Perry's 90 Gallon Acro Dominant Bommie

[Perry]

I do 100% agree! KISS is the best thing you can do

KISS is the best thing you can do until you take a frag to a colony a few times. The experience gained in watching it grow and observation is priceless. Once comfort is gained and understanding of biology and chemistry is mastered, then yes, play around with advanced coral keeping systems. However, it is not necessary for happy acros

 

[Perry]

Hi Perry. Your corals are amazing and I have read much (probably all) of this thread. I have a question for you.

I’ve been reefing for a long time. My current 180 gallon was slowly rising in nitrates (getting close to 50 ppm) and phosphates (rising above 0.3 ppm). So, for the first time, I started carbon dosing. After 6 months or so nutrients have stopped rising and have dropped a bit. Other than AWC and Ca and alkalinity control, I don’t add anything else to the tank.

If I understand your methodology correctly, you would try a larger skimmer for my tank and stop the vinegar dosing. You believe that the skimmer should be able to handle nutrient load. Am I right about this?

Hello,
Thank you for the kind words and for reading over the journal, but most importantly replying and contributing.
I will do my best to answer your question If you are getting results with Carbon/Bacteria source, that's fine. I personally could not, as every time I dose on this tank, I get the uglies, cyano, dinos, and other funk. Here is my thought: What goes in, needs to come out. Next, feed your tank, feed it well, I disable the return pump and skimmer, and broadcast feed my tank. I use 2 cubes of mysis by Hikari, and 2 cubes worth of LRS daily. I do not turn the pump and skimmer back on for at least 30 minutes. I want everything in the tank to be fed. 10 good size fish. After the 30 minutes, I turn the pump and skimmer back on, the skimmer goes nuts, but thats ok, a few minutes later, it is skimming normal. But, it is very obvious that the skimmer removed residuals. As far as I am concerned, levels land where they land, but a significant water change is religiously done each week. When/If I get to the point where the NO3 and PO4 are at my target, I will decrease the volume of water changes. So, feed heavy, skim hard, and change water. I also run passive GAC.
Finally, I brush my glass every morning, sometimes twice per day. This way, I don't ever release a heavy amount of glass algae back into the water column. Sunday is water change day, I change 15 gallons weekly, down from 6 weeks at 20 gallons. Last test was 16.5ppm NO3 and .13ppm PO4
Occasionally I run a mid week test on Alk and PO4, but not NO3.
As far as discontinuing dosing, I would step down, and re-enforce with good water change. This is simply a modified Berlin Method. Oh, and I do run a filter sock, but only change weekly. I will eventually remove and not run a sock. I personally cannot allow P04 to rise to your level, in my case, I would use a few drops of LC to bring it down. Also, my smoothies look best in lower NO3, so I will continue to drive it down to 5ppm. Ultimately I prefer .08-.14ppm PO4, anything higher, and I lose a bit of base tissue on delicate smoothies. As long as I am within range of targets, and the corals look happy, I see no reason to intervene
Cheers,

 

[Perry]

Thank you for sharing this beautiful journey. I am not 100% sure what it is but something about your approach and methodology inspires me.

Your willingness to accept different points of view and the successes of others in an open discussion is fantastic. This is what a strong community does - share information without accusation or bias.

Please keep posting updates. I will keep following.

Hello,
This is very nice of you to say, wow, thank you very much, I am moved
There are many ways to do this, keeping an open mind will get you much further, so with that in mind, I just sort of changed my approach. Like the Beatles song..."Let it be"...

 

[dwest]

Hello,
Thank you for the kind words and for reading over the journal, but most importantly replying and contributing.
I will do my best to answer your question If you are getting results with Carbon/Bacteria source, that's fine. I personally could not, as every time I dose on this tank, I get the uglies, cyano, dinos, and other funk. Here is my thought: What goes in, needs to come out. Next, feed your tank, feed it well, I disable the return pump and skimmer, and broadcast feed my tank. I use 2 cubes of mysis by Hikari, and 2 cubes worth of LRS daily. I do not turn the pump and skimmer back on for at least 30 minutes. I want everything in the tank to be fed. 10 good size fish. After the 30 minutes, I turn the pump and skimmer back on, the skimmer goes nuts, but thats ok, a few minutes later, it is skimming normal. But, it is very obvious that the skimmer removed residuals. As far as I am concerned, levels land where they land, but a significant water change is religiously done each week. When/If I get to the point where the NO3 and PO4 are at my target, I will decrease the volume of water changes. So, feed heavy, skim hard, and change water. I also run passive GAC.
Finally, I brush my glass every morning, sometimes twice per day. This way, I don't ever release a heavy amount of glass algae back into the water column. Sunday is water change day, I change 15 gallons weekly, down from 6 weeks at 20 gallons. Last test was 16.5ppm NO3 and .13ppm PO4
Occasionally I run a mid week test on Alk and PO4, but not NO3.
As far as discontinuing dosing, I would step down, and re-enforce with good water change. This is simply a modified Berlin Method. Oh, and I do run a filter sock, but only change weekly. I will eventually remove and not run a sock. I personally cannot allow P04 to rise to your level, in my case, I would use a few drops of LC to bring it down. Also, my smoothies look best in lower NO3, so I will continue to drive it down to 5ppm. Ultimately I prefer .08-.14ppm PO4, anything higher, and I lose a bit of base tissue on delicate smoothies. As long as I am within range of targets, and the corals look happy, I see no reason to intervene
Cheers,

