My Acro collection/ Lagoon

[Perry]

I hope I didn't miss this. I was curious how you feed the tank. How meticulous are you about how much you feed? I love the idea of dialing in your nutrient export. Just how forgiving is the import side of the equation?

Tank is looking great btw!

Thank you very much!
Funny you mention that, cause I am quite meticulous on import. My prop system is fishless, so only one variable, my display. I feed my fish one MASSIVE feeding per day. The food is isolated with return pump off, the food is completely bound to the display for about an hour. Then turn system on and skimmer off for an hour, residual feeding to prop system. The feed is a half dollar size LRS chunk and 3 Hikari mysis cubes one day, alternate day same for LRS and half dollar chunk PE mysis. 9 total fish. It's not scaled out on a restaurant scale, but eyeballed, and fairly close.
Skimmer tugs heavy for about a half hour, then back to normal. I am merely trying to see the impact that carbon source and bacteria source have on my system, in measured amounts, this tells me a lot about throughput. This is what I am focused on, I believe that if you tighten ph, tighten alk, and treat nutrients the same, then we are getting close, hopefully it's evident in healthy acros.
Working on a schedule right now, soon I will share my method and what I am using and why. Still trying to determine what I will continue to use and what's unnecessary.
My goal is to have an understanding of of how carbon source impacts nutrients, and how Bacteria impacts nutrients. So it gets complicated on what's doing what, so daily testing gives me valuable data. These are just nutrient adjustment tools, and phosphorus and nitrate dosing are as well, however, I will not use unless necessary. My system's P04 is impacted by .02-.04ppm in 24 hours with 1/4 tsp of roids, which is exactly the same value as 1ml of seachem phosphorus.
Now that I have up/down tools, a consistent feed, I can choose set point values and aim for the same test result daily. Whether I want low nutrients or high nutrients, or anything in between, I have the data, and tools to maintain that balance.

 

[Reefahholic]

I had to chop up my Garf bonsai or Tyree stick what ever it is.. it started growing well but turning brown on me ugh.. after further inspection I saw them coral Boring spinoid worms in it!

Yep that suck pretty bad. They’re in almost all my acro's but most only at the base. If the move into the skelton itself the coral stunts and just merely exists, but doesn’t make much progress depending on how bad the boring is.

Below is a stag where you can see them really well at the base, but so far it’s unaffected. Thank gosh most are only at the base. They seem to like the edges of rock and come up through Marco like they’re boring through butter. I’ve seen them even in the middle of the scape. I scraped my Bill Murray to white rock at the base, only to see them come back later in the same spot. Frustrating! They have completely stunted a WD, and a Pearlberry. I have two backups for the Pearlberry, but I’m afraid the WD is completely stunted, and I don’t have a backup. I may try Ivermectin (have it on hand), but I’m not sure what a safe dose would be.

 

[Reefahholic]

Whoever finds a in tank treatment to kill these will be rich.

 

[Perry]

Whoever finds a in tank treatment to kill these will be rich.

I will be adding bumblebee snails to my prop system, I have them too, but my acros are not affected. These snails are excellent hunters, they do great work on vermetids. My guess, they won’t discriminate, and prey on spinoids too.

 

[Troylee]

I will be adding bumblebee snails to my prop system, I have them too, but my acros are not affected. These snails are excellent hunters, they do great work on vermetids. My guess, they won’t discriminate, and prey on spinoids too.

I’m hoping I nipped it in the butt and don’t have to deal with them! There was only a couple.

 

[Reefahholic]

I will be adding bumblebee snails to my prop system, I have them too, but my acros are not affected. These snails are excellent hunters, they do great work on vermetids. My guess, they won’t discriminate, and prey on spinoids too.

I hope you’re right. I plan to get maybe 50-80. My friend calls them assassin’s. If they eat these things it would be nice. I think mine came in with 10lbs of KP rock I ordered. It was either that or some frags I got from CA, but I cut all the bases and plugs off. Maybe I missed a dead tissue spot. Hard to say.

 

[Reefahholic]

I’m hoping I nipped it in the butt and don’t have to deal with them! There was only a couple.

