Is This The Ugly Phase

[Kev The Fish Keeper]

Hey everyone,

My tank had been up a little over a month now. I have a couple of clowns and 3 hermit crabs in the. DT, looks like I have some hairline algae on the live rock. Should I add some chetto to the refugium now or maybe increase the CUC. No chorals yet in the DT

 

[SMSREEF]

I would increase the CUC and get some different snails.

the decision to add chaeto in refugium should really be based on your nutrient levels. What is you nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[Kev The Fish Keeper]

Nitrate is 0 haven t tested for phosphate.

 

[SMSREEF]

Nitrate is 0 haven t tested for phosphate.

Definitely would not add chaeto
New tanks are really difficult because if nutrients get too low you open the door to nasty stuff that the clean up crew will not eat.

 

[Kev The Fish Keeper]

Definitely would not add chaeto
New tanks are really difficult because if nutrients get too low you open the door to nasty stuff that the clean up crew will not eat.

Thanks for the info

 

[ScottB]

For the first 12 months, your biome will go through a lot of changes. Some green stuff, then some brown stuff, then a different green stuff, then some furry brown stuff... on and on.

Just keep stable salinity and temp. Start building your test kit collection and then perfecting your testing processes: primarily salinity, ALK, NO3 and PO4. Just learn about all this. Don't do anything to the system (aside from temp/salinity) just let it do its thing.

 

[Kev The Fish Keeper]

For the first 12 months, your biome will go through a lot of changes. Some green stuff, then some brown stuff, then a different green stuff, then some furry brown stuff... on and on.

Just keep stable salinity and temp. Start building your test kit collection and then perfecting your testing processes: primarily salinity, ALK, NO3 and PO4. Just learn about all this. Don't do anything to the system (aside from temp/salinity) just let it do its thing.

Thanks for the info, its so many different kits that do this and do that I'm sure its going to take awhile to find the right ones...

 

[vetteguy53081]

I hear no mention of clean up crew.
Simply have your maids and butlers to address this issue. Those being:
about 4-6 turbo snail
2-3 nassarius snail
4 astrea snail
4 nassarius snail
8 blue leg hermits

These should keep the uglies and algae in check

 

[Kev The Fish Keeper]

I hear no mention of clean up crew.
Simply have your maids and butlers to address this issue. Those being:
about 4-6 turbo snail
2-3 nassarius snail
4 astrea snail
4 nassarius snail
8 blue leg hermits

These should keep the uglies and algae in check

@SMSREEF did suggest I increase my CUC. Which I will be doing

 

[SMSREEF]

Thanks for the info, its so many different kits that do this and do that I'm sure its going to take awhile to find the right ones...

If I was to make sure to buy a couple early on, I would buy the Hanna Alkalinity tester and Hanna Phosphate ULR tester.

they are just so much better than the other tests I’ve used and worth the extra money.

 

[FreakPrism]

If I was to make sure to buy a couple early on, I would buy the Hanna Alkalinity tester and Hanna Phosphate ULR tester.

they are just so much better than the other tests I’ve used and worth the extra money.

Do you find the Hanna testers accurate? Was reading online with folks saying they are not when I was looking to purchase?

 

[SMSREEF]

Do you find the Hanna testers accurate? Was reading online with folks saying they are not when I was looking to purchase?

No hobby test is gonna be 100%. But I do find them MUCH easier than figuring out the blues on phosphate tests and drops to the color change for Alk.

But there are things you can do to make sure it’s as accurate as it should be. Using same vial for QC and actual test, make sure it is same direction for both tests, no bubbles, store it with RODI in it between tests, get new vial if it’s scratched.

Per package inserts:
PO4 ULR has accuracy +- 0.02
dKH +- 0.03

 

[NashobaTek]

For the first 12 months, your biome will go through a lot of changes. Some green stuff, then some brown stuff, then a different green stuff, then some furry brown stuff... on and on.

Just keep stable salinity and temp. Start building your test kit collection and then perfecting your testing processes: primarily salinity, ALK, NO3 and PO4. Just learn about all this. Don't do anything to the system (aside from temp/salinity) just let it do its thing.

Bahahaha, you mean like this? Water testing every week, phosphate was high so running phosguard. Clean this every couple of days.
I believe that the frozen grated shrimp I feed the batfish is causing it. I have a decent snail crew and they have even been laying eggs.
But this is 8 months in

The batfish is in the first picture, had it since January, at 1".

Today is scrubbing day, just haven't done it yet.

 

[ScottB]

Bahahaha, you mean like this? Water testing every week, phosphate was high so running phosguard. Clean this every couple of days.
I believe that the frozen grated shrimp I feed the batfish is causing it. I have a decent snail crew and they have even been laying eggs.
But this is 8 months in

The batfish is in the first picture, had it since January, at 1".

Today is scrubbing day, just haven't done it yet.

Oh my. You might have a tad of extra nutrient in there. How much you feeding that batfish each day.?

 

[NashobaTek]

Oh my. You might have a tad of extra nutrient in there. How much you feeding that batfish each day.?

A whole jumbo shrimp grated and spread out over 3 feedings, there's a Hippo Tang, Gramma and 3 mandrins as well as the CUC. I have been using phosguard to lower the phosphate level. Nitrates are around 20.

 

[SifuMemphis]

I wouldn't recommend running Chaeto unless your nutrients are high. In any tank, if nitrate and phosphate are too low (reading 0) you have a chance to trigger Dino, which is extremely annoying. Ideally, you want to stay around 5-10 ppm Nitrate and 0.03 phosphate.

 

[ScottB]

A whole jumbo shrimp grated and spread out over 3 feedings, there's a Hippo Tang, Gramma and 3 mandrins as well as the CUC. I have been using phosguard to lower the phosphate level. Nitrates are around 20.

Heavy in is fine. Just do heavy out. How are you exporting nutrient?

 

[NashobaTek]

3 hob filters and I clean the rocks and coral skeletons with a tooth brush every couple days. Water change weekly. About 40 gallons