Thank you. I appreciate the thorough reply!

 

[Perry]

Thank you. I appreciate the thorough reply!

My Pleasure,
Sometimes you already know the answer, you just need to hear it from someone else, that be the case here. I have learned with this tank to not have kneejerk reactions and impulsivity as it relates. After all, it's just "Life on the Reef"

 

[chipchipbro]

Hey Perry

I am in the same boat as you.. I honestly did "care" too much and wanted to controll everything.
Now I am only dosing 2-part and doing weekly 10% water changes. I do also clean my glass daily and also tooth brushing my overflow once a day.

Do you ever blow things off with your turkey baster? (rocks)

Well, I forgot to measure my PO4 the last 3 weeks and just noticed that my PO4 went up to 0.35..
Now, as I dont overreact and things still look good (no deepwater acros haha) I will just dose some drops of LaCi over the next 1-2 weeks to bring it back down to 0.15

Would that be your action aswell in such a case?

The cause was my really heavy feeding I guess.

 

[Perry]

Hey Perry



I am in the same boat as you.. I honestly did "care" too much and wanted to controll everything.

Now I am only dosing 2-part and doing weekly 10% water changes. I do also clean my glass daily and also tooth brushing my overflow once a day.



Do you ever blow things off with your turkey baster? (rocks)



Well, I forgot to measure my PO4 the last 3 weeks and just noticed that my PO4 went up to 0.35..

Now, as I dont overreact and things still look good (no deepwater acros haha) I will just dose some drops of LaCi over the next 1-2 weeks to bring it back down to 0.15



Would that be your action aswell in such a case?



The cause was my really heavy feeding I guess.

Hi and Good Morning!

As far as blowing or dusting off the rocks, no, but I am actually in the process of making a maxi-jet1200 on a rod to use weekly, prior to water change. I currently siphon the sand I can get to during water changes. Also, this day, Sunday, I scrape glass with detail. Of course, all this while the return pump is off, and the skimmer is too.

To answer your question regarding LC, I use it only when I can confirm 2 tests that fall way above range. I only use a max of 4 drops per day, into the overflow, which has a sock, then biomedia, then passive carbon, before returning to the display. In most cases, I wouldn't know, because I really try and use my eyes as my barometer. I can tell you my levels based on glass algae, I have used this as PO4 test kit for 15 years. This is why I advocate for glass brushing daily. It's more about consistency, if you wait until its really hazy, you spike nutrients, in most cases, no problem, but I strive for exact feeding daily, same routine, same time, same process. I skim VERY hard, my skimmer is massive by todays standards. This skimmer was designed for a true 200 gallon full sps tank, mine only 90

My final thought is this. The tank should have all the biological capacity at breaking down food, fish waste, coral waste, and dying bacteria. In this, I like sand, mainly due to the buffering capacity, but most importantly, the surface area and ability to have very diverse animals. The filtration zone is there to keep the water pristine, as on the reef. I recently picked up a Copperband that is eating, and now picking on the reef. That said, I am thinking of a solution to increase feedings to 2 times per day. I am very excited to have the CBB, my all time favorite fish.

 

[t5Nitro]

Perry, do you have any clams? Wondering how the CBB does with them generally.

 

[Perry]

Perry, do you have any clams? Wondering how the CBB does with them generally.

No clams. No space, lol
In 2007 I had a 70 cube, in there I had a CBB, and had a crocea clam, it eventually died, as the CBB would no stop nipping. It ultimately became food, expensive food

 

[chipchipbro]

Hi and Good Morning!

As far as blowing or dusting off the rocks, no, but I am actually in the process of making a maxi-jet1200 on a rod to use weekly, prior to water change. I currently siphon the sand I can get to during water changes. Also, this day, Sunday, I scrape glass with detail. Of course, all this while the return pump is off, and the skimmer is too.

