Urgh seriously.

[JoshH]

Hello

Yes I will get pics probably tomorrow and update. There have been some changes so need to post those but again I’m to that stage of I love it and some things bug me about it. The hardest part is I don’t know what. I know some of the grean hair alage is bugging me and aptasia but they keep coming back. Coral wise I’m trying to get it to just go crazy in growth just for fun. I like the look of full grown pieces and what not. Again sorry for the delay but will promise update pics tomorrow. Mainly because my lights are off right now and well probably wouldn’t look good just making the sun rise instantly lol. Yes I won’t forget and how as your tank been doing. I have been reading yours here and there and trying to keep up @Hemmdog ?

@JoshH yeah and I had just fed them all also. He doesn’t take chunks out it doesn’t hurt. But It does annoy me and I kinda chase him deep into the frog spawn. He shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds him. But again I’m a good four inches away and not even going close to it. He always use to take food from me and now he bites me lol ingrate. Though he has picked on my other tangs and they just tail slap him across the tank. But no other issues with any other fish.

4 inches is too close, heck in the Nuvo 10 I had my clowns in the second my finger touched the water it was on. They really are amazing creatures though, absolutely fearless when it comes to protecting there home.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello

Yes I will get pics probably tomorrow and update. There have been some changes so need to post those but again I’m to that stage of I love it and some things bug me about it. The hardest part is I don’t know what. I know some of the grean hair alage is bugging me and aptasia but they keep coming back. Coral wise I’m trying to get it to just go crazy in growth just for fun. I like the look of full grown pieces and what not. Again sorry for the delay but will promise update pics tomorrow. Mainly because my lights are off right now and well probably wouldn’t look good just making the sun rise instantly lol. Yes I won’t forget and how as your tank been doing. I have been reading yours here and there and trying to keep up @Hemmdog ?

@JoshH yeah and I had just fed them all also. He doesn’t take chunks out it doesn’t hurt. But It does annoy me and I kinda chase him deep into the frog spawn. He shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds him. But again I’m a good four inches away and not even going close to it. He always use to take food from me and now he bites me lol ingrate. Though he has picked on my other tangs and they just tail slap him across the tank. But no other issues with any other fish.

Mine have been really good lately actually, thanks for asking

 

[Sarah24!]

4 inches it too close, heck in the Nuvo 10 I had my clowns in the second my finger touched the water it was on. They really are amazing creatures though, absolutely fearless when it comes to protecting there home.

Hello,

Soo what should I do about him trying to eat me alive? I felt bad for flicking at him lol, but I wanted him to leave me alone. What’s worse is he doesn’t do it all the time just when he doesn’t take his physc meds. Again it doesn’t hurt but scares me because it makes me jump and afraid I’ll knock something over or hit one of my corals. Do you think a all clad brass frying pan will intimidate him? Any other suggestions, yet when I go to feed which is still four inches from his house he comes right up and eats just fine. Now I’m gonna worry about making him stress because I flicked my fingers at him. Curious if there is a reef safe glove, where I can still do what’s needs but won’t feel it and or won’t scare me or make him stress.

@Hemmdog did your tank finally stabalize? Mine is trying but I’m honestly lost and not sure because I have not had the chance to spend more time on it, or it’s having its 2 year old pre temper tantrum. Fish are doing great (knock on wood), I just flicked my clown fish for biting me four times. Hopefully the tangs made popcorn and watched the action stress free.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

Has anyone come home and found that the skimmer went crazy and you have that gosh awful smell that would make any dog run for cover. That was me today. No idea why, but with it 103 here not opening windows, and so I went into my handy cabinet for air freshned. Normally I buy something that smells good, well maybe I’m going blind because I was dumb enough to buy holiday candy cane air freshener. I’m not sure what’s worse the skimmer or that stuff ewwww. Making a warp speed drive to the store to buy anything to air my house out before I throw up.

