Zeovit

[glassbox-design]

DSB's create an anaerobic space for denitrifying bacteria. By limiting nitrogen via these bacs, you limit the the bacs dosed in a ULNS. Same reasoning why GFO should not be used.

Also, DSBs can accumulate nutrients and cause algae issues as it leaches out due to the ULNS lowering nutrient levels in the water column.

madadai, glad to hear you're cutting back every tank is different, but FWIW we dose .75mls on our 90g.

 

[sailfintang]

For the dosing is this .1ml per gallon or for the entire tank. After the 5ml/1teaspoon I added yesterday I saw no chage in water paremeters or with my skimmer foam. I will cut the dose in half to see what happens these next few days. I am awaiting my shipment of AA's to come by the first of April. I am also using the matrix and stability along with the C dose so maybe that is having some effect.

 

[madadi]

thanks grassbox
that makes sense. im adding C which is the limiting factor in the picture but if i have a DSB nitrates is also a limiting factor. i have a DSB in the tank and a huge DSB in the sump. my chaeto never grew much but i do have algae in the display tank maybe due to phosphates?
maybe ill remove the DSB from he sump and reduce the sand in the display to about an inch or two. thats a bit drastic for now so ill wait ill continue with the 1ML for the 120gal system and see what happens. im also using a bit of AA and the polyp extension has been great. ever since i bought the corals they haven't been like this.

 

[Zedar]

Sail,

What are your water parameters?

.1ml for the tank.

Heres the concept in a nutshell.

You slowly increase the dosage till your P04 and N03 start to drop. Then you stay at that level till the levels fall to

0 n03 (this is not really zero. its just there are no hobbiest test kits that will read that low.
.02 p04 (this requires a good test kit, lamotte, hach,

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~LM1117.html
or this kit
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~test_kits_rowa_merck_phosphate.html

personally I use this one. it reads down to .03 so if it shows up under that who cares

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...upplies_Test_Kits_Phosphate_Kits~vendor~.html

Or you dont need one at all. Juts look at the tank it will tell you when you are nutrient poor.

 

[Zedar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12181688#post12181688 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by madadi
thanks grassbox
that makes sense. im adding C which is the limiting factor in the picture but if i have a DSB nitrates is also a limiting factor. i have a DSB in the tank and a huge DSB in the sump. my chaeto never grew much but i do have algae in the display tank maybe due to phosphates?
maybe ill remove the DSB from he sump and reduce the sand in the display to about an inch or two. thats a bit drastic for now so ill wait ill continue with the 1ML for the 120gal system and see what happens. im also using a bit of AA and the polyp extension has been great. ever since i bought the corals they haven't been like this.

This is exactly what I did. I removed the sandbed in the refugium and I siphoned out sand from the display with each water change.

 

[Canarygirl]

Zedar, can you tell us what kit you use for PO4 testing? Your link isn't working.

Visually, how do you tell when you are reaching ULN status? Does all macro algae have to die off? My corals have been lightening but I still have bryopsis growing in spots. It looks pretty robust, too. I have the Elos PO4 test kit but I don't know how accurate it is (or any PO4 test for that matter, since algaes take PO4 out of the water column so quickly).

Two weeks ago I added a Bellus angel to my 140 gallon net system and it needs frequent feedings so I've basically doubled my food input.

I've been dosing .75 ml per day of my mixture: 2/3 Zeo Start2 (which contains no ethanol I'm told), and 1/3 vodka. I've been curious to see what would happen with the increase in the "nutrient in" portion of the equation but so far corals are not darkening, they're lightening! It's pretty interesting. Also, my ailing trachy is puffing up more than it has ever since I started using Zeo 6 months ago. This is verrrry interesting to me....

 

[Zedar]

Im using the tropic marin kit.

The elos kit should be fine also.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12182121#post12182121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Canarygirl

Visually, how do you tell when you are reaching ULN status? Does all macro algae have to die off?

Bryopsis can hang on longer then hair algae. Its going to take some time for that to disappear.
And then you still have to contend with Valonia. its seems it does fine in LNS

 

[glassbox-design]

Canary,

Not Zedar, but will chime in... Macro will become clear/yellow and die off as nutrients drop. If this occurs make sure your carbon is fresh to absorb the nasties

For test kits I am not sure at the resolution of elos, D&D and Hanna are the two most widely respected that I know of and match with one another.

 

[sailfintang]

My water parameters are as follows i will post later tonight if any chage has occured form the large dose i did yesterday:

ph @ 8.3
alk @ 6-7
ca @ 450 or higher
temp @ 80-82
phos @ 0 on test kits but still have some algae on LR and brown algae on glass

I will have to test for nitrate and nitrite when I get home. Last time I checked they were at 0 on my test kit.

