RozZy Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'll do a water change tonight, saturday and sunday. 20 gallon each (I think my water volume is about 50-60 gallons). Do you think its a bad idea to replace the GFO with Phosguard instead? And should I even consider using chemiclean? Link to comment
tetraodon Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'll do a water change tonight, saturday and sunday. 20 gallon each (I think my water volume is about 50-60 gallons). Do you think its a bad idea to replace the GFO with Phosguard instead? And should I even consider using chemiclean? hang off on adding anything, sometimes it can through things off, water changes and such will do it better and cheaper than the media. after everything is clear then feel free to use media. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Salinity is at 1.026 Nitrates Nitrites and Ammonia is at 0. and Phosphates are 1.5 ppm? Here's the result from my phosphate test. Both pictures were taken in the exact same light. (The card gives out a weird pink color, I don't know why) Link to comment
xiaoxiy Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Here's the result from my phosphate test. Both pictures were taken in the exact same light. (The card gives out a weird pink color, I don't know why) Is it the lighting or does that read between 1.0 and 2.0? Link to comment
tetraodon Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Here's the result from my phosphate test. Both pictures were taken in the exact same light. (The card gives out a weird pink color, I don't know why) a good habit to reading tests is to put the vial on the white part, its reads more accuratly Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Here's the readings after the 35% water change. Link to comment
tetraodon Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Here's the readings after the 35% water change. looking better, how are the inhabitants? Link to comment
markalot Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Throw away the api test, get salifert for po4. Link to comment
Markburns43 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Skimmed through alittle just wanted to put my little knowledge and exp into this with what I found with my 10 gallon. I battled cyano for 4 months. Every day siphoning it changing filter pads skimming , and a big bag of clearly carbon mixed with phos guard. I couldn't fathom why I could keep the cyano down, well, it's a bacteria it out competed other bacteria , I was running my tank way to clean my corals were not affected like yours as I spot fed more than I should but continued water changes after and religious cleanings. I took a step back and said stop skimming for a week cut my media in half and let it run and continued to just siphon out the cyano . Here I am about a month later I no longer have to daily remove the slime off corals and rocks and sand. I part time skim and keep my media amount low. What I suspect is the bio pellet switch in your case you kept it very clean but the life with in the old bio pellets existed to keep it balanced with the tank not having enough good bacteria to handle the sudden removal of the older bio pellets. Don't give up! You'll pull through man. If anything you'll come out with a better understanding of how to keep a balanced tank. It seems like there were a few factors that started this mess and you'll have it back in line soon. Good luck. Link to comment
metrokat Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'll do a water change tonight, saturday and sunday. 20 gallon each (I think my water volume is about 50-60 gallons). Do you think its a bad idea to replace the GFO with Phosguard instead? And should I even consider using chemiclean? No it isn't a good idea, GFO and phosguard strips the water. Your water is already too clean. If you have zero nitrates and high phosphates you need to dose nitrates to get the phosphates down. What Mark said. Link to comment
Newtybar Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Wait, I am confused. I just got a dual BRS reactor (GFO and carbon), you are saying I shouldn't run it because the water will be too clean? Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 looking better, how are the inhabitants? The Duncan coral and softies are doing a bit better, but my radiata Lionfish isn't doing that well, his colors have faded a bit and now he's hiding in the back of the tank. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Alright guys, I made this video for you to show the entire tank and equipment! Let me know if anything pops up for you! Any tips of brand of nitrate dosing or should I just get more fish? Link to comment
brandon429 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Wait, I am confused. I just got a dual BRS reactor (GFO and carbon), you are saying I shouldn't run it because the water will be too clean? its just that the risk begins when using GFO, not that it will be bad. I will never need or use it ever, so my water being stripped isn't possible. But I change water a lot to keep the standard going, a larger tank owner may not want to and they want to strip the water, so the detailing begins. Without a specific plan for feeding and testing gear I would say that automatic gfo use isn't the go to method, there is not any tank Id ever need gfo on, id plan a different route but many like it. Id have a fish bioload so low it would never be needed. Link to comment
