NanoTopia's ZEOvit 80L [ ]

[teamschreiba]

Thank you teamschreiba, the colour is returning slowly, it's taking a while though. It got blasted with 107 watts of LED for a month or so, way too much light. It's getting about 1/3 less light now. It's growing, so I know I caught it in time. I'm dosing BA Coralcolour, Aminos, Fe, K, I, and now Zeovit.

Yeah I did the same thing when I switched light fixtures and then added a carbon reactor shortly after. Dosing some zeovit supplements along with reef pearls/dried cyclopeeze for the LPS has really helped mine color up as well. I sometimes wonder about the K and I but I assumed they were being replenished enough in water changes.

 

I love that you only have chromis too, it gives your reef a great natural look

[NanoTopia]

If your running biological filtration methods you need to dose K, it is used up much faster. When I first tested mine I was at something like 250ppm, I now dose it and keep it in range around 400ppm. Blues coloured up nicely. It is also supposed to help with growth but that's a hard thing to determine since there are so many factors at play regarding growth. I'm dosing Brightwell's Potassium at the moment.

[Deleted User 4]

Hey Christine,

I have a really good and hard question for you. I want my frags to not grow on its size, but I want my corals to look pretty in colors as if keep the colors. What do you recommend that I dose/test on my tank?

[teamschreiba]

If your running biological filtration methods you need to dose K, it is used up much faster. When I first tested mine I was at something like 250ppm, I now dose it and keep it in range around 400ppm. Blues coloured up nicely. It is also supposed to help with growth but that's a hard thing to determine since there are so many factors at play regarding growth. I'm dosing Brightwell's Potassium at the moment.

Hmm yeah I have chaeto and a few mangroves so I do probably need to pick up a test kit. It could be the reason monti's just don't do very well in my tank. Thanks for the suggestion!

[NanoTopia]

Hey Christine,

I have a really good and hard question for you. I want my frags to not grow on its size, but I want my corals to look pretty in colors as if keep the colors. What do you recommend that I dose/test on my tank?

 

Not an easy question to answer really. My recipe is Low nutrients, keeping Ca/ALK/Mg/Sr/SG at near NSW values, and dosing potassium, amino acids, iron, Iodide, Brightwells Koralcolour, and misc. trace elements. I feed very little.

 

My colours are not 100% at the moment but I am pretty happy overall. I cannot say for sure all my dosing (and testing) makes a huge difference, only that I have never seen truly amazing coloration in SPS, in a tank that is not low in nutrients and uses no additives. I have studied the methods used by the "truly amazing" reefs from around the world, mainly Europe, and have concluded that they all follow similar methods to obtain coloration in SPS.

 

If you had to dose one thing in a SPS reef, I would go with amino acids (in moderation) and only if your tank is low nutrient or ultra low nutrient. Second would be potassium (K) but only after you have tested for it.

[Deleted User 4]

I see. So your recipe doesn't make corals grow and keep its size,color?

[NanoTopia]

I see. So your recipe doesn't make corals grow and keep its size,color?

 

Yes I think it does, but understand colour and growth are two different things. I have a bleached digitata that is the fastest grower in my tank, and a blue acro that has terrific colour and grows quite slow. So I am not sure what you are asking exactly. Sounds like you want good growth and good colour? If that is the case I would start by keeping nutrients low to ultra low, SPS cease growing when nutrients are high in the tank. They also tend to brown out (loose their lustre). What ever nutrient export method you adopt, make it work and keep it consistent (stable) at keeping nutrients undetectable in your system. That alone is more than 50% of it.

[Deleted User 4]

Yes I think it does, but understand colour and growth are two different things. I have a bleached digitata that is the fastest grower in my tank, and a blue acro that has terrific colour and grows quite slow. So I am not sure what you are asking exactly. Sounds like you want good growth and good colour? If that is the case I would start by keeping nutrients low to ultra low, SPS cease growing when nutrients are high in the tank. They also tend to brown out (loose their lustre). What ever nutrient export method you adopt, make it work and keep it consistent (stable) at keeping nutrients undetectable in your system. That alone is more than 50% of it.

 

mmm I want no growth but I want colors. lol maybe it's your 1st recipe earlier then??

[NanoTopia]

mmm I want no growth but I want colors. lol maybe it's your 1st recipe earlier then??

 

Why do you want no growth?

 

If that is the case try keeping your Ca and ALK, Mg, Sr on the low side, but not out of range as this might make the corals decline. Keep your system low nutrient. This should help with colour.

 

A coral that is not growing is not a healthy coral IMO. It's like a tree that you plant, imagine it never grew at all. Would that tree be healthy. I think you can slow the growth of some corals but stoping the growth all together would only lead to death in time.

[Deleted User 4]

Why do you want no growth?

 

If that is the case try keeping your Ca and ALK, Mg, Sr on the low side, but not out of range as this might make the corals decline. Keep your system low nutrient. This should help with colour.

 

A coral that is not growing is not a healthy coral IMO. It's like a tree that you plant, imagine it never grew at all. Would that tree be healthy. I think you can slow the growth of some corals but stoping the growth all together would only lead to death in time.

 

I see, I'm fine with slow growth. But very slow growth that is. ahah

So does this mean I just need to keep ca, alk, mg sr on the low side still? What about colors?

[NanoTopia]

I see, I'm fine with slow growth. But very slow growth that is. ahah

So does this mean I just need to keep ca, alk, mg sr on the low side still? What about colors?

