Turtle's Deep Blue Sea

[SashimiTurtle]

In case anyone was wondering, I've had my fireplace going like this all day and the tank temp is 77.9. No hot spots on the side of the tank or stand. I've got my Neotherm set to 78°F. Ignore the pH, it's not calibrated. Too much hassle keeping the sensor wet.

 

[sfin52]

How is the macro Algea doing

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Well, let's take a look shall we?

The chaeto has formed a thick mat on the surface of the fuge and the ulva is hanging out at the back. I'm starting to think there is some growth here... that makes me want to test NO3 and PO4.

 

[Brew12]

Well, let's take a look shall we?

View attachment 652401 View attachment 652402

The chaeto has formed a thick mat onnthe surface of the fuge and the ulva is hangingnout at the back. I'm starting to think there is some growth here... that makes me want to test NO3 and PO4.

Do you find that the ulva stinks horribly when you take it out of the water? Mine did to the point where I tried getting it all out. Not sure if it was something in my tank it was absorbing or if it is normal for that stuff. Yuck!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Do you find that the ulva stinks horribly when you take it out of the water? Mine did to the point where I tried getting it all out. Not sure if it was something in my tank it was absorbing or if it is normal for that stuff. Yuck!

If I puke in my sump here in the next two minutes, its all your fault @Brew12. I know it already looks and feels like that lettuce I forgot in the fridge for a few months.... let's hope it doesn't smell the same.

 

[Brew12]

If I puke in my sump here in the next two minutes, its all your fault @Brew12. I know it already looks and feels like that lettuce I forgot in the fridge for a few months.... let's hope it doesn't smell the same.

;Wideyed;Wideyed;Wideyed;Wideyed

I didn't put it in your fuge, don't blame me!!!

;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit

 

[SashimiTurtle]

;Wideyed;Wideyed;Wideyed;Wideyed

I didn't put it in your fuge, don't blame me!!!

;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit;Vomit

Thankfully, there is no noticeable smell other than sea water.

 

[sfin52]

T

In case anyone was wondering, I've had my fireplace going like this all day and the tank temp is 77.9. No hot spots on the side of the tank or stand. I've got my Neotherm set to 78°F. Ignore the pH, it's not calibrated. Too much hassle keeping the sensor wet.

View attachment 652191 View attachment 652192

That looks like a very relaxing. Crackling of the fire the smell. Enjoy

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Here's our results...

Looks like our nutrients have flatlined... so something is getting rid of exactly the same amount of nutrients that I'm putting in the tank. It's not like I've been feeding lightly, the fish get at least one cube of mysis a day, for five nano sized fish... sometimes I feed only mysis, some times I feed only LRS, sometimes it's a mix. Plus whenever Maui decides it's ok for me to feed him, which has been about once a week lately.

 

[najer]

Dudes, you need to look back to where we decided to tease your cheato apart, I cant be bothered, looks like good macro algae to me!?

 

[Brew12]

Here's our results...

View attachment 652419

Looks like our nutrients have flatlined... so something is getting rid of exactly the same amount of nutrients that I'm putting in the tank. It's not like I've been feeding lightly, the fish get at least one cube of mysis a day, for five nano sized fish... sometimes I feed only mysis, some times I feed only LRS, sometimes it's a mix. Plus whenever Maui decides it's ok for me to feed him, which has been about once a week lately.

Looks really good!

I've become a big believer in balanced nutrients. The N and P content of most unprocessed food is very close to the same as is found in algae and plankton. As long as you don't grow too much bacteria and don't chemically remove one or the other, growing macro algae should keep things stable.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Dudes, you need to look back to where we decided to tease your cheato apart, I cant be bothered, looks like good macro algae to me!?

Seeing it everyday, it just looks the same. I'll have to scroll back and find when I got it.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Looks really good!

I've become a big believer in balanced nutrients. The N and P content of most unprocessed food is very close to the same as is found in algae and plankton. As long as you don't grow too much bacteria and don't chemically remove one or the other, growing macro algae should keep things stable.

The only filtration I have is a skimmer and macro. The sump is a split flow design, so the filter sock only goes to the skimmer, and the fuge gets unfiltered overflow water.

