My First Upgrade:72 Bowfront

jsker · Nov 8, 2016

Get a gyre. I agree with @120reefkeeper battery backup

john.m.cole3 · Nov 8, 2016

120reefkeeper said:
Well it depends on the type of powerheads you have. If they are DC type powerheads then it's easy. If they are AC then it still can be done just a different way.

Mine are DC

120reefkeeper · Nov 8, 2016

Awesome! Then all you need to do is buy a battery backup system and hook up the powerheads. It's easy to do . You can buy multiple batteries and hook them together for longer run times.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 14, 2016

This weekend I did a deeeeep cleaning of the bare bottom, did a peroxide treat out of tank for some small rubble holding frags, replaced one of my t5 tubes, and dipped most corals in coral rx for 10 minutes to get some hair algae off them. I'll be changing a bulb a week for 6 weeks.

While moving everything around and taking a razor blade to the bottom glass surface, I had a MJ 1200 running to keep all detritus blowing towards one end of the tank. I would have never guessed my picasso clown fish would swim to close to the intake. It was too late by the time I found him there. This is his last picture.

jsker · Nov 14, 2016

The clown look good, corals look happy also

john.m.cole3 · Nov 16, 2016

Testing numbers for the week are...

NO3 = 5
PO4 = .04
Alk 8.9
Calc 500
Mag 1500

Running microbubbles 12 hours a day and skimming 12 hours a day.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 21, 2016

Nutrients keep falling and I have increased my feeding to twice a day on some days. alternating between PE mysis and Rods original reef blend.
NO3 = 5
PO4 = .009
Alk = 9.3 dkh

jsker · Nov 21, 2016

john.m.cole3 said:
Nutrients keep falling and I have increased my feeding to twice a day on some days. alternating between PE mysis and Rods original reef blend.
NO3 = 5
PO4 = .009
Alk = 9.3 dkh

That is looking real good.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 23, 2016

The mat of algae on my vack panel has slowly been turning grey in certain areas. When touched with a sponge, it turns into a fine dust. I think this algae might be done for. Possibly due to my phosphates getting lower and lower.

120reefkeeper · Nov 23, 2016

john.m.cole3 said:
Nutrients keep falling and I have increased my feeding to twice a day on some days. alternating between PE mysis and Rods original reef blend.
NO3 = 5
PO4 = .009
Alk = 9.3 dkh

That's looks really good !

If your no3 and phosphate keep dropping then you'll have to lower your Alk .

john.m.cole3 · Nov 23, 2016

120reefkeeper said:
That's looks really good !

If your no3 and phosphate keep dropping then you'll have to lower your Alk .

I know what you mean. Ideally I'm shhoting for NO3 = 5, PO4 .03, and Alk 9 dkh. I can't keep my PO4 steady (prob should bubble a little less at night) and I need to switch to a doser to keep my alk more steady. Using kalk via ATO right now.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 27, 2016

Have I mentioned I think I have baby fungia growing on my dead skeleton? a few coral pics also. Not much has changed since last week.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 28, 2016

I've been feeding heavier this past week especially pellet and flake food to get my phosphates back up. It worked! Got them a tad higher than I was shooting for, but overall I am happy with this weeks parameters

NO3=5
PO4=.05
Alk=9.1

I'll drop the dry foods and get back to my frozen regimen.

john.m.cole3 · Nov 30, 2016

Ok well, it's been a month since I have been running microbubbles. The positive changes are significant. A few other guys started the same time as me and have also gotten good results. More skimmate production, faster uptake of alkalinity and calcium, increased growth, cleaner rocks, and more polyp extension is what most notice I'm considering giving Vibrant a try if some minor bubble algae doesn't clear up in a month. also, I added a longose hawkfish to the family this weekend.

john.m.cole3 · Dec 5, 2016

Good times in my tanks life. parameters are steady and nutrients ate low. I need to cone up with a cannot solution to keep the extra ligjt from my fixture it if my living room.

Alk 8.6
No3 2.5
I broke a vial to my hanna ulr phosphorous checker
Calc and mag haven't budged over the past 2 months.

john.m.cole3 · Dec 7, 2016

So now that nutrients are low, I lowered my alk to run at 8 to 9. My problem is the crazy and uncontrollable valonia outbreak. That's right, the bubble algae has set foot. It nearly suffocated one of my nice zoa feags. I started dosing Vibrant today. 1 ml/10 gal twice a week when the tank is in despair. One dose every 2 weeks once things level out. the discussion thread for vibrant has some pretty promising before and after photos. It cost me $37 for a years worth of doses.