Reef Discussion
Hay, Im sure the added flow will help. RO water in my opinion is a must in the reef game. Some people have success with using tap water, however tap water will vary from region to region, even house to house. There are various units on the market, I got mine from The reef shop for $150. In my opinion that is a bugger all, even if you were to pay $300 the fact that you have RODI water on hand when ever you need is worth it. You will be able to make your own salt water and all your issues are solved, plus there is no lugging water from a LFS. If you do end up getting a RODI unit I would also invest in a TDS meter to help determine when you need the filters replaced, but this is not a major cost as a descent unit should give you about 20 - 25 thousand liters before filters need replacing.
what really turned my tank into a clean tank was when i do water changes i lightly gravel vacuumed sand and then vacuum the sump. I think this will help you quite a bit. This way when you do your water changes your just selecting the dirtier water. Also when i started out i had to stir/turn sand over everyday for about a week. This way the the skimmer got all the yukkies. i still do this once a week just for maintenance and the fact that its keep all the nasties at very low levels.
Goodluck
Goodluck
Yep, definitely a good thing - it means the tiny algae (zooxanthellae) that live in the coral's body (that give it color) have begun to repopulate. I don't think it's so much a water quality issue in this case, its more of a lighting issue. Corals "brown out" because they have been removed from a light frequency that suits the algae's needs. The algae dies and the coral looks brown, which is actually it's natural coloring without the symbiotic relationship with the algae. These algae actually travel freely in the salt water and can re-populate a coral that has browned out. This is why a coral that started off one color then browned out can come back another color - a different type of algae has begun to inhabit the coral. Better water quality won't be hurting it however :)
Hello....not being a smarty here, but the browned out condition is an overpopulation of zooanthalle, due to high PO4 and/ or low light conditions. The corals natural pigments, (colour)' are produced when the zooanthalle balance is reduced, where water parameters, lighting are sound.
The green effect is brought on by higher spectrum lighting to browned out SPS, i.e. browned off SPS glow green under blue light. SPS true green will be fluorescent under lower K light ratings, Dallas is a good examples of this.
It's great you've recovered your tank, and added a test coloured stick, this will be an indicator of water parameters and stability over time. Good luck and I admire your commitment.
If I could provide you with one piece of advice, it would be to purchase a nice second hand tank and equipment at least 1200 x 450 x 450 and give that a go. Brand new....even better. Good luck DarkSparten.....May the gods be with you!!!! :)
The green effect is brought on by higher spectrum lighting to browned out SPS, i.e. browned off SPS glow green under blue light. SPS true green will be fluorescent under lower K light ratings, Dallas is a good examples of this.
It's great you've recovered your tank, and added a test coloured stick, this will be an indicator of water parameters and stability over time. Good luck and I admire your commitment.
If I could provide you with one piece of advice, it would be to purchase a nice second hand tank and equipment at least 1200 x 450 x 450 and give that a go. Brand new....even better. Good luck DarkSparten.....May the gods be with you!!!! :)
haha not much cyano now at all. So slowly getting everything back to normal. Zoanthids arent opening up completely now but a bit and everything else is out. Even my gonipora is coming out a little more each day! Collecting natural sea water every 2 to 3 weeks (depending on how much i use) is fantastic. No having to rush to the shop and partner loves it because im not spending a fortune every time I walk in! lol
So I'm back! And again it's gone crazy. I've been doing water changes 1 to 2 times a week. Green algae is going nuts and don't have much cyano at all, if any.
The fish and corals aren't enjoying it at all.
I've decided to move all the inhabitants to a big container in the spare bathroom. Scrub and clean the tank and start with new live rock. Cycle it and then introduce the inhabitants after its cycled.
I'm going bare bottom.
My concern is that some of my zoanthid frags etc have greenish brown algae... If I put them into a newly cycled and fresh tank.. Will it infect the tank with a horrible algae?
Also, if anyone has any tips on doing this move and waiting for the tank to cycle that would be great. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who can take my corals and fish while I cycle a new tank. :(
The fish and corals aren't enjoying it at all.
I've decided to move all the inhabitants to a big container in the spare bathroom. Scrub and clean the tank and start with new live rock. Cycle it and then introduce the inhabitants after its cycled.
I'm going bare bottom.
My concern is that some of my zoanthid frags etc have greenish brown algae... If I put them into a newly cycled and fresh tank.. Will it infect the tank with a horrible algae?
Also, if anyone has any tips on doing this move and waiting for the tank to cycle that would be great. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who can take my corals and fish while I cycle a new tank. :(
Don't worry about the algae on the corals infecting the tank ... the algae will be present on the new rocks you introduce anyway, or on any new corals you get. The answer is in controlling your phosphate and nitrate levels.
I understand you wanting to start afresh and hope the corals survive long enough for the new cycle. Bare bottom will help, but once the new tank is cycled you need to have plans in place for controlling your nutrient levels and ensure regular ongoing maintenance too.
Here's a great (if long) thread about how reefers have used hydrogen peroxide to control their hair algae. You might want to consider some of these approaches (dosing, direct application) in addition to or instead of starting afresh.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/268706-peroxide-saves-my-tank-with-pics-to-prove-it/
@chrispc66 I don't think suggesting a larger tank everytime someone has an issue with a nano is the answer. People have nano tanks for a reason, often space, sometimes financial, sometimes preference, so saying 'go large' isn't really useful.
I understand you wanting to start afresh and hope the corals survive long enough for the new cycle. Bare bottom will help, but once the new tank is cycled you need to have plans in place for controlling your nutrient levels and ensure regular ongoing maintenance too.
Here's a great (if long) thread about how reefers have used hydrogen peroxide to control their hair algae. You might want to consider some of these approaches (dosing, direct application) in addition to or instead of starting afresh.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/268706-peroxide-saves-my-tank-with-pics-to-prove-it/
@chrispc66 I don't think suggesting a larger tank everytime someone has an issue with a nano is the answer. People have nano tanks for a reason, often space, sometimes financial, sometimes preference, so saying 'go large' isn't really useful.
I agree wholeheartedly, however there's only so much stock that can fit in a nano.....
A small water volume also makes things hard. IMO it's always best to start out with a minimum 350L set up, and move to a nano once confidence and knowledge grows. They're are a very specialised setup to have anything thrive long term.
A small water volume also makes things hard. IMO it's always best to start out with a minimum 350L set up, and move to a nano once confidence and knowledge grows. They're are a very specialised setup to have anything thrive long term.
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