And if the theory is right....
It'd be a lot more fun to see BRS's tests with 2-3 coral in the front of their teset tanks.
(Not so interested where they're heading with the next test they announced. Ho hum.)
Not really – check out my Dino thread and do UV how folks there are doing...use the same sizing guidelines. (Dino's are tougher than algae, FYI.)
If coraline's natural defenses to keep clean of pests is being overwhelmed and green algae are able to settle and grow on it (not a good thing...part of coraline's immune function), I have to turn my hairy eyeball back to the excess organic carbon load in the system. That means the carbon reactor, but it also means the chaeto ball if it's large and productive – both exude organic carbon into the tank water. (Corals do too, but not the same type.)
I'm gonna place my final vote with taking the carbon reactor offline and drastically thinning out the chaeto ball.
There should be no downside to either one. Even if there is, reactivate the reactor and don't trim the chaeto anymore. No real downside.
I'm not sure if the coraline might also be suffering from the very low nutrient situation on top of other things, but if try the experiment you'll know – without having to add anything to the tank.
I'm not sure if increasing the hours will be equivalent to raising intensity. If you already have your fuge light at "100%" then try more hours. Upgrading is always an option.
The CUC has to be able to get to it obviously, so if the frags are in the sand bed or you have CUC that get get to the rack then it's at least a "maybe". I'd try it.
If you can turn up lights on the fuge, were you holding off doing that up to now? Try it!
With all that and your chaeto trimmed down you can watch for any changes in the tank over the next 3-4 weeks and then act accordingly by trying the next thing on your list if it doesn't work out....lots of options left.
If it does work, then "you dunnit"!
Just remember that you're still #1 on the CUC...you DO want your crew beefed up enough that they can do their job – but having "enough" doesn't grant them more power....they still have tiny mouths and won't each a "giant" mature stalk of algae. So it's your job to give them a patch of nubbins to start with (not mature algae growth) and it's their job to keep it that way.
I'd favor getting more or even all Ceriths if you're fine with keeping a little responsibility for yourself but having a safer frag rack.
Turbos are much larger and will do more work, but they can have that "bull in the china shop" effect in some tanks. If your tank is no china shop, then favor more Turbos – they are beasts.
Still have limited expectations if they're confronted with large stands of mature algae.....or if there's lots of detritus for them to eat. If the algae is not too palatable, they'll clean out your tank's detritus stores in preference to the algae. Depeding on the detritus load available, that can make your snails seem like they aren't doing much. Manage CUC numbers and types accordingly.....some snails (like Nassarius) focus more exclusively on detritus and less on algae, so you can balance things as you see them develop.
(Check out Global microbialization of coral reefs if to have some reading time during the wait and tell what you think!
This isn't necessarily a strike against carbon dosing or refugiums per se either. Just reading the symptoms of your tank as best I can with the knowledge (still left!) rattling in my noggin. I can definitely be wrong! That's why this isn't a game of Simon Sez....it's more like a game of "check out the reference I read to see if you think about the same thing I thought when I read it, cuz even in aquariums the clues seems to add up the same...and your aquarium seems to have some of the clues present."
Indeed!
If taking the reactor down "solves" it, all we could say is that you might have been overdoing it with carbon compared to the tank's current condition. That's not saying much more against carbon dosing than "things look better now".
After all, underestimating the potency of a pellet reactor is hardly unheard of....I know you're running with a small amount of pellets, but how much carbon is that? Depends on too many factors to say – that's the issue with pellet reactors I think. In contrast, we can compute how many carbon atoms per dose are going into the tank with things like vinegar...which, for example, seems to have far less reports of "problems" compared with pellets. (Not trying to sell vinegar dosing....just comparing.)
The good thing (I think) is that this doesn't seem to be urgent....no corals seem to be in danger of anything in the short term – frag plugs can be dipped in straight H2O2 in at least some cases to give them some breathing room – so you can take your time, make small moves and spend time gauging effectiveness of whatever you try.
Remember that nutrient changes can take 3-5 weeks to fully play out.....much longer in some cases. Makes every step a judgement call and I guess a test of patience too. Gotta love it!! ;Facepalm;Happy
