Tank Cycle Numbers
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Topic: Tank Cycle Numbers
Posted By: relethg
Subject: Tank Cycle Numbers
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 9:59am
Thought I would start a thread on the chemistry of my tank cycle. Filled 45 gallon shallow tank (36X24X12) and 20 gallon sump with RO water with Oceanic salt on 20 Dec. Sump has small skimmer (off) in drain chamber, then small filter media chamber (has poly in it now), then Refugium (2" LS and Cured LR), and then return. DT has 1 1/2 sand, and started with about 20 pounds cured LR. Then on the 21st Dec I added 60 pounds of cured LR. I also added some flake fish food on 21 Dec. Anyone know how to post better pictures from Excel than using snip tool? Glenn
------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 10:46am
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The snip tool is the best way I know of. In Excel you may want to use the slider in the bottom right corner to increase the size of the table before you snip it though. -------------  |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 11:22am
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Thanks Mike that worked a little better. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 11:28am
Are those Mag numbers accurate? I'm not sure what could possibly have used up 1040 Mag in one day or how a 1% water change could have added 2040 Mag back into the system. That part seams a bit strange to me. The rest looks to be in line for 3 days in. Krazie  ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 11:37am
Krazie, Not sure what is up with the Mag numbers. It could be me. I am using the red sea pro kit for all test and the dates are good. One of the reasons I am doing this exercise is to get comfortable with testing and be confident in the results. Could the 60 Lbs cured LR I added the night before do it or stirring the sand? I have had my hands in the tank allot messing with aquascape. Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Krazie4Acans wrote:Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 11:51am
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Do you have your lights for the tank on and setup? Mag is generally only affected by organisms (read that corals or coraline) using it up. I really doubt that there is anything in there using it up in thst amount yet. Did you mix the salt water and then pour it into the tank or fill with RO/DI and then add salt to the sump? Mixing in the tank will cause some weird numbers and may cause your salinity to creep up for the next few days. Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 11:58am
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I only have a HD light on the tank right now, on DT in daytime and in sump at night. I mixed the RO and Salt then poured into tank. Started that on 18 Dec and finished and tested on 19 Dec. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 12:11pm
Sounds to me like I might start pointing the finger at the test kit or the operator.  The Red Sea mag kit works good for me but you do have to be very precise with it. I generally do that test first before my patience for counting drops and swirling has already reached it's limit. lol Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 22 2014 at 12:22pm
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Guessing operator error. I will keep testing and see what happens in the weeks ahead. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 7:09am
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------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 7:11am
Today's update. Took my time with Mg testing today, but still don't have any confidence in the number. Not worried about it at this point. To me it seems like things are going as they should. I think the numbers reflect the fish food I put in two days ago. I added Calurpa to the refugium last night thanks to reefer4ever.
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Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 7:39am
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Keep taking your time with the Mag test. Remember that an exact number at this stage is not as important as being able to repeat a pattern. Your Mag is well within range so I wouldn't worry about it yet. Keep feeding something to the tank until you see that the Ammonia level is able to stay at zero even with a bio load (uneaten food). Keep in mind that fish food generally has Nitrates in it already so if the food is not consumed you will get a double dose of nitrates. I'm guessing that might be why you have added the macro already? Are you going to add phosphates to your testing as well? BTW, what spreadsheet are you using to track this? Do you mind sharing it? Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 7:52am
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I really want to blend half a shrimp and put it in the tank. I was also thinking about doing a 10% water change but think I will wait. Yes I added the grass to see if it could work on the Nitrates, I know it is a little early. Here is the link for the spreadsheet, I found it on Reef Central. http://jksolutions.com/mojavereefer/Aquarium%20Log_v2.0.xls" rel="nofollow - http://jksolutions.com/mojavereefer/Aquarium%20Log_v2.0.xls ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 8:12am
