[Caveat] I have no idea what I am chemically getting into with this, it should be a learning experience. If you can help me understand the chemical side of this I would appreciate it 
Over the last few years I've tried to be methodical in keeping water levels clean. For the most part i feel that my tank has been very successful and that the basic parameters have been kept stable. LPS have flourished, and SPS have grown in great amounts.
unfortunately in the last 8 months I have had a loss of colors with select SPS and LPS & Zoanthids have stopped growing. Some SPS are so pail its hard to remember how colorful they were, others look the same. I believe the reduction in color started about when I put the new XP3000 skimmer in, and moved to Rox.8 Carbon. I had always fed VERY little and had a low fish load.
I suspect the tank is low on inorganic nutrients, at the fault of myself for not feeding and introducing Nitrogen via food. so I'm going to try and raise slowly the introduction of nutrients in the tank and start carbon dosing to sustain higher feedings. Maybe even add some fish (more poo!). I expect this to have some lows including a probably algae breakout, nothing we cant work through.
In no way am I trying to "dirty" the water - I would like to maintain the low parameters, albeit a touch more phosphate and nitrate - the idea is to introduce more into the tank and create an environment which processes the introduced nutrients.
why
Nothing more than observing gorgeous SPS systems which seem to have high fish loads and heavy feeding. One tank that really knocked me over is Toms (TMZ) - the colors of the SPS, quantity of fish, and quantity of feeding. that compared to my daily spectrum pellets and occasional mysis.
Amino Acids
Going on the [probably unlikely] thought that i might be low on Nitrogen, as a stop measure to help the SPS which are pale I'm starting amino acid dosing with Brightwells CoralAmino. Why? because my tank is looking like a Zeovit tank these days which is not my cup of tea. I've read the varied opinions on the company and amino acid dosing in general - this is a temporary to hopefully put some colors back into the SPS. Once the feeding is fully established the food should provide sufficient Nitrogen and amino acids.
Goal:
increased feeding while maintaining PO4 < .04 and NO3 < 1-2
slowly raise levels through feeding and allow tank to adjust with the increased feedings.
current water parameters:
35 PPT
8.5 dKH
PO4 < 0.015 Hanna PPB meter
NO3 < 1 salifert kit turns yellow
PH 8.1-8.4
Tanks
the system has two display tanks and two 50 gallon frag tanks.
120 display:
orange shoulder tang
1 yellow tang
1 coral bueaty
1 hawk
1 damsel
1 Pajama cardinal
light cleanup crew
72 display:
LPS dominant
1 cleaner wrasse
1 McCoskers flasher wrasse (still in QT)
1 desjardini tang
1 tomini tang
light cleanup crew
reactors:
I will be using 1/2 HC GFO recommended by BRS and 1/2 Rox.8 recomended by BRS
new feeding schedule
(amount is for all tanks), feeding twice a day. during the weekdays once at 6 and once at 10, on weekend noon and 6PM
day 1 (split into two feedings):
3 cubes of rinsed mysis
cube equivalent of cyclopeeze
1 cube of ova
1 cube of rods coral food
Day 2 (split into two feedings):
3 cubes of rinsed mysis
cube equivalent of cyclopeeze
1 cube of ova
1 cube rotifiers
1 cube of regular rods food
Pictures
I'll talk some pictured starting tomorrow on a weekly or so basis. Pictures will be with the same camera, lens, settings, saturation and white balance. I'll be using the following corals which appear faded in color:
(1) unknown acro I call the Christmas Tree
(2) $500 Efflo
(3) Tricolor Bali
(4) ORA Chip
(5) Gary's unknow Acro
Any thoughts on all this?
Over the last few years I've tried to be methodical in keeping water levels clean. For the most part i feel that my tank has been very successful and that the basic parameters have been kept stable. LPS have flourished, and SPS have grown in great amounts.
unfortunately in the last 8 months I have had a loss of colors with select SPS and LPS & Zoanthids have stopped growing. Some SPS are so pail its hard to remember how colorful they were, others look the same. I believe the reduction in color started about when I put the new XP3000 skimmer in, and moved to Rox.8 Carbon. I had always fed VERY little and had a low fish load.
I suspect the tank is low on inorganic nutrients, at the fault of myself for not feeding and introducing Nitrogen via food. so I'm going to try and raise slowly the introduction of nutrients in the tank and start carbon dosing to sustain higher feedings. Maybe even add some fish (more poo!). I expect this to have some lows including a probably algae breakout, nothing we cant work through.
In no way am I trying to "dirty" the water - I would like to maintain the low parameters, albeit a touch more phosphate and nitrate - the idea is to introduce more into the tank and create an environment which processes the introduced nutrients.
why
Nothing more than observing gorgeous SPS systems which seem to have high fish loads and heavy feeding. One tank that really knocked me over is Toms (TMZ) - the colors of the SPS, quantity of fish, and quantity of feeding. that compared to my daily spectrum pellets and occasional mysis.
Amino Acids
Going on the [probably unlikely] thought that i might be low on Nitrogen, as a stop measure to help the SPS which are pale I'm starting amino acid dosing with Brightwells CoralAmino. Why? because my tank is looking like a Zeovit tank these days which is not my cup of tea. I've read the varied opinions on the company and amino acid dosing in general - this is a temporary to hopefully put some colors back into the SPS. Once the feeding is fully established the food should provide sufficient Nitrogen and amino acids.
Goal:
increased feeding while maintaining PO4 < .04 and NO3 < 1-2
slowly raise levels through feeding and allow tank to adjust with the increased feedings.
current water parameters:
35 PPT
8.5 dKH
PO4 < 0.015 Hanna PPB meter
NO3 < 1 salifert kit turns yellow
PH 8.1-8.4
Tanks
the system has two display tanks and two 50 gallon frag tanks.
120 display:
orange shoulder tang
1 yellow tang
1 coral bueaty
1 hawk
1 damsel
1 Pajama cardinal
light cleanup crew
72 display:
LPS dominant
1 cleaner wrasse
1 McCoskers flasher wrasse (still in QT)
1 desjardini tang
1 tomini tang
light cleanup crew
reactors:
I will be using 1/2 HC GFO recommended by BRS and 1/2 Rox.8 recomended by BRS
new feeding schedule
(amount is for all tanks), feeding twice a day. during the weekdays once at 6 and once at 10, on weekend noon and 6PM
day 1 (split into two feedings):
3 cubes of rinsed mysis
cube equivalent of cyclopeeze
1 cube of ova
1 cube of rods coral food
Day 2 (split into two feedings):
3 cubes of rinsed mysis
cube equivalent of cyclopeeze
1 cube of ova
1 cube rotifiers
1 cube of regular rods food
Pictures
I'll talk some pictured starting tomorrow on a weekly or so basis. Pictures will be with the same camera, lens, settings, saturation and white balance. I'll be using the following corals which appear faded in color:
(1) unknown acro I call the Christmas Tree
(2) $500 Efflo
(3) Tricolor Bali
(4) ORA Chip
(5) Gary's unknow Acro
Any thoughts on all this?