metrokat Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Wait, I am confused. I just got a dual BRS reactor (GFO and carbon), you are saying I shouldn't run it because the water will be too clean? No, this is not advice for you, it was for the OP and his particular situation. Please do not take advice given to him and apply to your tank. Alright guys, I made this video for you to show the entire tank and equipment! Let me know if anything pops up for you! Any tips of brand of nitrate dosing or should I just get more fish? Sorry Rozzy - can't see anything till you change the lights to daylight. Link to comment
xiaoxiy Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 No it isn't a good idea, GFO and phosguard strips the water. Your water is already too clean. If you have zero nitrates and high phosphates you need to dose nitrates to get the phosphates down. What Mark said. I'm a bit confused Kat. Am I the only one who sees a reading of 0.25+ phosphates; is it just my computer screen? If I'm not crazy, then why is everyone telling him to unplug his GFO when his tank is clearly phosphate abundant and nitrate limited? I suspect that the phosphates are contributing to the Cyano, as cyano can fix nitrogen, in the absence of nitrates. Furthermore, I think that the carbon dosing, in the form of biopellets, in conjunction with the nitrate limitation is probably fueling the cyano and allowing it to outcompete a lot of the other microalgae for nutrients. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Here's another video that shows it much better Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 QUESTION: Should i spot feed my corals? Maybe that'll save them? Link to comment
metrokat Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Here's the readings after the 35% water change. I'm a bit confused Kat. Am I the only one who sees a reading of 0.25+ phosphates; is it just my computer screen? If I'm not crazy, then why is everyone telling him to unplug his GFO when his tank is clearly phosphate abundant and nitrate limited? I suspect that the phosphates are contributing to the Cyano, as cyano can fix nitrogen, in the absence of nitrates. Furthermore, I think that the carbon dosing, in the form of biopellets, in conjunction with the nitrate limitation is probably fueling the cyano and allowing it to outcompete a lot of the other microalgae for nutrients. Good questions. First of all - the magic number for phosphates is 0.03 ppm. If you look at the API test picture - the levels jump from 0.0 to 0.25 so first of all this test kit should not be used. Other test kits go up to maybe a total level of 2.0, this kit goes to 10. I would venture to say OP has phosphates but they are not 0.25. However high phosphates will not kill anything - Richard Ross runs his SPS tank at about 20. Second - in a nitrate limited tank - you won't be able to get the phosphates down, unless you dose nitrates. Redfield ratio. Markalots post explains more. Third - OP is running both pellets and GFO, when phosphates drop (after nitrate dosing) and he is running both of these, it's trouble believe me. A tank should have measurable nitrates and phosphates. Not zero, not high, but measurable. These are nutrients that are important. While phosphates can certainly contribute to cyano, it is more a bacterial imbalance - cyanoBACTERIA outcompetes the good bacteria for space. ReHypes formula of coral snow mixed with microbacter7 - kept aside for a couple of days and then dosed took care of my cyano within one week. MB7 is a bacterial supplement. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 I put one of my old lights to use and bought a ball of chaeto that i put in a fish net in front of a 1200gph circulation pump. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Just used the Salifert Phosphate test kit and it gave the result 0.1-0.25 Is that high ? Link to comment
tetraodon Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Just used the Salifert Phosphate test kit and it gave the result 0.1-0.25 Is that high ? very high as far as phos is concerned, you should be going for less than .1-.03 Link to comment
metrokat Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Just used the Salifert Phosphate test kit and it gave the result 0.1-0.25 Is that high ? Mine are 0.08-0.1 usually so I personally don't consider that too high for a non SPS system. Getting that down without nitrates could be challenging. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 But not even the softies or LPS are doing well(The polyps are shrunken on all) And a weird thing happened today, My bubbletip anenome split itself, so now i have two! Is that a good or bad sign? I fed it some krill and silversides the other day. Link to comment
RozZy Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 I got another new lionfish since the radiata died. It was stupid of me, its belly was a bit swollen when i noticed him in the tank, now the day after he's panting and hiding behind a rock, dying i'm assuming. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.