Xenia

evan127 wrote: Mark Peterson wrote: Xenia can handle some excess of pollution but an Ammonia level of .25 is a problem for all marine animals. Frankly, I would have advised against adding the new coral just yet, but since they are mushrooms, most of them will probably survive.  The tank appears to have been set up quite recently and by the look of it, I suspect the rock was dry dead LR. The high Ammonia is probably due to the rock and it won't go away on its own for a while. There are two items/products that can help remove Ammonia and other pollution the rock is producing and will produce for the next 6-12 months. The one I like best is called Poly-Filter, but unfortunately it's not available at LFS. The last time I ordered, I bought extra Poly-Filter just for this kind of situation, just to share with you and others in the same boat.  Contact me at 808-345-1049 Aloha, Mark   P.S. At the young age of this tank, I can guarantee that Alk, Ca and Mg are still within range. Those won't need to be tested for another month or two, but if I were you, I'd put the Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro test kit in the budget. But the new corals will start consuming alkalinity and calcium once added. Even for a new tank, adding quadruple the amount of coral, the alkalinity and calcium should decrease rapidly and should be tested for a few times a week and supplemented through two part or water changes if it matches consumption adequately.

Somewhat true. But for non calcification corals the amount of calcium and alkalinity used is negligible. Same true for nearly all frags. I'd be more concerned about the effects of growing coraline algae.
But I too think you wouldn't need to test for several months.

Adam

It's not strange at all. Lot's of different fish will host in anemones.

As promised the Ricordia's doing great.

Pic is upside down...

Edited by chuckfu5 - February 02 2017 at 7:36pm

Mark Peterson wrote: Awesome that Ammonia is at zero.  Just FYI, 500 ppm Calcium is not too high. It can even go as high as 600 ppm without causing trouble in the short run. The range for Ca in my book is 350-500 ppm You said, "This rock was dead for years. It wasn't something that was pulled from a tank for a couple of weeks or a month and then put in. I would assume everything would have have been long dead and not putting any harmful effects into the water." You have misunderstood. The amount of time that LR has been out in the air does not matter. The dead matter is still in the rock. It's when the rock is placed back into a tank that new bacteria begins to decompose the dead stuff, releasing all sorts of different polluting compounds back into the tank water, including heavy metals. Gradual decomposition is also why it can continue to pollute the tank for up to 12 months as the bacteria slowly works its way to the innermost regions of the rock.  Commenting on your comment - I explained and even showed a pic of how to protect an anemone from getting into a pump in a way that causes no issues with flow, bubbles, etc.  Then you said, "Does anyone else besides Mark have the same concerns?"   Of course nobody else has these concerns. My experience in this hobby is a little bit more extensive than most. And for me it's not only a hobby, it's a profession. Lastly, you said, "I'm a little confused as to why I need the ammonia pads if I'm testing at zero besides directly after adding the clowns?"  Ok, I see that you misunderstood this as well. Poly-filter is a product that adsorbs all sorts of pollution, especially the stuff that comes out of pieces of dead LR that are trying to recover in your tank. Not all dead LR is the same. A piece of bare white LR like that purchased at an LFS has a hundred times less life in it than a piece of "lively" LR that has been growing for years in a healthy reef aquarium. If the difference is not clear, look closely at the LR in a long established tank, especially noting if it has Sponge growth. Sponge is an indicator that a piece of LR harbors a large population of bacteria, bugs and worms. Some hobbyists have used dead LR and had no troubles at all. They will say I'm crazy. Yes, I am a little crazy, but they are simply lucky. The dead rock they used was like the barren white LFS rock I described above, which has very little dead matter in it. Maybe if you're lucky, your rock fits this description.  Aloha, Mark   P.S. I mean no disrespect to LFS regarding barren LR. That's how they sell it. It's more economical for an LFS to carry LR in that condition.

So since Mark knows everything and no one else can have a comment because they know no better I'm leaving this club.

Thanks Mark....

Will an Admin please delete my account.

I generally agree with what Mark says, but please don't leave. You will learn that everyone has insights and experiences that may or may not work for you. Read and read and read and research. Mark has a lot of experience, but he still says things that are questionable (as do us all). For example: "The amount of time that LR has been out in the air does not matter. The dead matter is still in the rock" Decomposition happens to all organic matter in air, land, water, or anywhere else where bacteria and other organisms are available to break the material down. Your dead rock won't magically break down in water versus air, but the process may take different times depending on the environment.

Then you said, "Does anyone else besides Mark have the same concerns?"  
Of course nobody else has these concerns. My experience in this hobby is a little bit more extensive than most. And for me it's not only a hobby, it's a profession.

- Just because you have been in the hobby longer than most, does not mean others can't share the same concerns or have some of their own.

Lastly, you said, "I'm a little confused as to why I need the ammonia pads if I'm testing at zero besides directly after adding the clowns?" 
Ok, I see that you misunderstood this as well. Poly-filter is a product that adsorbs all sorts of pollution, especially the stuff that comes out of pieces of dead LR that are trying to recover in your tank. Not all dead LR is the same. A piece of bare white LR like that purchased at an LFS has a hundred times less life in it than a piece of "lively" LR that has been growing for years in a healthy reef aquarium. If the difference is not clear, look closely at the LR in a long established tank, especially noting if it has Sponge growth. Sponge is an indicator that a piece of LR harbors a large population of bacteria, bugs and worms.

Some hobbyists have used dead LR and had no troubles at all. They will say I'm crazy. Yes, I am a little crazy, but they are simply lucky. The dead rock they used was like the barren white LFS rock I described above, which has very little dead matter in it. Maybe if you're lucky, your rock fits this description. 

- Doesn't seem like the question was answered here regarding ammonia pads. I don't think it's necessary to add a filter media for ammonia specifically. Good flow and gas exchange while keeping up with your good husbandry should take care of any ammonia issues with you current bioload.
- I started my 120 gallon tank with dry rock, never been in an artificial reef mined from the earth kind of dry rock. I also added mature rock from my old 48 gallon reef that had the same type of dry rock put in it when it was new. Today, 3 months after I set up my 120 with 3/4 of dry rock and 1/4 of live rock, I have sponges galore and the rock is equally dark. I've never added any live rock into any of my systems and the reef is littered with sponge, pods, etc. They will somehow find their way into your system, though it might take longer to do so. I decided to add clean dry rock (not previously used in an artificial reef and dried out) to prevent any sort of pests like acropora eating flatworms, red bugs, nudibranchs, algae, organics, etc from entering my system. This prolonged my cycle and promoted a few bacterial blooms, but in the end I know I most certainly did not add any foreign organics, pests, etc. into my system.