Nutrient Saturated Systems

Paul B · Oct 8, 2016

Very nice. How long has it been set up.
Beautiful!

Tench1 · Oct 8, 2016

Paul B said:
Very nice. How long has it been set up.
Beautiful!

Thanks for the compliment Paul! It's nothing compared to yours.

This tank should be 5yrs+ old. But the SPS dominated theme was merely in the 2years old. Started sep'14.

Paul B · Oct 8, 2016

It's nicer looking then mine. 5 years is great, that means the corals are growing and thriving. Nice job :)

I usually ask about the age because some people spend a fortune and throw a lot of corals in a tank and take a picture which doesn't mean much.

sundog101 · Oct 8, 2016

I would like to raise my nutrients, but whenever I do, I get tons of algea. With high nutrient levels how do you keep algae away?

Tench1 · Oct 8, 2016

sundog101 said:
I would like to raise my nutrients, but whenever I do, I get tons of algea. With high nutrient levels how do you keep algae away?

I had battles Algae issue for months. About 6-8 months before getting the balanced bacteria in the system.

What I had done;

- added inverts that glaze on algae i.e. Snails/abalone/urchins
- fishes; Yellow tang, clown tang, algae Blennies
- boost up my MG to grow coraline algae
- wave makers; aiming at areas that have low flow and cyno algae grown

It's not an impossible mission. Just need the patience and time. Hope this helps.

pS: u need to know what algae u are facing, then adopt the method to counter it.

Tench1 · Oct 8, 2016

Paul B said:
It's nicer looking then mine. 5 years is great, that means the corals are growing and thriving. Nice job :)

I usually ask about the age because some people spend a fortune and throw a lot of corals in a tank and take a picture which doesn't mean much.

Totally agree with your statement.

I personally prefer small frags to start with. Sharing with frens usually helps a lot!

john.m.cole3 · Oct 8, 2016

Manual removal of nuisance algae. I use a tooh brush and run filter floss in my sump. On frags I like the rasping method @brandon429 taught me. Also patience. The articles @mcarroll linked were interesting about algae in a low nutrient system.

Tori · Oct 8, 2016

Paul B said:
I have seen that diatom filter gismo at the LFS I go to. It looks good for a smaller tank as diatom filters clog quickly.
I could not run my tank without a diatom filter. Great invention.

@Paul B How often do you run your diatom filter?

Paul B · Oct 8, 2016

Maybe twice a year. That's when I stir up the entire substrate where I can reach with the diatom filter. I make a typhoon and suck it out.

Tori · Oct 8, 2016

Paul B said:
Maybe twice a year. That's when I stir up the entire substrate where I can reach with the diatom filter. I make a typhoon and suck it out.

Ah, so it's more for maintenance than daily use. Seems like a great tool. I'm definitely going to look into it. Thanks!

Paul B · Oct 8, 2016

You really can't use it for daily use as it would clog in a day or less. It uses diatom powder with tiny holes so it's filtering capacity is for very fine materials. When it clogs, you just dump out the powder and put new powder in

MaiReef · Dec 2, 2016

This is the best thread I have read. I am going back to using my diatom filter. I used it in freshwater a few times a year to clear up the tank, but was told it would be a disaster in a reef tank. Obviously not. I didn't measure anything, but salinity for 2.5 years, but I started again as my sps were browning and never did great. However, the real thing that puzzled me was that my cheato just disappeared in my refugium. I replaced it twice, then tested my parameters. I almost had a heart attack as my PO was 1 and my Nitrates were over 100. Oddly enough though, my frogspawn was growing like a weed. After I made some changes with flow and reduction of phosphates and putting my refugium on a swing timer vs. 24/7 and expanding the types over algae, things have been much better, but as things turn for the better my PO is at .2 not .02 and my Nitrates are at 60. I needed this thread to remind me that it is not about chasing numbers, but health of the inhabitants.

mcarroll · Dec 2, 2016

MaiReef said:
I needed this thread to remind me that it is not about chasing numbers, but health of the inhabitants.

+1

Balance and consistency! (the consistency side might really be more important) ;)

Have you measured the amount of ligth you have on your refiugium where the macro-algae was? (Can you measure?)

mcarroll · Dec 2, 2016

(I just wish that was also the answer for eliminating a pest-algae bloom.) :P

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 2, 2016

MaiReef said:
This is the best thread I have read. I am going back to using my diatom filter. I used it in freshwater a few times a year to clear up the tank, but was told it would be a disaster in a reef tank. Obviously not. I didn't measure anything, but salinity for 2.5 years, but I started again as my sps were browning and never did great. However, the real thing that puzzled me was that my cheato just disappeared in my refugium. I replaced it twice, then tested my parameters. I almost had a heart attack as my PO was 1 and my Nitrates were over 100. Oddly enough though, my frogspawn was growing like a weed. After I made some changes with flow and reduction of phosphates and putting my refugium on a swing timer vs. 24/7 and expanding the types over algae, things have been much better, but as things turn for the better my PO is at .2 not .02 and my Nitrates are at 60. I needed this thread to remind me that it is not about chasing numbers, but health of the inhabitants.

I like it when the light bulb goes on in my head.
Kinda tickles....

brandon429 · Dec 2, 2016

John good job on a great thread :) the corals you gave me are healthy and strong and fed quite plumply in the small vase~

john.m.cole3 · Dec 2, 2016

brandon429 said:
John good job on a great thread :) the corals you gave me are healthy and strong and fed quite plumply in the small vase~

That's great man. A few weeks after posting this thread, I re-arranged my sump and removed about 25 pounds of live rock and also started micro bubbling, my nutrients almost disappeared. Come on over and check it out whenever.

1979fishgeek · Dec 2, 2016

Paul B said:
I had my parameters checked a month ago just so I could answer these posts as I rarely test anything.
My reef is 44 years old, my nitrates measured 160 (I think that sounds high but that's what it tested at an LFS.
Phosphate is 2.0
KH is 10 calcium is 460.

I have very few SPS except quite a lot of montapora and a few others. I have mostly LPS like frogspawn and gorgonians.

OMG I think I shed a tear that is stunning! Clearly it's aged like a fin wine..... wow just wow!