Perseverance Reef

[Fishy888]

I was just reminded of the fact that I want to start a nannochloropsis culture. I’ve had “success” in my original 75 gallon DT creating a culture of tetraselmis algae and it lasted about a month and was so dense I couldn’t see more than an inch into the DT.

I’m going to replicate those conditions in a 5 gallon tank. I have an appropriate HOB filter I can use for circulation. I’ll run it without media. For fertilization I’ll use water from the system pre water change and a tad of f/2. It’ll go next to the sump under my Viparspectra 300w grow lights (which only draw 165 watts each).

The 10 gallon tank I’m using to raise my saltwater acclimated mollies is going to be used for culturing pods, brittle and asterina stars, micro feather dusters, and other small creatures once the mollies are large enough to be transferred to the DT. The pods and dusters are the reason I want to culture phyto. I might eventually end up with corals or other creatures that need it as well.

I want to culture several types of phyto. For now I want to start with nanno and see how it goes this time.

 

[Fishy888]

I took a few pictures of the 10 gallon tank and the mollies last night.

The rock all the way to the left is hair algae free. It had about as much GHA as the rock in the middle has currently. I’m pretty sure the mollies ate it especially considering the GHA on the middle rock is very much alive. I can’t wait until they get big enough to tackle the green hair algae in the DT.

As I mentioned in my last post I want to use the 10 gallon tank to culture things like bristle worms, starfish, pods, and eventually chitons, stomatellae, limpets and any other potential CUC and live food.

They’re are only three rocks in there now but once the fish get transferred I’ll put in more rocks from my sump. They’ll have a lot of the creatures I want to cultivate in them.

 

[Fishy888]

I decided to test my ALK today and it’s off the charts. Ok it’s not quite off the charts but close enough. 15 dKh to be exact. I tested it twice in fact. I use Salifert for ALK. The nem is hiding in its rock today.

Since the only thing I dose to the system is phosphat-e and that’s only as needed, but extra ALK has gotten in somehow. I think it got in through topping off the system and water changes. During the time my RO membrane was shot and the DI resin was installed upside down I made lots of water. I’m sure that’s where the excess ALK came from.

I might have to resort to water changes and possibly white vinegar. I don’t want to harm my animals with such high ALK but at the same time, but lowering ALK too fast will cause just as much if not more harm. I’ll keep an eye on things.

The water I made up last night is ready to go. I also have plenty of white vinegar. I’ll be testing far more often this week. I have some errands to run, so late this afternoon or early evening is when I’ll do my water change,

 

[Mschmidt]

what salt do you use? I had alk numbers that high for the whole time I was using red sea and it took the tank upgrade to see numbers under 10. I didn't see any negatives except pectinia skeleton growing through the flesh.

 

[tbrown]

One thing: white vinegar or Muriatic Acid can be added to fresh w/c water to lower the alk of the w/c water, add an air stone and let it bubble for 2 or 3 hours and check the pH. If the pH is good, do small water changes. I brought mine down from 12.8 to 8.3 this way over the course of a week. Just make sure you're doing it slowly.

 

[Fishy888]

what salt do you use? I had alk numbers that high for the whole time I was using red sea and it took the tank upgrade to see numbers under 10. I didn't see any negatives except pectinia skeleton growing through the flesh.

I’m using reef crystals currently.

 

[tbrown]

I’m using reef crystals currently.

Shouldn't be that high. Mine mix at around 8.3-8.8. I agree that it was likely the water.

 

[Fishy888]

One thing: white vinegar or Muriatic Acid can be added to fresh w/c water to lower the alk of the w/c water, add an air stone and let it bubble for 2 or 3 hours and check the pH. If the pH is good, do small water changes. I brought mine down from 12.8 to 8.3 this way over the course of a week. Just make sure you're doing it slowly.

I’ll definitely go slow. My anemone has been hiding the last couple of days but the few tentacles I can see are bubbly. Everything else looks great.

 

[Mschmidt]

what tim said. RC shouldn't be that high.

 

[Goaway]

This is all cery odd. Reef crystals should mix around 11-13 dkh. Great for high alk consumption reefs. Instant ocean mixes up to 11.
Here's a chart to compare mix of the big 3.

Assuming we are mixing 1.025-1.026



Hows calcium and mag?

 

[tbrown]

This is all cery odd. Reef crystals should mix around 11-13 dkh. Great for high alk consumption reefs. Instant ocean mixes up to 11.
Here's a chart to compare mix of the big 3.

Assuming we are mixing 1.025-1.026



Hows calcium and mag?

My calcium is always around 480, my magnesium sticks around 1280.

 

[Goaway]

My calcium is always around 480, my magnesium sticks around 1280.

That sounds correct.
We also have to remember, alk needs time and oxygen to buffer.

 

[tbrown]

My Reef Crystals only mix at 12 when I use tap water.

 

[Goaway]

We also have another issue with salt mix. The bags, buckets are meant to be used all at once. So, if we are taking portions of salt from these containers. We have the issue of other elements being at the bottom and not mixed accordingly. I roll my reef crystals around several times to mix up my salt. Sounds weird right?

 

[tbrown]

We also have another issue with salt mix. The bags, buckets are meant to be used all at once. So, if we are taking portions of salt from these containers. We have the issue of other elements being at the bottom and not mixed accordingly. I roll my reef crystals around several times to mix up my salt. Sounds weird right?

Same. I roll it and flip it each time before use.

 

[Goaway]

Same. I roll it and flip it each time before use.

I'll have to test my next mix right after. I usually heat and aerate for a minimum of 24 hours.

 

[Mschmidt]

We also have another issue with salt mix. The bags, buckets are meant to be used all at once. So, if we are taking portions of salt from these containers. We have the issue of other elements being at the bottom and not mixed accordingly. I roll my reef crystals around several times to mix up my salt. Sounds weird right?

did not know that! Ill have to start micing before I mix.

 

[Goaway]

did not know that! Ill have to start micing before I mix.

One guy uses a special drill piece. I don't remember the name of his thread though....

 

[Goaway]

Here we are.

This is how I mix my salt before making saltwater

https://youtube.com/shorts/EDH1uhsjszU?feature=share I was getting low parameters when making new saltwater. So I’ve been doing this to mix my salt first and I’ve been getting correct parameters. I got the planting auger from Home Depot Here is the link...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Fishy888]

This is all cery odd. Reef crystals should mix around 11-13 dkh. Great for high alk consumption reefs. Instant ocean mixes up to 11.
Here's a chart to compare mix of the big 3.

Assuming we are mixing 1.025-1.026



Hows calcium and mag?

I need to get those tested soon. I think the ALK built up from all the top offs I’ve done. I have to think it came that way. I’m going to test one more time though now that some time has passed.

The good news is that the nem isn’t hiding now. It’s not open all the way but it looks like it usually looks when it’s opening up.