I feel like my tank is too clean… but is it?

Ocean’s Piece

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,714
Reaction score
1,368
Location
Planet Earth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I have had my Biocube 32 running for about 6 1/2 months and my tank has been recently commented on by a few people on here that my tank is too clean. All of my corals are thriving, but I think people are saying it’s too clean because they’re not enough algae growth. A few things to note, I added all live rock at the beginning, then at the 4 month mark, I added more dry rock to make the structure taller. Also, I forgot to rinse my sand when I set up my tank and haven’t rinsed it since. Nothing has been wrong with it and I think all the loose particles and silicates are gone now (doesn’t make a sandstorm when I stir it anymore). My zoas and torch are doing great and growing new heads. Only algae I have is on my sandbed (cyano) and a little bit of green film algae and other stuff like coraline colonizing on my new rocks (but no cyano or big strands of gha on any rocks) Parameters are:
Phosphate: 0.08 (Hanna ulr)
Nitrate: 0 (Salifert; once I get my new Hanna HR nitrate checker in, I’ll verify that and dose if I need to)
I just don’t know what makes it too clean. It looks fine to me. It doesn’t have as bad of diatoms and cyano as it did a few months ago. I’m unsure. Tel me what y’all think. Thanks
F668D148-38D8-4EC6-BD11-4215012FFFA1.jpeg
B6AC258F-E42F-4B75-B6B5-937292A51442.jpeg

1626827315957.jpeg
 
OP
OP
Ocean’s Piece

Ocean’s Piece

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,714
Reaction score
1,368
Location
Planet Earth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Forgot to mention, I took that first photo two weeks ago and the new rocks have started to get just a little bit more green but are still more white
 

Dolphins18

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Cary, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
po4 and nitrates at those levels will not allow much to grow, the blooms you often see in early tanks are do to unstable po4 and nitrate levels which algae can feed off - I do not know if this is the cause for certain, but imagine it plays a role. If you went thru algae and diatoms earlier, this stage is fairly normal, and you are running a extremely efficient system almost designed for SPS.
As detritus builds up in sand and rock over time, they will begin releasing po4 as well as nitrates, your biological filtration should consume most of it, but I would be surprised if you didn't see an increase in both as additional fish and inverts are added.
You are in a spot I imagine most wish they were in at the 6.5 month mark.
 

jskoms

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
142
Reaction score
331
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looking great! I went through some uglies for about a month and all of a sudden last week, everything cleared out. Sand is bright white and I’m not having to clean the glass every few days.
 
1

131696

Guest
View Badges
Don't listen to others watch (coral euphoria) on YouTube ,he has 0 nitrates he's tanks looks awesome the trick is heavy in heavy out with feeding fish just watch his videos and Learn the simple way all he has is sps sticks.
 
OP
OP
Ocean’s Piece

Ocean’s Piece

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,714
Reaction score
1,368
Location
Planet Earth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
po4 and nitrates at those levels will not allow much to grow, the blooms you often see in early tanks are do to unstable po4 and nitrate levels which algae can feed off - I do not know if this is the cause for certain, but imagine it plays a role. If you went thru algae and diatoms earlier, this stage is fairly normal, and you are running a extremely efficient system almost designed for SPS.
As detritus builds up in sand and rock over time, they will begin releasing po4 as well as nitrates, your biological filtration should consume most of it, but I would be surprised if you didn't see an increase in both as additional fish and inverts are added.
You are in a spot I imagine most wish they were in at the 6.5 month mark.
Thanks.
That’s reassuring. I do only have one fish, I have had three in the past (two clowns I had to return after a month in) and 13 snails (will be adding 3 more and a conch this week for cyano and detritus)
Don't listen to others watch (coral euphoria) on YouTube ,he has 0 nitrates he's tanks looks awesome the trick is heavy in heavy out with feeding fish just watch his videos and Learn the simple way all he has is sps sticks.
Will check it out.
 

