Warning to others.

[Eienna]

This is where I got that information, if anyone's wondering.

Rappin' With ReefBum: Guests - Jake Adams, Reef Builders AND Chris Meckley, ACI Aquaculture!

Rappin' With ReefBum is a LIVE talk show with host Keith Berkelhamer and guests from the reef keeping community. In this episode I chat with Jake Adams from ...

www.youtube.com

 

[Dburr1014]

Question. You had/have dinos, right? Do you use algae for filtration, like chaeto or caulerpa? It just hit me that the timing's about right...the algae may have stripped your iron. I'd recommend getting an ICP done to check. That can cause dino issues because the competing organisms need iron to do their thing.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Question. You had/have dinos, right? Do you use algae for filtration, like chaeto or caulerpa? It just hit me that the timing's about right...the algae may have stripped your iron. I'd recommend getting an ICP done to check. That can cause dino issues because the competing organisms need iron to do their thing.

Icp has been done around 2 weeks ago. I do have iron. And aluminum i dk where that came from probably from a rusting algae scraper i been using without realizing

 

[Sump Crab]

There is more bad advice on this forum than good advice IMO. With that being said the main problem is ppl tend to “dabble” in the different reef keeping methods which never ends well. You need to decide what reefing philosophy you are going to adhere to and then stick to it. Want to go super techy with all the popular chemicals then so that 100%. QT everything and use dry rock. Want to go natural? Then get real liverock from the ocean, don’t bother with QT and skip the bottle cure alls. Both of those set ups will likely work out for you. But try and mix the two philosophies and you will definitely run into a disaster at some point.

 

[KrisReef]

I’ve started to read through this thread 2 or 3 times over the weekend. What struck me the first and third time was that the op was posting a video to provide a warning for other people who might be starting a new tank to be careful, go slowly, wait for the tank parameters to settle in with “good” stability.

None of those purposes prevailed in many of the post that followed, and a significant number of other issues became the scattered focus on topical discussions that don’t support the original premise.

If I we’re trying to edit this thread, never mind, I think It should be closed and deleted, trying to make sense of it, that can’t be done. FUBAR’ed. It will serve one purpose; to reveal if that term has been recognized by the editors, and the complimentary “if no, will that situation be wrecked if I’d?

 

[anthonygf]

I’ve started to read through this thread 2 or 3 times over the weekend. What struck me the first and third time was that the op was posting a video to provide a warning for other people who might be starting a new tank to be careful, go slowly, wait for the tank parameters to settle in with “good” stability.

None of those purposes prevailed in many of the post that followed, and a significant number of other issues became the scattered focus on topical discussions that don’t support the original premise.

If I we’re trying to edit this thread, never mind, I think It should be closed and deleted, trying to make sense of it, that can’t be done. FUBAR’ed. It will serve one purpose; to reveal if that term has been recognized by the editors, and the complimentary “if no, will that situation be wrecked if I’d?

I'll give credit to charbel101 to admit his mistakes and warn others what not to do. Good for him and I hope he does better in the future. It is too bad some have to trash his thread.

 

[AquaDaniel]

Let’s focus on this post itself and try to help. Stop judging, blaming and spreading all those negative energies, which are pointless and painful to read.

I think the only mistake you probably made is dosing too much nitrate and phosphate, which fueled all kinds of algae. The mistake isn’t that horrible as a new reefer. Don’t blame yourself too much
Totally agree that don’t be obsessed with numbers. You can’t make all problems go away with a magic number. If you already have algae, the numbers you’re measuring are not even accurate as the algae is consuming nutrition.
Not sure if you’re still selling the tank or thinking about saving it. For the latter, some things I would consider to do:
1. Lower light intensity, keep only blue or even just go blackout and try to block ambient white light
2. Pull out as much algae as you can, do water change and get more CUC
3. Consider dosing H2O2. It’s effective towards cyano and also weakens hair algae so the CUC can eat. You may also consider something like vibrant? I mean what can be worse.
4. Build up refugium
Also in the long run, you may want to spend more time cleaning the tank if that’s not the case? Just a guess as I probably wouldn’t let a tank become like this. Anyway regular maintenance is important.

 

[doubleshot00]

I’ve started to read through this thread 2 or 3 times over the weekend. What struck me the first and third time was that the op was posting a video to provide a warning for other people who might be starting a new tank to be careful, go slowly, wait for the tank parameters to settle in with “good” stability.

None of those purposes prevailed in many of the post that followed, and a significant number of other issues became the scattered focus on topical discussions that don’t support the original premise.

