Walker's 90g - brb nuking algae

[BattleAthletics]

You've said "coraline is finally starting to take off" about 3 times in your previous posts, it looks like it had been taking off before that! This is going to look Damn nice when you get your algea and phosphate problems in check, good luck walker! Excellent documentation!

[Walker]

You've said "coraline is finally starting to take off" about 3 times in your previous posts, it looks like it had been taking off before that! This is going to look Damn nice when you get your algea and phosphate problems in check, good luck walker! Excellent documentation!

Heh, I guess I was kinda spoiled by my first tank. I went through a boom and bust cycle with it as well before getting a good handle on how to balance nutrient input and and output, but once I got it dialed in, my coralline was so thick it had layers, and it was completely opaque. It was a huge pain in the ass to scrape off when I eventually broke down the tank.

[Walker]

Happy to report that the tank seems a lot more stable now. I've got a valonia outbreak but that's almost preferable to random STN.

 

Got a new shrimp to replace the one that died of old age:

[BattleAthletics]

I hate valonia, how do you plan to take care of it?

[Walker]

I hate valonia, how do you plan to take care of it?

Valonia had a boom and a bust in my previous tank, so I expect the same thing. I usually attack it by manual removal of accessible growths. I'll try burning it with vinegar as well, but I think it's a lot more robust to that than the red bubble type. The one spot I tried had the bubbles die but come back.

 

I have super-high alk (12.5dKH) and with the carbon dosing and GFO finally starting to stabilize my system into a low-nutrient state (not ULNS though), what I had worried about has come to pass. I am starting to see burnt tips on my SPS. Luckily enough, I've switched to Randy's recipe from B-ionic and am already reducing alk to NSW levels slowly. Hopefully the alk reduction will help.

[Walker]

I had stopped using the zeo additives for a few months now, but I will restart using them starting this week. It just seems like there's something off my reef and I never had these issues when I was using zeo. We'll see if it improves.

[Walker]

I have decided to go full Zeovit, starting today. I have taken my GFO reactor offline, halved my vinegar dose, and have started transitioning to ZeoStart. I'm excited and a little nervous, but I hope that my OCD when it comes to my aquarium will pay off.

[Walker]

Just for reference, here's my dosing structure:

 

(Ok, not taking tables, need to figure out a better presentation)

 

 

ZeoBak drops down to 3x a week, 3 drops in two weeks.

[NanoTopia]

Hi Walker,

 

If you haven't already done so, you can download the ZEOvit Guide, it contains a great deal of information on the method and products usage.

 

In an ULNS, elements above that of natural seawater become stressful to corals, mainly sensitive corals and SPS in general.

 

Alk: 6.5-7.5 dKH

 

Ca: 410ppm

 

Mg 1280-1300ppm

 

K: 380-400ppm

 

Salinity: 35ppm (34ppm is acceptable)

[Walker]

I just started measuring K, which is 420 in my tank. Not too high above ideal, so I won't worry about it. I've looked at that guide a lot (been contemplating full Zeo for a while) so hopefully I won't make too many mistakes.

 

I am also in the process of reducing my Alk to NSW levels. I turned off my Alk doser and found out quickly that the corals suck up alk at a rate of 1.1dKH/day. I have dropped 3.3 dKH in the span of three days. That's crazy, considering I'm having SPS coral problems. I guess the montiporas are loving it, as those SPS are the ones that are growing like gangbusters.

 

Since I've blown 3.3dKH already, I figure I'll take a huge gamble and continue for another 2 days, which will drop it squarely to 7. I suspect my STN'ing corals are going to be goners, but hopefully I can salvage enough from the burnt tip corals that I'll be ahead. I hate to risk my corals like this, but considering the fluctuation that's already happened, I'll take that chance.

[Walker]

First effects of Zeo dosing spotted - my sand has started to develop diatoms again. I believe nutrients have taken a nosedive as well, as darker SPS have started lightening. I dunno if it affects the fish at all, but I imagine the yellow watchman is annoyed at all this brown stuff on his front lawn heh.

[Walker]

The gamble might not have paid off, as my STN problems continue. I think the combination of very low nutrients (due to starting Zeo) plus the alk drop has shocked my SPS. Most of my large colonies have lost 20-50% of their flesh. Smaller colonies have burnt tips and are starting to lose colour.

 

Parameters are now stable but I might be looking at a total loss of all my large SPS colonies. I'll have to hope that the smaller colonies will bounce back.

 

On the plus side, all the fish are healthy, happy. and very very fat from the additional feedings I've been putting in to combat STN.

[Walker]

The most painful loss: large cali tort colony dying

 

[Walker]

FTS:

[markalot]

Dump Zoevit IMO, run a dirty reef with 8.5 Alk and 450 or so Calcium and see what you can do with it.

 

IMO it takes a certain kind of religion to be able to stick with and get Zeovit to work, and I know I just don't have the talent or patience for it.

 

My bubble algae is out of control. Foxface is eating/popping it which means I don't feel concerned going in and destroying fields of it even though spores will be released.

 

I wasn't following along, I guess I forgot to subscribe when you switched from the smaller tank, so I'm on board now. I really hope you don't lose any more acros!

[NanoTopia]

I think the root cause of the STN is from too many changes too quickly, corals became stressed and reacted negatively. Your alk was 12+dKH just a couple of weeks ago and you were using GFO. Perhaps I should have stressed more the need to transition at a slower rate when making the switch to ZEOvit. Rapid changes in PO4 and Alkalinity are the cause of the STN/RTN.

[Walker]

My reasoning for dropping alk was that I knew that SPS don't fare well in ULNS and high alk. By trying to avoid that situation, I caused the exact thing I was trying to avoid. Lesson learned, but unfortunately I'll have to try to mitigate the damage this time. I've stabilized alkalinity at 8 dKH right now and am just waiting to see what survives (or not).

