Ready for Acros?

[Hydrored]

Hello,

I had a reef tank for a few years with some success with only softies and fish. I had to sell everything off due to being relocated all over the country for work. When we built our house, I decided I wanted to get back into the hobby due to finally settling down. I’m looking for feedback to see if I’m ready for acros. Tank has been up for 8 months now-

Tank details-

Planet Aquariums 120 started with life rock, live sand.
4 Gen 5 XR15 Blue
Dual core 20 pumps, 1 feeds Aqua UV and left return. Other feeds activated carbon and return
Trident doing adjusted dosing with DOS pump and all for reef. Testing 6 times a day
Reef Octopus INT150 connected to a line outside
6 stage RODI
Automatic water change from mixing station using a DOS from the garage
ATK from garage to tank
4 MP40’s, 2 running with wide flow running alternate flows throughout the day
Tropic Marin Reef Pro salt
Trigger 39 sump with fuge growing Chaeto under AI prime fuge light opposite of light cycle. Roughly 40 marine pure squares.

Parameters-

The parameters have been solid for 1.5 months, all are tested with Hannah/Trident/Red Sea for nitrates
Salinity- 1.025
PH 8.8 down to 8.1 at night
Nitrate- 4
Phosphate- .01
Alk- 8.4 to 8.43 pegged with Trident
Cal- 483
MG- 1393
Temp- 78.1
Have an Apogee 510 for PAR testing

What coral I have has been doing great, all of the coral is put through quarantine in an IM20 using a G4 Pro with diffusor.

Right now I’m getting a few spots of green cyano on the rocks over the past couple weeks, has not spread at all.

I decided to add a birds nest 2 weeks ago and so far it has responded great. I wanted to know if there is anything I’m missing, feedback on if it’s too early for acros, or any you can recommend I start with. Here is a video of the birds nest and a photo-

 

[PatW]

Your tank has been up and running for awhile which is good.
Birdsnest doing OK.
Parameters look good. I run phosphates a bit higher. My corals seem to be unhappy with 0 for nitrates or phosphates even for a short time. Of course, I could be imaging it.

You could try something that is bullet proof and cheap as a test. Acropora can be funny. One frag will flourish and another will limp along. So it is really hard to tell what will happen.

 

[Hydrored]

Thank you, the only way I can get phosphates any higher is to dose it. I brought it up to .03 and I started seeing signs of algae. The fuge works too well, I've removed 3/4 of the macro/reduced light cycle and still can't get it higher

 

[DivingTheWorld]

The best way to increase Nitrate/Phosphate is also my secret key to healthy acros: fish. From your picture it looks like you don't have any. What fish do you have in your tank? I'd probably also drop the Cal & Alk (especially Alk). I run similar Nitrate/Phosphate and do well at around 7.5/400.

 

[Hydrored]

Just 3 fish. small purple tang, small fox face, and a blenny. Not really into the fish to be honest

 

[dadnjesse]

The best way to increase Nitrate/Phosphate is also my secret key to healthy acros: fish. From your picture it looks like you don't have any. What fish do you have in your tank? I'd probably also drop the Cal & Alk (especially Alk). I run similar Nitrate/Phosphate and do well at around 7.5/400.

Agree add some fish, I wouldn't dose phosphate.

 

[Sophisticated Reefer]

I would say yes, the sweet spot for nutrients for me is 10ppm nitrate and 0.06 phosphate

 

[Hydrored]

Thank you!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Just 3 fish. small purple tang, small fox face, and a blenny. Not really into the fish to be honest

Without more fish, you'll need to dose.

 

[Hydrored]

i Left that out, I have been dosing nitrates to keep steady.

 

[Reef_in_Denver]

Fwiw I'm 2 months in and have 20+ encrusting and growing SPS in my tank.

I test ALK daily, but with your Trident you're doing 6x that.

Don't let your nutrients bottom out fully.

You should be fine. I'm of the opinion that the wait a year warnings are more of the fact that every new reefer has a learning curve that doesn't mesh well with sensitive acros. Stability is key and it sounds like you have that.

I'm running coral lab AB+ on my two xr15s with diffusers on a reefer 250 if that's helpful.

 

[C. Eymann]

I like using a hybrid of, fish poop, occasional coral food/aminos as well as activate (PO4) and synthesis (NO3) by aqua vitro.
On high demand systems the large amounts of unbroken down organics in (food and fish excrements) needed to reach target numbers can result in slight depressed pH due to the acidic byproducts from nitrification/decomposition.

Granted, this really only applies to extremely high nutrient demand systems, like a very mature reef with a high coral : water volume ratio.


Just my .02

 

[Hydrored]

I have been dosing Red Sea ab+, I feed PE mysis, oyster feast, ROE. I stopped with the aminos since the bit of cyano. Cyano is not getting worse or better so have just been leaving it alone. Even with that feeding schedule I can’t get phosphates over .01 and nitrates over 1, I have to dose nitrates to keep any sign of them. Just added a orange octo, gold torch, and dragon soul out of my quarantine a few minutes ago.