Red Sea E170 max AIO mixed reef build - first reef tank

[kiswanson]

Tweaking dosing:
-My nitrates continue to decrease (0.8 to 0.4 over the past week) so I decreased NoPox dosing again from 3.5 ml a day down to 2 ml a day.
-My alkalinity dropped from 7.9 to 7.2 with dosing 7.5 ml All For Reef a day, so I'm going to up that to 10 ml/day and check again in a week.
-For both of those I'm switching the dosing to the daytime to prevent them f from further lowering my pH at night.
-My phosphates are coming down after adding back 100 g rowa phos (0.31 to 0.19 over the last week. Before the last removal of GFO and forgetting to replace new GFO my phos had been hanging out consistently 0.03-0.05)

 

[kiswanson]

I really need to figure out how to run an airline from outside to my skimmer. My pH is always in the low side 7.65-7.85. When I attach it to a CO2 scrubber it goes up nicely for a few days but the media gets exhausted in no time. The cup for the red sea skimmer also doesn't make it easy to create a recirculating CO2 scrubber (though I would love if anyone has a good Allerton for that). Excess CO2 is definitely the problem and I have yet to figure out a good permanent solution.

 

[Phishfoodie]

Great thread! I've enjoyed going through your journey. In regards to pH have you thought about dosing kalkwasser? I've been doing it for 6 months in my nanocube, and I'm beginning to implement it into my other tanks as well.

 

[kiswanson]

Great thread! I've enjoyed going through your journey. In regards to pH have you thought about dosing kalkwasser? I've been doing it for 6 months in my nanocube, and I'm beginning to implement it into my other tanks as well.

I should look into more

 

[WallyTime7]

Finally making progress with the ammonia. Definitely took longer than the 9 days that the Dr Tim’s has predicted. I’m not sure if it needed more time or if it was the 10ml of microbacter7 a day I started doing on day 10 of the cycle. I still have the lights off. Hoping to add the first fish this weekend if the ammonia continues its trajectory.

What do you use for this tracker/visual? I like it

 

[kiswanson]

What do you use for this tracker/visual? I like it

Aquarium manager app

i was using it for my freshwater tanks.

Now I mostly use the value logging and notes in apex

 

[WallyTime7]

Ammonia between 6 and 8 ppm. I guess I won’t be adding fish this weekend!

What triggered it to go from 0 to 6-8 two days later?

 

[kiswanson]

There is a ammonium additive you dose with the Dr Tims so the bacteria have something to feed on. I dose a little heavy, ideally after dosing the ammonium I think they want it 2-5 ppm. If it goes above 5 ppm, then it can slow the multiplication of the bacteria that transform nitrite to nitrates and slow down the overall completion of the cycle

 

[kiswanson]

What triggered it to go from 0 to 6-8 two days later?

There is a ammonium additive you dose with the Dr Tims so the bacteria have something to feed on. I dose a little heavy, ideally after dosing the ammonium I think they want it 2-5 ppm. If it goes above 5 ppm, then it can slow the multiplication of the bacteria that transform nitrite to nitrates and slow down the overall completion of the cycle

 

[kiswanson]

Happy sexy shrimp hanging out in the euphyllia garden

 

[kiswanson]

Creature focus

 

[kiswanson]

So I figured out why my nitrates were so low compared to the phosphates…they’re not!

When the Hanna HR nitrate reagents were low I must have accidentally ordered *nitrite* reagent. What a stupid mistake.

So my actual nitrates are 38.8 and phosphate is 0.24, so time to go back up on the NoPoX, probably to 5 ml a day. I’ll see how things respond to going back up on the NoPoX and then may reconsider adding a Tunze algae reactor, which I actually have, but held off on adding when I thought the nitrates had dropped so low.

My alkalinity is at 7, so I’m going to go up on the TM All for Reef from 10 ml a day to 12.5 ml a day. I am starting to think about dosing Kalkwasser, as that would help my pH as well, but I haven’t figured out how I would most like to dose and the TM all for reef is already set up.

 

[kiswanson]

I heard something very interesting while listening to a Reef Bum podcast about how one of the things they noted when the automatic alkalinity monitors first came out was that the consumption of alkalinity dropped every time they put their hands in the tank or did any maintenance in the tank. I really found that interesting and it suggests that even small disturbances can cause noticeable changes in growth.

Rich Ross on Reef Beef (which is awesome by the way) also talked about how he keeps a list of things to do and then does them so at once to minimize doing things in the tank on multiple occasions. I’ve been doing that as well for the last few weeks. For example, my current list includes a patch of Xenia to remove, a single aiptasia to hit with aiptasia x, some corals to move from the frag rack to the rock, and a small area of hair algae to remove by hand…but I’m waiting until I do the water change so that I’m only putting my hands in the tank once every two weeks or so. Shout out to any Beefers.

I’ve noticed increased sps growth recently. Not sure if that is a result of less messing with the tank, the tank finally reaching maturity, or more consistent dosing with all for Reef.

 

[kiswanson]

Full tank shot

 

[Mjl714]

Reef is looking great! Nice variety, color and activity good work!

 

[kiswanson]

SPS has noticeably grown and most now have encrusted over their base. They also have gained color and are less brown. I think the tank has finally settled down to being welcoming to sps and I’ve gotten flow and hair algae under control enough for them to thrive.

Less promising is the discovery of aiptasia hiding in my Xenia rock. I may just take out the whole rock. If I ever want Xenia again it shouldn’t take too long to grow it back and I think that’s the best option for cleaning aiptasia. I do also have an aiptasia eating file Fish and some peppermint shrimp that I just added, but I’d rather get rid of their hiding spot.

My goniopora continue to languish with no growth and minimal polyp extension. I have tried supplementing iodine, manganese and iron, based on my ICP analysis and things I had read about goniopora, but so far I’m not convinced it has changed things.

Finally, decided to try a clam. This is a biota Derasa clam.

 

[kiswanson]

Ten month update video

 

[centraloregonreef]

just wanted to drop a note here and say this is an extremely helpful thread! I purchased a 170 Max e a few weeks back and am cycling now. Thank you for the regular updates and for answering others questions.

your tank looks amazing!

 

[kiswanson]

Full tank Friday

 

[kiswanson]

Trying out keeping a watermelon bubble tip anemone. Last one didn’t go well, as it got into the mp10 and got lacerated. I have the nem guards on again and raised the lower mp10 up away from the sand. I’m also trying out a magnetic glass bowl/synthetic rock Anemone holder from Aqua rocks to try to get the nem to stay in one spot and keep it safe. I’m feeding it 3x a week to keep it happy in that spot as well. I’ve had it for a week and it hasn’t moved and looks happy. I guess we’ll see!