First let me clarify that even I don't use my skimmer and I don't do waterchanges on this specific reef tank I'm not here to advocate or support any of those practices... So please let's not turn this thread into a skimmer vs ATS, or lazy reefers that don't do WC, you get the point...
5 Years ago I setup this 400 gallon reef...
Year 2 I stopped doing water changes and setup and Algae Scrubber...
Year 3 I turned off my skimmer...
No GFO, no BioPellets, only 2 cups of vertex GAC changed monthly
I dose DIY 2 part additives on a constant basis based on Randy Holmes Farley recipe #1 to maintain MG, CA and Alk
The salt mix used was Instant Ocean
I dosed Iodine once in a while, just because... I had the bottle laying around...
The same for Iron Fumarate from the pharmacy, to give a boost to the algae scrubber.
Once every 1 or 2 months when I noticed slower grow rate I use NaCl free salt, aka Tropic Marine Pro Coral Minerals, and noticed improved growth, I guess it is additing something that gets depleted because after a few months it slows down again.
I do my top-off with 0 TDS water from an RODI unit, test the 0 TDS comming out constantly.
Two months ago I went into a problem with very high calcium and mag and very low alk caused by some dosing pump malfunction... so you will see that jump on the results.
I came back from MACNA and decided to try the ICP-OES testing service looking to find some useful information on what happens when you have Algae as the only nutrient export vehicle for almost 2 years, and at the same time you don't do waterchanges.
Before sending the water for testing I tested it and got these values:
- Salinity 36.5 ppt using a calibrated refractometer
- Alk at 8.5 dkh using Salifert test kit
- Calcium at 570 using ELOS test kit
- Mg at 1450 using ELOS test kit
- Phosphorous at 18 ppb that is 0.055 ppm PO4 according to this
- Silicon at 0.03 using Salifert test kit
Here are the results:
I find very interesting those very high Iodine levels, assume it's because of Algae feeding and the sporadic iodine dosing I do... but is there nothing that consumes it?
Are those Iodine levels including iodine in whole organisms floating in the water? like bacteria?
Before starting to dose Strontium that is marked as low i tested it with a friends salifert test kit, the kit says Strontium is higher than 40, is it normal that salifert test kits deviate that far?
I would like your help and input on how to remediate the warnings I am getting and what are they possible implications.
5 Years ago I setup this 400 gallon reef...
Year 2 I stopped doing water changes and setup and Algae Scrubber...
Year 3 I turned off my skimmer...
No GFO, no BioPellets, only 2 cups of vertex GAC changed monthly
I dose DIY 2 part additives on a constant basis based on Randy Holmes Farley recipe #1 to maintain MG, CA and Alk
The salt mix used was Instant Ocean
I dosed Iodine once in a while, just because... I had the bottle laying around...
The same for Iron Fumarate from the pharmacy, to give a boost to the algae scrubber.
Once every 1 or 2 months when I noticed slower grow rate I use NaCl free salt, aka Tropic Marine Pro Coral Minerals, and noticed improved growth, I guess it is additing something that gets depleted because after a few months it slows down again.
I do my top-off with 0 TDS water from an RODI unit, test the 0 TDS comming out constantly.
Two months ago I went into a problem with very high calcium and mag and very low alk caused by some dosing pump malfunction... so you will see that jump on the results.
I came back from MACNA and decided to try the ICP-OES testing service looking to find some useful information on what happens when you have Algae as the only nutrient export vehicle for almost 2 years, and at the same time you don't do waterchanges.
Before sending the water for testing I tested it and got these values:
- Salinity 36.5 ppt using a calibrated refractometer
- Alk at 8.5 dkh using Salifert test kit
- Calcium at 570 using ELOS test kit
- Mg at 1450 using ELOS test kit
- Phosphorous at 18 ppb that is 0.055 ppm PO4 according to this
- Silicon at 0.03 using Salifert test kit
Here are the results:
I find very interesting those very high Iodine levels, assume it's because of Algae feeding and the sporadic iodine dosing I do... but is there nothing that consumes it?
Are those Iodine levels including iodine in whole organisms floating in the water? like bacteria?
Before starting to dose Strontium that is marked as low i tested it with a friends salifert test kit, the kit says Strontium is higher than 40, is it normal that salifert test kits deviate that far?
I would like your help and input on how to remediate the warnings I am getting and what are they possible implications.