'picOrdea' by ZROGST [Ricordea florida Species Tank]

[nicholc2]

Congrats on the RO/DI and the salt! I'm mixing some right now. Just try not to over think it. I do 1/2 cup per gallon for the salt I use to get perfect 1.025

+1 I have a pretty consistant amount of water I change each week because I have the same container for mix and for discard. I also use a 1/4 cup to measure out the salt each time which almost always gives me exactly 35ppm. However, even with this method I still use the refract to make sure each week. This past week was a good example of good thing I did as my mixture somehow ended up at only 33ppm so I had to add some salt to get it right. Human error is ever present.

[Spirofucci]

Funny how we all mix our salt slightly differently......This works for me with RS pro......Fill homer bucket with in about 2", add pump, add exactley 2 1/4 cups......for me makes 1.025 every time. I do let it mix overnight and it does cause some alk to preciptate out and cling to anything plastic, like the bucket and pumps.

[TristanC]

Just realized my "scooper" for my salt is a 1/2 cup. No wonder it seemed like 3 cups was alot.

[nicholc2]

Funny how we all mix our salt slightly differently......This works for me with RS pro......Fill homer bucket with in about 2", add pump, add exactley 2 1/4 cups......for me makes 1.025 every time. I do let it mix overnight and it does cause some alk to preciptate out and cling to anything plastic, like the bucket and pumps.

I've been putting my rodi in and running pump and heater in mixing container and then once temp is stable adding the Kent salt. They want it to be 78 to be mixed. I do this a day or two prior to the change so everything is nice and mixed prior. No issues with precipitate at all for me doing it this way. Also, this keep temps stable in the tank when I do the actual partial. More than likely I just forgot a 1/4 cup this past time. Otherwise it's been consistent for me too. 35ppm dead on every time when I measure it right.

[BadCrab]

My Fauna Marin medium LPS Pellets just came in the mail (along with a few other goodies: IM MiniMax for the custom PicO, 40lbs of tropic eden for Brad and I to share in our tanks, the Vertex Duplex to test in the temperate tank once it gets built)

So glad I've switched to pellets. I snipped the end of the Julian's thing so I could easily pick up each pellet and place it on the Ricordea. They immediately responded by pulling the pellet into their mouth. Mary the Sexy Shrimp happily ate two pellets herself, and Richard cleaned up any bits and had a pellet to himself too.

 

iPhone shot while the pump is off:

 

[Akiowalt]

Yes. Fish pellet is good and easy to go.

[BadCrab]

Recommendations for keeping my sandbed free of hair algae? Keep in mind I am already running Phosban, phosphate reducing resin coated filter pads, thrice weekly water changes, twice weekly pellet feeding, another filter pad, and a bag of carbon.

I guess I'm mostly looking for recommendations on livestock that could control it. Norris the Spiny Star Astraea seems to prefer cleaning the back wall and rocks, and hardly ever touches the sandbed.

 

The algae is all over the sandbed, but it's easiest to photograph here (the lowest flow corner of the tank):

[Red_Blenny]

IME, Astreas tend to prefer to clean the surface of rocks/glass and doesn't even touch the sand. I'd say get a fighting conch or those large mexican certh snails (I have like 5 of them and they been with me even since I started the hobby). Dwarf certh snails, IMO, doesn't live very long and doesn't do a bang up job like the mexican cerith sail does...

 

Also, when you do a W/C, you should lightly siphon the top layer of the sand to suck out the algae. You might have to increase flow to prevent algae from growing on it but I don't think you need to go that far....

 

Btw, on that last pic you took, on the rock slightly under that Ricordea... is that Gelidium (aka red wiry turf algae) or just cracks?

[BadCrab]

Just cracks! The way they dye the Real Reef leads to the dye seeping into certain areas like that.

 

Thanks for the advice, I do try and siphon as much as I can when I'm doing a water change (one is due today!) The tank is unfortunately much too small for a fighting conch, I'll check out the snails you mentioned though

[Drift Monkey]

There must still be a source of nutrients in your tank. I'd check your lighting cycle pehaps, too.

[BadCrab]

There must still be a source of nutrients in your tank. I'd check your lighting cycle pehaps, too.

 

 

You are right. I am probably still overfeeding, not exchanging filters on a clockwork basis, and the light is probably still too high.

[Drift Monkey]

You must resist the overfeed!

[dhartmann]

I've been replacing my filter floss every three -four days and stirring the sand twice a week. Gotta export those nutrients out of the tank. What's your phosphate level?

[JR!]

A little more flow might help too

[Passaggper]

How high are your nitrates? Are you able to keep them low?

[BadCrab]

Alright, yesterday I did maintenance as scheduled. I actually did twice the normal volume for my water change, because of the algae, siphoning it off as I went. I scraped the glass and back acrylic and stirred a corner of the sandbed. I replaced both filter pads (the fine coralife pad and the phosphate reducing resin pad.) In addition, I've changed the ramp time from 4:00 to 2:00, which I assume will cut off 4 total hours of lighting time? Can anyone confirm that?

 

This morning, I ran Nitrate and Phosphate tests, then did a light feeding as scheduled. I made sure all food was consumed before turning on the pumps. Richard was very active, and ate 3 pellets himself. Mary shared her pellet with the small mouth on the green Ricordea, where she spends most of her time.

 

 

I've been replacing my filter floss every three -four days and stirring the sand twice a week. Gotta export those nutrients out of the tank. What's your phosphate level?

