120 Gallon Salty Condo

Did someone say vlamingi?? Looking forward to seeing the lavender once you get it. Have you thought about an all Xenia tank just to make traveling easier? Haha!
 
Lol! Xenia, Kenya Trees, and GSP as a matter of fact. Maybe throw in a little bubble algae and aptasia while I'm at it.

What do ya think? Like 100 damsels as well????

Yeah, you guys have 8 foot tanks and can house the big boys. I'll be there someday but until then I'll live vicariously through you.
 
Lol! Xenia, Kenya Trees, and GSP as a matter of fact. Maybe throw in a little bubble algae and aptasia while I'm at it.

What do ya think? Like 100 damsels as well????

Yeah, you guys have 8 foot tanks and can house the big boys. I'll be there someday but until then I'll live vicariously through you.

Lol. I was thinking of 8 foot of gsp, button polyps and xenia if sps ain't working,lol.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
 
GHA: Let the Battle Begin

Ok, so as much as it embarrasses me to post the photos of how bad the GHA in my tank has gotten.... I have decided to post pictures to hopefully document a comeback!

I've cut all my feedings in half, added 20 hermit crabs, started to run GFO and plan to do 1 day per week with lights out all in an effort to help combat this GHA that covers just about every inch of rock in my tank. I also trimmed my chaeto back to 1/3 of it's size in hopes it will pull some phosphate out as well. I traded in a basketball size clump to AC yesterday.

Things have gotten worse since I got rid of my urchin and Blue Tang. I knew they picked at the algae but didn't have a clue just how much they did. My two spot bristle tooth tang (blue eye kole) arrives on Thursday but it will be QT'd for at least 30 days. After it's settled in I plan on adding the Lavender Tang.

Nitrates are slightly above undetectable
Phosphates pre-GFO 0.08 both with Hana Checker and Red Sea Pro

Don't laugh or cry too much when you see the photos.
GHA 1.jpg
GHA 4.jpg
GHA.jpg
GHA 2.jpg
GHA 3.jpg
 
Been there, much worse in my situation (pics prove it). Lights out for 3 days, pulling it manually, no dent. My only dent then total wipe out was zebra turbos, big golf ball sizes ones. This only made the ugliness go away. Wet skimming, gfo and red sea nopox, and completely stopping mysis feedings (100% pellets now) is my only noticeable decline in PO4. Come to find out my sand was locking in waste, so now I'm going BB with tons of flow.
Keep your head up, you'll beat the gha.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
 
Thanks Brad! I've been following your thread so I know what you've been dealing with. How often are you replacing your GFO?
 
Thanks Brad! I've been following your thread so I know what you've been dealing with. How often are you replacing your GFO?

Every so often (yep, another slacking on my part,lol). I haven't changed it in a month because I just run mine in a bag. I believe mine isn't exhausted yet (PO4 keeps dropping). Once I see my numbers start to climb ever so slightly, I'll change it.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
 
Good to know, thanks. I started with half of the recommended dose of GFO. Will add the full amount of GFO once this is exhausted.
 
Good to know, thanks. I started with half of the recommended dose of GFO. Will add the full amount of GFO once this is exhausted.

Yeah, I started with about a 3/4 cup for my 275 total water volume. I'll see if that's an ok dose once I'm BB.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
 
I started with one cup for roughly 130 gallons total water volume. Nothing like dropping the bomb on the first day of the war huh? LOL
 
Wow. That's a drastic change since I last saw the tank. I know you're running eckBAK, what are your nitrate levels? Remember the pellets won't bring down phosphates if there are no nitrates die them to consume. Keep your head up bro, that blue eye kole is sweet.
 
Appreciate all the advice and support!

Nitrates are slightly above undetectable, so I'm pretty sure the pellets won't be able to aid in this battle anymore than they already have or are... That is the reason I wanted to start using MB7 to help add another strain of bacteria to potentially help. Not sure if I'm on the right track with using MB7 or not, but at this point I am willing to try just about anything.

I did another 15 gallon WC last night so that I could use the water to open my QT. So that's 30 gallons of WC in the past 2 days for the DT.

I constantly see the foxface picking at the rocks now that I have cut it's feedings in half. I guess I was such a generous caretaker that I probably overfed the whole tank. I think the cutting of the feedings alone will help greatly in this battle.

Blue eye arrives tomorrow, can't wait!
 
I think if MB7 is going to do much of anything it would be in nitrate reduction. I think GFO is the best course of action, just need to test at the output of the reactor once a week to make sure that the media is so bringing down the phosphates and not releasing them back into the water column. Once GFO is spent or does more harm than good.

Just remember with the use of pellets it is important to feed the tank well, once your nitrates ate undetectable (which they are) the bacteria can no longer consume phosphates, and that's where people start the use of GFO.
 
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IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

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    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

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  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%

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