When I was researching, I read about all these methods to maintain water quality, and horror stories about what happens when your water quality slips. So I did them all. I'm wondering now if I overdid it and might want to scale back some. Do I need to reduce filtration? Am I just winning and can relax? Looking for feedback!
I had a diatom bloom around Month 2, but the cleanup crew ate it all and now everything looks clean. I'm actually wondering if I need to start intentionally feeding the cleanup crew.
The tip off for me is that I still have yet to get a measurable nitrate level ever since my tank stabilized, even with fairly lax water changes. My chaeto did grow to about double in size from when I started, so I'm assuming that's where the nutrients are going. My protein skimmer cup is taking over a week to fill, and the skimmate looks pretty dilute. It used to fill up faster/darker while the diatoms were there.
Currently running a 15G AIO for 3 months.
Filtration (in order of water flow): Sock (Change 2x a week), UV sterilizer, Protein skimmer, ceramic media with its own circulator pump, 1.5L reactor full of chaeto. Reactor has its own grow lights on a 12 hour night shift. ATO for RO water.
I've been doing 1 gallon water changes once a week and dose 2 part supplement daily.
Inhabitants: 2 clowns (less than one inch each), 2 hermits, 2 snails, 3 zoa frags, 1 duncan frag, 1 candy cane frag. All corals are opening and closing normally based on the LED. The duncan is growing a second head. Zoas look bigger than last month, but haven't grown onto the rock work yet. Candy cane looks about the same.
I had a diatom bloom around Month 2, but the cleanup crew ate it all and now everything looks clean. I'm actually wondering if I need to start intentionally feeding the cleanup crew.
The tip off for me is that I still have yet to get a measurable nitrate level ever since my tank stabilized, even with fairly lax water changes. My chaeto did grow to about double in size from when I started, so I'm assuming that's where the nutrients are going. My protein skimmer cup is taking over a week to fill, and the skimmate looks pretty dilute. It used to fill up faster/darker while the diatoms were there.
Currently running a 15G AIO for 3 months.
Filtration (in order of water flow): Sock (Change 2x a week), UV sterilizer, Protein skimmer, ceramic media with its own circulator pump, 1.5L reactor full of chaeto. Reactor has its own grow lights on a 12 hour night shift. ATO for RO water.
I've been doing 1 gallon water changes once a week and dose 2 part supplement daily.
Inhabitants: 2 clowns (less than one inch each), 2 hermits, 2 snails, 3 zoa frags, 1 duncan frag, 1 candy cane frag. All corals are opening and closing normally based on the LED. The duncan is growing a second head. Zoas look bigger than last month, but haven't grown onto the rock work yet. Candy cane looks about the same.