Tyler's 220 gallon in wall build thread!

Billldg · Sep 25, 2019

I just wondering if the load isn't big enough yet, and what nitrates and phosphates you do have are being sucked up by the chaeto.

I plan on switching to a ULR Hanna checker as my LR Hanna is unreliable at lower levels as the margin of error is .05 ppm

Are you skimming, if so I would stop and see if the levels rise.

TK_KW · Sep 25, 2019

Billldg said:
I just wondering if the load isn't big enough yet, and what nitrates and phosphates you do have are being sucked up my the chaeto.

I plan on switching to a ULR Hanna checker as my LR Hanna is unreliable at lower levels as the margin of error is .05 ppm

Are you skimming, if so I would stop and see if the levels rise.

Maybe possible. So phospates have been zero for days, until today again. Mag is a little low. Trying to dial in my dosing aswell which is frustrating me.

I just feed Roids last night. Coinencedence?

You think I should just stay away from trying bring it down if it gets up to .5 to .6? Like no Gfo and no Phosguard?

Temp 78.4
Sal 1.025
Nitrate 0
Phosphates .22
Cal 415
Mag 1220
Alk 8.6

Also to note, I run UV 24/7 and Dos does a 6g water change per day

Billldg · Sep 25, 2019

Within a day or so the phosphates went from 0 to .22? That's a big jump in a few days. I have to ask, are you cleaning your Hanna vials with their cleaner. Also, are you using the exact same vial each day, or switching between the 2 that come with it. Reason I ask is that I am guilty of using the same vial over and over, regardless of whether or not I clean it with their cleaner, and when I use the other one I usually get a different reading.

Also, if you are doing a 6 gal daily change, then that is roughly a 20 percent weekly change. Some may agree, and some may not, but that seems to me to be a lot. that may also be keeping the water to clean. I do about 35 percent monthly.

TK_KW · Sep 25, 2019

Billldg said:
Within a day or so the phosphates went from 0 to .22? That's a big jump in a few days. I have to ask, are you cleaning your Hanna vials with their cleaner. Also, are you using the exact same vial each day, or switching between the 2 that come with it. Reason I ask is that I am guilty of using the same vial over and over, regardless of whether or not I clean it with their cleaner, and when I use the other one I usually get a different reading.

Also, if you are doing a 6 gal daily change, then that is roughly a 20 percent weekly change. Some may agree, and some may not, but that seems to me to be a lot. that may also be keeping the water to clean. I do about 35 percent monthly.

Water change is 15 percent. Of total water volume between sump and display. I'll tone that back a bit.

I'm guilty. I cross between vials. After testing I dump, shake with rodi water three times. Then put in drying rack to dry. Didnt even know Hanna has a cleaner. Honestly I just have a dozen vial in rack, and just grab whichever one. You might be on to something there, interesting. I didnt think it is a big deal....

Billldg · Sep 25, 2019

TK_KW said:
Water change is 15 percent. Of total water volume between sump and display. I'll tone that back a bit.

I'm guilty. I cross between vials. After testing I dump, shake with rodi water three times. Then put in drying rack to dry. Didnt even know Hanna has a cleaner. Honestly I just have a dozen vial in rack, and just grab whichever one. You might be on to something there, interesting. I didnt think it is a big deal....

LOL, neither did I when I started using them until I kept getting a ALK reading of 8.3 no matter what I did, so then I used my Red Sea kit and found it at 9.3. So I bought new vials and the cleaner and clean then after every use, I always use the same one until I feel something may not be right, then I switch and buy new ones. Plus, I never switch between kits, my Alk vials will always be used for Alk, my Phosphate will only be used for Phosphate and so one.

Billldg · Sep 25, 2019

It may be a little early, but I may be getting a feeling of what might me going on. You have a 220 gal plus tank, not a very big load on it yet with only 10 fish, corals really don't count unless they are colony's, you are doing a 15 percent weekly water change amounting to 60 plus percent monthly, so your nitrates and phosphates may already be at 0, then the vials may possibly me contaminated giving you false reading of phosphate, and thus you use GFO to lower it further.

Does this sound accurate? If this is the case then this is a rare time when someone say's you are doing to good of a job, LOL!!! Sounds like you need to get the tank a little dirtier. I wouldn't do a water change for a week or two and test to see if the parameters start to rise, and then maybe start the water changes again, maybe at 50 percent until you get more of a load on the tank.

