I received a box of rocks today.

[Fudsey]

I vote pj cardinals as they don't require homes and mainly just free float. They are not aggressive at all and you could add 3-4 small ones.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I vote pj cardinals as they don't require homes and mainly just free float. They are not aggressive at all and you could add 3-4 small ones.

They are weird looking, but maybe that is a good thing. I often felt like they were too common (said the guy who likes clownfish). Honestly, it seems like I check them out every other month and each time they grow on me a little more. I do think my wife and kids would love them and their behavior seems perfect. Also cool they hold their eggs in the males mouth, then spit them out when “ready.”

Stop Light Cardinals I mentioned before I really do like. Flame Cardinal trios come up on Diver’s Den, but nocturnal fish are not really what we want.

So, 3 cardinals, our current Midas and PS Wrasse and a big ole clownfish. I mean, it seems I can handle the bioload, but man, that is a lot of fish. I have always understocked, but maybe it is time to try something new. Obviously, the clown would have to be last, and I would move slow, but I am really thinking about this.

 

[count krunk]

Overstock is relative. Just depends on your filtration system. (Obvs don't put fish that get 7+ inches in a smaller tank)

But yeah you get the picture. I think you would be doing just fine with that fish load

 

[count krunk]

And like, really aggressive fish. But you get the idea

 

[SPR1968]

I have always understocked, but maybe it is time to try something new.

I know how you feel, I’m the same!! Lol

 

[NY_Caveman]

Well, I did something. These popped up on Diver’s Den tonight and it seemed like a sign.

Grabbed a Porcelain Anemone Crab too. Used ANGELFSH for 15% off.

 

[Wrangy]

Well, I did something. These popped up on Diver’s Den tonight and it seemed like a sign.

Grabbed a Porcelain Anemone Crab too. Used ANGELFSH for 15% off.

Awesome choice of additions man!! They'll look great in the tank!

 

[Fudsey]

NICE ! ! ! !

 

[Rakie]

I heard @NY_Caveman is about to dose a bunch of KNO3 and KH2PO4 also

 

[Rakie]

I'll be honest, I was certain you were gonna get a clown trigger

 

[NY_Caveman]

I'll be honest, I was certain you were gonna get a clown trigger

Ha! And a Golden Puffer. Dirty fish!

 

[Rakie]

They would have pooped you up some prettyful coral tho

 

[NY_Caveman]

Revisiting the question of if it is not broke, why fix it, I have avoided using the “D” word. Dinoflagellates. That is my chief concern and every new spot in the tank is monitored. Not something I have ever dealt with and I would like to keep it that way. I assume with live rock and several frags they are in there, but please do not come out and play.

 

[Rakie]

In my experience with dinflagellates -- You get them when you have zero nutrients. It's the other algae's and bacteria that out compete them.

The worst of the worst are borne of ULNS systems. Bryopsis, Dinoflagellates, bubble algae, diatoms, etc etc. Everytime I've had something like that pop up, my nutrients had crashed and no3/po4 is at zero, allowing these horrible pests to take over.

In my not so modest opinion. When your nutrients reach zero its an emergency, and if you don't deal with it nearly immediately you will get the worst things in this hobby.

That's why whenever anybody has low nutrients and start running into problems I push them into dosing nutrients. The only systems that thrive that way are usually 10 years old, 300+ gallons, and have more tangs than you can count. And these people are often out of touch with reality, and fail to realize their systems are working because of these large fish that have a tremendous amount of waste added to the tank daily.

 

[SuncrestReef]

My nitrates and phosphates were at zero last month. I was finding bubble algae and dinos popping up, as well as some corals losing color. I turned off my GFO reactor to help PO4 to increase and started dosing potassium nitrate (from Spectracide) to bring up NO3, and now my tank looks the best it ever has looked!

 

[NY_Caveman]

I heard @NY_Caveman is about to dose a bunch of KNO3 and KH2PO4 also

Still have not. I do have both.

In my experience with dinflagellates -- You get them when you have zero nutrients. It's the other algae's and bacteria that out compete them.

The worst of the worst are borne of ULNS systems. Bryopsis, Dinoflagellates, bubble algae, diatoms, etc etc. Everytime I've had something like that pop up, my nutrients had crashed and no3/po4 is at zero, allowing these horrible pests to take over.

