My minimalistic 180g SPS tank - Page 11

reefmutt · 06/07/2017, 04:13 PM

THey are all looking nice and happy, Cody. Good to see!

codydemmel4 · 06/07/2017, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

THey are all looking nice and happy, Cody. Good to see!

Thanks Matt. Now it is time to hopefully just sit back and watch them grow and color up

codydemmel4 · 06/09/2017, 06:03 AM

Well today is the last day till I go on vacation for a week. Going to do one last 30g water change and have water ready to do one or multiple when I get back if needed (lets hope not). I am hoping I come back to healthy corals that have noticeable growth but who knows. Right now I am dosing 36ml alk and calc, 12 times a day so only 3ml every 2 hours. I really doubt dosing that with my small corals that my alk could drop too low. Being that it is only 36ml a day, I think even if my corals decided to take nothing in that my alk would only jump to 9 in a week with my water volume but maybe I am overlooking something.

I am starting to notice more algae on the sand which I dont like but at the same time since my corals are looking great, I really do not want to change anything. I tested my P04 with a ULR Hanna and get 6 which is pretty much 0.02, I am thinking it may be a little higher then that. For nitrate I know it is lower then 10 but higher then 4.

reefmutt · 06/09/2017, 12:02 PM

Now's not the time to change anything.
You have it as dialed in as you possibly can.
Go on vacation and try not to think about the tank too much!

codydemmel4 · 06/09/2017, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Now's not the time to change anything.
You have it as dialed in as you possibly can.
Go on vacation and try not to think about the tank too much!

Definitely not changing anything. Happily had to up the daily dose from 24 to 36ml because alk dropped to 6.7, has be 7 everytime i tested since Wed when I upped it. Going to test everything one more time tonight, then wake up tomorrow and off to the beach. Get to see the ugly jersey water haha

markalot · 06/09/2017, 01:36 PM

Better pics, and the corals all look happy. Increased Alk usage is a great $ign.

codydemmel4 · 06/09/2017, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markalot

Better pics, and the corals all look happy. Increased Alk usage is a great $ign.

Thanks Mark and yes I was very happy to see that. Now it is time to go enjoy vacation and hope everything is happy when I get back

Razorback reef · 06/12/2017, 12:59 AM

Very nice. Red planet is one of my favorites.

codydemmel4 · 06/14/2017, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorback reef

Very nice. Red planet is one of my favorites.

Thanks, i lost my red planet along with a lot of others when i had a lot of problems in the beginning with the move

642642 · 06/14/2017, 02:39 PM

Back from vacation? How is the tank doing?

codydemmel4 · 06/14/2017, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 642642

Back from vacation? How is the tank doing?

not till Saturday, can only hope it is doing good haha

codydemmel4 · 06/17/2017, 03:53 PM

just got back from vacation and everything looks good but seems like I am getting dinos now. Also alk rose to 8 so I am taking it offline for tonight and measuring it again tomorrow.

Pife · 06/17/2017, 04:46 PM

Wow. At least everything is doing good.

codydemmel4 · 06/17/2017, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pife

Wow. At least everything is doing good.

Yes I am happy about that. I am going on vacation again next Sunday for another week so I will be nervous again. I am going to take some pictures of the algae tomorrow when the lights come on. I am concerned about it a little because it is growing on some of the corals so it is concerning.

When I blow it off it comes back on the same part within 30 minutes.

codydemmel4 · 06/20/2017, 12:59 PM

photo 629FA6FF-EADB-4415-9E0D-B4ACC86E2039_zpssyhpjmea.jpg

photo 0A7E0873-ABB2-43D8-B764-B7A329412A92_zpscbuanzhx.jpg

Not sure what is going on but ever since I have gone on vacation, I have dino problems which are getting very annoying and now are going ontop some of the tips of my SPS like pictured above.

Just tested my water:

Nitrate are between 4-8
Phosphates are 0.03
Alk is 7
Calc is 430

I would not be worried if it was just on the sand, glass and rock but now it is growing on some of the tips of the corals. Do you guys just suggest I do nothing but blow it off as much as possible and hope my filter socks get it all? That is what I am doing now.

Still only using a skimmer and cheato, with the nutrient levels low. I do not want to add GFO, etc

As soon as I blow it off the tips of the coral, it legit is back on it within 5 minutes every single time.

happyhourhero · 06/20/2017, 02:25 PM

Did your spectrum shift on your lights?

codydemmel4 · 06/20/2017, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happyhourhero

Did your spectrum shift on your lights?

It did around a month ago, switched 2 coral plus with 2 blue plus so nothing really big.

reefmutt · 06/20/2017, 04:46 PM

Is your RO up to date?

codydemmel4 · 06/20/2017, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Is your RO up to date?

Yes just replaced all of that recently and added another carbon and DI. TDS is 0 coming out.

