Stlrockguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
How's your hammer corals doing since you moved them
300 gallon "Outside Corner" Reef
- Thread starter Gregcoyote
- Start date
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hanging in there. I think my problem is my feeding has gone up in an attempt to keep my blue jaw trigger and tangs fat. That has raised my phosphates to .3ppm. I like it at .05ppm. Added another skimmer and will cut back on feeding a bit as I also have some hard red algae growing in a few places it never grew before. Got the alk down to 9, so that's remedied. But my caps and LPS are not looking nearly as good as they did 6 months ago when I started feeding more. Problem with balancing fish and coral needs.
This also started when I started using bio beads, just a coincidence or do you think that could have had a negative effect?
Stlrockguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's one reason I'm not stocking my tank heavy with fish. Just one or two more.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
How long have the beads been in there without being replaced?
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
About 6 months, they slowly dissolve, didn't know I had to replace them, thought adding to them was proper.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
Disolve? Disolve into what? That doesn't sound good to me.
OP
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
The beads are a biodegradable plastic, using soy instead of oil, that carbon source is slowly added as the beads dissolve over time. Maybe you thought I was talking about bio balls?
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
No, I knew you were trying the bead...just didn't know that they disolved. I thought it was some type of balled resin for some reason. Either way that creeps me out, I wouldn't want it in my tank. Is there any buildup in the reactors? Thought about cutting feeding back to you were before the beads to see where the phosphates rest at? Might just be they aren't as good of an export as the GFO you were running.
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
I thought the beads would be a nice slow test of carbon dosing. All this in an attempt to be able to feed the fish daily. For a few weeks I am cutting feeding by 50% and will see what happens! I also put some Phosguard in a reactor to reduce levels ASAP. And did a water exchange.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
Well hopefully the phosguard fixes things right up for you.
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have also had a Cyano breakout I haven't seen in years. I think I have it figured out, the Cyano outbreak is the key.
About 6-8 months ago I started a reactor with bio beads. The idea is to increase available carbon for bacterial growth. Cyano is a bacteria and also flourishes with additional available carbon. I think the little bit of phosphates kicked off a Cyano bloom. Cyano is toxic to corals in two ways, if it smothers it, or it's ingested with other zooplankton. The coral gets sick from the Cyano and pulls it's polyops in.
So I have shut down the bio beads and will do additional water exchanges for a few weeks as well as push the phosphates back down to .05ppm.
About 6-8 months ago I started a reactor with bio beads. The idea is to increase available carbon for bacterial growth. Cyano is a bacteria and also flourishes with additional available carbon. I think the little bit of phosphates kicked off a Cyano bloom. Cyano is toxic to corals in two ways, if it smothers it, or it's ingested with other zooplankton. The coral gets sick from the Cyano and pulls it's polyops in.
So I have shut down the bio beads and will do additional water exchanges for a few weeks as well as push the phosphates back down to .05ppm.
Dary421
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's kinda amazing and somewhat satisfying ( lol) that even after all these years of having one of the " premier" reefs around that even you have troubles every now and then just like the rest of us ,... It really just goes to show us just how fragile this whole saltwater setup actually is,.... I guess if it was easy then everyone would have one,... I suppose we'll never stop learning just how to take care of our reefs,... Good luck Greg ,..we all know you'll figure everything out and we'll all learn a little from you.,... It's truly a fascinating hobby.
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
If I ever acted like I have a clue, it was a mistake. The more I know, the more I know, I know very little. Like computing or medicine, there is no way to know it all. Mixing corals from all over the world with fish all over the world should be impossible.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
Key is should be impossible. Thankfully isn't.
Keithhjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Maybe we should say practicing Reefing, like practicing medicine lol
Dary421
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah,...but you're leaps and bounds over most of us here ( at least me ).., I think it's just trying to find that happy medium that fits YOUR tank and it's inhabitants. I think we all learn a little bit from everyone's trials,errors and successes no matter how long we've had our tank running,.. I guess if it was easy it'll be no fun.
Stlrockguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
The only way we learn is by the mistakes of others
Keithhjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
....or ourselves.
OP
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
I need a new CUC for the big reef. My problem is large wrasses and a blue jaw triggerfish. Shrimp would be toast and I am pretty sure snails would be escargot for the trigger. Any suggestions?
Keithhjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
How would they do with a conch?
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