TeenyReef's 10g Fusion - ATO Disaster

[Kyl]

Thanks Felicia!

 

 

Update: as of last night, phosphates were still at zero, and the acans started shriveling up. Coincidence? I don't think so. I fed them frozen food last night, and tonight I fed them reef roids with the pumps off. I could see some tentacles out later on, so I think they'll be OK.

 

Even though I always try to go slow and carefully, I did too much at once in a panicked reaction to the high phosphates and the algae outbreak.

 

I'm going to continue daily feeding of reef roids and frozen until phosphates get back above zero, and then resume PhosphateRX.

 

In Joe Yaiullo's MACNA talk, he says that he uses Lanthanum Chloride (PhosphateRX) for the bulk of his phosphate removal, but he also uses GFO to supplement it because he believes it also helps remove other potentially harmful contaminants.

 

If you haven't seen his talk yet, you really should. It's very funny and informative.

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/principles-of-diligent-reefkeeping-by-joe-yaiullo-macna-2016/

After using it (Lanthanum Chloride), what a difference. I think knocking PO4 down with it, and using GFO to supplement / maintain is a good course.

 

I'm seeing amazing bounce-back from my SPS by getting the PO4 under control, and coincidentally I was also using the little chemipure blue nano bags before that. Really happy with the minimax reactor, probably the first non-flawed IM accessory I've used and it's dead simple to clean out / refill with 1.2 carbon/HC-GFO.

 

Hope you can get things back booming Teeny.

[jedimasterben]

So far, I'm using about 5 drops of LaCl daily in my tank to try and starve out the algae that took over my rocks when my skimmer was kaput, and slowly but surely it's working. 5 drops works out to be around 0.105ppm per day in my tank. Luckily my softies and gorgonians don't seem to care about phosphate level, high or low

[DaveFason]

Hope to see things bounce back.

 

Have you ever thought about keeping this tank a bit more simple? Less SPS and possibly move those to the new IM?

[Biggen]

I've read through just about all three of your tank build threads over the last couple weeks. What a wealth of information inside all of them! Thanks for carefully documenting your process here as it really helps those of us that have either been out of the hobby for some time (me!) or have never been in it.

 

I'm going to be setting up my own Nuvo 10 at the end of this week. Just waiting on some parts. I'm going to use an MP10 like you did in this tank. Do you have your MP10 blowing in front of your rock work? I'd like to do it behind the rock work but I'm not sure the tank will be deep enough to do that without having the rocks crammed against the front glass.

[drgibby]

I've read through just about all three of your tank build threads over the last couple weeks. What a wealth of information inside all of them! Thanks for carefully documenting your process here as it really helps those of us that have either been out of the hobby for some time (me!) or have never been in it.

 

I'm going to be setting up my own Nuvo 10 at the end of this week. Just waiting on some parts. I'm going to use an MP10 like you did in this tank. Do you have your MP10 blowing in front of your rock work? I'd like to do it behind the rock work but I'm not sure the tank will be deep enough to do that without having the rocks crammed against the front glass.

Mine blows behind the rock work there is plenty of room even with a lot of rocks.

[FlowerMama]

I don't know how you folks do it w/ sps. I'ma very patient person, but I can't deal with the slow growing nature of sps and they're quick necrosis. Kudos to you all that keep on & on .

[markalot]

I don't know how you folks do it w/ sps. I'ma very patient person, but I can't deal with the slow growing nature of sps and they're quick necrosis. Kudos to you all that keep on & on .

 

The thing is, when params are stable they are actually the fastest growing coral in the tank ... well, except for xenia, mostly. It just takes for EVER to get there.

 

Teeny, I'm literally dumping CaNO3 into my 40 to keep the SPS happy. My rugged KBG acro will green up and then fade if I don't feed it nitrates. I know there are folks that can keep acros in tiny tanks with a low fish load but I'm not sure how the heck they do it.

[teenyreef]

 

The thing is, when params are stable they are actually the fastest growing coral in the tank ... well, except for xenia, mostly. It just takes for EVER to get there.

 

Teeny, I'm literally dumping CaNO3 into my 40 to keep the SPS happy. My rugged KBG acro will green up and then fade if I don't feed it nitrates. I know there are folks that can keep acros in tiny tanks with a low fish load but I'm not sure how the heck they do it.

Yes, this - when they get going they really go!

 

Well at least I don't have a low fish load problem in this tank

I've read through just about all three of your tank build threads over the last couple weeks. What a wealth of information inside all of them! Thanks for carefully documenting your process here as it really helps those of us that have either been out of the hobby for some time (me!) or have never been in it.

