My Slice of Nature (Part 2)

[monkeysee]

Thanks.

Think the coloration is probably due to high nitrates the past weeks for 2 reasons

1) Skimmer wasn't running properly & not able to skim anything out. Nitrates creeped up to about 5ppm

2) I've also stopped the sulfur reactor as it was pulling the pH down to around 7.7pH. I'm now relying on Microbacter7 + Biofuel at the moment.

I discovered it too that the purple valida turning full purple is a good indication that the nutrient is high in the tank

Maybe not that bad after all haha..

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[weekdaywarrior]

beautiful tank. i wish i could color up my sps like you could.

[SubzeroLT]

Silly tail spot goby insists on hanging around the wavemaker.

 

Sharing some macro shots taken this afternoon :

Forest Fire :

 

Trochus snail :

 

 

Mushroom surface

 

Purple Valida

 

Dino Monti

 

Green stag

 

Blue Monti

 

Turquoise Birdsnest

 

 

[SubzeroLT]

Green Goblin

 

Underside of starfish

 

SSC

 

Forest Fire

 

Sand Dollar

 

Yuma

 

Yellow Milli

 

[Law88]

Wow  super nice and very well taken!

[SubzeroLT]

Backup power supply for wave maker

 

And iSocket device - to send an SMS text message when it detects a power failure.

 

Product review here - http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/topic/140104-power-failure-contingency-ecotech-battery-backup-isocket/

 

 

[SubzeroLT]

Porcelain crab molting

 

Hermit crab digging deep into the duncan with its claws in search for food

 

[Harlequinmania]

How long have you kept the porcelain crab? I find it always hard to keep it alive as it only feed on micro organism in the water.

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[SubzeroLT]

How long have you kept the porcelain crab? I find it always hard to keep it alive as it only feed on micro organism in the water.

 

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I've had it since March 2015. So that's about 1 year so far.

Mine grabs bits of mysis shrimp or market prawns from the anemone as well.

Edited March 9, 2016 by SubzeroLT

[SubzeroLT]

New addition - male Blue Star Leopard Wrasse.  

 

Replaced the return pump & really impressed with the Vectra M1. Its rated at 7500l/hr / 80W.  Not surprisingly, it pushes more water than my previous Jebao DC12000 / 85W. The return flow is fantastic now.

 

 

 

[quarantasei]

Solid. Everything looks so good!

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[tec]

New addition - male Blue Star Leopard Wrasse.  

 

Replaced the return pump & really impressed with the Vectra M1. Its rated at 7500l/hr / 80W.  Not surprisingly, it pushes more water than my previous Jebao DC12000 / 85W. The return flow is fantastic now.

 

 

 

can PM the prize of ve

[SubzeroLT]

can PM the prize of ve

PM sent

[Fjdam]

Thank you for the documenting your Slice of Nature..being a newbie in this marine hobby, guess i need more and much much more read up. Its more complex than I thought it has always been. 

[SubzeroLT]

Thank you for the documenting your Slice of Nature..being a newbie in this marine hobby, guess i need more and much much more read up. Its more complex than I thought it has always been. 

Thanks. I'm relatively new to the hobby & learning as well along the way. 

[SubzeroLT]

Sharing some mistakes made along the way.

 

Previously, I shared that a fellow reefer gave me a frag which colored up nicely. From this 

Colored up nicely to this 

 

My recirculating sulphur reactor's pump wasn't working very well & needed to be sent back. Started having cyano in the display tank. I read about how effecting algae scrubbers are in reducing nutrients.  In any case, I ran the algae scrubber 24/7 on 21w red LED in parallel to a partially working nitrate reactor.

 

The scrubber worked well, perhaps too well. Within 2 weeks, there was green algae growing in the scrubber. Then on the 3rd week, i noticed that most corals started to get pale & some started to peel. Here is what the same frag looked like on week 3  

 

Initially i thought the light was too strong & reduced it. That was a mistake. It just continued to decline. 

Nitrates were usually running in the 2-5ppm range suddenly climbed to 10ppm. Phosphate undetectable on Salifert kits. 

Figured that phosphates must have been running way too low. Stopped the scrubber & the peeling stopped. Its been 2 months since & everything is recovering well.

 

For me, the lesson here is not to get over zealous on reducing nitrates/phosphates/algae, whether its using an algae scrubber, carbon dosing or using phosphate binders. Watch the dosage & rate of reduction.

In the case above, perhaps nitrates increased because of the redfield ratio - There was insufficient phosphate for nitrates be reduced. 

At times, coral colors/peeling is not about light levels but about providing the right & balanced nutrient levels.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by SubzeroLT

[SubzeroLT]

Added 2 baby clams 

 

 

Literally baby clams. About 1" in size only

[JMW]

Hi, I experienced such peeling before too, this is considered STN I suppose? Great to head that yours recovered, mine continued to deteriorate where the white areas spread. :(

for yours, you just stabilized your nitrate levels & they grew back over the white areas?

[SubzeroLT]

Yes, it grew back over the white areas. I dosed more amino acids during the recovery phase. 

I believe it wasn't so much of high nitrates but rather too low phosphates till the zooxanthellae starved & coral tissue died. This could explain the 'burnt tips' & loss of coloration. 

The high nitrates was because of too low phosphate/phosphorous (limiting nutrient). I fed more & stopped the algae scrubber ....and the nitrates came down on its own. Strange eh.

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by SubzeroLT

[JMW]

Hmm mine was when I suddenly dropped my phosphates too, guess SPS don't really like that. Ok will try to dose amino acids too..

is it possible that when you fed more & stopped the scrubber, phosphates slowly came back up & that allowed nitrates to get reduced proportionately via the redfield ratio?

[Harlequinmania]

I agreed as well that too low the nutrient level is not good for the coral as well esp if you keep lps.

I also encounter my purple valida which used to be deep purple Turing pale now when my nitrate drop to almost zero level. However some of the other oz sps is doing very well. Guess it is about finding the balance and correct nutrient level to suit our tank.

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[SubzeroLT]

Inspired by an RODI auto cut off DIY done by fellow reefer Jowenteo....here is my version done the weekend.

- Float switch placed in RODI water collection tub. When the required water level is reached, it opens the circuit.

- Float switch then shuts off power to both the solenoid (for incoming water supply)  &  booster pump

 

NC (Normally Closed) solenoid valve. Placed between the tap & RODI unit

 

Simple float valve mounted on an old Jebao wavemaker mount / magnet in the collection tub.

Edited March 25, 2016 by SubzeroLT

[inwear]

I always impressed by you DIY and nice photo skills

[alexcyf]

Porcelain crab molting

 

Hermit crab digging deep into the duncan with its claws in search for food

 

Love this photo! Hermit Caught in the act!

[SubzeroLT]

Love this photo! Hermit Caught in the act!

 

I always impressed by you DIY and nice photo skills

 

Thanks

Edited March 27, 2016 by SubzeroLT