Watchguy's SPS Addiction (photo intense)

[CoralWealth]

Hi Cody,

I saw somewhere else where you had a thread about excess nitrates. So if you'll oblige me. Assuming you are using ro/di water for both make up and salt water, and that it is filtered appropriately, then Nitrates are likely a primary result of food added to your tank. So the first thing you should think about is reducing your feeding. It seems everybody finds a comfort zone about how much food is too much or too little, but the truth is we all guess.

In terms of getting nitrate out well, 1) skimming will remove some, 2) any substrate will also remove some like live rock, live sand, dead rock, ceramics, heck even bio balls and no I am not advocating bio balls 3) algae via a scrubber, reactor or refugium 4) all those bacteria and critters that live in your tank as well so that is why carbon dosing also works. Although, I don't carbon dose, I do use a skimmer, I have lots of rock and sand perhaps not a deep sand bed, I utilize siporax, I have a refugium for chaeto growth and as I said earlier, I like to think I feed enough for fish health but not enough to create a nutrient overload.

I added siporax some time ago to my tank. Mine took about 4 months to "turn on". It requires time to colonize and I have heard it takes a couple of months to be seeded with enough aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (nitrifying and denitrifying) to become effective but I don't know what exactly is the time truly needed. It is pretty easy to tell when it is functional because it dramatically drops your nitrates so you have to keep testing along the way. Heck, you have to keep testing nitrates all the time regardless. I believe 1 liter per 25 gallons is suggested but I doubt that the amount is based on research, either anecdotal or marketing probably. I think I have about seven liters but I don't remember the exact number. I use the 15 mm size but again I don't know if that is any better or worse than the 25mm size. I have it in both my refugium and sump and both are after my sock. I don't have much detritus or debris in my sump ever because of the sock which I try to change out twice weekly but at least once weekly. I haven't "rinsed" or cleaned my siporax yet. It is recommended whenever you perceive a reduction in effectiveness which probably means it should be rinsed regularly so it is always well functioning. I think flow is probably not significant and would not suggest adding another powerhead in your sump to increase flow there. In some of the siporax literature it suggests flow rates do not matter although I thought I had read somewhere else that someone within Siporax thought slow flow actually might dramatically increase nitrate reduction.

Awesome thank you! I have a skimmer rated for 500g on my 180dt and 40 gallon sump, I have cheato that grows great but obviously does not take enough out. I have seen everywhere that everyone says to use the 25mm and not the 15mm but I have only really seen the 15mm for sale, so good to see you use it.

I really do not think I feed too much, as I feed my own homemade mix that is only around 3-4 frozen cubes which I do not think is a lot for a tank this size. my SPS are just not large enough yet to take up more nutrients which is why I was looking for around a 1 year solution like siporax to help control my nitrates till my SPS are taking up a lot more nutrients.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Beautiful pics, man! That Red Ferrari is crazy!!

 

[watchguy123]

Beautiful pics, man! That Red Ferrari is crazy!!

Thank you,


One more crazy picture of the Red Ferrari, polyps are fairly extended on this shot

 

[cFloor]

very cool pic!

 

[joseserrano]

can you post some pics of your overall system, especially your gear/filtration.

 

[watchguy123]

very cool pic!

thank you

can you post some pics of your overall system, especially your gear/filtration.

Hmm, my overall system is not very unique or exciting, plus I am a messy reefer so really hate to share behind the scenes stuff but I will. Photos will follow down the road, but I can give you a list. I use a Geissman light fixture which has three 250 watt 20k radiums and 4 ATI 80 watt Blue plus t5's. I added reefbrite xho's for dawn/dusk and a bit of pop to my coral viewing. I have a sump probably around 30 gallons or so with a bubble king 200 protein skimmer that resides within, and I have one sock that I replace at least weekly and try to change twice weekly. In the sump I have 5 or 6 one liter bags of siporax. I use a reeflo dart/snapper circulating pump. I also have a 20 gallon or so refugium which has chaeto in it, lit by a kessil 350 light. In the refugium, I have 2 one liter bags of siporax which get slow flow through. I use apex classic to control all of this darn mess of electric equipment--I have been disappointed with apex probably because I expect more of it than it delivers. Probably if it had more reliable wi-fi connectivity I would like it more. I also have a 25 gallon ATO that a Tunze ATO controls. I have a chiller because of the heat of the San Fernando Valley and my metal halides. I also use a fan that blows across the top surface of the tank that surprisingly work remarkably well to keep temperature controlled. I have two submerged heaters for the cold winter nights that the apex helps control. Lastly, I have a maxspect gyre 150 that is an incredible work horse. I have two of them, but I only run one at a time, the second is used when the first is in a vinegar bath.

