B... Reefing

[Bruno_Soares]

Tests and after that a 20% water change done yesterday.

 

PH - 8,2

KH - 8

NO2 - between 0,05 e 0,1ppm

NO3 - above 50ppm

PO4 - lower 0,03ppm (almost zero, if not 0 at all)

 

I don´t have calcium and magnesium tests. I know I should be testing to see if the parameters are stable.

Nitrate could be influence by the nitrite and this can mean it is a false result. Should I trust this or try to lower nitrate?

It looks like phosphate are really 0, because I have some ciano and it is increasing. I will try to correct this by using some salts, in this case monopotassium phosphate. I think there will be no problem since there are many salts used even in balling. I will use a solution to increase 0,02ppm since IP don´t want to get much over 0,03ppm. What do you think?

The corals are looking better but the nassarius vibex are always going over them. Tubipora Musica as some bubble algae over it, and I have already seen some on the rocks. My Zoanthus "Eagle Eye" is still not going ok. It was all closed for the weekend and as not opened yet. The week before it was ok, and I could also see some new polyps starting to show up. I don´t know if he needs more/less light or more/less water flow... 

My Lysmata Seticaudata have already eaten all the aiptasias. They are almost always hiden and even when they show up, if they see movement they hide again. They come out a bit, because the rocks provides some shadows and they get out a bit... they have already molted, which I believe it is a good sign, one of the molts was complete and so I trust they are in good health. They eat whatever is available. I only have Mysis with garlic and spiruline and brine shrimp. What do you think it is good as an overall food, since I have these shrimp, some nassarius, an astraea and the Blue Damzel.

Algae, I have some GHA on the soil and a bit in a rock, bubble algae or Valonia Ventricosa. I know I shouldn´t pop them inside my aquarium, so what is the best way to get rid of them? Why have they shown? 

Algae... can´t live with them, can´t live without them...

Now for the best part, some photos. Why doesn´t the GSP open right in the middle? It was growing like crazy and I was already thinking of moving my Zoanthus Radioactive, but the GSP stalled.

 

[Clown79]

4 hours ago, Bruno_Soares said:

Tests and after that a 20% water change done yesterday.

 

PH - 8,2

KH - 8

NO2 - between 0,05 e 0,1ppm

NO3 - above 50ppm

PO4 - lower 0,03ppm (almost zero, if not 0 at all)

 

I don´t have calcium and magnesium tests. I know I should be testing to see if the parameters are stable.

Nitrate could be influence by the nitrite and this can mean it is a false result. Should I trust this or try to lower nitrate?

It looks like phosphate are really 0, because I have some ciano and it is increasing. I will try to correct this by using some salts, in this case monopotassium phosphate. I think there will be no problem since there are many salts used even in balling. I will use a solution to increase 0,02ppm since IP don´t want to get much over 0,03ppm. What do you think?

The corals are looking better but the nassarius vibex are always going over them. Tubipora Musica as some bubble algae over it, and I have already seen some on the rocks. My Zoanthus "Eagle Eye" is still not going ok. It was all closed for the weekend and as not opened yet. The week before it was ok, and I could also see some new polyps starting to show up. I don´t know if he needs more/less light or more/less water flow... 

My Lysmata Seticaudata have already eaten all the aiptasias. They are almost always hiden and even when they show up, if they see movement they hide again. They come out a bit, because the rocks provides some shadows and they get out a bit... they have already molted, which I believe it is a good sign, one of the molts was complete and so I trust they are in good health. They eat whatever is available. I only have Mysis with garlic and spiruline and brine shrimp. What do you think it is good as an overall food, since I have these shrimp, some nassarius, an astraea and the Blue Damzel.

Algae, I have some GHA on the soil and a bit in a rock, bubble algae or Valonia Ventricosa. I know I shouldn´t pop them inside my aquarium, so what is the best way to get rid of them? Why have they shown? 

Algae... can´t live with them, can´t live without them...

Now for the best part, some photos. Why doesn´t the GSP open right in the middle? It was growing like crazy and I was already thinking of moving my Zoanthus Radioactive, but the GSP stalled.

 

I run higher phos and have no issues with it besides better growth in corals. I no longer attempt to achieve the recommended levels.

 

Bubble algae, only certain types spread when popped. I just lightly physically remove them, usually by just prying it off the rock with a rolling movement. Mine has never spread.

 

Gha, unless it is left unchecked, it's not a huge issue. Cuc usually help with small amounts.

 

As for nitrates, people have run it higher than recommended but most will do a large waterchange to reduce it to 20 or below.

