Reef Discussion

[holly]

There's a thread on Reef Central discussing the variants in great detail (what isn't there a thread about on that forum?!)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1957617

I have been googling around, there aren't many AU stores selling online through EBAY etc... obviously it will be a little difficult to buy this stuff for less than the LFSes charge.

@holly , how long until you are selling??

Thanks for doing all the work on that @ezza , it's about 15 days till the shipment gets here, as soon as I have it in my hands I'll be happy to sell it. The website may still be under construction but will go through paypal/credit card in the meantime. I can just let you know when I have them.

What was everyone saying about the different types? Is it down to having a re-circulating reactor? @Sarg might be able to chime in? I thought that was the best way to use them. Most of them other than the one sam showed are made from by products from beer. Maybe we should just vegimite dose??

 

[leodb89]

Someone reading your post from other countries with no sense of sarcasm will most probably tell their friends that's how we do it in Aus lol

 

[Sam Parker]

Someone reading your post from other countries with no sense of sarcasm will most probably tell their friends that's how we do it in Aus lol

You mean you don't vegemite dose? How else do the americans think we keep such incredible colours in our native corals?? :p

EDIT - has anyone tried/seen the polyp lab polyb-booster stuff? Smells just like watered down vegemite....

 

[holly]

It might just be brewers yeast i.e. high protein solution that the corals perceive as food. Heard it stimulates a quick feeding response which is handy really. We're planning on trying @Oceanarium 's special mix of various bits and pieces.

 

[leodb89]

You mean you don't vegemite dose? How else do the americans think we keep such incredible colours in our native corals?? :p

EDIT - has anyone tried/seen the polyp lab polyb-booster stuff? Smells just like watered down vegemite....

i have...follow it properly lol... i used like a whole dropper full and the dosage for my tank was meant to only be 1 drop....algae outbreak lol

 

[ezza]

I'm thinking I might get a bag of the thrive aquatics one ASAP. Which means Thursday. My iron stuff was well clogged and I need something now to stop the phosphate and nitrates going up. Asquith sell the range and I'd rather give them money than the LFS nearby that just gives me stress (well, the owner does- the other staff are lovely). Then @holly , I will probably buy it from you guys. I'm happy to try a few things. I do like the idea of the aragonite buffering in thrive's product. My KH and P H have both taken a hit using phos reducing products. I am thinking of getting the seachem buffer product too. Just have to keep to my budget which will be tough, especially with overpriced beer balls.

I was really intrigued that bio balls are a beer byproduct. I was trying to work out what it was, I got as far as "pasta". Should have realised it might be beer. I wonder hard hard it is to make the stuff yourself.

Oh! I made the very slow realisation today when I was emptying my skimmer that the free bottle of Tropic Marin "NP Bacto Balance" I got with a bucket of salt last year that subsequently stimulated my massive toxic climb into nitrates at 80ppm that I occasionally remember to squirt into the tank is dosing :p if they would write it clearly on the bloody pack then maybe people would use the products properly!

It was only the stench, colour and quantity of skimmate that was present this evening that made me realise exactly what it was. Instead of just one squirt, I had put in 3 last night and obviously I had hit the point where the waste is exporting efficiently. Interesting. Still considering vodka dosing but I would need a dosing pump, I'm terrible at implementing habits.

 

[holly]

If you're on the cheap and need a buffer, just use bicarb soda. Randy's recipe gives you instructions on how to make up the solution which is dead easy. Also, damp rid for calcium, epsom salts for mag. etc. Best of luck getting everything back to AOK.

 

[Sam Parker]

If you're on the cheap and need a buffer, just use bicarb soda. Randy's recipe gives you instructions on how to make up the solution which is dead easy. Also, damp rid for calcium, epsom salts for mag. etc. Best of luck getting everything back to AOK.

This is what I use :)

 

[ezza]

I have all the ingredients but haven't mixed it yet. I added some bicarbonate the other day and realised I needed a larger packet!

 

[ezza]

I picked up a pack of thrive crush today.

Here is a pictorial representation:

Errrr, is that in our budget?!

Thrive.

Looks a lot like rice

200mL should do.

How interesting!

I approve!

 

[leodb89]

I bought a bag too :)

 

[chimaera]

How much was the Thrive Crush stuff?

 

[leodb89]

I think it was like $40 i have the receipt at home ill check. that was a 250mL bag but i only need 150mL i believe

 

[Sarg]

Sorry been out for a while, here is what I've been using....

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/control-nitrate-phosphate

Seem to work well

 

[ezza]

500ml is $99. I discussed this with Mark (Asquith). I understand why it and everything else is expensive.. With lower population of reefers and stuff. But thinking about it, the bag will last me about 2 years. Given that you only have to change it after 6-8 months... It's pretty cost effective. A bottle of the lanthanum is anywhere from $20-30 and obviously only lasts a month or two depending on size of tank etc... I think it's not bad.

 

[Sarg]

At the rate you dilute lanth a bottle from Bunnings would last at least a year if not two I recon :-)

 

[ezza]

Certainly. I just finished a much more expensive bottle bought when I knew less from an LFS. It's still more cost effective to get the thrive. If it can control both phos and nitrate, it's already reducing costs.

 

[Sarg]

Yeah lanth doesn't do much for nitrate.

 

[ezza]

Nup. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my phosphates are very very low and even the nitrate seems to be within a "normal" range since starting the lanthanum and the iron stuff and religious weekly changes. Hopefully the balls will just cap it all and ensure broader control.

 

[leodb89]

how are these Pellets for you @Sarg?