Mark's 150 gallon

[eutimio]

Originally Posted by markalot

PO4 is

.04 ELOS
.06 Hanna
55 (.17) Hanna ULR

Yea.

Hey Mark, bringing this specific post back from the dead to suggest maybe you wanna give HACH PO-19 test kit a go.
A bit more expensive at 100$ but reagents are cheap and seems like the kit a lot of seasoned reefers on this forum use.Just a thought....

And I’ve been reading this thread for the past 2 days and it’s just mind blowing.
Definitely an inspiration.

[markalot]

Originally Posted by eutimio

Hey Mark, bringing this specific post back from the dead to suggest maybe you wanna give HACH PO-19 test kit a go.
A bit more expensive at 100$ but reagents are cheap and seems like the kit a lot of seasoned reefers on this forum use.Just a thought....

And I’ve been reading this thread for the past 2 days and it’s just mind blowing.
Definitely an inspiration.

Thanks for the test kit recommendation. I rarely test anymore, that was my solution.

[eutimio]

Originally Posted by markalot

Thanks for the test kit recommendation. I rarely test anymore, that was my solution.

Just phosphate or everything else too? Lol
I’m sure Alk is still closely monitored

[eutimio]

Also was wondering if you’re running any more chemical filtration at the moment?
I have a nano , over 2 years old. Yeah....Nano’s and SPS ...anyway...
I have a skimmer and filter sock but took out all reactors .
Went with Phosphate RX for lowering PO4 and water changes for the rest.

What’s your take on all the extra GFO, carbon etc for an SPS dominant tank? Needed or just extra work for nothing?

[markalot]

Originally Posted by eutimio

Also was wondering if you’re running any more chemical filtration at the moment?
I have a nano , over 2 years old. Yeah....Nano’s and SPS ...anyway...
I have a skimmer and filter sock but took out all reactors .
Went with Phosphate RX for lowering PO4 and water changes for the rest.

What’s your take on all the extra GFO, carbon etc for an SPS dominant tank? Needed or just extra work for nothing?

I really like PhosphateRx. I went hard core droppers to help solve my stability problems. Seriously. I bought a 10 pack of blue dropper bottles and only use droppers to dose everything except the 2 part and Mg.

I killed a lot of acros with GFO and then bio pellets. The only thing I run now, besides the skimmer, is a reactor with Matrix stones in it. It took months but these finally reduced my nitrates ... probably too much, but it still works.

I test Alk weekly and recently calcium as well since I've had some issues with my doser (one of the pump heads). Mg once a month usually. Nitrates ... maybe every couple of months. Last test was months ago and it was 0. Since then I've been adding 5 drops of Pohls Extras special because I had some and it supposedly has nitrates in it.

I was using PhosphateRx every other day, one drop, but noticed some colors fading so I stopped and it seemed to help. Maybe I'll use my ULR Phosphate checker again before the reagents expire.

[xiao]

hey.Mark
GHA Have you met? How was it resolved?

[markalot]

Originally Posted by xiao

hey.Mark
GHA Have you met? How was it resolved?

Tangs and the Foxface. The Foxface eat's everything, including sticking his head out of the water to clean the return nozzles. The tank would be covered in algae if it wasn't for the fish.

[xiao]

Originally Posted by markalot

Tangs and the Foxface. The Foxface eat's everything, including sticking his head out of the water to clean the return nozzles. The tank would be covered in algae if it wasn't for the fish.

I have yellow tang Ctenochaetus strigosus， foxface I am afraid of being poisonous, I am a bit worried.

[markalot]

Originally Posted by xiao

I have yellow tang Ctenochaetus strigosus， foxface I am afraid of being poisonous, I am a bit worried.

They are poisonous, and love to be hand fed. Just don't get stung. They are not mean, the poisonous spikes are for protection, but they do frighten easily so you must be careful. My tiny male clownfish knows just where to bite him if he gets too close to the eggs.

[reefmutt]

Mark, does the Foxface stay away from all corals?
Ive not been so lucky with them.. I’ve had them eat extended sps polyps, some zoanthids... maybe it’s a matter of keeping them well fed with algea..

[markalot]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Mark, does the Foxface stay away from all corals?
Ive not been so lucky with them.. I’ve had them eat extended sps polyps, some zoanthids... maybe it’s a matter of keeping them well fed with algea..

Nope, has never eaten anything else. If he would eat something like Xenia I'd be set! They are huge eaters and algae everywhere helps as does the ton of flake food I provide. I am not a careful feeder ... looks down at gut ... not a careful eater either.

[markalot]

So in order to keep the tank fun I'm slowly doing a rescape, which requires trimming acros I've never trimmed before. The slimer was first, yesterday was the Katropora. The smaller one was mostly removed with a rock now sitting on top of it to provide more space. The main colony was trimmed back to allow light to get down below. I had to apologize to the store I took it too .. so many frags! I get some compensation if/when they sell but there's not a lot of acros that move through the NKY area. I much prefer this rather than trying to sell things myself, I just can't be bothered.

I also took down most of the blue tip stag which was growing faster than the slimer. It's skinnier branches but the same basic staghorn growth. I like it, but it's yet another too fast staghorn. I also dumped a reddish unknown that I could not color up past a dull red with whitish tips.

2 more new corals on the frag rack. Taking risks just dipping without QT. A Red Planet on the annoying ORA frag plug, and a pink lemonade (maybe).

Next trim will be to cut back the purple stylo and e-arrange some of the bottom right to give me more of a 'wall' effect to place more acros. The Lokani needs a lower perch and I need space for these new corals, plus I plan 2 more purchases. A Vivid Rainbow and Orange passion.

