The Miracle Tank

[brett_schn]

If all else fails, a little nitrate dosing is easy. Especially on a small tank. The math to figure it out is easy and a small bag of sodium nitrate will go a long way. Basically dose enough of your stock solution to get some color on the test. Most corals need a little and when it is 0 it makes it hard for good bacteria and all those little critters like micro fauna to survive. Then you end up with Dinos. Dinos suck lol.

Yeah. I’ll take a look into that. I’m going to be honest. I’ve been terrible with water changes. Maybe once every 3 weeks or a month... I haven’t had the need to with 0 levels. I did add about 6-8g of new water last week when I changed the sump

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Yeah. I’ll take a look into that. I’m going to be honest. I’ve been terrible with water changes. Maybe once every 3 weeks or a month... I haven’t had the need to with 0 levels. I did add about 6-8g of new water last week when I changed the sump

Nothing wrong with doing water changes for all and calcium if needed. If dosing then not so much. The 180 only had a water change when the nem went into the power head and when it got setup. It was only 90 gallons or so new when it was setup, as the 90 and 45 got combined into it.

Paxtins 14 cube has not had one since setup 2 years ago lol. It gets dosed for calc, alk and traces via the calc (reef complete). Grows sps or anything we throw in there and no algae lol.

All tanks are different though. My frag tank has to have 30 gallons a week or the nutrients sky rocket. The lack of a proper amount of rock is the reason why on that.

But remember, any tank is typically not stable for the first year. You may bottom out nutrients, then spike on them. Slow and steady is the way to go. Bacteria are their own critters and do their own thing lol. Basically each tank finds it “norm” and then you slowly work with that. That’s why I said dose just enough NO3 to get a slight bit of color on the test. No need to shoot a tank directly 5 and throw the balance off. But be sure to check PO4 before dosing NO3. If they get too far out of whack, things don’t like it.

At least that is my experience.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Ohh and since I haven’t been to active lately due to work and trying to take the last 2 weeks of the year off. Here is the stock list for the 180 now. All fish went through 2 weeks of TTM and h2o2 treatment like champs. The only ones that didn’t are the first 6 in the list, as they lived through merten tentacles being shredded and thrown around the tank. Merten has healed up nicely and now resides in the 7’ frag lol. No coral losses either and the millies have healed up after the dusky damsel was removed.

Mated pair of tomato clowns (survivor)
Yellow coris wrasse (survivor)
4x cleaner shrimp (survivors and 2 mated pairs)
Porcelain crab (survivor)
14x sexy shrimp (survivors)
18 seaweed blennies (survivors)
Chalk bass
Yellow Midas blenny
Azure damsel
1 male lyretail Anthia
2 female lyretail anthia
Larger yellow tang
Small clown tang
Half Black Mimic Tang (my all time favorite tang, as I love half black angels, but they decimate coral lol)
Mandarin
Billions of pods due to 2 weeks of only one fish that could care to eat them while the other were treated.

And the spam. She is camera shy. The photo does no justice for the metallic blue on her fins.

 

[JoshH]

I’ve been terrible with water changes.

I've done exactly one water change since I cycled my tank 3 months ago, so don't feel too bad ;Smuggrin

 

[alimac122]

Took a lil golden hour photoshoot just because. And although the pups ruined 90% of the photos some of my favorites were of them in it.
here’s a couple just to share my big ole honkin smile that’ll hopefully cheer up someone’s meh day

 

[vetteguy53081]

Two rednecks, Bubba and Earl, were driving down the road drinking a couple of bottles of Bud.
The passenger, Bubba, said "Lookey thar up ahead, Earl, it's a police roadblock!! We're gonna get busted fer drinkin' these here beers!!"
"Don't worry, Bubba," Earl said. "We'll just pull over and finish drinkin' these beers then peel off the label and stick it on our foreheads, and throw the bottles under the seat."
"What fer?", asked Bubba.
"Just let me do the talkin', OK?," said Earl.
Well, they finished their beers, threw the empties out of sight & put label on each of their foreheads.
When they reached the roadblock, the sheriff said, "You boys been drinkin'?"
"No, sir," said Earl while pointing at the labels. "We're on the patch."

