Fallow Is Hard

bevo5 · Mar 13, 2017

Man - I thought the hardest part of going fallow would be not having fish to look at. I figured I'd have some time to focus on my corals etc. Well, it's turning out to be a lot of work!

I guess between all the tangs I had and the various wrasses I was able to keep kinda pest free. I had vermetid snails but they got crazy. Now I've got little patches of hair algae cropping up, vermetid webs in the rocks and I just the first bristle worm I've ever had in a tank (that I saw at least). I poked around with a flashlight and sure enough, enough little red worms to know they're probably all over the place.

Add to that - my nutrients hit rock bottom. I was feeding but I guess not enough and nitrates just hit the floor. Looks like I'm losing a few SPS.

I turned off the skimmer and I'm going to feed a bit more but that's just going to feed the worms. I've got about 55 days left!

I've never considered using stump remover, but I might have to. I figure that will help me keep nutrients up while not broadcast feeding the pests. I'll still have to feed all the corals obviously.

Can't wait to get tangs and a six line in there.

Triggreef · Mar 13, 2017

I just began using using stump remover last week, it's definitely perked everything up. Had zero no3 before now maybe 2. About to run some more tests today to see where I'm at but many corals look much better already.

ws6kid · Mar 13, 2017

It is a pretty interesting thing that people don't talk about when they remove all of their fish. Something good to add to a thread somewhere about it running fallow.

bevo5 · Mar 13, 2017

What I said your formula for stump remover? I've got about 200g total water volume and I'm horrible at math.

wkscott · Mar 13, 2017

ws6kid said:
It is a pretty interesting thing that people don't talk about when they remove all of their fish. Something good to add to a thread somewhere about it running fallow.

A few years ago I went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. When someone now asks me how it went, I tell them that it is a simple and painless process. When it was over, I was happy and cancer-free. I do this because I don't want anyone diagnosed with cancer to fear the treatments. Once they start the treatments, they'll find out how painful and horrible it is. By then, there is no turning back and hopefully they'll be cured. There is no point in scaring someone about what may happen with a fallow tank, especially because no one wants to go through this process to begin with. The tank must go fallow and it is what it is.

The end DOES justify the means.

bevo5 · Mar 13, 2017

That is a positive outlook to have when going through any sort of negativity in life, so I think you're 100% right with that.

Like anything in this hobby knowledge is power. When I went fallow two weeks ago I just took the fish out and that was that. Had I given it a bit more thought - I would have realized that simply feeding the tank wasn't going to be enough to keep nutrients up. Had I given it a bit more thought - I would have considered the pest situation.

None of that would have dissuaded me from the choice to go through with it because, as you say, the tank had to go fallow. But I would've been a bit more prepared. As it is now I'm waiting on some stump remover and figuring out ways to deal with these other pests.

I would never scare someone into not doing what is right for the tank. I do think it's worthwhile to talk about the consequences so that you can be prepared.

Cflip · Mar 13, 2017

bevo5 said:
That is a positive outlook to have when going through any sort of negativity in life, so I think you're 100% right with that.

Like anything in this hobby knowledge is power. When I went fallow two weeks ago I just took the fish out and that was that. Had I given it a bit more thought - I would have realized that simply feeding the tank wasn't going to be enough to keep nutrients up. Had I given it a bit more thought - I would have considered the pest situation.

None of that would have dissuaded me from the choice to go through with it because, as you say, the tank had to go fallow. But I would've been a bit more prepared. As it is now I'm waiting on some stump remover and figuring out ways to deal with these other pests.

I would never scare someone into not doing what is right for the tank. I do think it's worthwhile to talk about the consequences so that you can be prepared.

I just stated fallow as well. Not fun! Plus just lost my wrasse in QT. Feels like it will be years before I see fish swimming in my DT again.

Cflip · Mar 13, 2017

bevo5 said:
Man - I thought the hardest part of going fallow would be not having fish to look at. I figured I'd have some time to focus on my corals etc. Well, it's turning out to be a lot of work!

I guess between all the tangs I had and the various wrasses I was able to keep kinda pest free. I had vermetid snails but they got crazy. Now I've got little patches of hair algae cropping up, vermetid webs in the rocks and I just the first bristle worm I've ever had in a tank (that I saw at least). I poked around with a flashlight and sure enough, enough little red worms to know they're probably all over the place.

Add to that - my nutrients hit rock bottom. I was feeding but I guess not enough and nitrates just hit the floor. Looks like I'm losing a few SPS.