I always show coral pictures, so here is a Reef Raft USA Firecracker that is mainly green but it is most definitely encrusting. I am optimistic it will color up as expected soon enough.



And here is another little acro that I think when it finally grows up will be pretty. I have looked at enough coral pictures to get suspicious when colors look to vibrant to be real but I don't mess with saturation controls ever. This guy looks like this because of the pop from my reefbrite blue xho's and believe it or not, top down viewing, this is exactly what it looks like--truly a bit unreal and touched up but its not.

 

[joseserrano]

thank you for sharing, excited to see the pictures.

 

[bubbaque]

What is your current nutrient levels?

 

[Spschief85]

A relatively new frag and yes that picture is with blue LEDs

Acrolandia?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I am amazed with your coral collections. What camera you are using?. Your front (through the glass?) view, closed up pictures is flawless.

 

[watchguy123]

What is your current nutrient levels?

Nitrates typically between 5-10 ppm but I supplement KNO3 powder daily to keep it there. Between my chaeto, siporax, weekly water changes, protein skimmer, ROX, live rock and sand bed the nitrates will drift down without supplement. Phosphate runs between .03 and 0.1 ppm

Acrolandia?

Reef Raft USA Rainbow Blossom

I am amazed with your coral collections. What camera you are using?. Your front (through the glass?) view, closed up pictures is flawless.

I use a Sony mirror-less body with typically the 18-55mm kit lens but I recently purchased a 90mm Sony macro lens. I believe the sensor is about 3/4 size so I get significant magnification from the lens. I’m hoping to get an updated camera body by year end. I have a bow front tank so virtually all my photographs are top down instead of through the front glass.

Z’s Superman

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Thanks for the information @watchguy123. What do you use for top shots?. Looking glass?

 

[watchguy123]

Thanks for the information @watchguy123. What do you use for top shots?. Looking glass?

I have both an Avast top down port hole extra-long and a building an obsession top down camera tube pro. Both work exceptionally well.

Z’s Prize

 

[watchguy123]

Z’s Favorite

 

[watchguy123]

Z’s Pink Cotton Candy

 

[CoralWealth]

wait did I read that right, you only run one gyre 150 as the entire flow in your tank besides the return flow?

What are the dimensions on your tank?

 

[watchguy123]

wait did I read that right, you only run one gyre 150 as the entire flow in your tank besides the return flow?

What are the dimensions on your tank?

So yes, I only use one maxspect gyre 150 and the reeflo dart/snapper recirculating pump. I think the gyre is a monster and I run it at about 50-60% power near the top of the tank and it creates a very significant gyre flow. My tank is a bowfront but the dimensions are about 72”x24”x24”, roughly 180 gallons.


Z’s Yellow Eyed Jawdropper

 

[bubbaque]

I never would of thought 1 gyre would be enough flow. I have two gyre 250's run at 100% alternating flow in my 180 and I still don't feel it's enough.

 

[CoralWealth]

I never would of thought 1 gyre would be enough flow. I have two gyre 250's run at 100% alternating flow in my 180 and I still don't feel it's enough.

Yeah I am similar. I have a reeflo return too, plus my gyre 150 at the top right going across along with a pp15 on the same side. I then have two pp15 on the other side shooting back at the gyre 150.

I would love to see a FTS of your tank watchguy123

 

[watchguy123]

I never would of thought 1 gyre would be enough flow. I have two gyre 250's run at 100% alternating flow in my 180 and I still don't feel it's enough.

Yeah I am similar. I have a reeflo return too, plus my gyre 150 at the top right going across along with a pp15 on the same side. I then have two pp15 on the other side shooting back at the gyre 150.

I would love to see a FTS of your tank watchguy123

Prior to the maxspect gyre 150, I used two tunze 6105’s at opposite ends but I think there is much more flow with the single gyre. I seem to see good polyp motion and feel like there is lots of flow throughout the tank.

Z’s Disguise