If I we’re trying to edit this thread, never mind, I think It should be closed and deleted, trying to make sense of it, that can’t be done. FUBAR’ed. It will serve one purpose; to reveal if that term has been recognized by the editors, and the complimentary “if no, will that situation be wrecked if I’d?

Yeah this thread is a train wreck.

Op probably should have done a ICP test as soon as he saw problems with the tank. ICP the tank water and RO water. Then post results to look for help. His YT video is at least a week if not weeks of algae growth and he should have been manually removing as he goes. If dinos then post on Macks group on FB but who knows if its Dinos unless you have a microscope. UV is not the only answer for Dinos as there are different variants. Im just as much of a rookie as OP but I know now that there is a lot of work in a reef tank.

And OP don't think everyone's tank is perfect because its not. I have Cyano IN my sand and its been kicking my but for months.

 

[KrisReef]

Op probably should have done a ICP test as soon as he saw problems with the tank.

And OP don't think everyone's tank is perfect because its not. I have Cyano IN my sand and its been kicking my but for months.

Nice, provide solutions and realistic support.
BTW, I was on that train, been here a long time.

 

[GatorGreg]

I'll give credit to charbel101 to admit his mistakes and warn others what not to do. Good for him and I hope he does better in the future. It is too bad some have to trash his thread.

I think people trashed his thread because his OP had a very passive aggressive tone and was basically blaming this forum for messing up his tank. I mean let’s be real here……it wasn’t the advice that messed his tank up. It was how he interpreted and acted on the advice.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Wait... so back wheb this was posted, i could not see the video on youtube, i beleive it said it was unavailable at the time.

Now that this thread has been resurected... THE TANK DOESN'T EVEN LOOK THAT BAD!

Give it time for the food chain to build itself. Mine has looked way the hell worse than that a couple times, eventually organisms in your tank will increade in populations to take care of it. I had slimes, bubbles, dinos, hairs, turfs, macros,covering every little bit of my tank, I didn't eveb work on manual removing it just eventually recedes on its own. If it doesn't work on keeping the tank more stable, and get more micro fauna introduced.

Edit: this is less towards OP and more towards new people in ugly phases, to not panic when it looks that ugly.

 

[anthonygf]

I think people trashed his thread because his OP had a very passive aggressive tone and was basically blaming this forum for messing up his tank. I mean let’s be real here……it wasn’t the advice that messed his tank up. It was how he interpreted and acted on the advice.

So true. All the advice given was good for many situations but you can't act on it all at the same time.

edit, and to blame others was not cool.

 

[reefinatl]

you can do the ati icp test which test your source water RO and ur reef water . this is a total win for me as I drink the RODI water we make . good way to check if ur DI resin is working

Drinking RODI exclusively is not healthy FYI. T Into the system before DI into a drinking reservoir is the way to go.

I'm a play by ear guy. I monitor alk loosely and if it looks good I roll with or do waterchanges.

Single coral doesn't do well I get something else that looks similar instead of fighting it.

 

[anthonygf]

Drinking RODI exclusively is not healthy FYI. T Into the system before DI into a drinking reservoir is the way to go.

No need for the T connection if you use an alkalinity filter for the DI water. It remineralizes the water, also raises the ph close to around 9. I use this for my DI water and the TDS goes to 28-31 from 0.

 

[Eleni18]

There is more bad advice on this forum than good advice IMO. With that being said the main problem is ppl tend to “dabble” in the different reef keeping methods which never ends well. You need to decide what reefing philosophy you are going to adhere to and then stick to it. Want to go super techy with all the popular chemicals then so that 100%. QT everything and use dry rock. Want to go natural? Then get real liverock from the ocean, don’t bother with QT and skip the bottle cure alls. Both of those set ups will likely work out for you. But try and mix the two philosophies and you will definitely run into a disaster at some point.

This is probably the best advice I have read so far!!!! Very very well put and absolutely true

 

[reefinatl]

I always tell noobs to find one build and one method they like and emulate that. Once things cruise then start experimenting. The dipping your toe into 4 methods becomes a wreck.

Everyone is so scared about live rock now but dang just throw a few pieces of rock in there wait til ammonia is no longer super high and add fish and clean up crew. When things look okay start adding coral. Works everytime just fine. Mantis shrimp and crabs are the only risks and are easily fished out early on. All the other stuff will get in there anyways sooner or later unless you are insanely diligent with QTing every single pebble you add. We are nearly 50 years into this hobby now, lots of cool tech and ways to run a tank but the basic just get it up and running smooth problem was solved with the Berlin method decades ago.

Loud mouthed newbs that think they discovered success because they grew a couple sticks by half an inch after 6 months will always be an issue. Blind leading the blind.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Loud mouthed newbs that think they discovered success because they grew a couple sticks by half an inch after 6 months will always be an issue. Blind leading the blind.

