Flippers reef 125 gallon

[Victoria M]

My green ones do much better in lower light as well.

Everything is exploding in growth right now. I've got to get some water pramameter testing to see were I'm at so I can record them. I've not seen growth like this in a year!

Changes to the tank in the past month:

• Added chaetomorpha to the sump with a off the shelf 65w equivalent led grow lamp, 450nm -650nm on a reverse lighting schedule. Chaeto is dark green and growing.
• Reduced the amount of calcium hydroxide to the ATO. Actually stop putting it in there to reduce my calcium level, it's been at 500 for some time and to lower my alkalinity, it's been at 10.9dkh.
• Stopped doing water changes. It's been three weeks now.
• Dry skim on the skimmer, it's been very dark.
• Added P04 (seachem's flourish phosphorus) to the system once a week at 25ml to aid in lowering N03. It's been high at 40ppm. I was testing at 0.00 P04 and it's still not showing any P04.
• Been adding Kent essential elements at 15ml once a week because of the lack of water changes to replenish elements.
• Stopped carbon dosing vodka. Was dosing over a month. Wasn't changing N03 levels. System doesn't have enough anaerobic zones to make a dent.

I know making too many changes at one time can be detrimental, these changes have helped.

So keep with this plan unless you see somethings going sideways...

 

[Flippers4pups]

So keep with this plan unless you see somethings going sideways...

I would like to stay at this level for a while to see if colors improve. We’ll see.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Really looking fantastic! Seems like all that is left to do is watch it grow.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yes I did that to myself! Lol

Update on water pramameters:

Temp. 78.9
PH . 8.0
Dkh. 10.2
Calcium 500
Mag . 1350
N03. 40
P04. 0.02

No water change this week, next week 20% volume.

Added 15ml of Kent's essential elements.

Added 20ml of seachem's flourish phosphorus.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Caught up, and here for the ride. Love your rock work!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Caught up, and here for the ride. Love your rock work!

Thank you!

Adding the P04 and the elements have a dramatic change in color. Just a few hours later and they have increased substantially.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Green Pocillopora

Was light tan, now green again.

Orange digitata’s

Were lite pink, now turning orange.


Rainbow acans

Were light orange, color coming back!


Purple monster acro

Was very light purple, definitely turning purple! (Can see green montipora cap in the back still pale)

Being p04 limited was hard on them!

 

[mta_morrow]

Nice recovery!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Update:

I do use my montipora capricornis as a "canary in a coal mine" at times.

The uneven color in the picture is from my lights and it bouncing around on it's surface. It's becoming more uniform each day though and the growth is astonishing.

Milo looks unimpressed. Lol

 

[Victoria M]

Milo looks adorable!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Milo looks adorable!

He's a kid. Got him on a training collar now. No shock, just vibrate and noise. It's working well actually. He's responding very well to it.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Definitely growing chaetomorpha!

Getting close to a 5 gallon bucket worth. Full and I do mean full of pods!

 

[Victoria M]

Sweet!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Update:

Decision time is at hand and with limited funds at the moment.

Tested N03 and it's 80ppm. Chaetomorpha is growing extremely fast, but just isn't doing the job.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Tank looks great. Fish and corals are very happy though.

 

[Fin]

Looking awfully awesome to me!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thinking large water change and bio pellets.........

Thanks @Fin!

 

[mta_morrow]

STUNNING!

 

[Flippers4pups]

STUNNING!

Thanks Mike! It does look pretty good right now.

So numbers of concern are N03 at 80 and P04 at 0.27.

I'm okay with the P04 at that level, but would like N03 around 20ppm.

Getting another box of salt and some bio pellets to run in my reactor tomorrow and some LRS food.

 

[mta_morrow]

Is your PO4 really .2?

Do you have algae problems?

While I do get it and understand every tank is different, I am sometimes stumped when is see readings that high and the tank is beautiful.

And I just battled hair algae with nitrates at 18 and PO4 at .15

Sometimes I just don’t get some of the chemistry [emoji851]