30 Gallon SPS Reef Build

lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
I think I found another contributer to excess nutrients- my storage containers. I have been rinsing them out with di water and have noticed them a lil smelly. When I tested my di water it read around .05. When I took the test right from the di line it read .01. When I tested the fresh mix of aqua vitro it tested .05. I've noticed this salt mix or at least this bucket mixes really "dirty".
Im at a dilema because Im not sure that changing the water with these readings will ultimately help my tank. Granted the trates in the dt are "higher" at a whopping 2.0 and the fresh wc would be less. I would think at the very least replacing the trace elements will be benificial.
I'm gonna clean all the containers out with vinegar and see if that helps.
I've added rowa phos to the reactor last night and when I tested my phos this morning and it looked like it dropped from .03 to .01.
I must say I need to give props to the carbon dosing because I never had any excess nutrients or any unwanted algae anywhere, ever! But my corals were not happy. Im seeing results since I stopped in the corals but still not even close to what hey should be. I'm hoping these wc will continue to help
I need to post some pics
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Having undetectable phosphate and nitrate did not work for my or your sps. I think dealing with algae by starving it out also starves the corals. You need some other way to control the algae. I am using Algaefix and the QT of all corals.
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
Your qt all your corals while your getting rid of the algae? I don't have qt. I'm going to attempt to do this slowly by reducing the amount of food by spreading it over the day with smaller portions and running a lil gfo
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
No,I found info on AlgaeFix Marine I left all corals and fish in the DT to treat.
Google this and give it a good read: " I decided to give AlgaeFix Marine a try. I will be starting today (3/10/2009) and post the results. "
I post on page 79 and 80
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
Geo. I found it. Have you noticed anything with your corals using that product? Dont you think it's the same nutrient export essentially? Wouldn't it starve them?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
First for any one that reads this AlgaeFix does not kill all algae.
AlgaeFix Marine is a algaecide so it will not increase nutrient export. Through the use of AlgaeFix, the death and decomposition of a large amount of algae can increase waste in the tank, but you can control that with water changes, changes in feeding, or through carbon dosing. I have read of this waste pop but in my tank there was very little algae and it took a long time to die out. So there is a need to control the numbers so as not to stress the sps corals.
I read through that entire thread before I had the confidence to try it. So don't just take my word for it read through the thread and see what you think.
Favites, Favia, and Echinophyllia will contract within minutes of dosing AlgaeFix and then will not extend their feeding tentacles fully for a night or two. I added a Montipora and it went through about two weeks of treatment. The Monti has done well with it with no noticeable effects. So for the corals I have I would say after 11 doses there has been no lasting effect that I can see.
Now if you have unhealthy coral that are on the verge I would not add to the stress by dosing AlgaeFix.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I had a dumb ___ attack, Potassium Gluconate is more of a carbon source then a potassium, and I dumped it in with out thinking. So needles to say when you over dose a carbon source you get a bacterial bloom. So here is where I stand after it cleared; my monti cap came through looking good, lost one acro, and browned a digitata frag real bad... Now if I had a need for a carbon source and I wanted to raise my potassium slowly I would use Potassium Gluconate. but that is not what I need. :flamed:
So Lubeck, It's my turn to add to the fun. I just ordered some new stuff.
Salifert Potassium Test Kit
Red Sea Reef Colors B (Potassium) 500 ML
Red Sea Reef Colors D (Trace) 500 ML
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
You have a very nice selection of colorful frags there! Nicely done. :t^:
Thanks. Still working on the color
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
I had a dumb ___ attack, Potassium Gluconate is more of a carbon source then a potassium, and I dumped it in with out thinking. So needles to say when you over dose a carbon source you get a bacterial bloom. So here is where I stand after it cleared; my monti cap came through looking good, lost one acro, and browned a digitata frag real bad... Now if I had a need for a carbon source and I wanted to raise my potassium slowly I would use Potassium Gluconate. but that is not what I need. :flamed:
So Lubeck, It's my turn to add to the fun. I just ordered some new stuff.
Salifert Potassium Test Kit
Red Sea Reef Colors B (Potassium) 500 ML
Red Sea Reef Colors D (Trace) 500 ML
That sucks!! I'm dealing with hair algae right now. I want to caution you I cannot gaurantee that it was the 3 potassium doses or because I stopped carbon dosing that I have a small outbreak. Be careful. What is your potassium reading? I haven't dosed potassium for two weeks because I'm afraid of the algae bloom. Last time I checked my potassium was at 375.
It's been crazy with my sps. My new green Acro is not looking good but about half of my sps are really starting to color back up. I don't really understand it though because a few are the same and I'm having issues with hair algae which means too many nutrients. I reworked the aquascape last night in hopes to get better flow and export of waste into the sump. I'm hopeful for my corals finally coming around. I'm excited to see what another month will do:hi:
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
The macro shots are 2- 15k kessils and 1 ATI acentic and 1 ATI blue T5
I believe the ft is all the above plus a 10k kessil
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member

That sucks!! I'm dealing with hair algae right now. I want to caution you I cannot gaurantee that it was the 3 potassium doses or because I stopped carbon dosing that I have a small outbreak. Be careful. What is your potassium reading? I haven't dosed potassium for two weeks because I'm afraid of the algae bloom. Last time I checked my potassium was at 375.
It was no big thing. My potassium was 325ppm and I tried to move it with a small dose of potassium glutamate. Got no movement so then I upped it and got whacked.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
The macro shots are 2- 15k kessils and 1 ATI acentic and 1 ATI blue T5
I believe the ft is all the above plus a 10k kessil If you need help with the pics
Check out Southern Wolf's https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/391680/photography-school
He has helped my pics look more realistic.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member

It's been crazy with my sps. My new green Acro is not looking good but about half of my sps are really starting to color back up. I don't really understand it though because a few are the same and I'm having issues with hair algae which means too many nutrients. I reworked the aquascape last night in hopes to get better flow and export of waste into the sump. I'm hopeful for my corals finally coming around. I'm excited to see what another month will do:hi: I am glad to hear you are getting some improvement in color. Keep it up :t^:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top