All water is made from RO?DI uni.t

Any algae on the sand bed is due to a increase in lighting about two weeks ag i went from 400watts to 900watts. Bound to be a small algae bloom.

 

[madadi]

so i read in the big C dosing thread about potassium dosing. you guys add it and what is the level you guys keep it at? what is a good test kit, if any. thanks again

 

[sailfintang]

from earlier pages here they say K (potassium) should be at 380 if i remember correctly. i was gonna use the zeo stuff for my dosing but i changed my mind about that and am gonna run the warner AA's and Potassium supplements as for Fe (iron) I still have some kents left after that I may switch to brightwell or b-ionic

 

[madadi]

so you test for potassium then?
i still use the kent iron also till it runs out. what about iodine? potassium iodine?

 

[PSam]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12182510#post12182510 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by madadi
so i read in the big C dosing thread about potassium dosing. you guys add it and what is the level you guys keep it at? what is a good test kit, if any. thanks again

NSW is around 380. I'm targeting 380 - 400, using FM's kalium kit and their K additive as well. I do think it's one of those elements you definitely want to try and test for before adding. Or if not testing, adding very small amounts and watching closely.

 

[glassbox-design]

KZ and Fauna Marin make the only Potassium test kits available...from what i've heard the FM is easier to read and matches up to their reference solution they provide.

Edit, Psam posted at the sametime For more info check out the link he posted.

We have not had or K levels tested, but will in the near future. We use SeaChem reef salt which is not as K deficient as others...

Careful with the Iron, it is important but very little is needed so start slow.

Potassium Iodide can be useful to bring out blue/purple coloration...it helps color up our tort nicely.


Sailfin, those params look good. Just make sure they are accurate...you never know now with all the "failed" test kits.

 

[madadi]

thanks for the link. i have a FM dealer within minutes of my house. i think i need to become great friends with the owner and find out all i can about this. he uses it on his tank and the display is amazing. ill start off with very little amounts of potassium and see if i notice improvements in the blue coloration.

 

[sailfintang]

so you test for potassium then? i still use the kent iron also till it runs out. what about iodine? potassium iodine?

well I have not tested for potassim i too am looking for a reliable test kit for that or may just wing it. As far as Iodine I use Lugols solution every so often when I think i should. My xenia tend to pulse more when I add it and I have read the iodine helps protect against UV. i also plan to swith to the seachem salt used it before but the LFS stopped carrying it gonna look for a cheap shipper or another method to get it maybe talk to the LFS about it.

 

[Zedar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12182489#post12182489 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sailfintang
My water parameters are as follows i will post later tonight if any chage has occured form the large dose i did yesterday:

ph @ 8.3
alk @ 6-7
ca @ 450 or higher
temp @ 80-82
phos @ 0 on test kits but still have some algae on LR and brown algae on glass

I will have to test for nitrate and nitrite when I get home. Last time I checked they were at 0 on my test kit.

The live rock will leach phosphates for possibly a few months.

I still have a patch of algae near my overflow that is getting bound up nutrients from the plastic. My Live rock is absolutely 100% free of algae, where three months ago it was a forest Be patient this isnt a quick fix, this is a lifetime method.

You water params look good. Stop dosing calcium and let it fall to 420.

How clear is your water? Once you achieve low nutrient, that 900 watts of light may be a shock to the corals. The water is so clear in these systems that less light is needed.
Ive lowered my photoPeriod to 5 hrs for the metal halides. As the corals adapt to the higher light levels I'll increase the photoPeriod.

 

[Zedar]

Heres my updated dosing scheduale.

http://www.aquadirect.com/store/product.php?productid=14015&cat=872&page=3

brightwells iron
5 ml a day

Zeovit AA's
5 drops per day

Luguls iodine
1 drop per day.

5ml of VSV vodka sugar vinegar.

Im feeding brightwells zooplankton

http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=14128&cat=758&page=2

 

[madadi]

lugols iodine? pure iodine? can i use TMPCC iodine ?(tropic marine pro coral cure) its probably not as concentrated. it doesnt really say whats in it.

how concentrated is the brightwells iron compared to kents iron?

 

[Zedar]

madadi,

Lugol's contains deionized water, potassium iodide, and iodine.

1 drop per 25 gallons weekly. Ive chosen to add 1 drop per day.

brightwells iodine isnt as strong.

Add 5 ml (1 capful) of product per 50 US-gallons of aquarium water every two- to three-days or as needed to maintain the iodine concentration within a range of 0.04 - 0.06 ppm.