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I'm not sure I would blend the shrimp. I just put it in a mesh bag and put it in the tank. That way I can remove the nasty part later. No water changes, carbon or skimming until the cycle settles. Once your ammonia stays zero, even with a bio load, then you can start adding filtration. Remember that we are trying to get the system to be able to handle a load without the toxic chemicals (ammonia and Nitrite) getting high enough to harm our fish or corals. So the more load we put on the system (within reason) up front the more robust the setup later on. Also keep in mind that once you cycle it you don't want to leave it with no load as the bacteria that you just worked to build up will die back if there is no food for them. You probably already know this but I thought I'd add it just in case. Thanks for the link. I'll take a look at the spreadsheet. Phosphate tests later or are you not going to test for them? Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 8:23am
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I will add Phosphate, Strontium and Iodine to my testing later. I am running the skimmer but at a level that it wont make any skimmate but is helping with gas exchange. On the water change, I know there are two camps on this. One that says no way and another that says it helps with the cycle. If Nitrates stay this high I will do water changes to get it down, this is why I added the grass. I don't want huge algae blooms. What is your reasoning on the no water changes? ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 8:34am
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Just that the water change is not only going to remove Nitrates, it's going to lower your Ammonia and Nitrite levels as well. So the bacteria will be in their growth and expanding mode and then you take away a portion of their food. This MAY reduce the peak number of bacteria in the system generated by the cycle. I prefer your idea of macro to reduce the level during the cycle and then a large water change after the cycle is complete and just before the algae phase starts to restrict it's growth. That's just what has worked well for me. You already know there are a thousand different ways to cycle a tank. Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 8:55am
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Yep, many ways to skin a cat. I would like the macro to take care of the nitrates and don't plan on doing water change with ammonia or nitrites above zero. I would not want to remove the food for the bacteria. Once the ammonia and nitrites come down if the macro is not lowering the nitrate level it will be a water change (10%). I also come from the camp that believes the water column contains a very small percentage of the bacteria in the system. I may need to go see Mark about some more macro. Thanks for the conversation, one of the reasons I like this hobby. Playing with aquascape while the tank cycles, keeps my mind off livestock. Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 9:16am
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Im thrown off by some of your test numbers, if your chart says 0.2ppm of ammonia your going to want to bump that up to 2 or 3ppm (not a % of a ppm) to get started on your cycle. I personally would not be testing alk, calcium, mag, nitrates 4 days in unless you are just wanting experience with testing. Do not blend up a shrimp, go with crazys recommendation. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 9:41am
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Hi Bryce, Chart is correct at .2, that is the reason I want to put the shrimp in. Testing for the experience and to track all the changes in the tank. I find it interesting. Where do you thing the nitrate of 10 came from? Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 9:47am
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Well nitrates of 10 are no concern at all, in fact at the end of my cycle they were so high the test was beyond what test chart could measure but that was 3 to 4 weeks in. You need to get to where the tank can get ammonia of 2 to 3ppm along with nitrites down to zero in 24 hours, then worry about the nitrates. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 9:51am
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Do you like the shrimp or dosing with ammonia better? ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 10:03am
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I dosed with ammonia from Dr Tim (suppose to be different than what u you buy in store but I have no idea if it is and it was free anyway) so I cant speak to shrimp but I know lots of people do it that way. The reason I liked the ammonia is the recipe was pretty precise (so many drops per gallon will give you X ppm ammonia) so being the ocd person that I am that worked well for me as I had to go through a few "cycles" before the tank could get the ammonia and nitrites to zero in 24 hours so that meant re dosing ammonia. Could I have thrown another shrimp in? Sure but I liked the accuracy of the ammonia drops. Plus I think lots of people have a cycle but its a weak 1st cycle that took weeks to complete and they then call their tank "cycled" when in fact their tank really isn't completing the nitrogen cycle as fast as it should because the tank just doesn't have the bacteria it should but they assume well I added some ammonia, its gone, and my nitrites are gone, I'm good to go but they fail to test if more ammonia is added how fast that ammonia and the nitrites are going to get to zero again. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 10:07am
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I like to be precise myself and would prefer to dose ammonia. I will see if Pet Village or Aquatic Dreams has it up here. Thanks for your input. Pet Village doesn't have any and I bet Aquatic Dreams doesn't either.