Dolphins18

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Cary, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks.
That’s reassuring. I do only have one fish, I have had three in the past (two clowns I had to return after a month in) and 13 snails (will be adding 3 more and a conch this week for cyano and detritus)

Will check it out.
Good thinking, some nassarius snails will help mix up some sand under the bed cleaning it.
In response to the post above, I think it is very important to listen to others, as not one person has mastered this hobby.
 

jskoms

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
142
Reaction score
331
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks.
That’s reassuring. I do only have one fish, I have had three in the past (two clowns I had to return after a month in) and 13 snails (will be adding 3 more and a conch this week for cyano and detritus)

Will check it out.
Conch’s are amazing, incredible housekeeper.
 

Dolphins18

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Cary, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Don't listen to others watch (coral euphoria) on YouTube ,he has 0 nitrates he's tanks looks awesome the trick is heavy in heavy out with feeding fish just watch his videos and Learn the simple way all he has is sps sticks.
"Don't listen to others" I must wonder why one joins a reef community and doesn't listen to others.
 
OP
OP
Ocean’s Piece

Ocean’s Piece

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,714
Reaction score
1,368
Location
Planet Earth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Never did one. Kind of wish I did though, but back then I was worried about messing up and publishing it. :)
I started 3 months in, and several have started years in, no reason why you can’t! It’s been helpful to keep track of my progress for sure so I highly recommend. Also thanks for checking out the good ol build thread
 

Dolphins18

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Cary, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I started 3 months in, and several have started years in, no reason why you can’t! It’s been helpful to keep track of my progress for sure so I highly recommend. Also thanks for checking out the good ol build thread
About 18 years ago the Biocube was my first reef tank prior to converting a 90 gallon fish only.
Back then they were designed somewhat similar, but with a hood with VHO fluorescents (this was the cheap mans T5's back then).
Excellent tanks tried and tested with a great design.
 

jskoms

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
142
Reaction score
331
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
About 18 years ago the Biocube was my first reef tank prior to converting a 90 gallon fish only.
Back then they were designed somewhat similar, but with a hood with VHO fluorescents (this was the cheap mans T5's back then).
Excellent tanks tried and tested with a great design.
So, your honest opinion. Is bigger better?
 
OP
OP
Ocean’s Piece

Ocean’s Piece

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,714
Reaction score
1,368
Location
Planet Earth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
About 18 years ago the Biocube was my first reef tank prior to converting a 90 gallon fish only.
Back then they were designed somewhat similar, but with a hood with VHO fluorescents (this was the cheap mans T5's back then).
Excellent tanks tried and tested with a great design.
It’s a simplistic yet very well thought out tank with every small detail. I love it.
 

Dolphins18

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Cary, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So, your honest opinion. Is bigger better?
Bigger is always better, but with bigger comes huge sums of money, its well worth it to learn how to "micromanage" a small tank and see if this is something you are truly into prior to spending tens of thousands of dollars on a huge tank.
I may be biased because that was my first reef tank - but I believe the Biocube is an excellent place to start. I actually started with the 14 gallon biocube. There was a nearly identical tank back then called the Nanocube (by JBJ I believe) it seems the better of the two survived :)
 

Dkmoo

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Messages
1,590
Reaction score
1,979
Location
Nyc
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Its not that your tank is "too clean" its that you have a low bioload and low "available nutrient". This is why it seems that you have little algae growth, this is also why your rocks are still "white" and is slow to mature

Torchs are doing well bc you likely have good stability bc your nutrients don't fluctuate. Also they can get most of what they need from light so at least in the short term (yes 6 month is short) they can appear "happy". They are generally hardy corals

Available nutrient doesn't discriminate where its going to - whether to algae or to coral. When nutrient is limited, growth of all life forms are limited. What you currently have just means that things take longer to grow and mature. If you are OK with that, there is no reason to change.
 
Back
Top