Thing is that I've always had these problems, it's not something that happen just now. And the problem with the water changes isn't that it makes sounds when doing the actual change but that the container with water takes up a whole lot of room in the already small bathroom we got and it takes about 13 hours for me to fill up the water and the pipes makes noices that disturbs the wife so she can't sleep and therefor we can't run it during the night. If you think it's absolutely vital to change all the water then ill do it but im just wondering if its needed as i did a 50% water change quite recently and the fact that this isn't a new problem I'm having should indicate that it's not something in the water right now that needs to be removed
Why can't i keep acropora?
- Thread starter Vidofner
- Start date
Thing is that I've always had these problems, it's not something that happen just now. And the problem with the water changes isn't that it makes sounds when doing the actual change but that the container with water takes up a whole lot of room in the already small bathroom we got and it takes about 13 hours for me to fill up the water and the pipes makes noices that disturbs the wife so she can't sleep and therefor we can't run it during the night. If you think it's absolutely vital to change all the water then ill do it but im just wondering if its needed as i did a 50% water change quite recently and the fact that this isn't a new problem I'm having should indicate that it's not something in the water right now that needs to be removed
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Hmmm....I understand your predicament a bit more now. :uhoh3:
If you break down the system into these parts:
1. Water - ???
2. Chemistry - appears fine. But I would have the LFS retest Ca, Alk and Salinity. Just to make sure your test kit or refractometer isnt out.
3. Food - Seems to me your feeding fine.
4. Flow - I've grown SPS when I started in the hobby with just a couple of powerheads and nothing else. You've got two 6095's which are more than adequate.
5. Light - Seems fine to me. May be a little powerful, but you'd see bleaching instead of STN if this were the issue.
6. Pests - ???
7. Contaminant - ???
8. Additives and Chemical filtration. Already talked about this.
When you break it down like that IMO as long as you stick with those basics, all corals should grow fine.
I would checked for pests and contaminants in the system. Maybe someone dropped a penny in the sump? Or a screw became loose and fell into the sump? Etc, I would go over checking to see everything is alright.
Also check for pests.
If all those check out then I would go back to really thinking about doing a few large water changes in quick succession...maybe talk to the wife and explain why its needed etc. You dont have to do the w/c right away...maybe wait till the wife goes to visit relatives for a day or two etc and then use that time to do the water changes etc.
Anyway, you can work on the other bits I mentioned and hopefully you will find the issue.
Getting to the bottom of any tank problem is simply working your way through a list and then making sure each checks out.
What you said about the screw made me think. For the hoses connecting my skimmer with the pump and the return pipe with my return pump I do use stainless steel clamps. It's not like these hoses are leaking alot but some water always gets pass the clamp and they are showing some minor rust on them. Could it be this? Is it that sensitve? Im talking about maybe 1% of the clamp has rust on it
it's not the aluminum. I've been using it for a year now and my acro's are fine. that whole aluminum poisoning your tank thing was debunked a few years ago, it does need to be rinsed though.. and if you want a clam you shouldn't use GFO..
Actually it says in the instructions not to rinse it "The material can warm up when getting wet for the first time. The red colouration of the water is caused by the fine dust attached to the adsorber. It is not harmful and vanishes quickly. Do NOT rinse the adsorber before use."
Actually it says in the instructions not to rinse it "The material can warm up when getting wet for the first time. The red colouration of the water is caused by the fine dust attached to the adsorber. It is not harmful and vanishes quickly. Do NOT rinse the adsorber before use."
what brand are you using?
