Hit my breaking point, thinking of leaving the hobby

[Reefrookie220]

Just be glad it's not a 200g 10k$ system.

 

[Pete polyp]

Too many changes. Also it is usually kent tech M that kills bryopsis and not really magnesium. Maintain salinity and alkalinity consistent. Don't overdo water changes. Keep it at 15 percent weekly. Do you add 1 more AI prime to increase lighting? Use the acclimation mode with prime. Let the tank run itself and you will be fine in a month. Don't go chasing numbers with nitrate, phosphate, ca, mg. I dont even have test kits for these and my tank is fine with zoas, LPS, acans and monti.

The mysterious ingredient that was in tech m that kills bryopsis is now missing. They reformulated it months ago and it no longer works. I have seen people dose hydrogen peroxide with great results. 1ml h2o2 per 10 gallons system volume daily. In this case I would recommend 2ml daily. If no results then up it to 3 ml daily.

 

[Oscaror]

Selective skimming is something people are doing now days. In my case I just took the plug out of the collection cup and allowed the skimmate back into the tank. Essentially my skimmer is an overpriced air stone now.

I understand, but I do feel that the skimmer has its place. I feel like maybe it should be turned on after feedings, or when a sea apple detonates in your tank, in general, wether it should be on 24/7, it should at least be there as backup.

 

[RMS18]

What kind of filtration? Was there water flow?

Powerhead for water flow, said they change the water once a week.

 

[Pete polyp]

It's crazy, lfs has me dosing marine snow, reef roids, algifix, green water... I feel like I'm at the doctor and he's just pumping me full of drugs.

They wanted to sell products. I would stop with all that, stop skimming and feed your fish.

 

[RMS18]

The mysterious ingredient that was in tech m that kills bryopsis is now missing. They reformulated it months ago and it no longer works. I have seen people dose hydrogen peroxide with great results. 1ml h2o2 per 10 gallons system volume daily. In this case I would recommend 2ml daily. If no results then up it to 3 ml daily.

Wish I could do that, peroxide stresses my wrasse out to where it loses it color, lays on the sand all curved and breathes very heavy.

 

[shovelhead]

Get rodi and make your own water. LFS water might be OK for a large system, but adding it to a 30 gal tank is risky.

 

[Oscaror]

Powerhead for water flow, said they change the water once a week.

how densely packed was the rock and how big was the tank/bin it was in?

 

[RMS18]

how densely packed was the rock and how big was the tank/bin it was in?

Not super packed, looked like a bathtub but rubber.

 

[Pete polyp]

I understand, but I do feel that the skimmer has its place. I feel like maybe it should be turned on after feedings, or when a sea apple detonates in your tank, in general, wether it should be on 24/7, it should at least be there as backup.

In most cases skimming does have is place. In some it's completely obsolete. I had 13 fish and feed them a 6oz flat pack of rods monthly, reef roids or coral frenzy twice a night and still had 0 nitrates without skimming. Tank is a 40 gallon

 

[Reefrookie220]

Get rodi and make your own water. LFS water might be OK for a large system, but adding it to a 30 gal tank is risky.

Not to sound like a ******, but do you have any science behind this? Same water no matter how big of a glass box.

 

[Oscaror]

Not super packed, looked like a bathtub but rubber.

Okay, I can at least tell you that your live rock probably isn't leeching nutrients (which you wouldn't be able to detect, as they'd be used up by algae very quickly, causing it to appear for no reason)

 

[Pete polyp]

Not to sound like a ******, but do you have any science behind this? Same water no matter how big of a glass box.

The majority of lfs have ro water with burned up filters. They usually don't have rodi because di resin is so expensive. If your lfs has 0tds water then consider yourself lucky. Many lfs don't even use a true ro unit.... they use a filtration system that's generally used to make soft drinks.

 

[Pete polyp]

I would also suggest a new source for fresh water. Either getting a rodi unit or buying bottled distilled from your grocery store

 

[Oscaror]

I would also suggest a new source for fresh water. Either getting a rodi unit or buying bottled distilled from your grocery store

I won an RODI unit in a raffle at MACNA

 

[soeminpaing]

I have dose peroxide before my tech M arrive. It is kinda harsh on corals and bryopsis can return even pour directly. I heard about reformulating issues but I bought my tech M through amazon about three months ago and it works. I just spray at the affected area and within a few hours bryopsis die. The alternative might be continium aquatic magnesium which works similar to tech M. Zoas can handle really clean water but thrive in a bit dirty water. Most of the time it is the alkalinity swing that stress zoas and corals.

 

[Pete polyp]

I have dose peroxide before my tech M arrive. It is kinda harsh on corals and bryopsis can return even pour directly. I heard about reformulating issues but I bought my tech M through amazon about three months ago and it works. I just spray at the affected area and within a few hours bryopsis die. The alternative might be continium aquatic magnesium which works similar to tech M. Zoas can handle really clean water but thrive in a bit dirty water. Most of the time it is the alkalinity swing that stress zoas and corals.

I agree with this for the most part. But I would like to add that corals are more sensitive to alk swings in a low nutrient system. If the nitrate was even detectable it would lessen the effects.

 

[Pete polyp]

Refractometer, water comes from lfs.

When was the last time you calibrated the refractometer?

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

I think it's pretty risky to trust your LFS with supplying your SW and RODI. Make it yourself, eliminate the largest variable.

 

[Humblefish]

Dude, you can't quit. You're the man who accomplished THIS: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/venting-a-swim-bladder-black-cap-basslet.219954/

1,711 views. I'm gonna sticky it once I get permissions straightened out in the fish disease forum.