7of9’s 32g Borgcube Biocube

[fishguy242]

you need to get phos and trates up i thought ??

 

[rmorris_14]

you need to get phos and trates up i thought ??

her PO4 is .5

NO3 is 0

 

[7of9]

I'm hesitate to use anything like GFO in the early stages of a tank. I'm not saying you shouldn't.. thats just me. I like my tank to figure out its way, or use natural methods first. I'm also a nervous reefer, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Im sure there there are lots of people that would say the opposite. Your P04 is definitely on the high side though.

Yeah...as long as the corals and fish seem to be doing ok, I'm going to try to ride it out and be patient. I also realized that I don't have the intank media caddy upgrade, so probably that and adding a protein skimmer are on my list down the road.

I'm just wondering where all this phosphate is coming from with the nitrates bottomed out...the ICP test I sent in also tests your RO/DI so hopefully that will shed some light. Due to my plumbing weirdness in my apartment, I've been buying RO/DI at one of the LFS's.

 

[rmorris_14]

Yeah...as long as the corals and fish seem to be doing ok, I'm going to try to ride it out and be patient. I also realized that I don't have the intank media caddy upgrade, so probably that and adding a protein skimmer are on my list down the road.

I'm just wondering where all this phosphate is coming from with the nitrates bottomed out...the ICP test I sent in also tests your RO/DI so hopefully that will shed some light. Due to my plumbing weirdness in my apartment, I've been buying RO/DI at one of the LFS's.

If it were me I would wait for the ICP results. I have had a LFS sell me crap RODI, so that could very well be it. You could try testing the mixed saltwater for P04 and see if it is reading high.

 

[7of9]

Exactly. I’d rather wait than make any big changes. So far, I seem to be the only one bothered by these uglies. The zoas are still growing and the fish still eat like heifers.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

So for your stringy stuff, do you notice it dissipates after lights out? Some types of dinos will go into the water column at night and those types specifically are susceptible to UV light treatment. When I had my little run with dinos that's the type I was working with and I was able to just add a UV in at night and it went away after a couple weeks.

I didn't do a permanent install either, I used this one, right in the display, and removed it when I was done.

 

[rmorris_14]

Also, depending on where you got your rocks. Were they live? I missed that part....If they were in a high P04 tank for a long time, it could be bound in them and will continue to release into your water. #Cronies can correct me if that is incorrect.

 

[shadow_k]

Also, depending on where you got your rocks. Were they live? I missed that part....If they were in a high P04 tank for a long time, it could be bound in them and will continue to release into your water. #Cronies can correct me if that is incorrect.

I didn’t start with live rock , but this is the case ^ if you got live rock it holds on too the nutrients it was exposed too and releases it when introduced into a different system

 

[Mhamilton0911]

Also, depending on where you got your rocks. Were they live? I missed that part....If they were in a high P04 tank for a long time, it could be bound in them and will continue to release into your water. #Cronies can correct me if that is incorrect.

Mine was the opposite problem, I started with dry rock so it absorbed po4 and nitrate for the longest time, keeping me bottomed out. I'm just finally at the point where I'm getting testable levels.

 

[shadow_k]

Mine was the opposite problem, I started with dry rock so it absorbed po4 and nitrate for the longest time, keeping me bottomed out. I'm just finally at the point where I'm getting testable levels.

This is the problem I had , lol it was terrible

 

[7of9]

Also, depending on where you got your rocks. Were they live? I missed that part....If they were in a high P04 tank for a long time, it could be bound in them and will continue to release into your water. #Cronies can correct me if that is incorrect.

I got live rock from one LFS and also from Frank via @StatelineReefer. I’m sure it will balance out. If it’s still stringing along next week, I think the UV sterilizer might be a good option since it’s easy to back off on and isn’t adding any chemical.

 

[fishguy242]

just when I thought I knew everything...

 

[Mhamilton0911]

UV sterilizer might be a good option since it’s easy to back off on and isn’t adding any chemical

That's why I threw that into the mix, I didn't want to add chems to combat it either, although down the line I did end up using neonitro and phos to get my levels up. But at those times it was for coral health.

 

[7of9]

I finally got proof today that Benny the Blenny is more than just a pretty face. I “caught” him cleaning up algae on the rocks near the scrambled egg zoas after I noticed they were closed up today. I watched for a while and during his cleaning efforts he occasionally hops over them, explaining why they have been a bit irritated.

But, I’m glad he’s hard at work. Now I’m just waiting for those long snot strings to die down.

Picture of Benny and the offended Zoas:

 

[Stang67]

You need some hermits called "the jets"

 

[7of9]

You need some hermits called "the jets"

With my luck, they’d form a gang and go all Westside story on the rest of the tank, snapping their claws, dancing, and knifing everyone.

I think that’s more my tank’s style right now than Elton John.

 

[tbrown]

 

[7of9]

You know…

A weird idea I have for a story is that England is attacked and the only people who can defend the country is all the actors and musicians that have been knighted, like Elton John. They have to actually pick up swords, put on armor, get on horses and ride into battle.

This is probably why AI would make a better published author.

 

[tbrown]

 

[danieyella]

I'm hesitate to use anything like GFO in the early stages of a tank. I'm not saying you shouldn't.. thats just me. I like my tank to figure out its way, or use natural methods first. I'm also a nervous reefer, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Im sure there there are lots of people that would say the opposite. Your P04 is definitely on the high side though.

I'm hesitant to use anything in my tanks, because I am a LAZY reefer. It'll sort itself out eventually - haven't been wrong yet.

I don't even test phos or nitrates

I played that game initially and it was a constant endless cycle.

Tank is stable, things look fine.