And that's why I asked about the wet side, haha. It makes a difference!
Biocube 32
- Thread starter MichaelB
- Start date
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Still, I am hoping someone comes out with a competing product to lower the price for these (when their patent runs out?). Its the only Ecotech product I own but there is not really competition for them if you like their ‘wireless’ design. I got both of my MP40s at Premium Aquatics during the Thanksgiving sale last year for 350 each. Buying them used is a good alternative.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Agreed the ones I had before are zero comparsion to theirs
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Latest minor update. I added a 5th 21 led 12 inch actinic bar under the hood. Each bar is suppose to add around 30 par 18inches below the surface. (Assuming this doesn't consider rock work and corals shading. Most likely their assertion is measured in a structure free tank.)
The Reason for the additional light:
It seemed that the back uper portion of the tank wasn't getting the same par as the center due to uneven light spread. So I hope it provides a little better coverage. Specifically for the sps coral at the top of the tank. If it’s meant to give 30 par at 18 inches, it should add at least near 70-100 extra par at 3-6 inches under the that light where sps is. Previous readings when I had the par meter ranged from 250-280 par. I'm hoping to be able to break over 350 par during peak lighting times when all the led channels are on.
I may add a 6th bar as well centered over the sps if they show any improvement in coloration over the next few weeks. I would definitely take par readings again before adding a 6th light if I ever decide to.
I also threw in a picture of the sps so far.
I know they are close but won't be for too long. Alot of the corals will be transfered to the new 65 gallon tank in the next few months.
The Reason for the additional light:
It seemed that the back uper portion of the tank wasn't getting the same par as the center due to uneven light spread. So I hope it provides a little better coverage. Specifically for the sps coral at the top of the tank. If it’s meant to give 30 par at 18 inches, it should add at least near 70-100 extra par at 3-6 inches under the that light where sps is. Previous readings when I had the par meter ranged from 250-280 par. I'm hoping to be able to break over 350 par during peak lighting times when all the led channels are on.
I may add a 6th bar as well centered over the sps if they show any improvement in coloration over the next few weeks. I would definitely take par readings again before adding a 6th light if I ever decide to.
I also threw in a picture of the sps so far.
I know they are close but won't be for too long. Alot of the corals will be transfered to the new 65 gallon tank in the next few months.
Attachments
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Forgive the very Long post wanted to be detailed as possible.
So time for a update, this time prehaps not a good one. From sometime between this post and the last post, I notice a major difference in the coloration of some of the sps. Please look at the date of previous post, and the pictures of the tank on this post is today.
CURRENT ISSUE
The adam bomb seems brown no green to be seen on them though I'm not sure if it's a potential bleaching not experienced enough to know the difference. A few other frags are showing similar differences while others are looking the same. Nothing is that pale white color I relate to fully bleached/ dead.
The sps extends the sweepers tenctles when I feed Benepets reef food (every other week), or reef nutritions green bottle of phytoplanton (once a week)
All but a few of the sps millepora acros has for the most part stopped showing polyp extensions.
I notice on the very tips of some of the sticks some red type alage only on the new growth tips. (If i blow it off it comes back next day or 2)
I was seeing weekly visible growth on sps/ encrusting Yet now I suspect it's possible stalled.
*There is no visible hair alage, bryopsis or coralline in the tank.
OVERVIEW OF CORALS IN GENERAL
Purple stylo looks great.
Potato chip pavona- looks great with nice colors has grown (same level as sps)
Gorgonian (same level as most of the sps is sometimes closed but mostly open)
Euphyllia, torches, hammers frog spawn are looking better than they ever have.
Favias dragon soul/ yellow submarine are looking stunning as always.
Rainbow bubble tip anemone recently split a 2 weeks ago, they are looking health and haven't moved at all smaller one has grown and is now same size as other one.
Lobophyllia/ plate coral both very puffy and looking amazing.
Leathers corals neon green toadstools,
fuji yellow, yellow Sinularia, biota weeping willow are also full and puffy.
