Tank Journal Archive

[ezza]

I have reached the stage of Meh.

The tank is fine. Much the same as usual. Corals are extending, fish are swimming. Nutrient levels are about the same as usual. I ran out of peroxide a couple of weeks ago and so Cyano and GHA algaes are returning in places. I have the lights set back to a blue cycle primarily. I have a small % of white on during the midday portion of the cycle where the natural sun has the most strength for 4-5 hours. I added a Turbinaria and a white Hammer recently and both are fabulous. On the weekend my daughter and I went to the beach to see if we could find any snails to help reduce the algae. It was high tide and the rockpool area we go to was well under water. We collected a few snails, but they're small. I also brought home some kelp and sea grass that had washed up on the beach. The foxface and naso tang have always enjoyed a bit of weed being added. They sometimes eat it, and other times just hide amongst it.

I'm still wondering if I should go along the Zeovit lines. The products are expensive and somewhat hard to obtain, but I would love to see a reduction in algae. I still find myself hating my rocks but haven't got another option at the moment. I also wonder if I should get my water tested by the German company that does the customised dosing thing. I would like to know what my actual levels are for all the bits and pieces. My much maligned Millepora (which I bleached with Peroxide while trying to kill the GHA covering it) is showing a return of the three green splotches of polyps it used to have. I don't really know what to do with that either. I want to get some more SPS, but I don't even know why the Mille has these three patches and nothing else.

I just dunno.

 

[Lesley]

Have you thought about running Rowa Phos Ezza ?
It works really well in lowering nutrients, and keeping tank reasonably algae free ?
And maybe up your water changes a little if you can, just while trying to get rid of it, these two things are probably a cheaper way of going than all the Triton testing and hassle of Zeovit ?
Just a thought anyways. :)

 

[ezza]

I used rows phos years ago. I have wondered if I should turn off my biopellet reactor and see if the phos and nitrate levels increase. My phos is 0 and nitrates around 2.

 

[Lesley]

I used rows phos years ago. I have wondered if I should turn off my biopellet reactor and see if the phos and nitrate levels increase. My phos is 0 and nitrates around 2.

But @ezza. You would know that those numbers are not reading right. If you have GHA. & other algae issues then your nutrient levels are a lot higher than those tests are showing. Nitrates & phos is being consumed by these algae's before it hits water column for testing.

 

[ajkdark]

Don't throw money at zeo at this stage. Nor send your water to be tested in Germany. Don't waste your money at this stage.

The algae issues you are having are pointing to nutrient issues. How do test phosphate and nitrate? Do you skim wet or dry?

 

[ezza]

I think it was the skimmer. It hasn't been skimming properly since the weekend. I came home from work to find the water cloudy and the tank just looked sad. I dropped the skimmer to the bottom of the sump and already it's clearing up. I'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks. I removed all the matrix from my sump the other day. It was preventing a lot of gunk from being removed and is probably responsible for the nutrient saturation. Apart from that, my tank is cleaned every week between 60-70L of water. I don't overfeed and the corals have actually been looking very good. I think it really has just been crap in the water that couldn't come out while the skimmer was blowing bubbles.

I have ordered some new Seneye slides which will help me have a better idea of stuff.

 

[Lesley]

@ezza
You've been running Matrix for quite some time now, and it should have built up a good supply of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria by now.
If maintained properly (rinsed every few months ) it should not be contributing in the slightest to nitrate or phos build up in your tank.

Your skimmer not working well for a while will certainly have something to do with it thought.
Hope it improves now its doing better.
Chin up :)

 

[ezza]

the matrix being under the skimmer and my lack of recent physical ability meant that i couldn't access it and the compartment was full of crap. it was just brown dirty sludginess. i just threw it all out. i have marine pure balls in there and now have the skimmer sitting evenly on the base of the sump at the maximum possible acceptable depth. it's already returning to a better foam consistency (it had gone from black stinky sludge to just foam). i think removing the matrix just upset the surface tension of the water. there is technically about 20L more water in the system now.

when i do water changes now there is very little "dirt" in the water. the system is functioning well and is generally really healthy.

 

[Lesley]

the matrix being under the skimmer and my lack of recent physical ability meant that i couldn't access it and the compartment was full of crap. it was just brown dirty sludginess. i just threw it all out. i have marine pure balls in there and now have the skimmer sitting evenly on the base of the sump at the maximum possible acceptable depth. it's already returning to a better foam consistency (it had gone from black stinky sludge to just foam). i think removing the matrix just upset the surface tension of the water. there is technically about 20L more water in the system now.

when i do water changes now there is very little "dirt" in the water. the system is functioning well and is generally really healthy.

Great news. well done :)

 

[ajkdark]

What test kits do you use to test your basic parameters?

What are your parameters,?

Cheers

 

[ezza]

i scrubbed my rocks down today. there was a mulmy buildup but the algae is not terrible. it's basically what was there before i used peroxide, it's just grown back. this stuff got a toe hold when i had 80ppm nitrates and then got a bit of a boost when i was in hospital. i was home today with a brief trip out to physio so i spent a chunk of the day "swimming". the tank is still looking pretty good. i changed filter socks 3 or 4 times after all the scrubbing and have some filter wool under the overflow to the sump collecting any final crumbs. corals are happy, the millepora is greener than it has been for ages. i think i just went through a little downer. just needed to shake the cobwebs out so to speak.

I can't do a water change until my husband gets home from the work trip he's been on. I hurt my back a little over the last couple of weeks. I checked all parameters a couple of weeks ago- i think i put them in my last thread. Essentially, things are where they should be KH is higher than average- because I'd been adding peroxide and figure it reacted with Alk/Mag/Calc buffer so increased. I retested Nitrates and Phos last week when I did the last change. Nitrates are 2, Phos 0. I use Salifert. I also have some API tests. The funny thing about those tests... I have been using them for years for my freshwater tanks and pond. I always heard they're inaccurate. I one day tested alongside my Salifert tests and if read as directed... Same results. I use them all the time testing side by side and I get the same results. I also have an API nitrate test because I have had trouble reading the colours of salifert in the past. Oh and I have a Seneye which is just without slides. I have ordered some. So basically I've got 3 to 4 test methods. I know what I feed, when and do regular water changes. Nothing is dying. I just worry.