Classroom Tank - The Hollow Cove - Affton Reef Club - Reboot 20 Gal Long

[ChristopherDido]

Figured Maybe I would get some responses to our Question on the Inkbird if I through a couple of links in here that you all could look at and help me pick the right one.  TIA

 

Here's this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01486LZ50/?coliid=I1BDU5419PTL24&colid=6FEK0MVTWFIS&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

This one:

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B01MDSWXY4/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1543595337&sr=1-3&keywords=inkbird+temperature+controller

 

or This one:

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Thermostat-Temperature-Controller-50-108°F/dp/B07JFKX2D4/ref=sr_1_14?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1543595337&sr=1-14&keywords=inkbird+temperature+controller

 

I'm just not sure which one is best and will work the best... Do I need to do anything to make sure the sensor doesn't rust?

 

Thanks again All

[Christopher Marks]

A pistol shrimp and goby combo would be a neat addition! Their dynamic is so interesting to observe.

5 minutes ago, ChristopherDido said:

This one:

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B01MDSWXY4/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1543595337&sr=1-3&keywords=inkbird+temperature+controller

I believe this is the Inkbird model you want. It has one plug for heating and one plug for cooling in the summer. You set the tank temperature on the controller and it will run the heat outlet (with heater plugged in) if the temp probe reads low, or run the cooling outlet if the temp probe reads high. You don't have to use the cooling side, but it can be helpful for the summer, even if you have a fan setup to blow across the top of the tank (as long as you have an automatic top off system of some sort for evaporation).

[ChristopherDido]

Hello fellow reefers.

 

Quick update, first of all the inkbird and the extra heater worked well and everything survived and was happy after returning from break. We added a Goby/Pistol pair in January. Which we got for $20! Then about 3 weeks later, we were noticing way more Aptasia than I've ever seen in there, after trying a couple times to rid it with Aptasia X, we decided to add a Aptasia Eating Filefish, and I must say he had done a great job eradicating it. 

 

Now onto our issue we are currently facing, just before the 3 day Presidents day weekend, for two weeks we had been noticing a build up of slime like substances on the rocks and sand. Thinking it may be cyano we opted to do a 72 hour blackout. When I came back on Tuesday and turned the lights back on, everything looked great. Then two days later it was all back and worse now. As of today it is killing off my birdsnest which I have had for 2 years 😞

 

Can you help me get some ideas here. 

Is this cyano, Dinos, or something else? Here's a few pics of the slime invasion.

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[This guy is extra salty]

What are your methods of Nutrient export?

[ChristopherDido]

2 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

What are your methods of Nutrient export?

At this time our maintenance routine is weekly 3 gallon water change. When we do water change, we turkey baste the rocks and stir up the sandbed.  In the media basket I have the nanocube sponge, that we pull out and rinse really well every water change (been doing this the entire time I've had the tank, even when it was setup in my house for the first year+ that we had it.) Below that I have some rubble rock and then a bag of Chemipure Elite. I had some macroalgae in there, the urchin made it a snack 😅, haven't put more in because little pieces would go all over and irritate corals. CUC is 2 turbo snails, strawberry conch, 2 hermits, a couple astrea snails, 1 or two trochus and various critters that came in on Live Rock, saw a nudi, stomatella and asterina starfish. 

Does that help?

[Tamberav]

First two pics....Dino and cyano in last pic 😞

[This guy is extra salty]

3 hours ago, ChristopherDido said:

At this time our maintenance routine is weekly 3 gallon water change. When we do water change, we turkey baste the rocks and stir up the sandbed.  In the media basket I have the nanocube sponge, that we pull out and rinse really well every water change (been doing this the entire time I've had the tank, even when it was setup in my house for the first year+ that we had it.) Below that I have some rubble rock and then a bag of Chemipure Elite. I had some macroalgae in there, the urchin made it a snack 😅, haven't put more in because little pieces would go all over and irritate corals. CUC is 2 turbo snails, strawberry conch, 2 hermits, a couple astrea snails, 1 or two trochus and various critters that came in on Live Rock, saw a nudi, stomatella and asterina starfish. 

