Paul Fasano
New Member
60g Cube Mixed Reef
My Problem:
Corals were barely growing and slowing loosing color
My Question:
How soon And what do you predict the coral response will be after I just made the following 8 changes (below) to the system this week:
1. Upgraded from a cheap Chinese LED Light 2 channel to the 12 Channel to Radion XR15
2. Changed 4 stage RODI filters for top off (evaporation is 5g weekly) and the tds was over 200ppm for months. Now it tests 0.000. All water changes also had this high TDS previously.
3. Bought new filter socks (Was previously washing them in the washing machine until I noticed soap bubbles (multi colored bubbles) in the skimmer cup. They have been, and new ones will be changed weekly)
4. Dosing started (see below)
5.Took Phosphate reactor off line as I was running (Two little fishes PhosBan)in the Aquatop phosphate reactor since the start of the system. Was seeing reoccurring brown diatoms on sand bed and Phosphate tests (Salifert) were undetectable (definitely think I may stripped this system of this component)
6. Over a 5 day period, will be raising Salinity from 1.023 SG to 1.025 by adding 1g of 1.029 water daily (system evaporates 5g a week)
7. Increased frequency of water changes from every 4 weeks to every other week
8. Upgraded salt from Instant Ocean Reef Crystals to Fritz RPM (Reef Pro Mix)
Other info:
System started on Nov. 12 2025
—-55lbs of live rock from healthy and mature 8 year larger system of mine (Spent 3 weeks in a dark bucket with heated saltwater just to give any hitchhikers a chance to come out)
—-60lbs of Carib Sea aragonite live sand (40lbs of fine/20lbs on top corse)
Equipment:
-Custom made (Glass Cages) 60gallon star fire glass rimless tank/clear silicone (24”x24”x24”) beveled outside edges
-Eco Tech Radion XR-15 (Coral Lab AB+ setting)
-2 power heads (one either side of back)
-Vortex Omega 150 Skimmer
-Red Sea ATO/Therm
-Marine Aqua DC return pump 1050GPH
-Trigger Systems Cube Sump (20”x20”x15”)
-Aquatop Phosphate Reactor
Water Changes:
-(17.4%) Every 4 weeks 10g with reef crystals salt:
60g cube tank/rimless/ water is 1” from top rim in a 2’x2’x2’ tank with 50lbs of live rock and 60lbs of sand displacement plus a Sump with 10g of water =57.4 total gallons of system water)
Dosing:
-12ml daily of Tropic Marine All-For-Reef
-1/2 cap of Brightwell Aquatics NeoPhos
1 time a day Feeding (4 day rotation)
Feeding:
Day 1 Reef frenzy (10ml)
Day 2 Imagitairum Pellets (1/8 tp)
Day 3 Hikari Mysis (10ml)
Day 4 Hikari Brine (10ml)
Every 3rd day:
3 scoops of BRS Reef Chilli
Bioload:
(Fish) 1 Flame Hawk, 1 Lightning Maroon Clown, 1 Three stripe damsel
(Coral) LTA, BTA, Duncan Colony (12 heads), Mushrooms, GSP, Anthelia, Zoas, Hammers, Torch, Toadstool leather
Water Parameters (tested on 2/19/26):
-Calcium 400ppm
-Alkalinity 7.5ppm
-Phosphates: undetectable
-PH 7.5
-Nitrates: 2ppm
-Ammonia: 0
-Specific Gravity: 1.023 (slowly adding 1g saltwater at 1.028 daily) to raise to 1.025
My Problem:
Corals were barely growing and slowing loosing color
My Question:
How soon And what do you predict the coral response will be after I just made the following 8 changes (below) to the system this week:
1. Upgraded from a cheap Chinese LED Light 2 channel to the 12 Channel to Radion XR15
2. Changed 4 stage RODI filters for top off (evaporation is 5g weekly) and the tds was over 200ppm for months. Now it tests 0.000. All water changes also had this high TDS previously.
3. Bought new filter socks (Was previously washing them in the washing machine until I noticed soap bubbles (multi colored bubbles) in the skimmer cup. They have been, and new ones will be changed weekly)
4. Dosing started (see below)
5.Took Phosphate reactor off line as I was running (Two little fishes PhosBan)in the Aquatop phosphate reactor since the start of the system. Was seeing reoccurring brown diatoms on sand bed and Phosphate tests (Salifert) were undetectable (definitely think I may stripped this system of this component)
6. Over a 5 day period, will be raising Salinity from 1.023 SG to 1.025 by adding 1g of 1.029 water daily (system evaporates 5g a week)
7. Increased frequency of water changes from every 4 weeks to every other week
8. Upgraded salt from Instant Ocean Reef Crystals to Fritz RPM (Reef Pro Mix)
Other info:
System started on Nov. 12 2025
—-55lbs of live rock from healthy and mature 8 year larger system of mine (Spent 3 weeks in a dark bucket with heated saltwater just to give any hitchhikers a chance to come out)
—-60lbs of Carib Sea aragonite live sand (40lbs of fine/20lbs on top corse)
Equipment:
-Custom made (Glass Cages) 60gallon star fire glass rimless tank/clear silicone (24”x24”x24”) beveled outside edges
-Eco Tech Radion XR-15 (Coral Lab AB+ setting)
-2 power heads (one either side of back)
-Vortex Omega 150 Skimmer
-Red Sea ATO/Therm
-Marine Aqua DC return pump 1050GPH
-Trigger Systems Cube Sump (20”x20”x15”)
-Aquatop Phosphate Reactor
Water Changes:
-(17.4%) Every 4 weeks 10g with reef crystals salt:
60g cube tank/rimless/ water is 1” from top rim in a 2’x2’x2’ tank with 50lbs of live rock and 60lbs of sand displacement plus a Sump with 10g of water =57.4 total gallons of system water)
Dosing:
-12ml daily of Tropic Marine All-For-Reef
-1/2 cap of Brightwell Aquatics NeoPhos
1 time a day Feeding (4 day rotation)
Feeding:
Day 1 Reef frenzy (10ml)
Day 2 Imagitairum Pellets (1/8 tp)
Day 3 Hikari Mysis (10ml)
Day 4 Hikari Brine (10ml)
Every 3rd day:
3 scoops of BRS Reef Chilli
Bioload:
(Fish) 1 Flame Hawk, 1 Lightning Maroon Clown, 1 Three stripe damsel
(Coral) LTA, BTA, Duncan Colony (12 heads), Mushrooms, GSP, Anthelia, Zoas, Hammers, Torch, Toadstool leather
Water Parameters (tested on 2/19/26):
-Calcium 400ppm
-Alkalinity 7.5ppm
-Phosphates: undetectable
-PH 7.5
-Nitrates: 2ppm
-Ammonia: 0
-Specific Gravity: 1.023 (slowly adding 1g saltwater at 1.028 daily) to raise to 1.025
