26 gallon Red Sea Max Nano Peninsula Build Thread

[JohnNYC8]

Day 100:
Still battling high phosphates despite feeding less and using benepets instead of reef roids for 2 weeks. I think the phosphates are leeching back out of something (rock, possibly sand?). They went from .33 to .41 in one day on the Hannah ULR checker. I added 4 more tablespoons of RowaPhos in a separate filter bag so I can pull it quickly if phosphates nosedive.

Overall: some happy corals, some not so happy corals, but very happy fish and inverts.

 

[soreefed]

Looking good! I like your rock work quite a bit! How often are you feeding the coral food?

 

[JohnNYC8]

Looking good! I like your rock work quite a bit! How often are you feeding the coral food?

Thank you! I'm doing 1/4 tsp benepets every 3 days. I also dose 5ml live phyto daily.

I feed about 1/3rd of a small cube of mysis or brine twice daily. Typing that I wonder if I'm going too heavy on the shrimp.

 

[yanni]

Thank you! I'm doing 1/4 tsp benepets every 3 days. I also dose 5ml live phyto daily.

I feed about 1/3rd of a small cube of mysis or brine twice daily. Typing that I wonder if I'm going too heavy on the shrimp.

May help if you aren't already to rinse the mysis or brine, and I'd maybe cut back feedings to once a day

 

[soreefed]

Thank you! I'm doing 1/4 tsp benepets every 3 days. I also dose 5ml live phyto daily.

I feed about 1/3rd of a small cube of mysis or brine twice daily. Typing that I wonder if I'm going too heavy on the shrimp.

It seems to me that you are feeding too much coral food. It looks like you don’t have enough coral to support that feeding schedule.

 

[JohnNYC8]

It seems to me that you are feeding too much coral food. It looks like you don’t have enough coral to support that feeding schedule.

Thank you, I'll cut it way back and watch my numbers. I truly appreciate the feedback!

 

[soreefed]

Thank you, I'll cut it way back and watch my numbers. I truly appreciate the feedback!

No worries, happy to (hopefully) be helpful haha

 

[saltwater1]

Looking good! I also have the same tabk

 

[JohnNYC8]

First ICP Test Results:

I'm running GFO and my phosphates went from .41 yesterday to .31 today. I'm going to cease all coral feeding until I have these numbers in range and then scale back a lot.

For the trace elements I'm going to ask the chemistry forum. Here's the post.

Here's my log of home test values. Everything is done on Hannah checkers.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Day 102:

Did a 5 gallon water change so the water is a little stirred-up. Will visit my LFS to grab some iodine to dose and another ATI test. I'll take another sample in a week or two to confirm my dosing is on the right path. I'm just feeding brine shrimp in the morning and no dinner. I'll check phosphates this afternoon.

 

[JohnNYC8]

After the promising ATI test results I decided to grab a few more zoa frags and try my hand with an Ice Tort acropora. Phosphates in the afternoon are .28 so I'm seeing some effect from the RowaPhos, water change, and scaling back of the feeding.

I also picked up some Seachem Iodide to dose. I'm going to start with a very small amount.

Trying my hand at an acro

Also, I forgot to mention, I've got some Coralline algae forming on my Nero 3.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Day 107 quick update:

We're down to one blue neon goby. I think the smaller one got bullied into the overflow by the goby who took over the front of the rockwork. I took a look and couldn't find it.

I'm now doing water changes based on what I see from the corals. The pectinia isn't as puffed up as it was all week so I'll do a 5 gallon water change this morning.

Phosphates were .3 yesterday afternoon and .25 after the water change. It looks like I'm not adding excess to the system now.

I split my live phyto between morning and night and I'm feeding mysis in the morning and brine or pellets in the afternoon. I have ceased all additional coral feeding for now.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

After the promising ATI test results I decided to grab a few more zoa frags and try my hand with an Ice Tort acropora. Phosphates in the afternoon are .28 so I'm seeing some effect from the RowaPhos, water change, and scaling back of the feeding.

I also picked up some Seachem Iodide to dose. I'm going to start with a very small amount.

Trying my hand at an acro

Also, I forgot to mention, I've got some Coralline algae forming on my Nero 3.

Nice looking frags!

 

[JohnNYC8]

Nice looking frags!

Thank you! They’re much happier now that my parameters have stabilized. I’ve also been ramping up my lighting utilizing the acclimation mode and so far no bleaching, just happy corals. Also I’ve noticed a big improvement since I set up the ATO.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thank you! They’re much happier now that my parameters have stabilized. I’ve also been ramping up my lighting utilizing the acclimation mode and so far no bleaching, just happy corals. Also I’ve noticed a big improvement since I set up the ATO.

Yep! An ATO helps out a bunch!

 

[JohnNYC8]

Day 109

Phosphates are still elevated at .29 but they're stable. The corals look happy and I don't have any real issues with nuisance algae. I have a small amount of valonia/bubble algae so I'm grabbing an emerald crab for control. I'll make sure to keep the crab very well fed.

The nudibranchs have taken care of all visible aiptasia. The largest aiptasia was moving around during the day half-eaten so I'm sure it dropped a trail of new pests. I've found the nudibranchs on the front glass a few times but I turn off the flow, suck them up with a turkey baster, and relocate them to the rocks. I give them 10 minutes without flow to find a hiding spot and it seems to be working. I have a peppermint shrimp on the way for long-term control.

Since the Ice Tort acropora seems happy I added a yellow tip acropora, also from ReefCo. I also grabbed another green hairy mushroom to jumpstart the mushroom island.

 

[slogan315]

Fun read so far. Looks great. Keep it up!

 

[kevgib67]

Day 109

Phosphates are still elevated at .29 but they're stable. The corals look happy and I don't have any real issues with nuisance algae. I have a small amount of valonia/bubble algae so I'm grabbing an emerald crab for control. I'll make sure to keep the crab very well fed.

The nudibranchs have taken care of all visible aiptasia. The largest aiptasia was moving around during the day half-eaten so I'm sure it dropped a trail of new pests. I've found the nudibranchs on the front glass a few times but I turn off the flow, suck them up with a turkey baster, and relocate them to the rocks. I give them 10 minutes without flow to find a hiding spot and it seems to be working. I have a peppermint shrimp on the way for long-term control.

Since the Ice Tort acropora seems happy I added a yellow tip acropora, also from ReefCo. I also grabbed another green hairy mushroom to jumpstart the mushroom island.

Looking great, just a heads up, you probably already know, the peppermint shrimp will eat the Berghia nudibranchs. Just make sure they are done doing their job.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Looking great, just a heads up, you probably already know, the peppermint shrimp will eat the Berghia nudibranchs. Just make sure they are done doing their job.

Thank you and thank you for the heads-up. I'm planning to try to rehome the nudibranchs before the shrimp arrives. I should have a 1-2 week lead time before the shrimp arrives since I added it to a quarantined fish order.

The nudibranchs are very easy to find, if I put my nero 3 above 30% they shoot right onto the glass.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Fun read so far. Looks great. Keep it up!

Thank you! I learned so much from this forum I'm glad I can add a little something back.