 

I'm going to be setting up my own Nuvo 10 at the end of this week. Just waiting on some parts. I'm going to use an MP10 like you did in this tank. Do you have your MP10 blowing in front of your rock work? I'd like to do it behind the rock work but I'm not sure the tank will be deep enough to do that without having the rocks crammed against the front glass.

Holy cow, thanks for reading though everything! I'm glad to hear it's been helpful.

 

My MP10 blows in front because the back of the rock pile is only about an inch away from the back wall. I wanted to have as much open space in front of the rocks as possible. But, like drgibby said, there's plenty of room for the MP10 in the back if you just bring the rocks forward a little bit.

 

Let me know when you start your build thread so I can follow along

[teenyreef]

Hope to see things bounce back.

 

Have you ever thought about keeping this tank a bit more simple? Less SPS and possibly move those to the new IM?

Thanks, Dave. I have definitely thought about it, and the unfortunate reality is that I've already moved all of the acros that aren't encrusted to the IM40. The rest of the SPS (monti caps, cyphastrea, stylo) are all fine.

 

Right now my priority is to get the tank stable again and get rid of the GHA, if that's possible without drastic measures.

 

It's really hard to keep acros in these small tanks, just because it's so easy for things to get out of balance.

So far, I'm using about 5 drops of LaCl daily in my tank to try and starve out the algae that took over my rocks when my skimmer was kaput, and slowly but surely it's working. 5 drops works out to be around 0.105ppm per day in my tank. Luckily my softies and gorgonians don't seem to care about phosphate level, high or low

I've seen the same thing. As long as I feed the corals, the sofites don't care about low phosphates. Like everything else, it's the sudden drop in phosphates that bothers them. That's what happened with my acans. I went from .5 phosphates to 0 in a day, without meaning too. After a couple days of target feeding they've bounced right back, though.

After using it (Lanthanum Chloride), what a difference. I think knocking PO4 down with it, and using GFO to supplement / maintain is a good course.

 

I'm seeing amazing bounce-back from my SPS by getting the PO4 under control, and coincidentally I was also using the little chemipure blue nano bags before that. Really happy with the minimax reactor, probably the first non-flawed IM accessory I've used and it's dead simple to clean out / refill with 1.2 carbon/HC-GFO.

 

Hope you can get things back booming Teeny.

Thanks, Kyl. It seems to work pretty well for Joe

 

I know a lot of people have had success with the chemipure blue stuff, but I just think it was one of way too many changes I've made in the last four or five months.

[pappadumplingz]

I was always under the impression the corals liked the tank slightly dirty. I left my fuge light off for a few days and my lps seemed to puff up more. So it might be that the corals like the higher nutrient, and that your feeding covers for the low nutrient.

[teenyreef]

I was always under the impression the corals liked the tank slightly dirty. I left my fuge light off for a few days and my lps seemed to puff up more. So it might be that the corals like the higher nutrient, and that your feeding covers for the low nutrient.

Yep, that's always been the idea. As Markalot says, feed heevily, export frantically.

 

Unfortunately, right now I can't let the tank be dirty because I'm trying to starve the GHA. So it's a tricky balance.

 

By the way, I just realized I'm not following your tank. Going off to fix that...

[pappadumplingz]

Yep, that's always been the idea. As Markalot says, feed heevily, export frantically.

 

Unfortunately, right now I can't let the tank be dirty because I'm trying to starve the GHA. So it's a tricky balance.

 

By the way, I just realized I'm not following your tank. Going off to fix that...

If you have the room and don't mind the look, you could start a fuge with a hang on filter. Mine has really helped with algae problems, as it keeps the algae somewhat controlled. I just need to find a good nano algae eater to get rid of any existing algae.

[teenyreef]

If you have the room and don't mind the look, you could start a fuge with a hang on filter. Mine has really helped with algae problems, as it keeps the algae somewhat controlled. I just need to find a good nano algae eater to get rid of any existing algae.

I tried doing a mini fuge in my media basket when I first started the tank, but all it did was accumulate detritus, and eventually I had algae growing on my chaeto

[pappadumplingz]

I tried doing a mini fuge in my media basket when I first started the tank, but all it did was accumulate detritus, and eventually I had algae growing on my chaeto

I use a hang on back filter as a fuge, and it works well because I can use a bit of filter floss to stop the fuge accumulating detritus. If you are up for it, it works really well.

[markalot]

I tried doing a mini fuge in my media basket when I first started the tank, but all it did was accumulate detritus, and eventually I had algae growing on my chaeto

 

Way back when I had my 46 bowfront I somehow lucked into the best hang on fuge using a big old AquaClear ... uh, 120 or whatever the biggest was plus a warm white LED puck from Home Depot glued to the lid. It grew cheato so well the lid would pop up telling me it was done. No matter how hard I tried I could never replicate this in any other tank.

