Hello,
I currently have a Red Sea reefer 170 deluxe that was initially setup 10/14/18 with dry rock and live sand. Running a reef octopus 110 skimmer. It was cycled following the Red Sea mature program without following the addition of clean up crew and fish/corals since I didn’t develop any algae, nitrite took 28 days before it went to 0. I added my 1st fish which is a pair of wide bar gladiator clownfish on day 35. Then some tester corals on day 40. Everything seemed okay, so I added more frags and also monitored water parameters along the way.
On December 19th, finally algae growth started to show up. I never had algae during the cycle, maybe because of NoPox? Rocks, sand and glass started to turn brown (diatoms?) Bought some clean up crew to help. I also blowing rocks with turkey baster and vacuumed sand during water change. Brown algae still present at the moment.
Since the start I’m dosing NoPox based on Red Sea recommendation. Im currently dosing .75 ml per day since my nitrate is low and PO4 is just detectable at the moment. Im also dosing acropower 1 ml 3x/week and 1/4 tsp of reefroids 1x/week 20 mins before water change. I feed LRS nano frenzy, PE Mysis, ON reef flakes and New life spectrum .5mm pellets.
I am using Hanna for Alk and PO4, Red Sea pro for NO3, Salifert for CA and Mg, Red Sea for Ammonia, nitrite and pH. I listed the water parameters for this month. Im using Red Sea blue bucket. I also make my own RODI water from bulk reef. TDS at 3-4 input and 0 output.
12/3/18 Day 53
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH Hanna 7.8 dkH
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1260
Phosphate 0 on Hanna ULR
Nitrate 2
12/4/18
KH 7.9
12/7/18
KH 7.8
Sal 1.026
Temp 79
12/9/18 Day 59
>after water change
Temp 78
Sal 35 ppt
KH 7.8
PH 8.2
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1275
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
12/10/18
KH 7.6
Calcium 420
12/11/18
Temp 78
Sal 35ppt
KH 7.7
12/12/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
Nitrate .5
KH 7.6
12/14/18
Temp 79
Sal 35
KH 7.4
Phosphate 0
Nitrate .75
12/16/18
NO3 before water change 1 ppm
NO3 after water change 1 ppm
KH 7.4 Hanna
pH 8.2
Temp 78
Sal 35
Calcium 415
Mag 1275
PO4 2 ppb/0.006 ppm
12/17/18
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH 7.2
PO4 0
NO3 1 ppm
12/18/18
Sal 35
Temp 78/79
KH 7.2
12/20/18
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH 7.1
Nitrate 1
PO4 0.018
Ca 410-420
12/22/18
KH 7.1
PO4 8 ppb/0.024 ppm
NO3 .75-1
12/23/18 water change 4.5 gallons
Temp 78
Sal 35
Cal 420
NO3 .75
Alk 7.1
PO4 0
Mag 1260
12/26/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
NO3 .5
KH 7.0
PO4 0.021
12/27/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
KH 7
NO3 .5
12/29/18
Water change 4.5 gallons
Temp 78
Sal 35 ppt
pH 8.2
NO3 .5 ppm
NO2 0
Ammonia 0
Ca 415
Mag 1260
Alk 7.0
PO4 0
12/30/18
Temp 79
Sal 35
KH 7
N03 .75
PO4 0.009
So far my SPS are doing fine. Im seeing growth and polyp extension but color is not there yet, Acan is doing fine, Zoa’s are multiplying as well. I have a orange leptastrea that is doing so so, its one of the tester corals that I got. Last week, bought 6 no name SPS. I use Revive to dip corals. Dipped it for 10 minutes I believe, 5 corals are doing well except for the echinata which died in 2 days ( did a research after and found out that echinata can be sensitive to dipping. I may have dipped it too long)
My question is, should I continue dosing NoPox? Modify it to raise my NO3 and PO4 or keep it as it is? Stop dosing NoPox? Should I start dosing 2 part? How about the brown algae? Any other recommendations? My goal is for a SPS dominant tank. Im going to restrain myself from stocking any coral at this time and let my tank mature more. Let me know what you think. I attached a picture of my tank below.
