATI Sunpower, 6 bulb about 10" off the water. Photo period 8.5 hrs total, 7.5 hours of all 6 on.

I stopped dosing AF products yesterday, but below is what I was dosing.

Pro bio s - 5 drops on everything
Np pro- 25 ml
A and v on Mon / Wed / Fri
E and b on Tue / thur / sat
Component abc during weekly water change- 3 caps

Again colors really fading, especially green and glass gets really bad green dust within hours of cleaning. It's awful if left for 2 plus days.

I'll try and get some pics later today when light come on. I think I can get a good one of BC Rainbow Spain showing colors.

 

[carlosmos]

I think you add to much pro bio S... For 140 liters I thing is only 1-2 drops.
Same with no pro... 2 drops is enough.


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[BryanS4]

I'm sorry, 140 total gallons, not liters.

 

[carlosmos]

Oh sorry for my side too


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[plyle02]

Yes, plus you are using the dosable NP Pro, correct? Did I read you were dosing KNO3? If your values are that low, then I would back down to maybe 10ml of NP Pro per day. See if that way your system does not need nitrate dosing. The idea is to use the Pro Bio S and NP Pro based on YOUR fish and coral cast. While the recommended doses are great, there are more variables that cause one system to naturally process nutrients more efficiently than another system. So system A. for example may need very little bac and carbon source to maintain low nutrients, while system B. may need the max daily dosing to maintain the said nutrient levels. I am currently running 0.04 on PO4 and 2ppm on NO3. I too feed LRS and 3 times per day. I dose almost the same as you with slightly lower values. How about try and lower the NP Pro to 10ml per day, and Pro Bio S to 3 drops. Allow the system to rise in nutrients a bit. I would drop all other dosing to 3 drops as well. If you have the dry coral food, I would dose that every night during lights out, to get additional nutrients to your corals. Sounds like the system is too clean, and that explains colors being pulled out. The green glass algae will likely go down with a decrease in the dosing. How is the skimmer behaving, I bet that the skim is dark and is collecting really well, if not, maybe it needs to be tuned in a bit. I would most certainly set it to dry skimm. Look forward to pics!!!

 

[BryanS4]

A few pics.

BC Rainbow Spain with green color and purple tips. Second one is from just now. Lost almost all Green base and can barley see color on tips.

PC Rainbow. Lost green and yellow and the base. Just a dual Red color now.

Just a few quick pics from the iPad.

 

[plyle02]

I see your comparison with the Spainbow, and I get what you are seeing. To me the corals seem to be pale, not pastel, which to me indicates to lower c-source dosing, and increase the nutrients in the tank. May I suggest not dosing KNO3 and up your fish feeding a tad. If you are using zeolites, perhaps lower the amount of volume, and slow the flow rate a bit. Can you also let me know how much zeolites, what reactor, and what the flow is, also can you mention when you change out the media? Same with phos minus, you could lower the amount needed. It seems the system is running too nutrient poor, which is a good problem if you have a ton of fish and feed the heck out of them. As mentioned, your bioload is relatively low, so use coral foods and up the fish feedings a bit. I would also back down on E or Energy, as it has copper sulfate, not a lot, but with the nutrients being very low, I would back down on this to 2 drops every other day. I would also drop to 3 drops every day on Pro Bio S and NP Pro. You could do 4 to 5 drops of aminomix every other day to help with more nutrients.

 

[BryanS4]

Appreciate the suggestions. I'll give it another few weeks and see how things look at that point.

Media amounts:
Zeolites- 1 cup
Carbon- .8 cup
Po4 minus- .5 cup

I have them all in a NextReef MR1, flow just enough to make gfo tumble.

I changed the media out two weeks ago, planned schedule is ever month.

 

[plyle02]

Appreciate the suggestions. I'll give it another few weeks and see how things look at that point.

Media amounts:
Zeolites- 1 cup
Carbon- .8 cup
Po4 minus- .5 cup

I have them all in a NextReef MR1, flow just enough to make gfo tumble.

I changed the media out two weeks ago, planned schedule is ever month.

OK, those amounts seem just fine, leave them there for now. Let's back down on the others and see if you can get the nutrients up a tad in the tank. The polyp extension looks good, so the health of the corals is there, maybe these adjustments will get the colors you desire. Some corals will pastel, which is normal, but pale is another story. I can imagine you are still doing water changes with Probiotic Reef Salt, so continue it's use as well. Many probiotic systems will take a few months to dial in, so try and do your best to stick it out. If you get the chance, check out some of the AF tanks, make sure those colors are what you desire. The rich deeply saturated colors are not common in these type of setups, I sort of journal changes on my thread if you check it out. Good luck, sorry to hear about the troubles, but I think it will work, with a bit of understanding of the carbon/bac source and the role they play on nutrients. Cheers Bryan!

 

[reefmutt]

bump..
hey Perry.. so this is where you spend all of your free time now!
Bryan, It appears to me that Perry is on the right track here with his concerns about your low nutrients..
I am not a full AF system user but I do use some of their products.. and I guess you could call me an AF sympathizer.
I have found that although dosing nitrates is beneficial to starved corals, simply having some naturally occurring nitrates in the system is way better..
One other point.. How much kno3 do (did) you have to use? It could be elevating your potassium.. I'm not sure if you are testing for K...

 

[BryanS4]

Didn't really want to put this here, but things so much better for me after a few water changes with good old instant ocean.

The system just wasn't for me. I travel so much for work, it was hard to ask my wife to remember to dose everyday. To each their own, but ulns system and dosing wasn't for me.

 

[Diana A]

How is your tank looking now?

 

[BryanS4]

And to answer your question, I only dosed kno3 for two weeks while running the system and the corals already looked awful by then.

I test for K ever two weeks, that wasn't the problem.

Some things work for some and not for others, and this just wasn't for me. hope it works for others.

I put a thread up, but I have have my stuff for pretty much free if anyone in Tampa area. Trash day next Tuesday, but will hold till Friday if someone wants it.