What’s happening here?

[Miami Reef]

Not sure about that would have to crunch the numbers and see but dosing doesn't control nutrients levels or remove impurities from the water either. I was thinking more that a 4 month tank really isn't consuming alk or cal much at all to necessitate dosing. This is typically ugly phase time where tanks are unstable and water changes help maintain balance while you scrape and siphon algae and filter your sand.

Water changes are great for many purposes, but you’ll need to do them much more than the recommended to maintain alkalinity and calcium; they deplete too fast.

 

[Lavey29]

Water changes are great for many purposes, but you’ll need to do them much more than the recommended to maintain alkalinity and calcium; they deplete too fast.

True but this usually occurs later the first year not usually at 4 months. He is just ahead of the curve. I had to hand dose a little between month 6 and 10 then had to switch to a doser because as you state water changes do not keep up with alk and cal consumption unless maybe a nano tank or lightly stocked tank.

 

[apeshot]

Can you net some of the particulate out? It’s difficult to know for sure from the video. Could be sand, food, precipitate, micro bubbles. I guess I’d be curious if it was chalky, or hard, or soft. What color under bright white light is it?

Are you saying you don’t do any water changes? No judging if you don’t, but knowing that may explain the particulate matter possibly. It may also explain some other build up that is flaking away now into display tank. Don’t sweat dosing 8 mL. That’s less than two teaspoons per day.

 

[fish_collector]

Maybe zip tie small filter socks to the return outlets to catch any debris that gets to the return section of the sump, and use them for a few hours. Turn off all flow and see what it actually is, I'm going to assume you've ruled out microbubbles from the skimmer.

I'm not claiming to be the smartest one in the room and I have zero intentions for a debate, but at 4 months I can't see 2 part being necessary. And coralline so soon? Was it started up with seasoned rock?

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Have you dosed copepods, my seed tank looked that way when the pods had a population explosion

 

[Miami Reef]

If your alk is 6dKH and your saltwater mix is 8dKH, it’s impossible to get it back to 8dKH without a 100% change.

It’s just silly to rely on water changes if your alk and calcium is low when you can instantly and safely add alk as an additive.

Why are people so against adding alk and calcium to a new tank that is depleting them? Are you implying dosing those additives are inherently harmful?

Why should a new tank require extra water changes over an older one? Nutrients? What if the nutrients are fine in the new tank but the alk is too low?

It’s just ridiculous to me. We have to let go of the rigidity and box we encased ourselves in. Who made these rules?? Anyone can dose alkalinity to any age tank if it’s too low


Changing water just to add alkalinity wastes water and salt. Why would a new tank have excess organics? There’s no reason to change water to maintain alkalinity and calcium levels when you can easily dose them up.

 

[lushuk]

So it was started with dead live rock which had been cleaned and seeded with various bacteria, the sand is 20lb of Carib sea special grade which was washed 1ltr at a time over 3 hours, yes I’m happy with the growth and minimal ugly stage 25 bags of pods were added at the start but I can’t actually see any on the glass etc I have a filter roller on thr tank which shows nothing abnormal, I could kill the pumps and collect some debris from the surface and stick it under a scope but tbh I’m not sure what I’d be looking for to Id it, It’s a 700ltr tank and I did a just over 10% water early on but that’s been it, my icp shows nothing alarming, I will kill the pumps and see what I can collect!

 

[fish_collector]

From my experience i've never had a tank need regular 2 part additions so soon. But that's useless information to the context of the OPs inquiry as to what it is floating in the water.

Could it be something growing inside the return pipes/hoses? If I shut off my return pumps and restart them after a bit there is always some stuff that is put into the tank, I don't know what it is but I suspect some type of bacterial growths inside the pipes that breaks free and goes into the water flow. In 5 minutes it is always gone though.

 

[lushuk]

If your alk is 6dKH and your saltwater mix is 8dKH, it’s impossible to get it back to 8dKH without a 100% change.

It’s just silly to rely on water changes if your alk and calcium is low when you can instantly and safely add alk as an additive.

Why are people so against adding alk and calcium to a new tank that is depleting them? Are you implying dosing those additives are inherently harmful?

Why should a new tank require extra water changes over an older one? Nutrients? What if the nutrients are fine in the new tank but the alk is too low?

It’s just ridiculous to me. We have to let go of the rigidity and box we encased ourselves in. Who made these rules?? Anyone can dose alkalinity to any age tank if it’s too low


Changing water just to add alkalinity wastes water and salt. Why would a new tank have excess organics? There’s no reason to change water to maintain alkalinity and calcium levels when you can easily dose them up.

That’s sort of my reason to dose tbh, I set lots of tanks up this way and never had this problem before and stuck for ideas what to do next as this is my tank and it’s currently an eyesore apart from the bits it seems in a constant mist which is yuk

 

[lushuk]

From my experience i've never had a tank need regular 2 part additions so soon. But that's useless information to the context of the OPs inquiry as to what it is floating in the water.

Could it be something growing inside the return pipes/hoses? If I shut off my return pumps and restart them after a bit there is always some stuff that is put into the tank, I don't know what it is but I suspect some type of bacterial growths inside the pipes that breaks free and goes into the water flow. In 5 minutes it is always gone though.

It’s consuming alk and other elements backed up by icps and corals are basing out so I guess they need replacing, so as I’m after stability I use the dosing method, but as op I can’t address the bits

 

[Lavey29]

Can you post some full tank shots showing pump placement and providing intensity levels?

Are you thoroughly shaking the alk container before using it for dosing purposes?