Urgh seriously.

[wesman42]

Agreed. No chemicals.

Chemiclean gave me Dinos, so it's also a no from me

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Wow I have been so busy and sorry for not responding sooner or posting more but that changed today.
So after working my normal shift and getting off at 8pm why in the heck does the darn garbage truck come roaring through at 6 in the morning. Sadly it’s not just like a few seconds and gone, but like 30 minutes. So I was lucky to get some sleep just not great sleep.

I’m curious on some things with maybe how others feed their fish and corals. I always feed five of the frozen shrimp brine and the green pack (total of five or six) every night with garlic guard. The corals I give the fuel two to three times a week or when I have some marine snow (which I have to turn the skimmer off for an hour or two).
Watching some you tube videos (some) feed only twice a week? I don’t see how they manage fat healthy fish then. Yes they have much lower nutrients but they also turn their skimmer off to keep the food in the water column longer.

If I miss one day feeding my fish they are super mad at me. They will stay in the corner that I feed literally until I feed them. All fifteen will Hoover in that corner including my goby as he sifts sand. So curious as to what others do.

In terms of cynao I have definitely made a dent in it, and I’m keeping the carbon dosing up or aka noprox. It still shows on three tests separately I’m around 2ppm approx. now that most of the cynao is gone, I still seem some sections trying to come back which is why I’m still dosing it. The other reason is I have lps and some softies in my tank. Some like s little dirty water and when I dose the noprox higher it does affect the color of some of my softies and lps. (Only like three). But I really don’t wanna use chemiclean so I’m sticking with what I’m doing a little longer. I have also changed the filter pads and socks every two days to help get rid of the cyano that’s caught in the socks and return filter pads. I have kept the flow up meaning all four wave makers are at stream instead of wave.

I’m curious if I’m still going about this wrong or if what I’m doing is working. I don’t see how some people only feed twice a week. Now as my sump goes, I have a super stupid sump and I was really dumb to use it.
The footprint is kinda well stupid, where the first chamber is where the tank water dumps in and the filter socks are. It then spills over to the middle section which holds my skimmer, 2 heaters , and 2 uv steralizers. Then it has the baffle that overflows into the two microfiber pads section, then goes under into my return pumps to the tank.

Since there is no room really to grow anything I have to use those items listed above. Any thoughts of how to change it for the better? For Some reason my nitrates spike pretty high if I don’t dose the noprox. My import and export is out of whack, but I don’t know why. As much thought as I have put into this I literally have no idea why my import and export is out of whack. I have lots of corals, and let’s see fish count is:

1 large Naso tang 5-6 inches 1 Lt tang 4 inches 1 hippo tang 2.5-3 inches, then a Tommini tang 2 in, purple tang 3 in and one golden head goby, 1 bellus angel fish and 7 blue green chromies, and one clown fish in a 240 size tank. So there are 15 fish total, so could it be that I am way over stocked? My skimmer is the eshopps s300 and should handle a heavy biolaod up to 300 gallons. I have tons of coral so there is no way I can count all of them (well I could but don’t wanna).
I do the normal light schedule which is a 12 hour schedule I could maybe go to a ten hour one. I also have a Maximus clam which had been in for awhile.

I have to dose alk every day or it goes from 8 to 6 the next day. I have to does 2.5 2ml a day and the same with calcium in order to maintain a 440 cal and and 8 alk. I have no ammonia and no nitrites. Yet if I miss a day of dosing which I havnt (.but lowered it quiet a bit to not bottom the tank out), my nitrates jump to 10 or 15.

Since the cycle is ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, wouldn’t getting rid of the ammonia first prevent the nitrates? Which would also let me really cut down noprox to only 5ml for the whole tank, then to three, then to 1ml daily. When nitrates are high because of my water volume I’m between 25-30 ml daily till it drops, then half of that for a week then etc. so I’m curious if something else is causing my nitrates to spike.

Now I know about water changes and honestly I won’t lie I hate them. So I don’t do many water changes if any, the last one was oh like thanksgiving roughly. The reason I stopped is because I would do 30-50 gallons a week and it didn’t make a dent in my nitrates going lower. Which now we get into trace elements and yeah it’s a forever written post. So that’s why I started the noprox because water changes really were not working and they were creeping up as my tank matured. Well it’s only 16 months so it’s a toddler still, but I used all live rock and live sand. I also let my tank cycle for almost 75 days and went through all three blooms etc.

