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8 fish in a cad lights 8 gallon! Perfect water? How is this possible?!


Brooklynreefer

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Brooklynreefer

My buddy has a gorgeous cad lights 8 gallon with EIGHT small fish in it and claims his water is perfect and has NO issues with nitrate using an oversized media reactor running GAC and puragen and an InTank fuge chamber

 

I was super super curious so I went over to his place in Long Island and tested his water myself and his is what I got

 

SG - 1.025

 

PH - 8.1

 

Nitrate is UNDER 4PPM

 

Dkh is 9

 

No phosphate!!!

 

My real question is after 15 years doing this how the HELL is this possible?!? I'm not saying Its a good idea to stick that many fish in such a small space but how's he getting away with it??

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Brooklynreefer

3 clown 3 chromis a bi colored pseudo and a purple firefish

Tossed them in 15 minutes before you arrived would be my guess...

 

Is he known for pranks? lol

 

He's a former marine......he's serious about everything lol

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How long have they been in there then? If its only been like 2 days, then I could still see it. I would be interested to hear how he does it too. All I can think of is like 80% water change everyday otherwise

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Brooklynreefer

How long have they been in there then? If its only been like 2 days, then I could still see it. I would be interested to hear how he does it too. All I can think of is like 80% water change everyday otherwise

Does large WCs once a week.....and by large in an 8 gallon he means 2-3 gallons lol

 

Overuses carbon/phos-guard/ puragen

 

And runs a TON of chaeto inthe fuge section......

 

Also vodka doses

 

Is it really possible to keep the tank that stable with everything I've just mentioned??

 

Seems too good to be true.....the tank is a beauty too

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Even if he keeps his water perfect somehow, the aggression and territorial issues mean that it wont be more than a couple of months before he has some serious issues

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I foresee an ich outbreak, from the stress... And a lot of fighting.

 

How long have they been in there? How often does he feed?

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Brooklynreefer

I foresee an ich outbreak, from the stress... And a lot of fighting.

How long have they been in there? How often does he feed?

 

He built up the bio load slowly but the last pair of fish were added about a month ago.....the tank really seems to defy logic about everything you and I have learned about keeping a nano

And he feeds every other day

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CronicReefer

I'm not so impressed by the water quality as I am by the fact that none of these fish are killing each other off. Saltwater fish require much more space to prevent aggression and stress which is just one reason you only stick 1-2 fish in small tanks.

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How long has the tank been running? My $ is on it lasting no more than 8 months tops with that stock list before something must change

He built up the bio load slowly but the last pair of fish were added about a month ago.....the tank really seems to defy logic about everything you and I have learned about keeping a nano
And he feeds every other day

 

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reefernanoman

Nature will take its course. The fish will start killing each other until there are two or three left. That's what will probably happen at the end.

Heck, I can only have my Maroon clown pair in my 28g nanocube because the female will kill anyone else if I put another fish in there. She will even kill shrimp, sea urchins, you name it!

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Brooklynreefer

I'm not so impressed by the water quality as I am by the fact that none of these fish are killing each other off. Saltwater fish require much more space to prevent aggression and stress which is just one reason you only stick 1-2 fish in small tanks.

I'm with you on this one......no fin nipping and no real aggression that I've see

How long has the tank been running? My $ is on it lasting no more than 8 months tops with that stock list before something must change

 

 

I think it's been up longer than 8 months.....I'll try to post a pic of it here for you to see

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Brooklynreefer

I see a tank crash in the horizon. That's where most of these stunts end up in.

 

Don't know wether this is a "stunt" or just really OCD matainence that's allowing him to do this

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Yeah, I guess I can see OCD maintenance keeping the water quality stable, but only from a water change to water change basis. If feel like with THAT MUCH nutrient reduction, it may end up wreaking havok on the tanks ability to mature the proper way, and may end up leading to some sort of crash in the end. And that is without even mentioning, as other have said, the aggression issue that will eventually end up happening, if it is not already happening.

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Pinner Reef

No way 3 clowns will live long term in an 8g. This tank is balanced on a knife's edge. It'll tip sooner or later

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SchnauzerFace

Not to derail, but I always thought vodka dosing was a bad idea without a skimmer. Is vodka at all effective without a way to pull put the gunk?

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CronicReefer

The skimmer is actually more for aeration than anything. The vodka is for increasing bacteria populations that consume nitrates and phosphates.

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Chief Reefer

territorial issues aside, I see no reason why they cant keep parameters in check, especially if hes ocd about it. I recently tried vodka dosing my tank, and the results were very surprising.

 

This is on a IM Nuvo 30L

3/5 .2ml vodka (5 gal water change after test) Nitrate 10 ppm

3/6 .2ml vodka

3/7 .2ml vodka

3/8 .2ml vodka (5 gal water change)

3/9 .3ml vodka Nitrate 2 ppm

3/10 .3ml vodka

3/11 .3ml vodka

3/12 .3ml vodka

3/13 .3ml vodka Nitrate 0.2 ppm

3/14 .8ml vodka

3/15 .8ml vodka

3/16 .8ml vodka

3/17 .8ml vodka

3/18 .8ml vodka (5 gal water change)

3/19 .8ml vodka Nitrate 0.2 ppm

 

This was using the guide on saltwater conversion. With the above results, Im a believer in carbon dosing. Also a believer that someone could keep 8 fish in an 8 gal with proper maintenance. I do not think that you should do that though for all the other reasons people have already pointed out.

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what everyone using to monitor their Nitrates that they are able to get such exact numbers under 5? thanks!

not trying to hijack, just always wondered this.

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The skimmer is actually more for aeration than anything. The vodka is for increasing bacteria populations that consume nitrates and phosphates.

The skimming is actually more for removing said bacteria, so the nitrates and phosphates don't go back into the tank. Like pulling out the cheato in a fuge. But yes you can dose without a skimmer, but you still have to find a way to export the nutrients. Corals also like to eat said bacteria.

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reefernanoman

I know for sure that one clown will get killed sooner or later by the other two clowns once they pair up, then the female will become so aggressive, that she will kill the remaining fish one by one.

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