Duelling Nuvo 10s

[Wiskey]

since about a month ago, my ALK keeps going up, rather than down... i'm puzzled.
anyone have any theories what may be happening?

J.

Could it be water changes? Some salts are near 12 alk.

Whiskey

 

[jurgenph]

Oh no,... I'm not an expert, but those look like AEFW eggs Have you heard about the Bayer treatment?

the AEFW issue has been addressed in a few weeks i'll know if it worked

i read about bayer, but it's too late now i'll get some before i purchase new frags.

J.

 

[jurgenph]

Could it be water changes? Some salts are near 12 alk.

i was about to reply NO!
but then i realized... don't trust what the box tells you.

took a sample of my currently mixed up water change water...

it was two weeks in between water changes, and it has been going up in between changes as well.

my tank sits at around 34.4 ppt as well.

J.

 

[jurgenph]

did a 2 gallon water change last week.
today the Alk is 9.4 dKh.

decided to start testing the right tank too, now that it has a few SPS frags in it.

OMG! nutrients are low!

0 Nitrate
0.006 ppm phosphates (2 ppb on hanna ulr)
Alk 8.0 dKh

added two drops on my NaNO3 solution. will be adding a few more drops during the week.

J.

 

[jurgenph]

i decided to see if i still had any fragging skills left from back in the day...

fragged up the monipora digitata, into four pieces.
the vertical branch part that didn't get much direct light looked in pretty bad shape. i hope they survide

also snipped off one branch of the metallic green birdsnest. wow, i forgot how solid these are. the montipora felt like snipping through cheeto compared to this one


J.

 

[jurgenph]

i've been looking at an IM Nuvo Fusion pro 20 penninsula... am i crazy?

my plans to keep things simple, and then setting up two tanks have doubled the amount of work, testing, maintenance LOL.


talk me out of it?


J.

 

[Wiskey]

i've been looking at an IM Nuvo Fusion pro 20 penninsula... am i crazy?

my plans to keep things simple, and then setting up two tanks have doubled the amount of work, testing, maintenance LOL.


talk me out of it?


J.

What about linking the two tanks? Like with a common sump?

Whiskey

 

[jurgenph]

What about linking the two tanks? Like with a common sump?

i don't want a sump

J.

 

[Wiskey]

i don't want a sump

J.

Fair enough.

Sumps do have some advantages though

Whiskey

 

[jurgenph]

the left tank has been growing more diatoms than i like to see recently. not sure what's up with that.

been cutting "filter pads" out of mr clean magic erasors to polish the water after blowing them off the rocks.
they clear things up pretty fast. but the next day, they are back.


J.

 

[jurgenph]

a pompom crab... that went hiding in the rocks already...

it's been over a month now, and it finally came out when i fed the tank today!
i assumed that it was dead by now...

J.

 

[jurgenph]

it's amazing how two nearly identical tanks, sitting just a few inches from each other, having gone though the same cycle, etc.... yet still behave differently.

i've been cutting mr clean magic erasers into polishing pads that i run after blowing off the rocks or wiping down the glass.

after about an hour i take them out, and... left tank brown (diatoms still!?)
right tank green

J.

 

[jurgenph]

i've been looking at an IM Nuvo Fusion pro 20 penninsula... am i crazy?

my plans to keep things simple, and then setting up two tanks have doubled the amount of work, testing, maintenance LOL.

talk me out of it?

Black friday sale made me do it...

Peninsula 20 ordered.


J.

 

[jurgenph]

And so it ends... And begins, again.

J.

 

[jurgenph]

just a little update...

one tank had a diatom problem that seemed to get worse.
the other one looked like it had the beginning stages of a dino outbreak. (verified under microscope)
both started to grow cyano...

feeding more, and dosing nitrates didn't seem to help, and possibly made it even worse.
stopped dosing nitrates for now, both tanks are at near zero, cant detect any color on the salifert test kit.

phosphates are on the lower end as well, but not panic levels low yet

two weeks ago, i started:

- no more water changes

dosing a combination of:
- dr tims waste away
- vibrant (low dose)
- microbacter 7

- took out the media baskets with filter sponges, stopped all mechanical filteration

- still have some poly-filter pad in there though.

and both tanks seem to be clearing up nicely.

fingers crossed that by the time the new 20 is ready, the undesirables have enough natural competition, that they will stay away.


J.

 

[jurgenph]

i also adjusted the light settings

couldn't stand the blue windex look anymore. so, something a little less blue now...
hopefully the corals like it too

peak intensity...

and schedule...

if things react well, i may bring the violet and UV up over time.


J.

 

[jurgenph]

i also adjusted the light settings

couldn't stand the blue windex look anymore. so, something a little less blue now...
hopefully the corals like it too

well... i guess they don't like it LOL!

J.

 

[ISFNick]

update?

 

[jurgenph]

update?

i took them down and replaced with a nuvo 20.
see build thread link <<<--- that way


J.