CDavmd
AstroReefer
Thought I would add my experience....for those interested in my saga see my build thread.
Quick Synopsis:
Reefer 425XL started with Marco rock and 10 pounds of ocean live rock from KPaquatics. This was not my first rodeo so I planned a very slow and methodical startup. Start up was March 2019. Four months with lights out and letting pod population explode. Then brought lights online slowly with dim blue and added first fish from my old system that had been running for close to 11-12 years.
During the initial startup I saw a minor diatom bloom which I confirmed under the microscope. A rare small cell dino was seen here and there but that is expected. What was curious were these golden brown round cells all over the sand granules which did not move. I privately corresponded with @taricha and shared my photos and video at that time and he was not sure but was cautiously optimistic that all was ok. The diatom bloom cleared and things continued to mature nicely.
A few weeks later first test corals (some from my old system that at one point had large cell Amphidinium after a NOPOX overdose). All went well and lights came on to normal schedule and tank allowed to mature. SPS added and things took off with great growth and no issues.
I seeded the tank monthly with copepods from algae barn and amphipods from florida pets. I also dosed phyto and fed fairly heavily. My nitrates ran 5-15 and phosphate .07-.15- despite this I never really developed much in terms of turf algae. I would have to scrape the glass every 4-5 days and that was it.
Fish were all quarantined and treated with copper meticulously yet despite all the care and precautions I noted my black cap which I had for over 5 years develop Ich in August. I lost that fish and others became sick. Removed all fish and went fallow for 80 days. During this time I ghost fed and check Nitrate and Phosphate weekly. No bottom out was ever recorded. During this time I added a 15watt Aqua UV unit to my sump manifold feeding back to the sump first chamber.
Corals were absolutely thriving and exploding. Sps had colored up beautifully and grown into small colonies. Fish were re-introduced slowly but just prior to bringing them in, I adjusted the aquascape and decided to add a touch more sand to some thin areas. BOOM! I noted 3 days later-golden brown areas on the new sand. I assumed diatoms but when I checked under the microscope it was both Ostreopsis and Small Cell Amphidinium!!! Ugh! I can only presume adding new sterile sand gave them real estate to exploit and off they went.
I added a small UV unit in the display and increased the flow from my return pump in order to get more into the UV unit in the sump. I siphoned and made sure nutrients were good. Things seemed to improve after a couple weeks but then I noticed some areas on the rock.
I then became aware of my first STN on my green slimer. A few days later another SPS started to STN. I looked at a piece of dead coral skeleton and it was filled with Ostreopsis. I changed the UV unit for a Pentair 25 watt and plumbed it from and to the display. STN continued and I lost most of my SPS
Around this time I also noted a bright green turf like growth in the rock crevices. I thought at first it was algae but it blew off and under the microscope it was green cyano!
At this point things were pretty bad off, attempts to frag and save SPS were moot. The Ostreopsis seemed to be improving with the UV but not the small cell Amphidinium. The cyano was taking off.
I tried the Dr. Tims recipe for dinos/ cyano.....things would look good for a few days then return. Multiple blackouts and same result. I tried the Elegant Corals method....same result. I ordered tritons new STN and Cyano treatment and used them....I did not notice any improvement at all.
I finally said screw it and hit the tank with Chemiclean. That got rid of the cyano and it has not come back... I also started dosing a variety of bacteria after that: Dr Tims ecobalance, refresh, waste away, Fritz Turbo, MB7, MB Clean.
Things seemed to improve and the surviving corals started to show growth. Yet there would still be some brown on the sand that would worsen over a weeks period and was confirmed small cell Amphidinium. I continued to weekly siphon and blow out rocks, and things would look good for 3-4 days and then they would come back.
Around this time I got busy at work due to Covid and just left the tank to itself. I fed and checked parameters when I could and dosed some silicates and that's it. Small cell persisted..... not as bad but still there and worsening after 7-10 days.
This brings me to the last couple weeks. I saw the reports of increasing temperature. I remembered that back in the day with MH my tank ran 82 all the time. So I increased the temp by .5 per day until I got to 82.5-83. Its been there for about a week and I have noticed improvement. Sand is clean white in the morning and by late afternoon just slightly discolored in some areas. Under blue light it is more obvious where the small cell is growing and I stir the sand daily especially in those areas. I have increased the flow of the UV unit and I'm hoping that stirring the sand will get more in suspension and into the UV unit. I've also programmed my Apex to run pumps at high for 5 minutes every three hours and get things stirred up. Lastly, I have been dosing peroxide every night 1ml/gallon and in the mornings I add bacteria and turn off the UV and skimmer for 6 hours. Then I stir the sand when the UV unit comes on and again peroxide that night.
I am seeing a significant improvement. No orange brown areas, instead just a slight darkening of the sand as the day progresses. I plan to leave my temps at 82...my corals are liking it and my fish have been more active and hungry. I'm going to continue the peroxide for a total of 10 days and then might just do another blackout for good measure.