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Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 12:58pm
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Ok, dosed to 4 PPM ammonia. Found this calculator on line. Very accurate for me. http://linuxhost.matsp.co.uk/calculator/ammonia-cycling.php" rel="nofollow - http://linuxhost.matsp.co.uk/calculator/ammonia-cycling.php ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: December 23 2014 at 2:27pm
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Awesome now I would turn skimmer, UV and ozone off if you have them and remove filter socks for 48 hours.Day 2 do nothing.Days 3, 5, 8, 11 (every 3 days) measure ammonia and nitrite. Do nothing on days 4, 6, 9 and 10.When ammonia and nitrite are both less than 0.5 ppm, add more ammonia to 3 ppm.Now measure ammonia and nitrite every day.When ammonia and nitrite are both 0.2 ppm, add more ammonia to 3 ppm.Continue to measure every day when the water is able to process ammonia and nitrite to 0 ppm within 24 hours, youre done!Do a partial water change and add some fish. (NOTE fish only, wait till nitrates drop way down to acceptable reef levels to add coral) this is how I cycled and is the Dr Tim method (one of 100's that will work) ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: December 29 2014 at 8:25am
Update, Have small Diatom bloom started, rocks are covered and little on the sand. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 12:10pm
Thought I would do an update. First off, I stopped testing for phosphate as my new red sea pro kit is testing distilled ionized water at .04 - .08 so I know it is crap. Any recommendations on reliable phosphate testing? Also my PH has been testing at 8-8.1 but it fluctuates from 7.5 to 8.1 in a 24 hour period. I thought it could be Co2 so I added a DYI Co2 scrubber last night. The AK has been trending down and think I need to do something about it, but not yet. I was thinking of doing a 10% water change this weekend to see what that does. I will try and post some pictures of sump and tank today. Thoughts? ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 1:03pm
      Sorry for the crappy phone pictures. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Reefer4Ever
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 1:11pm
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Wow you were not kidding about that calurpa growing fast. Must have some good nutrients in your water. I use a Hanna phosphate checker which I really like. If you would like to try it out you can use if for a couple weeks if you like as I know you would return it. ------------- 90 gal reef w/refugium 24 gal softie tank 11 gal nano anemone tank 5 gal fresh water |
Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 1:14pm
| Are you keeping a light on your macro algae at night? That normally helps with ph swings. |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 1:42pm
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Molli, sump light is on at night. I didn't say it, but my swing is low at about 1500-2100. Reefer, thanks for the offer. Oh I forgot about this guy. His name is Ka Pomm, means iguana in Isan Thai  ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 09 2015 at 1:58pm
Few better closeups of some of the rocks.   ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 5:22am
It's looking good.  By the look of the tank and what is being done with it at this point, it should have at least 25 Snails and a couple Hermits. Astrea Snails are the best. Also put 2-4 Snails in the Refugium. You know, of course, that Hawkfish are major bug eaters. In the lack of awesome herbivorous bugs like Amphipods and Copepods, Snails are even more important than ever to this new reef. I would also add more Chaetomorpha(kate-O-morfa) to the Refugium. It is many times better at eating pollution than Caulerpa. Add the Chaeto downstream from the Caulerpa otherwise the Caulerpa gets too hungry and stresses out. I don't worry one second about pH; haven't bothered with it for years. It's really not a big deal. As long as there is good water flow and algae growth, Alkalinity between 9 and 10 dKH keeps the tank healthy. One last point, I'd be careful about not putting big rocks flat on the sand. Try the tripod method of aquascaping discussed in a thread listed in the Reefkeeping Tips below. Better than 50% of the biofiltration of typical reef aquariums is the Live Sand. Sand should be as exposed as possible so it can do it's job. Come on over to get a cup of my LS which is full of bugs, worms and a host of beneficial bacteria. I've got plenty of small rocks available too, for raising the big rocks off the sand. Aloha, Mark  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 6:00am
I use Hydrometers for testing salinity. They are awesome, but need to be calibrated against a known standard. The standard can be any of three things: 1)a Refractometer reading of the same salt water, 2) a reading of the same water by a previously calibrated Hydrometer, or 3) reading a standard salt solution. One of my hydrometers reads high. My calibration equation for that Hydrometer is to subtract 0.002 from the readings. To help me remember, I wrote with permanent marker on the body of that Hydrometer: -.002 Also note: It is common for test kits to read false numbers when testing pure water. I'm not completely sure, but I seem to recall reading that this may be inherent to titration testing, when the only impurity is the titrant chemicals themselves. Knowing that, it may be giving a fairly accurate reading of the PO4 level of the tank water. If the reading is higher than you expected, it could be the result of PO4 leaching from the rock; a very common occurrence especially when using dry rock that was once alive in an aquarium. From the earlier comment above about the Caulerpa growing very fast, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the PO4 level is a little high. Feel free to bring a tank water sample with you. I'd be happy to verify your results. Aloha, Mark
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 9:42am
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Mark, Thanks for taking the time to comment. I will be down that way today.
Will you be around? Would love a cup of your sand. The sponges are doing well
by the way. There are about 30 snails in the system of various types (no turbo’s).
