First Reef Tank - Fluval Flex 32.5 Gallon Build

[marcwjj]

Hello, I'm a noob here! My tank has been running for about a month now and I have been researching when to change out the media. I have a question that may seem dumb for experienced hobbyists, but I want to make sure I do not destroy my newly cycled tank when the time comes. The packaging for the media says do not replace all media at the same time. Does this mean that I only replace 1 chamber at a time OR do I replace the carbon on both sides, then wait, and at another point in time replace the biomax for both?

and thanks to the advice on this thread I purchased the Intank Media baskets!

Welcome to the hobby!

The safer way is to not to replace both biomax since that's where beneficial bacterial live. If you have live rocks or other porous filtration media than that's okay as long as you don't replace all of them at once.

 

[Reef Racket]

Hello, I'm a noob here! My tank has been running for about a month now and I have been researching when to change out the media. I have a question that may seem dumb for experienced hobbyists, but I want to make sure I do not destroy my newly cycled tank when the time comes. The packaging for the media says do not replace all media at the same time. Does this mean that I only replace 1 chamber at a time OR do I replace the carbon on both sides, then wait, and at another point in time replace the biomax for both?

and thanks to the advice on this thread I purchased the Intank Media baskets!

I haven’t changed any of my bio media in 6 months.... chemical media’s will have expire times depending on which you use or some will turn a certain color when they need to be “recharged” or “replaced”. If you do want to replace Bio Media I would suggest small amounts at a time as to not lower your Beneficial Bacteria faster than your tank is producing waste or excess nutrients. What exactly are you wanting to replace?

 

[slickfeer]

Hello, I'm a noob here! My tank has been running for about a month now and I have been researching when to change out the media. I have a question that may seem dumb for experienced hobbyists, but I want to make sure I do not destroy my newly cycled tank when the time comes. The packaging for the media says do not replace all media at the same time. Does this mean that I only replace 1 chamber at a time OR do I replace the carbon on both sides, then wait, and at another point in time replace the biomax for both?

and thanks to the advice on this thread I purchased the Intank Media baskets!

I’ve never had a problem replacing carbon all at once I usually do it once a month give or take. the bio media gets left there for the good bacteria I even added some more in the middle chamber in a mesh bag.

 

[AirIck]

I haven’t changed any of my bio media in 6 months.... chemical media’s will have expire times depending on which you use or some will turn a certain color when they need to be “recharged” or “replaced”. If you do want to replace Bio Media I would suggest small amounts at a time as to not lower your Beneficial Bacteria faster than your tank is producing waste or excess nutrients. What exactly are you wanting to replace?

I'm not necessarily wanting to replace anything per se. I just happened to read the book that came with the Fluval Flex and the "recommended" maintenance section said to replace the carbon every 2-4 weeks, and BioMax every 2-3 months. I was concerned because I have not changed anything since I set up my tank. All I know to do is check my water and make sure my numbers are good, but I didn't want to check one day and have to be reactive instead of proactive....

All my numbers are good, so I was just trying to prepare myself before anything happens.

 

[AirIck]

Hello, I have a newly cycled tank and completed my first water change over a week ago. I tested my parameters today and noticed my PH level rose from 8 to 8.2 to 8.5 in a span of 5 days. I use the Hanna PH 2 pt tester (red one that cost about $40). All other levels are good (except alkalinity that is high). However, I only have 2 clowns in the tank right now with live rock. I am no where close to being ready/experienced for corals.

My question: Should I be concerned my PH level is rising this fast within 5 days? Is 8.5 bad? Is there anything I can do to lower the PH level or prevent it from possibly rising to more dangerous levels? Also, I have not changed any filter media (I have a Fluval Flex 32.5) that came with Carbon in the top container and BioMax in the bottom container. I did replace the media foam with Intank Media baskets this morning as I heard the baskets were an upgrade from the styrofoam. Please advise!

 

[Reef Racket]

Hello, I have a newly cycled tank and completed my first water change over a week ago. I tested my parameters today and noticed my PH level rose from 8 to 8.2 to 8.5 in a span of 5 days. I use the Hanna PH 2 pt tester (red one that cost about $40). All other levels are good (except alkalinity that is high). However, I only have 2 clowns in the tank right now with live rock. I am no where close to being ready/experienced for corals.

My question: Should I be concerned my PH level is rising this fast within 5 days? Is 8.5 bad? Is there anything I can do to lower the PH level or prevent it from possibly rising to more dangerous levels? Also, I have not changed any filter media (I have a Fluval Flex 32.5) that came with Carbon in the top container and BioMax in the bottom container. I did replace the media foam with Intank Media baskets this morning as I heard the baskets were an upgrade from the styrofoam. Please advise!

You tank I’d going to do some weird things with the water during the first 2-4 weeks... let’s it do it’s thing but if you used too much or not enough salt it could play a roll. What’s your salinity?? And can you test you Alkalinity?

 

[AirIck]

My salinity is low. It is 1.022 (Hanna Checker). My Alkalinity is super high 14.8 (Hanna checker), but I only checked my Alkalinity 1 time this week so I'm hoping it was a test error. If not, I'm not sure how I can lower that. I only have 2 clowns and live rock and am no where close to being ready for corals, so what I've been researching the alkalinity isn't that big of a deal for me right now (within reason) since I'm only a FOWLR, is that correct?