[teenyreef]

 

Way back when I had my 46 bowfront I somehow lucked into the best hang on fuge using a big old AquaClear ... uh, 120 or whatever the biggest was plus a warm white LED puck from Home Depot glued to the lid. It grew cheato so well the lid would pop up telling me it was done. No matter how hard I tried I could never replicate this in any other tank.

It's funny how sometimes you do something dead simple that works great, and then you can never make it work anywhere else, even though it should be easy.

 

I love the idea of the cover popping off to tell you it's time to thin out the chaeto

[teenyreef]

Well, with all the grim posts about balance and parameters and acros crapping out and gha taking over I thought I should focus on some of the more positive aspects of the tank. The tank is really about 80% great, it's just the 20% bad that sucks up all the attention.

 

The zoa garden is doing really well. The zoas are multiplying rapidly and they have nice color. The lava lamp mushroom on the left is also doing well, and, on the right, the Tyree minefield cyphastrea is also doing great.

 

Zoa Garden by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The acans are not puffy, but they've kept their color and they're recovering. Complementary photobomb courtesy of Doug 2

 

Acan Garden by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Speaking of photobombs, Oswald included his tail into this shot of the Evil Favites. You can also see a little yellow sponge (I think) on the bottom of the picture.

 

Evil Favites by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Close up of the Evil Favites. I love the way they look up close, it reminds me of a pretty glass marble.

 

Evil Favites by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The angel eyes favia is spreading all over. I put it in a spot where it could spread extensively. There's still plenty of room towards the back of the tank, but they're starting to crowd the acans. I'll probably have to discourage the favia if it starts stinging the acans.

 

Angel Eyes Favia by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[Proudgeek]

Well, with all the grim posts about balance and parameters and acros crapping out and gha taking over I thought I should focus on some of the more positive aspects of the tank. The tank is really about 80% great, it's just the 20% bad that sucks up all the attention.

 

The zoa garden is doing really well. The zoas are multiplying rapidly and they have nice color. The lava lamp mushroom on the left is also doing well, and, on the right, the Tyree minefield cyphastrea is also doing great.

 

Zoa Garden by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The acans are not puffy, but they've kept their color and they're recovering. Complementary photobomb courtesy of Doug 2

 

Acan Garden by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Speaking of photobombs, Oswald included his tail into this shot of the Evil Favites. You can also see a little yellow sponge (I think) on the bottom of the picture.

 

Evil Favites by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Close up of the Evil Favites. I love the way they look up close, it reminds me of a pretty glass marble.

 

Evil Favites by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The angel eyes favia is spreading all over. I put it in a spot where it could spread extensively. There's still plenty of room towards the back of the tank, but they're starting to crowd the acans. I'll probably have to discourage the favia if it starts stinging the acans.

 

Angel Eyes Favia by TeenyReef, on Flickr

Phenomenal colors! What PAR levels have you measured by the zoas and acans?

[pappadumplingz]

And you say stuff is struggling. The corals look great.

[teenyreef]

Phenomenal colors! What PAR levels have you measured by the zoas and acans?

Thanks! It's not super bright down there - in fact I lowered the PAR to try to get more color in the acans. As a result, the zoas are reaching a bit but they don't seem to be bothered by it.

 

I haven't measured in a while, but the last time I checked it was about 125 on the sand bed where the zoas are, and about 140 where the acans are.

And you say stuff is struggling. The corals look great.

Thanks - I just realized I've been focusing on the negative, not the positive

[fishfreak0114]

I'm a sucker for zoas, and damn those ones are stunning This tank and all the corals are so beautiful, even when there isn't balance. I can only imagine what it'll look like when you get it back to the sweet spot!

[Biggen]

Teeny you have any issue with your stock Nuvo return pump? Mine is noisy. I can hear it from 10 ft away. Thinking about buying a Sicce .5 and replacing the damn thing.

[teenyreef]

Teeny you have any issue with your stock Nuvo return pump? Mine is noisy. I can hear it from 10 ft away. Thinking about buying a Sicce .5 and replacing the damn thing.

Mine is dead silent. I have to walk over to the tank and look to see if the water is flowing. So there's definitely something wrong with yours.

 

I've heard great things about the Sicce pump. If I had to replace mine that's probably what I'd go with.

I'm a sucker for zoas, and damn those ones are stunning This tank and all the corals are so beautiful, even when there isn't balance. I can only imagine what it'll look like when you get it back to the sweet spot!

Thanks! The zoas don't seem to mind the conditions at all, which is a little surprising to me. Usually zoas don't seem to like super low phosphates and nitrates. But I'm happy that they're happy

[asting]

Zoas look great.

[teenyreef]

Zoas look great.

Thanks!