Dosing measurements
- Thread starter Baigent87
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Dennis Cartier
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Can you post a picture? It sounds like perhaps a cyano film if they are red or rusty in colour.
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Baigent87
Active Member
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
It looks like a bit of film. I get that when I have high organics and cyano will sometimes start to grow on the edge of the tank rim at the waterline. Which is what the large bubbles will turn into if left to grow.
This is an all-in-one tank? It looks like you are just using the return for the flow and you are getting a surface film. A small powerhead would probably help a lot. Also check your return pump to make sure you are getting enough flow through your media chambers. The first photo shows a fair bit of surface scum which is going to be bad for your fish and corals due to poor gas exchange.
Finally, as you don't have a skimmer, I would suggest running some GAC (granulated activated carbon) to help remove some of the organics. That, along with getting more surface skimming will help with that layer of scum. Your water is fairly yellow, which is also a sign of high organics and yellowing compounds. GAC will take care of that as well.
This is an all-in-one tank? It looks like you are just using the return for the flow and you are getting a surface film. A small powerhead would probably help a lot. Also check your return pump to make sure you are getting enough flow through your media chambers. The first photo shows a fair bit of surface scum which is going to be bad for your fish and corals due to poor gas exchange.
Finally, as you don't have a skimmer, I would suggest running some GAC (granulated activated carbon) to help remove some of the organics. That, along with getting more surface skimming will help with that layer of scum. Your water is fairly yellow, which is also a sign of high organics and yellowing compounds. GAC will take care of that as well.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
Your dinos are fading? I am not sure 100%, but I don't see them in the photos like they were.
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Baigent87
Active Member
Hi Dennis,
I have a power head that I removed before taking the pic, clearing the algae off to not effect the propeller.
I also have a carbon media bag running in chamber 2.
I’ll definitely remove the return pump and ensure there’s no debris from the dinos passing through.
I’ll turn the volume up only power head and raise it to increase service flow.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
If they disappear at night and reappear the next day, then a UV sterilizer should be effective against them.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
If you want to try a hail mary, before considering a rip down, you could get some Cuprisorb and place it in your media chamber. It is a heavy metal binder, commonly used to bind copper. I believe it also binds iron, and on a couple of occasions, I had a dino outbreak fade away right after deploying Cuprisorb. I only noticed the correlation after the fact, and have never had a case since, so I have not be able to test it. It will bind the traces from your water column, which should hasten the dinos demise.
If you do try this route, please report back with the result.
If you do try this route, please report back with the result.
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Baigent87
Active Member
Thanks Dennis, that’s exactly what’s happening! I’ve continued to dose nitrate and phosphate. My No2 is now up to around 5ppm but still hitting 0’s on Po4 and have upped the dose.
I’ve ordered a TMC 120 UV steriliser and adjusted my pump as the flow was probably running at 50% capacity.
I’ll give the dosing, steriliser and pump adjustment a chance for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.
Very interesting discovery regarding Cuprisorb! If I go that route I’ll 100% report back on the results.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Interesting. That's consistent with the competition hypothesis being due to trace elements.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
Sounds like a good plan.
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Baigent87
Active Member
Quick update! So …… after a big water change, removing half of my rock and continuing to dose both nitrate at phosphate, I’m not at 0.06 Po4 and around 7-8ppm No3! There’s a few brown spots here and there but my glass has stayed clean for 4 days now. I’m not sure whether my rock + algae was sucking up all my Po4 or it’s down the the steriliser but I’m really happy with how my tank looks! Coral are settling in OK after the big move around on Saturday. May need to move my candy cane coral further away from the light, he’s not too happy at the moment.
