help with ideas for changing tank elements

[hayleemilo]

Hey gang,
I just added a christmas tree coral? Anyways, I also did a water change. I tested my levels 12 hours later and I am noticing that my levels are way off.Calcium is fine at 400, but nitrate is 25, kh is still down at 6, ammo is 0, ph is 8.3. I did take a huge amount of thick algae off two piesces of live rock that was in the tank. I hear so much about DSB, and everything else. Should I take out my bioballs, should I add something else to my substrate, it is about3" of CC. Should I add a refugium? How important is a calcium reactor. I hear so much, yet no two people have the same answer. Please help. My flowerpot seems to be growing back, which is the only good thing going on.
Dazed and Confused,
Eric

 

[hayleemilo]

my profile didn't show up so here goes
90 gallon reef
2 powerheads for circulation
60 lbs lr
amiracle 20 gallon sump
Mag Drive 700
Turbo Skimmer Protein Skimmer
brown mushroom colony
modern coral
green flowerpot
christmas tree coral
2 long tentacle anemones
1 large carpet anemones
25 turbos
6 hermits
1 jewel stone
3 medium feather dusters
1 coral banded shrimp
1 blue damsel
1 yellow tang
1 yellow goby
1 (not sure of) gob
1 110 watt 50/50 smartlite
1 110 watt vho 9325 K
1 large orange sponge(looks like the top might be dying)

 

[ed r]

For a new reef tank I feel the DSB approach is definitely the way to go. If done correctly, it will produce a near zero nitrate level that will help keep undesirable algae down and keep corals happier. Changing over an established tank is a lot of work. I just did mine last Saturday, but I did not have near as much stuff in it as you do. I think if you read Dr. Ron Shimek's articles you will be convinced that the DSB is what you want. Whether you want that bad enough to change over your tank is up to you. If you are considering making the change look at the "Sandbed Swap" portion of the link below.
<a href="http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html" target="_blank">http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html</a>
I followed that approach and was generally pleased with how things went and the outcome. I did have casualties in my two fish, but I feel that was my fault. I learned a great deal in doing the swap. One of the things I learned is that I don't want to do it very often. If my tank still had a CC bed, I would change it out and follow that method with only slight modifications. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[hayleemilo]

Thank You,
I will definitely do it that way, does anyone else have any opinions on calcium reactors, and a refugium, how do you set them up and what is the need for them, my next purchase will be a maximus? clam, I was told they suck up a lot of calcium?

 

[hayleemilo]

does no one else have any ideas, please help!!

 

[b.b.bigbrother]

How long has tank been set up? You should slow down and not add anything could be causing cycles. Exspecially if your going to change to dsb you may loose things and the more you have the harder it is. <img src="graemlins//freak.gif" border="0" alt="[freak]" />