29 gallon biocube build - Page 7

soulpatch · 08/07/2016, 05:54 PM

Tests ate useless right now since you have algae. They will consume the phosphate and nitrates faster than a test will show.

If you did the paste dieing a water change your shrimp should not have been impacted. Spot treat small area and suck or the paste or use turkey baster to remove.

Again it has no impact on aptasia but you keep posting that they survive...

It sounds to me that you should concentrate on near constant water changes, a lights out period, and a few days of no feeding. You need to control the source and get your tank back in line.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Speedfreak241 · 08/08/2016, 09:59 AM

My tank is on a automatic water change system that pulls out .6 of a gallon a day unless I manually override it. With the math I'm doing about a 30% water change bi-weekly and lately I have been letting that run and doing a 10-15% water change on Saturday or Sunday as well.
As for lights out I have done a 3 day lights out and waited a week then have done another 3 day lights out. They algae almost never dies during the lights out and is usually unaffected.

As for feeding I have been feeding much lighter and haven't been feeding the corals at all.

I have heard numerous reports on hydrogen peroxide killing aptasia and used it on my uncles reef to kill some around a coral so it could be moved into another tank.

Lastly will the hydrogen peroxide cause my skimmer to stop foaming because my skimmer hasn't been producing much lately. I am only getting 5ml every couple days and I used to get 20-30ml. It's either this or just my hands in the tank causing it.

Speedfreak241 · 09/27/2016, 09:55 AM

Anyone ever use the realuz 12k bulbs in the biocube? I found one on eBay and wondering if the worth it. I am tired of all my corals loosing there color even with new stock bulbs. A led fixture is not in the budget until I can sell my 120 or trade it for one. I am also thinking about trying a actinic and 50/50 but I am worried that it won't be able to support my corals.

ReefWreak · 09/27/2016, 11:06 AM

What bulbs are you currently using? LED doesn't fix color. I'm having color difficulties with some corals under LED (some of mine look fine).

Depending on what wattage and SE or DE would change the recommendation for bulbs.

Speedfreak241 · 09/27/2016, 04:12 PM

I am currently using the stock lighting with one actinic and one 10k.

ReefWreak · 09/28/2016, 06:17 AM

So the realuz are power compact bulbs? I probably wouldn't mess around with trying fancy PC bulbs to improve color. If it's time to replace bulbs anyway (9 months), then by all means, try out some new color combinations, but I wouldn't expect a big difference.

soulpatch · 09/28/2016, 07:47 AM

given they are cheap PC fixtures with horrid reflectors I would not expect any real improvement. Best to save your money and go a different route when you can.

ReefWreak · 09/28/2016, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulpatch

given they are cheap PC fixtures with horrid reflectors I would not expect any real improvement. Best to save your money and go a different route when you can.

That's a fair point. It's whatever the replacement bulbs cost towards a more effective fixture. My vote is an AI prime. Slick little fixture with wifi control.

Speedfreak241 · 09/28/2016, 01:00 PM

I have actually been looking into the ai prime but I am in college now and don't have the money to put into it. If someone would trade me an ai prime for my 120 I would happily take it but no one in Florida will. I really like the light and for only $200 it is a great light. Would I be able to keep sps with that light because I have put a branching montipora in my tank and one other sps in the cube and there both surviving but that's it. There polyps are always overextended even one inch below the water.

soulpatch · 09/28/2016, 01:09 PM

yes the prime can support SPS in the BC

Speedfreak241 · 09/29/2016, 01:08 PM

Ok another quick question. The algae I have turned out to be bryopsis and I have been dosing tech m. My only problem is in one day my mag is dropping 60. I do the tests twice to make sure only thing I did was add seachem calcium. But it is always dropping even if I don't dose calcium.

soulpatch · 09/29/2016, 01:29 PM

I dont recall your stock list but if you are doing 20% water changes weekly you shouldn't need to dose anything unless you are SPS dominant which you are given your lighting.

Also why are you not dosing alk if you are dosing calc? Are you testing both constantly?

Your tank will eat mag if you are dosing incorrectly.

Honestly I would stop all calc/alk dosing and focus on just the mag with the tech m to rid your issue or go the peroxide route like I laid out before.

Speedfreak241 · 09/29/2016, 04:27 PM

I have a lot of lps corals in my tank. My automatic water change system is changing a small portion everyday so it equals a 30% bi weekly change. I am thinking of changing it so it does more and doesn't it Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. My only problem is with the magnesium. In one day it dropped from 1320 to 1260.

Speedfreak241 · 10/01/2016, 02:10 PM

Well took my water into my lfs and paid the $5 to have them test my water.
API ph: 7.5
API phosphate: 0
API calcium: 340
Api alkalinity: 8
Salifert mag: 1470- also didn't use the plastic tip on it so don't know if this could affect it.
Salinity: 1.028

I don't know if maybe there tests are inaccurate or if mine are so I will be ordering a new set of salifert test kits so that there more accurate. Could the low calcium be the reason my mag is dropping so much.