Does that help?

When you rinse the sponge are you using a sink to wash it out or the dirty water from the water change?

 

maybe add some more macro algae? 

An hour less light? Maybe two?

[ChristopherDido]

7 hours ago, Tamberav said:

First two pics....Dino and cyano in last pic 😞

Uh oh that face does not look good... What you seeing?

[ChristopherDido]

6 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

When you rinse the sponge are you using a sink to wash it out or the dirty water from the water change?

 

maybe add some more macro algae? 

An hour less light? Maybe two?

Every other time using a bucket of RO water, dirty tank water the other time.  I'll add some more macro this week. 

My LFS that helps us out, they ran the brown stuff under a microscope and said definitely Dinos. He made a wild recommendation, that I'm not sure about, said to leave the lights on for 48 hours and then "Harvest" them out. I'm nervous on that one with possibly bleaching my corals that are still alive. His theory is to let the Dinos eat up everything and then remove them with the food source.  What do you think?

 Trying to decide on a plan of attack

[Tamberav]

Blackouts are pretty common for dino but usually not a cure alone. Do you have a nitrate or phosphate test? For the most part dino is from low nutrients and people raise those to encourage other algae to out compete it.

 

I had a dino that goes into the water column at night and I used that to remove it via my skimmer with DIY marine snow. It is a specific kind of dino though and will noticiblly dissapear at night and I can't say which species you have but I don't believe you have a skimmer either.

 

If you can get nitrates tested...I would start there. 

[ChristopherDido]

10 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Blackouts are pretty common for dino but usually not a cure alone. Do you have a nitrate or phosphate test? For the most part dino is from low nutrients and people raise those to encourage other algae to out compete it.

 

I had a dino that goes into the water column at night and I used that to remove it via my skimmer with DIY marine snow. It is a specific kind of dino though and will noticiblly dissapear at night and I can't say which species you have but I don't believe you have a skimmer either.

 

If you can get nitrates tested...I would start there. 

Ok... I can test them here with an API which I know is not the greatest. Or I can wait till this afternoon or tomorrow and get it tested at the LFS. Should I even bother with API?

[Tamberav]

1 minute ago, ChristopherDido said:

Ok... I can test them here with an API which I know is not the greatest. Or I can wait till this afternoon or tomorrow and get it tested at the LFS. Should I even bother with API?

If you have it I would try anyways....idk if the LFS really uses anything different? You could always compare with their results.

[ChristopherDido]

2 hours ago, Tamberav said:

If you have it I would try anyways....idk if the LFS really uses anything different? You could always compare with their results.

Just Tested, Phosphate, Nitrate and PH, here are my results.  Does that help with getting a plan?

Phosphate looks like - 0ppm

Nitrate looks like - 0ppm

Ph looks like - 8.

 

 

 

Here's a Youtube video of the Dinos under a microscope.  

 

[Tamberav]

While the API kits may not be great it's probably a safe bet you have no nutrients and it is causing the dino.

 

They make products to dose nitrate directly but some people try feeding more. Skipping water changes is common too. 

[ChristopherDido]

22 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

While the API kits may not be great it's probably a safe bet you have no nutrients and it is causing the dino.

 

They make products to dose nitrate directly but some people try feeding more. Skipping water changes is common too. 

Huh... Crazy, everyone it seems tries to chase low nutrients, yet low nutrients can hurt your tank 🤷.  So two things that I have done today is lessen my photo period by one hour, I will do my normal feeding schedule of every other day, but will throw a small bit in everyday now ( so bigger feedings three times a week.) And tomorrow I will bring some macros from my house. Anything else I should do right now?

[Christopher Marks]

It seems counterintuitive, but essentially you want to have some nitrates available in the system, for other algae to use and outcompete the dinoflagellates. Skipping the next water change or two, and feeding more can help. Just monitor your nitrates over the next few days and see if you can get them to rise a little. You might even consider removing the Chemipure Elite for the week.

 

Awesome capture under the microscope, thanks for sharing!

