So I have a Fowlr going on about 2 years. 55 Gal, 60lbs of sand, 57 lbs of live rock, with an extra 5-7lbs of live rock in sump. Small cage built in sump with Chaeto- living- getting flow from the skimmer exhaust. Reef Octopus skimmer with replaced pump. In line UV light, Triton 3 pump:
Livestock:
15 crabs for c.u.c.
4 turbo snails
Cleaner shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Blue Hippo tang
Flame Angel
Coral beauty
McCoskers Wrasse
Canary Wrasse
2 purple firefish
Copper Banded butterfly
Target/green spot Dragonette
Purple Dottyback
Everything was fine until about 1months ago. I tried adding a new female leopard wrasse. She was doing well after a week, buried for 3 days, came out, learned when feeding time was and was eating like a champ- I was lucky- (ate frozen brine shrimp and mysid shrimp) I dose the tank regularly with pods- also luckily- the dragonet eats frozen food *whew*
Well after 3 weeks, I did not see the leapoard wrasse again.
Now I test my water every 2 weeks and I use the Red Sea testing kits, and a simple buoyant style hydrometer.
Hydrometer always read 1.024-25. ammonia always low, Nitrites always low, nitrates- always in the middle.
I took some water to my LFS to test, because I was suspicious that I got the exact sanme readings for the past 3 months (I have a littke notebook where I jot down the ammonia, phosphate, nitrite nitrate salt levels)
Also I had been slowly dosing the tank with red sea Reef energy (A & B) because I wantd to start adding some corals. I have some small populations of Zoa's- they are fine. I have a two headed small Duncan, and it is doing fine.
I took a sample to my LFS primarily for the magnesium/calcium, and asked they test for nitrates nitries ammonia, and salt.
I found out my hydrometer was off- the buoyant ones can go bad- and my slat was 1.031! ammonia fine. Nitrites fine, nitrates were- off the chart- almost purple.
They suggested reef biofuel and macrobacter 7 to use overnight with the skimmer off, and then do what I called the "bubble-fizz" where the skimmer is turned up just so to allow a constant small overflow and that waste piped into a dump bucket, and the water replaced with salt water.
Thy also suggested putting in a Carbon sponge pad over the baffles I have in the sump separating the skimmer from the return. The carbon sponge would remove the benefits of the Reef biofuel so I did the bio fuel/ bubble-fizz for 3 days, then would lay the carbon pad for one day. then going back to the reef bio fuel and upping the water changes to weekly as I normally did them every two weeks.
Also, reducing the feeding. I was feeding 1cube of mysid and 1 cube of brine and they suggested one cube in total ( half mysid half brine or just one mysid)
This last week, My salt was down to 1.022 and I am slowly raising it up, from slowly bringing it down- I went a bit too far down, but that's ok, and my Nitrates are now- about 15- between 10-20 but not off the chart on the color scale as it was previously ( 50+)
I would do the bubble-fizz for a few hours every night when I came home form work and moreso on the weekends.
They also got in a nitrate pad- for me to use in replacement of the carbon pad.
I am leaving the carbon pad in for 2 days this week, and willcontinue with the bubble-fizz for the rest of the week. Hopefully whenI get it tested again, the nitrates will be in mid range.
If I get there, the LFS owner will then let me purchase some conch's and nerite snails to slowly stir up the sand. we were thinking that the Canary wrasse would release a plume of nitrates when she buried and then resurfaced- keeping the nitrates up. Hopefully with 2 conch's and some nerites, they wil slowly release the nitrates from the sand and I can continue with the Reef Biofuel.
I was also asked about adding some macro agea like a shaving brush. Interestingly, I had bad luck with shaving brushes in the past, they just didn't live- although the chaeto in the sump is doing fine. while the nitrates were high the chaeto was floating and pushing up the cage.
The analogy they made was to add a sahving brush now would be like putting a plant in raw miracle growas opposed to manure. In manure it will grow, but in miracle grow it wil lget burned up.
The fish are fine. I caught the salt in time before they started showing any possible behavior changes thank goodness.
Hopefully next week will have me in a good nitrate area.
ammonia, phosphate. nitrites are fine
I did get a new testing kit, because it is possible to get an old one or one thatw ason the shelf for a bit. It happens. and I am saving for a better salt hydrometer- the LFS had the expensive ones, - the ones you lok through, but the owner mentioned getting some similar but less expensive ones in a few weeks. I think it is worth investing in a pricey hydrometer.