3 of them in the sump some place. Not sure about the hermit crabs. We would like to have some but are
concerned with their ability to get along with the rest of the life in the
tank. What hermits would you recommend? The Hawk fish is being feed Mysis shrimp everyday (still wont eat
flake). We love his personality and he is our favorite. The 2 shrimp that are
in the tank are also being feed Mysis. We added a Sleeper Banded Goby last night to work on the algae and a goby was
on the list. We like the Dragon as he eats algae and sifts sand. He was in the
tank 15 minutes and went to work. We think he will eat his way though it
quickly and then we will need to feed him too. I do need to work on the refugiume. I have not been happy with it from
the start. It came with another chamber and I took that out a week ago to make
the fuge bigger. I need to arrange it better that is for sure. To tell you the
truth I have been measuring tanks to see what could fit down there. I would
like a bigger sump. In the meantime, what if I take the flat rock and stand it
on edge at the far right (against the glass). Then I would have the Caulerpa on
the far left and add the Chaeto to the center so it can float against the on
edge rock? Is it a big deal if the Chaeto doesn’t rotate? Oh, I have read reef
tips and still do use it as one of my references. Just have not gotten to fix
everything. How/what would you recommend I do to add Amphipods and Copepods to the
system. I would be willing to culture them if needed. The 210 is getting close
to getting water and we both want a mandarin and other pod eaters so I need to
be able to maintain pods in my systems. I did have some at one point but they
have disappeared (prior to the Hawk fish). I added one tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in R/O water last
night to bring the Alk up and this AM the PH is 8.18 and Alk is back at 9.5. It
is weird that the PH drops (1500-2200) then climbs back up over the night. I
wont chase PH but I do think it is an indictor of other things going on with
the chemistry. So many variables affect PH.
Livestock: 1 Falco Hawk Fish 1 Sleeper Banded Goby 1 Banded Coral Shrimp 1 Red Fire Shrimp 30 assorted snails (margarita, Cerith, Astraea, and Nassarius) ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 10:12am
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Dont add baking soda to your tank unless its been baked in the oven according to Randy holmes Farleys directions if you are trying to raise alk, you want soda ash not baking soda. Do not chase PH especially this early on. Your redsea test is fine even a hanna checker will do that with rodi water ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 11:02am
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Bryce, I used Randy Holmes-Farley's instructions and he recommends baking soda. I did bake it. "For http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm" rel="nofollow - rapid alkalinity corrections , aquarists can simply use baking soda or washing soda to good effect." He goes on to say he doesn't recommend washing soda (purity questionable). He also has baking soda as his recommended ingredient for his 2 part recipe. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#5" rel="nofollow - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#5 Here is his comments on what the difference is: Soda ash is already baked = sodium carbonate. Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda before baking. Both can work as alk supplements, if adequately pure. He does state baking soda (arm and hammer) is food grade and is recommended. One of the sites I frequent the most: http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/reefkeeping-blog" rel="nofollow - http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/reefkeeping-blog Glenn
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Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 11:10am
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Gotcha as you mentioned ph issues I brought that up as the normal baking soda would drop your ph but sounds like your doing the right thing ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 10 2015 at 11:13am
Worked great. Alk went to 10.5 and PH is 8.19. I don't want to sound like I am chasing PH, I just find it so interesting other variables have on PH. Like Alk, temp, Co2 and so many others. I think that is why you don't directly chase PH, but PH being off can be a sign of something else is out of balance. Being new I appreciate all comments to help me down this road. I very well could have not realized I needed to bake baking soda.
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 8:19am
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I'm not a Chemist but I have read and heard plenty of Chemists talk about this: Baking Soda alone causes a slight temporary drop in pH. Soda Ash alone causes a slight temporary rise in pH. The pH change is relatively small (<0.3). Within about an hour the increase in Alkalinity, due to adding those chemicals, buffers the pH. The term "buffer" in this case means that it brings the pH back to it's former level. To make it so that pH hardly changes during Alkalinity dosing, use a mixture of 1 part Soda Ash to 4 parts Baking Soda. Glenn said, "It is weird that the PH drops (1500-2200) then climbs back up over the night." I must confess, I do not understand what was meant by that statement. Please explain. Sorry I missed your message about wanting to visit, but I have not been to the forum since early Saturday morning. If a text message sent to 808-345-1049 doesn't get my attention, please call. Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 8:49am
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The rest of my comments/opinions: Nassarius Snails don't eat algae, so they don't count as Snails in my book. Any kind of Hermit is good. The rumors about Hermits causing problems are greatly exaggerated. The issues are mostly due to them being too hungry. Too many hermits and too many snails for too little algae leads to snails starving to death and then the starving Hermits turn to eating the dieing Snails. Bugs eat algae. The loss of bugs(mostly Amphipods and Copepods) due to the addition of the Hawkfish and the Goby will make algae control more difficult. The Mandarin is another bug eater. It's practically impossible to culture enough bugs in another tank to feed these three fish in their tank. In my experience, the key would be to wait until the 200 gal tank is mature and has a burgeoning bug population before introducing those fish into it one at a time, Mandarin, Hawkfish and Goby, in that order. Regarding the Refugium, my advice is to open it up as large as possible for the maximum amount of Chaetomorpha. No rock, but a DSB and the water flowing over and through the Chaeto. The rumor that Chaeto needs to tumble is just that. Place any Caulerpa upstream of the Chaeto so the Chaeto doesn't starve it out. Aloha, Mark
