Softies not growing?

[AUSSIE NANO]

 

I'm 52 and I learned not to act like you have been acting a long time ago. You're talking to people like they're stupid and making suggestions that just don't work for tanks larger than, say, 5 gallons. It's not cheaper to change 50% every day, and depending on the corals it can end up being a lot more work. If you are working with a well stocked SPS tank that is using over 1KH a day then a 50% change won't be enough to replenish the Alk (not to mention everything else) and a 100% change will harm the SPS. In these cases you have to dose to maintain stability ...

 

... and then you have to take a step back and understand what the water change is doing. I am a proponent of regular changes, though not large ones. Evaluate the tank, the inhabitants, the water volume, and what you are trying to achieve. Is that 50% change really less work, is it really good for the inhabitants? Sometimes the answer is no.

You said "and then you have to take a step back and understand what the water change is doing. I am a proponent of regular changes, though not large ones. "

 

If you are proponent of small regular water changes please explain what this achieves. Going on what you are saying it would appera to achieve nothing if you are already adding additives. And what do you call small regular changes? Please don't tell me it's 10% weekly. Please don't. Cheers!

[seabass]

There is no phosphate in my tank. None. On a real life reef as I've already stated there is NONE as well. ZERO!

You're wrong on both points. Your tank will have bound and even some unbound phosphate. The test kits you are using just can't detect it.

 

And typical the typical ocean value of phosphate is 0.005 ppm

• http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
• http://www.marinedepot.com/reef-tank-parameters.html

While most hobby test kits wouldn't detect phosphate in natural seawater, that doesn't mean there isn't any.

 

 

I said the tanks were filthy. Not pathetic. There is a big difference. One is an observation. The other is being rude. I was not being rude.

I was looking at these pathetic ones.

[AUSSIE NANO]

Let's keep the discourse civil fellas, there's no need for name calling.

Many thanks! Wow.

You're wrong on both points. Your tank will have bound and even some unbound phosphate. The test kits you are using just can't detect it.

 

And typical the typical ocean value of phosphate is 0.005 ppm

• http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
• http://www.marinedepot.com/reef-tank-parameters.html

While most hobby test kits wouldn't detect phosphate in natural seawater, that doesn't mean there isn't any.

 

 

0.005 ppm is in my book as good as zero. And thanks for picking up on my pathetic comment. Apologies. Cheers!

[markalot]

You said "and then you have to take a step back and understand what the water change is doing. I am a proponent of regular changes, though not large ones. "

 

If you are proponent of small regular water changes please explain what this achieves. Going on what you are saying it would appera to achieve nothing if you are already adding additives. And what do you call small regular changes? Please don't tell me it's 10% weekly. Please don't. Cheers!

 

Mostly trace elements and other things we don't measure, plus possible dilution of anything the skimmer might miss, though it's questionable if it can be effective.

 

Why are 50% daily changes effective?

 

In addition, you may not be able to measure PO4 on the reef but it's there, and most importantly there is more food in the water than we can every hope to keep in our fish tank. If you change 50% of the water daily you will also need to be feeding heavily to maintain long term health of the corals.

 

How long have you been keeping corals? Why do you say 50% daily is effective? How do you explain the numerous tanks here and presented in other forums that maintain long term health and have thriving fish and corals without doing daily 50% changes?

[Clown79]

Apologies on my remarks about your reef tanks. I was looking at these pathetic ones. http://www.nano-reef...lyps-wont-open/

 

Thats what you said

[AUSSIE NANO]

 

Mostly trace elements and other things we don't measure, plus possible dilution of anything the skimmer might miss, though it's questionable if it can be effective.

 

Why are 50% daily changes effective?

 

In addition, you may not be able to measure PO4 on the reef but it's there, and most importantly there is more food in the water than we can every hope to keep in our fish tank. If you change 50% of the water daily you will also need to be feeding heavily to maintain long term health of the corals.

