I'm nervous about turning the lights back on.

[dhjunkie]

From August to now.

The lights have been off since the 1st of September. At that time I removed as much of the nasty as I could. Then, I also started feeding less, changing floss twice a week, and doing biweekly 25% wc. Tank is better but not totally out of woods. Encouraged to now see some purple specks of coraline on the rocks.

Thinking about turning the lights back on in a month or so but I'm nervous I'll have the same issues as before. Might add a few more snails and tailspot to help with algae before the lights go on.

Just wanted to share my progress with the group.

Please let know what you think.

Sorry about the poor pictures splotchy blue background.

 

[iamacat]

Awesome job on getting it to the stage it is at now. That is a huge accomplishment. Let’s look into what you can do to prevent the algae from outcompeting your reef creatures and bugs.

can you answer some questions about your tank for me.
- looks like your tank has HOB filters. Keep those filter pads cleaned out of detritus regularly and change the media on schedule for realz.
- are you using rodi water? Or a conditioner?

 

[dhjunkie]

Awesome job on getting it to the stage it is at now. That is a huge accomplishment. Let’s look into what you can do to prevent the algae from outcompeting your reef creatures and bugs.

can you answer some questions about your tank for me.
- looks like your tank has HOB filters. Keep those filter pads cleaned out of detritus regularly and change the media on schedule for realz.
- are you using rodi water? Or a conditioner?

Thank you for asking. It is a hob filter. I run filter floss and now do my best to change it twice a week. I'm using rodi water.

 

[iamacat]

Thank you for asking. It is a hob filter. I run filter floss and now do my best to change it twice a week. I'm using rodi water.

What else do you have for filtration? Filter floss alone is not a means of nutrient export

 

[dhjunkie]

What else do you have for filtration? Filter floss alone is not a means of nutrient export

Good question. I run purigen along with the floss. I also have some ceramic spheres for additional biological filtration.

 

[iamacat]

Are the bio spheres kept clean or do they collect build up?

if you could list your parameters that would help

 

[dhjunkie]

The biosphere are kept clean, no build-up.

Parameters are phosphates 0.25 ppm (still little high) and nitrates 5 ppm.

 

[iamacat]

Also the vital ones salinity, temp, ph, alk ca

when was your tank started

 

[dhjunkie]

Salinity is 35 ppt and temp is 78°. Don't know any of the other parameters.

Tank was started. Fall of 2018.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Salinity is 35 ppt and temp is 78°. Don't know any of the other parameters.

Tank was started. Fall of 2018.

Do you own any testing kits?

 

[dhjunkie]

Do you own any testing kits?

Just nitrate and phosphate. I could be wrong but I just don't really see the point of getting any other test kits until I'm ready to start adding corals.

 

[Subsea]

Salinity is 35 ppt and temp is 78°. Don't know any of the other parameters.

Tank was started. Fall of 2018.

Is the system run as a FOWLR?
Cleaning biospheres and replacing filter floss are nutrient export just as 25 % water change bi-monthly is nutrient export.

I suggest you get more consumers and more competitors of nuisance algae.

 

[iamacat]

Just nitrate and phosphate. I could be wrong but I just don't really see the point of getting any other test kits until I'm ready to start adding corals.

You don’t want to test the 2 that help you identify the algae’s fuel?

 

[dhjunkie]

Is the system run as a FOWLR?
Cleaning biospheres and replacing filter floss are nutrient export just as 25 % water change bi-monthly is nutrient export.

I suggest you get more consumers and more competitors of nuisance algae.

Yes, you could say its run as a FOWLR.

Good tip about more consumers, will probably soon be adding more snails and a tailspot blenny. What is an example of a competitor of nuisance algae. Not sure I've heard of that.

 

[dhjunkie]

You don’t want to test the 2 that help you identify the algae’s fuel?

I thought nitrate and phosphate tests were the tests for that.

 

[Subsea]

Yes, you could say its run as a FOWLR.

Good tip about more consumers, will probably soon be adding more snails and a tailspot blenny. What is an example of a competitor of nuisance algae. Not sure I've heard of that.

Grow a low light macro or coral.

Provide more live rock surface and bring in biodiversity which includes micro fauna and fana.

Bacteria are the microbial overlords in your ecosystem. Give them a surface to colonize.

 

[dhjunkie]

Grow a low light macro or coral.

Provide more live rock surface and bring in biodiversity which includes micro fauna and fana.

Bacteria are the microbial overlords in your ecosystem. Give them a surface to colonize.

Of course, that's my bad I've heard of that. That's a great suggestion. I'm running bare bottom and started with dry rock so the microbial overlords in my tank can use all the help they can get.

 

[subxero]

There are pros to barebottom. You can remove detritus easily before they breakdown.

 

[dhjunkie]

There are pros to barebottom. You can remove detritus easily before they breakdown.

That's true!

 

[Subsea]

There are pros to barebottom. You can remove detritus easily before they breakdown.

I see bare bottom as an eyesore that demands cleaning from ascetic point of view.

Let’s consider the food chain. Detritus is food for detrivores which recycle nutrients into live food for hungry mouths. Some of these hungry mouths are fish & coral.

I would like to see data on longevity of bare bottom tanks.

PS. I am a Laissez Faire reefkeeper that has made choices to maintain easy systems to find Zen in my life.