Today I:
Calibrated my pH Probes
Tested my parameters-
DkH - 7.0 (Salifert)
Ca - 415 (Salifert)
Mg - 1365 (Salifert)
NO3 - 25 ppm (Salifert)
PO4 - 0.04 (Hanna Photometer 96713)
pH - 8.15
NO3 is too high...lost a tester acro to STN. So I cleaned out and moved over my ARID E18 Reactor from the FSP tanks to the 120.
Added two cleaner shrimp, (Lysmata amboinensis).
Moved my Yellow Tang and Tomini Tang over to the 120 from the FSP tanks.
Wife came home from work and the kids immediately started stressing us both out. I poured her a glass of wine, and sat her in front of the tank for 10 minutes while gave the kids a bath. Wife said it calmed her down immediately and that it was relaxing.
Mission accomplished.
Tested my NO3 and PO4 again.
NO3 was well over 50 ppm closing in on 100 ppm.
PO4 had risen to 0.17 ppm from 0.04 ppm.
I increased the photo-period of the ARID reactor from 8 hours to 12 hours. Chaeto growth has been excellent already, just need to get more to start putting a dent in the NO3/PO4 levels.
Up until recently, NO3 was barely readable via Salifert, and PO4 was undetectable to Hanna 96713 photometer. I attribute this increase to the "heavy" fish load and frequent feedings.
Current fish load:
1 Small Regal Angel Approx 2.75 inches
1 Small Flame Angel, Approx 2 inches
1 Scribbled Rabbitfish, Approx 5 inches
1 Med Christmas Wrasse, Approx 3.5 inches
1 Med Pintail Fairy Wrasse, Approx 3.5 inches
1 Med Tomini Tang, Approx 3.5 inches
1 Med Yellow Tang, Approx 3.5 inches
1 pair of mated Darwin Black Ocellaris clowns
1 large H.magnifica anemone
1 small pair of Scarlett Cleaner Shrimp
1 Small H.crispa anemone
1 med Porcelain crab, (suspect it's male)
1 small blue Squamosa clam approx 2.25 inches
1 orange plate coral
1 small colony of blasto Wellsi, (big polyp blasto)
1 small colony of blasto merlotti, (small polyp blasto)
1 small frag of Superman montipora
some Zoa frags.
Food is a mix of Rods, Hikari Mysis, Hikari Spirulina enriched brine shrimp, and Larry's Reef Frenzy. This mix is fed twice a day. A strip of dried Nori is fed to the fish every day as well. No nipping from either of the angels at all. I'm placing this on the heavy frequent feedings that occur. All fish are fat and happy.
Once I get NO3 and PO4 levels under control, (and I expect the ARID to bring the levels down pretty soon once the chaeto catches up to the amount of nutrients available), I will start stocking SPS.
I do have some turf and a tiny bit of slime on one rock (flow problem) but here's some pic's of corals around my tank. The small round green one needs an ID, I think it might be a tongue coral.
