DCNano14 - complete tank reboot...whatcha think?

[Reefaddiction]

On 11/24/2017 at 12:55 PM, Duane Clark said:

@Subsea here is a pic of the lacy macro so you can see its growth patterns.

 

Looks like your off to a great start, just pull as much GHA as you can off the rocks, the clean up crew will help with the rest and as your nitrates and phosphates come down this will also get better. 

  Growing macro is a great idea. A small refugium with chaeto really can help with nitrates and phosphates. I have a small refugium in my biocube, made a media basket out of egg crate and my chaeto grows like a weed in there!

   Don’t go chasing pH if things are going well!!

[NanoRox]

Regular maintenance performed today.  all is well.  ph 8.2, alk 8.8, ca 500, phosphate .03, nitrate 5!

 

The Nitrate is of particular note.  Nitrate has been hovering at 10 for the past 5 weeks.  No sign of decrease.  I decided to try a product called Algone.  I have experience with this product from my fresh water tank days.  It worked wonders.  Nothing on a web search indicated it would do harm but may not really do anything.  Mixed reviews claimed great success so I tried it.  After this first week nitrates are now a solid 5 ppm.  I have changed the pouch out and put in a fresh one per the instructions and will see how it goes.  

 

I don't see any issues with my corals, my snails are still laying eggs and the hair algae I was dealing with is in fact slowly disappearing.  I will note that I have had a small diatom bloom on the gravel.  Not sure if that is related but maintaining it.  

[Reefaddiction]

15 hours ago, Duane Clark said:

Regular maintenance performed today.  all is well.  ph 8.2, alk 8.8, ca 500, phosphate .03, nitrate 5!

 

The Nitrate is of particular note.  Nitrate has been hovering at 10 for the past 5 weeks.  No sign of decrease.  I decided to try a product called Algone.  I have experience with this product from my fresh water tank days.  It worked wonders.  Nothing on a web search indicated it would do harm but may not really do anything.  Mixed reviews claimed great success so I tried it.  After this first week nitrates are now a solid 5 ppm.  I have changed the pouch out and put in a fresh one per the instructions and will see how it goes.  

 

I don't see any issues with my corals, my snails are still laying eggs and the hair algae I was dealing with is in fact slowly disappearing.  I will note that I have had a small diatom bloom on the gravel.  Not sure if that is related but maintaining it.  

Did you consider the refugium appreoach using chaeto? It really does help with nitrates and phosphates... and it’s a more natural, and consistent method to do so. Plus it can help increase the pod population in your tank.

[NanoRox]

3 hours ago, Reefaddiction said:

Did you consider the refugium appreoach using chaeto? It really does help with nitrates and phosphates... and it’s a more natural, and consistent method to do so. Plus it can help increase the pod population in your tank.

I have and I may but like so many other things in this hobby there is conflicting data/opinions on various methods.  I have been told and read that in aquariums this small refugiums have little to know effect.  The thought is there is no way to grow out enough chaeto in such a small chamber to make much of a difference.  I am curious though and may at some point give it a try.  

[Reefaddiction]

Your absolutely right about how many ways there are to do things in this hobby. I can only speak from my own experience and I was successful in conrolling nitrates and phosphates with a small refugium. I just prefer the more natural approach if possible vs. using additives or daily dosing regimens. 

   I went away for vacation for a few days and forgot to set the timer on my chaeto light... when I got back nitrates were 20-30ppm... after restarting my routine with the reverse lighting schedule ( tank lights on during day and chaeto light on at night) nitrates dropped in a few days back to 0-2ppm. Pretty remarkable. But that’s my system and with my routine tank care. Every system is different!

[NanoRox]

Ok I'm pretty stoked.  Two of my Acans are getting new bud/polyps  (what ever you call them) as well as my fruit loop zoanthid (my very first coral).   simple pleasures. :-)

[NanoRox]

Just cataloging a pic of my frogspawn and Hammer.  Really pleased with how they are looking. Acans look happy as well. 

[NanoRox]

Maintenance done.  everything looks great by the numbers.  corals look good.  Fed everyone and all corals ate.  In fact my new green fungia was pretty amazing...just one huge mouth that opens up in the center.  Only issue is still with the diatoms.  They are a bit worse despite my Nitrate reading 5 and no phosphate or silicate.  I started limiting the photoperiod today.  corals got a good 5 or 6 hours or total light and about 4 peak lighting.  turning lights off until tomorrow and will see of this helps and repeat.  

[NanoRox]

Month Two photo update.  

 

biggest change besides a few more corals is my green monti faired poorly.  It was my first coral and probably not too smart on my part.  I fragged the healthiest section and it is doing very well and has already starting growing out.  

[NanoRox]

12/28/ maintenance done.  ph 8.0, alk 9.0, nitrate 3, phosphate .02, ca 460.

 

hair algae is at a minimum but I did have to remove some bubble algae.  Going to have to watch that very carefully.  still some issues with diatoms but manageable.  

copepods are one the way from algaebarn a well as phytoplankton.  In addition amphipods are also on the way from another nursery.   Hope to add those tomorrow.

 

As simple as it sounds I have found my favorite maintenance tool to be a simple tooth brush.  I looooove my toothbrush.  rocks look great and it stirs all the detritus up around the rocks.  