They got that piece good. Man, once they’re in the skelton, it’s a slow painful stunt. The sad thing is many people don’t know they’re there. They will be waiting on that frag to take off, but it never will. I reset two frags and they started basing good, and now I see those worms on the back of both of them because I mounted them on the back edge of the rock. None of my frags on plugs sitting on the bottom have them.

 

[Reefahholic]

Can turn into this sadly. This was in my old tank. Never took off and then got sick.

 

[Perry]

Thank you very much!
Funny you mention that, cause I am quite meticulous on import. My prop system is fishless, so only one variable, my display. I feed my fish one MASSIVE feeding per day. The food is isolated with return pump off, the food is completely bound to the display for about an hour. Then turn system on and skimmer off for an hour, residual feeding to prop system. The feed is a half dollar size LRS chunk and 3 Hikari mysis cubes one day, alternate day same for LRS and half dollar chunk PE mysis. 9 total fish. It's not scaled out on a restaurant scale, but eyeballed, and fairly close.
Skimmer tugs heavy for about a half hour, then back to normal. I am merely trying to see the impact that carbon source and bacteria source have on my system, in measured amounts, this tells me a lot about throughput. This is what I am focused on, I believe that if you tighten ph, tighten alk, and treat nutrients the same, then we are getting close, hopefully it's evident in healthy acros.
Working on a schedule right now, soon I will share my method and what I am using and why. Still trying to determine what I will continue to use and what's unnecessary.
My goal is to have an understanding of of how carbon source impacts nutrients, and how Bacteria impacts nutrients. So it gets complicated on what's doing what, so daily testing gives me valuable data. These are just nutrient adjustment tools, and phosphorus and nitrate dosing are as well, however, I will not use unless necessary. My system's P04 is impacted by .02-.04ppm in 24 hours with 1/4 tsp of roids, which is exactly the same value as 1ml of seachem phosphorus.
Now that I have up/down tools, a consistent feed, I can choose set point values and aim for the same test result daily. Whether I want low nutrients or high nutrients, or anything in between, I have the data, and tools to maintain that balance.

Update:
I added the filter sock back onto the system, I just could not handle the amount of detritus buildup. Since adding, nutrients crept upward, no big deal, I am sure they would have stabilized regardless. On this system, being mature, this is another control factor. The socks, certainly assist in export, how much? The sump was cleaned, 10 gallon water change. Sock back in play, no ill effects on corals.
Nutrient stability test:
With socks back in play, it is a 7" sock, 3 return pipes clog them in 2 days. That said, they are 100% impacting nutrient levels, going downward. At this point, my schedule is nearly complete, I will test all week, and make changes as necessary. Today, N03=12.5ppm/ Yesterday 13.2ppm. P04=0.09ppm/ Yesterday 0.08. Now, I am using 1ml of Bacto Energy, and added 1ml of Seachem phosphorus Yesterday. With a .01 increase, this puts me basically exactly at the same value. Today, I repeated. So, this basically means that I am quite close to stabilized nutrients. Again, this is based on the current coral cast, as well as the fish bioload+feeding schedule. As a caveat, the system could inherently balance itself, again, staying in 100/1 ratio. My guess is that carbon source, for control may not be necessary, and based on my schedule for 3 bacteria dosing days, using FM Rebiotic x1day and FM Bacto Therapy x2days, may in fact keep me level over 24 hours. So, I will be testing, and stay with Bacto Energy at 1ml per day. My guess is that N03 will begin to dive with continued P04 dosing and Bacto Energy dosing.
Observation :
Is any of this necessary? I don't really think so, but... Observation! I am seeing a continuing extraction of layers literally peeling off rock. Seeing new surfaces appear, and truly believing life is suppressed under layers of gunk. No livestock additions, but limpets are blooming, weird, now if I see stomatellas appear, after not for 2 years, I will be mind-blown. Rebiotic started this process, with tighter nutrient control, and use of carbon source has boosted the process. Coral colors are enhanced, and have that glow/sheen, like an electric hue. My colors have always been acceptable, within lineage range, and nicely saturated. So, to think that they are improving is crazy, but growth too is improving. Having smoothies is a real challenge, sometimes they go dormant, and frankly, the Jaw Dropper usually tells me everything. It doesn't grow!!! I am not the only one, lol... I am now seeing it showing sign at tips, normally encrusting growth, but to see tip growth is unusual. Ari's Avalanche is starting to reveal the pearly white offset to an electric blue. Even my BK Creme de le Creme is close in color to her mama, which was acquired from therman. So, I don't think this is at all necessary, but seeing positive growth and color trends are hard to argue. I believe that not only the system, but corals, are showing better health through a tighter nutrient gap. So, yes, the juice is worth the squeeze

