More Diatom Help

[reeferfoxx]

I vacuumed it all up yesterday. It was back this morning. Obviously it must not all be coming out. Do you just take all the sand that comes with it when u vacuum?

I use my hand to remove it but yeah you'll take some sand with it.

 

[reeferfoxx]

This is a good time to go over your light schedule, feeding and testing for po4 and no3. Other than that, cyano is a normal part of a tank maturing. If it keeps becoming an issue, do a 3 day lights out. That will knock it back. What needs to happen is the beneficial bacteria has to grow stronger to combat cyano. Cyano is in all of our tanks but if it's stronger than the good bacteria, it will thrive. PO4 and excess lighting is what causes cyano. Mainly because our nutrients are imbalanced. Not enough bacteria and micro fauna to keep it at bay.

 

[Thor2j]

This is a good time to go over your light schedule, feeding and testing for po4 and no3. Other than that, cyano is a normal part of a tank maturing. If it keeps becoming an issue, do a 3 day lights out. That will knock it back. What needs to happen is the beneficial bacteria has to grow stronger to combat cyano. Cyano is in all of our tanks but if it's stronger than the good bacteria, it will thrive. PO4 and excess lighting is was causes cyano. Mainly because our nutrients are imbalanced. Not enough bacteria and micro fauna to keep it at bay.

I currently have my kessils ramp from 8-12, 63% noon-4pm, then ramp down to zero over next 4 hrs. Po4 usually shows 0. Occasionally after some reef roids up to .03. But usually back to 0 pretty quickly. Nitrates hover from 2-4 at most.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I currently have my kessils ramp from 8-12, 63% noon-4pm, then ramp down to zero over next 4 hrs. Po4 usually shows 0. Occasionally after some reef roids up to .03. But usually back to 0 pretty quickly. Nitrates hover from 2-4 at most.

How often are you feeding reef roids and to which coral are you feeding it to?

Nitrates are perfect. Keep them there.

 

[Thor2j]

How often are you feeding reef roids and to which coral are you feeding it to?

Nitrates are perfect. Keep them there.

I spot feed reef roids with a pipette to my chalices, sps, goniopora, and a few others. Usually only do it once every 10 days or so and try to do it a day or 2 before water change.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I spot feed reef roids with a pipette to my chalices, sps, goniopora, and a few others. Usually only do it once every 10 days or so and try to do it a day or 2 before water change.

Thats not bad. How much water are you changing out?

 

[Thor2j]

Thats not bad. How much water are you changing out?

Usually 26 gallons out of an estimated 110.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Usually 26 gallons out of an estimated 110.

As long as nitrates stay between 2 and 4ppm, try and stretch your water changes to every 14 days with only 11 to 15 gallon changes. Maybe reduce reef-roids to every 14 days also. SPS will feed like filter feeders and with nitrates in the water, they will feed on that. I never feed my chalice but keeping feedings for them to a minimal will help also. Sticking to more frozen foods and with fish poop, that will provide enough nutrients for your coral. Your goniporas will need regular feeding though. If po4 stays around zero, increase feedings but not too much. PO4 should be kept around 0.01-0.03ppm.

 

[Thor2j]

As long as nitrates stay between 2 and 4ppm, try and stretch your water changes to every 14 days with only 11 to 15 gallon changes. Maybe reduce reef-roids to every 14 days also. SPS will feed like filter feeders and with nitrates in the water, they will feed on that. I never feed my chalice but keeping feedings for them to a minimal will help also. Sticking to more frozen foods and with fish poop, that will provide enough nutrients for your coral. Your goniporas will need regular feeding though. If po4 stays around zero, increase feedings but not too much. PO4 should be kept around 0.01-0.03ppm.

I have medium blonde Naso, medium fox face, pair of smallish perc clowns, medium 6 line wrasse and 2 crabbery anthias. Been feeding twice a day. 1/2 cube frozen mysis and 1/2"x1/2" reef frenzy frozen. Along with Nori 2x2 twice a day. All food is gone in 30-45 seconds.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I have medium blonde Naso, medium fox face, pair of smallish perc clowns, medium 6 line wrasse and 2 crabbery anthias. Been feeding twice a day. 1/2 cube frozen mysis and 1/2"x1/2" reef frenzy frozen. Along with Nori 2x2 twice a day. All food is gone in 30-45 seconds.

That sounds real good! I would just cut back on coral feedings and reduce water changes. Unless nitrates get out of hand. Everything sounds good though.

 

[Thor2j]

That sounds real good! I would just cut back on coral feedings and reduce water changes. Unless nitrates get out of hand. Everything sounds good though.

Would u change my lighting schedule??

 

[reeferfoxx]

Would u change my lighting schedule??

You could try keep the ramp up and ramp down to 2 hours each rather than 4 hours. But keep the 4 hours of 63%. Don't want to reduce lighting too much because you do have coral.

 

[reeferfoxx]

You could try keep the ramp up and ramp down to 2 hours each rather than 4 hours. But keep the 4 hours of 63%. Don't want to reduce lighting too much because you do have coral.

Once you have upped clean up crew, reduced water change, and feeding with the reduction of lighting or photoperiod, and the cyano reappears, do the 3 days lights out. If after the 3 days lights out and you see cyano coming back, wait a month and do another 3 days lights out. Keep in mind, after the 3 days lights out is performed, you need to slowly acclimate corals back to your lighting schedule.

 

[Thor2j]

Once you have upped clean up crew, reduced water change, and feeding with the reduction of lighting or photoperiod, and the cyano reappears, do the 3 days lights out. If after the 3 days lights out and you see cyano coming back, wait a month and do another 3 days lights out. Keep in mind, after the 3 days lights out is performed, you need to slowly acclimate corals back to your lighting schedule.

Just inspected tank, have about 7 spots of 1" square areas of green algae on live rock that were not there yesterday.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Just inspected tank, have about 7 spots of 1" square areas of green algae on live rock that were not there yesterday.

That is a great thing! Your tank is going through it's cycles. Like I said though, get more snails :) With more snails, you won't be battling that so much. Your hermit crabs should be happy too.

Make sure you are blowing off the detritus off the surface of the rocks. You might need to do this everyday and then eventually every other day.

 

[Thor2j]

That is a great thing! Your tank is going through it's cycles. Like I said though, get more snails :) With more snails, you won't be battling that so much. Your hermit crabs should be happy too.

The crabs have "ejected" quite a few snails from there shells over the last 3 months.

 

[Thor2j]

 

[reeferfoxx]

The crabs have "ejected" quite a few snails from there shells over the last 3 months.

Normal.

 

[Thor2j]

Normal.

How many more snails should I get and what type would u recommend?? What about emerald or other crabs??

 

[reeferfoxx]

How many more snails should I get and what type would u recommend?? What about emerald or other crabs??

I'm not a big fan of crabs. I like to keep hermits at a minimum just because they like snail shells.

Start with 20 trochus. Maybe get some Cerith snails(if they have them) to help keep the detritus off the rocks and oxygenate the sand bed. Maybe 10 Cerith snails. 3 more Mexican turbos.