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fishoutawater 
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 Topic: Appropriate nitrate levels for different corals.
Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:35pm |
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I know some are not bothered by them as much as others, softies, most of the lps. But what is the highest level tolerated by sps like montis, acros, birdnests, millie's. And do hydnophora do better with very low nitrates? My tank has never tested below 20, and sometimes as high as 50, I am guessing this is the reason why not all of my pieces are thriving.
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BobC63
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:40pm |
I think you may be correct. SPS in general are less tolerant of nO3 than more hardy corals.
What are you doing in terms of trying to bring the nitrate levels down?
Things that could help reduce nO3 include:
- Adding a protein skimmer (if you don't have one) or getting a bigger / better one (if you do)
- Adding a refugium (again if you don't have one)
- Adding more Live Rock into your system
- More frequent partial water changes
- reducing feeding amounts / frequency
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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fishoutawater
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:44pm |
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My skimmer is working great, I do have a fuge with live rock rubble and caulerpa on a reverse lighting schedule. I started running a filter sock about 4 months ago, sock used to clog in three days, now it takes about 5-6. I feed a pinch of pellets sometimes once a day, sometimes less. Every few days I break off a piece of Curtis' frozen concoction. I probably have about 50 gal in my system, and typically do a couple of 5 gal changes per month. I am debating adding a rdsb to see if that remedies the nitrates. There is about 50 lbs of live rock, and 6 small fish(under 3") in the system.
Edited by fishoutawater - June 23 2010 at 10:45pm
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BobC63
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:46pm |
A rdsb is a good idea.
Sounds like everything else is about where it should be.
What kind of skimmer do you have?
How many lbs of LR in your display?
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Shayne
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:51pm |
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What is a rdsb?
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21G Reefer Nano
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BobC63
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:55pm |
Remote Deep Sand Bed
most common way is using a 5g bucket filled with sand and plumbed to the sump.
Edited by BobC63 - June 23 2010 at 10:56pm
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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fishoutawater
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 10:57pm |
skimmer is one of a kind, it is outperforming my old tricked out ASM G1x
About 50 lbs of live rock.
Here are some other pics to give you a better idea.
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BobC63
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 11:14pm |
Looks good to me!
I only saw 1 fish in your pictures.
How many fish do you have in there?
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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fishoutawater
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 11:17pm |
I can see 3, but I know where to look. There are 6 total.
two spot hogfish
2 gsm clowns
yellow watchman/pistol shrimp
blue eyed tang
target mandarin
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BobC63
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Posted: June 23 2010 at 11:31pm |
Hmmm...
I would say try out the rdsb; and if you don't see enough of an improvement, then try changing out 10g of water at a time instead of the 5g you do now...
Other than that I can't think of anything else.
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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SGH360
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 12:00am |
Here is a website that help me understand alot about what are tolerable nitrates and whatnot
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fishoutawater
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 12:18am |
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Thanks for the link, I may have to look more into the coil denitrator, space is at a premium, I might have issues with my Sweetie if I add any more "clutter" to the office.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 9:15am |
There are several things that can be done without having to add more "stuff". The tank looks very nice. I see lot's of good growth, fuzzy, well hydrated LPS and what is that yellow? Yellow Polyps? Larger growth of things like Yellow Polyps and GSP actually inhibit other coral growth. Are you using AC? I would do an easy experiment to try and isolate the cause of the Nitrates. I would stop feeding for 4-5 days and then check Nitrates. If the levels have not gone below 20 then I'd next leave the Regugium lights on 24 hrs/day and see what effect that has. How rapid and how thick is the growth of algae in the Refugium? It should double about every 4-6 weeks requiring regular harvesting. Is the sand bed relatively undisturbed? It looks a little too white in the pic. What I mean is that there are so many things that live in the sand that process waste. Okay, one last question.  I know I ask a lot of questions. Is there a DSB in the Refugium? LR rubble is less useful than a DSB for filtration.
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Jake Pehrson
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 10:04am |
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I think the above recommendation are pretty good.
-I am not sure if you mentioned the sand depth in you refugium. I would just add more sand. The smaller the grain size the less you will need.
-Do large water changes until your nitrates are below 20
-DIY foods like "Curtis' frozen concoction" are great, but the problem is that it will add a lot of nutrients to the water that will not be consumed easily. Get a strainer or some cheese cloth and rinse the food before adding it to your aquarium.
-up your skimming if possible
-run carbon
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 10:14am |
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I didn't read above so it may have been said...
Strive for zero, but I have seen many beautiful systems at fifty ppm.
Adam
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fishoutawater
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Posted: June 24 2010 at 11:37am |
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I usually blow out the perimeter of the sand with a turkey baster every few days, sand bed depth in the display is around 4", it is very fine, probably one grade up from oolitic. No sand in the sump, just live rock rubble and caulerpa. I do run carbon in the return chamber of the sump. The gsp shows no visible growth since I have had the tank, I think I'm the only person in the valley that can't grow gsp!
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Matthew
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Posted: June 25 2010 at 4:11pm |
From the article:
"Fish that consume the food stop the decomposition to ammonia and break the cycle. In other words, fish excrement does not contain any nitrates. Fish will eliminate the nitrates for you, as long as everything you put in the tank gets eaten"
Not True! Utilization of protein (amino acids) = ammonia. Ammonia is excreted by fish. Hence freshwater fish tanks are cycled by a fish that you don't feed.
And now totally off the nitrate topic. :)
Hydnophora looks like an SPS but will do better if treated as LPS.
Matthew
Edited by Matthew - June 25 2010 at 4:21pm
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SGH360
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Posted: June 25 2010 at 4:31pm |
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What are you talking mattew? im kinda confused on what are you're trying to explain
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bugzme
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Posted: June 25 2010 at 4:35pm |
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I have no clue!!! either
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Jeff
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I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
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jmorrell
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Posted: June 25 2010 at 7:51pm |
 fishoutawater wrote:
I usually blow out the perimeter of the sand with a turkey baster every few days, sand bed depth in the display is around 4", it is very fine, probably one grade up from oolitic. No sand in the sump, just live rock rubble and caulerpa. I do run carbon in the return chamber of the sump. The gsp shows no visible growth since I have had the tank, I think I'm the only person in the valley that can't grow gsp! |
haha you and me both, I cant grow gsp at all anymore.
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