Sfin's Dream.

sfin52 · Dec 17, 2019

Magellan said:
What a useful creature. Good looking too!

I have two snails one that is pictured with shreck. The sea hare is really my only algae eating mollusk in the tank.
It needs a very mature tank with the ability to grow loads of algae macro or micro.
My phosphates run around .5 nitrates are 60-80. 10k lights and algae grows like crazy. So I keep shreck Fat and happy.

Magellan · Dec 17, 2019

sfin52 said:
I have two snails one that is pictured with shreck. The sea hare is really my only algae eating mollusk in the tank.
It needs a very mature tank with the ability to grow loads of algae macro or micro.
My phosphates run around .5 nitrates are 60-80. 10k lights and algae grows like crazy. So I keep shreck Fat and happy.

Why such high nitrates? I have a healthy population of snails and hermits, but it’s really my urchin that does most of the heavy lifting. 14k light, I grow a pretty decent amount of algae too!

sfin52 · Dec 17, 2019

Magellan said:
Why such high nitrates? I have a healthy population of snails and hermits, but it’s really my urchin that does most of the heavy lifting. 14k light, I grow a pretty decent amount of algae too!

I Workin on getting those down. Canister filters produce nitrates. I working on setting up a hob refugium. This will help

NY_Caveman · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:

I have a thing for plating coralline.

Magellan · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:
I Workin on getting those down. Canister filters produce nitrates. I working on setting up a hob refugium. This will help

Any chance you could just cram some Purigen in there? That stuff works great for me.

Why-Me · Dec 18, 2019

NY_Caveman said:
I have a thing for plating coralline.

you two get a room ;Smuggrin

NY_Caveman · Dec 18, 2019

Why-Me said:
you two get a room ;Smuggrin

If I could live in my tank I would. At least take visits. Anyone remember Dr. Shrinker?

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

Magellan said:
Any chance you could just cram some Purigen in there? That stuff works great for me.

Please explain.

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

Magellan said:
Any chance you could just cram some Purigen in there? That stuff works great for me.

Always room. I have matrix in there now. I could add purigen next cleaning.

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

NY_Caveman said:
If I could live in my tank I would. At least take visits. Anyone remember Dr. Shrinker?

I would love to do that.

NY_Caveman · Dec 18, 2019

Imagine taking your kids for a swim? I may need to build a green screen just to put my kids in the tank.

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

That would be so cool

Magellan · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:
Always room. I have matrix in there now. I could add purigen next cleaning.

I use matrix too! But the Purigen absorbs dissolved organics, which I’m assuming are getting trapped in the canister and leading to more nitrite/nitrate than the matrix and your bio filter can handle. You can even reuse it (I’ve never tried!) by washing it in bleach.

NY_Caveman said:
Imagine taking your kids for a swim? I may need to build a green screen just to put my kids in the tank.

The green screen idea seems much safer

There are definitely some fierce predators in my tank that I would NOT want to be the same size as!

Magellan · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:
Please explain.

The canister filter is producing nitrates because of too much trapped gunk, the biomedia can’t process it through the nitrogen cycle fast enough. Purigen absorbs dissolved organics, (the gunk) which should help get everything back in line. It would have a similar result to your HOB fuge, just much easier to accomplish and wouldn’t also strip a bunch of trace elements from your water.

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

I agree that's what is happening. I will need to pick up some purigen.

Magellan · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:
I agree that's what is happening. I will need to pick up some purigen.

I feed my corals a LOT, fish twice a day and don’t have a skimmer. My filtration is filter sponge, purigen, biomedia (matrix and some marine pure spheres) and sometimes phosguard. I hang a bag of carbon in the back too. My nitrates are so low I’ve wondered about dosing..

sfin52 · Dec 18, 2019

sfin52 said:
Removed. After reaserch I found out seahares are hermaphrodites but they don't fertilizer thier own eggs.

@Magellan shrek is a he and a she.

crusso1993 · Dec 18, 2019

Magellan said:
I use matrix too! But the Purigen absorbs dissolved organics, which I’m assuming are getting trapped in the canister and leading to more nitrite/nitrate than the matrix and your bio filter can handle. You can even reuse it (I’ve never tried!) by washing it in bleach.

The green screen idea seems much safer There are definitely some fierce predators in my tank that I would NOT want to be the same size as!

If you guys would like, I can post up something that shows you are wasting your money buying Matrix instead of pumice. I've also done testing and the pumice actually outperformed Matrix.