Zoas, are putting out new polyps especially the exospheres and Magicians. I had to remove the pandoras form this tank as they were growing too fast.
Duncans, beyond the ones closest to the hammers getting stung haven’t bothered to move them, they look like crap, normally very puffy and extended.
EQUIP. CHANGES IN LAST 1.5 MONTHS
Flow:
Originally had 3 wave makers.
I swapped 1 hydor koralia, and a hygger mini wave maker to 1 mp10 (set to reef crest meduim flow), and I left one hydor koralia on opposing side of tank.
Lighting:
I added one more 21 led 12 inch actinic reef bars to cover the back portion of the display are if tank. Previously I had 4 reef bars.
Pods
At the recent CFM , I added 1.5 bottles of reef nutrition apex pods and 1 bottle of their tigger pods. (This was my fist time ever adding any pods)
I picked up a bag of chaeto alage also from CFM, and spilt it between twk tanks. (I have it stuffed into mushroom boxes inside the display areas, this is also something I never done before.)
Fish food
I feed once a day only swaping between tdo pellets, and marine frozen cubes. (I split half a cube between all 3 tanks )
DOSING
I was Dosing 7mil a day all for reef, I haven't been doing this daily as I use to for the last 2 weeks. I've been doing it only 3 days a week as I'm down to the bottom of the bottle.
(This isn’t from laziness or forgeting but I've had other things to pay for and money was tight. I hope to be able to get more soon as I'm able)
TESTING RESULTS.
I will include testing results below for the last few weeks maybe to show history and data.
03/11/2024 - first test 5 days post tank swap and 100 % water change- started dosing 5ml daily all4reef
Alk - 6.7 salifert
Mag - 1330 salifert
Ca - 440 salifert
P04 - 0.3 salifert
03/17/2024
Alk - 8.4 salifert
Alk - 8.9 hanna (exp 2023)
Mag - 1320 salifert
Ca - 455 salifert
Po4 - 0.03 salifert
Po4 - 0.83 hanna (ULR)
03/27/2024 started dosing 7mil daily (afr)
Alk - 7.2 salifert
Alk - 6.9 hanna (exp 2023)
Mag - 1320 salifert
Ca - 420 salifert
Po4 - 0.03 salifert
4/3/2024 dosing 7mil daily afr.
Alk - salifert
Alk - 7.7 hanna
Mag - 1250 salifert
Ca - 430 salifert
Ca - 487 hanna
Po4 - 0.02h salifert
Po4 - .84 hanna (low range)
4/11/2024 dosing 7mil daily afr.
Alk - 7.7 salifert
Alk - 7.5 hanna
Mag - 1200 salifert
Ca - 420 salifert
Ca - hanna (not tested need rodi water)
Po4 - .64 hanna (low range)
P04 - 0.3 salifert
4/12/2024 tested @ Neptunes.
Alk - 7.9
Ca - 435
Mag - 1145
P04 - 0.5
Ammonia - 0.1
Ph 7.7
Nitrate - 22
Nitrite - 0.1
5/05/2024 dosing 7mil afr 3 times week.
Alk - 0.69 salifert
Alk - 7.1 hanna
Mag - 1215 salifert
Ca - 415 salifert
Ca - 523 hanna (used rodi not distilled)
Po4 - 1.42 hanna (low range)
P04 - 0.07 salifert
05/13/2024 7mil afr 3 times week
Alk - 7.5 salifert
Mag - 1140 salifert
Ca - 375 salifert
Po4 not tested (will test soon)
Will also get a spin test from Neptunes again for comparsion.
The pictures are taken during the 2 hour max par window, when I have all the lights on including the white channels. So there is no orange filters or alterations.
I always change 5 gallons of water weekly. This current I changed 5 gallons twice 2 days apart, I may do it again before the week ends.
Nothing is dead or has died but i'm honestly very very concerned about the sps. So I really need suggestions and imput please.
So time for a update, this time prehaps not a good one. From sometime between this post and the last post, I notice a major difference in the coloration of some of the sps. Please look at the date of previous post, and the pictures of the tank on this post is today.
