YHSublime November 20, 2013 November 20, 2013 That is pretty wicked growth! I found a spot for my reverse sunset after your advice. My acros are branching all over the place, but my montis are pretty stagnant. My alk is a little high, wonder if that has anything to do with it.
BowieReefer84 November 20, 2013 Author November 20, 2013 That is pretty wicked growth! I found a spot for my reverse sunset after your advice. My acros are branching all over the place, but my montis are pretty stagnant. My alk is a little high, wonder if that has anything to do with it. I have been keeping my alk at like 7.8
AlanM November 20, 2013 November 20, 2013 I have been keeping my alk at like 7.8 What is your pH like with such a low alk? I know you use the CO2 scrubber on your skimmer input, but i feel like if my alk was that low my pH would be around 7.8, matching it.
BowieReefer84 November 20, 2013 Author November 20, 2013 What is your pH like with such a low alk? I know you use the CO2 scrubber on your skimmer input, but i feel like if my alk was that low my pH would be around 7.8, matching it. Only two fish and the C02 scrubber. PH is always over 8.1 sometimes like 8.3. That's with an API test kit though, not a probe.
BowieReefer84 November 22, 2013 Author November 22, 2013 I added a salifert spoon worth of potassium nitrate (stump remover) to my tank last night... Felt a little odd, but I figure why not give it a shot to lower my phoshpates. I will test nitrates tonight to see where they are at, as they were previously undetectable. I also added some to a sample of water at a higher concentration and tested that out of curiousity... It was like 160+ nitrates. haha I like tinkering with the tank. I'm not saying it's good or bad to mess with it so much, but that's what I find fun.
howaboutme November 22, 2013 November 22, 2013 I will be following along...have to get stump remover this weekend. It's terribly hard to find in NOVA. It looks like the Lowes in Manassas is the only one that has a supply. If you're dosing 1 salifert spoons, I may try 2 spoons for my volume. Did you dilute in RODI like suggested? What is your PO4 now?
BowieReefer84 November 22, 2013 Author November 22, 2013 (edited) how does that lower phosphate? Redford Ratio... With nitrate at zero phosphate can't get lower (that's what I get out of it). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfield_ratio I will be following along...have to get stump remover this weekend. It's terribly hard to find in NOVA. It looks like the Lowes in Manassas is the only one that has a supply. If you're dosing 1 salifert spoons, I may try 2 spoons for my volume. Did you dilute in RODI like suggested? What is your PO4 now? Yea, I got it at lowes for $6.50, and it is probably enough to last about 300 years. I mixed it in a dixie cup with some tank water then poured it in the sump by my return pump. I will have to do some testing to see where my levels are at this weekend. Start with an extremely low dose! It is very very very potent. I have a sump, so my volume may be close to yours. BE CAREFUL!!! Edited November 22, 2013 by BowieReefer84
AlanM November 22, 2013 November 22, 2013 interesting. My nitrate is always zero but phosphate is usually around 0.1.
howaboutme November 22, 2013 November 22, 2013 Start with an extremely low dose! It is very very very potent. I have a sump, so my volume may be close to yours. BE CAREFUL!!! Ah..right. Thanks. I hope to drop some in on Sunday night and will update. Will be interesting to see how yours, mine and ridetheducati's tanks respond to this.
howaboutme November 25, 2013 November 25, 2013 Any update on your kno3 excited experiment? I just added the stump remover tonight. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
BowieReefer84 November 25, 2013 Author November 25, 2013 I've added 3 salifert spoons worth over the past few days. Nitrates are at like .5 right now. Going to get them up to 2 and hold them there. Too early to tell if phosphates are coming down. Tank is looking good, and I am looking forward to the automated dosing. Waiting for my timers so hopefully by next weekend the two part will be split up into about 10 doses a day instead of just a single dose.