Tip: get yourself filter carbon pad and cut a square or circle large enough to cover the cap. Will absorb the stinky odor

 

[JoshH]

Hello,

Soo what should I do about him trying to eat me alive? I felt bad for flicking at him lol, but I wanted him to leave me alone. What’s worse is he doesn’t do it all the time just when he doesn’t take his physc meds. Again it doesn’t hurt but scares me because it makes me jump and afraid I’ll knock something over or hit one of my corals. Do you think a all clad brass frying pan will intimidate him? Any other suggestions, yet when I go to feed which is still four inches from his house he comes right up and eats just fine. Now I’m gonna worry about making him stress because I flicked my fingers at him. Curious if there is a reef safe glove, where I can still do what’s needs but won’t feel it and or won’t scare me or make him stress.

@Hemmdog did your tank finally stabalize? Mine is trying but I’m honestly lost and not sure because I have not had the chance to spend more time on it, or it’s having its 2 year old pre temper tantrum. Fish are doing great (knock on wood), I just flicked my clown fish for biting me four times. Hopefully the tangs made popcorn and watched the action stress free.

They do make reef safe full length gloves that will definitely protect you. And no I don't think a frying pan will scare him unfortunately. I used a net to keep mine at bay while I was working on the tank and it worked pretty good but it was a small tank so easier to do. When mine got a hold of me it was like being pinched with really long finger nails. Not cool. The one time she caught me off guard and I flung my hand out of the tank and got water EVERYWHERE. I was pretty p***ed;Rage

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Soo what should I do about him trying to eat me alive? I felt bad for flicking at him lol, but I wanted him to leave me alone. What’s worse is he doesn’t do it all the time just when he doesn’t take his physc meds. Again it doesn’t hurt but scares me because it makes me jump and afraid I’ll knock something over or hit one of my corals. Do you think a all clad brass frying pan will intimidate him? Any other suggestions, yet when I go to feed which is still four inches from his house he comes right up and eats just fine. Now I’m gonna worry about making him stress because I flicked my fingers at him. Curious if there is a reef safe glove, where I can still do what’s needs but won’t feel it and or won’t scare me or make him stress.

@Hemmdog did your tank finally stabalize? Mine is trying but I’m honestly lost and not sure because I have not had the chance to spend more time on it, or it’s having its 2 year old pre temper tantrum. Fish are doing great (knock on wood), I just flicked my clown fish for biting me four times. Hopefully the tangs made popcorn and watched the action stress free.

Lol nice. Yea it seems to be stabilized now. I think my problem was to many fish to be honest. The power outage was kind of a blessing in disguise I suppose. I might add 1 more but that’s about it.

 

[Sarah24!]

Tip: get yourself filter carbon pad and cut a square or circle large enough to cover the cap. Will absorb the stinky odor

Hello,

Oh that’s an amazing idea and I may add some carbon just to make sure I can remove anything other corals
May have released. Yeah not sure what smelled worse, the skimmer nasties or the candy cane air freshener, but I definitely about lost my lunch.
Now if I can just solve my problem of well why my alk and calcium usage dropped I’d be happy. Still think it will come back with another growth spurt but suddenly just worries me. Not to mention the myth or theory that one should dose alk and calcium equally. Except that doesn’t mathematically work on my tank when aka calcium is at 440 and alk is at 6-7. Which normally takes 1.5 table spoons to get to 8. If I dose the calcium won’t it take it to over 500? That’s not good, and may raise mag to 1400-1500 @Dana Riddle (you did a study on this, good idea?)
I normally keep it at 1390 ish.

As mentioned losing my mind because I can’t seem to figure out why some acans literally in the same section do well and others not so much. Same with my hammer it was supper close to the top of the tank but it was getting blasted. It was happy and fully extended but was losing color so moved it down. Now it’s mad and for a while and no idea where to move it. Frogspawn just happy as ever, but yeah lol mixed reefs are like teenage hs cheer leaders nothing but drama.

