My Reef Journey Begins!

[ksed]

How is the noise level of the new pump?

 

[Brew12]

How is the noise level of the new pump?

Louder than I would like, but I haven't played with it much yet. I think I can get it much quieter yet.

The pump is pretty nice but they sent a silencing pad that is 1/4 the size of the pump. Not sure what they were thinking since only silencing the front edge just isn't enough. I have some soft silicone tubing left over that I can cut up and use it to provide more sound insulation.

I don't have the pump maxed out, but I had to add 3 gallons of water to my system to make up for the extra flow. Its nice to know I can bump up the flow more if I want.

I had to drill out my durso drains but they could use a little more tuning, also.

 

[ksed]

Use a silicone hot plate. Works great for sound dampening.

 

[Brew12]

Use a silicone hot plate. Works great for sound dampening.

Haven't used this trick yet, but with some minor adjustments I have it much quieter now. One of my Durso's is still flushing some times so that still needs some work but nothing too annoying.

On different note, I picked up 2 new Alk test kits. Salifert and Redsea Pro. I was surprised how far apart my readings were with them. Did 2 samples with each kit. The Salifert came in around 0.8dkh higher than the Redsea. My second set of tests came within 0.1dkh of the original test from each kit. Now I need to figure out which kit is closer. I tested a fresh salt mix and that leads me to think the Redsea test is closer to my actual readings but would like to confirm it.

 

[ksed]

I do know the Salifert will read slightly higher that due to the fact that Salifert is true all in seawater. Let me find more info on this for you.

 

[mcarroll]

It's important to get consistent readings and it's important for your last Salifert kit to match the current one. It is not important for one brand of kits to match another. They can match, but it's coincidence if they do.

Salifert kits have a notation in the documentation sheet about which version the kit is that you're using and it's updated when they redesign a kit. As long as you're running the same version of kit, you can reasonably expect comparable results. That's really all we want.

I don't know if there's a way to tell, but I'm sure Red Sea is the same.....they probably stress precise kit-to-kit consistency in their manufacturing but don't care about precisely matching API's or Triton's or Salifert's results.

 

[Brew12]

Salifert kits have a notation in the documentation sheet about which version the kit is that you're using and it's updated when they redesign a kit. As long as you're running the same version of kit, you can reasonably expect comparable results. That's really all we want.

This is a good point. And my new Salifert test kit is right in line with my old one. Both test kits give repeatable results which is the most important thing.

 

[Brew12]

I've been slacking on my updates.

Corals are doing better again. My alk continues to slowly drop and I feel that is a big source of the improvements. The other major change is that I added a Kessil H380 to my fuge. Still a little early to say how well that is working but I have noticed my NO3 is no longer swinging. I consider that a very good sign. On an interesting note, I was confused by what I was seeing with my pH. Now I realize that it is stabilizing at the lower number instead of the higher number like I expected. Lots of crazy stuff going on in the house, like replacing the HVAC, made me think what I was seeing was related to that. I've gone from swings of 0.3 to 0.1 and I don't think it is as stable as it is going to get.

And, I am continuing to play a new system. I've decided I don't like any of the size aquariums I am seeing on the market. I have asked for a 72"x30"x22" tank to be quoted. I think that will be a sweet spot for me.

 

[Bronc]

Glad to hear your corals are doing better.

 

[Brew12]

This hobby just has a way of throwing one curve ball after another at you. The latest isn't a huge problem but it wasn't what I expected. I have the Kessil H380 over my fuge now and was planning on growing chaeto. Simple enough, right? Not really. It grew fast for a few days and then I stopped paying much attention to it. Yesterday I noticed it had not only stopped growing, but was breaking apart.

The cause? I've turned my entire fuge into an ATS. I shut off the return pump and scraped the walls and bottom of the fuge. Thick green algae just like you would expect to see in a turf scrubber. I'm guessing it was out competing my chaeto for nutrients. It's a minor issue, but it will make removing the algae much more challenging than if I could just harvest some chaeto every few weeks.

