From FOWLR to Mixed Reef to Mangroves to Softies

[soggycookies]

recently tried using Aquaforest’s probiotic salt. What brands of salt are you guys using for your systems?

 

 

 

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

 

[noobzpro]

I went from red sea pro to tropic marin pro very happy with it. Mixes superbly easily and fast.

[soggycookies]

I went from red sea pro to tropic marin pro very happy with it. Mixes superbly easily and fast.

any particular reason for changing? i have not tried tropic marin before either. decided to try aquaforest cause i run my alkalinity 8 dkh or lower most of the time. would be great to learn from the experiences of others who might have used/be using AF’s salt too


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[Indeco]

recently tried using Aquaforest’s probiotic salt. What brands of salt are you guys using for your systems?
 

 
 
Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app
 

Why never consider buying AF sea salt?

[noobzpro]

10 hours ago, soggycookies said:

any particular reason for changing? i have not tried tropic marin before either. decided to try aquaforest cause i run my alkalinity 8 dkh or lower most of the time. would be great to learn from the experiences of others who might have used/be using AF’s salt too


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Salt finished and was setting up a new tank. After watch brstv and angmohs raving so much on it just had to try it since its price is not very far off. No regrets on how easy it mixes, my new tank I added water in powered on all pumps then add salt in. Instantly clears up.

[soggycookies]

Why never consider buying AF sea salt?

wanted to see if the “probiotic” factor does anything beneficial or not. haven’t used aquaforest products before so i figured i’d give them a try via the most fundamental application: their most premium version of salt mix


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Salt finished and was setting up a new tank. After watch brstv and angmohs raving so much on it just had to try it since its price is not very far off. No regrets on how easy it mixes, my new tank I added water in powered on all pumps then add salt in. Instantly clears up.

Ah okay. did you happen to test pH and alkalinity levels after using those 2 salt brands? curious to know if they had any striking differences in params


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[Indeco]

wanted to see if the “probiotic” factor does anything beneficial or not. haven’t used aquaforest products before so i figured i’d give them a try via the most fundamental application: their most premium version of salt mix


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

oh ok, wait for ur update. I'm wanted to change to AF salt but was thinking reef salt or sea salt.

Price is quite different.

Don't really like redsea salt.

[noobzpro]

12 hours ago, soggycookies said:

Ah okay. did you happen to test pH and alkalinity levels after using those 2 salt brands? curious to know if they had any striking differences in params


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

I don't chase numbers so never performed any perimeters test before haha so cant advice on that. However in the near future when I start adding corals and require dosing I hope the apex trident is in sg by then. However base on paper supposedly Tropic marin more for those who want a baseline to start building up perimeters from there . Whereby Red sea salt water changes probably enough to maintain.

[soggycookies]

oh ok, wait for ur update. I'm wanted to change to AF salt but was thinking reef salt or sea salt.

Price is quite different.

Don't really like redsea salt.

if you’re keeping fowlr the sea salt should be fine, i read that AF’s reef salt has generally higher elements like calcium and magnesium strontium etc more beneficial for coral.

probiotic yields the same parameters as reef salt according to them but contains additional bacteria that claim to reduce nitrates and phosphates as a bonus


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

I don't chase numbers so never performed any perimeters test before haha so cant advice on that. However in the near future when I start adding corals and require dosing I hope the apex trident is in sg by then. However base on paper supposedly Tropic marin more for those who want a baseline to start building up perimeters from there . Whereby Red sea salt water changes probably enough to maintain.

ah okay. my system always runs lower calcium at 420 and below (averages around 410 alkalinity is usually 8.) doesn’t concern me much considering i keep mostly only softies. these lower parameters reduce the growth of coralline too, so I don’t need to scrape it off as often. the downside is that if i did intend to keep lps and sps in my system they’d probably see very slow growth.

 

 

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Pods galore!


What critters do you have in your refugium?


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

My favorite child having breakfast earlier today. Who’s your favorite fish in your system?

P.S. pardon the potato quality phone camera photo, this was taken from the side of a semi-peninsula display tank. water depth makes taking good photos a challenge


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

One of my favorite GSP variants:



Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Anyone else with a black sand bottom?



Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[Indeco]

if you’re keeping fowlr the sea salt should be fine, i read that AF’s reef salt has generally higher elements like calcium and magnesium strontium etc more beneficial for coral.

probiotic yields the same parameters as reef salt according to them but contains additional bacteria that claim to reduce nitrates and phosphates as a bonus


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

I will think the sea salt see how the coral react.

If it work ok, I will plan to step up my water changes schedule. haha

[soggycookies]

I will think the sea salt see how the coral react.

 

If it work ok, I will plan to step up my water changes schedule. haha

i think if you’re keeping mostly softies AF seasalt should be fine. the main thing i would want reef salt over it is for a generally higher pH

 

 

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Spectrum settings of my maxspect RSX. (running 16,000k) decided to go with their lights cause I can use them in sync with my icv6 running my gyres. 4 channel settings

 

 

what are your custom settings on your light fixtures?

 

 

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

 

 

[soggycookies]

Custom flow settings on my maxspect gyre via the icv6 controller:

- 1hr of alternating gyre @ 20~60% speed

- 30mins of random flow @ ~50% speed

- 10mins of gradual pulsing @ ~70% speed

 

 

Didn’t opt for a higher speed on the flow settings on this one cause I’m also running a Jebao RW-20 from my older system that’s still going strong after 3 years. The downside of course is being an older budget options, it isn’t wi-fi compatible unlike the Maxspect gyres.

 

The main pros of this is I’m running it at near 100% flow and it moves a whole lot of water, more than any other wavemaker I’ve used, perfect for a 6x3x2.5ft system like mine. Fewer deadspots in the tank and the flow from it isn’t overwhelming due to the horizontal depth of the display.

 

I used it in my older 5x2x2ft system and it was far too powerful back then. Would certainly cause sandstorms when used at a speed setting any higher than 20%.

 

Currently though, I can have it at near max speed settings in wave mode on my 300G and thankfully the sand stays put for the most part.

 

 

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

 

[soggycookies]

Custom flow settings on my maxspect gyre via the icv6 controller:
- 1hr of alternating gyre @ 20~60% speed
- 30mins of random flow @ ~50% speed
- 10mins of gradual pulsing @ ~70% speed
 

 
Didn’t opt for a higher speed on the flow settings on this one cause I’m also running a Jebao RW-20 from my older system that’s still going strong after 3 years. The downside of course is being an older budget options, it isn’t wi-fi compatible unlike the Maxspect gyres.
 
The main pros of this is I’m running it at near 100% flow and it moves a whole lot of water, more than any other wavemaker I’ve used, perfect for a 6x3x2.5ft system like mine. Fewer deadspots in the tank and the flow from it isn’t overwhelming due to the horizontal depth of the display.
 
I used it in my older 5x2x2ft system and it was far too powerful back then. Would certainly cause sandstorms when used at a speed setting any higher than 20%.

Currently though, I can have it at near max speed settings in wave mode on my 300G and thankfully the sand stays put for the most part.
The flow patterns in my tank are far more turbulent with the variation offered by the maxspect gyre’s controllability and generally laminar flow, while the old RW-20 is there in conjunction mostly as the workhorse and wider cone of flow that’s peddling a lot of oomph throughout the system as far as simulating a natural current is concerned.



With only these 2 wavemakers and a constant stream from the return line, I arranged my rockwork in a manner that would create plenty of cavernous structures to allow flow to pass through and around them well enough that I wouldn’t need to worry about deadspots in a larger system.



An added benefit is that I can view the tank from multiple angles(tank is in my living room just below a mezzanine, so I can view it from 4 angles. This eases maintenance and helps me to spot frags that might have gotten knocked over or fish that may be hiding due aggression, or observe where certain burrowing species like wrasses hide at night(if I need to remove them for whatever reason)
 


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Some weekend evening shots of a few softies. Planning to fill up my 300G with more mushrooms after the CB ends!

Toadstools:




Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

GSP:




Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Mushrooms:






Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Cloves/Xeniidae:




Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[soggycookies]

Leathers:







Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app