BowieReefer84 November 26, 2013 Author November 26, 2013 Some "top down" cell shots: 20131125_203059-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131125_203053-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131125_203143-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131125_203150-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131125_203127-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131125_203035 by mteske1, on Flickr
gmerek2 November 27, 2013 November 27, 2013 What are the names of the corals? Live the different colors
BowieReefer84 November 27, 2013 Author November 27, 2013 (edited) What are the names of the corals? Live the different colors The 3 acro are from battle corals and in order are panic acro, purple pillie, bananas bananas bananas. There are links in my thread about the battle corals review. I am in the process of trying to drop phosphates to get the "yellow" out of the deep water acro. I hear excess phosphates turn yellow acro green sometimes... The monti are in order are mystic sunset (I think), rainbow (no growth ring yet), and setosa. Edited November 27, 2013 by BowieReefer84
YHSublime November 27, 2013 November 27, 2013 I am in the process of trying to drop phosphates to get the "yellow" out of the deep water acro. I hear excess phosphates turn yellow acro green sometimes... That's pretty much the information I found when I was asking about keeping Shawn Bennett Yellow Tort actual yellow, higher phosphates=greener color. Still love that Purple Pillie! I look forward to seeing how your dosing regimen works out.
gmerek2 November 28, 2013 November 28, 2013 I like that blue green color I wouldn't change the phosphates
BowieReefer84 November 28, 2013 Author November 28, 2013 I like that blue green color I wouldn't change the phosphates Too late. I put a bag of kent phosphate sponge in the tank this evening, and going to leave it for 16 hours.
BowieReefer84 December 5, 2013 Author December 5, 2013 (edited) Tank is reading 22ppb on my hanna ULR reader. Not sure I trust it, but I am going to continue dosing vinegar and a little bit of nitrates to get it even lower. Then I will continue just dosing vinegar without any GFO in the system, and hopefully keep nitrates and phosphates at undetectable levels. Alk is holding at about 7.8 at all times which is where I am going to aim to keep it. I am dosing a diluted version of b-ionic 1.1ml an hour for 16 hours of the day (edit: 1.1ml/hr for 16 hours = 18ml total) to keep it rock solid. doser by mteske1, on Flickr Edited December 5, 2013 by BowieReefer84
BowieReefer84 December 15, 2013 Author December 15, 2013 Finally time to replace the C02 scrubbing media. It lasted 3 months on my tank, which is more than I expected. With 7 refills in a container that cost like $50 I am pleased with this method of keeping the PH elevated. I also started dosing amino acids in the form of Fauna Marin Ultra Amin. Can't say for sure but colors seem improved already. Also, I am now running my maxspect for 6 hours a day at 75% intensity. I started around 40%, and have boosted it up over the past month. I plan to hit 80% in the next few weeks and hold it there for a while. I've added a couple more corals including a blue stag and a superman monti. All the Acros from BattleCorals are doing great, and encrusting nicely. I would order from them again in a heartbeat if I had more money... haha. I have removed GFO, and simply dosing small amounts of vinegar and nitrates right now. I really want to add another fish in the next couple months, and am leaning toward a firefish or royal gramma. I was even thinking working up to 5 small fish if that wouldn't be too many? I def don't want to overstock though. I just like odd numbers for fish. Either 3 or 5...
BowieReefer84 December 16, 2013 Author December 16, 2013 Did that sps yellow up It's not yellow, but more of a lemon/lime color. However, it is nicely encrusting now. I'm expecting it to have fully encrusted the plug in 1-2 more months hopefully then shoot UP UP UP!
BowieReefer84 December 19, 2013 Author December 19, 2013 Quick growth comparison: 11.05.2013 P1030233 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131105_152106 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131105_180422 by mteske1, on Flickr TODAY 12.18.13 20131218_175919-1 by mteske1, on Flickr 20131218_175358 by mteske1, on Flickr
AlanM December 19, 2013 December 19, 2013 Mike goes on about how consistency helps. I had been dubious for a while, but after three weeks of running the alk doser each hour to eliminate the drops and increases of 1dkh each way I am now a believer. I feel like my frags only really started growing after adding the doser and maintaining consistent levels. I will have to talk to you about nutrient removal, Mike. I am getting algae again, and if you ar running your lights that much without blooms you must be doing something right.
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