 

[JoshH]

Good morning. @fishguy242 how's the water test going.

Tomorrow Heather is having gull bladder removal.

Best wishes to you both, hopefully it's a speedy recovery and everything goes well

 

[Fin]

Took a lil golden hour photoshoot just because. And although the pups ruined 90% of the photos some of my favorites were of them in it.
here’s a couple just to share my big ole honkin smile that’ll hopefully cheer up someone’s meh day

It is a great smile! Looks like a fun afternoon with the pups.

 

[living_tribunal]

I may end up going that route

Did you get a bigger tank? Need to catch up with everyone.

 

[brett_schn]

Nothing wrong with doing water changes for all and calcium if needed. If dosing then not so much. The 180 only had a water change when the nem went into the power head and when it got setup. It was only 90 gallons or so new when it was setup, as the 90 and 45 got combined into it.

Paxtins 14 cube has not had one since setup 2 years ago lol. It gets dosed for calc, alk and traces via the calc (reef complete). Grows sps or anything we throw in there and no algae lol.

All tanks are different though. My frag tank has to have 30 gallons a week or the nutrients sky rocket. The lack of a proper amount of rock is the reason why on that.

But remember, any tank is typically not stable for the first year. You may bottom out nutrients, then spike on them. Slow and steady is the way to go. Bacteria are their own critters and do their own thing lol. Basically each tank finds it “norm” and then you slowly work with that. That’s why I said dose just enough NO3 to get a slight bit of color on the test. No need to shoot a tank directly 5 and throw the balance off. But be sure to check PO4 before dosing NO3. If they get too far out of whack, things don’t like it.

At least that is my experience.

Ok sounds good. I need to get a PO4 and calcium test too

 

[alimac122]

It is a great smile! Looks like a fun afternoon with the pups.

Was a nice little break from finals week work for sure!!

 

[alimac122]

Ok sounds good. I need to get a PO4 and calcium test too

Ca is a must! but everyone is gonna yell at me if I reveal that I still havent bought a ULR phosphate test yet (oopsie).

I feel like if you have GFO/Phosban/Chemipure blue youre pretty much good.

I dont even change my chemipure on a "schedule" just when cyano starts to pop back up. Throw chemipure in my amazon cart, and two days later its gone!

But also... Marine biologist at an aquarium for 4 year. My entire job was just making sure chems were in check for our nearly pristine tanks. So i kinda have an eyeball of what to look out for on some things. Youll get there eventually! Especially with you wanting to do two tanks in the first year!

 

[sfin52]

Best wishes to you both, hopefully it's a speedy recovery and everything goes well

Thanks

 

[brett_schn]

Ca is a must! but everyone is gonna yell at me if I reveal that I still havent bought a ULR phosphate test yet (oopsie).

I feel like if you have GFO/Phosban/Chemipure blue youre pretty much good.

I dont even change my chemipure on a "schedule" just when cyano starts to pop back up. Throw chemipure in my amazon cart, and two days later its gone!

But also... Marine biologist at an aquarium for 4 year. My entire job was just making sure chems were in check for our nearly pristine tanks. So i kinda have an eyeball of what to look out for on some things. Youll get there eventually! Especially with you wanting to do two tanks in the first year!

It’s not my first reef. I’ve been reefing for 4 years now. Just not the testing it side. Whenever I had issues before lfs tested water and told me what to do. I’m trying to do more on my own now. Plus that tank was only 10g

 

[fishguy242]

"all through the house"

 

[Fin]

Was a nice little break from finals week work for sure!!

I was going to ask how in the world you found the time to relax and enjoy yourself. You have an awful lot on your plate. Take time and enjoy being young. It doesn’t last near long enough.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A biologist, a physicist, and a chemist go to the beach for the first time. The biologist is amazed at the birds, the seaweed, the fish. He goes into the water for a closer look. Pretty soon the water is over his head. He drowns. The physicist is mesmerized by the waves. The amplitude. The periodicity. The reflections. He goes into the water for a closer look. Pretty soon the water is over his head. He drowns. The chemist is sitting on the beach making notes in his lab book. He writes, “Biologists and physicists are soluble in water.”

 

[Fin]

Good morning Miracle people!

Truth...

 

[sfin52]

 

[Fin]