Here is a picture of what it looks like on the wall before I blow it off

Ucantwin · 06/20/2017, 05:35 PM

It definitely looks like dino but hard to be sure without a microscope. If you can not get rid of it by doing other methods, you might want to consider peroxide dosing. I know it sounds scary but not much to worry about and usually knocks Dino away.

codydemmel4 · 06/20/2017, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ucantwin

It definitely looks like dino but hard to be sure without a microscope. If you can not get rid of it by doing other methods, you might want to consider peroxide dosing. I know it sounds scary but not much to worry about and usually knocks Dino away.

I will have to look into it. Since I am going on vacation on Sunday, I am probably just going to try to blast as much as possible till then and see how bad it is when I get back. Unless I learn a quick method that can get rid of it in a couple days then I would love to do that before vacation

codydemmel4 · 06/21/2017, 06:24 AM

So I think I am going to juts continue what I am doing, which is blasting everything as much as possible to get all the dinos to hopefully stay in the filter socks. Replace the filter socks as soon as they look like theyre about to overflow.

I am also thinking of lowering my main lighting period (sunpower 8x80w) to only 6 hours a day from today till I get back from vacation on July 2nd. Or don't you think lowering the main lighting will help? It just seems like that is the only time I notice them on the frags. After the T5s go off, I can blow them off the frags and they will not come back till the T5 comes on the next day. I look in my tank eveyr morning before work to see the PE with nights out as I think that is a great indicator of how healthy/happy everything is and they always have the polyps out on the tips where the dinos are with the lights on. Then as soon as the T5s come on, the polyps on some tips go in and the dinos go on the tips.

reefmutt · 06/21/2017, 12:45 PM

I don't see a downside to lowering lighting period while you're away..
Can you add a bit more diffused flow?

codydemmel4 · 06/21/2017, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

I don't see a downside to lowering lighting period while you're away..
Can you add a bit more diffused flow?

I could but the weird thing is that the dinos are growing in the areas that have the most flow so I am not sure if that would help at all and I am hesitant to change flow as all the corals are doing great besides the 2-3 that have a little dinos on the tips but great PE everywhere else and great PE when lights are out.

Rakie · 06/22/2017, 11:39 PM

Had dinos, beat it, came back because I thought it was done. Effectively, beat dinos twice. Here's the basics, in not the best order (sorry, it's late!). Do as many of these things as possible, because they can and will destroy your entire tank if you don't do a complete assault.

Warning: It will OBLITERATE your SPS. This second time, I almost lost everything. Literally everything.

- Run Carbon, run lots and lots of carbon -- It rids the toxins they create. Get ready to change it frequently.

- DO NOT DO WATER CHANGES -- It's what brought mine back with a vengeance... I jumped the gun and they were back literally overnight, like starting from day 1.

- Dinos once dying will encase themselves in a cyst, which means they very likely WILL come back... (This is why some people never lose their dinos, they can encase themselves for months on end just waiting)

- MANUAL REMOVAL -- Absolutely essential. By itself, this does nothing, but with the advice above, and below, this will help you beat it...

- Filter socks / Floss are great manual removal aids. Don't be afraid to scoop out w/e comes to the surface when blasting the rocks with a turkey baster either.

- Dose bacteria -- I like Dr Tims, and AF pro bio S

- Make sure there's nutrient in the water to feed your algaes / bacterias (some dino species are actually hampered by nutrients)

- Dose h202 in the skimmer line (been awhile -- do some research here! Don't overdose but it's pretty safe)

- LET ALGAE GROW -- This is huge. Algae will outcompete the dinos, so when you see that green stuff growing on the glass, he's your new best friend... You let him grow as much as he wants.

- Bubble -- It really helps with manual removal. Bubbles get stuck on dinos, dinos separate, dinos are taken to filter sock or floss.

All of these things helped. A final last ditch effort for me was this -- Dosing Metronidazol. It works with *some* species of dinos, and worked for me so far.

06/07/2017, 04:13 PM	#251
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	THey are all looking nice and happy, Cody. Good to see! __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

06/09/2017, 06:03 AM	#253
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	Well today is the last day till I go on vacation for a week. Going to do one last 30g water change and have water ready to do one or multiple when I get back if needed (lets hope not). I am hoping I come back to healthy corals that have noticeable growth but who knows. Right now I am dosing 36ml alk and calc, 12 times a day so only 3ml every 2 hours. I really doubt dosing that with my small corals that my alk could drop too low. Being that it is only 36ml a day, I think even if my corals decided to take nothing in that my alk would only jump to 9 in a week with my water volume but maybe I am overlooking something. I am starting to notice more algae on the sand which I dont like but at the same time since my corals are looking great, I really do not want to change anything. I tested my P04 with a ULR Hanna and get 6 which is pretty much 0.02, I am thinking it may be a little higher then that. For nitrate I know it is lower then 10 but higher then 4. __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245

06/09/2017, 12:02 PM	#254
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Now's not the time to change anything. You have it as dialed in as you possibly can. Go on vacation and try not to think about the tank too much! __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

06/09/2017, 01:36 PM	#256
markalot ... Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,806 Blog Entries: 3	Better pics, and the corals all look happy. Increased Alk usage is a great $ign. __________________ -- Mark 150G (72x18x27) \| 35G sump \| SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer \| ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

06/17/2017, 03:53 PM	#262
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	just got back from vacation and everything looks good but seems like I am getting dinos now. Also alk rose to 8 so I am taking it offline for tonight and measuring it again tomorrow. __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245

06/12/2017, 12:59 AM	#258
Razorback reef Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 61	Very nice. Red planet is one of my favorites.

