Jaybrandnew
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2020
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 8
Hey all
Hoping you can help me. I recently had to replace the front panel on what was my fowlr tank. Due to complications the tank was completely stripped down for around 3 months, the rock, sand, siporax etc was allowed to die off. My rock was thoroughly cleaned etc before being used again. Ditto the siporax. I bought new reeflowers sand.
The tank was started from scratch effectively.
I had not planned to do a fishless cycle, but go the ATM Colony and fish route using a double dose of Colony. However all this was done just before the Covid lockdown, so getting fish is a no-no at the moment. What I elected to do was add the colony along with Dr Tims ammonia. This appears to work incredibly well. The tank can easily go from 3ppm ammonia, through Nitrite to nitrate in under 24 hours. I have been adding a capful of Dr Tims to my system every couple of days along with, rightly or wrongly 5ml per day of Nopox.
My system is around 1100 litres or so.
My nitrates are through the roof as you'd expect, and I am now going to start water changing to control the uglies.
I am not too experienced in coral keeping, but have a good grasp on required water chemistry and I have proper aquarium and high end equipment so I want to give coral a go this time after a lot of encouragement from my marine buddies. I will start sensibly with more forgiving corals. I am able to, and would like to purchase coral at this time.
I can, through water changes, Rowaphos etc. get my water where it need to be. I have a full range of test kits etc to get the water good and the knowledge (hopefully) to keep it there.
What I am a little stuck on is how to maintain my "large" bacterial population once coral, but no fish (for the foreseeable future) go in the system. I know I can feed the corals, but I think it wont be enough for the bacterial headcount I have built up. The tank has been wet for 4 weeks.
If I have corals I cant add ammonia for obvious reasons. I guess what I need to know is does NoPox/ Carbon dosing feed the bacteria in the same way as ammonia does? Can Ammonia be replaced with NoPox to sustain my filter?
Im guessing no, as everyone would dose with carbon and not ammonia (In a fishless cycle) as there would be a more controlled build up of nitrates (I think), and presumably less new tank algae issues, but perhaps these two foods, carbon and ammonia are used differently by the bacteria. Perhaps ammonia is simply a carbon source? I am unsure.
I would really like to do a massive water change/s, bring my nitrates to around 5, phosphates levelled around 0.03, get my alk, mag and calcium dialled in and add coral, but I would love some advice from you more experienced guys on how to protect my biological filter.
If it may help, here is the major components of my current set up..
90" x 28" x 28" main aquarium
60" x 18" x !8" sump
Vectra L1 return pump
2 x mp60, 2x mp40 wavemakers
Clarisea sk5000 roller filter
Reef Octopus XP sss5000 Skimmer
DIY 100 litre siporax reactor powered with Vectra S2
Tunze Osmolator ATO
DD 80w UV
175kg "Live" rock
DD Temp controller. 2X600w Titanium heaters
5x Radion Gen 4 XR15, 7 feet of Orphek OR2
Fritz RPM blue salt
Scectrapure RODI Unit
DD P4 Doser dosing Fauna Marin Alk/Calc/Mag/Trace (Not in use yet)
Thanks very much in advance.
James
Hoping you can help me. I recently had to replace the front panel on what was my fowlr tank. Due to complications the tank was completely stripped down for around 3 months, the rock, sand, siporax etc was allowed to die off. My rock was thoroughly cleaned etc before being used again. Ditto the siporax. I bought new reeflowers sand.
The tank was started from scratch effectively.
I had not planned to do a fishless cycle, but go the ATM Colony and fish route using a double dose of Colony. However all this was done just before the Covid lockdown, so getting fish is a no-no at the moment. What I elected to do was add the colony along with Dr Tims ammonia. This appears to work incredibly well. The tank can easily go from 3ppm ammonia, through Nitrite to nitrate in under 24 hours. I have been adding a capful of Dr Tims to my system every couple of days along with, rightly or wrongly 5ml per day of Nopox.
My system is around 1100 litres or so.
My nitrates are through the roof as you'd expect, and I am now going to start water changing to control the uglies.
I am not too experienced in coral keeping, but have a good grasp on required water chemistry and I have proper aquarium and high end equipment so I want to give coral a go this time after a lot of encouragement from my marine buddies. I will start sensibly with more forgiving corals. I am able to, and would like to purchase coral at this time.
I can, through water changes, Rowaphos etc. get my water where it need to be. I have a full range of test kits etc to get the water good and the knowledge (hopefully) to keep it there.
What I am a little stuck on is how to maintain my "large" bacterial population once coral, but no fish (for the foreseeable future) go in the system. I know I can feed the corals, but I think it wont be enough for the bacterial headcount I have built up. The tank has been wet for 4 weeks.
If I have corals I cant add ammonia for obvious reasons. I guess what I need to know is does NoPox/ Carbon dosing feed the bacteria in the same way as ammonia does? Can Ammonia be replaced with NoPox to sustain my filter?
Im guessing no, as everyone would dose with carbon and not ammonia (In a fishless cycle) as there would be a more controlled build up of nitrates (I think), and presumably less new tank algae issues, but perhaps these two foods, carbon and ammonia are used differently by the bacteria. Perhaps ammonia is simply a carbon source? I am unsure.
I would really like to do a massive water change/s, bring my nitrates to around 5, phosphates levelled around 0.03, get my alk, mag and calcium dialled in and add coral, but I would love some advice from you more experienced guys on how to protect my biological filter.
If it may help, here is the major components of my current set up..
90" x 28" x 28" main aquarium
60" x 18" x !8" sump
Vectra L1 return pump
2 x mp60, 2x mp40 wavemakers
Clarisea sk5000 roller filter
Reef Octopus XP sss5000 Skimmer
DIY 100 litre siporax reactor powered with Vectra S2
Tunze Osmolator ATO
DD 80w UV
175kg "Live" rock
DD Temp controller. 2X600w Titanium heaters
5x Radion Gen 4 XR15, 7 feet of Orphek OR2
Fritz RPM blue salt
Scectrapure RODI Unit
DD P4 Doser dosing Fauna Marin Alk/Calc/Mag/Trace (Not in use yet)
Thanks very much in advance.
James
