Mixed Reef 167gal Peninsula
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Things have been going pretty well, recently got the biopellets online at 200grams total pellet and the lanthium chloride dosing into the skimmer has as of the last test Phosphates down to 0.11ppm from 0.26ppm. Moved both clams over from the frag tank to thier spotlight under the kessil. Saddly my Khole tang had been getting beat up pretty baddy, at first I thought it may be the powder brown tang but it may even be the orange line Chromis that have started breeding.
Before putting my biopellets online I did a @AquaBiomics test that got back today! Pretty cool stuff inside and I look forward to sending in another sample now that the biopellets are running.
Before putting my biopellets online I did a @AquaBiomics test that got back today! Pretty cool stuff inside and I look forward to sending in another sample now that the biopellets are running.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Wanted to share an update about the cold weather. Many people talk about not being able to use an external skimmer line ran outside due to the cold weather. It's currently below zero outside and my tank is experiencing no I'll effects from the outdoor line. Now of course I have a larger volume of water perhaps then many people but wanted to share.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Still fighting nitrates and phosphates in the tank. I had reached the manufacturer recommended levels for the Katalyst bio pellets, resulting in nutrient levels dropping some like expected but then stalling back out and going up. I'm thinking that I just need more pellets to take on the load.
Haven't experienced any cyanobacteria issues like lots of people talk about. Based on the aqua bionics report makes me consider that the type of cyanobacterias I tested positive for according to them are not known for the traditional red slime problem.
Recently increased my flow slightly during the day to have a minimum of a 30% low for random. This is an increase from 20%.
The clam that decided to stay anchored seems to be doing well and is showing lots of nice white new growth. But the one who is still roaming around seems to just not be happy at all yet. I'm continuing to try new things and new areas in the tank to try to settle it in.
Haven't experienced any cyanobacteria issues like lots of people talk about. Based on the aqua bionics report makes me consider that the type of cyanobacterias I tested positive for according to them are not known for the traditional red slime problem.
Recently increased my flow slightly during the day to have a minimum of a 30% low for random. This is an increase from 20%.
The clam that decided to stay anchored seems to be doing well and is showing lots of nice white new growth. But the one who is still roaming around seems to just not be happy at all yet. I'm continuing to try new things and new areas in the tank to try to settle it in.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Some new photos of the tank all 3 sides. Things are doing pretty well but I really need to clean down by the sandbed better. Send in an ICP test and Aquabiomics test today, look forward to the results of the before and after bacteria effects from Biopellets.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Picked up a red fire fish and a cleaner goby at the local pet store today. They are gonna go through QT of course, saddly once again I believe the gobys at that store all have ich but was able to get a discount on it due to it.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
ShepherdReefer
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Love the tank. looks great.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Well 25 to 40ppm nitrates still can't seem to beat these things down. Hoping that another few weeks of the skimmer working more properly will help. Also considering just buying the Hannah nitrate tester because I feel like I still can't read any of these color test kits and I've tried multiple brands. Recently increased the height of the skimmer by about 2 inches and it's made a huge change in the foam collection compared to where it was before.
Phosphates getting killed though with the lanthium chloride down to 0.04, That's from 0.09 the week before. Decided to dial back the lanthium dose by 1 ml from 5 ml per day to 4 in hopes of not crashing out the phosphate levels.
Phosphates getting killed though with the lanthium chloride down to 0.04, That's from 0.09 the week before. Decided to dial back the lanthium dose by 1 ml from 5 ml per day to 4 in hopes of not crashing out the phosphate levels.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Phosphates down to 0.02.. turned the Lanthium Chloride down from 4ml to 1ml per day now. Nitrates still kicking at 25-40, really considering getting the Hanna Nitrate checker even though it seems complex just to get away from the color reading.
My two fish I bought a while back (cleaner goby and red firefish) are all good to go. I could probably perform 1 more week of observation but have a Molly Miller Blenny coming from Live Aquria so will likely just put them into the display later today or tomorrow. They have been through over 30 days of copper, 14 days of metro and 2 rounds of prazi. Normally I'll do 2 weeks of observation after all of that but it's also been more then 20 days from the end of the copper treatment so I believe they should be good to go.
My two fish I bought a while back (cleaner goby and red firefish) are all good to go. I could probably perform 1 more week of observation but have a Molly Miller Blenny coming from Live Aquria so will likely just put them into the display later today or tomorrow. They have been through over 30 days of copper, 14 days of metro and 2 rounds of prazi. Normally I'll do 2 weeks of observation after all of that but it's also been more then 20 days from the end of the copper treatment so I believe they should be good to go.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
NO3 still floating between 25-40ppm, when testing PO4 this week it was 0.08ppm up from the 0.02ppm before. My Montipora and Psammocora seem to be having issues, they are becoming a bit more pale and in some cases browning. After a bunch of reading I decided to remove half of the bio-pellets I was using; I was using double the amount that BrightWell recommends for that product to try and reduce nitrates but it didn't seem to help and may have done more harm then good. Here is hoping that removal was a simple fix. The acros on the other hand seem to be in love and are showing more polyp extension then ever before.
