6x2.5x2.5 Reef Tank Plans/Progress

[nutx]

Back to topic....

Bro Alfa...you may want to measure your NO3 and PO4, than use some media to reduce them. If you have a refugim, maybe you on it 24 hrs, or increase the lights there.

[AlfaRomeo]

OK thanks bro nutx. Tackling that Issue now.. Will update in a few days time to see if there are any improvement

[nutx]

OK thanks bro nutx. Tackling that Issue now.. Will update in a few days time to see if there are any improvement

just dun let it go Wild and like the display tank in that Big Blue sign board shop.....The algae inside that tank is quite scarely....

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

bro.Alpha....hope you have that algae problem undercontrol liao....now that you have a powerful skimmer it should clear soon....

[AlfaRomeo]

My rocks are clear of algae, now waiting for the algae on the sand to slowly die off or get eaten and processed by the cuke/snails. Can see that its slowly clearing up...so i hope it will be white soon. hehehe

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

bro.Alpha....you should get those sanshifter gobies they do a great job with the sand area....

[AlfaRomeo]

The problem with sand shifting gobies is dat they eat the beneficial infauna and soon the sandbed with be void of life and will create more problems in the future... Are there any purely herbivour/detrivour sand shifters?

[dradttg]

Bro...get a Lavender Tang and Abalone.

I have a diatom bloom now and I could see this fellows eating off the glass and sand bed. Or maybe my addition of Biophos helped.

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

The problem with sand shifting gobies is dat they eat the beneficial infauna and soon the sandbed with be void of life and will create more problems in the future... Are there any purely herbivour/detrivour sand shifters?

the orange spotted one I got only did the surface area so it was good actually.....for me after my tank has been maturing for 6 months now.....I have starfishes that burrow and gobies that dig caves and my tank conditions have never been better.... without a refigium even.....

[verrucosa]

Do you use DI/RO to top up your water? I think Silica in the water might also contribute to diatom growth.

[AlfaRomeo]

Using RO/DI for water top-ups etc etc but the initial water used in the tank was straight from the tap... Hopefully the silica etc etc found in the water is slowly being used up.

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

yeah those are the remains from the initial set up and will eventually wear off as the the tank matures......

[AlfaRomeo]

*fingers crossed*

[jd_n]

the orange spotted one I got only did the surface area so it was good actually.....for me after my tank has been maturing for 6 months now.....I have starfishes that burrow and gobies that dig caves and my tank conditions have never been better.... without a refigium even.....

Sis, tot u have a refugium growin macroalgae aka "grapes" tat u only have success growin them under ur Dymax T5. Wat happen to tat refugium?

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

Sis, tot u have a refugium growin macroalgae aka "grapes" tat u only have success growin them under ur Dymax T5. Wat happen to tat refugium?

bro.jd_n the refugium didn't work for me..... So now I did away with that but kept a thick sandbed between my trickle filter and the biophos outlet. The thick sandbed is filled with lifeforms ranging from coepods , mini brittlestars , worms and recently saw some tiny looking shrimps moving around in there. My NO3 was pretty high at the time of the refugium but everything is 0 right now.

[jd_n]

bro.jd_n the refigium didn't work for me..... So now I did away with that but kept a thick sandbed between my trickle filter and the biophos outlet. The thick sandbed is filled with lifeforms ranging from coepods , mini brittlestars , worms and recently saw some tiny looking shrimps moving around in there. My NO3 was pretty high at the time of the refigium but everything is 0 right now.

oH...ic, so ur macroalgae die off? due to lightin? Wah, NO3 "0" now, tell us wat did u use to export NO3 leh? I believe some of the fella reefers here r having NO3 problem nw.

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

actually....when I shifted my bioballs from the overflow column section and into the bottom compartment which is covered half with bio-rings was when my NO3 started dropping eachday....turned off the lighting in my refugium and left the thick sandbed intact with the beneficial infauna. I used a turkey blaster to inject several doses of live nitrifying bacteria in the begining and the rest was left up to them to do the work for me....he..he

I never was use to having a refugium with my previous SPS tank so I thought I'd try something new here but it was getting from bad to worse eachday. Best is to stick to methods to what I know and use to....

[weileong]

Which brand bacteria did you use? Can recommend? Sounds like a great for my FOWLR.

[jd_n]

actually....when I shifted my bioballs from the overflow column section and into the bottom compartment which is covered half with bio-rings was when my NO3 started dropping eachday....turned off the lighting in my refugium and left the thick sandbed intact with the beneficial infauna. I used a turkey blaster to inject several doses of live nitrifying bacteria in the begining and the rest was left up to them to do the work for me....he..he

I never was use to having a refugium with my previous SPS tank so I thought I'd try something new here but it was getting from bad to worse eachday. Best is to stick to methods to what I know and use to....

Wats gettin from bad to worst everyday = Ur macroalgae overgrown or die off?

So u meant the bacteria u used help majority in ur NO3 removal. For the benefits of pple,....tell us which brand is it tat u use leh

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

he...he...don't want lah , not that I don't want to share.....you guys know more then me leh.....

reefing has more then just one method to apply so each of us have our own special way to tackle NO3.....

[weileong]

So far I didn't know got bottled bacteria can help with reducing NO3 unless you're talking abt product like AZ-NO3 but that is not bacteria (pls correct me if I am wrong).

Those bottled bacteria that I know of only helps with the cycling of your tank. That is why I asked you to share the brand that you found had been useful in reducing NO3 so I can use it for my FOWLR.

I do not know everything so what you can share with your 20yrs of experience is knowledge to us.

[jd_n]

he...he...don't want lah , not that I don't want to share.....you guys know more then me leh.....

reefing has more then just one method to apply so each of us have our own special way to tackle NO3.....

Learing has no boundary and no harm knwin more.... so if u have success with a certain solution towards a certain problem. Y not share it with others for the benefits of everybody.

[terryansimon]

I'm interested to know the method/solution as well! it'll be good for people who need to combat perversely high nitrate levels. do share. (=

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

the funny thing about this live nitrifying bottled bacteria is that it states it has been the choice of professionals for over 20 years..... what a coincidence....

it's to seed new tanks and as well established tanks and comes in two different versions #9 and turbo start #900 which is a more concentrated form of active cultures of autotrophic bacteria. They also have #360 which breaks down much more solid matter without an ammonia and nitrite spike.

you have to keep it at normal room temperature after opening the bottle. No freezing and overheating as it will deminish the live bacteria contents. I tried quite a few brands and was hesitant when it came to this particular brand but thought I'd give it try and it seems to work well for my reef set up and reducing my NO3.

it's called 1) Fritz Zyme #9 2) Fritz Turbo Start #900 (concentrated) and 3) Fritz Zyme #360 (for solid matter)

I dose every week over my bioballs with 2 full turkey blasters......

[weileong]

AP, thanks for the tips. So for your case which of the product did you use? And for my case like my FOWLR w/o any sandbed, do you think I can use the same product that you tried?