Perry's Shallow Water Acro Dominant Build Thread

Rick5

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@Perry - Excellent progress! This system made a complete turnaround and the sticks are looking fantastic.

It sounds like you’re slowly eliminating the supplements and planning on just dosing the usual components (Cal, Alk, Mag) once needed.

I have a frag that reminds me of your goner frag (except that mine is likely totally gone). My piece didn’t ship well. It receded and the skeleton is presently bone white. The only reason it’s still in the tank is that it looks like the polyps are intact but retracted (such that there are visible non-moving black specks where the polyps once were) . I was quick to conclude that the polyp-looking-specks were just algae but the frag lost its tissue quite rapidly and it was (at the time of tissue loss) probably too soon for the remaining skeleton to have accumulated algae.
 
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@Perry - Excellent progress! This system made a complete turnaround and the sticks are looking fantastic.

It sounds like you’re slowly eliminating the supplements and planning on just dosing the usual components (Cal, Alk, Mag) once needed.

I have a frag that reminds me of your goner frag (except that mine is likely totally gone). My piece didn’t ship well. It receded and the skeleton is presently bone white. The only reason it’s still in the tank is that it looks like the polyps are intact but retracted (such that there are visible non-moving black specks where the polyps once were) . I was quick to conclude that the polyp-looking-specks were just algae but the frag lost its tissue quite rapidly and it was (at the time of tissue loss) probably too soon for the remaining skeleton to have accumulated algae.

Hi Rick!
Thanks for following and commenting, this dialog opens discussion that may benefit certain reefers, as mentioned throughout, I don't have any 1 best way, observation is what has allowed the tank to evolve. To answer your question, yes I am slowly getting more natural and basic.
Sock added, it catches larger debris, smaller stuff goes to mangrove fuge next, then skimmer, passive carbon, to return compartment. Allowing mangroves first crack at nutrients, then polish before headed to display. I use this approach mainly to be less hands on, and because my sump is huge, and allows for it. If I had a smaller sump, with less compartments, I would probably use AF Probiotic program, and stronger skimmer, no fuge, with biomedia. That said, I dose AF Build every couple days, or in mornings I remember. I still dose KZ Flatworm Stop and KZ Pohls Extra Special, but will likely stop, when I finish up. I believe an occasional few drops of micro bacter, maybe every other week or so will continue. No more Probiotic bacteria or carbon source used. So the long-winded answer is yes, much more basic. This was an intended design, whereas these products and time, pushed me through a difficult period. Anecdotal, likely, but glad I did, now that corals are settled, I find it unnecessary.
BTW, don't give up on a coral with polyps, you never know, here to tell you man, lol :)
Cheers
 
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So I tested things today
PO4= 0.00 hanna(BS, I have algae, and brush glass daily)
NO3= 10 ppm, down from 25+
ALK= 8.0DKH
CA= 420
MG= 1200. buffered 80ml to bring up

Now, I got the results, seeing spiral monti fading a bit, and cherry tree growth, I knew MG was low. NO3 is a good number, and happy to see it right there. I suspect mangrove is pulling it and phosphate out, as it's been 2 weeks off any C-source or bacteria.
Main 2 minerals, despite branching and obvious growth, haven't budged, still thinking crushed coral is slowly releasing, no buffer of either since sps additions, hmmm...
 
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Hey all,
As mentioned, my system is slowly transitioning from AF Probiotic to more natural. The fuge continues to mature, I have seen an explosion of micro life, limpets, mysis, pods, stomatella, spaghetti worms, tube worms, dusters, and more. Mangroves are taking off, I suspect that no3 falling as a result, down from 25+ to 10ppm, since last testing. As stated several pages back, I look to ultimately go skimmer less, but not quite ready yet.
Here is a look at the fuge :)

20201104_065931.jpg
 
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Very nice! Inspires me to get my crap together and focus on getting some sps into my E170

Never say Never, lol, so make it happen :) I accidentally stumbled into sps in this system after nearly throwing in the towel. One of my best trending corals was assumed gone, but a few remaining polyps, and a sliver of tissue was all that remained :) Who would have guessed ;) So I hope to inspire :)
Cheers
 
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Hey all,
I tested nutrients again, as well as alk this week. I saw no3 drop to 5-10 range, and did see alk drop, but not significantly, so no adjustments made.
I will likely begin kalkwasser dripping through a doser. I will mix to maximum saturation, then start at like 50 ml per day, then ramp until the day comes where it is equivalent to evaporation loss, then will mix in ato, or switch to 3 part, long way to go for that.
Also, since adding the filter sock, nutrients are falling. I made a decision to skim for 10 hours, matching my actinic t5 schedule, then mangroves get the bulk of nutrients. I will test again next week to see impact, and update. Last night, my fish were feeding like crazy during blue led only mode. That said, I can see so much micro life teeming, that they must be getting to DT.
Hooray for happy colorful sps, and less and less need for moving parts, easy and natural. KZ Pohls Extra is complete, so no more dosing. I will likely begin to feed polyp lab reef roids as I have a jar, will do at lights out.
That is about it for now :)
Cheers
 
