Thinking about starting a reef tank again

[Sniperhank]

There isn't a need for flatworm exit, you don't have an outbreak. It is something that can easily be managed without spending money on a product.
What kind of shrimp?

[Chris-Nicol]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

There isn't a need for flatworm exit, you don't have an outbreak. It is something that can easily be managed without spending money on a product.
What kind of shrimp?

Ok. Didn't know if it was necessary to stop an outbreak.

Cleaner shrimp (skunk) I think they also get called

[Sniperhank]

Well, it shouldn't be necessary when you can manage an issue without things.
Have you had any sightings of the little shrimp or did they become fish food?

[Chris-Nicol]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Well, it shouldn't be necessary when you can manage an issue without things.
Have you had any sightings of the little shrimp or did they become fish food?

There is just one or two I can still see being blown around in the tank but I think they are dead. Either the shrimp got a good feed last night or they have went over the overflow and into the sump.

I've only got the one clown left. The chromis died on Saturday. Got a week and a half to go before the clown goes back into the DT. That's the end of the 8 week fallow period. Need to get him a buddy but once he goes back in the DT I am going to wait a couple of weeks. I want to have a break from daily water changes for a while and I am going to start QTing my new fish before putting them in the DT.

[Chris-Nicol]

I'm putting my clown back into the DT today. Was rushed off my feet yesterday and when I went to get RO water I realised I hadn't filled my container again!! I had enough mixed water to do a WC last night but I don't have for tonight. That's 52 days the tank has been fish less for so hopefully I will be safe enough. I don't want to chance missing another WC again.

I have a question about phosphate though. My levels are slightly on the high side (probably nothing a WC wouldn't fix). My question is can I just put some carbon in my filter socks to lower the levels a bit? I change the socks twice a week and was thinking of changing the carbon every other sock change.

[Sniperhank]

Carbon won't address phosphate. There are a handful of ways to address phosphate levels, from GFO to chemicals that will pull it from the water column.

[Chris-Nicol]

Oh right ok. I got mixed up oops haha.

Well I think I may have a phosphate issue. I have some hair algae. My phosphate is sitting at 0.04ppm. Would this be enough to cause that? Or do you think it could actually be higher and the algae is masking the true reading? I may have been over feeding but I haven't been lately.

I have only been feeding my coral (I know I don't have to but I only give them a little when I am feeding the tank for my cuc). I'm currently only feeding lightly once or twice a week.

I think my frogspawn is unhappy because of the phosphate. It's not extending as much as it was before. Although I think it might be splitting? It's not clear but here are the photos.

[Chris-Nicol]

Also this is not clear but it looked like a brown stringy object came from it. It dislodged right after I took the photo

[Chris-Nicol]

Ok so still having trouble with these flat worms. I scrape them off the glass every day and right before a water change and syphon them out. Every time I do they just re appear the next day.

Is there another method to get rid of them or should I just buy flatworm exit?

[Sniperhank]

What kind of numbers are you removing?

[Chris-Nicol]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

What kind of numbers are you removing?

It's crazy. I scrape them off the glass and within an hour I can see up to 100+ about half an hour to an hour later

[Sniperhank]

Ok. I didn't realize you had that many. Those numbers will keep growing and can smother corals of light. It's time to go pick up flatworm exit and some activated carbon.

[Chris-Nicol]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Ok. I didn't realize you had that many. Those numbers will keep growing and can smother corals of light. It's time to go pick up flatworm exit and some activated carbon.

Ok. I'll look and order online tomorrow. Is there a certain brand that u recommend?

[Sniperhank]

For activated carbon? I've only used the stuff from bulk reef supply.

[Chris-Nicol]

I'm waiting for my flatworm exit and carbon to arrive. Has anyone used this stuff before? I have done some research and in another forum there was a guy that basically nuked his tank.

I was just wondering how long the process takes and if it's maybe worth taking my corals out while I use the stuff?

[Sniperhank]

That's what the carbon is for. From what I have read flatworms are toxic when they die. It takes a ton of them to cause an issue, but if you keep siphoning them out the carbon should take care of the rest when you use the product.

[Chris-Nicol]

Ok cool. I have bought a gravel vac as well to try and get rid of as much as possible before hand. Although I can't see any on the sand or rocks. I would imagine they will be all over the place though.

Will I be ok just putting the carbon in mesh bags and then putting it in my filter socks?

[Sniperhank]

That'd be best. Putting it in filter socks will clog them up.

[Chris-Nicol]

Does anyone know what these little white things are?

[bribo12]

Spirobid worms, harmless