I'll post my findings.....hopefully this multi pronged approach will finish them off.
Quick Synopsis:
Reefer 425XL started with Marco rock and 10 pounds of ocean live rock from KPaquatics. This was not my first rodeo so I planned a very slow and methodical startup. Start up was March 2019. Four months with lights out and letting pod population explode. Then brought lights online slowly with dim blue and added first fish from my old system that had been running for close to 11-12 years.
During the initial startup I saw a minor diatom bloom which I confirmed under the microscope. A rare small cell dino was seen here and there but that is expected. What was curious were these golden brown round cells all over the sand granules which did not move. I privately corresponded with @taricha and shared my photos and video at that time and he was not sure but was cautiously optimistic that all was ok. The diatom bloom cleared and things continued to mature nicely.
A few weeks later first test corals (some from my old system that at one point had large cell Amphidinium after a NOPOX overdose). All went well and lights came on to normal schedule and tank allowed to mature. SPS added and things took off with great growth and no issues.
I seeded the tank monthly with copepods from algae barn and amphipods from florida pets. I also dosed phyto and fed fairly heavily. My nitrates ran 5-15 and phosphate .07-.15- despite this I never really developed much in terms of turf algae. I would have to scrape the glass every 4-5 days and that was it.
Fish were all quarantined and treated with copper meticulously yet despite all the care and precautions I noted my black cap which I had for over 5 years develop Ich in August. I lost that fish and others became sick. Removed all fish and went fallow for 80 days. During this time I ghost fed and check Nitrate and Phosphate weekly. No bottom out was ever recorded. During this time I added a 15watt Aqua UV unit to my sump manifold feeding back to the sump first chamber.
Corals were absolutely thriving and exploding. Sps had colored up beautifully and grown into small colonies. Fish were re-introduced slowly but just prior to bringing them in, I adjusted the aquascape and decided to add a touch more sand to some thin areas. BOOM! I noted 3 days later-golden brown areas on the new sand. I assumed diatoms but when I checked under the microscope it was both Ostreopsis and Small Cell Amphidinium!!! Ugh! I can only presume adding new sterile sand gave them real estate to exploit and off they went.
I added a small UV unit in the display and increased the flow from my return pump in order to get more into the UV unit in the sump. I siphoned and made sure nutrients were good. Things seemed to improve after a couple weeks but then I noticed some areas on the rock.
I then became aware of my first STN on my green slimer. A few days later another SPS started to STN. I looked at a piece of dead coral skeleton and it was filled with Ostreopsis. I changed the UV unit for a Pentair 25 watt and plumbed it from and to the display. STN continued and I lost most of my SPS
Around this time I also noted a bright green turf like growth in the rock crevices. I thought at first it was algae but it blew off and under the microscope it was green cyano!
At this point things were pretty bad off, attempts to frag and save SPS were moot. The Ostreopsis seemed to be improving with the UV but not the small cell Amphidinium. The cyano was taking off.
I tried the Dr. Tims recipe for dinos/ cyano.....things would look good for a few days then return. Multiple blackouts and same result. I tried the Elegant Corals method....same result. I ordered tritons new STN and Cyano treatment and used them....I did not notice any improvement at all.
I finally said screw it and hit the tank with Chemiclean. That got rid of the cyano and it has not come back... I also started dosing a variety of bacteria after that: Dr Tims ecobalance, refresh, waste away, Fritz Turbo, MB7, MB Clean.
Things seemed to improve and the surviving corals started to show growth. Yet there would still be some brown on the sand that would worsen over a weeks period and was confirmed small cell Amphidinium. I continued to weekly siphon and blow out rocks, and things would look good for 3-4 days and then they would come back.
Around this time I got busy at work due to Covid and just left the tank to itself. I fed and checked parameters when I could and dosed some silicates and that's it. Small cell persisted..... not as bad but still there and worsening after 7-10 days.
This brings me to the last couple weeks. I saw the reports of increasing temperature. I remembered that back in the day with MH my tank ran 82 all the time. So I increased the temp by .5 per day until I got to 82.5-83. Its been there for about a week and I have noticed improvement. Sand is clean white in the morning and by late afternoon just slightly discolored in some areas. Under blue light it is more obvious where the small cell is growing and I stir the sand daily especially in those areas. I have increased the flow of the UV unit and I'm hoping that stirring the sand will get more in suspension and into the UV unit. I've also programmed my Apex to run pumps at high for 5 minutes every three hours and get things stirred up. Lastly, I have been dosing peroxide every night 1ml/gallon and in the mornings I add bacteria and turn off the UV and skimmer for 6 hours. Then I stir the sand when the UV unit comes on and again peroxide that night.
I am seeing a significant improvement. No orange brown areas, instead just a slight darkening of the sand as the day progresses. I plan to leave my temps at 82...my corals are liking it and my fish have been more active and hungry. I'm going to continue the peroxide for a total of 10 days and then might just do another blackout for good measure.
I'll post my findings.....hopefully this multi pronged approach will finish them off.
