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Can I use this formula in a Discus only tank?Hello all!
I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and even a coral vendors perspective, I have gained quite a bit of valuable information. Many of you likely even have a coral that came from company, Pro Corals. The most popular of which being the PC Rainbow Acro.,
Over those years I attempted to pass on as much information and knowledge as possible. Now, I am compiling all the knowledge into one area and will be releasing articles and likely some YouTube guides on a weekly basis.
This is a great hobby and what makes it great is the wonderful community of reefers. Almost all are extremely helpful and it is our duty to aid one another and when we can, impart the little knowledge that we pickup along the way to aid others in their journey. We, and myself included, can easily forget what it was like entering the hobby. Its a minefield and much livestock and funds can be wasted. For someone like myself, books and online forums were my only sanctuary as I did not have any local hobbyist to gather knowledge from. There were many issues, losses and way too much money needlessly spent. Hopefully this series of guides will help those just entering the hobby and perhaps even help some reefing veterans to polish up their game.
The articles will be posted on my blog and right here on Reef2Reef. I am slowly building up my online presence through FB, Instagram and YouTube. If you'd like to follow along and receive the most up to date information please feel free to follow. I will try and keep the articles and video brief. We all have busy lives so I will attempt to post only the cliff notes.
www.ReefSite.com
Instagram: @Reefsite
Fb: @ReefSites
Twitter: @RimlessReef
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SonnyM63
Now, enough yammering. Onto the article!
Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!
One of the most frequent questions I receive is how do I have such amazing water clarity and an overall clean looking setup. Well, it quite simple and you can easily do the same while also helping rid yourself of cyano or and the very least not allowing it to gain a foothold in your system. While this is not a cure-all, it will help you achieve your goals and help maintain a healthy aquarium.
For a number of years I had purchased branded products of Coral Snow to help achieve water clarity. That is, until I asked around and found that you can simply make you own Coral Snow solution, saving you hundreds of dollars.
What is Coral Snow?
At its simplest, Coral Snow is a Flocculant.
Flocculant’s work by binding small particles together into a larger mass that can be easily removed via filter socks or a proteins skimmer. The Coral Snow can also help to removal yellowing compounds such as phenols while at the same time helping neutralizes some undesirable chemicals in the system.
Personally, I use this powder Calcium Powder and one jar should last you years. Creating the solution couldn't be any simpler.
The best time to add the solution to you aquarium is after conducting maintenance such as blowing off the rocks, cleaning the glass, siphoning the sand or conducting a water change. Ideally, you should be doing all of the aforementioned maintenance items during a water change, but that discussion is for another time.
- Select a clean container, one that is resealable and able to be shaken. I use an old creatine bottle.(Yes, I am on the GAIN TRAIN)
- For 500ML of solution, add 10 level tablespoons of powder to roughly 425-450ML of RO/DI water.
- Shake the bottle up, and let it sit for two hours. After which, it will be ready to use.
- Now, I don’t believe that you can overdose with this product, but a good recommended dose is 5ml per 50gl of aquarium volume.
- Be sure to shake up the bottle prior to each use as the powder can settle.
Now, on to my personal favorite use of the product: preventing and getting rid of Cyano!
Cyano Solution
Cyano, in all its forms, has been the bane of many a reefers existence. Nothing can upset or ruin the appearance of an aquarium display like that nasty, slimy cyano! The algae is present in all systems, and dates back to the dawn of planet but you can keep it from taking over your aquarium and causing you heartache.
Ideally, you want to be taking preventative measures to ensure that cyano does not gain any real estate in your reef. Prevention is always easier than treatment, but if you can always treat it too.
To amplify the Coral Snow, you will need a bacterial solution. Most will do, but I like Microbacter7 by Brightwell Aquatics. What we are doing here is mixing the bacteria with the Coral Snow, allowing it to bond and adhere to the surface of sand and rock. Basically, we’re trying to eliminate land for the cyano to stake its claim. While most of the Coral Snow will be removed via filtration, there will be a bit that coats you aquariums surfaces, in this case with bacteria that will out compete algae.
The Mix
Take your measured solution of Coral Snow and add it to a small container.
Note that Coral Snow will cloud your aquarium for at least two hours. Filter socks and Protein Skimmer(s) should be left on.
- A plastic or glass cup will suffice.
- Next, add 10 drops of Microbacter7 per 5ML of Coral Snow.