@Hemmdog you know sometimes these little setbacks are just what we need to take a giant step forward. I
Need to listen to my own advice lol. It was posted that reefing is like chess game. Which should be easy for me because I’m extremely good at chess. My openings mid game and end games are very strong. There is a theory in chess which is don’t move until you see it, maybe I need to apply it to my tank, or offer it a draw.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Oh that’s an amazing idea and I may add some carbon just to make sure I can remove anything other corals
May have released. Yeah not sure what smelled worse, the skimmer nasties or the candy cane air freshener, but I definitely about lost my lunch.
Now if I can just solve my problem of well why my alk and calcium usage dropped I’d be happy. Still think it will come back with another growth spurt but suddenly just worries me. Not to mention the myth or theory that one should dose alk and calcium equally. Except that doesn’t mathematically work on my tank when aka calcium is at 440 and alk is at 6-7. Which normally takes 1.5 table spoons to get to 8. If I dose the calcium won’t it take it to over 500? That’s not good, and may raise mag to 1400-1500 @Dana Riddle (you did a study on this, good idea?)
I normally keep it at 1390 ish.

As mentioned losing my mind because I can’t seem to figure out why some acans literally in the same section do well and others not so much. Same with my hammer it was supper close to the top of the tank but it was getting blasted. It was happy and fully extended but was losing color so moved it down. Now it’s mad and for a while and no idea where to move it. Frogspawn just happy as ever, but yeah lol mixed reefs are like teenage hs cheer leaders nothing but drama.

@Hemmdog you know sometimes these little setbacks are just what we need to take a giant step forward. I
Need to listen to my own advice lol. It was posted that reefing is like chess game. Which should be easy for me because I’m extremely good at chess. My openings mid game and end games are very strong. There is a theory in chess which is don’t move until you see it, maybe I need to apply it to my tank, or offer it a draw.

Very true lol. Stopping the Nopox has been helpful to. I feel like that stuff isn’t good long term. My tank seems much happier now doing its own thing.

 

[Sarah24!]

Very true lol. Stopping the Nopox has been helpful to. I feel like that stuff isn’t good long term. My tank seems much happier now doing its own thing.

Hello

See I actually tried to wing my tank off of nopox, and it really really upset my tank. Going from 16ml to 10 not only did it severely spike nitrates but some sps went out on me as well as some lps. I have kept the dosage correct for close to 12 months. Not sure how you winged yours off, but I feel like a drug dealer. I have successfully made my tank addicted to nopox. I’m open to suggestions, I’m only having a few issues with some of my coral. Most of it is still doing okay but when I dropped the dosage my two ocean acros bleached in a day and I lost part of an Acan, and made my hammer even more mad. (Wish it would make its mind up it hated low nutrients and now doesn’t like higher nutrients. But not certain if the decrease in nopox started it or the spike in nitrates from 2-10.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello

See I actually tried to wing my tank off of nopox, and it really really upset my tank. Going from 16ml to 10 not only did it severely spike nitrates but some sps went out on me as well as some lps. I have kept the dosage correct for close to 12 months. Not sure how you winged yours off, but I feel like a drug dealer. I have successfully made my tank addicted to nopox. I’m open to suggestions, I’m only having a few issues with some of my coral. Most of it is still doing okay but when I dropped the dosage my two ocean acros bleached in a day and I lost part of an Acan, and made my hammer even more mad. (Wish it would make its mind up it hated low nutrients and now doesn’t like higher nutrients. But not certain if the decrease in nopox started it or the spike in nitrates from 2-10.

Oh wow, your sure it’s nopox related? I can see the nitrate going up. My fuge blew up with chaeto when I stopped. I just did half my normal dose one day and never did it again after that. My coral is looking better than ever and nutrients are actually lower than ever at 1 nitrate 0.005ppm phosphate. Nitrifying bacteria will naturally pick up the slack that the Nopox was taking care of it seems. Idk, I’m glad I stopped, one less thing to dose and worry about missing a dose if I’m not home.

 

[Sarah24!]

