I got back into the hobby 2 years after being out for 5 years. I started back with a biocube 32 led stock tank. Cheato refuge in the back sump. It took my 6-8 months to grow coralline maybe more. I did add 2 9watt blue strip from 21led. That did help alot.
I run my tank with refuge and light carbon dosing. My refuge is smaller so i need GFO or carbon dosing to get phosphates from .15 to .06. I use carbon dosing because my clove corals respond very well to it.
We set a new tank up for my wife. Aquatop 40. Cheato in the back, Fluval lights and gave her my 21 led blue strip 9 watt (2 of them). I have her NP bacto balance dosing. Carbon dosing but balanced. It's not taking nutrients but she get the benefit of the phosphates and nitrate bounded up to be available for her corals. Dosing AB+. Back to half when we introduce clowns.
Both are tanks we run .04-07 phosphate and 3-5ppm nitrate
Using all for reef in her tank
In 6 week she has purple coralline started on the sides of her tank. Months and Months to get mine growing. I did do everything right in her tank. RODI water, Sea chem bacteria dosing kit.
*big difference i see in her tank is a living marine snow(let call it) that swirls of mircoscopic animals plankton in her tank all day and night for last 5 weeks. Fish have almost endless food source of copepods they eat all day.
Conclusion:
I think the tropic marin NP bacto balance may may help develop bacteria biome that took my tank months to help coralline growth.
I run my tank with refuge and light carbon dosing. My refuge is smaller so i need GFO or carbon dosing to get phosphates from .15 to .06. I use carbon dosing because my clove corals respond very well to it.
We set a new tank up for my wife. Aquatop 40. Cheato in the back, Fluval lights and gave her my 21 led blue strip 9 watt (2 of them). I have her NP bacto balance dosing. Carbon dosing but balanced. It's not taking nutrients but she get the benefit of the phosphates and nitrate bounded up to be available for her corals. Dosing AB+. Back to half when we introduce clowns.
Both are tanks we run .04-07 phosphate and 3-5ppm nitrate
Using all for reef in her tank
In 6 week she has purple coralline started on the sides of her tank. Months and Months to get mine growing. I did do everything right in her tank. RODI water, Sea chem bacteria dosing kit.
*big difference i see in her tank is a living marine snow(let call it) that swirls of mircoscopic animals plankton in her tank all day and night for last 5 weeks. Fish have almost endless food source of copepods they eat all day.
Conclusion:
I think the tropic marin NP bacto balance may may help develop bacteria biome that took my tank months to help coralline growth.