Livestock:
15 crabs for c.u.c.
4 turbo snails
Cleaner shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Blue Hippo tang
Flame Angel
Coral beauty
McCoskers Wrasse
Canary Wrasse
2 purple firefish
Copper Banded butterfly
Target/green spot Dragonette
Purple Dottyback
Everything was fine until about 1months ago. I tried adding a new female leopard wrasse. She was doing well after a week, buried for 3 days, came out, learned when feeding time was and was eating like a champ- I was lucky- (ate frozen brine shrimp and mysid shrimp) I dose the tank regularly with pods- also luckily- the dragonet eats frozen food *whew*
Well after 3 weeks, I did not see the leapoard wrasse again.
Now I test my water every 2 weeks and I use the Red Sea testing kits, and a simple buoyant style hydrometer.
Hydrometer always read 1.024-25. ammonia always low, Nitrites always low, nitrates- always in the middle.
I took some water to my LFS to test, because I was suspicious that I got the exact sanme readings for the past 3 months (I have a littke notebook where I jot down the ammonia, phosphate, nitrite nitrate salt levels)
Also I had been slowly dosing the tank with red sea Reef energy (A & B) because I wantd to start adding some corals. I have some small populations of Zoa's- they are fine. I have a two headed small Duncan, and it is doing fine.
I took a sample to my LFS primarily for the magnesium/calcium, and asked they test for nitrates nitries ammonia, and salt.
I found out my hydrometer was off- the buoyant ones can go bad- and my slat was 1.031! ammonia fine. Nitrites fine, nitrates were- off the chart- almost purple.
They suggested reef biofuel and macrobacter 7 to use overnight with the skimmer off, and then do what I called the "bubble-fizz" where the skimmer is turned up just so to allow a constant small overflow and that waste piped into a dump bucket, and the water replaced with salt water.
Thy also suggested putting in a Carbon sponge pad over the baffles I have in the sump separating the skimmer from the return. The carbon sponge would remove the benefits of the Reef biofuel so I did the bio fuel/ bubble-fizz for 3 days, then would lay the carbon pad for one day. then going back to the reef bio fuel and upping the water changes to weekly as I normally did them every two weeks.
Also, reducing the feeding. I was feeding 1cube of mysid and 1 cube of brine and they suggested one cube in total ( half mysid half brine or just one mysid)
This last week, My salt was down to 1.022 and I am slowly raising it up, from slowly bringing it down- I went a bit too far down, but that's ok, and my Nitrates are now- about 15- between 10-20 but not off the chart on the color scale as it was previously ( 50+)
I would do the bubble-fizz for a few hours every night when I came home form work and moreso on the weekends.
They also got in a nitrate pad- for me to use in replacement of the carbon pad.
I am leaving the carbon pad in for 2 days this week, and willcontinue with the bubble-fizz for the rest of the week. Hopefully whenI get it tested again, the nitrates will be in mid range.
If I get there, the LFS owner will then let me purchase some conch's and nerite snails to slowly stir up the sand. we were thinking that the Canary wrasse would release a plume of nitrates when she buried and then resurfaced- keeping the nitrates up. Hopefully with 2 conch's and some nerites, they wil slowly release the nitrates from the sand and I can continue with the Reef Biofuel.
I was also asked about adding some macro agea like a shaving brush. Interestingly, I had bad luck with shaving brushes in the past, they just didn't live- although the chaeto in the sump is doing fine. while the nitrates were high the chaeto was floating and pushing up the cage.
The analogy they made was to add a sahving brush now would be like putting a plant in raw miracle growas opposed to manure. In manure it will grow, but in miracle grow it wil lget burned up.
The fish are fine. I caught the salt in time before they started showing any possible behavior changes thank goodness.
Hopefully next week will have me in a good nitrate area.
ammonia, phosphate. nitrites are fine
I did get a new testing kit, because it is possible to get an old one or one thatw ason the shelf for a bit. It happens. and I am saving for a better salt hydrometer- the LFS had the expensive ones, - the ones you lok through, but the owner mentioned getting some similar but less expensive ones in a few weeks. I think it is worth investing in a pricey hydrometer.