I turned off the skimmer and I'm going to feed a bit more but that's just going to feed the worms. I've got about 55 days left!

I've never considered using stump remover, but I might have to. I figure that will help me keep nutrients up while not broadcast feeding the pests. I'll still have to feed all the corals obviously.

Can't wait to get tangs and a six line in there.

Stump remover?!! What for?

wrongplanet · Mar 13, 2017

My tank is running fallow too. I'm at day 24. I've been focusing so hard on corals, I'm starting to wonder if I'll have room for fish when it's time. Not that I'm too concerned. My upgrade tank is currently cycling and will be ready for fish long before my current DT.

wkscott · Mar 13, 2017

Cflip said:
Stump remover?!! What for?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/potassium-nitrate-spectracide-stump-remover-dosing-steps.215730/

wkscott · Mar 13, 2017

wrongplanet said:
My tank is running fallow too. I'm at day 24. I've been focusing so hard on corals, I'm starting to wonder if I'll have room for fish when it's time. Not that I'm too concerned. My upgrade tank is currently cycling and will be ready for fish long before my current DT.

Sounds like you may not be quarantining your new corals. Be aware that they can bring in fish ailments, particularly ick.. You may have to restart your QT clock.

wrongplanet · Mar 13, 2017

wkscott said:
Sounds like you may not be quarantining your new corals. Be aware that they can bring in fish ailments, particularly ick.. You may have to restart your QT clock.

QT tank has copper in it, so corals get dipped and go into DT. Planning to keep it coral and invert only in this one, and fish will go into upgrade after cycle and QT.

wkscott · Mar 13, 2017

wrongplanet said:
QT tank has copper in it, so corals get dipped and go into DT. Planning to keep it coral and invert only in this one, and fish will go into upgrade after cycle and QT.

Good deal. You've thought it all the eay through.

Triggreef · Mar 13, 2017

bevo5 said:
What I said your formula for stump remover? I've got about 200g total water volume and I'm horrible at math.

I mixed 2 tablespoons in a one liter water bottle. Dosed 10ml per hundred gallons. Haven't been able to get over 1ppm no3 yet. Barely a reading on my bigger tank. Gonna have to increase a little.

Triggreef · Mar 13, 2017

Cflip said:
Stump remover?!! What for?

It's 100% Potassium nitrate. Many people have been dosing it to maintain some usable nitrate in the system. Without enough no3, corals starve. Need no3 for po4 to be used up so you could end up like me with a bunch of po4 and zero no3 which is problematic.

bevo5 · Mar 13, 2017

Triggreef said:
It's 100% Potassium nitrate. Many people have been dosing it to maintain some usable nitrate in the system. Without enough no3, corals starve. Need no3 for po4 to be used up so you could end up like me with a bunch of po4 and zero no3 which is problematic.

Wow - that explains what I'm dealing with right now. Nitrates are at .25 (maybe....not even that high more than likely but hard to tell when it's that low). Phosphates are up to .16 now. I couldn't figure out why one would be so high without the other. Experiencing an algae bloom at the moment because of it...and I didn't know why.

But if you need nitrate to use phosphate then that makes sense. I guess I'll use this stump remover to try and get nitrate up to see if I can then get phosphates down some.

Elwood Dowd · Mar 13, 2017

bevo5 said:
blah blah blah blah........

I don't want to see you complaining. I am 5 days behind you on the fallow tank calendar....

Bronc · Mar 13, 2017

My tank is fallow until May 1st. I'm dosing stump remover and ME Polyp Extender.. I'm seeing a bunch more critters as well.

bevo5 · Mar 13, 2017

Elwood Dowd said:
I don't want to see you complaining. I am 5 days behind you on the fallow tank calendar....

Plenty of room on the fallow misery train.

Elwood Dowd · Mar 13, 2017

I am fallow until the 20th of may....... my problem at the moment is not only is my tank fallow, but it is also in the middle of fluconazol treatment for bryopsis. normally I would reduce my vodka dose from 1.4 ml to .7. But I am concerned about dying bryopsis increasing P04. I am going to maintain vodka dosing at 1.4 and roll it back slowly after the bryopsis is gone. But, that looks like it is going to take 2 doses. That's 1 month of dosing vodka at a rate that keeps me at 0 trate and 0 P04. I am thinking stump remover may be the ticket. At least temporarily until I can reduce my vodka dose. However, that seems silly to remove nitrates one way and add them back another.