 

final observation...I cant help but notice how much my fungia, acans and mushrooms open when I stir the sand.  My hammer does not like it but these others go crazy.  

[NanoRox]

My copepods and phyto came in today from algae barn.  I ended up getting a double order of the pods (2 for 1)so will be adding them over the course of a few days.   I also starting dosing phyto (2.5ml) per day,  Since I don't have any fish the pod population should take off.  curious to see what happens. 

[NanoRox]

sadly I think my tank is in the middle of "the uglies".  It will be three months at the end of January and my diatoms are just getting the best of me.  water parameters remain great and higher forms of pest algae are minimal but diatoms on gravel, some on glass and now live rock.  I am confident it is not Cyano.  One good thing I can say is my copepods are hopping and swimming all over the place and the corals are healthy.   I'm not going to fret too much over it and will continue to do my regular maintenance and just wait it out.  I hope it will not be too long.  

[gogeta]

2 hours ago, Duane Clark said:

sadly I think my tank is in the middle of "the uglies".  It will be three months at the end of January and my diatoms are just getting the best of me.  water parameters remain great and higher forms of pest algae are minimal but diatoms on gravel, some on glass and now live rock.  I am confident it is not Cyano.  One good thing I can say is my copepods are hopping and swimming all over the place and the corals are healthy.   I'm not going to fret too much over it and will continue to do my regular maintenance and just wait it out.  I hope it will not be too long.  

A sure sign your tank is moderately nutrient rich is large copepod population. The fact your nutrients are testing low means they are simply being utilized mostly from the diatoms I'd assume. What id try and do is one week of 10-20% water changes every day and try and starve it out.

 

id also look at flow and your cuc, is grab ahold of a conch snail if you don't have one. 

[NanoRox]

10 minutes ago, gogeta said:

A sure sign your tank is moderately nutrient rich is large copepod population. The fact your nutrients are testing low means they are simply being utilized mostly from the diatoms I'd assume. What id try and do is one week of 10-20% water changes every day and try and starve it out.

 

id also look at flow and your cuc, is grab ahold of a conch snail if you don't have one. 

Can conchs go in a 14gallon?  I have been watching my flow.  It looks adequate and in paper I am getting over 30x turnover but I am looking at options there. 

[NanoRox]

Also I just seeded copepods 2 days ago. :-)

[gogeta]

6 hours ago, Duane Clark said:

Also I just seeded copepods 2 days ago. :-)

Oh well if your seeding them that's a different story ha! And yup conch can go in that. I have 2 in a 15g 

[NanoRox]

Installed an RO/DI unit today.  pain in the arse but hopefully worth it. 

[NanoRox]

Maintenance done.  No notable water parameter changes.  New additions this week:

 

1. purchased RO/DI unit from Aquatic life.  this was my first water change with my "home made" water

2. addition of amphipods

3. added blue candy cane coral this week

 

I also continue to dose 2 to 2.5 ml phyto each day

 

**big day tomorrow.  I will actually add something larger than a flea that moves.  getting some sexy shrimp!

[NanoRox]

My acans and new candy cane after a good meal.

[NanoRox]

Getting my 10 yr old daughter into aquariums.  she wanted a small tank so I got her a standard 10g tank.  We set it up together and it has cycled its first fish.  ready to add a small cory.  I think it turned out pretty well.  she picked all the decorations.  good start Ide say.  :-) 

[NanoRox]

Just an update pic.  I am happy with everything so far except the mystery paly in the upper right.  The necks are still so long.  I have moved it up 3 times.  Admittedly the lights are not at peak time so they will shorten mid day but I had no idea they would stretch so much.  I thought they would be more like just bigger zoa's. 

 

Diatoms also seem to be better...maybe.

 

 

[NanoRox]

Thought I would have some fun.  Here is the latest pic update of the tank and a pic of each coral.  Not the greatest pics but tell me which corals you like best. 

[NanoRox]

forgot my mystery paly.  have no idea what kind it is. 

[NanoRox]

Month 3 pic update

[NanoRox]

I thought it was note worthy to document what I believe will be my first coral fatality.  From the very beginning of it's introduction to my tank I have had problems with my green monti.  The frag was beautiful but after a few weeks it started to die back.  After making multiple adjustment to flow, position, lighting, etc. it still died back dramatically.  I am very new to reef tanks so honestly I chalked it up to my inexperience and knowledge.  So I fragged a small corner that appeared healthy and tried to start anew.  

 

I remained hopeful this past month as the frag actually grew and appeared to be out of the woods.  Sadly, in the past two days this frag has mysteriously dies back again.  The green tissue, starting at the base, simply died back revealing the white skeleton beneath.  Water parameters have not changed.  Other corals are extremely healthy. I looked for nudi's and don't see any (does not mean they are not there though I guess).  This one frag, however, is just rapidly melting away again!.   For documentation purposes  my current water parameters are:  temp - 79.5, sp gravity - 1.025, alk - 9.3 , ph 8.1, nitrate 5, ammonia and nitrite - 0, phosphate undetected per low range salifert test, calcium 460, mag - 1260.  

 

I will try a red monti at some point but for now, until I figure out what went wrong, I am done with monti's for awhile.