Unhappy AF tank

[Anirban]

I shifted from Zeovit to AF just because cost effectiveness. I heard bad things about zeovit as well as any other systems. I think the only issue we have with all these ULNS system is that you live on the edge with all these systems. You dont have a lot of margin of errors. A little system change can lead to a lot of major impacts. But its not the issue with the system or the method its always we the users who missed the point. I always try to understand the basics or the science or the logic behind what is happening in the tank. I just finished running my AF system 2 months without any water change. The corals are fine and parameters are all nice. But I will not do it again and possibly continue to run it for a month before I do a water change....I feed quite a lot but still my nutrients are quite low...

 

[JPK]

Thank you everybody for all the insight and advise. I agree 100 % that we the user are usually a major factor when it comes to tank issues.

I am continuing to plug away with stability as my goal. My tank is still limping, but it seems to have turned the corner from imminent disaster. My NO3 is still high, but was only around 15 today vs the 30+ reading from last week, which hopefully indicates that the beneficial bacteria population in my system is rebounding.

I will update with changes.

Jason

 

[eg8r210]

Thank you everybody for all the insight and advise. I agree 100 % that we the user are usually a major factor when it comes to tank issues.

I am continuing to plug away with stability as my goal. My tank is still limping, but it seems to have turned the corner from imminent disaster. My NO3 is still high, but was only around 15 today vs the 30+ reading from last week, which hopefully indicates that the beneficial bacteria population in my system is rebounding.

I will update with changes.

Jason

Nitrates at 15 is higher than "most" SPS keepers like to keep their tanks however it is not high at all if you were to look at WWC. Their nitrates are near what you are running and their systems look amazing. If you want to drop your nitrates fast then do a couple large (like 50% or higher) water changes. This is a million times faster than waiting for nature to do its thing and as long as you match water parameters this is one area where "fast" is usually OK. Nearly every single person I have seen complain about nitrate reduction with the AF system has been more than impatient with the process. Seeding matrix, siporax, etc takes many weeks to happen. You could possibly take 6 weeks before you notice any nitrate reduction. Most people I have talked with about the system get impatient because they feel they are dosing pro bio s every day and they should see something happen after a couple doses. It simply doesn't work that way.

When I started on the AF program my tank had just went through a second crash (using Red Sea products) in less than 2 years and I was a bit fed up with it. AF is my last ditch effort. Upon my first couple WC with the probiotic salt I really noticed a difference in the way the corals looked (the ones left alive and mostly LPS and softies at this point). So I decided to give it a try and go slow. AF salt by itself for 4-5 weeks. I then started adding Pro Bio S and -NP Pro. I left that for 5-6 weeks (I don't remember exactly anymore). Once I saw that things were still slowly getting better I felt more confident. I had a tank overrun with turf algae, like you wouldn't believe. I have seen the turf algae slowly get less thick and now my urchins are able to plow through it. It doesn't grow back nearly as fast and at this point I feel like the phosphates that have been leaching out of the rock is slowing starting to go away as less and less algae grows back. It has taken 8 months to get to this point. I had a bad case of cyano all over the tank. After the first few months of doing nothing but the AF system, that is completely gone. I never even sucked it out of the tank. I am at the point now that I can feed what I want, aminos/vitamins, and I don't see cyano come back like it used to.

I said all that to hopefully encourage you to stay the course. Follow the program and be patient. I would recommend that you do as large of a water change as you possibly can using the Reef salt only. If you worry about the corals then do this once a week. It will drastically drop the nitrates in the tank. Other than that go slow, simplify what you are doing and make sure you are nailing the basics.

 

[JPK]

Good advise Eg8r210, I can do about 25 gallons at a time (size of each of my storage/mixing reservoirs), then have to wait for a second 25 gallons to mix and heat up, but I can easily do that over a few hours.

I have been doing 25 gallon changes with the reef salt once a week, but I like the idea of a few bigger ones to help transport more of the NO3 out.

I am glad that your system seems to be stabilizing and running smoothly, I am sure that must feel good after the challenges that you had prior.

J

 

[Perry]

Yes,
That is a great analogy Ed