 

 

I just started stirring this week, and I'm only doing portions of the tank at a time. I thought the Nassarius would stir more, but he mostly chills in one spot waiting for food to drop all week. I ordered another Nassarius this morning from BlueZoo (already have a package coming overnight) along with a Cerith.

 

How high are your nitrates? Are you able to keep them low?

 

 

tested this morning...

Phosphates: 0-.1?
Nitrates: 0

 

Pictures:






These test kits are such bullshit. lol.

 

 

 

A little more flow might help too

 

I thought about that. How much flow is too much? I already feel bad for Richard, the current looks like its going to rip his nose-thing off his body, he has trouble holding it straight on the right side of the tank.

[Red_Blenny]

For phosphate, I'd say... .15-.25? I have the API phosphate test kit and it sucks. Been thinking about switching a Hanna Phosphate Meter or Red Sea once I finish up using the darn awful thing.

[BadCrab]

For phosphate, I'd say... .15-.25? I have the API phosphate test kit and it sucks. Been thinking about switching a Hanna Phosphate Meter or Red Sea once I finish up using the darn awful thing.

 

The Hanna Checker for Phosphorous and a set of Red Sea test for Ca, KH, Alk, and NO3 are at the very top of my to-buy list.

[JR!]

Alright, yesterday I did maintenance as scheduled. I actually did twice the normal volume for my water change, because of the algae, siphoning it off as I went. I scraped the glass and back acrylic and stirred a corner of the sandbed. I replaced both filter pads (the fine coralife pad and the phosphate reducing resin pad.) In addition, I've changed the ramp time from 4:00 to 2:00, which I assume will cut off 4 total hours of lighting time? Can anyone confirm that?

 

This morning, I ran Nitrate and Phosphate tests, then did a light feeding as scheduled. I made sure all food was consumed before turning on the pumps. Richard was very active, and ate 3 pellets himself. Mary shared her pellet with the small mouth on the green Ricordea, where she spends most of her time.

 

 

 

 

 

I just started stirring this week, and I'm only doing portions of the tank at a time. I thought the Nassarius would stir more, but he mostly chills in one spot waiting for food to drop all week. I ordered another Nassarius this morning from BlueZoo (already have a package coming overnight) along with a Cerith.

 

 

 

 

tested this morning...

Phosphates: 0-.1?Nitrates: 0

 

Pictures:

These test kits are such bullshit. lol.

 

 

 

 

 

I thought about that. How much flow is too much? I already feel bad for Richard, the current looks like its going to rip his nose-thing off his body, he has trouble holding it straight on the right side of the tank.

You just have the one pump in there for the return right. I had a 250gph in mine and that was awesome

[Hexadron]

Hanna Phosphorus checker rocks. It's the easiest of the checkers as well. You literally can't screw it up (unless you're Michael J. Fox)

[nicholc2]

The Hanna Checker for Phosphorous and a set of Red Sea test for Ca, KH, Alk, and NO3 are at the very top of my to-buy list.

I have the red sea for low range nitrate and like it alot. With it I am confident of my 0 nitrates. With API, not so much. I do use API for now for KH and Ca. The high end doesn't seem to be where API has a lot of issues. It's the low end they lose their value.

 

Hanna Phosphorus checker rocks. It's the easiest of the checkers as well. You literally can't screw it up (unless you're Michael J. Fox)

What are you implying Jordon!? Huh? Huh?

[BadCrab]

For flow I only currently have the return (Rio+ 400.) When I set up the Custom PicO I'll have a spare Koralia 240 but I'm afraid of how bulky it would be in the small display. I also have 2 WP40s and a WP25 on their way if I'm interested in quickly removing all the water out of the tank.

 

I did get my brand new MP10es from Chris for the Custom PicO build already. I'm afraid it would turn the whole thing into a blender?

[TristanC]

For flow I only currently have the return (Rio+ 400.) When I set up the Custom PicO I'll have a spare Koralia 240 but I'm afraid of how bulky it would be in the small display. I also have 2 WP40s and a WP25 on their way if I'm interested in quickly removing all the water out of the tank.

 

I did get my brand new MP10es from Chris for the Custom PicO build already. I'm afraid it would turn the whole thing into a blender?

haha, man i had my mp10 in a 12" cube. Had it set for 15% reef crest and it worked great.

[Red_Blenny]

The Hanna Checker for Phosphorous and a set of Red Sea test for Ca, KH, Alk, and NO3 are at the very top of my to-buy list.

 

I have the Red Sea Ca/Alk/Mg test and I love it. Also thinking about getting their Nitrate test kit too.

 

My mp10 is set at 50-60% on Short Pulse mode on my tank (DT size is about 23"L x 10.5"W x 9"H) and its awesome but I have to find that sweet spot between not sucking air in and not blowing my sand everywhere. For your Custom Pico tank, I think the mp10 would be perfect; you just gotta find the right setting.

[JR!]

For flow I only currently have the return (Rio+ 400.) When I set up the Custom PicO I'll have a spare Koralia 240 but I'm afraid of how bulky it would be in the small display. I also have 2 WP40s and a WP25 on their way if I'm interested in quickly removing all the water out of the tank.

 

I did get my brand new MP10es from Chris for the Custom PicO build already. I'm afraid it would turn the whole thing into a blender?

I have 2 super super small power heads that I don't need that are not that much bigger then a quarter if you want one