Why can’t I have this again

[tehmadreefer]

So here was my tank from like 2016.

150 tall with mars aqua led’s. I never tested anything but calcium(would adjust it as need with seachem buffer to about 420) and did water changes with instant ocean. I was able to pretty much keep anything including those larger wild colonies and had no algae issues very few coral issues.


yet on my current tank I test alk like every other day, cal sometimes and po4, no3 at least once a week and try to adjust, whenever I make an adjustment no matter how small I have some sort of issue from Dino‘a to turf algae to acro tips dying.

why?

 

[Copingwithpods]

Do you hover your nutrients close to zero?

 

[ThePurple12]

You could be messing with it too much. IME it’s better just to leave the parameters alone. Algae always goes away under proper conditions.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Do you hover your nutrients close to zero?

Not now, no. I had Dino’s a few months ago from using chemiclean and vibrant however. But all that is history thankfully.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a clue . . . . . . . . .
let me bet you are feeding coral foods and also using NoPox to reduce Phos/nitrate?
They are fuel for Dino and if you are borderline with nutrients, using the above will feed it and allow it to culture.
Reduce white light intensity, discontinue (again the above) additives for now and even add 1 ml of peroxide per 10 gallons at lights out for about a week.

 

[Flippers4pups]

To be honest, I don't test anything anymore. I should at least test once a month, but I've settled back to "Old school reefing" and if it's healthy and growing, don't change a thing. (I should say, consistent water changes, general husbandry....etc)

 

[tehmadreefer]

I have a clue . . . . . . . . .
let me bet you are feeding coral foods and also using NoPox to reduce Phos/nitrate?
They are fuel for Dino and if you are borderline with nutrients, using the above will feed it and allow it to culture.
Reduce white light intensity, discontinue (again the above) additives for now and even add 1 ml of peroxide per 10 gallons at lights out for about a week.

I run 8 bulb t5’s now, sometimes use reef roids,use lanthanum when po4 gets high.

However I know excarly why I got Dino’s before. That isn’t that issue.

Just making an observation I had a better tank and less stress than I do now. All due to doing pretty much nothing previously.

 

[sfin52]

How did you start your tank last time vs this time. Dry rocks this time?

 

[CindyKz]

How did you start your tank last time vs this time. Dry rocks this time?

I am wondering this also

 

[tehmadreefer]

How did you start your tank last time vs this time. Dry rocks this time?

no it is the same rock Ive had since 2007. It was dried out in storage for like 3 years and I added 50lbs of base rock from reefcleaners.
All that rock is in my current tank, it was all bleached though as I moved in late 2016 To fl and restarted my current tank about 2 yrs ago.

 

[sfin52]

no it is the same rock Ive had since 2007. It was dried out in storage for like 3 years and I added 50lbs of base rock from reefcleaners.
All that rock is in my current tank, it was all bleached though as I moved in late 2016 To fl and restarted my current tank about 2 yrs ago.

That may be part of the problem. It seems that the dry rock takes longer to mature

 

[tehmadreefer]

Plus I add a few pieces of rock when I go to the beach or when I go to other countries in the Caribbean I’ll bring home small pieces and put in my fuge. I’ve done that ever since u started this hobby back on 2007.

I think it’s just the emphasis on modern reefing and test test test then dose dose dose All to keep parameters at certain numbers.

 

[dadnjesse]

Well when you dried out your old rock that killed all the beneficial bacteria you had from the previous tank.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Well when you dried out your old rock that killed all the beneficial bacteria you had from the previous tank.

Of course it did but I did the same on the old tank as well so that isn’t the issue.

thinag are going fine in my tank now, just not as good as the old tank that I didn’t test or dose on.

 

[Victor_C3]

Funny how that happens.

My last system was like what you described. I never tested anything but calcium and all I dosed was a one-part calcium additive made by Tropic Marin. It was a 30 gallon SPS tank with a 10 gallon sump and lit by 4x 25 watt T5 lights.

My current system has been up only about 4 months now. I hope to have that level of ease in this one.