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BC Backdraft settling in and looking pretty sweet :)

20201109_120452.jpg


That dead one, here today showing several colors, not sure of species or lineage, @C. Eymann might look it over and lend a hand :)

20201109_120804.jpg


This one looks like confetti, but nothing confirmed, anyway, I like the name "schizophrenia " instead. It has no definite color structure or polyp color, its all over the place.

20201109_120309.jpg


And the last one that caught my eye today as a stand out, is ASD Rainbow Milli, as she is giving me some orange love.

20201109_120940.jpg
 

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BC Backdraft settling in and looking pretty sweet :)

20201109_120452.jpg


That dead one, here today showing several colors, not sure of species or lineage, @C. Eymann might look it over and lend a hand :)

20201109_120804.jpg


This one looks like confetti, but nothing confirmed, anyway, I like the name "schizophrenia " instead. It has no definite color structure or polyp color, its all over the place.

20201109_120309.jpg


And the last one that caught my eye today as a stand out, is ASD Rainbow Milli, as she is giving me some orange love.

20201109_120940.jpg
Looking great!
 
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As confidence builds, so does one's temptation to push for better results. I made the mistake of implementing 2 changes at nearly the same time, and just got snake bit for it, lol.
1. Brought kalkwasser online putting 25 ml per day in the tank, minor, but will explain later.
2. Lowered t5's from 10" to 8", but, didn't account for reefbar intensity, or the fact that the reefbar sits 2" lower than t5's, so that's 6" off surface.
These adjustments made 10 days ago, but about 4 to 5 days ago, I noticed messenterial filaments extruding from a tip from fox flame. Didn't make any changes, but monitored daily. A couple days later, saw a couple others showing filaments, but post feeding, so wasn't getting too concerned.
Yesterday morning, I woke up to see burnt tips on fox flame, with tissue peeling off at the tips. I immediately started making water, raised lighting, took my t5's offline, and Lowered reefbar to 60%. I also noticed about 5 others showing messenterial filaments abd distress. I did measure a small alkalinity climb, from 8.0 to 8.6. I decided to change out 15 fresh gallons, and changed carbon. After water change, alkalinity is back down to 7.7.
I believe the kalkwasser was a great idea, but not while changing lighting intensity. I am positive that the t5's Lowered didn't cause this, it definitely looks like the led burn, makes sense, and had a similar experience with a similar reefbar several years ago, while blue, they are 3 watt crees, and powerful.
Anyway, looks like this morning shows promise, as the necrosis on fox flame slowed significantly, and others looking a bit off, but better.
I am certain that all corals will be ok, but continue to feel that observation saved a major catastrophe. Going to run just led blue only, slowly ramp back to 100%, then bring t5 banks back on, slowly by running blue t5 only for a few days, then slowly building to original schedule. So won't be much to update for awhile, but that's life on the reef :)
 
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I don't "know" your tank and you do, I would do the opposite and have the T5s on and gradually add the leds back.

Yeah, you are probably right, the others shouldn't suffer from my dummy mistake, lol. I am not really bothered, just a minor setback, but fairly certain things will bounce back. Going to take your advice here, better approach :)
 

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I am swapping to a 4 x 39 watt T5 hybrid with 2 x 75 watt led supplement soon from an 8 x 24 watt T5s with one 75 watt supplement, the leds will be started low.
 
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I am swapping to a 4 x 39 watt T5 hybrid with 2 x 75 watt led supplement soon from an 8 x 24 watt T5s with one 75 watt supplement, the leds will be started low.

Yeah, I know t5's, and they rarely burn corals. Dumb mistake, but at this point the fox flame is the only one showing tissue loss, so hopefully others while upset, will rebound quickly :) Not about to freak out, system stable otherwise, just will be a minute to get back on track :)
 
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Hi all,
Just a quick update, fox flame, while PO'd, seems the only sps that lost tissue at tips, and has stopped necrosis. A few others still a bit upset, but nothing too much to worry over. Freaking stressful, especially when the main sps board is looking rough with sps issues. Will continue to run blue t5s, reefbar at 60%, and reintroduce C+ bulbs over the weekend. Probably begin slowly ramping reefbar next week. That's all I got for now :)
 
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