Dump Zoevit IMO, run a dirty reef with 8.5 Alk and 450 or so Calcium and see what you can do with it.

 

IMO it takes a certain kind of religion to be able to stick with and get Zeovit to work, and I know I just don't have the talent or patience for it.

 

My bubble algae is out of control. Foxface is eating/popping it which means I don't feel concerned going in and destroying fields of it even though spores will be released.

 

I wasn't following along, I guess I forgot to subscribe when you switched from the smaller tank, so I'm on board now. I really hope you don't lose any more acros!

I'm willing to give zeo a chance... we'll see after a couple of months.

[Roshan8768]

Sorry to hear about the issues man, hopefully it'll be back to normal soon. At least the fish are doing well!!

[Walker]

I have pretty much complete wipeout of all my non-montipora SPS (edit: except the green slimer. That thing is tough!), and some of the montis. I don't think going Zeo was helping my tank recover from the alk drop, so I've taken it offline right now, focus on getting the tank back in ship-shape, and then maybe try again when the tank is stable at 7-8dKH.

 

I'm restarting my tried-and-true vinegar dosing. The LPS and the fish are very happy, so it wasn't a complete loss. It was a good experiment but I went about it the wrong way. After the tank is stable again and able to harbor happy SPS, I'll have to rethink it.

[Walker]

I am sad to announce that my Carpenter Flasher Wrasse carpet surfed (laminate surfed?) a couple of days ago and I didn't notice. I have started a battle of bubble algae manual removal and it snuck out while I was using a siphon to destroy bubble algae patches. He is now extra-crispy behind the stand .

[NanoTopia]

I am sad to announce that my Carpenter Flasher Wrasse carpet surfed (laminate surfed?) a couple of days ago and I didn't notice. I have started a battle of bubble algae manual removal and it snuck out while I was using a siphon to destroy bubble algae patches. He is now extra-crispy behind the stand .

Sorry for your loss.

[Walker]

I figure these losses (SPS and fish) may be an opportunity to rethink what I'm doing with my aquarium, and my aquascaping. It's tough to endure the loss, but I'll be that much more experienced next time.

[GtTap]

Sorry to hear man.

[Walker]

First bit of good news. I've just measured my alk and it has been holding steady at 7.3 for the past week at a dosing of 10mL/day. It's a far cry from my top end (when I was dosing close to 60mL/day) but it's showing me that the remaining corals are starting to recover and encrust. The last remaining big colony (a green slimer) is STN'ing from the base, but because it's so big, the main body of the coral hasn't gotten the message and is sending out *new* growth tips - the first growth tips I've seen in a month. The just-in-case frags I've taken of the green slimer look healthy and hopefully will start to encrust.

 

I've broken apart the Joe the Coral lookalike frag as STN is starting to advance up the smaller frag. The 1/2" fraglets look pretty said, but with the system now getting stable again, I am hopeful that the worst is over and I can look forward to rebuilding.

 

Tally of remaining healthy SPS:

green slimer

Red Planet

Joe the Coral (fraglets)

firetruck montipora

 

hopefully-maybes:

forest fire digitata

green-blue acro (austera?)

purple valida

 

casualties (so far):

cali tortuosa

yellow tortuosa

pink prostata

incredible hulk

bird of paradise

green birdsnest

tricolor bonsai

red diablo

green monti cap

[Nic]

First bit of good news. I've just measured my alk and it has been holding steady at 7.3 for the past week at a dosing of 10mL/day. It's a far cry from my top end (when I was dosing close to 60mL/day) but it's showing me that the remaining corals are starting to recover and encrust. The last remaining big colony (a green slimer) is STN'ing from the base, but because it's so big, the main body of the coral hasn't gotten the message and is sending out *new* growth tips - the first growth tips I've seen in a month. The just-in-case frags I've taken of the green slimer look healthy and hopefully will start to encrust.

 

I've broken apart the Joe the Coral lookalike frag as STN is starting to advance up the smaller frag. The 1/2" fraglets look pretty said, but with the system now getting stable again, I am hopeful that the worst is over and I can look forward to rebuilding.

 

Tally of remaining healthy SPS:

green slimer

Red Planet

Joe the Coral (fraglets)

firetruck montipora

 

hopefully-maybes:

forest fire digitata

green-blue acro (austera?)

purple valida

 

casualties (so far):

cali tortuosa

yellow tortuosa

pink prostata

incredible hulk

bird of paradise

green birdsnest

tricolor bonsai

red diablo

green monti cap

 

Hey Walker, I had a similarly random SPS STN/RTN event happen a couple of months back and though it did not work every time (worked maybe 25% of the time) I found that super gluing a half inch or so above the line where the tissue is receding stopped it dead in its tracks. In fact, I have a couple of colonies that began STN'ing from the base upwards and they are beginning to encrust back over the super glued areas. If you give it a shot, I would recommend moving them to a little bit lower light area, seems to aid in regenerating tissue, at least in my limited experience. I would certainly think you could give it a shot on the Cali Tort since its progressing down the branches unless its progressed so far there's little left. Other alternative is fragging off the areas that are receding.

 

And definitely take NanoTopia's advice about adjusting parameters slowly. I've had my Zeo reactor for over two months now and its essentially a paper weight beside my stand for the time being haha. I had the same issue with extremely high alkalinity, as well as calcium and spent the past two months bringing it down to roughly 8.5-9.0 dkh. Its a complete pain in the butt for impatient people, like myself, but my corals should be thankful for her recommendation. Best of luck to you, I'm certain your tank will be doing well in no time.