I have tiny amount of hair algae now, but it’s not much and I turn the flow off and pull it off with my fingers. My rocks won’t come out with out destroying coral. So yeah that’s kind of a problem I am working on.

But with out do I will up date with pictures but should probably take some first. So hang in there if they are not here as you read this they are coming. I also leveled my sand bed no more mountains and or valleys it’s all flat lol. It was like a day at the beach. Oh and finally the pictures load yay. Also if you look by the Duncan, it looks (the sand) looks more red than it actually is (iPhones have terrible cameras) but these pics are just my normal daylight setup. But in that area is where the cynao always starts and there is tons of flow because the Duncan is always moving.

 

[Fin]

Looks like you are going to need a bigger tank soon.

As far as your sump goes, it looks like it is working just fine to me. Write down what you would like to do differently and apply that to your new tank. We all learn to do things differently with our tanks the second time around.

 

[Sarah24!]

Looks like you are going to need a bigger tank soon.

As far as your sump goes, it looks like it is working just fine to me. Write down what you would like to do differently and apply that to your new tank. We all learn to do things differently with our tanks the second time around.

Hello,

Yes I have to frag corals often in my 240 it does really good and I havnt had many issues. Although when the lfs tested my water they said I was at 14 on alk which I normally have to dose every day or it drops to six and my cal was at 420. So I’m hoping my sps don’t crash on me because of it. I am going to do my on test when I get home. I put the same amount in every day so I know it was a slow rise. But will let it come down slowly and retest daily.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Okay so I am brain dead or redsea instructions make no sense. So after testing my magnesium I am at roughly 1250 from what the lfs tested. Now I know I’m suppose to be at 1350 to 1390 roughly.

So the bottles says if I’m at 1260 (close enough) then I would dose 130 ml. 1 ml equals 25 gal or 1 ppm right so let’s do the math. That’s two of the redsea caps plus 30ml in their measuring cup. Doesn’t that just seem like an awful lot to dose into the tank. Since I run a mixed reef it would be 90 give or take but this is the concentrated liquid.

My other parameters are fine cal is 400 which I have already dosed. The lfs said my alk was 14 but after three separate tests I am getting 8 two times and 9 one time. Now when I dose my alk it is 1.5 tablespoons of the powder daily, or I drop too much. The calcium is really close to 1.5 tablespoons as well. #reefsquad any one use the redsea liquid foundation c? Either I’m brain dead but are they saying I need 90 ml 8 times because I have roughly 200 gallons

 

[Raege]

For RedSea mag to go from 1260 to to 1350 bottle indicates 90ml per 25 gallons how I’m reading it. I would break that up over a few days test each day and creep up on your number

 

[Sarah24!]

For RedSea mag to go from 1260 to to 1350 bottle indicates 90ml per 25 gallons how I’m reading it. I would break that up over a few days test each day and creep up on your number

Hello,

That’s what I was going to do, I actually started with 25ml total and then will do 35 tomorrow and then test Sunday again (after I add 45ml). Just even 90 seems a lot and I don’t want to move to fast or things go bad quickly. Even when my nitrates spiked, so far all corals doing good except one and I may have to frag it soon to save it.

I definitely should start keeping a log because it’s only getting harder and harder to memorize which each dose is. But some how I do but speaking to others, some feel as if the instructions are kinda terrible. They really do not say to add this in slow or anything other than let’s make four days worth and divide by four. The noprox instructions were much better and easier to just do. Not sure why I didn’t get the ones for magnesium but at least I went the safe route and dosed way under. Then will let it creep up slowly so I don’t make it nice and mad.

 

[Raege]

I like RedSea but for whatever reason the instructions on back of bottle get to me to. I screwed up on
calcium once from them It does seem like the adds they call for are massive just going up 100ppm nag needing 90 per 25 gallons whoooo guess it keeps bottles moving off the shelf

 

[Sarah24!]