08/07/2016, 05:54 PM	#151
soulpatch Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 4,017	Tests ate useless right now since you have algae. They will consume the phosphate and nitrates faster than a test will show. If you did the paste dieing a water change your shrimp should not have been impacted. Spot treat small area and suck or the paste or use turkey baster to remove. Again it has no impact on aptasia but you keep posting that they survive... It sounds to me that you should concentrate on near constant water changes, a lights out period, and a few days of no feeding. You need to control the source and get your tank back in line. Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk __________________ 150 SC tank build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2550948 Some have bar tabs. I have a coral tab at my LFS. Life goals.

08/08/2016, 09:59 AM	#152
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	My tank is on a automatic water change system that pulls out .6 of a gallon a day unless I manually override it. With the math I'm doing about a 30% water change bi-weekly and lately I have been letting that run and doing a 10-15% water change on Saturday or Sunday as well. As for lights out I have done a 3 day lights out and waited a week then have done another 3 day lights out. They algae almost never dies during the lights out and is usually unaffected. As for feeding I have been feeding much lighter and haven't been feeding the corals at all. I have heard numerous reports on hydrogen peroxide killing aptasia and used it on my uncles reef to kill some around a coral so it could be moved into another tank. Lastly will the hydrogen peroxide cause my skimmer to stop foaming because my skimmer hasn't been producing much lately. I am only getting 5ml every couple days and I used to get 20-30ml. It's either this or just my hands in the tank causing it. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

09/27/2016, 09:55 AM	#153
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	Anyone ever use the realuz 12k bulbs in the biocube? I found one on eBay and wondering if the worth it. I am tired of all my corals loosing there color even with new stock bulbs. A led fixture is not in the budget until I can sell my 120 or trade it for one. I am also thinking about trying a actinic and 50/50 but I am worried that it won't be able to support my corals. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

09/27/2016, 04:12 PM	#155
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	I am currently using the stock lighting with one actinic and one 10k. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

09/28/2016, 07:47 AM	#157
soulpatch Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 4,017	given they are cheap PC fixtures with horrid reflectors I would not expect any real improvement. Best to save your money and go a different route when you can. __________________ 150 SC tank build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2550948 Some have bar tabs. I have a coral tab at my LFS. Life goals.

09/27/2016, 11:06 AM	#154
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	What bulbs are you currently using? LED doesn't fix color. I'm having color difficulties with some corals under LED (some of mine look fine). Depending on what wattage and SE or DE would change the recommendation for bulbs.

09/28/2016, 06:17 AM	#156
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	So the realuz are power compact bulbs? I probably wouldn't mess around with trying fancy PC bulbs to improve color. If it's time to replace bulbs anyway (9 months), then by all means, try out some new color combinations, but I wouldn't expect a big difference.

09/28/2016, 01:00 PM	#159
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	I have actually been looking into the ai prime but I am in college now and don't have the money to put into it. If someone would trade me an ai prime for my 120 I would happily take it but no one in Florida will. I really like the light and for only $200 it is a great light. Would I be able to keep sps with that light because I have put a branching montipora in my tank and one other sps in the cube and there both surviving but that's it. There polyps are always overextended even one inch below the water. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

09/28/2016, 01:09 PM	#160
soulpatch Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 4,017	yes the prime can support SPS in the BC __________________ 150 SC tank build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2550948 Some have bar tabs. I have a coral tab at my LFS. Life goals.

09/29/2016, 01:08 PM	#161
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	Ok another quick question. The algae I have turned out to be bryopsis and I have been dosing tech m. My only problem is in one day my mag is dropping 60. I do the tests twice to make sure only thing I did was add seachem calcium. But it is always dropping even if I don't dose calcium. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

09/29/2016, 01:29 PM	#162
soulpatch Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 4,017	I dont recall your stock list but if you are doing 20% water changes weekly you shouldn't need to dose anything unless you are SPS dominant which you are given your lighting. Also why are you not dosing alk if you are dosing calc? Are you testing both constantly? Your tank will eat mag if you are dosing incorrectly. Honestly I would stop all calc/alk dosing and focus on just the mag with the tech m to rid your issue or go the peroxide route like I laid out before. __________________ 150 SC tank build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2550948 Some have bar tabs. I have a coral tab at my LFS. Life goals.

09/29/2016, 04:27 PM	#163
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	I have a lot of lps corals in my tank. My automatic water change system is changing a small portion everyday so it equals a 30% bi weekly change. I am thinking of changing it so it does more and doesn't it Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. My only problem is with the magnesium. In one day it dropped from 1320 to 1260. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr

10/01/2016, 02:10 PM	#164
Speedfreak241 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: West palm beach Posts: 218	Well took my water into my lfs and paid the $5 to have them test my water. API ph: 7.5 API phosphate: 0 API calcium: 340 Api alkalinity: 8 Salifert mag: 1470- also didn't use the plastic tip on it so don't know if this could affect it. Salinity: 1.028 I don't know if maybe there tests are inaccurate or if mine are so I will be ordering a new set of salifert test kits so that there more accurate. Could the low calcium be the reason my mag is dropping so much. __________________ 29g biocube reef 90g reef 20g tall fowlr