Mark's 150 gallon SPS heavy reef

markalot · Jan 4, 2019

All of the older frags have been through two alk swings. 6.0 to 6.5 and more recently 5.6 to 7.2 because I overshot my 6.5 target (it's the new math). So much for lowering two part by getting rid of the slimer! Already down to 6.8ish today so I still need to crank up the doser a bit.

Trevor40 · Jan 8, 2019

I appreciate you posting your tank thread as I have learned a lot. I have been lowering(slowly) my Alk and have been finding good results. It's right around 7.8 now but will continue to let it lower down to around 7 dkh. My tank is fairly new but am seeing lots of coraline algae and the acro growth seems to be increasing.

marvelousone · Jan 8, 2019

What is you Target on alk. I loved the green slimer. It was a beast.

markalot · Jan 8, 2019

Trevor40 said:
I appreciate you posting your tank thread as I have learned a lot. I have been lowering(slowly) my Alk and have been finding good results. It's right around 7.8 now but will continue to let it lower down to around 7 dkh. My tank is fairly new but am seeing lots of coraline algae and the acro growth seems to be increasing.

Thanks Trevor, and good luck! New tanks are a pain but hopefully you can make it work.

marvelousone said:
What is you Target on alk. I loved the green slimer. It was a beast.

My target is 7.0 but I normally run around 6.5 to 6.7 KH.

maroma · Jan 8, 2019

what the best parameters to get?

markalot · Jan 8, 2019

maroma said:
what the best parameters to get?

Hi maroma, there is no easy simple answer to that, it depends on the tank and what you want to keep. For mostly Acropora I have found that near natural parameters work best. That's 6.5 to 7 KH, 380 to 420 Calcium, 1250 Mg. Calcium and Mg not that critical as long as they are at or above those numbers. There are corals that prefer a higher KH, I can't grow Zoas very well in this tank, for example. The biggest issue with Acros, especially when a tank is new, is keeping them healthy in very clean water. Most of us don't like algae so we obsess over low Phosphate and Nitrate and this usually kills Acros in newer tanks. I let my fish trim the algae and don't worry about it anymore.

maroma · Jan 8, 2019

awsome - I have been in this hobby over a year and I started with a 13.5 gallon thats what I can afford. always wonder what is a sweet spot.

I have 12 k h 450 calcium 1550 mg nothing has died so far but my growth rate is slow. is this why also started to grow green hair algea

but also due 4ml of nopox

maroma · Jan 8, 2019

any pointer

been saving to buy a bigger tank maybe a 60 gallon and use the 13.5 as a quranteen tank

drawman · Jan 9, 2019

markalot said:
Hi maroma, there is no easy simple answer to that, it depends on the tank and what you want to keep. For mostly Acropora I have found that near natural parameters work best. That's 6.5 to 7 KH, 380 to 420 Calcium, 1250 Mg. Calcium and Mg not that critical as long as they are at or above those numbers. There are corals that prefer a higher KH, I can't grow Zoas very well in this tank, for example. The biggest issue with Acros, especially when a tank is new, is keeping them healthy in very clean water. Most of us don't like algae so we obsess over low Phosphate and Nitrate and this usually kills Acros in newer tanks. I let my fish trim the algae and don't worry about it anymore.

Very good advice/thoughts there.

truepercs · Jan 24, 2019

Great thread... Curious, When discovering calcium doser issues did you just dose to bring calc up again? Or did you also do water changes? I ask because it sounds like you don't do many water changes.
Did you also experience any sluggish growth period for a while after the issue was corrected?

Thanks...

markalot · Jan 25, 2019

truepercs said:
Great thread... Curious, When discovering calcium doser issues did you just dose to bring calc up again? Or did you also do water changes? I ask because it sounds like you don't do many water changes.
Did you also experience any sluggish growth period for a while after the issue was corrected?

Thanks...

I poured a gallon and a half of calcium in over 2 days. Growth picked up almost immediately with the pile of birdsnests showing it first, followed by the acros. The slimer never slowed down but most other acros paused, and I almost lost the Lokani. I did lose a few bottom branches of the Hawkins Echinata but it rapidly recovered and started to grow as well. I have a Rainbow Acan that I lost all but half a head on. It's grown a new head and almost fully recovered. It's kind of crazy how different corals, even in the same family, reacted very differently to the problem.

I haven't done a water change in a year now. I really think the tank would benefit from a month of small weekly water changes but I haven't done them yet.

markalot · Feb 25, 2019

Frags are still alive.

This has so much more color than all my other acros.

The so called Cali tort is growing very quickly. I'm not super pleased with the color, but I like the fast growth.

My super small frag rescue is still alive and slowly encrusting.

markalot · Feb 25, 2019

Here's brownie, the acro I banished to the sump and fragged to try again. Just like last time, blueish tips, shows some lighter patches on new branches, grows fast, and the brown is a rich meaty chocolate brown, dare I say with a touch of reddish brown, but still brown.

markalot · Mar 12, 2019

I got fed UP with the Xenia, so Goat de-wormer to the rescue. This is a diluted form, 10 drops, and 48 hours later Xenia started to suffer. The horrible iPhone pic below shows where I am as of last night. No changes other than the Xenia. I feel like the biggest risk is a going to be a nitrate spike and possibly slower growth, so keeping a close eye on KH, keeping the skimmer cleaned, and dosing a little NOPOX to help increase nutrient reduction.

Fenbendazole is the active ingredient, and the safest form is a pure powder, but I can't be bothered to mix and calculate. The Goat version is the most diluted form I could find on Amazon. You can search for it. From what I've read Xenia is so sensitive to this stuff that even residue left on SPS from dipping can seriously knock them back if not kill them outright over a period of days. It does harm other softies, which I don't have, and can stay in a tank for months even with carbon and skimming. In other words, use at your own risk, I'm not the expert here. No reports of fish or shrimp problems with this, but crabs seem to be sensitive, though some of these stories come from people who have radically overdosed (in my opinion).

I pulled a bunch of Xenia out that had climbed over some acros and did serious damage to a digitata. It's gotten to the point where if I leave the tank alone for a month I'm in for a huge pruning job and some SPS will be damaged. I've had it.

markalot · Mar 12, 2019

I ended up having time to take some real pics. The Xenia is slowly vanishing, must be melting. Great smell. The skimmer is a lighter brown but hasn't gone crazy yet.

KH 7.2 which is where it was a month ago.

These belong on those Xenia infested rocks. The Cali tort has very rapid growth.

Xenia harmed the Lokani, that was the last straw. Not sure if that's dumb or dumber on the rock ... both are active and healthy, showing no signs of anything happening.

markalot · Mar 13, 2019

Nitrates still near 0, maybe just a blush of pink (salifert). Sump stinks like Xenia. Skimmate a little pale but not much of it, nothing dramatic happening yet. Water clear.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 13, 2019

This is a beauty. Have to shake my head as many of us try to keep 2 or 3 alive and you have a tank full of them and they're a beauty.
Great job and featured tank !!