All I have to do is keep Alk steady. I've got 2 new Alk test kits ready to go.

Yesterday Evening Alk was 6.7, Calcium 410, which is balanced for a change. The 6.7 is a surprise so I cut dosing back a bit and will test this evening. With all the removal Alk usage has to dip, that's my assumption anyway.

[Arkayology]

Get some pics up when you can. I want to see the new scape!

[markalot]

Originally Posted by Arkayology

Get some pics up when you can. I want to see the new scape!

Hi Ark,

working on it. So far just the massive trim, hands back in this weekend. Nice to hear from you, how's the rockolagy treating you?

[reefmutt]

That rescape/teardown is a project that I should get to as well.. we spend all our time trying to get everything to grow and just when it’s all in it’s glory, we have to tear it back.
I guess it’s like a really bad storm on the reef..
Curious to see the results..

[markalot]

All frags doing well, growing like crazy, but no place to put them until I get the Xenia under control. So .....

I got fed UP with the Xenia, so Goat de-wormer to the rescue. This is a diluted form, 10 drops, and 48 hours later Xenia started to suffer. The horrible iPhone pic below shows where I am as of last night. No changes other than the Xenia. I feel like the biggest risk is a going to be a nitrate spike and possibly slower growth, so keeping a close eye on KH, keeping the skimmer cleaned, and dosing a little NOPOX to help increase nutrient reduction.

Fenbendazole is the active ingredient, and the safest form is a pure powder, but I can't be bothered to mix and calculate. The Goat version is the most diluted form I could find on Amazon. You can search for it. From what I've read Xenia is so sensitive to this stuff that even residue left on SPS from dipping can seriously knock them back if not kill them outright over a period of days. It does harm other softies, which I don't have, and can stay in a tank for months even with carbon and skimming. In other words, use at your own risk, I'm not the expert here. No reports of fish or shrimp problems with this, but crabs seem to be sensitive, though some of these stories come from people who have radically overdosed (in my opinion).

I pulled a bunch of Xenia out that had climbed over some acros and did serious damage to a digitata. It's gotten to the point where if I leave the tank alone for a month I'm in for a huge pruning job and some SPS will be damaged. I've had it.

[reefmutt]

Hey Mark, I am not familiar with fenbendazole. This is very interesting. Do you have any links to threads about it if not I’ll google around.
I have a tank that is over run with a dark colonial polyp which looks like Xenia but isn’t. It is thriving and growing up against everything in the tank. It will overrun everything eventually unless I do a total tear down.. I’m wondering if the fenbendazole would work on it...
New scape is still looking lush and full. Love it!
Is that a Hawkins on the far left?

[markalot]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Hey Mark, I am not familiar with fenbendazole. This is very interesting. Do you have any links to threads about it if not I’ll google around.
I have a tank that is over run with a dark colonial polyp which looks like Xenia but isn’t. It is thriving and growing up against everything in the tank. It will overrun everything eventually unless I do a total tear down.. I’m wondering if the fenbendazole would work on it...
New scape is still looking lush and full. Love it!
Is that a Hawkins on the far left?

Hi Matt, both here (back in the 2002 time frame and r 2 r has some threads. Search for fluke tabs or fenbenblabalabla and xenia or blue cloves.

Yep, that's a my little piece of Hawkins that I almost lost over a year ago.

[reefmutt]

Thanks. I’ll look into the fendoblabla
That’s some fantastic growth on the Hawkins!

[markalot]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Thanks. I’ll look into the fendoblabla
That’s some fantastic growth on the Hawkins!

Thanks Matt.

I ended up having time to take some real pics. Or realer pics. Or something. The Xenia is slowly vanishing, must be melting. Great smell. The skimmer is a lighter brown but hasn't gone crazy yet. KH 7.2 which is where it was a month ago.









These belong on those Xenia infested rocks. The Cali tort has very rapid growth.

[reefmutt]

I’ve always found the cali to be a super fast grower when it’s happy.
Mark have you ever had your lokani high in the tank? If so, how did it do?

[markalot]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

I’ve always found the cali to be a super fast grower when it’s happy.
Mark have you ever had your lokani high in the tank? If so, how did it do?

I have not, and I'm tempted.

So I have a Palmer's Blue milli which is in a very bright spot and has been brown with slight blue highlights for over a year. It's now in poor health, really struggling. I made a frag which has colored up a great blue in lower light and is in great health.

Once the Xenia is gone I want to move the big Palmer's, if it survives, to a lower position and then try either the big Lokani or a frag up where the Palmer's is now.

Not having Xenia is such an exciting prospect because my scaping always assumed Xenia would be an issue. I just have to get through this melting stage without any damage to the acros.

[Jsarrow]

Really great tank and hopefully xenia will be a thing of the past soon. Question, what is the coral in your tank circled below in red? I have the same type and about the same growth patter, size and color but never got a name/species from the person whom I got it from..
coral.jpg

[markalot]

Originally Posted by Jsarrow

Really great tank and hopefully xenia will be a thing of the past soon. Question, what is the coral in your tank circled below in red? I have the same type and about the same growth patter, size and color but never got a name/species from the person whom I got it from..
Attachment 400382

Same, unfortunately. It was an unknown growing in a LFS display and I asked for a frag. Under Metal Halide (Radium specifically) it's spectacular, I have yet to achieve those colors under T5/LED. Colors for me are a decent mint green with purple blush tips. Under MH it was a vivid mint green with intense purple tips and a little blue mixed in.

[markalot]

Nitrates still near 0, maybe .5 if I imagine some pink.

Xenia is rapidly shrinking, sump stinks like Xenia, skimmate not really changed.