 

[Perry]

 

[drawman]

Gorgeous Perry! Is it just the foxface that is keeping the algae at bay?

 

[Perry]

Gorgeous Perry! Is it just the foxface that is keeping the algae at bay?

Correct
When you see the tank in person, you will notice my fish are treated well. The Foxface, sadly will be re-homed with a reef pal. It's big enough for dinner, lol, nice size fillets... I will get a Tomini tank, it will be my only tang. But, yes, despite the FF getting fed well, it destroys algae, kinda concerned about life after the FF
Another reason to dial in this test I am doing with a very tight 24 hour nutrient gap.
More soon...

 

[Someguyfromsc]

That’s a great looking tank !

 

[Perry]

That’s a great looking tank !

Thank you!!!
Colors are picking up

 

[Perry]

For those who like oddball corals, check out what this Spath is doing
BC Sunflower Spath- Not sure where the reds came from, poor boys splice

 

[drawman]

Correct
When you see the tank in person, you will notice my fish are treated well. The Foxface, sadly will be re-homed with a reef pal. It's big enough for dinner, lol, nice size fillets... I will get a Tomini tank, it will be my only tang. But, yes, despite the FF getting fed well, it destroys algae, kinda concerned about life after the FF
Another reason to dial in this test I am doing with a very tight 24 hour nutrient gap.
More soon...

It's really tough to find a good algae eater that doesn't get huge. I'm right there with you and I've had a tomini tang on my mind for some time. I really wish they aquacultured kole tangs.

 

[Perry]

It's really tough to find a good algae eater that doesn't get huge. I'm right there with you and I've had a tomini tang on my mind for some time. I really wish they aquacultured kole tangs.

This foxface is a sweet fish, hand feeds, and is such a good tank leader. FF will be missed, but the large size de-scales the tank, unfortunately making it look smaller than the 3x3' space. A Tomini should be fine as an adult. I will eventually add some damsels. Just a process

 

[chipchipbro]

what about an starry blenny or some stuff for algae?

I am in the same boat, have a foxface which is too big for my tank and need to rehome.
Well I can always return the fish to my private fish-vendor and he will give me another fish for it... I am scared that algae will come back strong without the foxface.

I also want to rehome my juvenile tang and will do so.

Unfortunately my CBB died for no reason a few days ago and I can already see 1-2 aiptasia, which were under control by the CBB. What to do now? I have wurdemanni in the tank, but yeah....

Also one of my 3 green chromis is very aggressive towards ANY fish.. i eventually have to reorganize my whole fih stock.

 

[aquavista99]

Look fantastic, Perry. TSA Bill Murray is a winner in my book too.

 

[Perry]

what about an starry blenny or some stuff for algae?

I am in the same boat, have a foxface which is too big for my tank and need to rehome.
Well I can always return the fish to my private fish-vendor and he will give me another fish for it... I am scared that algae will come back strong without the foxface.

I also want to rehome my juvenile tang and will do so.

Unfortunately my CBB died for no reason a few days ago and I can already see 1-2 aiptasia, which were under control by the CBB. What to do now? I have wurdemanni in the tank, but yeah....

Also one of my 3 green chromis is very aggressive towards ANY fish.. i eventually have to reorganize my whole fih stock.

I will likely stay with a tomini tang, I have had one, they are super cool. I don't foresee issues with my CBB. My FF is going to a good home, so I am good knowing that he will be in great hands. Fish are kinda funny at times, I will likely add all my final fish at once, but that will be after I re-home the FF. I feel this approach forces all of them to play nice. My male bimac is seriously aggressive, but I think I can tame that with more damsels and chromis, at least that is the plan