Top down shots

i don't run GFO......just the water changes & the vinegar.

Honestly, I have no clue what my PO4 levels are. For this set up I wanted to let my coral colors on my acros & algae growth dictate how much I wanted to manage nutrients. In other words, use my eyes more than chase numbers. I get a light film of algae appox after about 2 days.

I'm pretty sure I'm not below .10 PO4. I should probably borrow a Hanna & check it for curiosity sakes. I sold my old meter about 3 years ago.

I have a few acros that are canarys & use the colors on them to give me clues.

I believe too many people knock down the nutrients too low & that's when problems happen. Some algae controlled by snails is a good thing.

When you look back at all the old TOTM those guys all had nice bright deep colors unless the acro was naturally light. That was before we could measure PO4. The tanks rocked with high par.

That's what my goal is with this tank natural pastels like say for Pearberry or say a light deepwater, & rockin deep bright colors for the other acros.

Too often now it's all pastel on most tanks I see.........people have gone too far.

Thanks for the reply man; I completely agree and subscribe to the same methodology. I recently got a hanna low range and was pretty surprised how high my po4 was, yet my coloration and growth is pretty good IMO. I'm hovering right around .08 and am hesitant to try and bring it down when things are doing so well. I may start to mess around with vinegar a bit to see if I can cut down my GFO usage. What brand of vinegar do you use?
 
You can use any brand of distilled white vinegar 5% acidity. I buy the cheap stuff for like $3 a gallon.

Here was my start up................I went slow.

Total volume--100g
__________________

1/17/2012--- Dosed 3.2ml for 3 days

1/20--Start 6.4 ml for 4 days

1/24---Started 11ml a day

1/30-- Started 15ml a day

2/5-- Started 20ml day

2-10 Start 25ml day

Btw...........I'm famiiar with your tank.....really nice set up.......love the mirabelis & bubble gum.
 
Any skimmer will work..............unless it's a total piece of junk that isn't get the job done for your tank if you weren't dosing vinegar.
 
Looking really good Ed, I've got to stop out again and see the new setup. I'm probably headed to dans within the next month maybe I can do a combo tank tour?
Erik
 
Thanks Keith & Erik,

Sounds good Erik...........you're welcome to stop by anytime. I'm less than 5 minutes from Blue Fish, so you can make it a three stop tour.
 
Another group of shots----

Hawkins

hawkins88.jpg
[/IMG]

Purple Starburst Stag---Just can't seem to catch the bright blue tips....too much reflection I guess

purplestag83.jpg
[/IMG]

Red Malu & Nigripes female--couldn't decide which I liked better

Malu288.jpg
[/IMG]

Malu88.jpg
[/IMG]

Big E Soli

solitopdown88.jpg
[/IMG]

Front top right section

rightside81.jpg
[/IMG]

Orange Turgescens

Turgescens88.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Thanks 5dimes & Michael

Michael,

I run 9 1/2 hours.........all on, all off..............no ramping.
 
E, Question for you, on your vinegar, do you dose directly to your tank? Reason I ask is, I was dosing in my refuge, but I also put some new corals in it from time to time and found if was affecting them with short ph spikes, so now I'm dosing to my sump to give the vinegar more mix time before it goes back to the tank. Just curious.---Rick
 
Hi Rick,

I dose 5ml at a time & do it usually by my skimmer output in the sump. I try to keep it downstream from the skimmer because it will kill the foam head short term.

Sometimes I just dispurse it around the sump area & other times I'll squirt a few mls where my return is in the tank.

I mix it up a bit like that only so the bacteria in all areas of the tank have access & not just one small area........not really sure how much that matters.

Don't worry about the short term dip in ph, it's a non issue.
 
Thanks Ed,
Forgot to mention your corals look awesome! Just noticed your in Euclid Ohio. I used to visit my cousin there when I was a kid, got my first taste of Ghoulardi,:spin2: maybe before your time?---Rick
 
Rick---Lol, I do remeber him, but I was pretty young. The Goul who followed sticks in my mind more & of course there was Capt. Penny, Mr. Jingaling, Big Chuck & Hoolihan.......used to love the Kelbasi kid skits:lol:

It's funny how un-politically correct & bigotted all that stuff was back in the day...........can't forget Super Host on channel 43 either.


Toadally,

From an earlier post---

"Honestly, I have no clue what my PO4 levels are. For this set up I wanted to let my coral colors on my acros & algae growth dictate how much I wanted to manage nutrients. In other words, use my eyes more than chase numbers. I get a light film of algae appox after about 2 days.

I'm pretty sure I'm not below .10 PO4. I should probably borrow a Hanna & check it for curiosity sakes. I sold my old meter about 3 years ago.

I have a few acros that are canarys & use the colors on them to give me clues.

I believe too many people knock down the nutrients too low & that's when problems happen. Some algae controlled by snails is a good thing.

When you look back at all the old TOTM those guys all had nice bright deep colors unless the acro was naturally light. That was before we could measure PO4. The tanks rocked with high par.

That's what my goal is with this tank natural pastels like say for Pearberry or say a light deepwater, & rockin deep bright colors for the other acros.

Too often now it's all pastel on most tanks I see.........people have gone too far. "
 
Rick---Lol, I do remeber him, but I was pretty young. The Goul who followed sticks in my mind more & of course there was Capt. Penny, Mr. Jingaling, Big Chuck & Hoolihan.......used to love the Kelbasi kid skits:lol:

It's funny how un-politically correct & bigotted all that stuff was back in the day...........can't forget Super Host on channel 43 either.


Toadally,

From an earlier post---

"Honestly, I have no clue what my PO4 levels are. For this set up I wanted to let my coral colors on my acros & algae growth dictate how much I wanted to manage nutrients. In other words, use my eyes more than chase numbers. I get a light film of algae appox after about 2 days.

I'm pretty sure I'm not below .10 PO4. I should probably borrow a Hanna & check it for curiosity sakes. I sold my old meter about 3 years ago.

I have a few acros that are canarys & use the colors on them to give me clues.

I believe too many people knock down the nutrients too low & that's when problems happen. Some algae controlled by snails is a good thing.

When you look back at all the old TOTM those guys all had nice bright deep colors unless the acro was naturally light. That was before we could measure PO4. The tanks rocked with high par.

That's what my goal is with this tank natural pastels like say for Pearberry or say a light deepwater, & rockin deep bright colors for the other acros.

Too often now it's all pastel on most tanks I see.........people have gone too far. "

Hi Ed,
Was having the same conversation on jc-reefers thread. He seemed to get more color in his corals by letting his nutrients(NO3's) go little higher. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19812980&postcount=48 Also same with Keith aka Reef Bumb had 2 TOTM. Seems fellow reefers in the know don't strip their tanks.---Rick
 
Oh craaaap the secrets out!!

Yup................just pull up the old TOTMs. Look at those freakin colors!!!

All that marketing of those commercial bio systems & additives & then the masses getting sucked into silly hype leads to changing trends that aren't necessarily good.

Of course it does depend on what you like..........I don't like the pastel look.........a lot of people do. To me, it's unhealthy long term.
 
Al, think you have it wright. Watch your corals, and they will let you know how their feeling. Don't need lot of fancy weekly
1919-04-26-The-Country-Gentleman-Norman-Rockwell-cover-The-Fishing-Trip-no-logo-400-Digimarc.jpg
1919-05-03-The-Country-Gentleman-Norman-Rockwell-cover-The-Catch-no-logo-400-Digimarc.jpg

testing to see if they are HAPPY! :lmao:---Rick
 
Back
Top