 

[Reef Racket]

My salinity is low. It is 1.022 (Hanna Checker). My Alkalinity is super high 14.8 (Hanna checker), but I only checked my Alkalinity 1 time this week so I'm hoping it was a test error. If not, I'm not sure how I can lower that. I only have 2 clowns and live rock and am no where close to being ready for corals, so what I've been researching the alkalinity isn't that big of a deal for me right now (within reason) since I'm only a FOWLR, is that correct?

With fish only you should be okay but that is really high Alk... I would just do a good water change and it should lower... did you dose anything to get it so high?

 

[AirIck]

All I used was seachem marine buffer and seachem prime when I first got the tank up and running. I’m hoping it was test error. I’m going to test it again tomorrow

 

[Lsuhunter]

The marine buffer is probably raising your alk because I feel like most ph boosters do, I would check the back of it. The alk will probably go up more when you increase the salinity for coral. It should be fine for now though and water changes will help bring it down.

 

[Reef Racket]

*Update*
Here is an update after a water change and changing out my filter media (not removing any bio media). I only run ChemiPure Elite and Purigen.

Water is very clear and parameters are excellent I also dose 1cap of “vibrant” after each water change

 

[Lsuhunter]

Is that a clam, how is it doing with the stock lights? I want to get one but have been worried it wont get enough light. I also see your sps doing well, I killed all my sps frags. This past weekend I set up a single kamoer autodoser and add 3ml of Tropic Marin's All for Reef a day, its been keeping my parameters extremely stable for my stockload.

 

[Reef Racket]

Is that a clam, how is it doing with the stock lights? I want to get one but have been worried it wont get enough light. I also see your sps doing well, I killed all my sps frags. This past weekend I set up a single kamoer autodoser and add 3ml of Tropic Marin's All for Reef a day, its been keeping my parameters extremely stable for my stockload.

Yes that’s a Squamosa Clam! It’s been doing fine! I definitely feed him once or twice a week with PhytoFeast and ReefRoids.... I do have All-For-Reef but I haven’t had a need to use it yet and I’m waiting on a single dosing pump. If your parameters are stable then my guess is your sps was not getting enough light or maybe your temp fluctuated too much? I keep my RO water jugs in the garage and with the cold weather one time my water 5gal water change dropped my temp pretty low... I have 2 of the stock lights and if you need I can post the settings for the fluval app since I’ve messed around with it for the bast 6-8 months to find what works best for my livestock. I did however, fail with acropora TWICE! Not sure why but I’ll try again with a bigger tank.

what lights are you using and what’s your temp and salinity at? Also, magnesium is important! Are you testing for that as well?

 

[Lsuhunter]

I have two lights also and wouldn't mind seeing your settings.

I think my sps failed because my mag was extremely low and tank still fairly new(started with dry rock). I spent the past month or so trying to bring it back to where I want it. My tank seems more mature now with pineapple sponges everywhere and the all for reef is keeping everything where I want it. I was hand dosing daily for the past few weeks until I got the doser over the weekend.

I am going to give it another month or two and maybe try a couple frags again.

 

[norner]

Yes that’s a Squamosa Clam! It’s been doing fine! I definitely feed him once or twice a week with PhytoFeast and ReefRoids.... I do have All-For-Reef but I haven’t had a need to use it yet and I’m waiting on a single dosing pump. If your parameters are stable then my guess is your sps was not getting enough light or maybe your temp fluctuated too much? I keep my RO water jugs in the garage and with the cold weather one time my water 5gal water change dropped my temp pretty low... I have 2 of the stock lights and if you need I can post the settings for the fluval app since I’ve messed around with it for the bast 6-8 months to find what works best for my livestock. I did however, fail with acropora TWICE! Not sure why but I’ll try again with a bigger tank.

what lights are you using and what’s your temp and salinity at? Also, magnesium is important! Are you testing for that as well?

Please share your light setting Clowdy, I would love to know what have worked for you with lighter SPS as well

 

[Reef Racket]

Please share your light setting Clowdy, I would love to know what have worked for you with lighter SPS as well

I use this same setting for both lights!

 

[Reef Racket]

Is that a clam, how is it doing with the stock lights? I want to get one but have been worried it wont get enough light. I also see your sps doing well, I killed all my sps frags. This past weekend I set up a single kamoer autodoser and add 3ml of Tropic Marin's All for Reef a day, its been keeping my parameters extremely stable for my stockload.

My snails ate my clam! thought they were cleaning the side of him, which I’ve seen before but when I looked hours laster and three snails were in him I knew... all the meat was gone...

 

[Fishyj]

Could you on your app hit overview and screenshot that.

 

[Reef Racket]

Could you on your app hit overview and screenshot that.

Here’s the overview of the light settings I’m using.

Hope this helps guys!!
Just a reminder I have mostly LPS with only 2-3 sps corals. LPS is doing great! SPS is ok and holding color but hardly growing.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Here’s the overview of the light settings I’m using.

Do you use two lights or just the stock single one?