06/14/2017, 02:39 PM	#260
642642 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: FL Posts: 270	Back from vacation? How is the tank doing?

06/17/2017, 04:46 PM	#263
Pife Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 7,408	Wow. At least everything is doing good. __________________ Brandon I'm not saying let's get rid of all the stupid people.* I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out. Current Tank Info: 150g DT plumbed to an 80g frag tank and 220g sump in the basement. ~6-MP40s ~ 12 ATI powered t5s ~ Reefbrites and Radions supplementing ~ Custom GEO Skimmer ~ GEO CA Reactor 6x24~ Iwaki 70 Return ~

06/20/2017, 12:59 PM	#265
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	Not sure what is going on but ever since I have gone on vacation, I have dino problems which are getting very annoying and now are going ontop some of the tips of my SPS like pictured above. Just tested my water: Nitrate are between 4-8 Phosphates are 0.03 Alk is 7 Calc is 430 I would not be worried if it was just on the sand, glass and rock but now it is growing on some of the tips of the corals. Do you guys just suggest I do nothing but blow it off as much as possible and hope my filter socks get it all? That is what I am doing now. Still only using a skimmer and cheato, with the nutrient levels low. I do not want to add GFO, etc As soon as I blow it off the tips of the coral, it legit is back on it within 5 minutes every single time. __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245 Last edited by codydemmel4; 06/20/2017 at 01:28 PM.

06/20/2017, 02:25 PM	#266
happyhourhero Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 383	Did your spectrum shift on your lights? __________________ Zack Current Tank Info: 65 gal mixed reef.

06/20/2017, 04:46 PM	#268
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Is your RO up to date? __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

06/20/2017, 05:35 PM	#270
Ucantwin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: some where Posts: 559	It definitely looks like dino but hard to be sure without a microscope. If you can not get rid of it by doing other methods, you might want to consider peroxide dosing. I know it sounds scary but not much to worry about and usually knocks Dino away.

06/21/2017, 06:24 AM	#272
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	So I think I am going to juts continue what I am doing, which is blasting everything as much as possible to get all the dinos to hopefully stay in the filter socks. Replace the filter socks as soon as they look like theyre about to overflow. I am also thinking of lowering my main lighting period (sunpower 8x80w) to only 6 hours a day from today till I get back from vacation on July 2nd. Or don't you think lowering the main lighting will help? It just seems like that is the only time I notice them on the frags. After the T5s go off, I can blow them off the frags and they will not come back till the T5 comes on the next day. I look in my tank eveyr morning before work to see the PE with nights out as I think that is a great indicator of how healthy/happy everything is and they always have the polyps out on the tips where the dinos are with the lights on. Then as soon as the T5s come on, the polyps on some tips go in and the dinos go on the tips. __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245

06/21/2017, 12:45 PM	#273
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	I don't see a downside to lowering lighting period while you're away.. Can you add a bit more diffused flow? __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

06/22/2017, 11:39 PM	#275
Rakie In Memoriam Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 3,059	Had dinos, beat it, came back because I thought it was done. Effectively, beat dinos twice. Here's the basics, in not the best order (sorry, it's late!). Do as many of these things as possible, because they can and will destroy your entire tank if you don't do a complete assault. Warning: It will OBLITERATE your SPS. This second time, I almost lost everything. Literally everything. - Run Carbon, run lots and lots of carbon -- It rids the toxins they create. Get ready to change it frequently. - DO NOT DO WATER CHANGES -- It's what brought mine back with a vengeance... I jumped the gun and they were back literally overnight, like starting from day 1. - Dinos once dying will encase themselves in a cyst, which means they very likely WILL come back... (This is why some people never lose their dinos, they can encase themselves for months on end just waiting) - MANUAL REMOVAL -- Absolutely essential. By itself, this does nothing, but with the advice above, and below, this will help you beat it... - Filter socks / Floss are great manual removal aids. Don't be afraid to scoop out w/e comes to the surface when blasting the rocks with a turkey baster either. - Dose bacteria -- I like Dr Tims, and AF pro bio S - Make sure there's nutrient in the water to feed your algaes / bacterias (some dino species are actually hampered by nutrients) - Dose h202 in the skimmer line (been awhile -- do some research here! Don't overdose but it's pretty safe) - LET ALGAE GROW -- This is huge. Algae will outcompete the dinos, so when you see that green stuff growing on the glass, he's your new best friend... You let him grow as much as he wants. - Bubble -- It really helps with manual removal. Bubbles get stuck on dinos, dinos separate, dinos are taken to filter sock or floss. All of these things helped. A final last ditch effort for me was this -- Dosing Metronidazol. It works with some species of dinos, and worked for me so far.