Am I killing corals with light?
- Thread starter TWYOUNG
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Acros
Valuable Member
Sometimes that is how it goes. Frustrating for sure!
TWYOUNG
Well-Known Member
Yeah, nitrates are a little higher than I'd like and I'm trying to get some chaeto growing. As you can see prior to the past 3 months they were <10, and what was there was usually because I was dosing it. Since I've had low nutrient and dino issues I feel I need to error a little on the high side. Yes I have 24, 2" MarinePure blocks that Algae Barn sent me with my initial addition of copepods a year ago, so they've been there since cycling was completed. This is my third ICP and first time aluminum showed up. I posted about it on BRS and most felt the benefit of the blocks outweighed any downside. That and the fact that the ICP analysis didn't suggest any intervention has led me to leave them for now.
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just curious, what lights are you running?
It sounds like you just need stability and time and I would err on the lower side of par while things are instable. Dinos wreak havoc on the biome and you need to build that back up and it doesn't happen fast. I scrapped my last tank and started new with Tampa Bay Saltwater rocks and sand and it feels like I have an instant 5 year old reef. Starting a biome from scratch is severely overrated.
TWYOUNG
Well-Known Member
Yeah. I wish I had gone with some live rock to start but I’m too far in in terms of time and $$$ to restart. If it takes a few more years so be it. In my mind I knew there likely wasn't anything ALIVE about the CaribSea LifeRock and Aragalive sand I was buying but my heart succumbed to the sales pitch. On the positive side I was able to glue together a really nice reef. So, in the mean time do you suggest I go with the 20% par readings or something else? In terms of biome development I've added all kinds of bottled and powdered bacteria, old rock and crushed coral skeletons from a 30yo fish only tank I had, daily phyto., regular additions of tig and tisbe pods, and AF Lifesource mud,(one 1000gm bag). I've considered buying some of the sand the Microbiome people sell. Do you have any advice?
Yeah I think those 20% readings are enough light for now. If you're in the US you can get a small pack of aquacultured live rock straight out of the Gulf of Mexico. Tampa Bay Saltwater and Gulf Live Rock sell in smaller amounts, 20lbs or so. Other than that, just time.
Yep it's overnighted/air freighted and has very little die off but as much diversity as you can get. Screen it in a holding tub for undesirables though. I usually get 1 mantis shrimp per shipment, etc.
TWYOUNG
Well-Known Member
Thanks you've been most helpful. I did the Mantis shrimp thing 30 years ago when I used live rock to start a tank. Is there a way to coax them out of their hiding place while they're in this holding tub?Yep it's overnighted/air freighted and has very little die off but as much diversity as you can get. Screen it in a holding tub for undesirables though. I usually get 1 mantis shrimp per shipment, etc.
Bottle traps are effective. Just lean them up on a rock where the shrimp can get into the mouth.
Something like this:
Something like this:
MrGisonni
Valuable Member
Alkalinity at 11 may be part of the problem. Anything over 9.5 was problematic for me in my mixed reef. The natural seawater I use for water changes measures 7.6. My reef now wants to be between 7.5 and 8.5. your par measurements at 20% is more than enough for most corals.
TWYOUNG
Well-Known Member
My lfs suggested 10 for alk and it made sense to me as the recommendation is usually 8-12 and 10 put me right in the middle. I used to dose 2L per day of kalk in addition to a minimal amount of AFR but a couple of months ago I had to stop the kalk when it went up to 11. Today I've stopped AFR as well since it hasn't come down.
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