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 9:01am
My PH drops during the hours of 3PM to 10PM and then climbs back to about 8-8.1, From what I have read is the opposite of most tanks. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 9:06am
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What is the lighting schedule of the display and the Refugium? What is the CO2 level in the house from 2pm-8pm? Are windows shut during those hours? Is someone cooking in the kitchen from 2-8? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 9:13am
DT lights are on from 0800 to 2000 and do a tapper up and tapper down. Sump light is on from 2000 to 0800 windows are cracked all the time doesn't match up with kitchen use. I installed a CO2 scrubber and it did not change PH at all. Have tried it with and without during and before those times. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 10:27am
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Now I'm the guy that never tests pH anymore, because I found out that pH is no problem so long as Alk and gas exchange are good. Of course this pH reading is kind of crazy and it may be useful to get to the bottom of it. I would first test the pH manually with a test kit to verify the controllers numbers. Do you have a grounding probe in the water? Is it near the pH probe? Remove a grounding probe, if present, and check for stray voltage (reading > 40 VAC). Stray voltage messes with the pH probe. If there is stray voltage, unplug items one at a time until the culprit is found. Aloha, Mark
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: January 12 2015 at 6:52pm
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Hi Glenn, Of topic, but what does your tank look like? I really love this tank and want to get one once I figure out my new tank. Also, thanks for sharing a link to that spreadsheet. I am going to start using it to monitor my progress. Thanks! Marcos ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 14 2015 at 7:09pm
Sorry the pictures are not so good.    ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 14 2015 at 7:12pm
I got them to eat detritus, so don't they count as a **** eating snail? ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: January 14 2015 at 7:47pm
Nassarius snails are a very important part of the clean up crew in my opinion. Their job is to eat all the crud in the tank. |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: January 14 2015 at 7:54pm
Oh dang! Thats nice and clean! I love how super organized it is. I see exactly what you did with the sump by removing a baffle. I may have to implement that one day. I also noticed you had a sock on the water line coming in. I didn't think of doing that and am hopeful it cuts down on the noise. I'm excited to see how your tank progresses. Thanks again for sharing! ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 14 2015 at 8:07pm
I was running the sock because I was working on the rocks and stirring the tank. Normally wont. To quite the flow close the ball valve a touch. not enough to effect the amount of flow. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 15 2015 at 7:26am
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I don't count Nassarius when talking about Snails and algae control. There are many different worms and a plethora of bugs to handle detritus. These worms and bugs produce spawn which feed the coral (and bug eating fish). Nassarius would only compete with that, so I don't keep them. Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 15 2015 at 7:43am
I don't have any worms at this time (that I know of). What bugs and/or worms to you recommend I have in my DT for detritus? That is why I added the Nassarius. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: January 15 2015 at 6:35pm
Glenn, You've done it again. The sound went way down. Thanks so much! Marcos ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 25 2015 at 2:33pm
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 25 2015 at 3:18pm
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Do not worry at all about that phosphate level of .04 to .08, I do recommend gfo but those levels are fine. A skimmer is sensitive to even a hand going in the tank or oily fish food, that being said im not a fan of cadlights ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: January 25 2015 at 5:49pm
| Yes, you have quite the bioload. But if you read up on chromis they will probably pick each other off until you have only 1-2 left. That will lower your bioload! |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 25 2015 at 7:05pm
They have been doing fine for three weeks now, had 7 but one stopped eating and passed. I put them all in at same time. I do see some aggressive behavior when I feed them. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 25 2015 at 7:27pm
Bryce why don't you like GFO? I thought it was an exceptable way to control phosphate. Being new I need more information. But I agree with my current levels not to much of an issue. I would like a reactor so I can use it if they rise to high. I would prefer to be able to control everything naturally but that is not an option on this tank with the load I want in it and the size of the sump. Once the 210 is up and running this will be a frag tank. Thanks Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: January 26 2015 at 6:44pm
I have the same issue. I cannot figure out mine for the life of me. When I do a water change, the protein skimmer seams to reset itself and overflow or not fill up all the way. I am going to for sure upgrade when I can. I think its just a junk product... Marcos ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 26 2015 at 6:52pm
