Ali's 90g Cube Build

[fishguy242]

you know what you're doing suggest run that cal 460 to also help bring down kh

 

[alimac122]

you know what you're doing suggest run that cal 460 to also help bring down kh

Hahaha I don’t know what I’m doing! It’s just the water changes that have been keeping the levels elevated

 

[alimac122]

Things are looking better after two doses of NOPOx

 

[fishguy242]

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[alimac122]

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Thank you

 

[DiefsReef]

Thank you

I missed it, Happy Birthday!

 

[alimac122]

You guys....

I'm scratching my head so hard. Ive been dosing 20mL (started with 10mL) for 10 days now. My nitrates arent budging... I'm only feeding mysis 2x a week, and pellets are on auto feeder 3x a day on the smallest opening.

I can tell the corals are happier, they are much more fluorescent before the whites kick on in the morning. However, I am lost and confused as to how long to keep dosing 20mL every single day. I test NO3, dose, then about 4 hours later I test NO3 again, and its been between 25-50ppm every single day. I have no idea why it's not budging! So frustrating.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,ya' know some people run tanks w 40-50ppmi do not even check minewatch you corals
@najer may have some input on the vodka dosing?

 

[cmaxwell39]

You guys....

I'm scratching my head so hard. Ive been dosing 20mL (started with 10mL) for 10 days now. My nitrates arent budging... I'm only feeding mysis 2x a week, and pellets are on auto feeder 3x a day on the smallest opening.

I can tell the corals are happier, they are much more fluorescent before the whites kick on in the morning. However, I am lost and confused as to how long to keep dosing 20mL every single day. I test NO3, dose, then about 4 hours later I test NO3 again, and its been between 25-50ppm every single day. I have no idea why it's not budging! So frustrating.

A couple of thoughts.

1. Have you tested phosphates? The bacteria that are fed by carbon dosing (essentially what you are doing with NOPOX) need both nitrate and phosphate in order to continue to consume the other. If your phosphates have bottomed out, you may need to dose some in order to see nitrates continue to drop.

2. If your corals are looking better I would not worry about the nitrates too much. While we all try to achieve "ideal" parameters in our reef tanks, stability is more important than a specific level. Listen to your corals. If they are looking better it is a good sign that you are on the right track.

3. You may benefit from adding a bacteria source as well. Something like Microbacter7, prodibo, or the like. You do not want tank starter bacteria, but the maintenance bacteria that are typically used with carbon dosing.

4. If you have not researched carbon dosing, you may want to read up on it a little to become familiarize yourself with the processes going on in the tank.

Keep at it. You are doing fine. Sometimes it takes a little bit for all of the processes to really take off.

 

[alimac122]

So I finally bit the bullet and bought all the other test kits i needed (PO4 and Mg)

Here's my full spec numbers as of today:

Alk- 15+ --- this is the obvious culprit and idk how to lower it :/
Ca- 400
Mg- 1350
NO3- 30
PO4- 0.9
pH- 8.0
sal- 1.024


PO4 is a little on the high side but so is NO3, so on a ratio side they are pretty on point. Also, just by visibility point theres no algae growing in the display, just the refugium.

I am going to try @Randy Holmes-Farley 's trick and use sodium bisulfate to lower the alk. I have seachem's marine buffer" to keep the pH from dropping.

Still, everything is looking beautiful minus the walt disney and myagi tort --- birdsnest is fat and happy!

 

[DiefsReef]

So I finally bit the bullet and bought all the other test kits i needed (PO4 and Mg)

Here's my full spec numbers as of today:

Alk- 15+ --- this is the obvious culprit and idk how to lower it :/
Ca- 400
Mg- 1350
NO3- 30
PO4- 0.9
pH- 8.0
sal- 1.024


PO4 is a little on the high side but so is NO3, so on a ratio side they are pretty on point. Also, just by visibility point theres no algae growing in the display, just the refugium.

I am going to try @Randy Holmes-Farley 's trick and use sodium bisulfate to lower the alk. I have seachem's marine buffer" to keep the pH from dropping.

Still, everything is looking beautiful minus the walt disney and myagi tort --- birdsnest is fat and happy!

Looks great to me. Not sure I would do anything but maybe a water change.

This is a good read on lowering Alk..

How to lower alkalinity in reef tanks - Nano Reef Adviser

How to lower alkalinity in reef tanks - safely! Learn 3 simple methods for controlling alkalinity - which is a key factor for a successful reef aquarium!

nanoreefadviser.com

 

[DMG Reef]

Yikes! Throw that Marine Buffer in the trash. That's why your alkalinity is so high. I haven't used buffer in 6 years. And I only used it back then because I was going to the same LFS as you are. They like to push that buffer on new reefers.

You're using a high alk salt and then adding buffer which turbocharges your alk. So I wouldn't use acid to lower your alkalinity. Stop using the buffer and your alk will fall naturally as it's consumed by the corals.

 

[alimac122]

My one year tank-aversary is coming up soon

 

[fishguy242]

Howdy stranger..how you been..?

 

[DiefsReef]

My one year tank-aversary is coming up soon

Good to see you Ali.. How have you been?? We get 1yrs pics?;Peeking;Peeking

 

[alimac122]

Hi all! Crazy busy, juggling bartending, grad classes, graduate research, and a teaching assistant position. I’ll get pics up when it’s officially 1 year
Ive been so busy I haven’t even had time to watch TV in the last two weeks! Let alone do a deep clean of the tank. So I’m gonna get a deep clean in before photos just to make it look super nice

hope everyone is doing well! I miss our conversations.

 

[alimac122]

Doing a deep clean today so I can take pictures tonight
But I have a quick question.
which would you trust more:
I have the Hanna ULR phosphate checker
I took an original 10mL sample and it said my PO4 was 0.9ppm
Then I took a 100mL sample and it said my PO4 was 0.05 (at 100mL— so actually 0.5)

which would you trust more?

 

[fishguy242]

hi,looking forward to pic's
sorry i cannot help w hanna.. i'd split the dif 0.7 ,but what do i know...
@MERKEY @Eagle_Steve @sfin52 @Fishy65 ? anybody have one??...

 

[F i s h y]

Doing a deep clean today so I can take pictures tonight
But I have a quick question.
which would you trust more:
I have the Hanna ULR phosphate checker
I took an original 10mL sample and it said my PO4 was 0.9ppm
Then I took a 100mL sample and it said my PO4 was 0.05 (at 100mL— so actually 0.5)

which would you trust more?

I'd run both again see if you get an consistency

 

[alimac122]

One year Tank-a-versary!

Chunky monkey mandarin

My solo clown decided she likes to host the Duncan. The Duncan... doesn’t love it too much. But I went to my LFS and bought a thumb sized toadstool hoping she will host that instead eventually.

Next to impossible to get a still photo of my wrasses. But here’s the female blue star!

One of my favorites- bubble coral

and my orange tip clove polyps have been reproducing steadily!

Mushroom island has been reproducing steadily. I have ricordea too on the right side.

Rock nem and porcelain crab doing well. Still timid to try a BTA for a second time. But everyone’s doing alright so far.

won this guy on eBay from @AquaSD about three weeks ago and he’s already budding new heads

And say hello to Chandler! The newest (and probably last) addition to the fishy gang! I have always wanted a snowflake but he just was pulling me towards him when I had the choice between the two. He’s a little shy and the sailfin has been protecting the rest of the fish from him. But I’m excited to see what everyone’s dynamic is once they are all settled.