Also reduced the lanthanum chloride again to let the po4 come back up some just in case its starving the corals out. (I had gone back to 2ml, but now down to 1ml again..
Also reduced the lanthanum chloride again to let the po4 come back up some just in case its starving the corals out. (I had gone back to 2ml, but now down to 1ml again..
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Well red and green cap and encrusting montis still looking poor, Digi Monti and purple cap looks great. Grafted suncap is looking very rough, concered it may bite the dust. Acros looking better then ever before along with most of the other corals. Psammocora seems to have turned the corner and is regrowing it's fuzz.
Reduced the biopellets again down to 210 grams total. Wondering if it's the biopellets overdose or that finally I fixed my skimmer, I did both around the same time. Ethier way I know it's gonna take some time before I see changes from removing the carbon. Phosphates went back up to 0.17ppm so I increased back to 2ml phosphate-e over 4 intervals. Turned down the Alk and Calcium dosing as over the last week saw a 0.5 DKH increase and 40ppm calcium increase.
SG 1.026
DKH 8.3
Cal 442
PO4 0.17
NO3 25ppm
Reduced the biopellets again down to 210 grams total. Wondering if it's the biopellets overdose or that finally I fixed my skimmer, I did both around the same time. Ethier way I know it's gonna take some time before I see changes from removing the carbon. Phosphates went back up to 0.17ppm so I increased back to 2ml phosphate-e over 4 intervals. Turned down the Alk and Calcium dosing as over the last week saw a 0.5 DKH increase and 40ppm calcium increase.
SG 1.026
DKH 8.3
Cal 442
PO4 0.17
NO3 25ppm
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Things had started to look slightly better for the montiporas but after being gone a week for work things look very poor... I have decided to completely pull the biopellets and stop carbon dosing. Two monti caps are almost totally dead and white skeleton, one encrusting looks partly dead as well now, another cap is pale now. Very odd that only the montiporas seem to be having a bad time and my acro polyp extension is better then ever simultaneously...
My 40 gallon frag tank everything is fine, it's just the display that seems to be having problems.
My 40 gallon frag tank everything is fine, it's just the display that seems to be having problems.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Did another 30% water change this morning as a just on case due to the rapid stopping of Carbon dosing (biopellets) Friday night. I feel like the red monti cap has already started to look slightly (minor) better after 24 hours of no biopellets.
Just some anecdotal notes... My GSP, Xenia and Acros grew significantly during the bio pellet dosing. But it really felt like all of the LPS ground to a halt.
Just some anecdotal notes... My GSP, Xenia and Acros grew significantly during the bio pellet dosing. But it really felt like all of the LPS ground to a halt.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Feel that the red cap is still looking better and the Superman Monti is as well, but very slow going on the healing. Believe one of my red caps (different one) and nudi spiral are going to die though and not recover... One of my counchs has died I believe, not sure if it's related or not. Going to send in an ICP test and do another big water change this weekend.
Got my Berghia Nudibranch today!! Released them within the 30 minutes they got delivered. I emailed them to ask if they were housed with fish or not because I wouldnt want to release ich again into the tank and they assured me at Salty Underground that they are houses in non-fish systems and as such should be clean.
Got my Berghia Nudibranch today!! Released them within the 30 minutes they got delivered. I emailed them to ask if they were housed with fish or not because I wouldnt want to release ich again into the tank and they assured me at Salty Underground that they are houses in non-fish systems and as such should be clean.
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josephxsxn
Mixed Reef Peninsula
Took an ICP water sample before I did my weekly water change today also did my tests before the WC things look ok all in all. Cleaned the sandbed as well today, had neglected this for a while, the MicroBactor Clean keeps it looking fresh...
Did my normal weekly additives of MicroBactor Clean, MicroBactor 7 and Vitamin-M afterwards plus my daily additives of phytochroma and coral amino.
SG 1.026
DKH 8.2
CAL 435
PO4 0.07
N03 25
Ordered a few more Berghia Nudibranch from Salty Underground as they were heavily discounted and ordered a Sulfur Denitrator from MarineDepot on clearance.. I have used a Sulfur denitrator before on my old 110 gallon tank with great success but had hoped biopellets would do well for me this time... But now that the biopellets are going to remain offline forever it's onto another nitrate solution.
Did my normal weekly additives of MicroBactor Clean, MicroBactor 7 and Vitamin-M afterwards plus my daily additives of phytochroma and coral amino.
SG 1.026
DKH 8.2
CAL 435
PO4 0.07
N03 25
Ordered a few more Berghia Nudibranch from Salty Underground as they were heavily discounted and ordered a Sulfur Denitrator from MarineDepot on clearance.. I have used a Sulfur denitrator before on my old 110 gallon tank with great success but had hoped biopellets would do well for me this time... But now that the biopellets are going to remain offline forever it's onto another nitrate solution.
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