budhaboy's new 65 gallon system

[Anonymous]

What kind of water changes are you doing? Have you tried increasing the percent or frequency? Sometimes the solution to pollution is dilution.

10%/week. this is just added removal - I have a Lawnmower blenny, MIA, presumed dead somewhere behind/in the rocks that is adding to the nutrient excess...and even with the water changes the algae has been ebbing and regaining from the nutrient levels rising when the algae begins to die back - its been back and forth for a while, and with harvesting and water changes, I needed something to further tip the scales back into my favor again.

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes the toothbrush tang is the only was to stamp out GHA. Man, I hate that stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

A slightly larger water change would not hurt. It may come down having to scrub with a tooth brush.

 

[Anonymous]

Nitrate reducer and PO4x4 is already having an effect on the hair algae- large swaths is losing color of the short stuff that was left after harvesting, and is starting to shred...I'll be adding the other 125ml of PO4x4 this weekend, and taking a toothbrush to some of the rocks to help speed the hair algae's death...

 

[Anonymous]

That is good news. Are you harvesting as it dies? That will help to export nutriants too.

 

[Anonymous]

When I've had bad hair algae in the past, I usually take the rocks out and scrub them when I do a water change. It's a PITA, but it's effective.

 

[Anonymous]

Waz, yes and no- I am harvesting during the weekends, but I have a bit too much to do chores wise when I get home from work recently to do so.

Louey- thats an impossibility at this point- the majority of hair algae is on the lower rocks, and at this point, I have a Monti(center of most recent photo posted) that has now encrusted to the neighboring rock, and I'm reluctant to force a breakage.
Out of the SPS corals I have, the Monti and the Hydnophora are the two that are growing the best - the monti started out as brown with green polyps and is now sky blue.

Speaking of blue, I'm hoping I can get my hands on a Blue Hydnophora someday to go with the electric green specimen that I have...

 

[Anonymous]

Well anything you can get out is good. Glad to hear the reactor is helping. Personally I have never tried one.

 

[Anonymous]

holy sheeeeit! just saw a couple pics from my LFS's new store- all the coral tubs are lit by Kessil 150s...over 40 of them!

 

[Anonymous]

I yanked out the PO4x4 from the reactor- the sponge/screen one is supposed to use with this stuff wouldnt stay in place, and after24 hours, the entire mass is floated to the top and clogs up the flow...I had good success with it removing PO4 when it was working, but having to redo the reactor every 24 hours got old quick. I bought some biopellets from my LFS last Sunday and I had to order a stronger pump to get them to tumble -pump will arrive tonight.

While peering into the tank last night, I found a pair of what looks like tunicates growing on the rocks...and my Jack O'Lantern Leptoseris that i though had kicked, is making a comeback! that really made my evening discovering that

 

[Anonymous]

really blurred, I cant seem to get a good photo of the leptoseris, but all the "bronze colored material is new flesh - a week or so ago, it was only a pin point, now its about 1.5mm x 3 mm...
[rimg]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i310/budhaboy/140330_0006_zps9b896f5d.jpg[/rimg]


I went to my LFS's Open House at their new location, traded in a pair of frags, a Monti, and Stylo, both small pieces that had broken off during the rebuild, and brought home a single head of branching hammer, and a tabling Milli frag...
[rimg]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i310/budhaboy/140330_00031_zps75b9b2bd.jpg[/rimg]
[rimg]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i310/budhaboy/140330_0002_zpscb46f14a.jpg[/rimg]

still have hair algae, but its dying off, and not coming back in between harvests, slowly but surely my tank is looking pretty again

 

[Anonymous]

took another pair of frags to trade in - same types, Monti and Stylo, and ended up coming home with a Leptastrea frag, and an Alveopora frag

 

[Anonymous]

How is the red monti comming? It is on my list of "would like to have".

 

[Anonymous]

How is the red monti comming? It is on my list of "would like to have".

the Monti I have isnt red anymore(well it was more brownish than red), its a light blue with green polyps now...the Stylo is a pinkish orange red- about the shade of a tequila sunrise thats had the grenadine syrup mixed in..

I'm on a waiting list for a Sunset Monti, and a Superman Monti frags...

 

[Anonymous]

Crap, I actually ment the red Milli. I do not want monti's in this tank.

Light blue with green polyps is cooler than plain red.

 

[Anonymous]

Crap, I actually ment the red Milli. I do not want monti's in this tank.

Light blue with green polyps is cooler than plain red.

the Milli is doing well, a bit slow on growth, but it has an unusual color to it- the color kinda looks layered, with nice long hair like polyps

 

[Anonymous]

How are things going JP?

 

[Anonymous]

no real change -still have some hair algae - the majority is on the bed(crushed coral) at this point.
I reduced my light output from 100 to 75% as I noticed my chalice was bleaching out a bit more, its been 11 days at reduced power now, and the chalice stopped receeding, and I hope is making a comeback...the jack o lantern leptoseris is all but gone still - there are a couple spot that seem to want to make a comeback, so its still a wait n see with it...the Milli's new growth is a light blue - its busy encrusting, but not branching or tabling at the moment -seems to be a predominate thing in my tank at the moment, with the exception of my hydnophora -its growing up and out fast - still looking for a blue version of it...my one acro that died and came back has taken on a light zinc yellow color now, from the blue grey it was...

Pop gave me his old point n shoot, so I'll take some pic this weekend. Still no decent macro abilities but free is free.

 

[Anonymous]

Frag will encrust until they get a good base. Nothing in my tank is growing yet either, just laying down bases. Once they get secure they will go up and out.

Glad to hear you are getting ahead of the algae.

 

[Anonymous]

I saw the story of your skimmer air line plug. I use sea chem reef advantage calcium and reef builder for ALK. Have been using them since the 110 (1998) and have never had a major issues with plugs and what not. Just a suggestion if you are looking for a different supplement.