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My post said I DO recommend gfo, I run it all the time. My comment was that those phosphate levels are fine, I have over 40 different sps that have amazing color and growth and my phosphates are usually .03 to .07 with a hanna checker even with running gfo so my comment is if you are not running gfo im all for it but dont expect the levels you have to really cause much issues. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 26 2015 at 6:58pm
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Also a skimmer needs 3 months to really build up a nice slime and that will help with some of the issues you guys are having with your skimmers, a skimmer is usually affected by any chemical change, new saltwater, hands in tank, feeding tank, dosing tank, gfo or carbon change, pretty much anything, in my opinion these issues get better once the entire skimmer has a nice bio film/slime on its parts (not to be confused with gunk that should be cleaned) ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 7:27am
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Bryce, I miss read your post and apologize, I thought it odd you would not like GFO. On the skimmer: In my opinion this skimmer is a POS. The bubble plate holes are too small and are always getting clogged with crap. It is hard to clean because of this and has required bubble plate cleaning weekly because of this. I don’t run a sock all the time. It doesn’t stay adjusted and is hard to adjust unless you reach in and hold the base. I do have very limited experience with skimmers and that is why I have not replaced it yet. I will give it some more time. The thing is weird though. I can understand a skimmer changing when you add water or stick your hand in the tank. This thing will flood with none of that. My experience is when you do one of those things the skimmer will not have bubbles rising as high not flooding. The skimmer sits in a chamber that doesn’t change water level. I have been working with deferent water heights to see if that makes a difference and so far I don’t see much change. Anyway I am not concerned with phosphate or any of my numbers at this point. I do want either a dual GAC/GFO or separate GAC/GFO reactor(s) for this setup. I believe this will help maintain good levels down the road. I don’t have much room in the sump and don’t think media in bags is as efficient as reactors. Do you have an opinion on this? Thanks for your input! Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 8:13am
I have a couple of comments. If the holes in the bubble plate are too small why not use a drill and make them bigger to help solve the problem? I'm not familiar with that specific skimmer but the HOB skimmer on my cube used to overflow all the time but I have gotten it dialed in now so that it doesn't do that anymore. I will still have days when the cup will fill up in a single day, instead of the 2-3 days it normally takes, but it doesn't over flow the cup. Putting your hand in the tank normally reduces the bubbles inside the skimmer, feeding will normally increase the foam (and may overflow the cup). Changing water normally reduces the foam as well (you are removing a portion of the water column and replacing it with clean water after all). Changing gac and gfo will reduce foam as well. No if my wife puts her hand in the tank, without washing them thoroughly first, then the bubbles go nuts from the lotions and gunk the the ladies put on.  In a 45 you should be able to run plenty of mixed gac/gfo in a single reactor for the load on that system. Just make sure you mix it 2/3 gac and 1/3 gfo to prevent the gfo from caking. You will have to change it a little more often with a mixed media as the gfo will deplete before the gac does. Other than that it works great running them together and you don't have to worry about tumbling the gfo to much and grinding it into a power that then dusts all your corals in the tank (very bad things happen after this occurs). Hope that helps. Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 9:59am
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I run two separate reactors simply because I change the media at different frequencies. My experience is different than Krazie's as my GFO will last a month or two where as my Carbon will last a month tops. Its really a preference if you run two or one, BRS had a great video discussing pros and cons of each which basically came down to cost and maintenance. I am not a fan of the all in one dual reactors as the carbon media should have a little different flow than GFO and Carbon clogs up over time so you change up the flow adjuster to benefit your carbon and then your gfo is tumbling out of control, if you change your GFO or carbon they need to be flushed with a few gallons and if you change the media at different times you have the "fines" or dust from either running through the other, not a huge deal but just a consideration. On the pro's of an all in one dual reactor you have a single pump, one inlet hose, one outlet hose. On a tank your size I would consider two of those brs mini reactors or even one and mix the media as Krazie suggested. I did that before I added a second reactor. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:10am
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I like the dual reactor but I don't run it in-line like BRS sets them up. On my larger tanks I turn the canisters and add a few more fittings so that I can run them individually but still on the same bracket. That way I can control the flow through each one separately as well as replace media without affecting the other one. I also run a manifold off of my main return pump so that I don't have to run additional pumps in the sump. I run the single canister with mixed media on my smaller tanks. The only reason Bryce's times are different than mine is because he is probably running almost equal amounts of gac and gfo in separate canisters. when running the 2/3 to 1/3 mix (that BRS recommends) you obviously have much less gfo than gac and so the gfo becomes saturated before the gac. Lots of different ways of accomplishing the same task and outcome. They all work. Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:33am
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Krazie and Bryce thank you both for your comments. I like the idea of separate reactors and think I will buy two of the BRS mini reactors for this tank. I will make a manifold and run one separate pump for both. What do you guys like for media? ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:37am
