Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[rishma]

I used pH 7 and 10 of this brand:

pH Buffer Calibration Solution Kit 3-Pack: pH 4.00, pH 7.00, pH 10.00 Buffers — 250 ml (8.4 fl oz) Each — Color Coded — NIST Traceable for All pH Meters: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

pH Buffer Calibration Solution Kit 3-Pack: pH 4.00, pH 7.00, pH 10.00 Buffers — 250 ml (8.4 fl oz) Each — Color Coded — NIST Traceable for All pH Meters: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

a.co

Label says traceable to NIST. Interesting.

I just used some expired Milwaukee and the probe is not reading right now. Not sure if it’s the probe or the calibration fluid.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you talk a little bit about your thinking process when it comes to what you're dosing and the amounts? There are so many options - it's a little overwhelming to make sense of at times.

Sure.

I dose AFR for alk and calcium. Picked because it is simple and easy. I’d rather dose kalk and Tropic Marin A and K, but do not have room for the large kalk reservoirs I previously used.

The trace elements from the AFR are insufficient to supply all my tank needs since the alk demand is still quite low and the macroalgae is taking them up rapidly. That is why I dose extra iodine as potassium iodide and iron (ferrous gluconate) and manganese (manganese gluconate). Those three rapidly deplete, so I feel comfortable dosing them once a week to full natural levels (higher for iron and manganese).

On the iodide, I’m not sure it does anything useful. But it also won’t hurt to dose.

Certainly, trace elements are coming from the 1% water changed daily, from foods, from AFR, and from those individual supplements.

 

[picea]

So, it sounds like you are deciding on your AFR dose based on your alkalinity testing, if I'm understanding correctly. Are your other three additive decisions based on testing, current scientific thought, vibes, etc.? I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I've learned a lot by keeping an eye on this thread, and it's a big inspiration to me as I set up a 90-gallon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So, it sounds like you are deciding on your AFR dose based on your alkalinity testing, if I'm understanding correctly. Are your other three additive decisions based on testing, current scientific thought, vibes, etc.? I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I've learned a lot by keeping an eye on this thread, and it's a big inspiration to me as I set up a 90-gallon.

Yes, AFR dosing is based on alk values. I rely on it to provide needed calcium, and half of the needed magnesium (which is hardly any). The other half comes from boosting my new salt water by a few ppm magnesium (RMM method).

The others are based on the fact they they deplete very rapidly and adding a bunch once a week provides the opportunity for organisms that want it to take it up.

In my previous tank, iodine would deplete from 0.06 ppm to u detectable in a few days. This, I think dosing it once a week to that level does not risk accumulation, and if the macroalgae or other organism want some, it has the opportunity to use it.

To some extent the same is true for iron and manganese, perhaps depleting even faster. There also is no data suggesting any particular value of these is “optimal” and it takes a lot of them to become toxic.

 

[Miami Reef]

Do you use anemone guards on your power heads? Would you consider your tank flow on the lower or upper end?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you use anemone guards on your power heads? Would you consider your tank flow on the lower or upper end?

No special guards, but the openings on the Tunze Eco powerheads are fairly small. But if I saw one heading toward a powerhead, I would manually intervene.

I would say flow is medium.

 

[Miami Reef]

No special guards, but the openings on the Tunze Eco powerheads are fairly small. But if I saw one heading toward a powerhead, I would manually intervene.

I would say flow is medium.

Is it easy to remove a magnifica anemone from a rock if it’s attached to it? How do you manually intervene?

Hope it’s okay I’m asking anemone questions here. Every reefer has a niche in this hobby. Something they are especially interested in or are known for…yours is anemones. If there’s someone’s input I needed about anemones, I’d want yours.

You can take that as a compliment.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is it easy to remove a magnifica anemone from a rock if it’s attached to it? How do you manually intervene?

