ShawnSaucier
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
Thanks for reading and hopefully some advice. I set my current tank up over Christmas. Total volume is about 200g, I do weekly water changes of 15g, and my light cycle is a total of 10hrs from ramp up to ramp down with 3 1/2 hrs of everything at 100% (T5 & LED). This includes my " moonlight" phase also.I test every other week with levels to what I consider very acceptable. Flow is taken care of with two Tunze 6105 and return is a dc10000 and a large tunze skimmer (9415).
My issue has been phosphates. Currently I am fighting red wire hair, diatoms on the sand bed, what I worry may be briopsis(?) and other unsightly algae. I know I get a negative phosphate result due to the algae. My fish count is minimal (1 b/w perc., 1 Mel. Wrasse, 1 six line and a juvi Naso.)
I keep telling myself that I'm just fighting N.T.S. But I've never had it last this long in a tank. I've been trying not to make rash decisions, and stay on course with proper husbandry. But this is really frustrating me.
All of my rock came from my old system (approx. 130lbs of BRS dry rock) and my sand is Reef Flakes (2-2 1/2"). I've tested my RODI water with negative results, food is made fresh ( scallops, clams, octo, squid, reef caviar, mysis, nori, with a small bit of selcon and spirulina). The Naso gets 1/2 sheet of green/red/ or brown ( I alternate) 3 times a week. And Twice a week I feed phyto and reef chili.
GFO and carbon have been run in bags in the sump, right after the filter pads, and are changed regularly. I don't use reactors for two reasons, the bags have always worked in the pass, easy changing media. And there is no carbon dosing. Lastly, I have a remote fuge with MM, LR and Mangroves that is on a 18hrs light cycle. The fuge receives water from my return.
So where I am at... Because this has been an ongoing thing, I'm just rattled.. At times I wonder if it's the rock, should I have just done real live rock? After two years (with being in my old tank) it should be biologically sound, right? Is it the sand as I started with dry instead of live? Is it the Miricale Mud in the fuge (only 1 1/2")? Do I not have enough rock for biological stability? Should I just remove all fish and just go fallow for the next 3 months? Add more pumps to get more flow? And going way off the deep end, cut the corals, scrap the rock, buy live, start again?
Am I being impatient?
Last night I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and Purchased Brightwell's Phosphate-e. I have a few friends that use this with great results, but I am not one that believes in miracle cures.it is supposed to bind the phosphates and allow them to be skimmed and removed with sock/pads. My next thought would be Lanthium Chloride (?).
Any help would be appreciated, starting to get a heading from hitting this wall....
Thanks for reading and hopefully some advice. I set my current tank up over Christmas. Total volume is about 200g, I do weekly water changes of 15g, and my light cycle is a total of 10hrs from ramp up to ramp down with 3 1/2 hrs of everything at 100% (T5 & LED). This includes my " moonlight" phase also.I test every other week with levels to what I consider very acceptable. Flow is taken care of with two Tunze 6105 and return is a dc10000 and a large tunze skimmer (9415).
My issue has been phosphates. Currently I am fighting red wire hair, diatoms on the sand bed, what I worry may be briopsis(?) and other unsightly algae. I know I get a negative phosphate result due to the algae. My fish count is minimal (1 b/w perc., 1 Mel. Wrasse, 1 six line and a juvi Naso.)
I keep telling myself that I'm just fighting N.T.S. But I've never had it last this long in a tank. I've been trying not to make rash decisions, and stay on course with proper husbandry. But this is really frustrating me.
All of my rock came from my old system (approx. 130lbs of BRS dry rock) and my sand is Reef Flakes (2-2 1/2"). I've tested my RODI water with negative results, food is made fresh ( scallops, clams, octo, squid, reef caviar, mysis, nori, with a small bit of selcon and spirulina). The Naso gets 1/2 sheet of green/red/ or brown ( I alternate) 3 times a week. And Twice a week I feed phyto and reef chili.
GFO and carbon have been run in bags in the sump, right after the filter pads, and are changed regularly. I don't use reactors for two reasons, the bags have always worked in the pass, easy changing media. And there is no carbon dosing. Lastly, I have a remote fuge with MM, LR and Mangroves that is on a 18hrs light cycle. The fuge receives water from my return.
So where I am at... Because this has been an ongoing thing, I'm just rattled.. At times I wonder if it's the rock, should I have just done real live rock? After two years (with being in my old tank) it should be biologically sound, right? Is it the sand as I started with dry instead of live? Is it the Miricale Mud in the fuge (only 1 1/2")? Do I not have enough rock for biological stability? Should I just remove all fish and just go fallow for the next 3 months? Add more pumps to get more flow? And going way off the deep end, cut the corals, scrap the rock, buy live, start again?
Am I being impatient?
Last night I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and Purchased Brightwell's Phosphate-e. I have a few friends that use this with great results, but I am not one that believes in miracle cures.it is supposed to bind the phosphates and allow them to be skimmed and removed with sock/pads. My next thought would be Lanthium Chloride (?).
Any help would be appreciated, starting to get a heading from hitting this wall....
