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So I realized that I've been testing my Salifert Calcium test kit wrong this whole time.  In low resolution mode not only am I supposed to cut the test water amount in half, but also Ca-1 and Ca-2.  I haven't been doing that, thus getting incorrect readings.  After correcting my testing, my Ca has been sitting at 600+ ppm this whole time.  I've been avoiding any water changes since I finally have my algae situation under control but I think one is necessary at this point.  From there I'll dose baking soda to match my Fritz RPM Redline salt mix.

 

The solution to the algae situation has brought up another problem.  While I've been dosing Vibrant aquarium cleaner to successfully rid my tank of any nuisance algae, it has caused the nitrate to bottom out.  Recent tests show nitrates are undetectable.  Which explains why my corals are looking a little pale and why cyano starts to appear after 1 week of dosing Vibrant aquarium cleaner.

 

Ca: 620 ppm

Alk: 7.3 dkh

NO3: 0 ppm

PO4: 0 ppm

 

PLAN:

  1. Get Ca down and Alk up with a water change and baking soda dosing.  Then continue regular ESV 2 part dosing.
  2. Get nitrate and phosphate up using Vibrant Chroma Color + Refine
  3. Keep nuisance algae at bay by using Vibrant Aquarium Cleaner if necessary.  Hopefully I can eventually ween off the Vibrant products.
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/15/2019 at 9:19 AM, YHSublime said:

Really cool! Glad to find another 22 long around!

For sure!  The dimensions of this tank make it feel a lot bigger than it actually is.  

 

On 3/22/2019 at 5:35 PM, Christopher Marks said:

Hey @reefrook how has the tank revitalization been going?

I finally got my Ca and Alk regulated... 480ppm and 9.5dkh.

Also raised my nitrate..up to 24 ppm. 

 

I haven't seen any cyano or dinos in months.  While I've managed to get rid of the red algae,  there's been a rise in the green (gha, bryopsis, who knows what else).

Also, more of my sps got hit with STN.  I lost the big stylo plus a couple more.  

The ones that are still alive, like the hydnophora, don't have the polyp extension they usually do.

 

In battling cyano, I think I let my nitrates get way too high.  After a big water change, the hydno started perking back up.  Perhaps lowering the nitrates will also kill off some the greenery.

I aint trying to have a planted tank now 😉

 

While doing all this testing, dosing, calculating...I noticed something.  I HAD NO SNAILS (besides 2 nassarius)  In my previous tanks I've always had turbos, ceriths, trochus snails but never really thought they did much.  Found out over the weekend that I was dead wrong.  Stopped by the lfs on friday and picked up 4 turbos, 4 trochus, 4 margaritas.

 

FRIDAY

IMG_2322.thumb.jpg.550cd80e759eea82cc11cf218e25b75f.jpg

 

MONDAY

IMG_2323.thumb.jpg.0072d3447b07e6ed73ecf138e5443c08.jpg

 

 

dem boys went to work! 

 

after getting rid of the cyano, perhaps i really didnt have an algae problem but just a lack of a cleaning crew.  

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On 4/2/2019 at 6:03 PM, reefrook said:

after getting rid of the cyano, perhaps i really didnt have an algae problem but just a lack of a cleaning crew.  

 

I was in the same boat for a while. I had a little bit of green turf algae pop up here and there. I got a reef cleaners package on a Friday, come Monday they did mad work. I had snails and hermits, but even the variety was enough to make a huge difference. 

 

Keep up the testing and cleaning, looking forward to watching this grow! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I got a baby on the way and anticipate not having much time for maintenance.  In preparation for that, amongst other things, I've switched over to the Triton Method. Also, I've been battling issues with dinos, cyano, alk, calcium, stn, etc. and I've finally reached a stable point.  So what's the smartest thing to do when there are no issues?  Make drastic changes! 

2021523472_IMG_13072.thumb.jpg.de2fdb49ba67fd15ebb91ec9955fe600.jpg

I put together some DIY dosing containers with 1000mL milk jugs I got off Amazon.

I slowly lowered my alk from 9.5 to 7.4.  I think I have it dialed in but I'm going to wait a couple days before sending off my first test.  Right now I'm dosing 4mL of each solution to my 30 gal system.

 

Got myself a Kessil H380 and rearranged the sump a little so that the 1st chamber is the fuge, the 2nd is the skimmer, and the last is the return.  Chaeto has grown from a tennis ball to about a softball in less than a week!  With my old fuge light, that type of growth took months. 

 

Before I switched to Triton/Kessil H380, my nitrate was at 24ppm.  I'll check it again in a week or 2 to see if it was impacted at all.

IMG_1512.thumb.jpg.c2a4942f4797c5c2e530973a3a537e43.jpg

 

So far, I don't notice any visible changes.  I think I see a little more PE from my millepora.  That's about it though.  Nothing negative, not much positive, although it's only been several days.  

 

My tank was looking a bit crowded.  I was not happy with the layout.  Everything was sort of just clumped up in the middle and a lot of the sandbed was being covered.  I've since then remodeled, which I'm happy with... for now.

IMG_1518.thumb.jpg.b96e81fcfb2d52103f90ad963c761b6c.jpg

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

I have the same tank just sitting in my garage. What size sump are you using? I really want to get that thing up and running. My biocube 16 just isnt enough anymore. 

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