Bubba's SPS Journey

Rakie · Feb 28, 2019

bubbaque said:
I haven’t had any issues yet but I do small water changes and run a calcium reactor, which may help with elements.

Yeah all it takes is a little trace replenishment. I know me and several if my friends ran into this problem. After convincing them to toss the chaeto everything has improved dramatically.

I personally had the same problem with chaeto

FarmerTy · Feb 28, 2019

Rakie said:
Yeah all it takes is a little trace replenishment. I know me and several if my friends ran into this problem. After convincing them to toss the chaeto everything has improved dramatically.

I personally had the same problem with chaeto

So they don't run any macro or swapped the chaeto for something else?

najer · Feb 28, 2019

Rakie said:
What sticks out to me most is this last part;

People are moving towards a zero water change mentality, while stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that Macro has needs. This clashing mentality means they are falling short on trace elements, that WILL impact corals eventually. The problem is it can take a long time depending on a bunch of factors, so people have trouble connecting dots 6 months apart.

I can't tell you how many friends I've had who were destroying their tanks because they wouldn't take care of their Macro. It's a slow degradation, but it can, and will, wreak havoc on SPS.

This is such an important part of how my tank runs, I started adding CE trace B, mouths opened because I don't test, metals!?
My tank runs on caulerpa, it's fine!

Rakie · Feb 28, 2019

FarmerTy said:
So they don't run any macro or swapped the chaeto for something else?

No macro. Throwing out macro has been my best decision. I've had to learn it twice for it to stick. Many have no problems as they inadvertently take care of the issue, others slowly run into the issue. And others with very efficient ATS run into the issues faster than others.

The first sign is macro stops taking up nutrients as it is starved of the trace necessary to complete metabolic functions.

FarmerTy · Feb 28, 2019

Rakie said:
No macro. Throwing out macro has been my best decision. I've had to learn it twice for it to stick. Many have no problems as they inadvertently take care of the issue, others slowly run into the issue. And others with very efficient ATS run into the issues faster than others.

The first sign is macro stops taking up nutrients as it is starved of the trace necessary to complete metabolic functions.

Wondeful. I run no water changes with no macro. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. Thank you.

RandyC · Feb 28, 2019

FarmerTy said:
Wondeful. I run no water changes with no macro. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. Thank you.

What are you using for nutrient export since you're not doing water changes and no macro?

sawdonkey · Feb 28, 2019

Rakie said:
No macro. Throwing out macro has been my best decision. I've had to learn it twice for it to stick. Many have no problems as they inadvertently take care of the issue, others slowly run into the issue. And others with very efficient ATS run into the issues faster than others.

The first sign is macro stops taking up nutrients as it is starved of the trace necessary to complete metabolic functions.

Chaeto has never really grownup that well in my old setup or new setup. Doesn’t matter if PO4 is high or low or even if i dose iron. Im never able to actually harvest any of it an that’s the whole point, right?

I might just go back to using my first chamber of my sump as a frag growout area. I’ll let my biopellets/skimmer do the export work. Probably keep my dragons breath though, just cuz it looks cool.

bubbaque · Feb 28, 2019

I think the light makes a huge difference. I couldn’t grow it at first until I got a better light.

Sushitheshiba · Feb 28, 2019

Hey @bubbaque do you have an updated pic of your BC Bubblebath Unicorn? I know its a slow grower but I just want to see the colors on your coral (mine is weird lol)

Fishfinder · Feb 28, 2019

FarmerTy said:
Wondeful. I run no water changes with no macro. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. Thank you.

@Rakie @FarmerTy What is the nutrient export with no macro at all?

Bpb · Feb 28, 2019

bubbaque said:
Its not too bad. Usually the increase in growth from higher ph almost matches the added alkalinity from kalk.

lol, I thought I gave you a nice frag of it. Your frag actually came from me cutting it trying to make the pink tip not grow into it but the Superman just grows back.

I haven’t had any issues yet but I do small water changes and run a calcium reactor, which may help with elements.

I recently attempted it in my own system which has been stable for well over a year without alk budging much at all and 3 teaspoons for 5 gallons shot my alk up almost 2.0 dkh over a weeks time and I panicked. I would like the higher ph though so I’ll have to try it again

bubbaque · Feb 28, 2019

Sushitheshiba said:
Hey @bubbaque do you have an updated pic of your BC Bubblebath Unicorn? I know its a slow grower but I just want to see the colors on your coral (mine is weird lol)

Maybe in a few weeks I will take a pic. Mine is starting to get this odd coloring going on that I’m curious about. Tips are turning dark blue.

RandyC · Feb 28, 2019

bubbaque said:
I think the light makes a huge difference. I couldn’t grow it at first until I got a better light.

I have persoanlly killed my chaeto supply 3-4 times. When I restarted with a new supply of chaeto, I would get killer growth, doubling in size every week. Then, after 6-8 weeks, it would melt quickly (over a week or two). Even with weekly water changes and dosing iron and iodine, I still managed to kill it.

What I have found to solve the problem for me in three separate tanks is not to light the chaeto too strongly or for too long. I also make sure to take out at least a handful a week. I was running a 90-100W of LED grow lights, but after dimming the lights down and dialing back the photoperiod, my chaeto has been going strong for 4+ months now.

Definitely, no proof to this, but my thought on this (even before seeing that algae uptake chart) is that I just couldn't keep up with the trace element replenishment with water changes. Tapering the growth to something more manageable while still lowering my nitrate and phosphate uptake seems to have worked for out for me.

Rakie · Feb 28, 2019

bubbaque said:
I think the light makes a huge difference. I couldn’t grow it at first until I got a better light.

Had a buddy go from. $5 home Depot light, then one day it stopped taking up nutrients.. he had then upgraded to a better light... No nutrient uptake. Then a kessil 380... No change. Then two h380s. Still no change.

Then he threw out the chaeto and his tank never looked better.

FarmerTy · Feb 28, 2019

Fishfinder said:
@Rakie @FarmerTy What is the nutrient export with no macro at all?

RandyC said:
What are you using for nutrient export since you're not doing water changes and no macro?

GFO, Biopellets, and double rated skimmer. [emoji4]

Rakie · Feb 28, 2019

RandyC said:
What are you using for nutrient export since you're not doing water changes and no macro?

Bio filter and skimming is enough. If bio filter can't handle it, then you need a better bio filter.

I prefer some basic Seachem matrix biomedia. It creates an equalibrium, and doesn't strip the tank to zero nutrients like chaeto can. More like it keeps nutrients more or less stable where they are.

bubbaque · Feb 28, 2019

All I know is I love my cheato, lol.

sawdonkey · Feb 28, 2019

Rakie said:
Had a buddy go from. $5 home Depot light, then one day it stopped taking up nutrients.. he had then upgraded to a better light... No nutrient uptake. Then a kessil 380... No change. Then two h380s. Still no change.

Then he threw out the chaeto and his tank never looked better.

I tried one of those red/blue grownlights off of amazon and then switched to a zetlight refugium Light. Both stunk at growing chaeto. I’m about to hook up my old ocean revive and grow acros down there. Much more fun to look at anyway!