3 months into first reef, need help with what I'm seeing (or not seeing)

[LMDAVE]

I'm 3 months into my reef, and it feels like year already. I just wanted see if I'm going in the right direction, if I just need to wait things out, or should I be making any changes.

The picture I'm showing of my tank is with an overlay I made based on the Fluval Marine LED light and how the PAR punches down through depth.

I have a 40 gal sumpless system. Octopus HOB skimmer, HOB filter chamber running Chemipure Elite (Carbon and GFO) and seachum Matrix.

My LPS on the bottom are doing OK, other than the new toadstool leather on the left. My main concern in the Monti Cap I have up top. I've had it in the system about a month and not one sign of growth, not even an 1/8th of an inch. But not fading either. I also added a yellow fiji leather up top that opening up but not extending any polyps. The candy-cane never expanded ever and has been at that spot for 2 weeks.

Just curious if this LIGHT profile will sustain a future mixed reef. Some SPS near top and basic LPS along the bottom and middle.

My Parameters have been steady around these number for over a month.
I'm doing weekly 10 gal water changes.

Amon/Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10
Phosphate 0.08-0.1
pH 8.2
Temp 79
Sal 1.025
Alk 8-9 (I usually dose it back up to 9 when I see it below 8.5, usually once a week)
Cal 415-425
Mag ~1350-1400

I just don't seem to get any type of real growth yet. My Zoas frags added about 2-3 poylps over a month period, so that's about it.

Am I just still in a early stage where I should let things just happen, or should I make any significant changes?

 

[LMDAVE]

This is an up to date picture without the light profile overlay

 

[PatW]

The montiporas like high flow and relatively low nutrients and medium to high light. I think your light is ok but I don’t know the spectrum. Looking at your water, it looks decent. I like nitrates under 5 ppm and phosphates about half your level or even lower.

I do that by having a vigorous nutrient export system. Left on its own my nitrates and phosphates would be zero. I dose both. I like nitrates at 2 ppm and phosphates at about .015. I run mainly SPS: acropora, montiporas, stylophora, birdsnests and some LPS. SPS are tricky and don’t grow fast until well they do. If everything clicks, they can do really well. But it is tricky finding the sweet spot. Mine are doing well. I think I know what they like but I could be wrong and I just hit on a set of conditions they like just by getting somethings right and having some luck. There are a bunch of variables to fiddle with and getting a combination that works can be tricky.

 

[HB AL]

Possibly stronger lights

 

[NY_Caveman]

I would give the aquarium some time before making any big changes. Three months is pretty short in a new reef and you have added a good amount. I would continue to monitor and let the tank keep maturing. If your numbers have been stable that is a good sign. That light is okay currently, but if you want growth or higher demand corals later you could consider an upgrade.

 

[LMDAVE]

I did move the monti over there about 2 weeks ago where’s it’s now getting more flow.

About the light I like this strip with programmable controller etc, and it can take a second strip. If I put another strip next to this one would I be essentially doubling the PAR? Would be awkward for access though.

I would like to reduce my phosphate a little more. I’ve been avoiding a gfo external chamber hoping the gfo in tbe chemipure elite bags would do the trick. But may have to look at other options

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yep, still very young tank. Going to take some more time for the corals to adapt and adjust. I agree with the others, a upgrade in lighting is needed. Most all corals need around 200-250 par and more blue spectrum than your current light produces.

You have a great start by the way.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I would give the aquarium some time before making any big changes. Three months is pretty short in a new reef and you have added a good amount. I would continue to monitor and let the tank keep maturing. If your numbers have been stable that is a good sign. That light is okay currently, but if you want growth or higher demand corals later you could consider an upgrade.

All this.

Don’t imo , keep messing with the nutrients. It’s a young tank and it’s going to settle. Youre already stripping Po4. No need to to up the game.
Your numbers look great.

One of the big common problems folks are having now is “battling” nutints and overstriping.

Your tank looks great. The monti is about where it should be considering the age of the tank. (Surprised it lived).

As far as the light , how long is the peak? How long is it on.
Is the light at full?

IMO , seem to be falling off prettt fast. 350 - 50 is a big spread for an led.

And yea, the easy way is to just add a strip if you don’t want to upgrade.

