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Reeftank Log
Reeftank Log Archives
Monday, January 28, 2002
Caulerpa in 29G is really taking off. The Caulerpa mexicana is growing and spreading a lot faster than the Caulerpa serrulata. There's still a lot of turf algae in both tanks. I have a feeling the that although the Kold-Steril is doing a pretty good job, that it isn't filtering everything. I'll probably add a DI filter after the Kold-Steril. I'll take my old three stage Kent RO/DI system and just use the DI cartridge as a post filter for the the Kold-Steril. Took 2x96 watt lights off plastic lifter blocks and put light directly on tank in order to prevent coralline growth in overflow siphon tube and to provide more powerful lighting for 50G tank. Noticed some new root growth in mangroves at work. Most of the plants look good, but two of them have withered leaves with no new shoots. I'm so amazed at the amount of gunk the AquaC Urchin can pull out. From what I've read on the deja.com newsgroup archives, I think I should definitely add a DI filter after the Kold-Steril and try to cut the flow down to .5-1 liter/minute or about 40 to 20 minutes to fill a 5-gallon container.
posted 9:32 AM
Thursday, January 24, 2002
I've been dumping 80 ml each of the A and B components of C-Balance weekly to my tank. I think it might be better to spread out my additions during the week. Maybe every other day. It will definitely help with any big pH swings I may be causing, and a gradual addition of C-Balance is probably better for calcium uptake by the organisms in the tank.
posted 3:46 PM
SPS polyp extension looks really good in 50G tank. AquaC Urchin is doing an amazing job pulling out gunk. I think its aeration effect is also helping out the condition of the tank. In order to control the macroalgae in there, I'm going to take these steps:
1. Cut light down in 50G to 6 hours a day. Increase light in 29G refugium to 14 hours a day
2. Add no Seachem Reef Plus. I'll only add Strontium and Iodine. I noticed when I added the Kent Strontium Molybdenum that I had a diatom algae bloom.
3. Physically take out as much of the fine feathery macroalgae out of the 50G as possible.
posted 11:41 AM
Monday, January 21, 2002
Took mangroves out of Tidepool sump and put them in tank at work. Mangroves in tank at work seem to be doing better. Maybe it's because they're getting more humidity underneath a coverglass. Pulled out all of the brown Xenia at home since it was looking really bad, and I didn't want it to pollute the tank. Luckily, I have some more Brown Xenia at work. The macroalgae in the 29G is doing great, so I'm going to put a Urchin skimmer instead of macroalgae or mangroves in the Tidepool. Added a Royal Urchin yesterday to 50G. Hopefully, it attacks some of the macroalgae that has been giving me so much trouble. I think I'm going to put SPS corals in the top level of the rockwork in the 50G and Xenias in the middle level.
posted 2:30 PM
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Clam died. That makes me really sad. I've made the following changes to the 50/29G system:
1. Removed skimmer
2. Removed big Cercona cell-pore block from 29G
3. Planted sawblade and feather caulerpa directly in substrate of right and center of 29G. New growth for both types of Caulerpa looks good.
4. Took plastic cover off 29G
5. Added 7 mangrove plants to sump
6. Made 2x13 light fixture from AH Supply to light mangroves in sump
7. Removed trays from TidePool Sump. Have overflow outlets from both tanks flowing into submerged CPR Bio-bale now. Bio-bale keeps bubbles from going to return pumps. I also hope that amphipods colonize the Bio-bale
Have 24 hour lighting in sump. 8 hour lighting over 50G. 14 hour lighting over 29G. I really want to get rid of the feathery macroalgae in the 50G. Hopefully, the plant life in the other two tanks starts taking the nutrients the macroalgae in the 50G needs to survive. I noticed the 24 hour lighting over the small CPR refugium behind the 20-gallon has really decreased the Valonia in the main tank. Finally changed 5G of water in the 50/29G system after months of neglect.
Mangroves in Tidepool sump seem a little bit shriveled. Mangroves at work seem to be a lot firmer. Hopefully water change this morning will help. I think I'll also try to grow macroalgae in the sump in the growout tank at work since some hair algae has been growing in the main tank.
New coralline algae is so much easier to remove than old coralline. The old coralline becomes very hard.
Xenia pulsing and looking a lot better at tank at work. I wonder if the salinity is too high with the tank at home. I've been adding a lot of C-Balance and not removing that much water.
posted 11:01 AM
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