Another Build Thread You Won't Read

[Troylee]

Another night of watching a bucket fill. This time much slower. We got a new kitten so I figured it was time for some serious talks.

 

[Devisissy]

So skimmer is now skimming normally. Yay.

 

[907_Reefer]

Win win, book has some pretty rave reviews as well.

 

[Devisissy]

Came back from holiday and holy hell! I thought the diatoms would run themselves out. Nope. I did the glass and turkey basted the rocks and everything came off very easily. Within minutes it had already reformed on rocks. It is so bad it clogs the filter sock daily. Nitrates and phosphates are still zero. I can dose daily but not sure of this will help. Growing in sump now as well. Going to up water changes to weekly. Not sure what to do. Need to start showing house end of October so need this tank not to look like a mess. Snails, urchin, and fish seem unbothered.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Came back from holiday and holy hell! I thought the diatoms would run themselves out. Nope. I did the glass and turkey basted the rocks and everything came off very easily. Within minutes it had already reformed on rocks. It is so bad it clogs the filter sock daily. Nitrates and phosphates are still zero. I can dose daily but not sure of this will help. Growing in sump now as well. Going to up water changes to weekly. Not sure what to do. Need to start showing house end of October so need this tank not to look like a mess. Snails, urchin, and fish seem unbothered.

That is Cyano, I believe. Water changes will not do much. You need to introduce a dominating bacteria. Chemi-clean will work also, but that does not solve the problem. I forget, did you put any REAL live ocean sand in this tank, or is it all from a bottle?

 

[Devisissy]

That is Cyano, I believe. Water changes will not do much. You need to introduce a dominating bacteria. Chemi-clean will work also, but that does not solve the problem. I forget, did you put any REAL live ocean sand in this tank, or is it all from a bottle?

I used chemiclean. Twice. It did nothing.

 

[Devisissy]

Yeah not cyano.

 

[Devisissy]

It's white and dead where the powerheads hit it. Dosed 10mL of H2O2 this morning. Will keep up the coral snow and MB7 nightly. Dosing Phyto and will add more pods hopefully next week. Hardly and grow back after this last water change. I am out of salt and can't find anyone who has it in stock. So that's a major problem. Might have to try another brand for a few water changes. Turned whites down to 3% not even sure they kick on at that low. I will win this dang thing. Will test nitrates and phosphates when I get home. Hoping to keep them at 5ppm to 10, and phosphates around point 02.

 

[Troylee]

Are you making your own water? I change my di resin when I see 1 on my tds.. that’s normally how silicates “diatom food” is introduced..

 

[Devisissy]

Are you making your own water? I change my di resin when I see 1 on my tds.. that’s normally how silicates “diatom food” is introduced..

Yes, I have a Spectrapure. The unit has in line TDS meters after every stage. I am at 98% efficiency when timed and all tds out are reading 0. Handheld TDS reads 0 from bucket. Which is not strange considering the Sediment and Carbon are changed every 3 months, I have a box of 60 each I bought ages ago, the Membrane was changed two years ago, the maxcap and silica buster were changed a year and a half ago. I usually get 5 years out of the membrane and 2 to 3 years out of the silica buster and maxcap. I have had this unit for 16 years now. I can rule out that as the issue. Now if I had a BRS unit or one of those horrid aqua craps then yes I would be worried. My salt mix maybe? Everyone is out of Nyos even saltwater aquarium crooks dot com. So I have to run up to Petco and see about picking something else up.

 

[Troylee]

Yes, I have a Spectrapure. The unit has in line TDS meters after every stage. I am at 98% efficiency when timed and all tds out are reading 0. Handheld TDS reads 0 from bucket. Which is not strange considering the Sediment and Carbon are changed every 3 months, I have a box of 60 each I bought ages ago, the Membrane was changed two years ago, the maxcap and silica buster were changed a year and a half ago. I usually get 5 years out of the membrane and 2 to 3 years out of the silica buster and maxcap. I have had this unit for 16 years now. I can rule out that as the issue. Now if I had a BRS unit or one of those horrid aqua craps then yes I would be worried. My salt mix maybe? Everyone is out of Nyos even saltwater aquarium crooks dot com. So I have to run up to Petco and see about picking something else up.

I couldn’t tell ya honestly… I’ve always used reef crystals myself as do millions of people and some of the nicest tanks I’ve ever seen.. if you go the petco route that would be my choice!

 

[Devisissy]

I couldn’t tell ya honestly… I’ve always used reef crystals myself as do millions of people and some of the nicest tanks I’ve ever seen.. if you go the petco route that would be my choice!

I used reef crystals for years. I can't find it now because it was taken with an actual camera, not a phone, it was that long ago, a picture of two inches of sludge on the bottom of my mixing bucket after a year of mixing salt. Nasty that was. I changed to Kent for another 5 years, then Red Sea, then finally Nyos. Nyos is amazing from the start to the end with consistency. I might have no choice though and have to get a smallish bag of reef crystals.