I received a box of rocks today.

[WallyB]

NO3 and PO4 bottomed out, but I want to keep the benefits of gas exchange. I was getting a dark skimmate, but its rate had slowed considerably. I am hoping letting it run back into the tank will allow me to avoid dosing chemicals. I really want to avoid that in this tank.

Now I understand......
Just get more fish.....and then feed more.
I know you want to hold off on fish....for a while.....so kind of difficult.....therefore...Not Skimming makes sense.

 

[NY_Caveman]

@NY_Caveman you do know that the ULR reagents are only $9, right?

LOL, hey brother, can you spare a reagent?

I know, I have several other little things in the cart though and in my head I wanted to do it all at once.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Now I understand......
Just get more fish.....and then feed more.
I know you want to hold off on fish....for a while.....so kind of difficult.....therefore...Not Skimming makes sense.

Exactly! Clowns are dirty too. Losing them may also have contributed.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Ok, I see. Why not turn the skimmer off? Sometimes we do over clean our tanks. If the tank looks good why worry about numbers? Are you trying to head off a problem before it starts?

Pretty much. I like having a little nutrients to feed the corals. I want the skimmer’s gas exchange, but at this time feel I do not need the nutrient removal.

 

[Fudsey]

LOL, hey brother, can you spare a reagent?

I know, I have several other little things in the cart though and in my head I wanted to do it all at once.

For you, no problem

 

[Victoria M]

Pretty much. I like having a little nutrients to feed the corals. I want the skimmer’s gas exchange, but at this time feel I do not need the nutrient removal.

I can see that. I would mabe try the skimmer off though, I think. I dunno. I have read of folks running skimmers intermittently.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I can see that. I would mabe try the skimmer off though, I think. I dunno. I have read of folks running skimmers intermittently.

True. Going without the cup I will get an idea for how much it is removing. If it is more than I want, I can just put the cup back on, even intermittently. It is getting a nice, needed vinegar soak right now.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Throwing this out there for anyone to speculate on. I mentioned my BTA is stinging the Palythoas that came with my live rock. I do not care about the Palys and although some might disagree, I often let nature take its own course in my tanks. I do not usually coddle my aquatic pets, but expect them to fend for themselves in many ways.

My question is this, if the Palys are being stung I have to assume they are releasing toxins. I always run carbon on tanks and change it out religiously, but I wonder if the toxins could have affected the fish I lost. For that matter, the shrimp as well. I know the toxins can be harmful to us humans, but how toxic is it to the tank inhabitants? Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Throwing this out there for anyone to speculate on. I mentioned my BTA is stinging the Palythoas that came with my live rock. I do not care about the Palys and although some might disagree, I often let nature take its own course in my tanks. I do not usually coddle my aquatic pets, but expect them to fend for themselves in many ways.

My question is this, if the Palys are being stung I have to assume they are releasing toxins. I always run carbon on tanks and change it out religiously, but I wonder if the toxins could have affected the fish I lost. For that matter, the shrimp as well. I know the toxins can be harmful to us humans, but how toxic is it to the tank inhabitants? Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

I have a lot of catching up to do, but considering some fish eat zoas... but then again we are taking about palys. They usually have higher amounts of toxin. Seems plausible.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I was just over at @SuncrestReef ’s thread and he had a very cool time lapse video of his Acans changing color upon their initial opening.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/suncrestreefs-red-sea-reefer-xl-425-build.358990/page-19#post-5340719

(His thread has several incredible photos and videos you should check out).

Made me think back to when I got my Rainbow Acans. I looked back and the color difference is pretty crazy. I posted them there, but thought it was worth adding here too.

Then

Now

I miss the variety in color, but they sure look healthy now!

 

[NY_Caveman]

I have a lot of catching up to do, but considering some fish eat zoas... but then again we are taking about palys. They usually have higher amounts of toxin. Seems plausible.

That is the word I was looking for. Plausible.

 

[Rakie]

I would leave the skimmer on, just leave it wide open so it won't actually skim anything.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I would leave the skimmer on, just leave it wide open so it won't actually skim anything.

Right. That is the plan. You are suggesting to open up the air intake full? Good idea. I forgot to do that.

 

[Rakie]

Yep, if you open up the skimmer fully which lowers the water level in the skimmer you get all the benefits of everything except skimming.

Also, while I understand the whole "add fish and feed more" most people don't have as many fish as me, nor do they feed as much or as often as me.. And I still have to dose nitrates and phosphates.

So I might consider getting some QUALITY kno3 (Potassium Nitrate -- I like NilocG, it's a FW planted tank fert and very clean). I also like Seachem Phosphorus to raise po4.

