Thank you very much!
Funny you mention that, cause I am quite meticulous on import. My prop system is fishless, so only one variable, my display. I feed my fish one MASSIVE feeding per day. The food is isolated with return pump off, the food is completely bound to the display for about an hour. Then turn system on and skimmer off for an hour, residual feeding to prop system. The feed is a half dollar size LRS chunk and 3 Hikari mysis cubes one day, alternate day same for LRS and half dollar chunk PE mysis. 9 total fish. It's not scaled out on a restaurant scale, but eyeballed, and fairly close.
Skimmer tugs heavy for about a half hour, then back to normal. I am merely trying to see the impact that carbon source and bacteria source have on my system, in measured amounts, this tells me a lot about throughput. This is what I am focused on, I believe that if you tighten ph, tighten alk, and treat nutrients the same, then we are getting close, hopefully it's evident in healthy acros.
Working on a schedule right now, soon I will share my method and what I am using and why. Still trying to determine what I will continue to use and what's unnecessary.
My goal is to have an understanding of of how carbon source impacts nutrients, and how Bacteria impacts nutrients. So it gets complicated on what's doing what, so daily testing gives me valuable data. These are just nutrient adjustment tools, and phosphorus and nitrate dosing are as well, however, I will not use unless necessary. My system's P04 is impacted by .02-.04ppm in 24 hours with 1/4 tsp of roids, which is exactly the same value as 1ml of seachem phosphorus.
Now that I have up/down tools, a consistent feed, I can choose set point values and aim for the same test result daily. Whether I want low nutrients or high nutrients, or anything in between, I have the data, and tools to maintain that balance.
Update:
I added the filter sock back onto the system, I just could not handle the amount of detritus buildup. Since adding, nutrients crept upward, no big deal, I am sure they would have stabilized regardless. On this system, being mature, this is another control factor. The socks, certainly assist in export, how much? The sump was cleaned, 10 gallon water change. Sock back in play, no ill effects on corals.
Nutrient stability test:
With socks back in play, it is a 7" sock, 3 return pipes clog them in 2 days. That said, they are 100% impacting nutrient levels, going downward. At this point, my schedule is nearly complete, I will test all week, and make changes as necessary. Today, N03=12.5ppm/ Yesterday 13.2ppm. P04=0.09ppm/ Yesterday 0.08. Now, I am using 1ml of Bacto Energy, and added 1ml of Seachem phosphorus Yesterday. With a .01 increase, this puts me basically exactly at the same value. Today, I repeated. So, this basically means that I am quite close to stabilized nutrients. Again, this is based on the current coral cast, as well as the fish bioload+feeding schedule. As a caveat, the system could inherently balance itself, again, staying in 100/1 ratio. My guess is that carbon source, for control may not be necessary, and based on my schedule for 3 bacteria dosing days, using FM Rebiotic x1day and FM Bacto Therapy x2days, may in fact keep me level over 24 hours. So, I will be testing, and stay with Bacto Energy at 1ml per day. My guess is that N03 will begin to dive with continued P04 dosing and Bacto Energy dosing.
Observation :
Is any of this necessary? I don't really think so, but... Observation! I am seeing a continuing extraction of layers literally peeling off rock. Seeing new surfaces appear, and truly believing life is suppressed under layers of gunk. No livestock additions, but limpets are blooming, weird, now if I see stomatellas appear, after not for 2 years, I will be mind-blown. Rebiotic started this process, with tighter nutrient control, and use of carbon source has boosted the process. Coral colors are enhanced, and have that glow/sheen, like an electric hue. My colors have always been acceptable, within lineage range, and nicely saturated. So, to think that they are improving is crazy, but growth too is improving. Having smoothies is a real challenge, sometimes they go dormant, and frankly, the Jaw Dropper usually tells me everything. It doesn't grow!!! I am not the only one, lol... I am now seeing it showing sign at tips, normally encrusting growth, but to see tip growth is unusual. Ari's Avalanche is starting to reveal the pearly white offset to an electric blue. Even my BK Creme de le Creme is close in color to her mama, which was acquired from therman. So, I don't think this is at all necessary, but seeing positive growth and color trends are hard to argue. I believe that not only the system, but corals, are showing better health through a tighter nutrient gap. So, yes, the juice is worth the squeeze