 

Keep a low nutrient system, this will help prevent browning of SPS, also keep light adequate and in the right spectrum. Do not feed. Do not push dkh and Ca. Every coral species grows at a different rate under different conditions, what I have said is just generally speaking for most corals. SPS grow quite slow no matter what you do.

[d'Espresso]

How often do you do a WC? Because this tank is always looking awesome!

[Deleted User 4]

Keep a low nutrient system, this will help prevent browning of SPS, also keep light adequate and in the right spectrum. Do not feed. Do not push dkh and Ca. Every coral species grows at a different rate under different conditions, what I have said is just generally speaking for most corals. SPS grow quite slow no matter what you do.

 

Oh, ok. I don't plan on having sps in my PiCO. But I do for the future upcoming bigger tank. So as for lps/softies, I just need to keep CA, ALK, MAG, DKH in a low level right? Sometimes, I dose a little frozen phytoplankton for my tank, is that fine?

[NanoTopia]

How often do you do a WC? Because this tank is always looking awesome!

 

 

Thanks again d'Espresso, I do between 1 and 2 gallons every 10 days or so, no more than 5 gallons a month (that's roughly 25% a month). Not a big WC'er, messes up the levels of everything I dose. I try to keep WC to a minimum. Small frequent changes are best though for any tank.

 

On a side note, the water I remove from my 20g goes into my pico as a WC. Keeps the pico stable and happy, so far.

[NanoTopia]

Oh, ok. I don't plan on having sps in my PiCO. But I do for the future upcoming bigger tank. So as for lps/softies, I just need to keep CA, ALK, MAG, DKH in a low level right? Sometimes, I dose a little frozen phytoplankton for my tank, is that fine?

 

Don't feed (unless you have a non-photosynthetic or a coral that specifically requires feeding). This will slow the growth. But like I said before, keep your lighting and spectrum up. Don't push elements, just keep them at the low end of acceptable. This should help slow growth. Softies like a tank with some nutrients, iodine, so keep your tank low nutrient as well.

[Deleted User 4]

Don't feed (unless you have a non-photosynthetic or a coral that specifically requires feeding). This will slow the growth. But like I said before, keep your lighting and spectrum up. Don't push elements, just keep them at the low end of acceptable. This should help slow growth. Softies like a tank with some nutrients, iodine, so keep your tank low nutrient as well.

 

I see, I see. Thanks. I do have a coco worm and a fromia star which requires algae that my tank lacks of.

Elements you are referring to, are ca, alk, mg, dkh right?

[NanoTopia]

I see, I see. Thanks. I do have a coco worm and a fromia star which requires algae that my tank lacks of.

Elements you are referring to, are ca, alk, mg, dkh right?

 

Yes, but dkh is a measurement of CaCO3 which is commonly referred as ALK or alkalinity.

[d'Espresso]

I am taking notes. You should have a classroom of students!

[NanoTopia]

I am taking notes. You should have a classroom of students!

 

Haha, ya no. I am still a student and hope to be one forever

[Deleted User 4]

I am taking notes. You should have a classroom of students!

 

lolol ahaha, your tank is awesome as well.

 

 

 

Haha, ya no. I am still a student and hope to be one forever

 

Ok, gotcha. Notes has been taken. If I ever lose it, I will go back to your tank thread.. ahah

[iDerek]

I think you've been crowned our official reef diva and leader! On a serious note though - damn you know your sh@t girl!

[NeonTrees]

Your tank is beautiful. Do you think a single 12" illumilux will be enough for a 5 gallon tank? I'm worried about the tank being too shallow and having a spotlight effect. I really love the color you have, it's perfect.

[d'Espresso]

Happy month of June! What's new in the Blu?

[NanoTopia]

I think you've been crowned our official reef diva and leader! On a serious note though - damn you know your sh@t girl!

 

LOL, no crowns please but thanks, I am learning as well, I like to read about the scientific aspect of reefing, mainly additives, filtration, and lighting. I do tend to make it all more complicated than it needs to be.

 

 

Your tank is beautiful. Do you think a single 12" illumilux will be enough for a 5 gallon tank? I'm worried about the tank being too shallow and having a spotlight effect. I really love the color you have, it's perfect.

 

Thank you NeonTrees, the 12" Vertex Illumilux is 18 watts total led. I suggest the white/blue mix one for a reef. I have 18 watts DIY Cree LED over my 3 gallon pico and I would say it is just enough for LPS and montipora SPS only. I think you could get away with it on a 5 gallon but you may be limited on what you can keep for corals. Having the right spectrum LED is important for coral growth and health. If you found it to not be enough light you could always add a Ecoxotic Stunner strip or two down the line. The Vertex LED's are quality lighting, highly recommend them, but they do not come with a dimmer however, you can add a Ecoxotic Dimmer for around $17. The Vertex tank bracket only raises the fixture a couple of inches from the water line, you might consider hanging it as well. There are no optics so the spread is quite wide, 3 inches off the water line should fill the tank corner to corner, no spotlight effect. You will get some shimmer, amount is dependent on surface turbulence.

 

 

 

 

Happy month of June! What's new in the Blu?

 

Cali Tort, pic was taken just after gluing it in, PE is excellent now.

 

[NanoTopia]

Picked up this Bali Monti encrusting for cheap, pic was taken under actinic light (looks better under blue), almost like poker star monti but I don't think so, just a wannabe. Under white light it is purple/red with green polyps. Hoping it will colour up a little in my tank. I have no where to put this coral.