Oh wow, your sure it’s nopox related? I can see the nitrate going up. My fuge blew up with chaeto when I stopped. I just did half my normal dose one day and never did it again after that. My coral is looking better than ever and nutrients are actually lower than ever at 1 nitrate 0.005ppm phosphate. Nitrifying bacteria will naturally pick up the slack that the Nopox was taking care of it seems. Idk, I’m glad I stopped, one less thing to dose and worry about missing a dose if I’m not home.

Hello

Honestly I don’t know but it did great four inches from the top the water but didn’t have great color so I assumed it had too much light, and went to mid tank (same as my large Maximus clam, frog spawn and ) it’s been mad for months. Some needs have died but it tries so maybe back up top again is what I’m thinking.

I had all my sps going great and no issues and I wanted to make sure I didn’t bottom nutrients out. So I reduced the nopox by 6ml and wow. The next day I went from 2-10-15 nitrates no change in phosphates, and lost two Acro colonies in a day and hammer was more mad. Hates low nutrients and higher nutrients. Magic wand where are you, please have my hammer speak to me in precise English to make you happy. May try feeding reef roids target feed but not sure that’s a good idea.
Also when I dropped the dosage I have three acan colones and two did fine one was great till then and two days later half dead trying to save. Tried dimming lights, still testing daily to keep alk and 8 and 440 cal not sure if I should raise my alk slowly. But again the theory is always 8 alk and 440 cal. Nitrates even now are 5-10 maybe 15 but again the hammer should love that. Nope. But two ocean acros definitely set the record straight by bleaching over night. I have enough nutrients in theory I could stop the nopox, but losing my whole tank for a few corals just makes it a very hard desicion. Not to mention when I do what changes 60 a week and it doesn’t even make a dent in nitrates etc then what? Only idea is maybe a second skimmer, or add a canister filter with carbon in it which I have heard mixed reviews. I could increase my lights. Who knows how that will go,
Center light is still only on blues no whites maybe it needs more par.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello

Honestly I don’t know but it did great four inches from the top the water but didn’t have great color so I assumed it had too much light, and went to mid tank (same as my large Maximus clam, frog spawn and ) it’s been mad for months. Some needs have died but it tries so maybe back up top again is what I’m thinking.

I had all my sps going great and no issues and I wanted to make sure I didn’t bottom nutrients out. So I reduced the nopox by 6ml and wow. The next day I went from 2-10-15 nitrates no change in phosphates, and lost two Acro colonies in a day and hammer was more mad. Hates low nutrients and higher nutrients. Magic wand where are you, please have my hammer speak to me in precise English to make you happy. May try feeding reef roids target feed but not sure that’s a good idea.
Also when I dropped the dosage I have three acan colones and two did fine one was great till then and two days later half dead trying to save. Tried dimming lights, still testing daily to keep alk and 8 and 440 cal not sure if I should raise my alk slowly. But again the theory is always 8 alk and 440 cal. Nitrates even now are 5-10 maybe 15 but again the hammer should love that. Nope. But two ocean acros definitely set the record straight by bleaching over night. I have enough nutrients in theory I could stop the nopox, but losing my whole tank for a few corals just makes it a very hard desicion. Not to mention when I do what changes 60 a week and it doesn’t even make a dent in nitrates etc then what? Only idea is maybe a second skimmer, or add a canister filter with carbon in it which I have heard mixed reviews. I could increase my lights. Who knows how that will go,
Center light is still only on blues no whites maybe it needs more par.

It sounds like you have a fair amount of wild coral, which is very difficult to acclimate to captivity to begin with. That is most likely why random things are dying for you. They do need insane par and flow especially if they are wild. I think you could stop and you’d be fine. Canister filter and carbon... oh you mean a reactor? They work great. Check out all the stuff bulk reef supply has. Like all the equipment, take your time and really see what gear is in the industry, there’s really great stuff out there to solve any issue. The best stuff in reefing you will never find in a LFS ime.
The good thing is, there is no problem in reefing that money can’t fix.