I like RedSea but for whatever reason the instructions on back of bottle get to me to. I screwed up on
calcium once from them It does seem like the adds they call for are massive just going up 100ppm nag needing 90 per 25 gallons whoooo guess it keeps bottles moving off the shelf

Hello,

What’s worse is, this is the concentrated version kinda like the washer machine soap. Yeah put one too many pumps of soap in your front loading washer and see what happens. The only thing you will need is a towel and a rubber ducky and singling along with Bert and Ernie.

Well still gonna start off super slow if it’s any thing like the noprox it moves fast, and addictive to the tank. Since I kinda hate water changes, yes I have to deal with this. But I have found the less I’m in my tank messing with it, the happier it is. If I can keep all activity to the sump then sure (other than glass scraping and blowing off the coral etc). But I try to limit my time in the tank to not much at all.

 

[jsker]

Hello,

What’s worse is, this is the concentrated version kinda like the washer machine soap. Yeah put one too many pumps of soap in your front loading washer and see what happens. The only thing you will need is a towel and a rubber ducky and singling along with Bert and Ernie.

Well still gonna start off super slow if it’s any thing like the noprox it moves fast, and addictive to the tank. Since I kinda hate water changes, yes I have to deal with this. But I have found the less I’m in my tank messing with it, the happier it is. If I can keep all activity to the sump then sure (other than glass scraping and blowing off the coral etc). But I try to limit my time in the tank to not much at all.

Good Evening Sarah

I am surprised you do not use a feeding bag to dose. Add the 25 ml of your element to 1000 ml of RO/DI and do a slow drip over 8 hours then test.

I also found when I used to use Red Sea for testing my Mg, when I would get down to the bottom of the reagent my test would not be as accurate. Now I keep another brand test kit on hand to double check it my test if the test if off.

 

[Sarah24!]

Good Evening Sarah

I am surprised you do not use a feeding bag to dose. Add the 25 ml of your element to 1000 ml of RO/DI and do a slow drip over 8 hours then test.

I also found when I used to use Red Sea for testing my Mg, when I would get down to the bottom of the reagent my test would not be as accurate. Now I keep another brand test kit on hand to double check it my test if the test if off.

Hello,

Ahhh oh boy cause I don’t have one ‍‍ (Says sheepishly,) I use measuring spoons and cups and math. It just seemed like a lot, and was wait a second is this right. If I’m down 100 ppm it takes over 1,000 ml to bring it up wow.
I have actually never had a bag drip system, as much as I probably should. Even coral accilimation as well as fish (after qt), I make sure their water never gets to mine, and just slowly add water from my tank with a cup. I usually take about 2 hours and then set them free. Ahhh so far it works lol (oh it sounds soooo terrible). As much of a science geek that I am, you would think I’d love to do all that. Well I kinda do lol (first chemistry set I had I burnt my eyebrows and bangs somehow lol), but just not at home. I like to think of my corals and fish as non patients lol. (Come here Dory I think you need a drip iv),

Not to mention there is a reason sometimes I want lfs or ask. Sometimes it’s not always (how do I put it), love my job and work etc, but try not to take it home. So it’s not I usual for me to kinda leave it there. Although at times, I have preferred to do most things because I trust myself more. If it’s the normal people there at the lfs I’m totally okay with them doing it lol. If they have new people ‍ I question or watch them super close.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Sounds like one of my friends might like a calcium reactor.

 

[Sarah24!]

Sounds like one of my friends might like a calcium reactor.

Hello,

It sooo gets worse (ever seen the movie you’ve got mail? I’m totally meg Ryan right now when she doesn’t even know the guys name she is talking to on email, this is me right now). I have a calcium reactor underneath my sink empty because I have no more space in my sump to place it in. Wow lol in five posts I have kinda dug myself a trench half way through the planet earth, (when am I gonna hit China again?)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hahahaha.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Does anyone have those days and go only if I had done (whatever). I generally don’t have many regrets and life is a learning process and some easier or harder etc. but always makes me wonder if one had done whatever would they still be the same person or same spot. Sadly once again life comes down to the single word of IF.