I'm actually quite happy that my nutrients have stayed the same with the amount I've been feeding. Ecstatic, even. I'm confident the tank can handle lots more bioload. I'm pretty sure with the few more fish I want, I won't have to change feeding amounts either. Maybe a piece of nori every now and then for the pygmy angel. I'll be limited on space for fish rather than nutrient removal, which is the way it should be.

 

[sfin52]

right Around Christmas I believe.

 

[sfin52]

Can’t you use some macro to feed the angel?

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Heh, I don't have to hunt back thru pages of forum posts... I have all the pics on my phone...

Here's when we got the macro

Here is when @najer convinced us to give it a early 90s hair do...

Here is when it started floating

Here is when it started turning white

Here is when we removed the H380 and put the Eshopps Curve back on

I'll give the Curve a few days and see if that white starts turning back green... also I'll keep an eye on PO4. I'll get more accurate results with that test... NO3 is right at 4ppm, which is between the low and high range tests on the Red Sea test. It looks really high on the low range, but then looks really low on the high range. I did a cross reference with my cheap API kit, and even losing my color chart, I could tell that the color barely changed from yellow to a really yellowy-orange. We remember the first color on the chart was 5ppm...

Again, I'm really thrilled the macro has been working. I thought for sure it wasn't doing anything and I was just killing it once again. Now to see if it will continue to work with the Curve light.

If y'all (I seem to be too much of a pessimist with this stuff) notice it's dying off, we will switch back to the H380 with a limited lighting schedule.

 

[Brew12]

Heh, I don't have to hunt back thru pages of forum posts... I have all the pics on my phone...

Here's when we got the macro
View attachment 652547

Here is when @najer convinced us to give it a early 90s hair do...
View attachment 652548

Here is when it started floating
View attachment 652549 View attachment 652550

Here is when it started turning white
View attachment 652555

Here is when we removed the H380 and put the Eshopps Curve back on
View attachment 652562 View attachment 652563

I'll give the Curve a few days and see if that white starts turning back green... also I'll keep an eye on PO4. I'll get more accurate results with that test... NO3 is right at 4ppm, which is between the low and high range tests on the Red Sea test. It looks really high on the low range, but then looks really low on the high range. I did a cross reference with my cheap API kit, and even losing my color chart, I could tell that the color barely changed from yellow to a really yellowy-orange. We remember the first color on the chart was 5ppm...

Again, I'm really thrilled the macro has been working. I thought for sure it wasn't doing anything and I was just killing it once again. Now to see if it will continue to work with the Curve light.

If y'all (I seem to be too much of a pessimist with this stuff) notice it's dying off, we will switch back to the H380 with a limited lighting schedule.

I think our nitrates are identical! Too high for the low range, too low for the high range. API shows too orange to be on the chart. Salifert puts it around 5ppm. Aren't hobby quality test kits great!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I think our nitrates are identical! Too high for the low range, too low for the high range. API shows too orange to be on the chart. Salifert puts it around 5ppm. Aren't hobby quality test kits great!

Nitrate twins! ;Wideyed;Woot;Stop

Ok 6 grade school girl moment over.

I saw a few tests kits at work, (we have a water lab there, power plant stuff... they have "demineralizers" full of the same kind of DI resin we use in our RODI, except these are hundreds of gallons in size not a half gallon...) anyway, we forgot the name of the test kits but I go back in tonight. Maybe I can see about ordering a few of these lab grade kits. They were in a single box for each test, about the size of one of our hobby grade kits. The one I saw was dissolved O2, but I'd like to see what other kits they have and what the cost is.

 

[Brew12]

Nitrate twins! ;Wideyed;Woot;Stop

Ok 6 grade school girl moment over.

I saw a few tests kits at work, (we have a water lab there, power plant stuff... they have "demineralizers" full of the same kind of DI resin we use in our RODI, except these are hundreds of gallons in size not a half gallon...) anyway, we forgot the name of the test kits but I go back in tonight. Maybe I can see about ordering a few of these lab grade kits. They were in a single box for each test, about the size of one of our hobby grade kits. The one I saw was dissolved O2, but I'd like to see what other kits they have and what the cost is.

LoL

I don't worry about my nitrates very much and only test them rarely. I try to keep them in a range between cyano and 20ppm. Yesterday was the first time I had tested them in weeks.

 

[Zack K]

I’m a little jelous of all your Readings. Mine are just a little higher...[emoji848]

-Zack, who may or not not have a problem.