zachfishman
12/23/2009, 11:11 PM
I'd like to know what you fellow reefers would suggest I do.
I have experienced an intriguing situation in my 120 reef over the last several years. Of the many corals I have (all hardy, low-light varieties) I see patterns whereby one or two species will grow vigorously, then seem to peter out, either dying off entirely or simply stop growing. Examples include: zoos (huge explosion, now stopped growing), trumpet coral (a hundred heads from one small frag, now almost completely dead and gone), GSP (all gone), xenia (explosion, now all gone), frogspawn (big growth in the past, now nothing). Currently all that is growing great are Monti cap. and red shrooms.
My tank does not receive adequate maintenance, as I am home from school only 2-3 times a year to perform a few water changes. The tank has a big external skimmer and and an old powerfilter that I recharge with carbon when I'm home. My parents feed the fish, top off, and add supplements in the meantime). Supplements are: kalk, Seachem reef builder, Kent Strontium, and PurpleUP. Supplement regimens are kept extremely conservative to avoid overdosing, and have done well in maintaining Calcium and alk as far as I've measured.
If you were only home 2-3x a year, what else would you do/change to maintain the health of your low-tech reef?
I have experienced an intriguing situation in my 120 reef over the last several years. Of the many corals I have (all hardy, low-light varieties) I see patterns whereby one or two species will grow vigorously, then seem to peter out, either dying off entirely or simply stop growing. Examples include: zoos (huge explosion, now stopped growing), trumpet coral (a hundred heads from one small frag, now almost completely dead and gone), GSP (all gone), xenia (explosion, now all gone), frogspawn (big growth in the past, now nothing). Currently all that is growing great are Monti cap. and red shrooms.
My tank does not receive adequate maintenance, as I am home from school only 2-3 times a year to perform a few water changes. The tank has a big external skimmer and and an old powerfilter that I recharge with carbon when I'm home. My parents feed the fish, top off, and add supplements in the meantime). Supplements are: kalk, Seachem reef builder, Kent Strontium, and PurpleUP. Supplement regimens are kept extremely conservative to avoid overdosing, and have done well in maintaining Calcium and alk as far as I've measured.
If you were only home 2-3x a year, what else would you do/change to maintain the health of your low-tech reef?