CURRENT ISSUE
The adam bomb seems brown no green to be seen on them though I'm not sure if it's a potential bleaching not experienced enough to know the difference. A few other frags are showing similar differences while others are looking the same. Nothing is that pale white color I relate to fully bleached/ dead.
The sps extends the sweepers tenctles when I feed Benepets reef food (every other week), or reef nutritions green bottle of phytoplanton (once a week)
All but a few of the sps millepora acros has for the most part stopped showing polyp extensions.
I notice on the very tips of some of the sticks some red type alage only on the new growth tips. (If i blow it off it comes back next day or 2)
I was seeing weekly visible growth on sps/ encrusting Yet now I suspect it's possible stalled.
*There is no visible hair alage, bryopsis or coralline in the tank.
OVERVIEW OF CORALS IN GENERAL
Purple stylo looks great.
Potato chip pavona- looks great with nice colors has grown (same level as sps)
Gorgonian (same level as most of the sps is sometimes closed but mostly open)
Euphyllia, torches, hammers frog spawn are looking better than they ever have.
Favias dragon soul/ yellow submarine are looking stunning as always.
Rainbow bubble tip anemone recently split a 2 weeks ago, they are looking health and haven't moved at all smaller one has grown and is now same size as other one.
Lobophyllia/ plate coral both very puffy and looking amazing.
Leathers corals neon green toadstools,
fuji yellow, yellow Sinularia, biota weeping willow are also full and puffy.
Zoas, are putting out new polyps especially the exospheres and Magicians. I had to remove the pandoras form this tank as they were growing too fast.
Duncans, beyond the ones closest to the hammers getting stung haven’t bothered to move them, they look like crap, normally very puffy and extended.
EQUIP. CHANGES IN LAST 1.5 MONTHS
Flow:
Originally had 3 wave makers.
I swapped 1 hydor koralia, and a hygger mini wave maker to 1 mp10 (set to reef crest meduim flow), and I left one hydor koralia on opposing side of tank.
Lighting:
I added one more 21 led 12 inch actinic reef bars to cover the back portion of the display are if tank. Previously I had 4 reef bars.
Pods
At the recent CFM , I added 1.5 bottles of reef nutrition apex pods and 1 bottle of their tigger pods. (This was my fist time ever adding any pods)
I picked up a bag of chaeto alage also from CFM, and spilt it between twk tanks. (I have it stuffed into mushroom boxes inside the display areas, this is also something I never done before.)
Fish food
I feed once a day only swaping between tdo pellets, and marine frozen cubes. (I split half a cube between all 3 tanks )
DOSING
I was Dosing 7mil a day all for reef, I haven't been doing this daily as I use to for the last 2 weeks. I've been doing it only 3 days a week as I'm down to the bottom of the bottle.
(This isn’t from laziness or forgeting but I've had other things to pay for and money was tight. I hope to be able to get more soon as I'm able)
TESTING RESULTS.
I will include testing results below for the last few weeks maybe to show history and data.
03/11/2024 - first test 5 days post tank swap and 100 % water change- started dosing 5ml daily all4reef
Alk - 6.7 salifert
Mag - 1330 salifert
Ca - 440 salifert
P04 - 0.3 salifert
03/17/2024
Alk - 8.4 salifert
Alk - 8.9 hanna (exp 2023)
Mag - 1320 salifert
Ca - 455 salifert
Po4 - 0.03 salifert
Po4 - 0.83 hanna (ULR)
03/27/2024 started dosing 7mil daily (afr)
Alk - 7.2 salifert
Alk - 6.9 hanna (exp 2023)
Mag - 1320 salifert
Ca - 420 salifert
Po4 - 0.03 salifert
4/3/2024 dosing 7mil daily afr.
Alk - salifert
Alk - 7.7 hanna
Mag - 1250 salifert
Ca - 430 salifert
Ca - 487 hanna
Po4 - 0.02h salifert
Po4 - .84 hanna (low range)
4/11/2024 dosing 7mil daily afr.