... half an inch in six months?

I'll take some of that blindness now please!

 

[((FORDTECH))]

... half an inch in six months?

I'll take some of that blindness now please!

Lol me too. After 10 years I can’t get 1/2inch growth in 6 months

 

[reefinatl]

Perhaps I should've went with 1/8" in my rant. Really though a little extra length is always good.

 

[TLO45]

As a 20+ year veteran of reefkeeping, I’ve seen it all. Even when live rock was the only rock available, most played by the rule of “wait close to a year before the tank settles in and you start seeing coralline on the glass before adding coral.” Now that we’re left with dry rock, it’s at least a year before I feel a tank can safely handle corals that are much more expensive today (comparatively) than then. That being said, the desire for “insta-reef” is strong these days…no doubt a parallel with Instagram.
Rush it…pay the price.

As for the whole nutrient debate, I’m torn. I feel there’s much more to it than “you can’t have zero nitrates and phosphates”. I feel some people need to be told that because they simply don’t feed enough. They’re afraid of algae and what many not familiar would call a dirty tank. Pristine and clean doesn’t exist on wild reefs. But yes…you can be reading zero and have a gorgeous reef tank. It’s more about being able to process those nutrients and export them than having a holy grail number to strive for. Some people feed heavily, have zero detectable nutrients and their corals are thriving…but I’ve found those reefers tend to have an impeccable maintenance routine, feed much more than many may think and resist the need to tinker. Others keep nutrients detectable and achieve the same results.

One thing I’ve found is that the hobby is most enjoyable for me when I treat a system like a fish tank the first year as it goes through it’s inevitable hiccups of dinoflagellates, diatoms, Cyanobacteria, green algae phases and ultimately just settles in and does its thing.

Things I’ve learned over 20+ years:

1. More fish and feedings will always trump trying to balance nutrients with bottled potions.
2. As your tank and corals mature, you’ll need to feed more.
3. A green dusting on the glass every few days is not a dirty tank, but a sign that your tank is healthy.
4. Don’t chase numbers. Instead, have an acceptable range for each parameter. Pay attention to trends upwards and downwards for each parameter. If the tank looks better with a number outside your acceptable range, then maybe you’re wrong and the tank will do better there.
5. Treat your reef like a large ocean tanker. Never overcorrect the ship swiftly. Slowly nudge it back with small adjustments.
6. It’s always better to underlight than overlight a coral.
7. Long acclimation of corals sitting at the bottom of the tank ( a month or more) will always produce better results than “stick and pray.”
8. You’ll always be chasing your next pest. Embrace it. There’s no such thing as “one day I’ll get to cruise control.” Even on wild reefs (with a stability we’ll never achieve in captivity), algae phases come and go, and some corals sometimes die. And yes…most times it’s unfortunately that expensive one that goes first. Don’t start correcting everything when 99% of the tank looks great.
9. Knowing your tank and its unique nuances with daily observation is much more valuable than anything you’ll learn from an ICP test. ICP tests are like a home inspection. Not everything needs to be “fixed” or needs immediate attention. A sense of urgency in a product and relying on that product is a great marketing plan for customer retention.
10. Water changes work and can fix a lot of problems, but most importantly, a sound water change routine will help stave off many issues. The “no water change club” isn’t a badge of honor. In all my years, I’ve seen a lot of tanks. No water change aficionados are mostly veterans, and admittedly, their tanks would look better with more water changes.
11. Be a STICKLER for your source water. Provide the cleanest RODI you can. Change sediment and carbon filters before they look disgusting…not after you’re reading 001 TDS and already allowed a lot of pollutants into your system. Your DI will last much longer if your sediment and carbon are changed more frequently. People will spend thousands on corals and neglect the source of the most abundant element in their tank…water.
12. Resist the need to fill your tank with gadgets. Having a gizmo for every possible thing and relying on equipment to do things that take less than 5 minutes a day for you to do yourself is playing with Murphy’s Law. If you have the time to do something yourself, always choose that route over automation. It will physically put you in tune with the daily heartbeat of your tank. This hobby is much more enjoyable when you can come home from work and observe your livestock instead of checking to see if all the gadgets are humming along.

Welcome to reefkeeping.

As a long term reefer and making more mistakes than I can remember… this has to be some of the best advice I’ve heard in years!
I started a new reef a few years back and have had more issues than any other system I have had. If I had followed this advice ( although I new them all) I would be at least a year ahead of where I’m currently at.
Great advice to follow!
I’m going to print this off, frame it and put it in my fish room when I’m having issues!!