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08TRDOFFROAD
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Would a dose of pods help with the diatoms?
Still have my $50 Dinkins gift card to spend and my tank is in need of some help...
08trdoffroad's Rimless 60 gal Mixed Reef Build
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Still have my $50 Dinkins gift card to spend and my tank is in need of some help...
Pics of the problem?
For diatoms, my approach is:
1. Buy more conches (strawberry/bear/tiger conches--fighting and others get larger)
2. Leave it alone. Diatoms are self-limiting. Once they consume all of the silicates, they go away. And they don't bother fish/inverts or corals like dinos do.
Pods might help, too. But pods are generally good additions in any case.
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08TRDOFFROAD
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08TRDOFFROAD
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The Aquaticlife Smart Buddy has been one of my best investments in the hobby so far! At this rate my DI resin is going to last a LONG time!
Post membrane (Spectrapure Select 90 GPD)/Pre-DI
Post DI
Post membrane (Spectrapure Select 90 GPD)/Pre-DI
Post DI
Phosphates fine, nitrates a bit low, but not zero! All depends on your system. If you have massive coral growth and a lot going into the system, these numbers are fine. Lots of algae, these numbers are underestimating you excess nutrients. New tank, little coral, little algae, then just keep tabs and adjust what goes in and out as you fill up space (hopefully with coral!). Avoid zeroing out, or dinos may make a visit.Help me interpret these results...good bad...?
dangles
Valuable Member
My trip to my LFS yesterday was a disaster....
For my wallet!!!
Picked up 4 corals!
The new corals haven't opened completely yet this morning, but I will try to get pics of them later today.
And probably one of my favorite fish of all time (that I hadn't seen anywhere locally since the Hawaii ban)...drum roll please!
Yellow Eye Kole Tang!!!
DUDE. For those prices, I will pay you to buy more of those frogspawn and hammers to mail to me!
I don't ever see those for even 4x that!
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08TRDOFFROAD
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Very little algae currently in the system, just what I belive to be diatoms
So to bring nitrates up I could
a) feed more
b) add more fish
Correct?
That's my approach! Just continually add more fish and corals and let the fish feed the corals. Planktonic food (preferably live or preserved) also work nicely for the corals.
dangles
Valuable Member
I had issues with low nitrates early on as well. I ended up dosing Brightwell NeoNitro for a few weeks until I got it where I wanted it. It’s been fine since. I assume my system just needed dialed in.
dangles
Valuable Member
Without looking back… are you running the skimmer and socks? You could run the skimmer just part of the time as an alternative to feeding more. Or delay replacing socks as often. This will of course increase your PO4 as well, but you’ve got some room to play with that too based on your last posted tests.
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08TRDOFFROAD
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Have been running the skimmer full time (skimming pretty dry) and changing socks when they are completely clogged and the sump is using the overflow notch into the skimmer section. The last one made it 3 weeks and smelled horrible when I changed it this week.
dangles
Valuable Member
Have been running the skimmer full time (skimming pretty dry) and changing socks when they are completely clogged and the sump is using the overflow notch into the skimmer section. The last one made it 3 weeks and smelled horrible when I changed it this week.
So yeah maybe scale back on the skimmer before trying to feed more? I don’t use a skimmer so I’m just parroting what I’ve heard others talk about
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08TRDOFFROAD
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Making arrangements to go pick up one of these this afternoon! It looks like a long tentacle toadstool, but the seller is just calling it a green toadstool.
@JoJosReef - do these look similar to yours?
Also need some suggestions on getting the Kole Tang to eat. Have tried frozen mysis and brine, NLS garlic infused pellets, 1/3 sheets of Nori in a clip. I have not seen it actually eat since adding it to the tank. But, I am seeing a fair bit of poop on the sand bed. I have seen it actively grazing on the sandbed, back glass, and rockwork. And there are obvious "bite" marks in the film algae on the back glass. He is still chunky and doesn't look like he is losing weight...just getting nervous it has been several weeks and haven't seen it eat anything I offer.
@JoJosReef - do these look similar to yours?
Also need some suggestions on getting the Kole Tang to eat. Have tried frozen mysis and brine, NLS garlic infused pellets, 1/3 sheets of Nori in a clip. I have not seen it actually eat since adding it to the tank. But, I am seeing a fair bit of poop on the sand bed. I have seen it actively grazing on the sandbed, back glass, and rockwork. And there are obvious "bite" marks in the film algae on the back glass. He is still chunky and doesn't look like he is losing weight...just getting nervous it has been several weeks and haven't seen it eat anything I offer.
Yes! I've got a short tentacle and a long tentacle toadstool. Yours looks like a long tentacle. The third kind I know is the weeping willow, but those are meant to have fully flexible polyps that droop when the flow is off.Making arrangements to go pick up one of these this afternoon! It looks like a long tentacle toadstool, but the seller is just calling it a green toadstool.
@JoJosReef - do these look similar to yours?
Also need some suggestions on getting the Kole Tang to eat. Have tried frozen mysis and brine, NLS garlic infused pellets, 1/3 sheets of Nori in a clip. I have not seen it actually eat since adding it to the tank. But, I am seeing a fair bit of poop on the sand bed. I have seen it actively grazing on the sandbed, back glass, and rockwork. And there are obvious "bite" marks in the film algae on the back glass. He is still chunky and doesn't look like he is losing weight...just getting nervous it has been several weeks and haven't seen it eat anything I offer.
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08TRDOFFROAD
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Went and picked up one of those toadstool frags yesterday afternoon and the guy hooked me up with a big frag (12+ heads) of Purple Monster palys, and a frag of watermelon zoas! Will try to take some pics this afternoon. Had to run the kids all over last night immediately after finishing drip acclimating them. And the lights were off by the time I got back home.
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08TRDOFFROAD
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Right now I just have them isolated on the sand bed. Don't know that I will move them elsewhere either.Nice score!
Do you have a plan to keep the palys from getting out of control and taking over? That’s my concern with some of those
dangit
Active Member
How’s the battle against diatoms?
I had them in my tank a while back and I do recommend pods and weekly water changes, cleaning the sand bed. I battled them for a month or two and now my tank is diatoms free!
I had them in my tank a while back and I do recommend pods and weekly water changes, cleaning the sand bed. I battled them for a month or two and now my tank is diatoms free!
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