The fact that you have some algae tells me that the tank isn't nutrient starved, just nutrient deprived.

TK_KW · Sep 25, 2019

Billldg said:
It may be a little early, but I may be getting a feeling of what might me going on. You have a 220 gal plus tank, not a very big load on it yet with only 10 fish, corals really don't count unless they are colony's, you are doing a 15 percent weekly water change amounting to 60 plus percent monthly, so your nitrates and phosphates may already be at 0, then the vials may possibly me contaminated giving you false reading of phosphate, and thus you use GFO to lower it further.

Does this sound accurate? If this is the case then this is a rare time when someone say's you are doing to good of a job, LOL!!! Sounds like you need to get the tank a little dirtier. I wouldn't do a water change for a week or two and test to see if the parameters start to rise, and then maybe start the water changes again, maybe at 50 percent until you get more of a load on the tank.

The fact that you have some algae tells me that the tank isn't nutrient starved, just nutrient deprived.

Sounds pretty accurate. Ok, so.....I'm going to clean/get new vials. No water changes for two weeks, and I'll continue testing daily. I'll keep you posted. Thank for all your help

Billldg · Sep 25, 2019

Oh, and I forgot to say the tank is BEAUTIFUL!!!

TK_KW · Sep 25, 2019

Billldg said:
Oh, and I forgot to say the tank is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Thanks

Jeto2004 · Sep 25, 2019

Great build threat, so much information to assimilate.....

TK_KW · Sep 26, 2019

@4FordFamily, @HotRocks

If I'm about to dose metro, kanaplex and furan-2. Do I do all at the same time? Powder right into filter? Pre mix? Or does it really matter?

4FordFamily · Sep 26, 2019

TK_KW said:
@4FordFamily, @HotRocks

If I'm about to dose metro, kanaplex and furan-2. Do I do all at the same time? Powder right into filter? Pre mix? Or does it really matter?

At the same time will work fine. I premix in small container with some tank water typically.

TK_KW · Sep 26, 2019

4FordFamily said:
At the same time will work fine. I premix in small container with some tank water typically.

K thanks bro

4FordFamily · Sep 27, 2019

TK_KW said:
K thanks bro

You bet!

TK_KW · Oct 5, 2019

#Reefsquadleaders #reefsquadleader @KJ Or anyone else that could shed some light. Or valuable experience with this problem.

So ran all coral/inverts etc all through 76 days of qt before transfer into display. Battled Digitate Hydroids in my qt. But beyond my best efforts and scrubbing coral on transfer, they for into my display.

Now some say their fine, others not. I've tried manual removal, but that is honestly a losing battle. Aswell the fact tank has no front access, and 30" deep. So hard to see/access to remove.

Now I've read they may die out, and also read they can take over. My nutrients in the tank I'd assume are really low. Havnt read Nitrates or Phosphate in almost a month(another thing I'm battling at the moment to get them up a little). Doesnt seem to matter, as they continue to spread regardless.

There spreading like wildfire. They sway night or day, doesn't matter. Hundreds of them. Some even have two heads ***.

This is beyond frustrating, and I feel defeated. As I set up these systems to QT everything and to try to avoid this, but here we are.

Shed some light, or tag someone who has good information that could help. Thanks in advance.

Brew12 · Oct 5, 2019

TK_KW said:
#Reefsquadleaders #reefsquadleader @KJ Or anyone else that could shed some light. Or valuable experience with this problem.

So ran all coral/inverts etc all through 76 days of qt before transfer into display. Battled Digitate Hydroids in my qt. But beyond my best efforts and scrubbing coral on transfer, they for into my display.

Now some say their fine, others not. I've tried manual removal, but that is honestly a losing battle. Aswell the fact tank has no front access, and 30" deep. So hard to see/access to remove.

Now I've read they may die out, and also read they can take over. My nutrients in the tank I'd assume are really low. Havnt read Nitrates or Phosphate in almost a month(another thing I'm battling at the moment to get them up a little). Doesnt seem to matter, as they continue to spread regardless.

There spreading like wildfire. They sway night or day, doesn't matter. Hundreds of them. Some even have two heads ***.

This is beyond frustrating, and I feel defeated. As I set up these systems to QT everything and to try to avoid this, but here we are.

Shed some light, or tag someone who has good information that could help. Thanks in advance.

I haven't had to deal with these but I've heard that peppermint shrimp will eat them.