350G Tank Help Questions

[Jeff Collins]

Hi Guys,

After taking a break due to moving around for a few years I very happy to have my 350 gallon set back up. It's 7 months up now. My problem is I've been running zero nitrates and phosphates for a couple months now and I'm getting to point of starting to dose nitrates. I've got 4 tangs + 4 firefish + 4 clowns in it and about a dozen mix SPS and LPS. Protein skimmer and UV are running around clock and softball size chaeto in the refugium. I just added the chaeto again since it kept dying off due to no nitrates/phosphates. I've got a what looks to be diatoms along with some extremely short and thin hairy looking algae growing and some clear slug in the refugium. So far I've been managing it with water changes. It's not what I would call out of control but I can't seem to get rid of it. I've been dosing Triton method Core 7 but extremely low does since my numbers are really high (7ml per day). I'm thinking at this point I need to figure out how to reduce the magnesium. On the Triton method Core 7 does anyone know which bottle is which?

Calc: 500
Alk: 450
Mag: 1600+
Nitrates & Phosphates: zero

I've added pics of the algae growing for help with identification. I think the real issue is zero nutrients though. How can I get these back-up? Should I go back and add more of the tank cycle bacteria? Add more fish? Or do you think the tank will correct itself since it's still pretty new and maybe I start dosing low amounts of nitrates for a little bit?

Thanks for the help ahead of time!

 

[Diesel]

Why not put your skimmer on a timer for 12hrs, or remove your macro algae?

350g is big for just four fish.
You always can add fish after their quarantine period of course but in the mean time reduce your nudtrients export products.

Feeding your fish more or just drop some flake food in your filtersocks or remove your filtersocks as you bring most nutrients back into your water collumn.

 

[Jeff Collins]

Why not put your skimmer on a timer for 12hrs, or remove your macro algae?

350g is big for just four fish.
You always can add fish after their quarantine period of course but in the mean time reduce your nudtrients export products.

Feeding your fish more or just drop some flake food in your filtersocks or remove your filtersocks as you bring most nutrients back into your water collumn.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your response! Right now it has 12 fish (4 tangs, 4 clowns, and 4 firefish) I had 3 other tangs but they didn't get along and didn't make it. I do agree with you I should add more. I was planning on getting more in the QT next weekend. It's only 40G though so I can't add too many at a time. To help bring the other elements down I've got another 2 dozen frags coming in from WWC's sales this weekend.

Good idea on the skimmer - I'll start pulling that back in.

 

[Diesel]

Do you dose the big three?

 

[ZoWhat]

Jeff,

Looks like you have a PINK (600nm-red +460nm-blue) LED growth light.....

Which is great but those lights are beasts....and will grow anything algae-like if 1) duration too long and/or 2) set too close to waterline

Only run them in the middle of the night. Not 24/7.

If PAR intensity is high..... raise the growth light much higher above the waterline..... diffuse the light indirectly

Hth.




.

 

[Jeff Collins]

Jeff,

Looks like you have a pink (600nm !RED! +460nm blue) LED growth light.....

Which is great but those lights are beasts....and will grow anything algae-like if the PAR is high or duration too long

Only run them in the middle of the night. Not 24/7.

If PAR intensity is high..... raise the growth light much higher above the waterline..... diffuse the light indirectly

Hth.




.

Those 2 pics are from the refugium which is the kessil H380. Right now I've got this light on only at night when the tank light is off. I suppose I could reduce it a little and will see if I can raise it up any higher. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Jeff Collins]

Do you dose the big three?

I dose the triton method core 7. Very small amounts at this point though. Only 7ml per day. If I can figure out which bottle is which element I would be able to reduce the Mg even further.

 

[ZaneTer]

I may be mistaken but that strongly resembles chrysophytes. Do you have an air freshener on nearby? Or perhaps someone that is generous with furniture polish?

 

[Diesel]

I dose the triton method core 7. Very small amounts at this point though. Only 7ml per day. If I can figure out which bottle is which element I would be able to reduce the Mg even further.

Stop dosing the core for a few days and test how your Big three elements will drop if any.
Mean while you dose each bottle in a separate 1 gallon jug and test what it does.
Test before you dose where big three # are.
If after dosing your Alk is elevated then that bottle is your Alk.
If Cal is up or mag you know which you dosed.
But imo a 350g tank with only a few SPS in there you should keep up your big three with water changes only.

 

[Jeff Collins]

I may be mistaken but that strongly resembles chrysophytes. Do you have an air freshener on nearby? Or perhaps someone that is generous with furniture polish?

No nothing like that in the house. It is a new build house but it has the air intakes on the HVAC to pull air from outside into the house.

 

[Jeff Collins]

Stop dosing the core for a few days and test how your Big three elements will drop if any.
Mean while you dose each bottle in a separate 1 gallon jug and test what it does.
Test before you dose where big three # are.
If after dosing your Alk is elevated then that bottle is your Alk.
If Cal is up or mag you know which you dosed.
But imo a 350g tank with only a few SPS in there you should keep up your big three with water changes only.

ok - I'll give it a shot. I just ordered 2 dozen more frags from the WWC sale this weekend as well.

 

[Diesel]

ok - I'll give it a shot. I just ordered 2 dozen more frags from the WWC sale this weekend as well.

But those are frags.
You’ll need to test before you stop dosing to register your levels, maybe test twice and take the avg.
Than test ALK everyday to see if that is dropping.
Let me know what those numbers are.