I forget Rosti, did you buy a ready made algae scrubber? if so which brand and make and size? Do they supply a special sort of turb algae to grow on it or is it pre seeded?
There’s more than one way to fillet a fish. I use a bit of everything because of limited room. I have a bag of GFO in the trickle filter, No GAC, i use a pouch of Purigen instead. Prolifera fuge and the Plenum DSB and a Seaclone protein skimmer too and a little Phos remover dosing. the combo seems to make up for any one thing being too small or undersized or whatever.
Keep Tinkering. Its not an exact science like assembling a car engine with a step by step torq by torq manual to follow. We have living systems that will adapt to take best advantage of the current conditions. and pesky algeas are the best at that.
[quote=“Rosti, post:60, topic:4187”]
I am not trying to get you off course, but think if there is any way you can incorporate algae turf scrubber. After setting it up 2 month ago I am amazed of its power. For first time my phosphate reading .02 ppm, all that with GFO/carbon is not being changed for month now. I used to change cup of each every week AND I no longer remove algae from the system, everything goes back to feed tangs. Just clean scrubber once a week. Something to think about. Oh yes, and nitrates at 1-2 ppm. with addition of powder blue and school of 6 pj cardinals.[/quote]
Thanks Rosti. I haven’t really considered doing algae turf scrubber yet. Little things at a time. May experiment with it down the line. But I am glad that you’re having success with it.
[quote=“reefman66, post:59, topic:4187”]
As for NO3 with the bioplastics. I still don’t know why the pellets haven’t bring the NO3 down to less than 5 ppm. I guess I need to do a little bit more research.[/quote]
How much media have you replaced? If the media isn’t being used up much perhaps it is not being used by anything. You may want to try re inoculating the system, so to speak, with bacteria. When first starting a low nutrient approach many people add a lot of bacteria to start. I recently had to do with with one of my clients systems. Have you read through and understand both KZ’s and Brightwell’s approaches?
I believe part of the trouble with his system was the chemistry was off. When we started his Alkalinity was high and wasn’t falling as there wasn’t much in his system really calcifying. Then for a little while it was low because a check valve jammed in the CO2 line. After those two the bacteria didn’t seem to be too strong in the system and hair algae began to grow.
We also didn’t replace the Zeolite media as quickly as we should have. I know you don’t use Zeolitic media at all, but perhaps it is something to look into. It is one thing to think you have bacteria growing somewhere in the system and to see a slight increase in skimmate. It is another to stir up Zeolitic material and see a large cloud of bacterial mulm get released.
I really think with your system it is time to make a decision. While often it is possible to merge a lot of approaches together in reef keeping there are some things that just don’t mesh. I likely couldn’t grow chaeto, caulerpa, or any other macro in my low nutrient system even if I wanted to and a turf scrubber likely would grow a little bacteria and nothing else. That being said I certainly wouldn’t want anything in my system to take my nutrients any lower.
I’m going to try to make it to the meeting on Monday perhaps we can talk more there. Have a long weekend ahead of me though.
Thanks for the info Jon. I started out with 400ml of the bioplastics, 3/4 of the recommended amount. Then early part of last month at 4 month, I added additional 200ml after I notice the initial pallets level that I mark had gone down drastically. So now I think I need to add at least 200ml more to be up to the recommended amount. So yes, the media is being used up by the bacteria or what ever it is making the bioplastics disappear.
As far as chemistry being off, I don’t think my water parameter is that far off other than my NO3 and PO4. NO3 is little high for my taste at around 5 ppm with API and PO4 is at .09 ppm the last time I test for it using Hanna Checker and of course API the end result is 0.
I really want this bioplastics to work and I don’t really want to try anything else until I really know that this is the last hope for it. Sure I can add other method to this systems. But I really want to keep this as low maintenance as possible. But I’ll take a look at the Zeolite media.
I’ll be at the meeting Monday, will get together then. Thanks Jon
Tank is still running as normal, no changes to anything. I don’t think this tank will ever be ULNS, not that I want this system to be that low. However, I would like to see the Nitrate and Phosphate to be at 0. HA and Cyano’s are still at bay, none to be found.
Still can’t seem to keep some certain type of encrusting montipora. It would just fade away. All other acros are well, growing and colored up nicely. LPS, soft and zoo are growing as normal. Sprouting, budding and encrusting.
I added another 250ml of bioplastics yesterday. Last added was back in August. It seems like I’ve been adding bioplastics every 3 month. A noticeable level of bioplastics being use after a month and a half to 2 month, it does get quiet low to about 1â€ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ-1-1/2†from the bottom of the reactor.
my water parameters are as follows:
Did not test for Ammonia or Nitrite
Salinity is 1.025 refractor meter
Temp 78 nights 83 days
Calcium 467 ppm HANNA test kit
Mag 1350 ppm Salifert test kit
Alk 163ppm/ 3.26 meq/l / 9.128 dkh HANNA test kit
Phosphates .05 HANNA test kit
Nitrates looking to be 0-5ppm on the API test kit, 5ppm on the Hagen/Nutrafin as well. Maybe will try other Nitrate test kits to see if there’s any different in Nitrate readings.
Nitrate API/ Hagen/Nutrafin
Phosphate
Calcium
Alkalinity
Here are some updated pics of the tank. Pictures are the best that I can take with my Iphone.
[quote=“saltcreep, post:71, topic:4187”]
Glad to hear about the nitrates, or lack of i should say.
Looks great A :: all the hanna checkers are bad (heiny) all lined up… I want the full set someday :GEEK:
The top left coral of the pics you posted… blue acro… is that one you got from me? either way it looks sweet.[/quote]
Thanks John, Ken and Paul as well. Yes, it’s low, but I want to see if the bioplastics can bring it down lower as others speculate. But of course not 0 to where it will crash my tank with no nutrient.
Yes, John that’s one I got from you. I want to show you how well it’s doing.
A, that acro frag looks great for you, and growing good :: I’ve had a few coloring issues with mine. has yours stayed nice? i’m trying to figure out why mine got pissy. I have a few ideas.
[quote=“saltcreep, post:74, topic:4187”]
A, that acro frag looks great for you, and growing good :: I’ve had a few coloring issues with mine. has yours stayed nice? i’m trying to figure out why mine got pissy. I have a few ideas.[/quote]
It’s been the same color as I got it from you, never changed. I have it in the lower 3rd of the tank and towards the front. Not directly under the MH.
After going through this whole thread I believe I will also give this a try as I to am having the nitrate issue and little cyano not much but enough for me to notice. I only get the HA on my over flow nowhere else in the tank. I cant remember when my main tank had nitrates lower then 15-20. I have been waiting for a good review such as yours to make my decision to go this route or not.
What advice do you have for me on this?
From what I found is start with maybe 1/3-1/2 of what I think the actual does should be. I usually dose my tank for 60 gallons when I do doses. I know rock and sand take up a huge amount of space then I gain some back with the fuge. I have a 75g not filled to the brim so right there I am more close to 65-70gallons then my 20g long that is about 14-15 gallons.
So I would think using npx bioplastics for say 25 gallons would be a good start. yes/no? I saw a video with Julian Sprung talking about it and one of the scenes they showed how free flowing the plastics were in the reactor.
I was think maybe have the pump in the first compartment in the fuge/sump and have it exit into the fuge area.
: all the hanna checkers are bad A$$ all lined up… I want the full set someday :GEEK: