Alk is usually stable around 8, but I've had alk swings in the past that have caused a drop from 11 to 5 and spikes from 4 to 10 without a single death. I think people wrongly blame alk swings for the death of corals when really it's a combination of factors. Do swings cause stress on corals? Absolutely. But if the corals are already healthy and have the resources to handle that environmental stress, there shouldn't be large die offs just from an alk swing. I've experienced enough swings to demonstrate that personally.
I have not. I worked in a micro lab in college and got my degree from the school of microbiology and plant pathology. I can see how certain species can become dominant, but I don't know if I would agree that dosing a certain strain over and over again is the answer. "Everything is everywhere and the environment selects" is one of my favorite quotes from micro. Plus there are plenty of mature tanks out there that have been running for years without having to dose any strains and have tremendous success. Maybe there's a case that those tanks have a solid community established in them, but I'm not sure I buy into having to regularly dose bacteria to keep the tank healthy... Sounds like a great business pitch though
She's big, the Emperor Aquatics 150 watt sterilizer rated for up to 1,600 gallons
My tank is roughly 150 gallons total volume, the bulb was installed this spring and is still pretty new.
Yeah, I know there's equally a chance that it could be protozoan in nature. I also used to be able to keep clams alive. I had several that were happy and growing for years, then I added one about 4 years ago from a LFS and I lost all 4 of my clams in the same month. Haven't been able to keep a clam alive since, though I try every year or so. That was the first time I had a hunch that there are now biological factors in my tank that prevent me from keeping certain species, which is a real bummer. The longer I deal with this, the more enticing hitting the reset button becomes so I can start keeping species I really enjoyed in the past.
Yes I run GFO. I only change it out when I see PO4 start to rise toward my 0.12 threshold.
www.reef2reef.com
Do you notice losses around the time you change gfo?
I appreciate the links! I will certainly read through this thread. I wouldn't be a good scientist if I wasn't cautious and pessimistic about any claims of a product that's difficult to quantify the success of. I'll be sifting through it tonight for sure, thanks!Hehe. Your last sentence, he touches on. Whether or not you want to read is up to you, but I'll provide a link:
This snake oil?
I've talked with Dr Tim about these products specifically at MACNA. Basically they are versions of his other "waste away" live bacteria products, but instead of being in liquid suspension they are embedded in a time-release gel so that they are continuously dosed. Definitely not snake oil, and...
A quote from him in the thread:
Anyway, it was just an idea, I hope you get it sorted out
Very nice. And what is the flow rate on it and is it plumbed in or separate?She's big, the Emperor Aquatics 150 watt sterilizer rated for up to 1,600 gallons
I don't really notice any losses to be honest. I also usually change out carbon at the same time I change out GFO, and usually everything looks pretty good/normal after that maintenance period.
It is being fed with a Jebao DCP 5000 and the power ouput has been lowered to its lowest setting, which is roughly 900 gph according to the internet.
It's been a while since I've dosed chemiclean. It's worth a shot I suppose!
That seems like the flow should be low enough on that size. My only explanation is it’s not all passing through the sterilizer. As for the dip I like Brightwell KoralMD. I have a friend who works at WWC and that’s all they use.
