Will SPS be okay in these params?

[gbroadbridge]

Oooooh so it has a delayed reaction I did not actually know that. Hmm. What is your best recommendation for stabilizing nitrate. Do you recommend running filter socks or none at all?

I use a roller mat, plus carbon dosing and skimming - but I feed a lot of hungry fish a lot of food, so that they can provide waste products to feed the coral.

It's a tricky balance in any tank, whatever works for you that you can keep stable is the goal.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I've been fighting high NO3 and now just getting it to 20-30 down from 50+
My LPS and softies have enjoyed the NO3 and only now I've dropped them am I having issues with LPS/Softies
My Goni loved higher NO3 while I have a finger leather that has never popped for me and looks to like it around 30.

I get the feeling if I got to 5-10 most of my current coral would say a big FU.
I will continue to chase the NO3 and see how low I can get. No SPS until I get to 10-15

My no3 is +30 right now and my acros look as good as ever and way better than 90% of the pics on this site. Chasing 15 from 30 will kill acros and upset other corals. Leaving them at 30 will not.

I see “keep it stable” on this forum multiple times a day but no one seems to really know what it means. It means keep your system stable……not no3/po4. Adding this or that chemical/media to see some number you want is the opposite of keeping the system stable.

 

[Zbutcher]

You need to keep in mind that what your coral is doing today is reflecting what went wrong a month ago.
Stability is the key and if your tank is swinging like that nothing will be happy.

Get the NO3 stable at 10ppm, and after a month or two at that level the coral will stabilize too.

Oooooh so it has a delayed reaction I did not actually know that. Hmm. What is your best recommendation for stabilizing nitrate. Do you recommend running filter socks or none at all

You checked it on your tank? Or you watched him par map on his tank?

 

[Zbutcher]

You checked it on your tank? Or you watched him par map on his tank?

On his tank. But we have the same custom tank with the same lights.

 

[Zbutcher]

I've been fighting high NO3 and now just getting it to 20-30 down from 50+
My LPS and softies have enjoyed the NO3 and only now I've dropped them am I having issues with LPS/Softies
My Goni loved higher NO3 while I have a finger leather that has never popped for me and looks to like it around 30.

I get the feeling if I got to 5-10 most of my current coral would say a big FU.
I will continue to chase the NO3 and see how low I can get. No SPS until I get to 10-15

That's really interesting and good to know. So many different opinions on what works and what doesn't on this site hahah

 

[Zbutcher]

I use a roller mat, plus carbon dosing and skimming - but I feed a lot of hungry fish a lot of food, so that they can provide waste products to feed the coral.

It's a tricky balance in any tank, whatever works for you that you can keep stable is the goal.

That's makes sense. But my guess is you have a lot of coral and if you have a lot of coral that also helps keep a lot of your nutrients balanced.

 

[Zbutcher]

My no3 is +30 right now and my acros look as good as ever and way better than 90% of the pics on this site. Chasing 15 from 30 will kill acros and upset other corals. Leaving them at 30 will not.

I see “keep it stable” on this forum multiple times a day but no one seems to really know what it means. It means keep your system stable……not no3/po4. Adding this or that chemical/media to see some number you want is the opposite of keeping the system stable.

That's an extremely valid point. It's certainly true that everyone mentions stability but everyone also mentions stable but at a certain level or number of no3/po4. Maybe it's just me but I feel like it would be extremely difficult to make things stable for those without testing everyday

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

On his tank. But we have the same custom tank with the same lights.

He only has 2 skys also?

 

[94Rudolph]

Try adding mebemycin oxime.......

 

[Zbutcher]

He only has 2 skys also?

No sir. 2 skies plus a couple radions across the top.

 

[Zbutcher]

Try adding mebemycin oxime.......

Sorry what does this do for a reef tank?

Also I did a quick google and it sounds like I probably can't get it in Canada anyways unfortunately

 

[Jwise]

I'm going to do a big water change. Do you have any other ideas of a good option for bringing it down?