 

[rkpetersen]

Your numbers look right, as best as I can tell. You need to use quite a lot of the liquid mag supplements to get levels moving up, and you're looking to make a large correction. However unlike most companies, Red Sea doesn't appear to list the actual concentration of magnesium in their product anywhere online. And it can vary a lot. For example, Brightwell Mag is 100,000 ppm while ESV Mag is 36000 ppm.

Red Sea instructions imply that their mag concentration is 100,000 ppm, identical to the Brightwell product, even though they don't say so directly. So you would need 8 mls of this particular supplement to raise the mag in your tank by 1 ppm. This would be around 800 ml total. That is, if you take your LFS' word for what your mag level is. Personally, I wouldn't. If their alk number is way off, who says their other testing is any better? Get yourself a Salifert mag test kit, check it yourself, and keep checking it while you're dosing mag so that there are no surprises.

Assuming your mag is indeed low, I would raise it over a week, aiming for a 10-20 ppm rise each day. So around 100 ml per day in divided doses.

Also keep in mind that this calculation is just for making up the shortage, it doesn't take into account your ongoing mag consumption. Meaning that your final level will likely be lower than calculated, despite what seems like adding an awful lot of magnesium.

You could also consider putting mag on a doser, or getting a calcium reactor going as mentioned.

 

[Sarah24!]

Your numbers look right, as best as I can tell. You need to use quite a lot of the liquid mag supplements to get levels moving up, and you're looking to make a large correction. However unlike most companies, Red Sea doesn't appear to list the actual concentration of magnesium in their product anywhere online. And it can vary a lot. For example, Brightwell Mag is 100,000 ppm while ESV Mag is 36000 ppm.

Red Sea instructions imply that their mag concentration is 100,000 ppm, identical to the Brightwell product, even though they don't say so directly. So you would need 8 mls of this particular supplement to raise the mag in your tank by 1 ppm. This would be around 800 ml total. That is, if you take your LFS' word for what your mag level is. Personally, I wouldn't. If their alk number is way off, who says their other testing is any better? Get yourself a Salifert mag test kit, check it yourself, and keep checking it while you're dosing mag so that there are no surprises.

Assuming your mag is indeed low, I would raise it over a week, aiming for a 10-20 ppm rise each day. So around 100 ml per day in divided doses.

Also keep in mind that this calculation is just for making up the shortage, it doesn't take into account your ongoing mag consumption. Meaning that your final level will likely be lower than calculated, despite what seems like adding an awful lot of magnesium.

You could also consider putting mag on a doser, or getting a calcium reactor going as mentioned.

Hello,

Ahhh thank you for the very detailed message on this. It came to a point last night I was I am going to have to add this whole bottle. I can definitely see 100ml a day 50 in the morning and 50 at night. It is getting to the point that I will probably need a doser here soon. Need to find room in the sump section and maybe use my calicium reactor again lol. It’s not doing me much good sitting under my kitchen sink dry lol. Just I have never really had an issue with mag going low on me.

As much as this seems to be a curse lol it’s been a blessing. I normally get my pro salt from the same lfs. They recently did something wrong and not only did they start to crash their tanks but anyone who bought saltwater that day. So my neglect sorta paid off but still not an excuse. I’d much rather have the issue now than what the lfs and others are having. The best of my knowledge they switched pro salt mix and it went wrong from there. Now all of their tanks that are salt have cyano and all sps are dying and most lps as well. Softies seem to be fine but most of there tanks are not doing well after this switch. So I’m thankful I didn’t get my normal saltwater this time around.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Sorry been quiet lol I had to work and then about fell asleep while eating dinner last night. So today I had some great sleep except was woken up at 730 am. But that inspired me to change my tank some.

Not only did I change some rock work I also had to frag a bunch of coral just to make things per say work. But the best part is my massive leather, that was taken up prime space in my tank has a new place in my tank. I was careful to in ways that (said leather could release toxins). It had branches off into several other directions. I removed both rocks some how and then whipped out the chain saw and ax. (Not really). But kept the largest one and fragged the three small ones or cut them off the rock actually, then rinsed with fresh saltwater in my sink. Then placed back in my tank and moved all my softies to the bottom.

Since I had to frag so much it also allowed me to get another nice sps colony from my lfs. They had it close to 200 but I basically traded coral that was growing too fast for coral I don’t or didn’t have. Plus as I move more to a sps dominant and lps dominant tank frees up more space.

