Macintosh Reef - recommendations for taking it to the next level...

MarsRover

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Messages
660
Reaction score
515
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey All,

So I have had my Macintosh nano-reef for just over a year now (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...tarting-back-in-the-game-after-8-years.226380).

It is mega-stable in my opinion with a couple exceptions. Here's the story, followed by my question:

Here is my aqualog: http://www.aquaticlog.com/aquariums/marsrover/1

So, Salinity, Ammonia, Nitrate, Calcium, and Phosphate have been pretty darn stable for a while without my having to do anything (i haven't done a water change in.... a very long time.. months... and the canister filter I haven't had to open since i got it a decent while ago...see the thread for when i got the new filter).

and now i am measuring magnesium which is definitely within spec.

So, my zoo's have been growing like mad. I haven't seen much noticeable growth in my leather coral. My star polyps were growing until i chopped them in half and split them with another tank. My Euphyllia when i first got it many months ago, was a single head and split fast into what it is now. I think maybe one of them is splitting now, but the growth has definitely slowed. I have a birdnest that used to get great growth about a month after i got it but then got hit by something that bleached it out horribly and it has stopped growing since then, while it looks like it's been recovering slowly.

I have been having crazy trouble with keeping up with alkalinity and less so, PH. I test occasionally and dose Kent marine super buffer-dKH every time i see it is low. I guess i need to increase the frequency of that...

Coraline is growing like crazy everywhere...

So, here is my question: Whats next? 1. What am I missing? and 2. What should i be adding to take it to the next step? Amino acids? I can't think of what else might be missing that is preventing good strong growth.

Thanks folks! Looking forward to your wisdom and recommendations.
 
Photos

IMG_0891.jpg


IMG_0894.jpg
 

IF YOU HAD TO OPERATE EVERYTHING ELSE MANUALLY, WHICH AUTOMATED SYSTEM WOULD YOU KEEP?

  • Auto top-off

    Votes: 41 59.4%
  • Automated dosing

    Votes: 5 7.2%
  • Mechanical filtration / roller filter

    Votes: 4 5.8%
  • Automated water testing

    Votes: 3 4.3%
  • Automatic feeding

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lighting schedule

    Votes: 9 13.0%
  • Controller and remote monitoring

    Votes: 3 4.3%
  • Leak detection and emergency shutoff

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Automatic water changes

    Votes: 2 2.9%
  • None. I prefer to operate everything manually

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Something else (explain in the comments)

    Votes: 1 1.4%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new