Turtle's 14g SPS Nano Build.

SashimiTurtle · Jul 31, 2017

I have the last 3 weeks of tests in a notebook at home. I'm stuck at work currently. Yay night shift... I switched from the black bucket to the blue bucket for that very reason. Ca Alk and Mg thru the roof freshly mixed at 1.026. The blue bucket is really close to NSW levels. My Ca and Mg have been pretty much stable the last 3 weeks, still trying to find that sweet spot with Alk. Currently aiming for 430 Ca, 8.0 Alk, 1350Mg but really just trying to hold 8.0 alk... I think adding an ATO with a very light kalk solution might help smooth things out.

SashimiTurtle · Jul 31, 2017

Ok got my fiancee to text me my test results. I'll test again in the morning when I get home and post those. I try to do my testing at 7am, that way I'm consistent. I might not follow this strictly enough...

SashimiTurtle · Jul 31, 2017

jsker said:
Your corals look hungry, and need real food

What coral foods do you suggest?

SashimiTurtle · Jul 31, 2017

Oh the reason for the big drop in Mg from 7/12 to 7/15 was a roughly 50%, 5g water change. I was using black bucket before which was 1600ppm+ Mg, to the blue bucket which is closer to 1300ppm.

jsker · Jul 31, 2017

Robin Haselden said:
What coral foods do you suggest?

Reef nutrition's oyterfeast, and R.O.E mixed with a couple of drop of vitamin C to help bring back your corals.

dodgerblew · Aug 1, 2017

I've been reading through your thread and I kept a nano tank for six years with both sps and LPS. My tank was twice your size, 28g nanocube. I also ran two kessils. Nanos are such a challenge. My observation over time was the difficulty arose from keeping parameters stable and consistent. I'd go through swings all the time and the more parameters swung up or down, the more problems I'd encounter. When things finally changed for me was when I simplified things. So, in reading through I see your doing large water changes once a week. My opinion is that's to much. I did the same thing and got similar results. Your Alk is a different number every time, 8 then 7.8 then 7.4. That's a lot on a low water volume where parameters shift quickly compared to a larger volume of water. When I switched to 10-20% every 4-5 days things stabilized much better. My goal was to change 100% water every month and never go more then 5 days without a wc. My parameters stayed consistent. I also used to use Red Sea salt and found parameters of salt could change from bag to bag or bucket to bucket. I switched to IO and things improved for me in regards to stable parameters. I've since switched to Fritz salt and really like the consistent parameters I get with it and it's the target numbers out of the box that I'm shooting for. If you increase the frequency of the wc and lower the volume the parameters should stay pretty stable with no extra help from you. I als removed the skimmer. I saw in post one you had one but never saw if you were using it. I found using the skimmer netted me nothing more then a light tea color anyway and the water changes kept the water clean and not pulling out the little bit of organic waste that the skimmer pulled out helped my nitrates. I supplemented a little Acropower. So the moral of my story is that I think the stability is the key and the success lies in the water changes. Good luck on getting it back. It's been a good build so far

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

dodgerblew said:
I've been reading through your thread and I kept a nano tank for six years with both sps and LPS. My tank was twice your size, 28g nanocube. I also ran two kessils. Nanos are such a challenge. My observation over time was the difficulty arose from keeping parameters stable and consistent. I'd go through swings all the time and the more parameters swung up or down, the more problems I'd encounter. When things finally changed for me was when I simplified things. So, in reading through I see your doing large water changes once a week. My opinion is that's to much. I did the same thing and got similar results. Your Alk is a different number every time, 8 then 7.8 then 7.4. That's a lot on a low water volume where parameters shift quickly compared to a larger volume of water. When I switched to 10-20% every 4-5 days things stabilized much better. My goal was to change 100% water every month and never go more then 5 days without a wc. My parameters stayed consistent. I also used to use Red Sea salt and found parameters of salt could change from bag to bag or bucket to bucket. I switched to IO and things improved for me in regards to stable parameters. I've since switched to Fritz salt and really like the consistent parameters I get with it and it's the target numbers out of the box that I'm shooting for. If you increase the frequency of the wc and lower the volume the parameters should stay pretty stable with no extra help from you. I als removed the skimmer. I saw in post one you had one but never saw if you were using it. I found using the skimmer netted me nothing more then a light tea color anyway and the water changes kept the water clean and not pulling out the little bit of organic waste that the skimmer pulled out helped my nitrates. I supplemented a little Acropower. So the moral of my story is that I think the stability is the key and the success lies in the water changes. Good luck on getting it back. It's been a good build so far

