Nutrient Saturated Systems

[saltyfilmfolks]

My ratio must have been of? Even still, i refuse to attempt it again. I just cut the frag plug off and inspect the coral. If a strand of algae is present, I cut my loses off.

Ive had mixed results w the same ratios. fwiw

 

[Brew12]

My ratio must have been off? Even still, i refuse to attempt it again. I just cut the frag plug off and inspect the coral. If a strand of algae is present, I cut my loses off.

No idea. I'm learning that there is a lot more variation within zoas than just the size and coloring. I wouldn't be shocked if I just got lucky and the 2 frags I have are just H2O2 tolerant.

 

[mcarroll]

When i see serious diatom chyristo the really weird stuff here , I usually ask where they live. Seems a lot of them are in the south east. o_Owind? anyone who understands lambic brewing might agree.
Hows that for a crazy thought.

Cyano I just negotiate with. I figure it did create life on earth as we know it, so It's probably a lot smarter than me.

I was looking at my water kefir culture thinking roughly the same thing 5 minutes ago. :) :)

 

[najer]

Re OP, my upgrade was 1 year old last Sunday, took a water sample to the lfs to get it tested.
I do test kh cal and mag - 7.4, 400, 1380.
Phos. .03, nitrates 50!
Long story short, the sump has a refugium, no skimmer, never been tested for Nitrates and Phosphates, I got 2 anthias about 11 days ago so my feeding has more than doubled since.
Rubbish morning fts on Sunday, seems fine! ;)
... don't run triton, last waterchange was about 6 months ago.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Re OP, my upgrade was 1 year old last Sunday, took a water sample to the lfs to get it tested.
I do test kh cal and mag - 7.4, 400, 1380.
Phos. .03, nitrates 50!
Long story short, the sump has a refugium, no skimmer, never been tested for Nitrates and Phosphates, I got 2 anthias about 11 days ago so my feeding has more than doubled since.
Rubbish morning fts on Sunday, seems fine! ;)
... don't run triton, last waterchange was about 6 months ago.

Not sure if it's the lighting but the dark colors would suggest high nitrates.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Re OP, my upgrade was 1 year old last Sunday, took a water sample to the lfs to get it tested.
I do test kh cal and mag - 7.4, 400, 1380.
Phos. .03, nitrates 50!
Long story short, the sump has a refugium, no skimmer, never been tested for Nitrates and Phosphates, I got 2 anthias about 11 days ago so my feeding has more than doubled since.
Rubbish morning fts on Sunday, seems fine! ;)
... don't run triton, last waterchange was about 6 months ago.

Looks good. I'm not into sps corals. A few, but mostly lps. I like their polyp shapes and variety. It's a lot less stress trying to chase numbers and run media reactors for me.

 

[mcarroll]

Nice spray bar!! I don't see too many others using them.....mine's really weird since I made it vertical. ;)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looks good. I'm not into sps corals. A few, but mostly lps. I like their polyp shapes and variety. It's a lot less stress trying to chase numbers and run media reactors for me.

I'm trying to figure out why this happened. In my dirty reef w no reactors. Water changes and a fuge. And skimmer. This was a single stck in April. I believe it's frog skin.
The rescue coral in front now was growth.

The Xenia are six inches to the left. Lights are at just under 40,000 lux.

 

[najer]

Thanks all, that was low light so everything was dark as the tank woke up and the T5 pairs started kicking in.
Took this this evening (England), added this little guy about 10 days ago, great new growth as I got it from a low light frag tank. ;)

 

[Brew12]

I'm trying to figure out why this happened. In my dirty reef w no reactors. Water changes and a fuge. And skimmer. This was a single stck in April. I believe it's frog skin.
The rescue coral in front now was growth.

The Xenia are six inches to the left. Lights are at just under 40,000 lux.

No pictures or it didn't.. uh.. wait.. nevermind. :D

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No pictures or it didn't.. uh.. wait.. nevermind. :D

Under construction right this second. But you can see my Xenia from here.

edit :wow thats a bad pic.

 

[Paul B]

I don't agree. Sufficiently low N, P, iron, or or other factors will limit algae growth.