Thanks,
Allan
I currently have a Red Sea reefer 170 deluxe that was initially setup 10/14/18 with dry rock and live sand. Running a reef octopus 110 skimmer. It was cycled following the Red Sea mature program without following the addition of clean up crew and fish/corals since I didn’t develop any algae, nitrite took 28 days before it went to 0. I added my 1st fish which is a pair of wide bar gladiator clownfish on day 35. Then some tester corals on day 40. Everything seemed okay, so I added more frags and also monitored water parameters along the way.
On December 19th, finally algae growth started to show up. I never had algae during the cycle, maybe because of NoPox? Rocks, sand and glass started to turn brown (diatoms?) Bought some clean up crew to help. I also blowing rocks with turkey baster and vacuumed sand during water change. Brown algae still present at the moment.
Since the start I’m dosing NoPox based on Red Sea recommendation. Im currently dosing .75 ml per day since my nitrate is low and PO4 is just detectable at the moment. Im also dosing acropower 1 ml 3x/week and 1/4 tsp of reefroids 1x/week 20 mins before water change. I feed LRS nano frenzy, PE Mysis, ON reef flakes and New life spectrum .5mm pellets.
I am using Hanna for Alk and PO4, Red Sea pro for NO3, Salifert for CA and Mg, Red Sea for Ammonia, nitrite and pH. I listed the water parameters for this month. Im using Red Sea blue bucket. I also make my own RODI water from bulk reef. TDS at 3-4 input and 0 output.
12/3/18 Day 53
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH Hanna 7.8 dkH
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1260
Phosphate 0 on Hanna ULR
Nitrate 2
12/4/18
KH 7.9
12/7/18
KH 7.8
Sal 1.026
Temp 79
12/9/18 Day 59
>after water change
Temp 78
Sal 35 ppt
KH 7.8
PH 8.2
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1275
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
12/10/18
KH 7.6
Calcium 420
12/11/18
Temp 78
Sal 35ppt
KH 7.7
12/12/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
Nitrate .5
KH 7.6
12/14/18
Temp 79
Sal 35
KH 7.4
Phosphate 0
Nitrate .75
12/16/18
NO3 before water change 1 ppm
NO3 after water change 1 ppm
KH 7.4 Hanna
pH 8.2
Temp 78
Sal 35
Calcium 415
Mag 1275
PO4 2 ppb/0.006 ppm
12/17/18
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH 7.2
PO4 0
NO3 1 ppm
12/18/18
Sal 35
Temp 78/79
KH 7.2
12/20/18
Sal 35
Temp 78
KH 7.1
Nitrate 1
PO4 0.018
Ca 410-420
12/22/18
KH 7.1
PO4 8 ppb/0.024 ppm
NO3 .75-1
12/23/18 water change 4.5 gallons
Temp 78
Sal 35
Cal 420
NO3 .75
Alk 7.1
PO4 0
Mag 1260
12/26/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
NO3 .5
KH 7.0
PO4 0.021
12/27/18
Temp 78
Sal 35
KH 7
NO3 .5
12/29/18
Water change 4.5 gallons
Temp 78
Sal 35 ppt
pH 8.2
NO3 .5 ppm
NO2 0
Ammonia 0
Ca 415
Mag 1260
Alk 7.0
PO4 0
12/30/18
Temp 79
Sal 35
KH 7
N03 .75
PO4 0.009
So far my SPS are doing fine. Im seeing growth and polyp extension but color is not there yet, Acan is doing fine, Zoa’s are multiplying as well. I have a orange leptastrea that is doing so so, its one of the tester corals that I got. Last week, bought 6 no name SPS. I use Revive to dip corals. Dipped it for 10 minutes I believe, 5 corals are doing well except for the echinata which died in 2 days ( did a research after and found out that echinata can be sensitive to dipping. I may have dipped it too long)
My question is, should I continue dosing NoPox? Modify it to raise my NO3 and PO4 or keep it as it is? Stop dosing NoPox? Should I start dosing 2 part? How about the brown algae? Any other recommendations? My goal is for a SPS dominant tank. Im going to restrain myself from stocking any coral at this time and let my tank mature more. Let me know what you think. I attached a picture of my tank below.
Thanks,
Allan