How to increase phosphates

[DirtMcGurt]

I also got dinos. Probably due to low/zero nutrients. They almost broke me of the hobby. I do run a uv sterilizer now. I know some people say they are a waste of time and money but in my experience... they help.
I've also heard smaller tanks are more difficult but it seems like any given reef tank is going to be easy or difficult just based on experience or even pure luck. It sounds like you're on the right path. About your hammers losing color... Do you perform water changes on that tank? I'm curious if maybe some trace elements have dropped down below optimum levels.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I also got dinos. Probably due to low/zero nutrients. They almost broke me of the hobby. I do run a uv sterilizer now. I know some people say they are a waste of time and money but in my experience... they help.
I've also heard smaller tanks are more difficult but it seems like any given reef tank is going to be easy or difficult just based on experience or even pure luck. It sounds like you're on the right path. About your hammers losing color... Do you perform water changes on that tank? I'm curious if maybe some trace elements have dropped down below optimum levels.

Yeah I do water changes I think the old light I had bleached them. They have green on them but as the hammers are all frags from my main colony it's just different lighting as I use the same collected sea water in all 3 tanks, so it's not a case of different batches of bucket salt or anything.

they just aren't as green in there.

 

[DirtMcGurt]

Ah, I see. That's still a good looking tank. Clean and simple. Nice job! Its probably the light then. Which size tank is that in the pic?

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Ah, I see. That's still a good looking tank. Clean and simple. Nice job! Its probably the light then. Which size tank is that in the pic?

It's my 7 gallon it cost me £5, it's a converted freshwater tank. It has live rock from my old tank when I swapped to the tank I have now. There is a trickle filter built in and in that I use a little biohome media and filter floss and it has a heater that's it. The light on it is a cheap light asta20. So total cost with the rock and heater I already had, frags from my tank. Total with livestock is about £70 GBP. I made a lid for it at work to keep evaporation down so that was also free. This is a full shot I've just taken now. The original filter part is hidden under my lid. I have perspex to stop condensation on the lid I made as it's made out of steel and has been powder coated twice to stop rusting. Its handy having it all at work.

 

[DirtMcGurt]

I really like that little set up. Its clean and simple and you've down a nice god keeping the cost so low. Especially in this expensive hobby lol. Very well done! So you had the perspex at work and made the steel frame?

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I made the steel lid, and the piece of perspex I have as a splash guard/ keep evaporation down. We have sheets at work so it was a scrap piece the was going to get thrown so little recycling is always good.

 

[ramona]

It's my 7 gallon it cost me £5, it's a converted freshwater tank. It has live rock from my old tank when I swapped to the tank I have now. There is a trickle filter built in and in that I use a little biohome media and filter floss and it has a heater that's it. The light on it is a cheap light asta20. So total cost with the rock and heater I already had, frags from my tank. Total with livestock is about £70 GBP. I made a lid for it at work to keep evaporation down so that was also free. This is a full shot I've just taken now. The original filter part is hidden under my lid. I have perspex to stop condensation on the lid I made as it's made out of steel and has been powder coated twice to stop rusting. Its handy having it all at work.

Love the look! Could you please detail how you made the canopy, I need one over my 18 gal nano. Thank you.