To answer your question regarding LC, I use it only when I can confirm 2 tests that fall way above range. I only use a max of 4 drops per day, into the overflow, which has a sock, then biomedia, then passive carbon, before returning to the display. In most cases, I wouldn't know, because I really try and use my eyes as my barometer. I can tell you my levels based on glass algae, I have used this as PO4 test kit for 15 years. This is why I advocate for glass brushing daily. It's more about consistency, if you wait until its really hazy, you spike nutrients, in most cases, no problem, but I strive for exact feeding daily, same routine, same time, same process. I skim VERY hard, my skimmer is massive by todays standards. This skimmer was designed for a true 200 gallon full sps tank, mine only 90

My final thought is this. The tank should have all the biological capacity at breaking down food, fish waste, coral waste, and dying bacteria. In this, I like sand, mainly due to the buffering capacity, but most importantly, the surface area and ability to have very diverse animals. The filtration zone is there to keep the water pristine, as on the reef. I recently picked up a Copperband that is eating, and now picking on the reef. That said, I am thinking of a solution to increase feedings to 2 times per day. I am very excited to have the CBB, my all time favorite fish.

thanks for the detailed reply, though.
What is the reason to turn the return pump and skimmer off while cleaning? Isnt there the filter sock which will filter anything out?

I might need a bigger skimmer.. Or maybe I need to skim very wet?
Right now I use a Nyos Quantum 120 for my 50g tank.

 

[Perry]

thanks for the detailed reply, though.
What is the reason to turn the return pump and skimmer off while cleaning? Isnt there the filter sock which will filter anything out?

I might need a bigger skimmer.. Or maybe I need to skim very wet?
Right now I use a Nyos Quantum 120 for my 50g tank.

Hello,
My thoughts are to muddy up the water and contain algae, blowing off rocks, scraping, stirring sand, etc. This water, dirty water also feeds the heck out of the corals and other filter feeders, then offset by fresh 15(currently) gallons of water.

 

[Perry]

I would like to mention, that this is just my way of doing things, but logically speaking makes sense. Daily, I create a soup of frozen mysis and LRS. The water becomes cloudy at this time. 30+ minutes, the corals, fish, and other animals are exposed during this time. Powerheads disabled why dispersing food, this way it just floats gently to the bottom, fish rip it apart mainly, little hit the bottom. I do this for about 5 minutes, using a ramekin to thaw then dispense. After all is dispensed, I wait another 5 minutes, then turn the powerheads on, this lifts all leftovers, and serves as a second feed. I then let the tank run this way for around 30 minutes or so.

It's merely observation, but I believe this has everything to do with 24 hour PE and deeply saturated colors.

 

[Perry]

We all have those certain pesky corals, I consider the Fox Flame one of them, at least for me Lately, it seems to have hit a growth stride, and is developing richer red tones, while still maintaining those purple hues. When the Fox Flame looks good, I know things are trending well.

 

[fishface NJ]

Love the color. What SPS is that?

 

[Perry]

Love the color. What SPS is that?

Hey there!
Thank you kindly I updated the photo and explained, my cell phone acting up, so I added the picture, and going back to edit on the PC, lol

 

[Perry]

Smooth Deep Purple
I call it Perry's Purps, because it carries no real named lineage, despite being aquacultured.
I am a fan of smooth skin corals, this one definitely carries a unique version of purple and is unduplicated in terms of colors.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Smooth Deep Purple
I call it Perry's Purps, because it carries no real named lineage, despite being aquacultured.
I am a fan of smooth skin corals, this one definitely carries a unique version of purple and is unduplicated in terms of colors.

Can I reserve a frag for when my system is ready in about 18 minths?

 

[Perry]

Can I reserve a frag for when my system is ready in about 18 minths?

Yes of course, lol
18 months of growth and I will have many to offer

 

[Chris_TheReefer]

Smooth Deep Purple
I call it Perry's Purps, because it carries no real named lineage, despite being aquacultured.
I am a fan of smooth skin corals, this one definitely carries a unique version of purple and is unduplicated in terms of colors.

That is gorgeous man, i have only tried acros once, the polyps would only come out about half way and thats it. the thing went brown within 2 weeks.

 

[Perry]

That is gorgeous man, i have only tried acros once, the polyps would only come out about half way and thats it. the thing went brown within 2 weeks.

Thank You!
Acros are not as hard as many think, I believe the majority is breaking the taboo over the mystique of keeping hard corals. Same reefing principles apply, just a bit more focus All the best to you my friend!!! Thank you for stopping in