Thoughts on SPS in a nano tank and nutrient levels
- Thread starter nickmealey
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
nickmealey
Community Member
LPS seem fine. Although the higher flow they don't appreciate much. I've been removing some of the large LPS colonies for more space and flow.
The sand has never been pure white. In the photo there is some small patches of GHA. There is currently GHA in the sand.
minus9
5000 Club Member
I ran my nano for two years without a skimmer, but once I reached a certain density of bio mass I needed one. I only had four fish in my 22g, CB clowns, neon goby and my Tanaka pygmy wrasse. I fed them several times a day (which I think is key to great health for the fish, but also the coral), did weekly water changes and dosed 2 part. I used cured ocean rock and live sand when I set it up and had coral in there within days. The biggest issues with nanos are temp and salinity, nutrients can be controlled via water changes and a skimmer. Each tank is different, so you'll have to find the range (for nutrients) that work in your tank. It's good to shoot for a range of N & P, I think of you get measurable nitrates, you have plenty, but it's phosphates that we usually need to target with more refinement. I would probably lower your lights a little more (height-wise, not intensity), get them a little closer and that should put your par in a very good range. I had 3 160's over my 22g and never went above 70% intensity. They were 6" to 7" above the water and I was hitting about 450 an inch or two under the water surface and just below 200 on the sand bed.
This is totally and completely false. Here’s my tank, where almost all of my SPS are in the 200 range, and many of them lower.
Not directly relevant to OP’s question, but I would hate for someone to see false information and their tank/animals suffer for it.
OP, my total volume is 25 gallons with nitrates around 5ppm and phosphate around 0.03ppm PO4.
I have had to dose both many times to keep them from sticking at 0. However, color has always been best when the tank is heavily fed (high quality fish foods, phytoplankton, Oyster Feast) and less attention paid to test results.
OP
OP
nickmealey
Community Member
Nice looking tank! Do you find that wrasse has enough swimming room?This is totally and completely false. Here’s my tank, where almost all of my SPS are in the 200 range, and many of them lower.
Not directly relevant to OP’s question, but I would hate for someone to see false information and their tank/animals suffer for it.
OP, my total volume is 25 gallons with nitrates around 5ppm and phosphate around 0.03ppm PO4.
I have had to dose both many times to keep them from sticking at 0. However, color has always been best when the tank is heavily fed (high quality fish foods, phytoplankton, Oyster Feast) and less attention paid to test results.
Yea, he’s been with me two years and enjoys the lack of competition over my bountiful pod population. He hangs with the clowns quite a bit and eats frozen like a pig. He isn’t shy at all and when I take the lid off he comes to the surface to inspect what I’m doing. If I had to gauge a fishes happiness, I’d say he’s 8/10.
He is getting a 50 gallon upgrade in the very near future, however.
I suspect despite seeing algae your nutrients are too low. The views seem to be shifting from controlling algae via nutrient levels to controlling with with grazers which I agree with. I would add tux urchin and manually remove any large tuffs of algae then add more grazers as needed. I would shoot for 0.05 or more po4 and 5ppm or so nitrate. If you are seeing 0 and have algae your right the algae is consuming nutrients but faster than the coral so they are still being limited.
All for reef uses calcium formate, to become available to coral bacteria break it down - so it acts as a carbon source like vodka or vinegar although much, much smaller effect than either from a carbon dosing perspective.
Similar threads