directly from seachem website:
"For best results, PhosGuardâ„¢ should be placed so as to maximize the flow of water through it. It may be used in a canister filter, box filter, or any high flow area of a trickle filter. In some situations it may be necessary to use in a filter bag. Use 250 mL (~1 cup) for every 300 L (75 gallons*). Leave product in place for 4 days, then test phosphate or silicate concentrations with either MultiTest: Phosphateâ„¢ or MultiTest: Silicateâ„¢. If the concentration of the component you are trying to decrease has not dropped to around 0.02 mg/L, then replace the PhosGuardâ„¢, otherwise leave in place until levels begin to climb again. As long as concentrations remain under control, the product is not exhausted. Each 500 mL of PhosGuardâ„¢ treats over 600 L (150 gallons*) (i.e. will remove up to 30 mg/L phosphate in 600 L (150 gallons*) of water, depending on the initial phosphate/silicate concentrations and the current biological load. Over treating is not recommended. PhosGuardâ„¢ is not an exchange resin, it does not release anything into the water. It does not leach phosphate or silicate back into the water and may be removed, dried, and returned to service until exhausted. Continuous use of small quantities is better than intermittent use of larger quantities.
Caution!
May generate heat on initial contact with water. Pre-wet by adding to a double volume of freshwater (e.g. 250 mL of product in 500 mL water), followed by a rinse."
vette.tech
New member
I think the temp is a little in the cold side personally, why not try bringing it up to 80 and see how things react, easy enough to do I would think. And why not just stop all additives, gfo etc, unless stopping it cold turkey could cause some kind of problem
Im using fauna marin ultra phos
I could try that but i doubt its the temperature though. The Red Sea go down to 21 C in the winter
I would rinse it regardless of their instructions. that's asking for trouble IMO.
seachem recommends soaking first, then rinsing.. I don't do that, I just run it under some tap water for a few minutes..
They are wrighting it in capital letters though, so there got to be a reason for it. I could ask them though
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Claude (Fauna Marin's maker/owner) specifically says not to rinse it.
I have used UltraPhos in the past and will be going back to it soon. Just dont use too much and dont have the flow excessive.
yeah, I'd like to know their reasoning.. I rinse every chemical media entering my tank under tap water for a few minutes, and every chemical media I've ever used has instructed the user to rinse before use..
Ok I asked them and got the following answer:
"HI
You can do that, it is only not necessary
rgds claude"
great adviced.....nothig to add
lynchmob3000
New member
+1.. but I would add that running your whites at 25% could be why your lps are fine and acros don't stay healthy. They need that spectrum with a lot of intensity to continue to build their skeletons. And from my experience an acro that's not moving forward with growth is as good as dead. Led is as good as as their settings so im just guessing that with 100% blues and everything else and 25% whites your probably way too actinic. probably 30k. I run my maxspect razor 120s at 93% whites and 100 blues at 8" over the water. And that's a 16k fixture so the less white the more the Kelvin goes up.
ormet
Just one more frag
Please expand on this. In the current debates regarding "White LEDs" my conclusions is that white leds are good for nothing except creating a visually pleasing light for the human eye.
lynchmob3000
New member
There's a reason these manufacturers are using 5w and 10w white diodes on there systems to create a specific Kelvin rating. Most besides the hydra have more power dedicated to the whites and multiple white colors.
The corals like the lower kelvins and need the intensity the white provides for growth.
Ppl are saying the maxspect 10k razor grows coral faster than the 16k version on the same system. More whites on the 10k. Reefledlights.com used to have a high noon kit that consisted of 4 or so 5000k whites leds that gave your corals a peak noon sun effect that boosts coral growth.
Don't know but if I turn down my whites my acros will go into limbo then most likely start to Stn.
The corals like the lower kelvins and need the intensity the white provides for growth.
Ppl are saying the maxspect 10k razor grows coral faster than the 16k version on the same system. More whites on the 10k. Reefledlights.com used to have a high noon kit that consisted of 4 or so 5000k whites leds that gave your corals a peak noon sun effect that boosts coral growth.
Don't know but if I turn down my whites my acros will go into limbo then most likely start to Stn.
lynchmob3000
New member
white has a ton of blue in it. 6500k bulb peaks hardest around 420 430 nm so it is the blue but it's the blue coming from the white. Here's a good link breaking it down
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/aafeature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/aafeature