Bulk Reef Supply - Making Reefing Fun and Easy

Shop top saltwater aquarium equipment at Bulk Reef Supply. We carry everything you will need for your saltwater aquarium or reef tank.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

In my time that I have been sadly not here I did some research in which I’d love to have @Randy Holmes-Farley and @Dana Riddle chime in on if they have as well studied this scientific peer review paper, also my die hard genius @Lasse.

It’s called “Context-dependent effects of nutrient loading on the coral–algal mutualism” by the biology department of Florida and written by
ANDREW A. SHANTZ1 AND DERON E. BURKEPILE.
It’s very interesting and I’m hoping to try it with out crashing my whole tank. But In short this whole idea of low nutrients and phosphates isn’t actually correct for corals to thrive. Please note that I have not yet come to a conclusion on how I view it. But it was highly regarded and peer reviewed. Of course I’m terrible sorry I have no idea how to attach a file, or any cares to read this and is able to attach a link lol by all means and afterwards can you explain it to me. But again very interesting yet not sure how I view it yet. If one was starting fresh and introduced corals at higher levels they could adapt. Yet now aka like me is on the lower nutrient side making the bridge to test this may be serious disaster, another such as @Brew12 loce
To hear your thoughts on this.

Again yes I know I have a export import problem, did 60 gallons a week to no avail. Have used redsea nopox 25ml based on water volume and decreased based on nitrate and phosphates tests levels. When I went from 20ml to 16ml wow, lost a couple of acros right away, ocean raised, yet even with nitrates going from 2 to 10 ish maybe 15ppm still low but enough to shock corals. Phosphates stayed the same at under .25ppm and normally I was dosing 1.5 tablespoons of alk and calcium daily with mag at 1390-1400 ish; 1.025 salinity, for close to a year (it never changed it was always that way), then the calcium and alk usage dropped drastically, where I had to test daily to be consistent in my alk and calcium. That I haven’t the foggest why, but each one changes daily. Growth has slowed, and I have hesitated to increase light. In short I’m lost (plus exhausted from working forever). I’d also be curious to see @NY_Caveman chime in and anyone else. Oh (had to edit because I have a thought, now I can’t remember ahhh) oh and it’s not all sps doing bad (most look amazing the ones I have.
Another example is my frogspawn is doing amazing,
Yet my hammer not so much yet I moved it to the middle of the tank, and about 24 inches down. It was about 6 inches from the top th size of a small basket ball but color was bleaching possibly from too much light. Since this time of nopox sps have taking off lps has not for some. Aka hammer (both scolys did great then next day donez, some acans done especially well others same area have not (not sure why). Tank is 2 years old in November. I’m also running 6 eflux 2100 wave makers, dual 3200 eflux dc returns at 60 percent, and icecap gyre 3000 (3000 gph) at 100%.
So I know I have more than enough flow.
Just stuck I finally think I’m brain fried.

 

[Hemmdog]

Oh wow I looked up your wavemakers. I don’t think you have enough flow. Not strong flow at least. Those wavemakers only push out 660gph at 100%, in comparison to a small mp10 (1500+gph)which people put 2 on nano aquariums. The standard wavemaker people use on your tank is mp40’s and those push 4500+gph, most people would use 6 on your tank. I really think that is a major player in all of this. Also .25ppm PO4 is really high, I’d get that down for sure.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Interesting. I will read this on the train home.

 

[Lasse]

In order to make it understandable. 1 mol/L of N is 14 g/L or 14000 mg/l or 14 000 000 µg/L 1 µmol/L of N is 1*0.000014 g/L -> 1*14 µg/L -> 14 µg/L -> 0.014 mg/L -> around 0.014 ppm. If we convert this to NO3 - it will be 4.42*0.014 -> around . 0.062 ppm NO3

The same with P -> 1 mol/L of P is 31g/L or 31 000 000 µg/L. 1µmol/L of P is 1*0.000 031 g/l -> 31µg/L. -> 0.031 ppm P. 1 mol/L of PO4 is 3,06*0.031 -> around 0.095 ppm PO4

I hope this is right calculated

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Brew12]