I must say for some reason in Boise birdsnest coral seems to go like gold. I have four huge colonies and even though I only trim three to four inch frags off, they are in demand. Lfs offered lots of other coral in trade for one full colony. Most are larger than a softball and one is almost the size of a soccer ball. I’m still chewing on that, I have to see what I can replace it with .

Was not completely done with how I wanted things but will definitely update with some pics and also show pics of the two new corals that I received in trade. Even better after testing today with one that I actually trust my water parameters are spot on. My cal was at 440, alk was at 9 and nitrates between 2-5 roughly but low. Still no signs of cyano coming back and magnesium was at 1400. Which I’m glad I did super small doses because last time I was told it was only 1250. My best guest along with the other who tested and always does mine along with one other who also verified it said the other employees who tested, did not do them correctly. It was nice to hear because I panic often and, they said they will make sure they are watched closer when it comes to this.

Not to mention I had a kinda odd experience at the shop today. Some random guy lol offered me his entire system, if I would agree to a week of dinner dates. I kinda was speechless and wanted to hide, but had to decline. (As bad as this sounds,) it was a 30 gallon fresh water tank. I didn’t see it and (could be fabulous) but I don’t need anything for dinner dates lol, other than umm ahh anyway.

So as I watch Disney movies and drown myself a few more times I am gonna make some minor movements. As huge as this sounds lol I only moved two rocks, but they totally changed some aspects of my tank. As soon as I took them down I had no idea how they went back in either. I literally couldn’t figure it out.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sounds like a really fun day of getting your hair soaked in saltwater.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Sorry been quiet lol I had to work and then about fell asleep while eating dinner last night. So today I had some great sleep except was woken up at 730 am. But that inspired me to change my tank some.

Not only did I change some rock work I also had to frag a bunch of coral just to make things per say work. But the best part is my massive leather, that was taken up prime space in my tank has a new place in my tank. I was careful to in ways that (said leather could release toxins). It had branches off into several other directions. I removed both rocks some how and then whipped out the chain saw and ax. (Not really). But kept the largest one and fragged the three small ones or cut them off the rock actually, then rinsed with fresh saltwater in my sink. Then placed back in my tank and moved all my softies to the bottom.

Since I had to frag so much it also allowed me to get another nice sps colony from my lfs. They had it close to 200 but I basically traded coral that was growing too fast for coral I don’t or didn’t have. Plus as I move more to a sps dominant and lps dominant tank frees up more space.

I must say for some reason in Boise birdsnest coral seems to go like gold. I have four huge colonies and even though I only trim three to four inch frags off, they are in demand. Lfs offered lots of other coral in trade for one full colony. Most are larger than a softball and one is almost the size of a soccer ball. I’m still chewing on that, I have to see what I can replace it with .

Was not completely done with how I wanted things but will definitely update with some pics and also show pics of the two new corals that I received in trade. Even better after testing today with one that I actually trust my water parameters are spot on. My cal was at 440, alk was at 9 and nitrates between 2-5 roughly but low. Still no signs of cyano coming back and magnesium was at 1400. Which I’m glad I did super small doses because last time I was told it was only 1250. My best guest along with the other who tested and always does mine along with one other who also verified it said the other employees who tested, did not do them correctly. It was nice to hear because I panic often and, they said they will make sure they are watched closer when it comes to this.

Not to mention I had a kinda odd experience at the shop today. Some random guy lol offered me his entire system, if I would agree to a week of dinner dates. I kinda was speechless and wanted to hide, but had to decline. (As bad as this sounds,) it was a 30 gallon fresh water tank. I didn’t see it and (could be fabulous) but I don’t need anything for dinner dates lol, other than umm ahh anyway.

So as I watch Disney movies and drown myself a few more times I am gonna make some minor movements. As huge as this sounds lol I only moved two rocks, but they totally changed some aspects of my tank. As soon as I took them down I had no idea how they went back in either. I literally couldn’t figure it out.

Lol that’s wild.

Since you don’t do water changes and you have a ton of coral do you dose trace elements? Like Red Sea Trace elements? You said you dose fuel but that’s not really a full panel trace element supplement.