Foreign friends club - MD tank case study

[machodik]

Let me try to count..... one, two, .... humm..."danmhippo" seems longer than "machodik" but I always call him ......"big guy", so yes, can we call you "macho"? It sounds even better than "big guy"

Thanks Joseph for the component .

But in reality I hope I am a macho man!

Cheers


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[davidsu]

uuh... dik doesn't sound right! macho is better!

 

[machodik]

Hi Everyone,

This discussion seems to be fading away? I hope not!

anyone wish to extend helping hand? which ways should I firstly rule out?

come on, please help S.O.S!

Cheers,


MD

 

[xdai27]

If you really have a Cu problem, restart your tank may be a solution. Several times dilution for your system can reduce the concentration of Cu under the detect limit. And, It is convenient to buy artificial rock or live rock in Taiwan and wont cost a lot. But IMHO, since your fish and LPS can live in your tank, I will try to keep working on making the parameters stable and try improving the system. Then try SPS again later. I agree danmhippo that the reason should be the water parameters, not toxic such as heavy metal.

About "organism", maybe it should be called "nutrients" in English(please excuse my poor English). As I know, deep red coralline means your system is not strong enough to remove nutrients in the tank, so the nutrients are in high concentration. It might be a way for you to improve.

 

[machodik]

If you really have a Cu problem, restart your tank may be a solution. Several times dilution for your system can reduce the concentration of Cu under the detect limit. And, It is convenient to buy artificial rock or live rock in Taiwan and wont cost a lot. But IMHO, since your fish and LPS can live in your tank, I will try to keep working on making the parameters stable and try improving the system. Then try SPS again later. I agree danmhippo that the reason should be the water parameters, not toxic such as heavy metal.

About "organism", maybe it should be called "nutrients" in English(please excuse my poor English). As I know, deep red coralline means your system is not strong enough to remove nutrients in the tank, so the nutrients are in high concentration. It might be a way for you to improve.

Hi, Thanks so much for your very encouraging words, I really hope it is not any toxicity or heavy metals that causing this mess. yes, my fish and LPS grow well , in fact the big LPS in my thanks have been with me for more than two years now and those fish have been with me at least 4 years ro so. but heavy metal or toxic element like Cu also will affect both fish and LPS? if this is so, then I should really rule out this issue.

For the Parameter issue, I don't. know if I have some proble with it, because all of the reading I got from Hanna (PO4) and Salifert (NO3, Ca , Mg, Kh) are all at tolerance level, may be a slide up and down but pretty good not to the extend causing cros to die off.

For Nutrient, my No3 is pretty good and Po4 slightly up (0.08 ppm at teh last reading) but again, this level will cause something but I doubt it will let acros die off.

one more observation is that my digi grows a bit slow but survive.

I am hesistate to buy live rocks as I don't. know whom can be trusted that their live rocks was not being druged before. for Artificial rocks, I willing to try but I heard some negative cooment on it. I wonder if anyone from these froum can share their success in using the artificial live rocks.

hope more advises and comments and suggestion will be more than appreciated.

Cheers,

MD

 

[xdai27]

For Nutrient, my No3 is pretty good and Po4 slightly up (0.08 ppm at teh last reading) but again, this level will cause something but I doubt it will let acros die off.

Just my own experience. My tank is a DSB system with a small ATS for only 8 months. NO3/PO4(Salifert) is 0.2~0.5ppm/ND after April. I turned it to a sps dominated tank in July, and tried to feed my sps. Every time I tried to feed more than usual, brown algae increased after that day. The sand bed became dirty, and I saw many algae on the glass. But NO3/PO4 were still 0.2/ND.

I read some post which said that there are various nutrients in our tank, but it is very difficult to detect all of them. NO3/PO4 are just the final product what our system turn nutrients to be. Low N/P does not means the nutrients level is low. Sometimes the growing speed of algae and coralline color can also tell us the nutrients level.

 

[machodik]

Just my own experience. My tank is a DSB system with a small ATS for only 8 months. NO3/PO4(Salifert) is 0.2~0.5ppm/ND after April. I turned it to a sps dominated tank in July, and tried to feed my sps. Every time I tried to feed more than usual, brown algae increased after that day. The sand bed became dirty, and I saw many algae on the glass. But NO3/PO4 were still 0.2/ND.



I read some post which said that there are various nutrients in our tank, but it is very difficult to detect all of them. NO3/PO4 are just the final product what our system turn nutrients to be. Low N/P does not means the nutrients level is low. Sometimes the growing speed of algae and coralline color can also tell us the nutrients level.

Thanks Xdai 27 for your kind reply.

Well noted and I also observed that I need to scrub my tank glass wall (all side) as algae adhere on it .

So since we suspect nutrient may be the culprit and inspite of our regular testing showing we have the right number , then what else you suggest me to do?

I have successfully lower down my nutrient with biopellet . I did also try Zeovit system and it did maintain a good level but on the succeeding changes of the zeolite my no3 and po4 shoot skyrocket higher with unknown reason that is why I goes back to biopellet .


What This seems to be difficult as I don't have any more idea how to lower down any suspected nutrients .

I also observed when I am using KZ , hairlike algae occur but when I stop that then it gone .

What next ?

Cheers,


MD


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[davidsu]

I agree with Xdai27! people tend to take N/P as nutriens because this two can be easily detected. however there are so much more that we will never know what they are or how high the readings are.

my suggestion for a doable costdown solution is this,
now forget about the metal contamination & toxicity as you said LPS is happy in your tank.so this is unlikely to happen ,move out all the livestocks and keep them in other place . syphon the dirt of the display & sump out of your tank then replace partially of your liverocks . change a great deal of water and let the whole system running for days. this goes on until all the live rocks are fully replaced with frash healthy ones.
then have your livestocks back home. and then see how it goes. you can add a lot more rocks in tank ,
it feels right! ( there is a rock cure method for newly purchased rocks .if you can ,do it before useing your new rocks)
if you feel the above makes sense, you may give it a go!
(why changing rocks ? because I assume the rocks in you tank is the origin of your problrem as they have been in your tank for over 4 years .replacing them will not make it worse .contrarily it offers a chance to get better!)

what is it negative saying about artificial rocks? will you share what you have heard?

 

[machodik]

Hi David,

So nice to hear your comment and advises.

Yes, those live rocks has been with my tank since it was build well , more than 4 years in fact.

I wonder where or should I say, who among the live rock supplier that has the reputation ? I feel that unless I dive for my own (lol) , I really don't know who else can supply a real authentic live rock from the sea ? Any referral?

In case I use Artificial live rocks , can I totally use it or should I have to combo with real live rocks ? Should I also have to let the artificial live rocks take times to be colonized by good bacteria like what we do when we are trying to cycled the tank at the beginning ?

Cheers,

MD



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[davidsu]

once I purchased live rocks from a fish store. they store their liverocks in the sump of their very big display tank. I felt so secured! I believe rocks with some Zoanthus attached on it is good! plus the weight is light!
I would do combo the real rocks if i use artificial rocks. it is more of diversity .
But if I don't have to ,I wont use artificial rocks!

 

[machodik]

Thanks David,

You been very supportive , hope someday can have a chance to meet you in person.

This is the best part of this hobby, meeting new friends of the same hobby.

Hope I can find a reliable suppliers of live rocks .

Cheers ,


MD



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[davidsu]

It sure is , yeah!