wasp

One of the prettiest tanks I've ever seen is softies only. A guy in the city who does not visit this forum. Very low flow, mushrooms almost dinner plate size.

Didn't you used to have one like that Layton? The torquise stag?

Assuming required nutrients are available, perhaps. Not every tank with excess phosphate has cyano.

I thought you have allsorts in your tank? But I know when I increased the flow in my tank for the sps a lot of my softies wasted away I had to remove them before they died totally. Trouble with a small tank, not able to have more than one environement.

Partly correct although I think you may have something backwards. If nitrogen ever became limiting the bacteria processing it will slow down / stop.

Jimmy think about this. You add top up water, it evaporates but leaves behind whatever impurities it contains. You add more top up. Doesn't take long for algae causing nasties to reach high levels in your tank. Only the best purest water should be used for top up cos stuff will end up much more concentrated in the tank than what it was in the top up water. Water straight out of the tap, where I live anyway, has a TDS (total dissolved solids) of around 60 ppm. Even though we think it is pretty clean.

Randy is not the only qualified person to disagree with Bomber on this theory, there are others. In fact, I have yet to see any suitably qualified person who will agree with Bomber on this, the theory is held only by Bomber and his small band of unqualified followers. The other weakness in your argument is that even though nitrogen fixing bacteria may from time to time show up in a tank, they will always be hugely outnumbered by nitrogen "unfixing" bacteria, which are the essence of the nitrogen cycle in our tanks as we know it. The only exception being if the tank is in serious trouble including bacterial diversity and balance being way out of line and the livestock likely in serious trouble.

Yes interesting question the ocean tends to be quieter at night. However it depends what you're trying to do, if growing sps, which do most of their growing at night, and since reading that fish in acros at night making water movement article, would probably make sense to ensure plenty of flow at night provided the fish can bunk down OK. Stops any detritus settlement also. But in a softy or similar tank, not such an issue.

My lamps are 10,000k 150 watt DE halides. They are 12 months old now and running out of grunt as evidenced by increased coraline growth. I'm changing them soonish but doing first some other things to the tank and it's one thing at a time so I can isolate which causes what.

Thanks Kermit for that, useful info. The change in temperature thing was interesting, personally I've never bothered adjusting temp when I add new water after a change as I believe this happens in nature, and the corals never mind in fact they expand afterwards. I'm interested in those A.austera, it may be them in that last bottom photo you posted, because I have one that should be purple but has changes to red, I'd like to get it back to purple. What kind of situation did you notice those ones doing the best? Probably a dumb question cos I know it may be hard to say after the event, but thought I'd ask anyway

This is one of those beliefs that has been around a while because it sounds "logical". However Randy Holmes Farley the Reef Central Chemist stated bacteria in the tank would not be able to fix enough nitrogen to have significant effect. In other words, nitrate in fact can be limiting in a tank. I know Bomber said it, but he is not a chemist.

Hey Kermit, did you do any water testing over there? Please give me any info you can about the conditions surrounding those A.austera. Including depth, relative water temp, current, and anything else. Cheers!

Pies must be away or something he does have some awesome pics shown elsewhere that reflect his success and the knowledge he has. Layton, has lots of ideas and theories, I'd like to see how it all comes together into a tank, especially the sps.

I see. How is your coraline anyway? This thread is for pics, isn't it?

Perhaps if you'd said what the reasons actually were, instead of dropping a vague hint, I would not have taken it as yet another dark hint, of the non specific type you drop every time someone says zeovit.

In fact Craig was right the first time. Coraline growth is weak in zeovit tanks because of the low alkalinity regime. One of the things I missed when I changed to the method. But SSHHHH!! doesn't pay to mention the "z word" :lol:

Here we go More dark hints :lol:

This brings an interesting point about most additives. They will work great if they were in short supply. Where there is no shortage, no point dosing it.

IMO that article is full of 1/2 truths mixed with the authors own prejudice. Eric is showing his age, like a few old reefers it is hard to change from what was the latest technology in 1975.

Wow that coralline is awesome! How come none in the new tank, is it the same rock?

Not sure if you have any livestock yet but if not just dump plenty of vodka in, the main reason for going slow is to not affect the livestock. If no livestock, in a 1000 L system with hair algae, I'd go 1st day 50 mls vodka, and then 20 mls daily. Leave the lights off so algae cannot hang on to nutrients & have to give them up to the bacteria. Have plenty of current. Unless you are trying to establish a DSB vacuum the sand several times a lot of crud may come out of the rock. Keep the skimmer clean, tuned, & working at max. In 2 weeks re assess and see if you feel the tank is where you want it, if so, reduce vodka & start introducing livestock. BTW, you can have fish while this is going on, just corals are reliant on nutrients in the water and will be more effected until you got things stable.

It will help Drifty, provided you have a good skimmer. The skimmer is an essential part of the equation to remove the resultant extra crud, otherwise no advantage. But I'm starting to look like a vodka advocate here, I just want to repeat what I said earlier, that the vodka effect will likely lessen, and eventually become outweighed by side effects, after a few months, maybe 6 months or so. The next stage for those who wish to pursue this further, would be to adopt the zeovit system, which works on a somewhat similar method ( feeding bacteria to encourage nutrient removal ), but the sytem is more complete because it also doses the desired bacteria thereby overcoming the lack of bacterial diversity thing, plus has supplements to ensure corals etc are not "starved" due to low nutrient levels. But yes, vodka alone will often give great results in the short term.

Hmmm.. That's a good idea, BB back but still the nice look of sand at the front. Another new thought for my next tank!

That cloudy is bacteria. Skim at max to remove them, and keep up the vodka, In a few days the water will be crystal clear. Just stop vodka if any livestock appear to be suffering. Is that an sps coral? If so keep a CLOSE eye on it for any changes, in particular tissue recession.

Your tank doesn't look THAT bad Slappers, seen worse. However it will clean up. Won't go back to the origional sparkling white though.