Ok so here is the scoop. I have a 300 gallon FOLR tank with a 50 gal wet/dry. Tank has been running for over 13 years and had great success with fish. Most live well past 5 years and had a purple go 12 years.
PH=8.4
temp=79
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
salinity-1.023
Phosphate=.5 to 1 according to LFS
Nitrate was over 100 :frustrat:on tuesday so I had 80% changed (felt my fish would be strong enough to handle). Nitrate dropped to about 25 the next day.:^: I just checked and it's creeping back up between 50-100 :frustrat:according to new purchased salifert kit. Will go shortly to LFS to have them check.:helm2:
Algae all over back glass and rocks :frustrat: so this week received CUC from reefcleaners:bounce: and did half of their recommendation to start. I use RO and the TBS meter based on their formula is rejecting 80%. Intake is 122 and output is 25.
Lighting-(4) 96 watt powercompacts 2-actinic and 2 daylight all new in Jan 2011.
ETSS protein skimmer,Iwaki 70RLT, Iwaki 55RLT, quietone 3000, maxijet 1200
Fish all doing great :sfish:and stocked as follows:
5"magnificant foxface Placed in tank one month ago
12" vlaminjii tang -5 years old
(3) Royal gramma's-5 years old
(1) Small 1" cardinal-4 years old
(1)lawnmower blenny-Placed in tank 3 weeks ago
(1)longnose hawk fish Placed in tank 2 weeks ago
(1)Bicolor angel-5 years old
(2) searpeant starfish-10 years old
5" Majestic angel placed in tank yesterday.
Plan to add:sfish: Flame, blond naso, emperor, blue tang within the next 4-6 months
After reading through all the threads I realize I have a "nitrate factory" with all the bio cubes in my system. Since I have a plenum bed with about 5 inches of sand i was doing water changes once a year but with this weeks water change I now am doing it every 6 months. The water change in January was a small one (30%) since I had been a bad and waited two years due to some family emergency that pulled me away from staying on top of it.
The plan was to now add a GFO reactor (Like the Bulk reef supply so far) by end of July :^:since I do use chemi pure (4 months old)as a carbon source. I don't want to dismantle the plenum since that would be a nightmare and the fish have never been a problem keeping and water is crystal clear:mrgreen:. I want to do better and start getting coralline to grow so I have more of that look and less of the algae look. Is it possible in a FOWL system? Do I start taking out 25% of bio cubes every 6 months and replace with base rock to have this all replaced within one year? Probably will not switch to reefs as you can see I like fish but would like to add maybe mushrooms and similar type corals if possible. Please chime in so I can go to a coralline looking tank if possible with fish and add more stock over the coming months!!!!!:Cheers:
PH=8.4
temp=79
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
salinity-1.023
Phosphate=.5 to 1 according to LFS
Nitrate was over 100 :frustrat:on tuesday so I had 80% changed (felt my fish would be strong enough to handle). Nitrate dropped to about 25 the next day.:^: I just checked and it's creeping back up between 50-100 :frustrat:according to new purchased salifert kit. Will go shortly to LFS to have them check.:helm2:
Algae all over back glass and rocks :frustrat: so this week received CUC from reefcleaners:bounce: and did half of their recommendation to start. I use RO and the TBS meter based on their formula is rejecting 80%. Intake is 122 and output is 25.
Lighting-(4) 96 watt powercompacts 2-actinic and 2 daylight all new in Jan 2011.
ETSS protein skimmer,Iwaki 70RLT, Iwaki 55RLT, quietone 3000, maxijet 1200
Fish all doing great :sfish:and stocked as follows:
5"magnificant foxface Placed in tank one month ago
12" vlaminjii tang -5 years old
(3) Royal gramma's-5 years old
(1) Small 1" cardinal-4 years old
(1)lawnmower blenny-Placed in tank 3 weeks ago
(1)longnose hawk fish Placed in tank 2 weeks ago
(1)Bicolor angel-5 years old
(2) searpeant starfish-10 years old
5" Majestic angel placed in tank yesterday.
Plan to add:sfish: Flame, blond naso, emperor, blue tang within the next 4-6 months
After reading through all the threads I realize I have a "nitrate factory" with all the bio cubes in my system. Since I have a plenum bed with about 5 inches of sand i was doing water changes once a year but with this weeks water change I now am doing it every 6 months. The water change in January was a small one (30%) since I had been a bad and waited two years due to some family emergency that pulled me away from staying on top of it.
The plan was to now add a GFO reactor (Like the Bulk reef supply so far) by end of July :^:since I do use chemi pure (4 months old)as a carbon source. I don't want to dismantle the plenum since that would be a nightmare and the fish have never been a problem keeping and water is crystal clear:mrgreen:. I want to do better and start getting coralline to grow so I have more of that look and less of the algae look. Is it possible in a FOWL system? Do I start taking out 25% of bio cubes every 6 months and replace with base rock to have this all replaced within one year? Probably will not switch to reefs as you can see I like fish but would like to add maybe mushrooms and similar type corals if possible. Please chime in so I can go to a coralline looking tank if possible with fish and add more stock over the coming months!!!!!:Cheers: