Anirban's Aquaforest journey

[Constrictor6090]

Yeah I actually read the NP Pro description on the AF web site tonight. Trying to figure out how to drive my nitrates up. It says it's a polymer to increase bacterial growth to consume nitrates. So that is very confusing. I will pm you when I have everything figured out for some sticks.

So you have Bio S which is a nitrifying bacteria (takes ammonia and turns it into nitrite, then nitrate) aka cycling. Then you have your Pro Bio S, a probiotic bacteria that takes that nitrate that the nitrifying bacteria created (and some phosphate) and gets rid of it, (thus it takes the nitrate and phosphates an turns it into a biomass). The -NP Pro "minus NitratePhosphate Pro" is a liquid polymer food for that probiotic bacteria so that it can grow rapidly and speed up the process. This "biomass" that the probiotic bacteria creates, then gets taken up by corals as food or the more common thing is for it to be taken up by the protein skimmer.

tried to highlight key points but it's all important

 

[jsker]

Biopellet never helped me actually it always complicated my issues. I run zeolite and it seems to work well since my zeovit days. I think AF has some issues with Bio fil as its taking forever to launch them but who cares. 1 litre of siporax combined with zeolite and live rock is enough for bacteria. May be I will add 1 more litre once I come back from holidays. The issue is if we put more bacteria they will take down the nutrient more so very less available nutrient which I don't like. I will suggest when you dose the vibrant try to cut back the Pro bio S to half as they both work in similar way and together they can reduce the nutrient quite fast. I always wonder why you have such a high PO4 and NO3 issues all the time.

Well back to our conversation after 3 months, I have the nutrients under control. I am currently running Np Pro, Pro Bio S on the doser, Life bio, carbon in the sump tray, and 4 table spoons of phosphate minu in a small reactor. My Po4 is a trace to .02 and my nitrates and staying between 4 and 8 ppm.

 

[Anirban]

After 3 months someone updated the thread and guess what it was not me....

A lot of things happened in between this time. As mentioned I was travelling abroad for almost a month. I took almost every single step for maintenance of the tank and appointed a person to come over and take a look at my tank after every couple of days. For first 15 days all were fine. I was keeping an eye over the system through my webcam. One evening I saw one of my clown was missing and I thought may be it was hiding. That was my biggest mistake. I later came to know it died because of some unknown reason. When next day I did not find it I asked the person to go and check. What he told me was my biggest nightmare. All my fishes were dead within that 12-18 hour period. All of them were with me from the very first day. My SPS took a hit too and STNed from the base. Only thing survived in the tank was my rock anemone. They took those fishes out and changed the water. I was shattered. I never felt so helpless and could not even believe that I lost everything. Couple of years just disappear..

I came back and looked at the empty tank for next couple of weeks. Actually not very motivated to do anything. My wife asked me to decide what I want to do with the tank. I gave it a thought and decided I will run it again. So, here I am back to business. Currently fighting hard to control my nutrient and started filling my tank again. I believe the rocks accumulated a lot of debris from the crash and that is creating an issue but I know how to tackle that. I have started collecting my gems back and possibly wish to acquire everything I once proudly own. Wish me luck.

This hobby taught me a lot of things over the past few years. One of them is never loose hope and keep fighting....

So, I announce the journey begins ......again.

 

[jsker]

After 3 months someone updated the thread and guess what it was not me....

A lot of things happened in between this time. As mentioned I was travelling abroad for almost a month. I took almost every single step for maintenance of the tank and appointed a person to come over and take a look at my tank after every couple of days. For first 15 days all were fine. I was keeping an eye over the system through my webcam. One evening I saw one of my clown was missing and I thought may be it was hiding. That was my biggest mistake. I later came to know it died because of some unknown reason. When next day I did not find it I asked the person to go and check. What he told me was my biggest nightmare. All my fishes were dead within that 12-18 hour period. All of them were with me from the very first day. My SPS took a hit too and STNed from the base. Only thing survived in the tank was my rock anemone. They took those fishes out and changed the water. I was shattered. I never felt so helpless and could not even believe that I lost everything. Couple of years just disappear..

I came back and looked at the empty tank for next couple of weeks. Actually not very motivated to do anything. My wife asked me to decide what I want to do with the tank. I gave it a thought and decided I will run it again. So, here I am back to business. Currently fighting hard to control my nutrient and started filling my tank again. I believe the rocks accumulated a lot of debris from the crash and that is creating an issue but I know how to tackle that. I have started collecting my gems back and possibly wish to acquire everything I once proudly own. Wish me luck.

This hobby taught me a lot of things over the past few years. One of them is never loose hope and keep fighting....

So, I announce the journey begins ......again.

That is how I felt in October and November I just would not look at the tank. Not ever having a tank really crash in my saltwater keeping history, mostly reading about it, then it happens. Good to here that you are back in business again and look forward to the rebirth.

 

[jsker]

So you have Bio S which is a nitrifying bacteria (takes ammonia and turns it into nitrite, then nitrate) aka cycling. Then you have your Pro Bio S, a probiotic bacteria that takes that nitrate that the nitrifying bacteria created (and some phosphate) and gets rid of it, (thus it takes the nitrate and phosphates an turns it into a biomass). The -NP Pro "minus NitratePhosphate Pro" is a liquid polymer food for that probiotic bacteria so that it can grow rapidly and speed up the process. This "biomass" that the probiotic bacteria creates, then gets taken up by corals as food or the more common thing is for it to be taken up by the protein skimmer.

tried to highlight key points but it's all important

That pretty much sums it up. All of our system behave differently, and finding the right balance is the key of what needs to be dosed.

 

[HolisticBear]

What he told me was my biggest nightmare. All my fishes were dead within that 12-18 hour period. All of them were with me from the very first day. My SPS took a hit too and STNed from the base. Only thing survived in the tank was my rock anemone

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Anirban]

That is how I felt in October and November I just would not look at the tank. Not ever having a tank really crash in my saltwater keeping history, mostly reading about it, then it happens. Good to here that you are back in business again and look forward to the rebirth.

Thanks...I was more sad about the fishes. They were very very model citizen but I could not help them. But I will take care of that this time. Also changed the lighting bulbs a bit and will try some new things this time...

 

[Anirban]

So sorry for your loss.

Thanks....its part of our hobby but I was pretty sad about those poor fishes.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Sorry for your losses. I'm glad you decided to keep going. I am resetting my tank back up after an uncontrollable aiptasia outbreak. We have to push through and we learn with every new setup.

 

[Anirban]

Sorry for your losses. I'm glad you decided to keep going. I am resetting my tank back up after an uncontrollable aiptasia outbreak. We have to push through and we learn with every new setup.

Thanks, I really love doing all these. Talking to people, sharing knowledge and having good time all are part of this hobby. I was really sad but I really did not want to quit because of this one set back.
I was looking at your post and really like the idea of redoing it. I think one of the character of a reefer is that we are never satisfied....lol.

 

[jsker]

Thanks, I really love doing all these. Talking to people, sharing knowledge and having good time all are part of this hobby. I was really sad but I really did not want to quit because of this one set back.
I was looking at your post and really like the idea of redoing it. I think one of the character of a reefer is that we are never satisfied....lol.

Amen to that

 

[Anirban]

Amen to that

Amen...

 

[Anirban]

Its time for updates.....going back to my original schedule of weekly updates ...

• Salinity-1.025
• Temp: maintained at 78.5 degree
• pH: runs between 8.15-8.3
• Alkalinity: dKH 8.12 (Hanna)
• Calcium: 425 (salifert)
• Magnesium: 1295 (salifert)
• Nitrate: 10 ppm (red sea)
• Phosphate: 0.06 (hanna)
• Potassium: 410 ppm (salifert)
• Iodine is low

So parameters are almost back in track. I am more than happy since the tank died 2 months back. Looks like everything is under control.

 

[Anirban]

Time for some pictures...

 

[jsker]

Time for some pictures...

 

[jsker]

I just had too

You were not kidding, the system look crisp and clean.

 

[HolisticBear]

The white bottom with all the frags is a great look. How can that not inspire hope? Do you actually test iodine or is that from a ICP test?

 

[Anirban]

I just had too

You were not kidding, the system look crisp and clean.

I never lie... the system is running my Hydras with two 6500K Giesseman T5 as Diesel suggested...

 

[Anirban]

The white bottom with all the frags is a great look. How can that not inspire hope? Do you actually test iodine or is that from a ICP test?

Thanks, I do test Iodine with salifert kit....I am bit old school with ICP. I think my corals tell me what they are lacking....possibly I talk to them....I like to take pictures under white light and dont like generally blue saturated pictures. I believe if my parameters are fine and stable then my corals will look good under any light..

 

[Anirban]

I just had too

You were not kidding, the system look crisp and clean.

If you look at my parameters NO3 is quite high as well as PO4 is in upper range but no algae...yeah. Those two T5 along with my Hydras put more than 23000 lux at pick intensity.