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for gac I like the BRS ROX 0.8 and for gfo I like the brs regular gfo (not the HD or HP or whatever the other one is). I'm sure there are cheaper ones that will work but I just order about twice a year from BRS (to get the free shipping) and I order enough that it will last until the next order. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:43am
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I agree with Krazie, BRS bulk media, any work, the premium carbon is worth it, the high capacity GFO vs. the normal GFO is nice but not needed. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:46am
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Another question. This tank and the 210 are mixed reef. I have fish, and all different kinds of corals. What should my target phosphate and N03 ranges be (looking for good compromise). I was thinking; phosphate .02-.08 PPM and N03 1-5 PPM. What to optimize for coral growth and will have SPS in the tank. Glenn ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 10:57am
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I like to keep phosphates as low as possible. I don't mind having my N03 get a little high (even 10 ppm). As long as you keep your phosphates in check then you should see good growth, decent color and little algae. YMMV but that's what works for me. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 11:21am
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I would pay most attention to Alk (followed by Calcium) after your tank matures, to me they are more of the "invisible" problem childs of a tank as they usually only manifest themselves in your corals and can do so very fast (particularly Alk problems) vs. phosphates and nitrate that manifest themselves with algea and can take a while to evidence themselves. Every tank is different and your corals will actually adjust to parameters that are within a range rather well. Phosphate is recommended at < 0.03 ppm but some tanks can do fine at 0.08 or higher (like mine) and some will have algae/coral color problems so you will have to wait till your tank matures to figure out what is ideal for yours. For nitrate a good target is less than 0.2 ppm nitrate. Reefs can function acceptably at much higher nitrate levels (20 ppm), but run greater risks of algae and color issues. Right now do your best to monitor your levels but unless something bad is happening I would not obsess over numbers slightly outside the recommended ranges.
------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 27 2015 at 12:36pm
Regarding the request for comments about media bags vs. a reactor, it depends what media is being used. GFO works better when it is tumbled slowly in a reactor. GAC and AA work just fine and IMO, just as well in a media bag. It should be mentioned that AA is perfectly fine for use and is not bad for our tanks as was rumored years ago which caused hobbyists to turn to GFO . Aloha
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: February 07 2015 at 9:59am
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Here is my latest update. I have added two 5" BRS reactors. They are not run one into another. I run GFO in one and GAC in the other. I have had no issue with getting the GFO to tumble, I just filled it 2/3 and is working fine. My phosphate went to about zero and clarity is excellent. DT Algae is on a big time decline. I have also added three more types of algae to the sump for a total of 4. All livestock looks very healthy. Want to add more corals. Is it unusual to be needing to dose Alk every week to keep the numbers close? I have added about 70ML of Alk for the last three weeks. everything else is staying good with water changes.  ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: February 07 2015 at 10:36am
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Sounds like things are going great congrats, I dose alk everyday every 4 hours and dose a total of 57ml in 24 hours so no, dosing as you mentioned is not unusual. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: February 07 2015 at 10:44am
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Alk dropping slightly during tank start up is normal. The nitrogen cycle uses alk to produce nitrate in the final stage or the cycle. Live Rock will also consume alk as coraline grows on the rock. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: Pete Moss
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 3:50pm
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This thread, and all the tracking you've done is AWESOME. Is there any way you can post a link to the spreadsheet? I would love to have a copy of it. ------------- 125g 90g 2x33g 34g What stores do I recommend? Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 ) Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 ) Member of GCFB |
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 3:54pm
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He posted the link on the first or second page. It's a pretty cool spreadsheet. Krazie ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: Pete Moss
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 4:01pm
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I was hoping to get HIS specific spreadsheet with his data :) Just curious to see the numbers in detail :) ------------- 125g 90g 2x33g 34g What stores do I recommend? Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 ) Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 ) Member of GCFB |
Posted By: PDoug
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 7:32pm
Not to revive a dead post but I have to Dose 150ml of alk a day so 70 is not bad at all ------------- (307)679-7898 Phillip Douglass 75 Gallon Reef Tank |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 9:37pm
If you IM me your email I will send you what I have to date. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 9:42pm
Not the quantity I was concerned with. It was that i didn't need calcium. I see on the BRS videos and they say to add the same amount of each. I am dosing 4 ml a day now of each and numbers are good. Will continue this for another week and see where I am at. I am just now starting to getting coralline on the rocks. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: PDoug
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 10:02pm