- Allow 5 minutes for the solution to sit and then dose into your aquarium.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you find this Coral Snow solution to be advantageous. I have used it for years with great results. My aquariums are devoid of cyano and nuisance algae. The fish look like their floating in mid air and the true colors of the corals are allowed to shine through.
I dose once a week but there is no issue dosing it daily if you are dealing with a particularly bad breakout of cyano. For best results, siphon out as much cyano as possible before dosing Coral Snow.
Good luck and if you need any additional help please feel free to reach out.
Sonny [email protected]
Hello.Hello all!
I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and even a coral vendors perspective, I have gained quite a bit of valuable information. Many of you likely even have a coral that came from company, Pro Corals. The most popular of which being the PC Rainbow Acro.,
Over those years I attempted to pass on as much information and knowledge as possible. Now, I am compiling all the knowledge into one area and will be releasing articles and likely some YouTube guides on a weekly basis.
This is a great hobby and what makes it great is the wonderful community of reefers. Almost all are extremely helpful and it is our duty to aid one another and when we can, impart the little knowledge that we pickup along the way to aid others in their journey. We, and myself included, can easily forget what it was like entering the hobby. Its a minefield and much livestock and funds can be wasted. For someone like myself, books and online forums were my only sanctuary as I did not have any local hobbyist to gather knowledge from. There were many issues, losses and way too much money needlessly spent. Hopefully this series of guides will help those just entering the hobby and perhaps even help some reefing veterans to polish up their game.
The articles will be posted on my blog and right here on Reef2Reef. I am slowly building up my online presence through FB, Instagram and YouTube. If you'd like to follow along and receive the most up to date information please feel free to follow. I will try and keep the articles and video brief. We all have busy lives so I will attempt to post only the cliff notes.
www.ReefSite.com
Instagram: @Reefsite
Fb: @ReefSites
Twitter: @RimlessReef
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SonnyM63
Now, enough yammering. Onto the article!
Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!
One of the most frequent questions I receive is how do I have such amazing water clarity and an overall clean looking setup. Well, it quite simple and you can easily do the same while also helping rid yourself of cyano or and the very least not allowing it to gain a foothold in your system. While this is not a cure-all, it will help you achieve your goals and help maintain a healthy aquarium.
For a number of years I had purchased branded products of Coral Snow to help achieve water clarity. That is, until I asked around and found that you can simply make you own Coral Snow solution, saving you hundreds of dollars.
What is Coral Snow?
At its simplest, Coral Snow is a Flocculant.
Flocculant’s work by binding small particles together into a larger mass that can be easily removed via filter socks or a proteins skimmer. The Coral Snow can also help to removal yellowing compounds such as phenols while at the same time helping neutralizes some undesirable chemicals in the system.
Personally, I use this powder Calcium Powder and one jar should last you years. Creating the solution couldn't be any simpler.
The best time to add the solution to you aquarium is after conducting maintenance such as blowing off the rocks, cleaning the glass, siphoning the sand or conducting a water change. Ideally, you should be doing all of the aforementioned maintenance items during a water change, but that discussion is for another time.
- Select a clean container, one that is resealable and able to be shaken. I use an old creatine bottle.(Yes, I am on the GAIN TRAIN)
- For 500ML of solution, add 10 level tablespoons of powder to roughly 425-450ML of RO/DI water.
- Shake the bottle up, and let it sit for two hours. After which, it will be ready to use.
- Now, I don’t believe that you can overdose with this product, but a good recommended dose is 5ml per 50gl of aquarium volume.
- Be sure to shake up the bottle prior to each use as the powder can settle.
Now, on to my personal favorite use of the product: preventing and getting rid of Cyano!
Cyano Solution
Cyano, in all its forms, has been the bane of many a reefers existence. Nothing can upset or ruin the appearance of an aquarium display like that nasty, slimy cyano! The algae is present in all systems, and dates back to the dawn of planet but you can keep it from taking over your aquarium and causing you heartache.
Ideally, you want to be taking preventative measures to ensure that cyano does not gain any real estate in your reef. Prevention is always easier than treatment, but if you can always treat it too.
To amplify the Coral Snow, you will need a bacterial solution. Most will do, but I like Microbacter7 by Brightwell Aquatics. What we are doing here is mixing the bacteria with the Coral Snow, allowing it to bond and adhere to the surface of sand and rock. Basically, we’re trying to eliminate land for the cyano to stake its claim. While most of the Coral Snow will be removed via filtration, there will be a bit that coats you aquariums surfaces, in this case with bacteria that will out compete algae.