In my not so modest opinion. When your nutrients reach zero its an emergency, and if you don't deal with it nearly immediately you will get the worst things in this hobby.

That's why whenever anybody has low nutrients and start running into problems I push them into dosing nutrients. The only systems that thrive that way are usually 10 years old, 300+ gallons, and have more tangs than you can count. And these people are often out of touch with reality, and fail to realize their systems are working because of these large fish that have a tremendous amount of waste added to the tank daily.

I guess in my head I am reluctant because the system is so new. I want to give it time to figure itself out. Your “emergency” statement did not go unnoticed though. I am stuck between those two thoughts which is leading me to innaction. I have had a couple of bad experiences in the long past dosing the things we usually try to remove. In a nutshell, the math and tests were in line, but I still had bad things happen. In those cases though, I was dosing for growth and found plants were limited by other factors while algae was not. This case is not like that, but I am still wary. At this point it could be too late and I will soon be posting about how I did not respond quick enough. I should probably just shut up and start with a tiny preventative amount just in case.

 

[fabutahoun]

In my experience with dinflagellates -- You get them when you have zero nutrients. It's the other algae's and bacteria that out compete them.

The worst of the worst are borne of ULNS systems. Bryopsis, Dinoflagellates, bubble algae, diatoms, etc etc. Everytime I've had something like that pop up, my nutrients had crashed and no3/po4 is at zero, allowing these horrible pests to take over.

In my not so modest opinion. When your nutrients reach zero its an emergency, and if you don't deal with it nearly immediately you will get the worst things in this hobby.

That's why whenever anybody has low nutrients and start running into problems I push them into dosing nutrients. The only systems that thrive that way are usually 10 years old, 300+ gallons, and have more tangs than you can count. And these people are often out of touch with reality, and fail to realize their systems are working because of these large fish that have a tremendous amount of waste added to the tank daily.

Exactly what I was thinking, Other issues that I had while I was Running ULNS is the nasty alk burns on my acros, Cyanobacteria and Diatoms outbreaks. I was dosing vinegar then I stopped it and is replaced with a big fuge with strong kessil LED and heavy bio-load, actually my tank is overstocked with fish and corals, and they eat a lot of food, Angels and Tangs are pigs lol, and I feed heavily to minimize aggression. nitrate is steady at 5 ppm phosphate is at 0.03 and my tank and corals never looked better !

What I think of ULNS systems is "Why to strip the water from all nutrients and then dose it again?"

 

[Rakie]

No problem, and I understand!

I'm very much a "lets kick it and see what happens" kind of person. I have faith enough in my tank. On the other hand, I told the story of dosing phosphates.. Tons of old school reefers with sooo much knowledge told me it would be the end of my tank. The sky would rain algae and my grandchildren would mock my reefing choices well into the future. My tank would die. I would quit the hobby, and live forever as a warning to others not to be foolish and just do as you're told.

Not one of them were right.

My hesitation on listening to them, and subsequent reluctance to do as they suggested lead me to a wonderful understanding, and my own experience. Experience and knowledge I've used to help others in my similar issue. It also gave me a data point, being able to segregate what makes *their* tanks work like that (10 year old 300+ gallon tanks with a half dozen tangs) versus other tanks which cannot work that way (Small tanks / new tanks).

So I understand not listening to people. It's where practically all of my knowledge comes from, and in every case following my own intuition has been rewarding and helpful to my overall goal, because our tanks play by their own rules -- and we get a feel for them. There may be a great reason for you to be reluctant, one that you may not even be able to put your finger on -- but that doesn't mean you're wrong.

 

[WallyB]

I agree, that the choices on your own tank should be yours.
Yes...Listen with Ears wide open, since there is knowledge that can be digested. Others experiences that can provide clues and insight...in hindsight and foresight.
But the only person that knows their own tank is the owner, and the only person a owner should blame for a decision is themselves.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Well, if I walk into the house tomorrow morning to a tank of muck I will say I was wrong. That said, I see little harm in dosing a tiny bit, say to 1 ppm Nitrate and 0.02 ppm Phosphate, so I think tomorrow I will start. Even if I get a nuisance algae reaction, the snails will be happy and I can skip a seaweed feeding. I started this build with the idea that inaction is best. Chasing numbers and ideals hurt some of my tanks in the past. In some cases though, action is required.