Randy, I don't agree with you not agreeing. :cool:. You are way smarter than I am with my high school education and I realize you have more degrees than a thermometer, but I will first use my tank as an example. My nitrates are as of last week 160. PO4 is 2.0 that to most people is a recipe for algae. But there is none. (I also dose iron) There is a word I like to describe those people and that word is "Wrong". I just dumped water in my tank from the Long Island Sound which probably has more dissolved iron in it than Schwartzinager's biceps.
Still no algae. Coral reefs all over the world have massive amounts of algae growing all over them. Some of us don't see it because we don't SCUBA dive but the ones of us that do, know there is algae all over the place and reefs are notoriously lacking in nutrients. If the tangs, urchins, slugs, rabbitfish, algae bleenies and manatees were removed, algae would cover the reefs as it does all over Hawaii. I was just there.
If algae was not growing on the reefs, what are those creatures eating? Chicken McNuggets!
Now I am not to sharp but I do have good eyes and this is hair algae and I took this off one of the most remote Hawaiian Islands last year. That Island is 6,000 miles from the nearest Supermodel and there is no industry on that Island except carved coconuts. There should be very few nutrients there but for some reason the tangs left. I don't know why because the last time I was there in the 70s tangs were all over the place. Sharks also left but there are turtles everywhere. Anyway, no tangs and algae covers everything. Why is that?
There have been times when there was so much algae growing in my tank that I could have grown lettuce, then for some reason it all left. I don't know why.
If I take a glass of tap water and put it outside, it will grow algae. I am not sure why unless my tap water is high in nutrients. (which it may be)
I also know (and so do you) that so many tanks have algae problems especially when first set up. New tanks with all new water should have very low nutrients so it doesn't make sense to my simple mind.
I know there are silly diagrams of the nutrient cycle just like there are silly diagrams of parasite cycles which by the way are also stupid because parasites can't read it and their life cycle means nothing if your fish are immune to them like they should be.
My simple theory on algae has to do with viruses and bacteria. Things we don't test for. If you keep the same tank running long enough you will notice cycles of algae and cyano. Even if you don't do anything different you will get cycles. Some cycles last a month some two or three years but they are there. My theory is that viruses affect bacteria by maybe reducing or adding to their numbers and varieties. Different bacteria process wastes differently and the differences fuel algae growth. Also differences in the live bacteria that is in foods will affect the types of bacteria. (only my theory of course and we know you won't read about that in school)
Our hobby (unfortunately) is driven by a quest to get to some special number through test kits, GFO, bio pellets, Purigen etc.
Algae will grow if nutrients are very low or very high. Of course some nutrients are needed and some nutrients are needed for coral to grow as well as bacteria.
High nutrients will make algae greener and maybe thicker, but it can grow with very meager nutrients.
If eliminating nutrients eliminated algae, new tanks would not grow it and it would be very easy to control. Just my simple theory of course And I know you have a very scientific explanation as to why I am wrong. But you still have to answer the question as to what those animals are eating. Then I will try to disagree with your disagreement of what I originally disagreed with. :eek:



Here is that place from a helicopter.
(they filmed the original King Kong here where he was in the jungle)

 

[Brew12]

That Island is 6,000 miles from the nearest Supermodel

Why would anyone travel that far from the nearest supermodel????? o_O

 

[Paul B]

Why would anyone travel that far from the nearest supermodel????? o_O

Just stupidity I guess. :p

 

[JasReef]

Paul, your nutrients are very high and you don't have algea in the tank but you do purposely grow algea in a scrubber. I am curious, why would you do that? Would the algea grow in your tank without the scrubber?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Paul, your nutrients are very high and you don't have algea in the tank but you do purposely grow algea in a scrubber. I am curious, why would you do that? Would the algea grow in your tank without the scrubber?

I was wondering that too. And with the presence of algae in the scrubber, how would get an accurate test result of your nutrients?

 

[Brew12]

I was wondering that too. And with the presence of algae in the scrubber, how would get an accurate test result of your nutrients?

I got the impression that he was saying that the algae does grow in his tank. Just not faster than it is consumed.

Maybe I missed something because I was distracted by supermodels....

 

[Paul B]

Oh you guys! I have very little algae in my tank and in my algae scrubber. But over the years as I have said I have had cycles of algae. With the scrubber "if" the algae "wants" to grow, it will grow in there because the conditions are better. I like algae and wish it would grow more because algae is a perfect water purifier adding no chemicals or harmful substances. If I didn't have the scrubber I would assume the little algae that is growing would grow in my tank. The scrubber just allows it to grow where it is not unsightly.
Do you see any algae in here?


My scrubber grows algae, slime and sponges. All sorts of things that I would rather grow on that. Before I had a scrubber I would get a little algae and as I said sometimes massive quantities of it.


Here is my tank many years covered in all sorts of algae. This was a cycle that dissipated on it's own with no help from me.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Do you see any algae in here?

This image was taken back in 2015?

 

[Brew12]

Oh you guys! I have very little algae in my tank and in my algae scrubber. But over the years as I have said I have had cycles of algae. With the scrubber "if" the algae "wants" to grow, it will grow in there because the conditions are better. I like algae and wish it would grow more because algae is a perfect water purifier adding no chemicals or harmful substances. If I didn't have the scrubber I would assume the little algae that is growing would grow in my tank. The scrubber just allows it to grow where it is not unsightly.
Do you see any algae in here?


My scrubber grows algae, slime and sponges. All sorts of things that I would rather grow on that. Before I had a scrubber I would get a little algae and as I said sometimes massive quantities of it.


Here is my tank many years covered in all sorts of algae. This was a cycle that dissipated on it's own with no help from me.

I have got to remember to buy your book tonight and download it. I know you have it geared towards advanced aquarists but my understanding is that it includes plenty of warnings for us noobs.