 

How long have you been keeping corals? Why do you say 50% daily is effective? How do you explain the numerous tanks here and presented in other forums that maintain long term health and have thriving fish and corals without doing daily 50% changes?

Started keeping reef aquariums with corals in 1987. The food in the water on a natural reef is only present at night. All my aquariums have nightly phytoplankton bloom which suffices for extra feeding for corals. No invert feed has ever been used nor does it need to be. 50% daily water changes maintain dKH at the correct natural level of 7 dKH. Coral health and tank health is subjective. 90+% I see look awful. Very very few are what I would call pristine. Most would be lucky if the REDOX was higher than 300 mV. The natural reef REDOX is 500-550 mV. Mine measures at 450 mV. I am more than happy with that. Cheers.

[markalot]

Started keeping reef aquariums with corals in 1987. The food in the water on a natural reef is only present at night. All my aquariums have nightly phytoplankton bloom which suffices for extra feeding for corals. No invert feed has ever been used nor does it need to be. 50% daily water changes maintain dKH at the correct natural level of 7 dKH. Coral health and tank health is subjective. 90+% I see look awful. Very very few are what I would call pristine. Most would be lucky if the REDOX was higher than 300 mV. The natural reef REDOX is 500-550 mV. Mine measures at 450 mV. I am more than happy with that. Cheers.

 

So you don't keep SPS then, and you won't post pictures? Put up or shut up AN, pictures or it didn't happen.

[AUSSIE NANO]

 

So you don't keep SPS then, and you won't post pictures? Put up or shut up AN, pictures or it didn't happen.

No I don't keep sps. And I'd appreciate it if you'd drop the hostility "shut up" attitude. It's unwarranted and immature. I have my own YouTube channel. The video of my modest 5 gallon nano is on there in 1080p.

 

So you don't keep SPS then, and you won't post pictures? Put up or shut up AN, pictures or it didn't happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDrd6Vcva34

[markalot]

No I don't keep sps. And I'd appreciate it if you'd drop the hostility "shut up" attitude. It's unwarranted and immature. I have my own YouTube channel. The video of my modest 5 gallon nano is on there in 1080p.

 

You have a link to the channel or videos? Thanks.

[markalot]

No I don't keep sps. And I'd appreciate it if you'd drop the hostility "shut up" attitude. It's unwarranted and immature. I have my own YouTube channel. The video of my modest 5 gallon nano is on there in 1080p.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDrd6Vcva34

 

Thanks, I apologize for being rude.

 

I understand where you are coming from with regular daily water changes, and I can see why it works in that tank, but I do think you are missing the fact that with different tank types and different coral populations techniques need to change.

 

Best of luck with your tank, it looks very clean, that's for sure.

[AUSSIE NANO]

 

Thanks, I apologize for being rude.

 

I understand where you are coming from with regular daily water changes, and I can see why it works in that tank, but I do think you are missing the fact that with different tank types and different coral populations techniques need to change.

 

Best of luck with your tank, it looks very clean, that's for sure.

Even when I kept 4' tanks. 4 by 2 by 2 I still did 30% per day and it was time consuming and not cheap. Hence the nano you see. I'm near on 60 now and the thought of doing 30-50 gallon water changes now is not something I'd relish. However IF I did have a 4 by 2 by 2 I still would do a 30% min daily. But I'd get the marine store I deal with to do it for me as they already do this for several customers each day. ;-) This 5 gallon has never had any "undesirable" algaes at all since day one. The glass is most likely clean due to the 2 dozen or more snails in there. They do a great job. My friendhasmy old REDOX meter and he comes over weekly to do a test and it's always 450-465 mV. Pretty stable. I don't possess any test kits and NOTHING is added to that tank other than fresh seawater each day 30-50% as you already know. The nightly phytoplankton bloom is also well established and is a sight to behold! Daytime? It's gin clear. Cheers.