Hope it’s okay I’m asking anemone questions here. Every reefer has a niche in this hobby. Something they are especially interested in or are known for…yours is anemones. If there’s someone’s input I needed about anemones, I’d want yours.

You can take that as a compliment.

I’ve never tried to remove one, but I expect it depends very much on how it is attached. Glass is easy. If it reaches into crevices, maybe not so easy.

This is a fine place to discuss any topic that comes up in relation to my tank, its creatures, equipment, additives, etc.

 

[Miami Reef]

Added these things today. Besides for one small zoa colony, these are the first soft corals in my tank. They look very healthy.

Edit. The “they look healthy” part was supposed to be sarcasm. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Been a busy morning. Had to rush home because some hit and run driver smashed our front stone wall last night. Must have been going pretty fast because one chunk is very heavy and was thrown into the yard. Been chatting with the police and insurance this morning.

On the flip side, all is well in clown land. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

Hi Randy. Do you dose silicate for your red sponge? If so, how often and how much?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy. Do you dose silicate for your red sponge? If so, how often and how much?

I did in the dino days, and once since then, but it may not be needed. My tap water is very high in silicate and I do not expect the ro buddy with a single di gets it all.

My glass grows green algae and not diatoms the way it did in my old tank when not dosing silicate, which turned golden brown each time I dosed them. I might experiment with that at some point.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I may also do an Oceamo icp in the not too distant future to see where things stand. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

Do you think your growing red sponge needs silicate or is its structure organic/calcium based?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you think your growing red sponge needs silicate or is its structure organic/calcium based?

I don’t know, but I expect it is silicate based since most are.

 

[Miami Reef]

I don’t know, but I expect it is silicate based since most are.

I purchased a red ball sponge a few years ago. I took a little piece of it and put it in pure bleach and let it sit for a day or so. Then I moved it into a muriatic acid solution for another day. Neither dissolved it, so I assumed it was silica-based. It looks to be the same material as your red tree sponge. I'm really impressed that it's actively growing for you. How many times a day are you adding phytoplankton, again?

 

[Miami Reef]

Did your sponge come in contact with air before placing it in the tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I looked up the sponge I have, Amphimedon compressa, and it does have silica components inside. As far as I know, it was not exposed to air. I add Phytofeast live once a day (at night), shut off the skimmer for 2 h then, and I do see a lot of shimmer in the tank when the water is viewed at certain angles to the light, which I attribute to the phyto.

There is also a lot of larger particulates in the water, some of which look like molts from pods and such. These are two big for the sponge, but it may mean there are smaller things too.

 

[Miami Reef]

I add Phytofeast live once a day (at night)

Is there a reason why at night? I always wondered what time is best for feeding corals and such.

I purchased a red ball sponge yesterday according to KP aquatics, the sponge I have can come in contact with air.

Contrary to everything youll read about sponges, these sponges can be safely removed from the water and exposed to air for brief periods of time without any lasting damages. Weve handled thousands of these sponges over the last 30 years and most have been exposed to the air for brief periods of time without any problems, so dont make a huge deal about not letting the sponge touch the air while you move it from tank to tank or while you mount it on a rock.

Red Ball Sponge

Red Ball Sponges, Pseudoaxinella lunchearta, are a fairly common sponge from Florida and the Caribbean characterized by their bright red and orange color and ball shape. In some areas they also grow in flattened fan shapes, and many of the larger sponges have wavy convoluted sides. They...

www.kpaquatics.com

Here’s mine.

 

[b1llvance]

They are just wild type occellaris clowns, although I do not know the history of the parents. Dr reef raises them at his facility. No special marketing name. :)

Oh whoops. I just realized my clownfish’s eyes are also full black after looking at my photos. lol
The standard ocellaris clownfish is my favorite.

I think “zombie clownfish” is the most hideous thing to ever exist lol

Checking the color of a clowns iris is a pretty easy and fairly reliable way to tell if it’s an occ or a perc. Occ tend to be all black while percs have orange and orange iris.