At least my nutrients are more stable than they have ever been.

 

[mcarroll]

Chaeto is a fast grower and needs plenty of N and P....especially N as long as P is there.

You might actually be better off with an ATS or a different macro algae like Codium unless you want to start managing (boosting) your N and P levels with fertilizer. If you're doing anything for nutrient reduction like carbon dosing or GFO you should stop.

 

[Brew12]

Chaeto is a fast grower and needs plenty of N and P....especially N as long as P is there.

You might actually be better off with an ATS or a different macro algae like Codium unless you want to start managing (boosting) your N and P levels with fertilizer. If you're doing anything for nutrient reduction like carbon dosing or GFO you should stop.

No GFO, Carbon, Carbon dosing, and only rarely even running my skimmer. I've only had the collection cup on it for around 24 total hours in the last 5 days. NO3 was stable around 5ppm and PO4 at 0.03ish. The DT looks great and corals appear healthy.

 

[mcarroll]

With low nutrient numbers like that I wouldn't bother with ATS or refugium....those levels are fine just to let your corals have. They should love it. Stabilize your feeding regime and at some point you should see those numbers fall into a nice trend. Use of an auto-feeder can help a lot since most of us can't be around to feed all day long.

Most favorable algae (types you'd want in a tank) just die off when they're nutrient starved – it's their MO – so they don't make a lot of sense in a naturally low-nutrient system like yours appears to be. My system has always been "naturally low nutrient" roughly this way too....never needed anything but a skimmer and small CUC. You have a lot more fish (I have almost zero) so I'd expect you to eventually need a full CUC, but otherwise I'd expect the same to work for you.

I wouldn't add anything like an ATS or macro algae refugium to compete with your corals for nutrients until you really had nutrients accumulating.....which may never happen.

2¢

 

[Brew12]

With low nutrient numbers like that I wouldn't bother with ATS or refugium....those levels are fine just to let your corals have. They should love it. Stabilize your feeding regime and at some point you should see those numbers fall into a nice trend. Use of an auto-feeder can help a lot since most of us can't be around to feed all day long.

Most favorable algae (types you'd want in a tank) just die off when they're nutrient starved – it's their MO – so they don't make a lot of sense in a naturally low-nutrient system like yours appears to be. My system has always been "naturally low nutrient" roughly this way too....never needed anything but a skimmer and small CUC. You have a lot more fish (I have almost zero) so I'd expect you to eventually need a full CUC, but otherwise I'd expect the same to work for you.

I wouldn't add anything like an ATS or macro algae refugium to compete with your corals for nutrients until you really had nutrients accumulating.....which may never happen.

2¢

The reason I got the better fuge light was because my NO3 would hit 40ppm-60ppm, cause an algae bloom in my DT, the drop to almost 0ppm. My corals didn't appreciate that. I actually want my NO3 a little higher which is why I've taken my skimmer off line regularly. I have also started feeding my tank heavier and have fed pellets for no other reason than to try and raise nutrients. Also adding phyto almost every day.
Now I have stability and I think I may be able to dial in my NO3 by tweaking my lighting schedule.

 

[Brew12]

Some days I can do the dumbest things. I got the internal parasite taken care of for my new, tiny, 6-line wrasse and he was ready for the DT. So, I take him, acclimate him, and put him into the acclimation box. He promptly swims out the water vents and into the DT.

No idea what I was thinking....

 

[mcarroll]

The reason I got the better fuge light was because my NO3 would hit 40ppm-60ppm, cause an algae bloom in my DT, the drop to almost 0ppm. My corals didn't appreciate that. I actually want my NO3 a little higher which is why I've taken my skimmer off line regularly. I have also started feeding my tank heavier and have fed pellets for no other reason than to try and raise nutrients. Also adding phyto almost every day.
Now I have stability and I think I may be able to dial in my NO3 by tweaking my lighting schedule.

Hopefully that works out!