Coralline already they grow up so fast soon you will have aiptasia blooming in bad places sarcasm aside when my tank has one up but not the other I blame the RO water from my local grocery store  In short it must be getting one from somewhere just a thought ------------- (307)679-7898 Phillip Douglass 75 Gallon Reef Tank |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 10:08pm
I make my own water and it test at 0 TDS. I think it is just the tank being a little over 2 months young. Here is a picture of my RO/DI and salt mixing setup. The RO/DI is plumbed up to the 16 gallon ATO reservoir. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Pete Moss
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 10:38pm
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The wine glass is really the finishing touch ------------- 125g 90g 2x33g 34g What stores do I recommend? Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 ) Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 ) Member of GCFB |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 8:03am
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That or a beer glass follows me around. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 6:41pm
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 10:01am
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Here is an update. The tank is now almost 3 months young. I have been very happy with the stability of the tank. I now dose Alk and Mag 10Ml a day. I still think my PH is constantly lower than it should be. Any thought or comments are welcome.  ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Reefer4Ever
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 11:34am
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What do you use to dose for your magnesium? I had this same problem until I stopped dosing just magnesium sulfate and added magnesium chloride a ratio of 5:3 chloride to sulfate. Since adding the chloride I dosed 1 time and it stays stable ever since . It's been a month now so just my .02 ------------- 90 gal reef w/refugium 24 gal softie tank 11 gal nano anemone tank 5 gal fresh water |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 11:42am
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Your ph is fine, mine is lower, 2.5 year old tank over 30 different sps colonies, add a c02 scruber to your skimmer if the number simply bothers you. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 11:47am
I mag dose magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride mix. I don't know the ratio, but it is the BRS mix. I will check to see what their ratio is. The PH has stayed the same even before I ever dosed Mag. It is not C02 either, tank is upstairs and I tried C02 scrubber with no change in PH. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 1:47pm
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Read this article my tank us always 7.8. In fact read every article you can by this dude http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/ ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 2:23pm
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What kind of salt do you use? I haven't had a need to dose Mag but I do dose Cal & Alk daily. I honestly don't know how much I dose since its powder and I have to dilute it with water. ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 6:08pm
Great article and have read the article about 5 times and many of his other articles. That is one reason I am not that concerned. My PH ranges from about 7.75 to 8 over a 24 hour period. That is the norm for my tank so I keep my eyes peeled for changes outside that range or sudden changes in PH. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 6:14pm
I use Oceanic sea salt, natural mix. I have dosed very little mag and just recently. I did not touch it until I got the all and Ca very close to what I wanted. I use a doser and have been working toward a stable number for about three weeks. Once the coraline algae showed up usage of alc and ca increased. I still don't use much. 10ml a day of each. I am shooting to keep the tanks top three as stable as possible. I felt that once everything else was good I should focus on them. Not sure if you noticed I am doing monthly 10% water changes. That is what I want to do and know many will say that is not enough. I like the stability of dosing, AC, GFO, skimmer and refugum. I am getting to the point I can turn the GFO and skimmer off every other day.
------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: March 14 2015 at 8:54am
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I wish I were as smart as Ph.D Chemist Randy Holmes-Farley. We look to him for all our chemistry information. We used to have a Chemical Engineer in the club by the name of Jon Finch. His help was always invaluable. (Me, I'm just a dumb farmer with the wrong degrees for this stuff.) Randy's article partly explains why I have not tested pH for over 10 years. There really is very little need so long as 1) Alk is maintained, 2) good gas exchange is provided by surface water agitation and 3) oxygenation is assisted by Macroalgae producing O2 when illuminated.  Am I correct that Oceanic still makes that salt with high Ca? In my systems, using Utah Sand, the Ca is kept high because of the sand, so I use the less expensive regular IO salt and have an automatic dosing unit for Alk only. Mg is also buffered by the Utah Sand, so I rarely need to add Mg.Just thought I'd share. Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 3:37pm
Hi. I was just curious. Just trying to gather data for my own use to know if my stuff is in line since we are so close to each other and running a similar set up. From peoples tanks I have seen, if your tank is clean and the parameters/algae (little to none) is good, then there is no need to do a water change often. I wouldn't do water changes often but I keep experimenting with food and since I overfeed, I do water changes weekly. Thanks for the info. Marcos ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 6:57pm
I feel the same way about water changes. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |
Posted By: relethg
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 6:59pm
This is what Oceanic test for me when mixed to 1.024 salinity. Alk 9.5 DKH Ca 470 Mag 1240 The numbers are a little higher than what I want, but I have 14 gallons left and need to look for a salt closer to what my tank is at. ------------- 210 G Filled 18 Mar 15 120 G Filled 11 Jun 16 |