[Tamberav]

10 minutes ago, ChristopherDido said:

Huh... Crazy, everyone it seems tries to chase low nutrients, yet low nutrients can hurt your tank 🤷.  So two things that I have done today is lessen my photo period by one hour, I will do my normal feeding schedule of every other day, but will throw a small bit in everyday now ( so bigger feedings three times a week.) And tomorrow I will bring some macros from my house. Anything else I should do right now?

If my macros you mean algae, I wouldn't add macroalgae. You want to try and get microalgae and other junk growing, your glass will start to get that brown or green dusting much faster as you raise it. Otherwise I agree with Chris, try and get those Nitrates up.

 

Dino can be very toxic to corals so it is probably doing a number on your birdnest right now. 😞

[ChristopherDido]

46 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

If my macros you mean algae, I wouldn't add macroalgae. You want to try and get microalgae and other junk growing, your glass will start to get that brown or green dusting much faster as you raise it. Otherwise I agree with Chris, try and get those Nitrates up.

 

Dino can be very toxic to corals so it is probably doing a number on your birdnest right now. 😞

Ok, so I will not add Macroalgae at this time. I will pull the Chemipure and skip the water change this week and feed heavier. I'll let y'all know what I see. And yeah my birdsnest is basically destroyed 😠 it went downhill super fast. Thanks for the advice. How long do you think till I should see something happening with the Dinos?

[Tamberav]

2 hours ago, ChristopherDido said:

Ok, so I will not add Macroalgae at this time. I will pull the Chemipure and skip the water change this week and feed heavier. I'll let y'all know what I see. And yeah my birdsnest is basically destroyed 😠 it went downhill super fast. Thanks for the advice. How long do you think till I should see something happening with the Dinos?

Hard to say for sure...I would think at least 2 weeks but really just depends how fast you can get other stuff growing.

[ChristopherDido]

7 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Hard to say for sure...I would think at least 2 weeks but really just depends how fast you can get other stuff growing.

Ok, I'll test daily to see where the nitrates go and see if I start setting other algae start growing. Thanks for the help, it I see nothing after a week, I'll try chemical route lol. Trying to avoid chemicals. 

[This guy is extra salty]

You could dose potassium nitrate (stump remover) which will raise nitrates 

but then again I would do the easy way of feeding more

[ChristopherDido]

15 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

You could dose potassium nitrate (stump remover) which will raise nitrates 

but then again I would do the easy way of feeding more

So Day 2 of heavier feedings.  Nitrates still showing 0ppm, the club will be meeting today and i will have to go over with them what we got going on and how we are going to deal with it.  We will probably also talk about what we want the aquarium to look like next year, thinking of trying to change it up so that they can have more control over the tank, the AIO Nano-Cube is difficult for them to do all the maintenance on, I have to help with quite a few things. 

 

Anyway here's out Nitrate test results.  Thanks again for helping us out.

[ChristopherDido]

So forgot to post an update. We had a "Snow Day" on Thursday, so didn't get up there to check or feed tank. Friday I fed heavily and checked. Still showing Zero. Here's to hoping this next week I can get the nitrates up. 

[ChristopherDido]

Fed both Monday and Tuesday. Nitrates still stuck at 0.... I'll have club tomorrow and we'll check all the levels. Hopefully we can start getting in the right direction. 

Quick question if I reef dip my hammer that's in the tank and put it in a pico tank in another teachers room to save it will I pollute his tank with Dinos? Thanks again for all the help.

[Tamberav]

1 hour ago, ChristopherDido said:

Fed both Monday and Tuesday. Nitrates still stuck at 0.... I'll have club tomorrow and we'll check all the levels. Hopefully we can start getting in the right direction. 

Quick question if I reef dip my hammer that's in the tank and put it in a pico tank in another teachers room to save it will I pollute his tank with Dinos? Thanks again for all the help.

Yes, although I would assume dinos are in every tank regardless. They sell bottled Nitrate if it comes to that. That is what I will be using, mine are zero as well in my SPS tank.