In order to make it understandable. 1 mol/L of N is 14 g/L or 14000 mg/l or 14 000 000 µg/L 1 µmol/L of N is 1*0.000014 g/L -> 1*14 µg/L -> 14 µg/L -> 0.014 mg/L -> around 0.014 ppm. If we convert this to NO3 - it will be 4.42*0.014 -> around . 0.062 ppm NO3

The same with P -> 1 mol/L of P is 31g/L or 31 000 000 µg/L. 1µmol/L of P is 1*0.000 031 g/l -> 31µg/L. -> 0.031 ppm P. 1 mol/L of PO4 is 3,06*0.031 -> around 0.095 ppm PO4

I hope this is right calculated

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you for saving me the math, Lasse!

I've seen this study referenced before, along with others showing "high" nutrients being beneficial to a reef tank. The problem is that when you actually convert the numbers to ppm, they are still very low by reef tank numbers. What the studies actually show is that nutrient starvation is bad for corals.

To save someone else from looking it up, the study raised natural occuring NO3 by a maximum of 3.1ppm and PO4 by 0.38ppm.

 

[Bleigh]

Hello,

Ahhhhh well I’m glad it does then because making you smile and laugh, means my day has been perfect. I always want to excite readers and make them smile and laugh. Not only do I want to share my love of reefing, success with it, and major oops, but sometimes it’s nice to talk to all my friends and see how they are doing besides the reef. I have to admit I love learning but some times I have that odd sense that okay enough of reef stuff, what’s new in all my friends lives that they are willing to share and have a fun talk.

I’m absolutely in awe that I have had well success with my tank lol but that I was able to gain so many friends and readers. So if I’m ever boring lol by all means let me know .

With me it seems that I have long strides of success with my reef then chaos for a few months and I lose some corals here and there. As sad as it is, and as many times as I have tried to solve why, lol most say it’s jusr the nature in the hobby. (Just cause they wanna be polite I wish they would tell me their secrets lol). Speaking of which how have things been going with yours .

Awl! You’re so sweet! And you posts brighten my day too!

My 60 gallon is well on its way to holding water. All the plumbing should be here Thursday. That cost WAY more than i anticipated, but it will look nice - seems silly to skimp on that, when everything else looks nice.

Dana riddle just gave a quote yesterday, I forget who originally said it, “reef keeping is like playing a game of chess that you will lose.” hopefully we all prolong that loss by as long as possible. Lol

 

[Bleigh]

Hello,

Soo what should I do about him trying to eat me alive? I felt bad for flicking at him lol, but I wanted him to leave me alone. What’s worse is he doesn’t do it all the time just when he doesn’t take his physc meds. Again it doesn’t hurt but scares me because it makes me jump and afraid I’ll knock something over or hit one of my corals. Do you think a all clad brass frying pan will intimidate him? Any other suggestions, yet when I go to feed which is still four inches from his house he comes right up and eats just fine. Now I’m gonna worry about making him stress because I flicked my fingers at him. Curious if there is a reef safe glove, where I can still do what’s needs but won’t feel it and or won’t scare me or make him stress.

@Hemmdog did your tank finally stabalize? Mine is trying but I’m honestly lost and not sure because I have not had the chance to spend more time on it, or it’s having its 2 year old pre temper tantrum. Fish are doing great (knock on wood), I just flicked my clown fish for biting me four times. Hopefully the tangs made popcorn and watched the action stress free.

Haha. My son enjoys feeding them and holding the food so they eat out of his hand. ;Happy He giggles uncontrollably when they get his finger instead. Do the bites actually hurt or does it just startle you?

 

[Sarah24!]

Haha. My son enjoys feeding them and holding the food so they eat out of his hand. ;Happy He giggles uncontrollably when they get his finger instead. Do the bites actually hurt or does it just startle you?

Hello,

No, lol doesn’t hurt well yet. But does startle me every time. Plus he is sneaky after the first one or second I’m pretty quick to flick him. What I do now is bring in my turkey baser full, if he comes close I spray him. But every time I expect it and most of the time I about fall off my step ladder because it startles me. All my other fish swim next to me just fine.