 

[LMDAVE]

Yeah that’s the one thing about this a tall tank (24”) compared to its width it drops off a lot. My trachy is always happy. I’ve been playing with the schedule a little. Here’s the current schedule, the break time from 12-3 was once dropping to 50% but I raised it up recently. Second pic is he blue light schedule, the way it’s worded in the blue light is weird and at night 12-6 (moon) both at 0% white are totally off at 8:30, and final pic is the spectrum of this light. I was curious about not having enough blue light, there a a bunch in this strip and this is the spectrum.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Instead of adding a second of the same light maybe something like the SB Reef Lights sBar or something similar. An actinic or a 50/50. Still, I would not rush to much too add variables to a new build. Just something to think about.

 

[Flippers4pups]

If I'm right, the light fixture you have is a 252 diode, 46w. The math would suggest that there's around 5watts per diode. Most likely it's less. So, math wise it should have enough power. The limitation probably is in it's lenses. That why it can't punch deep.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Honestly , for a true mixed reef , those numbers and and the amount of time aren’t bad.
You can run high par for short or low par for long and get around the same DLI.

I run higher pars (200 in the sand in one and 100+ in the other ) and there are some corals that I just can’t do. Chalices and acans among them. And I’ve killed some Cyphastrea by moving thier shade lol.
So it’s really about choosing the livestock you want and getting the levels for them.
Most would prefer 100 on the sand for mixed reef, but ......
I’ve seen those lights grow some surprisingly good corals. And a nem in a couple cases.

 

[NY_Caveman]

If I'm right, the light fixture you have is a 252 diode, 46w. The math would suggest that there's around 5watts per diode. Most likely it's less. So, math wise it should have enough power. The limitation probably is in it's lenses. That why it can't punch deep.

Just a quick math post, if those numbers are right it would be 46W/252 diodes = 0.1825 Watts per diode.

 

[LMDAVE]

I'm not really sure what the Watts per LED is telling us for the tank, if you can fill me in on that. I read about total watts per gallon, and I'm close to 1:1 on that. I do have the 24" model which is 32W/168 LED, which comes out to 0.19 Watts per diode.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO , there’s no watt to par correlation. Not a concern in a tank.

 

[Aaron-A2]

The montiporas like high flow and relatively low nutrients and medium to high light. I think your light is ok but I don’t know the spectrum. Looking at your water, it looks decent. I like nitrates under 5 ppm and phosphates about half your level or even lower.

I do that by having a vigorous nutrient export system. Left on its own my nitrates and phosphates would be zero. I dose both. I like nitrates at 2 ppm and phosphates at about .015. I run mainly SPS: acropora, montiporas, stylophora, birdsnests and some LPS. SPS are tricky and don’t grow fast until well they do. If everything clicks, they can do really well. But it is tricky finding the sweet spot. Mine are doing well. I think I know what they like but I could be wrong and I just hit on a set of conditions they like just by getting somethings right and having some luck. There are a bunch of variables to fiddle with and getting a combination that works can be tricky.

I know this is OT, but what exactly do you dose to raise nitrates and phosphates? Both are 0 for me, and to try and increase both I turned off my skimmer and increased feeding. So far, both values are still 0 (Nitrate tested with Red Sea // Phosphate tested with Hannah). I run a large refugium with cheato that's growing well.

 

[OriginalUserName]

I know this is OT, but what exactly do you dose to raise nitrates and phosphates? Both are 0 for me, and to try and increase both I turned off my skimmer and increased feeding. So far, both values are still 0 (Nitrate tested with Red Sea // Phosphate tested with Hannah). I run a large refugium with cheato that's growing well.

Try reducing your light schedule on your fuge. I'm in the same boat and between feeding more and doing that my nitrates are starting to slowly tick up.

 

[Aaron-A2]

Try reducing your light schedule on your fuge. I'm in the same boat and between feeding more and doing that my nitrates are starting to slowly tick up.

I could give that a shot. I'm curious though what people dose for n03/p04. My LFS with a 500g SPS tank doses nitrates, but I never asked what they used.

 

[OriginalUserName]

I could give that a shot. I'm curious though what people dose for n03/p04. My LFS with a 500g SPS tank doses nitrates, but I never asked what they used.

From what I've seen some buy the stuff they remove stumps with (I want to say it's potassium nitrate) or something designed for consumption/aquarium use.

I also swapped out some nitrate rich water from my mangrove bucket.

 

[paul barker]

I all looks good to me I let it go and see what happens