I've never heard of a tank with a swinging NO3 level like that.

In some semi-relataed cases I've seen population boom/bust like that means the microbial loop never developed and you have a dual-dominant population (vs balanced) where one blooms and crashes, giving rise to the other critter's bloom and subsequent crash...repeat. Definition of an unstable system with not enough players to stabilize.

Was this a dry rock tank or did it have troubles of any kind during startup? (Sorry if I asked this before.)

Perhaps the macro algae you added will have given your tank enough of an inoculation to fix things, but the moderation of the dissolved N in the water may or may not indicate balance. It may simply be a factor of the macro absorbing it....time will tell.

I'm not sure if your lighting schedule will figure in significantly, but I'll stay tuned to find out! How are you controlling the nutrient inputs to the tank?

I would still try to do a little more to increase bio-diversity. See if you can get some detritus, sand or rock from a healthy system – you have a good local store or reefing buddy by chance? Around .5 - 1 cup of material is all it takes....even less can work...as many inoculations as it takes, but space them out. New batches of macro algae work too if they're from a healthy system, just not quite as well IMO. Detritus or dirty sand would probably be my first choices if you can afford to be picky.

 

[Brew12]

Hopefully that works out!

I've never heard of a tank with a swinging NO3 level like that.

In some semi-relataed cases I've seen population boom/bust like that means the microbial loop never developed and you have a dual-dominant population (vs balanced) where one blooms and crashes, giving rise to the other critter's bloom and subsequent crash...repeat. Definition of an unstable system with not enough players to stabilize.

Was this a dry rock tank or did it have troubles of any kind during startup? (Sorry if I asked this before.)

Perhaps the macro algae you added will have given your tank enough of an inoculation to fix things, but the moderation of the dissolved N in the water may or may not indicate balance. It may simply be a factor of the macro absorbing it....time will tell.

I'm not sure if your lighting schedule will figure in significantly, but I'll stay tuned to find out! How are you controlling the nutrient inputs to the tank?

I would still try to do a little more to increase bio-diversity. See if you can get some detritus, sand or rock from a healthy system – you have a good local store or reefing buddy by chance? Around .5 - 1 cup of material is all it takes....even less can work...as many inoculations as it takes, but space them out. New batches of macro algae work too if they're from a healthy system, just not quite as well IMO. Detritus or dirty sand would probably be my first choices if you can afford to be picky.

It was a dry rock system. Unfortunately, I don't know any other reefers in the area. The only thing I have done is order Chaeto from several different vendors trying to see what I can bring in. The only "live" rock my LFS offers is stuff curing in a tub with pure ammonia and a Redsea bacteria. They run copper in their fish tanks so they can't do better live rock easily.

Definitely not near as stable a system as I would have expected. Its getting better but still no where near what I would like. I still also grow very little coralline and have nearly no alk consumption. Really odd.

 

[justingraham]

It was a dry rock system. Unfortunately, I don't know any other reefers in the area. The only thing I have done is order Chaeto from several different vendors trying to see what I can bring in. The only "live" rock my LFS offers is stuff curing in a tub with pure ammonia and a Redsea bacteria. They run copper in their fish tanks so they can't do better live rock easily.

Definitely not near as stable a system as I would have expected. Its getting better but still no where near what I would like. I still also grow very little coralline and have nearly no alk consumption. Really odd.

Led lights??

 

[Brew12]

Led lights??

Yup, SB Reef Lights.

How are you controlling the nutrient inputs to the tank?

Just saw I missed answering this.

Imports: 1 cube PE mysis in the morning with a 1/3 sheet of red algae. about 1 square inch piece of LRS fish frenzy every night. Either phyto or Reef Frenzy every other day.

Exports: Filter socks (run a sock for 2 to 3 days, then 1 day without them), skimmer, and my fuge.

 

[justingraham]

Not saying leds are bad because the results are out there but it seems that coralline does not like certain led lights just weird as it grows corals fine