Problems with keeping sps

[Firestarter]

3 days after adding the seahares, although I see them munching around, but really don't know what they are eating. Because I still see those hairy algae in their paths.

Will update here again if I see them attacking the hairy algae.

I'm interested to know too if sea hares eat them.

[hideaki]

After so many days, I still can't be sure the seahares are eating the bryopsis or hair algae. Although these nuisance algae are visibly much lesser, I have not witnessed them clearing the algae. And I started dosing biodigest from the same day I put in the seahares, so really not sure if the reduction of nuisance algae is result of seahares or biodigest.

[hideaki]

Update on seahare - not sure if those in my tank are bryopsis, but seahares are definitely feasting on those hairy algae.

[kenny1111]

just for info, my 2 seahares in tank is helping me cleaning almost all algae(include bryopsis) . They never eat bubble algae........

But also with saehare, almost all my snail is dead.....

[hideaki]

just for info, my 2 seahares in tank is helping me cleaning almost all algae(include bryopsis) . They never eat bubble algae........

But also with saehare, almost all my snail is dead.....

Why are all your snails dead? Died of hunger?

[FuEl]

There are a few species of bryopsis, some may be more palatable to seahare than others. Personally mine ate the thin feather type, I've got a video of one munching off these algae from frag plugs. Different types of seahares may prefer to eat different species of bryopsis, it's an experiment. Personally I observe that bryopsis do not like high salinity and low nutrient water. I keep my salinity at 1.026-1.027, nitrate 0, phosphate 0, bryopsis and valonia both find it hard to survive.

[kenny1111]

Why are all your snails dead? Died of hunger?

most likely yes....

[hideaki]

most likely yes....

Oops... i got lots of snails... but also lots of algae to feed them. Not sure shd I be happy about this situation or not. Lol

[hideaki]

There are a few species of bryopsis, some may be more palatable to seahare than others. Personally mine ate the thin feather type, I've got a video of one munching off these algae from frag plugs. Different types of seahares may prefer to eat different species of bryopsis, it's an experiment. Personally I observe that bryopsis do not like high salinity and low nutrient water. I keep my salinity at 1.026-1.027, nitrate 0, phosphate 0, bryopsis and valonia both find it hard to survive.

Thanks for sharing. Fortunately, my seahares seem to be doing their job well so far. So no need to increase salinity. But though my phosphate is abt 0.03-0.05ppm and nitrate is undetectable, algae is still growing. Most likely my liverocks are leeching nutrients. Looks like I am facing a long battle...

[hideaki]

It appears my intensive water change regime has yielded some positive results after a month. My surviving frags are stabilising and...

This piece started to show great polyps extension and continued its encrusting.

The stn on the tips of this piece stopped and started to encrust.

Thanks a lot to all the bros here for sharing with me all the tips and advice.

[james72]

Good job there on the twice weekly wc. I am very sure you will be a successful sps reefer with such strong determination.

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

Good job there on the twice weekly wc. I am very sure you will be a successful sps reefer with such strong determination.

Cheers,

James

Thanks for the encouragement. It is indeed not easy to juggle the regime with family and work commitments. In fact, it is sibeh siong ar! Lol

[james72]

Alternatively, you may want to slowly replace one a time your po4 rich live rocks with "bleached/vinegar soaked/flushed with distilled water "clean dead rocks with zero po4" to help control the algaes bloom or nutrients leech.

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

Alternatively, you may want to slowly replace one a time your po4 rich live rocks with "bleached/vinegar soaked/flushed with distilled water "clean dead rocks with zero po4" to help control the algaes bloom or nutrients leech.

Cheers,

James

Hmmm... replacing the bottom rocks will be difficult. Iwarna did a good job in rockscaping without using any glue or epoxy. Tat means the rocks are leaning against one another. Will be tricky for me to remove one without affecting the adjacent rocks.

[james72]

Ya its not going to be easy. But its an option. Or to speed things up maybe you can use more carbon to absorb the nutrients.

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

Ya its not going to be easy. But its an option. Or to speed things up maybe you can use more carbon to absorb the nutrients.

Cheers,

James

Use more carbon? That sounds like a more doable option for me. Is there any negative side effects for putting too much carbon? I am using rowa carbon currently and putting about 100g (agaration) in a filter bag and throw into sump area with high flow. And I change once a month.

[hanafi_weeseng]

Wow twice per week wc!Bro you will confirm see improvement soon.

[james72]

I think he already saw improvement

Rowaphos plus those cheap carbon will do. Change weekly for the carbon and monthly for rowaphos.

What other bio filtration do you have?

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

Wow twice per week wc!Bro you will confirm see improvement soon.

Thanks, bro! Yeah, fortunately, I am seeing some improvement. Otherwise, I don't think I can persevere for so long. Hahaha... honestly, I almost wanted to give up at one point. But luckily got some nice reefersl friends encouraging and pushing me along as well as the advice I get from this thread so far. Am really very appreciative to all.

[hideaki]

I think he already saw improvement

Rowaphos plus those cheap carbon will do. Change weekly for the carbon and monthly for rowaphos.

What other bio filtration do you have?

Cheers,

James

Change weekly for carbon? Rowa carbon consider cheap carbon? Or is it too strong?

Just rowaphos and carbon, and a refugium with chaetos. Sorry, I don't really know what are considered biofiltration. But those above are what I have, apart from skimmer.

[james72]

You can use a cheaper carbon but replace more regularly. Increase your surface area for beneficial bacteria to host will help break down those nutrients. Run red led lights on cheato n harvest them regularly.

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

You can use a cheaper carbon but replace more regularly. Increase your surface area for beneficial bacteria to host will help break down those nutrients. Run red led lights on cheato n harvest them regularly.

Cheers,

James

I am already running red led for chaetos and harvesting every 2 weeks. Don't really understand the part on increasing surface area for beneficial bacteria. What surface area are you referring to?

[james72]

Surface area meaning sand, bioring, biomedia like siporax or bacteria king or even crush coral chips, wool......etc

Cheers,

James

[hideaki]

Surface area meaning sand, bioring, biomedia like siporax or bacteria king or even crush coral chips, wool......etc

Cheers,

James

Oh okok... i don't have any of these, except for the sand bed in main tank and a layer of wool to trap detritus from my downpipe. Hmmm.... ok, I shall add some of these.

[james72]

Yup, find a clean compartment to fill up more bacteria housing. Your tank will be more stable and you can feed coral n fishes more.

Do you dose any bacteria?

Cheers,

James