Whats your filtration do you use a sump if so you should be using filter socks to help pull any uneaten food and fish waste. I would suggest cleaning them every other day to make sure you don't have build up of nutrients decomposing in them. I would suggest also doing a 25 percent water change once a week for 2 weeks straight and then one more 25 percent water change two weeks after the second week. Then a 25 percent water change once a month after that to help keep nutrients out. It also wouldn't hurt to make sure you got the right size skimmer for you tank.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

No sir. 2 skies plus a couple radions across the top.

So not the same. You don’t have enough light at 25%. You’re starving your acros to death

 

[Zbutcher]

Whats your filtration do you use a sump if so you should be using filter socks to help pull any uneaten food and fish waste. I would suggest cleaning them every other day to make sure you don't have build up of nutrients decomposing in them. I would suggest also doing a 25 percent water change once a week for 2 weeks straight and then one more 25 percent water change two weeks after the second week. Then a 25 percent water change once a month after that to help keep nutrients out. It also wouldn't hurt to make sure you got the right size skimmer for you tank.

Hey man thanks for your response!

Yes I have a 4'x2' sump. I use filter socks. One drain goes into the filter sock and I let it fill up then swap to a new one but it sounds like I should change it sooner by your suggestion? Also I have the other drain going directly into a "refugium" (which just consists of my live rock since the main tank is a coral flat with racks). See attached picture of tank btw. But do you suggest both drains go into a filter sock?

My skimmer is eshopps x-160 axium skimmer.

Yes I am going back to my weekly water changed for sure!

 

[Zbutcher]

So not the same. You don’t have enough light at 25%. You’re starving your acros to death

Oh really? Okay! I will bump it up thanks man!

 

[ScottB]

I started with biobricks and dead rock but purchased some rock that I was told was alive for 20 yearss and thick coralline on a few pieces in some spots.

What do you think my cal should be at?

Anything over 425 is fine on Ca

 

[Jwise]

Hey man thanks for your response!

Yes I have a 4'x2' sump. I use filter socks. One drain goes into the filter sock and I let it fill up then swap to a new one but it sounds like I should change it sooner by your suggestion? Also I have the other drain going directly into a "refugium" (which just consists of my live rock since the main tank is a coral flat with racks). See attached picture of tank btw. But do you suggest both drains go into a filter sock?

My skimmer is eshopps x-160 axium skimmer.

Yes I am going back to my weekly water changed for sure!

I would just up the amount of times you clean the filter sock and do you have copepods in your refugium i would also suggest that and i would also suggest to throw some cheato algae in your refugium. but you would need a light set up for it to grow and woukd have to rotate it about once a week because it would probably not be able to rotate with the rock in your sump

 

[Jwise]

Hey man thanks for your response!

Yes I have a 4'x2' sump. I use filter socks. One drain goes into the filter sock and I let it fill up then swap to a new one but it sounds like I should change it sooner by your suggestion? Also I have the other drain going directly into a "refugium" (which just consists of my live rock since the main tank is a coral flat with racks). See attached picture of tank btw. But do you suggest both drains go into a filter sock?

My skimmer is eshopps x-160 axium skimmer.

Yes I am going back to my weekly water changed for sure!

I would not do a water change every week all the time but in case of emergency like this. I would say it worked for me to get my nitrates down in the past to do it 2 weeks in a row and then two weeks later one more time and then once a month again

 

[94Rudolph]

Sorry what does this do for a reef tank?

Also I did a quick google and it sounds like I probably can't get it in Canada anyways unfortunately

I met a parasite which is smaller than red bug in the root of the coral in China, which can cause STN. Look carefully with a bright flashlight，You'll see a lot of bugs moving fast，Do you have this in your pet store？

 

[Zbutcher]

I would just up the amount of times you clean the filter sock and do you have copepods in your refugium i would also suggest that and i would also suggest to throw some cheato algae in your refugium. but you would need a light set up for it to grow and woukd have to rotate it about once a week because it would probably not be able to rotate with the rock in your sump

I have copepods everywhere and I have an algae scrubber instead of chaeto