Ryan’s 75 gallon

[ryany25]

I found a guy on Facebook willing to give me chaeto so I brought him some pods. He also gave me this hammer that was laying in his sand. I am thrilled about both. My phosphate is way high and is affecting my sail fin I think. Please correct me if phosphates (poor water quality) could not be the cause of the HLLE on the fish in the picture.

 

[tbrown]

Do you run any activated carbon/charcoal?

 

[ryany25]

I do not. I started GFO a few days ago. My Salifert test was darker than the darkest blue on the phosphate test.

 

[tbrown]

What little reading I've done suggested that high nitrates are there in almost 100% of the cases so I would imagine phosphates would do the same thing. What are your nitrates?

 

[ryany25]

I assumed that the nitrates would also be high but was too lazy to test when I tested phos a few days ago. Testing today after 3 days of gfo:
Salinity- 1.026
Ph- 8.2
Alk- 10.9
Ca- 425
Phos- 3+
Nitrate- 100+

Do you recommend that I take any measures, or just let the gfo and chaeto do their thing?

 

[ryany25]

I have issues… Any suggestions for a nutrient source for the dragons breath? Thanks.

 

[ryany25]

Got a tiny nem and anemone shrimp for the little nightstand tank. Drilled the big tank and installed an Eshopps overflow last night because we have too many power bumps here to have any peace of mind with the siphon. Drilling the tank was no big deal. Lowered the water level below where I wanted to drill and did it. Came out good. I got the medium one but maybe the small would have been better.

 

[ryany25]

My chaeto ball has doubled in size but I’m still seeing high nutrient levels. Will this thing grow algae?

 

[tbrown]

It might need more light in a spectrum that encourages algae growth. I know a lot of people use those pink/red grow lights.

 

[ryany25]

Thanks. I recently increased lighting to 16 hours. I’ll look for a better light.

 

[tbrown]

Thanks. I recently increased lighting to 16 hours. I’ll look for a better light.

Are you running a standard incandescent? If so, white usually works fine. It's growing your Chaeto so it's working.

A lot of people run their "algae" lights opposite of their DT lights.

Also, if your Chaeto is growing good, it could potentially be stripping the sump water if nutrients before the algae reactor has a chance. Have you checked the nitrates in the sump or just the DT?

 

[ryany25]

Are you running a standard incandescent? If so, white usually works fine. It's growing your Chaeto so it's working.

A lot of people run their "algae" lights opposite of their DT lights.

Also, if your Chaeto is growing good, it could potentially be stripping the sump water if nutrients before the algae reactor has a chance. Have you checked the nitrates in the sump or just the DT?

I’ve pulled sample water from either the sump or display, indiscriminately. Can you actually measure a delta? I was running the sump light opposite of the display but now I’ve been running it for 16 hours. I don’t really care if the reactor works, I just want to maximize export for the time being without using chemicals. My thinking wa that I would pull the little scrubber when nitrate and phosphate come down a bit. Please advise.

 

[tbrown]

I don't run Chaeto or an algae scrubber so it's hard for me to give advice on them. What I do know is that Chaeto can and will outcompete a lot of other algaes for nutrients which is why people love it so much. If it's doubled in size, you're getting nutrient export.

I've heard people talk about "false readings" when the Chaeto is in the tank still. I've been told that if you take half of the ball out, it takes the nitrates/phosphates with it. To my thinking, that doesn't seem accurate. If the nitrates are in the Chaeto, they won't register in the water column? But I'm not a scientist and I don't understand that part of it. My guess/theory is, when you harvest Chaeto, the smaller clump grabs a bunch more nutrients to grow back what you just stole.

Either way, if the Chaeto is growing you're getting nutrient export. Are you seeing a lot of algae in the DT?

 

[ryany25]

I don't run Chaeto or an algae scrubber so it's hard for me to give advice on them. What I do know is that Chaeto can and will outcompete a lot of other algaes for nutrients which is why people love it so much. If it's doubled in size, you're getting nutrient export.

I've heard people talk about "false readings" when the Chaeto is in the tank still. I've been told that if you take half of the ball out, it takes the nitrates/phosphates with it. To my thinking, that doesn't seem accurate. If the nitrates are in the Chaeto, they won't register in the water column? But I'm not a scientist and I don't understand that part of it. My guess/theory is, when you harvest Chaeto, the smaller clump grabs a bunch more nutrients to grow back what you just stole.

Either way, if the Chaeto is growing you're getting nutrient export. Are you seeing a lot of algae in the DT?

I would like to see more algae in DT. There isn’t much. I’ve been trying to lower phos/nitrate since seeing a lateral line develop on my sailfin tang. I feed live white worms, LRS frozen food, and nori.

 

[ryany25]

Macro has more than doubled in size, nutrient levels have fallen in half, and the tank seems really happy. I think it’s turned a corner. Power went out 48 hours ago, but I haven’t lost a fish yet. I’m running my return pump periodically off an inverter and my lawnmower battery.

 

[ryany25]

We got power back today. Nothing died in my reef tank or any of my freshwater tanks.

 

[ryany25]

I bought this torch yesterday and it isn’t looking so good today. It seems to be being battered by flow. I Had my water tested by LFS prior to purchasing so I don’t think there is an issue there. Their results match closely to what i get from my test kits. I have my only gyre turned down all the way now, but that doesn’t leave much in terms of flow from my return pump. . What do you all think about the way this looks currently?