To sum up my long story about my experience with nutrients;

Corals started to pale, kept dosing nitrates up to 40ppm, corals kept withering away. Everyone said phosphates were the devil. My po4 was zero. Dosed phosphates. Everything improved.

 

[Victoria M]

The acan does look nice and healthy now. It is fascinating how so many factors from one aquarium environment to the next influence color.
I have no experience with palys. Just what I have read about them. It seems entirely plausible to me. However, I hope someone with more experience can offer their experienced perspective.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Yep, if you open up the skimmer fully which lowers the water level in the skimmer you get all the benefits of everything except skimming.

Also, while I understand the whole "add fish and feed more" most people don't have as many fish as me, nor do they feed as much or as often as me.. And I still have to dose nitrates and phosphates.

So I might consider getting some QUALITY kno3 (Potassium Nitrate -- I like NilocG, it's a FW planted tank fert and very clean). I also like Seachem Phosphorus to raise po4.

To sum up my long story about my experience with nutrients;

Corals started to pale, kept dosing nitrates up to 40ppm, corals kept withering away. Everyone said phosphates were the devil. My po4 was zero. Dosed phosphates. Everything improved.

Thank you for reminding me to open it. Duh!

Here is what I am getting. Funny how it has a perfect distinct barrier around the ATO float switch and sensor (so far)

Down the line for fun

The refugium was in that second chamber. I will move the redundant heater from the return chamber to that one when I clean the returns.

 

[SPR1968]

Overall the tank is doing well. Toadstool, LPS and SPS are all growing and colorful. Only the hitchhiker Palythoas are looking unhappy and I figure the anemone is stinging at them. Oh well, it is his nature.

Well the tank looks great from that picture.

If you can’t keep Nitrates up, why don’t you just get some more fish. There looks like plenty of room in there?

Great pictures as well.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Well the tank looks great from that picture.

If you can’t keep Nitrates up, why don’t you just get some more fish. There looks like plenty of room in there?

Great pictures as well.

I do need more fish, but I want to wait a little bit and observe after losing the two ocellaris. When I had the four fish it seemed like a perfect amount for my tank size. So far, the remaining two fish seem very healthy. The two ocellaris who died in our tank were captive bred, they may have been more susceptible to a disease or infestation. The PS Wrasse and the Midas look healthy and it may be an expressesion of their natural immunity advantage as wild caught fish. They are also the two fish in the tank most likely to consume tiny live crustaceans hence constantly replenishing their guts with live bacteria (somewhat of a Paul B. influenced theory, or maybe wishful thinking).

I would also like to try another Cleaner Shrimp too. I may do an ATI ICP-OES test first though. The first one in July showed elevated Zinc. If this has risen further, that may be bad for shrimp which tend to be most sensitive to metals in the water. Still no idea where the Zinc came from.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I tested Nitrate tonight one day after removing the skimmer cup. Still reads 0 ppm. I tested Alkalinity as well the past two days and it is dropping again. 0.1 dKH per day. No surprise there as all corals are showing great growth. I will adjust the dosing pumps, but with nutrients so low, I am going to let it continue slowly down a little before compensating. Probably to 8.5 dKH for now.

I am not sure it is the Coral Essentials Aminos, but my SPS frags have really colored up in the past week or so and their growth and encrusting rates are accelerating.

 

[Victoria M]

I do need more fish, but I want to wait a little bit and observe after losing the two ocellaris. When I had the four fish it seemed like a perfect amount for my tank size. So far, the remaining two fish seem very healthy. The two ocellaris who died in our tank were captive bred, they may have been more susceptible to a disease or infestation. The PS Wrasse and the Midas look healthy and it may be an expressesion of their natural immunity advantage as wild caught fish. They are also the two fish in the tank most likely to consume tiny live crustaceans hence constantly replenishing their guts with live bacteria (somewhat of a Paul B. influenced theory, or maybe wishful thinking).

I would also like to try another Cleaner Shrimp too. I may do an ATI ICP-OES test first though. The first one in July showed elevated Zinc. If this has risen further, that may be bad for shrimp which tend to be most sensitive to metals in the water. Still no idea where the Zinc came from.

I believe Randy indicated it may have been from pvc and of no concern. I have been talking to a nephrologist I work with regarding the RODI filters they use to make pure water for hemodialysis, and have learned some interesting things regarding water quality. For example, metal compounds such as alum are added to our drinking water during the summer months for disinfection and usually have no effect on healthy folks. Hemodialysis patients can be affected so they monitor this stuff very regularly. Just a side note I thought I would share.