[mcarroll]

I also find it acceptable to do nothing about bubble algae as long as it's not spreading.   Over the years it comes and goes in small patches in my system.  But it has never required any intervention to put it in check.  Watch it and be sure though.  Any algae is capable of a bloom.

 

Most green algae, like bubble algae, form "rootlets" that allow it to access phosphates bound to the aragonite substrate where their swarmers settle....and of course they can use the nitrates available in the water column.

 

You'll want to raise phosphates for your coral's sake....and lowering nitrates some won't hurt, but don't worry about lowing them by more than half.  Keep in mind that water changes lower phosphates though.....THAT is not something you want to do right now.  Dosing 0.05 ppm of PO4 into your water change water is an easy way to assure you ARE NOT depleting PO4 levels while you ARE lowering nitrate levels and evening out levels of other elements.

 

I suspect your coral not opening all the way is related to this "near-zero" PO4 condition....but it also looks close the the hot-spot from the light.  Sort of a double whammy.

 

Is it getting decent, but not too-strong, flow?

[Bruno_Soares]

15 hours ago, Clown79 said:

I run higher phos and have no issues with it besides better growth in corals. I no longer attempt to achieve the recommended levels.

Gha, unless it is left unchecked, it's not a huge issue. Cuc usually help with small amounts.

At what levels do you keep it, usually? I heard not to go over 0,03ppm or much over that... 

And GHA, do you remove it?

 

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

You'll want to raise phosphates for your coral's sake....and lowering nitrates some won't hurt, but don't worry about lowing them by more than half.  Keep in mind that water changes lower phosphates though.....THAT is not something you want to do right now.  Dosing 0.05 ppm of PO4 into your water change water is an easy way to assure you ARE NOT depleting PO4 levels while you ARE lowering nitrate levels and evening out levels of other elements.

 

I suspect your coral not opening all the way is related to this "near-zero" PO4 condition....but it also looks close the the hot-spot from the light.  Sort of a double whammy.

 

Is it getting decent, but not too-strong, flow?

That is a great idea. I will do that for sure (adding 0,05ppm in my WC water).

I believe so, corals have been opening and closing throught out most of the time... I don´t know the levels of PO4 before this, but I will surely be testing this weekly from now on.

I believe they have decent flow. Not sure... I think I will test the light first. I will incresase some 5% for about 2 weeks and see if they react better. What do you think? About the flow, I will send pics of the pump position, to see if you have a better idea of where to put it.

[Clown79]

3 hours ago, Bruno_Soares said:

At what levels do you keep it, usually? I heard not to go over 0,03ppm or much over that... 

And GHA, do you remove it?

 

That is a great idea. I will do that for sure (adding 0,05ppm in my WC water).

I believe so, corals have been opening and closing throught out most of the time... I don´t know the levels of PO4 before this, but I will surely be testing this weekly from now on.

I believe they have decent flow. Not sure... I think I will test the light first. I will incresase some 5% for about 2 weeks and see if they react better. What do you think? About the flow, I will send pics of the pump position, to see if you have a better idea of where to put it.

I like my phos 0.08 but it's been as high as 0.25.

 

I get a smal tuff of gha from time to time, I just remove it manually.

[Bruno_Soares]

Look who showed up... they must be hungry. I will be using Reef Roids today for the first time. Tomorrow a 25% water change since my nitrates are high...

I am trying a soultion of KH2PO4 to try raising my phosphate. Since I can´t test it everyday because I only have a drop tests, I have dosed it yesterday and today, and tomorrow I will test to see if it raises. If not, I will be adding some more of that solution to see if I can check how much my aquarium is using everyday and try to correct it.

 

[Clown79]

3 hours ago, Bruno_Soares said:

Look who showed up... they must be hungry. I will be using Reef Roids today for the first time. Tomorrow a 25% water change since my nitrates are high...

I am trying a soultion of KH2PO4 to try raising my phosphate. Since I can´t test it everyday because I only have a drop tests, I have dosed it yesterday and today, and tomorrow I will test to see if it raises. If not, I will be adding some more of that solution to see if I can check how much my aquarium is using everyday and try to correct it.

 

What phos tester are you using?

If API, it doesn't read low levels, it starts at 0.25.

 

So anything below that, it won't read.

[Bruno_Soares]

I am using the Tropic Marin Compact Lab which starts at 0 then 0,03ppm and so on. My phosphate reads between 0 and 0,03ppm, so I can´t give any preciser value. Tomorrow I will be testing it again. Phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, amonium and amonia, PH and KH.