Thank you for the advice. I've been doing 1g water changes every Saturday. I did that one 5g change that time because I accidentally overdosed the stump remover and shot my nitrates up to 12ppm or better. Since then I've only done 1, 1g change. Try doing a 1g change twice a week instead of once, as you said you switched to. I really need to go get some bigger water jugs, I'm currently using 1g distilled water jugs from Wal-Mart. Perfect for RODI top off as one fits perfectly inside the bottom of the stand... I think it's finally time to break down, make a trip to the LFS and buy some 5g jugs. Making salt water won't be such a chore then.

dodgerblew · Aug 1, 2017

Are you using a skimmer? I'd do 2 gallons every 4-5 days

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

dodgerblew said:
Are you using a skimmer? I'd do 2 gallons every 4-5 days

No skimmer, no room for one with the light clamped to the back of the tank. I don't really see a need on such a small tank when water changes can manage nutrients.

dodgerblew · Aug 1, 2017

Exactly. My findings were water changes also managed Ca, Mg and Alk. But testing is still a must and consistent too. Parameters shift quickly in lower volume of water and sps is very sensitive to it, even the more bulletproof pocci, stylos and montis

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

Hmm, got me thinking... ATO with kalk and a dosing pump to do water change over the course of the day.

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

jsker said:
Reef nutrition's oyterfeast, and R.O.E mixed with a couple of drop of vitamin C to help bring back your corals.

Wow... I just looked up prices on that stuff. They sure are proud of their product. Shipping is out of the question. $33 for one bottle. Luckly, I have two LFS about 25 miles from me that are on their store locator. Hmm, well I haven't been over there in months... might be time for a trip. Sure is peaceful in the country but nothing is close...

I did check out the dosing calculator on the Reef Nutrition website. They suggest 1ml a day for my tank. A bottle should last me a while. 1oz is just over 29ml... 6oz bottle should last just over 5 months.

jsker · Aug 1, 2017

Robin Haselden said:
Wow... I just looked up prices on that stuff. They sure are proud of their product. Shipping is out of the question. $33 for one bottle. Luckly, I have two LFS about 25 miles from me that are on their store locator. Hmm, well I haven't been over there in months... might be time for a trip. Sure is peaceful in the country but nothing is close...

I did check out the dosing calculator on the Reef Nutrition website. They suggest 1ml a day for my tank. A bottle should last me a while. 1oz is just over 29ml... 6oz bottle should last just over 5 months.

I just mix a table spoon in my mix for the week along with my frozen. link my suggestion would be to use a ml twice a week to start with. I agree, having it shipped is a little pricy but it is a fresh need to be cold during shipping. Did you give them a call? you might get a better rate on shipping

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

jsker said:
I just mix a table spoon in my mix for the week along with my frozen. link my suggestion would be to use a ml twice a week to start with. I agree, having it shipped is a little pricy but it is a fresh need to be cold during shipping. Did you give them a call? you might get a better rate on shipping

Just watched your video on preping and feeding. I'm going to go over to the other side of Columbia this week and pick up some of those foods. Mixing it with the fish food looks simple, just feed twice a day and I'd be good. Once I get fish that is. I have my personal frozen blend for fish but there's nothing small like the oyster feast in it.

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

Tested everything again this morning.

Seems my Ca has been slowly falling, which would suggest coral growth. Time to start dosing for that now until I get an ATO with limewater.

SashimiTurtle · Aug 1, 2017

Oh yea, and the Flourish worked. PO4 is now at 0.02 with the red sea test. I trust them way more than the Hanna checkers... I've found that the Alk is the only one worth a dang. Ca is too touchy and the Phosphate can't read anything under a crap ton.

jsker · Aug 1, 2017

Robin Haselden said:
Just watched your video on preping and feeding. I'm going to go over to the other side of Columbia this week and pick up some of those foods. Mixing it with the fish food looks simple, just feed twice a day and I'd be good. Once I get fish that is. I have my personal frozen blend for fish but there's nothing small like the oyster feast in it.

I would suggest feed less then I do, maybe a 1/4 of a teaspoon. Do you have fish in the tank?

dodgerblew · Aug 1, 2017

I'm curious. I use oyster feast for two reasons, 1) to promote a feeding response from my corals and 2) to feed corals. I don't see how it would feed fish since its size is far to small for fish to eat. It's ovarian tissue and oyster eggs. I understand the ROE but not the OF. I look at OF the same as the LRS foods (which I find the best food, hands down) which not only feed fish but also has the very small micron particles that feed the corals simultaneously. Can you share your thoughts on this?