iggy
05-20-2011, 07:02 PM
Under Halides
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bWVQhnDuQ
Under Actinics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kt7IbiG2T4
Scrubber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu3iSiE7jAk
Ran ATS for six months. Colors of video from phone are not as great as in person of course.
You will notice tank is algae free and has no herbivore fish or hermit crabs in a 140 Oceanic. I do keep astrea and turbo snails though. Tank is 1-2 years old and redo of a tank that had only 8 very large corals that were less colorful than current frag selection. I now have many $10 dollar frags obtained from mainstream aquatics in Charlotte, NC. Tank took a while to develop as these fraga were too small. I continue to thin out corals for bulbs and salt buckets as it grows. I am still about 3-4 years from having a good display tank. Coraline covers glass in 3 weeks when I do scrapings unless I have visitors.
All corals are doing well. Exception is a slow growing Montipora Undata on top mid right that is recovering from cyano smothering recently. Very little aggression from fish. Tank has room for 1 more fish but corals will continue to be thinned out of course. I will continue increasing feedings again with new bottle of OysterFeast. I can do only basic identification of many of these corals
Scrubber is a little brown but uses Tunze 7103.050 electronic pump wide open to feed it water and I also use a wider than normal slot.Coloration seems to go bright and fade at times. Right now is in mid range. I use no carbon or GFO, and Purigen occasionally. Filtration is Algae turf scrubber and EuroReef CS8-1 I believe. I never used true live rock, just Bulk Reef Supply dried rock that was very easy to cure. I use no additive other than the 3 part Bulk Reef Supply Recipe of CaCl2, Soda Ash and Magnesium Chloride/Magnesium Sulfate blend and iron solutoion for scrubber. I do water changes with Tropic Marin salt. (Had no issues with hard stuff that was later recalled either). Very forgiving system if ATS is kept up. Skimmate product is minimal with medium dark collection of 1/3 cup per week. I will continue to run skimmer as I view this as hydrib of carbon dosing creating mulm of bacteria. Prior to running ATS I had good results too but had string slough of clam and sand never entirely got rid of diatoms.
Now I observe tank for signs of diatoms or cyano. It might indicate scrubber is restricted or slowed down.
I add 2cc/day of Seachem Iron gluconate solution. Long term I will likely add 0.05 ppm Potassium nitrate to tank. I highly suspect nitrate limitation is a cause of cyano as well in this system along with some DOC accumulation. Water has never tinted yellow on look down method with white bucket though.
My only hesitation about trying ATS was reading Calfo Coral Porpoagation volume 2 stating noxious substances from ATS impede growth. I found this not the case. Sprung volume 3 was more neutral on subject but also less elaborate. I will keep ATS permanently as part of system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bWVQhnDuQ
Under Actinics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kt7IbiG2T4
Scrubber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu3iSiE7jAk
Ran ATS for six months. Colors of video from phone are not as great as in person of course.
You will notice tank is algae free and has no herbivore fish or hermit crabs in a 140 Oceanic. I do keep astrea and turbo snails though. Tank is 1-2 years old and redo of a tank that had only 8 very large corals that were less colorful than current frag selection. I now have many $10 dollar frags obtained from mainstream aquatics in Charlotte, NC. Tank took a while to develop as these fraga were too small. I continue to thin out corals for bulbs and salt buckets as it grows. I am still about 3-4 years from having a good display tank. Coraline covers glass in 3 weeks when I do scrapings unless I have visitors.
All corals are doing well. Exception is a slow growing Montipora Undata on top mid right that is recovering from cyano smothering recently. Very little aggression from fish. Tank has room for 1 more fish but corals will continue to be thinned out of course. I will continue increasing feedings again with new bottle of OysterFeast. I can do only basic identification of many of these corals
Scrubber is a little brown but uses Tunze 7103.050 electronic pump wide open to feed it water and I also use a wider than normal slot.Coloration seems to go bright and fade at times. Right now is in mid range. I use no carbon or GFO, and Purigen occasionally. Filtration is Algae turf scrubber and EuroReef CS8-1 I believe. I never used true live rock, just Bulk Reef Supply dried rock that was very easy to cure. I use no additive other than the 3 part Bulk Reef Supply Recipe of CaCl2, Soda Ash and Magnesium Chloride/Magnesium Sulfate blend and iron solutoion for scrubber. I do water changes with Tropic Marin salt. (Had no issues with hard stuff that was later recalled either). Very forgiving system if ATS is kept up. Skimmate product is minimal with medium dark collection of 1/3 cup per week. I will continue to run skimmer as I view this as hydrib of carbon dosing creating mulm of bacteria. Prior to running ATS I had good results too but had string slough of clam and sand never entirely got rid of diatoms.
Now I observe tank for signs of diatoms or cyano. It might indicate scrubber is restricted or slowed down.
I add 2cc/day of Seachem Iron gluconate solution. Long term I will likely add 0.05 ppm Potassium nitrate to tank. I highly suspect nitrate limitation is a cause of cyano as well in this system along with some DOC accumulation. Water has never tinted yellow on look down method with white bucket though.
My only hesitation about trying ATS was reading Calfo Coral Porpoagation volume 2 stating noxious substances from ATS impede growth. I found this not the case. Sprung volume 3 was more neutral on subject but also less elaborate. I will keep ATS permanently as part of system.