The Mix
Take your measured solution of Coral Snow and add it to a small container.
Note that Coral Snow will cloud your aquarium for at least two hours. Filter socks and Protein Skimmer(s) should be left on.
- A plastic or glass cup will suffice.
- Next, add 10 drops of Microbacter7 per 5ML of Coral Snow.
- Allow 5 minutes for the solution to sit and then dose into your aquarium.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you find this Coral Snow solution to be advantageous. I have used it for years with great results. My aquariums are devoid of cyano and nuisance algae. The fish look like their floating in mid air and the true colors of the corals are allowed to shine through.
I dose once a week but there is no issue dosing it daily if you are dealing with a particularly bad breakout of cyano. For best results, siphon out as much cyano as possible before dosing Coral Snow.
Good luck and if you need any additional help please feel free to reach out.
Sonny [email protected]
There was another coral snow recipe I was looking for from years ago .Hello all!
I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and even a coral vendors perspective, I have gained quite a bit of valuable information. Many of you likely even have a coral that came from company, Pro Corals. The most popular of which being the PC Rainbow Acro.,
Over those years I attempted to pass on as much information and knowledge as possible. Now, I am compiling all the knowledge into one area and will be releasing articles and likely some YouTube guides on a weekly basis.
This is a great hobby and what makes it great is the wonderful community of reefers. Almost all are extremely helpful and it is our duty to aid one another and when we can, impart the little knowledge that we pickup along the way to aid others in their journey. We, and myself included, can easily forget what it was like entering the hobby. Its a minefield and much livestock and funds can be wasted. For someone like myself, books and online forums were my only sanctuary as I did not have any local hobbyist to gather knowledge from. There were many issues, losses and way too much money needlessly spent. Hopefully this series of guides will help those just entering the hobby and perhaps even help some reefing veterans to polish up their game.
The articles will be posted on my blog and right here on Reef2Reef. I am slowly building up my online presence through FB, Instagram and YouTube. If you'd like to follow along and receive the most up to date information please feel free to follow. I will try and keep the articles and video brief. We all have busy lives so I will attempt to post only the cliff notes.
www.ReefSite.com
Instagram: @Reefsite
Fb: @ReefSites
Twitter: @RimlessReef
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SonnyM63
Now, enough yammering. Onto the article!
Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!
One of the most frequent questions I receive is how do I have such amazing water clarity and an overall clean looking setup. Well, it quite simple and you can easily do the same while also helping rid yourself of cyano or and the very least not allowing it to gain a foothold in your system. While this is not a cure-all, it will help you achieve your goals and help maintain a healthy aquarium.
For a number of years I had purchased branded products of Coral Snow to help achieve water clarity. That is, until I asked around and found that you can simply make you own Coral Snow solution, saving you hundreds of dollars.
What is Coral Snow?
At its simplest, Coral Snow is a Flocculant.
Flocculant’s work by binding small particles together into a larger mass that can be easily removed via filter socks or a proteins skimmer. The Coral Snow can also help to removal yellowing compounds such as phenols while at the same time helping neutralizes some undesirable chemicals in the system.
Personally, I use this powder Calcium Powder and one jar should last you years. Creating the solution couldn't be any simpler.
The best time to add the solution to you aquarium is after conducting maintenance such as blowing off the rocks, cleaning the glass, siphoning the sand or conducting a water change. Ideally, you should be doing all of the aforementioned maintenance items during a water change, but that discussion is for another time.
- Select a clean container, one that is resealable and able to be shaken. I use an old creatine bottle.(Yes, I am on the GAIN TRAIN)
- For 500ML of solution, add 10 level tablespoons of powder to roughly 425-450ML of RO/DI water.
- Shake the bottle up, and let it sit for two hours. After which, it will be ready to use.
- Now, I don’t believe that you can overdose with this product, but a good recommended dose is 5ml per 50gl of aquarium volume.
- Be sure to shake up the bottle prior to each use as the powder can settle.
Now, on to my personal favorite use of the product: preventing and getting rid of Cyano!
Cyano Solution
Cyano, in all its forms, has been the bane of many a reefers existence. Nothing can upset or ruin the appearance of an aquarium display like that nasty, slimy cyano! The algae is present in all systems, and dates back to the dawn of planet but you can keep it from taking over your aquarium and causing you heartache.
Ideally, you want to be taking preventative measures to ensure that cyano does not gain any real estate in your reef. Prevention is always easier than treatment, but if you can always treat it too.
To amplify the Coral Snow, you will need a bacterial solution. Most will do, but I like Microbacter7 by Brightwell Aquatics. What we are doing here is mixing the bacteria with the Coral Snow, allowing it to bond and adhere to the surface of sand and rock. Basically, we’re trying to eliminate land for the cyano to stake its claim. While most of the Coral Snow will be removed via filtration, there will be a bit that coats you aquariums surfaces, in this case with bacteria that will out compete algae.
The Mix
Take your measured solution of Coral Snow and add it to a small container.
Note that Coral Snow will cloud your aquarium for at least two hours. Filter socks and Protein Skimmer(s) should be left on.
- A plastic or glass cup will suffice.
- Next, add 10 drops of Microbacter7 per 5ML of Coral Snow.
- Allow 5 minutes for the solution to sit and then dose into your aquarium.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you find this Coral Snow solution to be advantageous. I have used it for years with great results. My aquariums are devoid of cyano and nuisance algae. The fish look like their floating in mid air and the true colors of the corals are allowed to shine through.
I dose once a week but there is no issue dosing it daily if you are dealing with a particularly bad breakout of cyano. For best results, siphon out as much cyano as possible before dosing Coral Snow.
Good luck and if you need any additional help please feel free to reach out.
Sonny [email protected]
There was another coral snow recipe I was looking for from years ago .
From the health food store calcium carbonate powder
Mixed with rodi water , shaken and dosed
But the amounts have been forgotten over the years .
Is this above the same ?
If this diy one is 100% pure why would it requireThis is the same solution but more is dosed. Coral Snow bottle doses at 1ml / 25 gallons and this one is 2.5 ml / 25 gallons.
If this diy one is 100% pure why would it require
More to be dosed ?
Brightwell has a video that states mb7 is more effective against cyano mb clean against green algae. I don’t know, voodoo.I am assuming MB Clean and MB7 are interchangeable (for this application), but not sure how safe an assumption that is?
If this diy one is 100% pure why would it require
More to be dosed ?
I have a DIY coralsnow and I use it once a week at 1ml/100Litres. At the moment my system is a FOWLR and I get immaculate clarity in the tank after dosing. Don’t forget to keep your skimmer on.Is this only effective against cyano? My sand and glass are showing a little brown and I’m thinking it’s diatoms.
@SunnyX as the snow is sodium bicarbonate do you attribute your coral growth to the addition of that? Do you see an increase in calcium when you add your snow?
Saw a very small drop off in ph, but nothing worth worrying about - at least not on my tank.Did anyone else notice a drop in PH? Mine almost back to 8. Seems to take close to 24 hrs
Sonny,
Thanks for posting your recipe. I made some last night and dosed 25ml plus 25ml MB7 for a total recipe amount of 50ml this morning 2hrs after feeding and I have to say I did notice a difference after a few hours. I have had a little bit of protein foam at the front surface of the tank due to my dual returns are partially above the water surface for better gas exchange and also had a little oily film on the surface due to I do not rinse Mysis when added to the tank and both the film and foam are GONE. Also the water seems to be more clearer even though my tank has always been pretty clear to begin with. I am impressed especially after the first dose. Tank is 84x30x24. Thanks again.
This photo is looking through 7ft of water with all pumps on and the starfish is on a shelf 2ft from the tank.
Wow I didn’t know I could use a 1:1 ratio of coral snow and MB7. I’m using more like 10ml of MB to 25ml of Coral Snow. Any harm of keeping this dosing ratio at 1:1? I do have a bout of Cyno in the tank right now, so if the 1:1 ratio will help rid it sooner, I’m all for that. Sunny, any thoughts on using a 1:1 ratio mix better Coral Snow and MB7?Sonny,
Thanks for posting your recipe. I made some last night and dosed 25ml plus 25ml MB7 for a total recipe amount of 50ml this morning 2hrs after feeding and I have to say I did notice a difference after a few hours. I have had a little bit of protein foam at the front surface of the tank due to my dual returns are partially above the water surface for better gas exchange and also had a little oily film on the surface due to I do not rinse Mysis when added to the tank and both the film and foam are GONE. Also the water seems to be more clearer even though my tank has always been pretty clear to begin with. I am impressed especially after the first dose. Tank is 84x30x24. Thanks again.
This photo is looking through 7ft of water with all pumps on and the starfish is on a shelf 2ft from the tank.