Alk - 7.7 salifert
Alk - 7.5 hanna
Mag - 1200 salifert
Ca - 420 salifert
Ca - hanna (not tested need rodi water)
Po4 - .64 hanna (low range)
P04 - 0.3 salifert
4/12/2024 tested @ Neptunes.
Alk - 7.9
Ca - 435
Mag - 1145
P04 - 0.5
Ammonia - 0.1
Ph 7.7
Nitrate - 22
Nitrite - 0.1
5/05/2024 dosing 7mil afr 3 times week.
Alk - 0.69 salifert
Alk - 7.1 hanna
Mag - 1215 salifert
Ca - 415 salifert
Ca - 523 hanna (used rodi not distilled)
Po4 - 1.42 hanna (low range)
P04 - 0.07 salifert
05/13/2024 7mil afr 3 times week
Alk - 7.5 salifert
Mag - 1140 salifert
Ca - 375 salifert
Po4 not tested (will test soon)
Will also get a spin test from Neptunes again for comparsion.
The pictures are taken during the 2 hour max par window, when I have all the lights on including the white channels. So there is no orange filters or alterations.
I always change 5 gallons of water weekly. This current I changed 5 gallons twice 2 days apart, I may do it again before the week ends.
Nothing is dead or has died but i'm honestly very very concerned about the sps. So I really need suggestions and imput please.
Attachments
Last edited:
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Continuing last post
Pictures using orange filter, like my update from last month for a more accurate coloration comparsion.
Also shows the red stuff i mentioned
in previous post. on some of the new growth acro tips. This isn’t wide spread maybe only on 2-3 acros. Its also not always present.
Pictures using orange filter, like my update from last month for a more accurate coloration comparsion.
Also shows the red stuff i mentioned
in previous post. on some of the new growth acro tips. This isn’t wide spread maybe only on 2-3 acros. Its also not always present.
Attachments
Last edited:
MichaelB
Supporting Member
So you think phosphates could by my issue.
I have a aquaticlife 115 mini skimmer, i'll admit it's very fical. If I nudge it a hair or walk to hard it stops skiming. When it runs smoothly it's fills the cup daily. l can't currently do anything in regards to as it's not broken it has a design type of flaw with it's air intake. I plan to look for a new skimmer when I get extra cash. I've been hoping to try to modify this one so it stays on.
RandyC
Supporting Member
Not definitively, but it would give me cause for concern. It would be one place I would try to stabilize and see what effect it has on coral.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
A little off topic but are you using the bottled AFR or the powder version? The 800g powder costs a little more than 1l of the premade bottle but you could make 5 liters with the powder can.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I just had the small 250 ml bottle. I would like to get the powder at some point no argument on long term savings that route. A small bottle was $17 lasts me 3 months. Powder was $50-$75or so.
The choice for me was more based on the immediate cost factor hence I needed it then and just grabbed a small bottle. Most likely I'll be looking to get another small bottle. Yet I will try to get the powder before the next one runs out.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
What does your schedule look like tomorrow? I can mix a 1L bottle for you and have it ready for pickup no cost. Today I’m super busy with work and running errands since I’m leaving for Mexico for a week Saturday morning. If tomorrow doesn’t work out we can plan something when I come back if you’re interested
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Wow thanks, that would be awesome, lets just plan for when you get, back I know how planning for a trip goes. I wish you a safe and joy filled trip. Just reach out when your back and we can figure it out than.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Continuing from last update
Test results 05/16/2024
From Neptunes spin test.
Alk 7.0
Calcium 410
Mag 1070
Po4 1.2
Ammonia 0.2
PH 7.9
Nitrate 28
Nitrite 0.0
I got another small bottle of all for reef, so I can return to daily dosing, also dosing kent marine magnesium daily. So I hope I can get things stable again and stop the downwards trend of elements.
I was suggested to buy Rowa phos.
Something I've never heard if or used before. I got a package of it since I was already there. I will research it a bit before actually using it in my tank.
Test results 05/16/2024
From Neptunes spin test.
Alk 7.0
Calcium 410
Mag 1070
Po4 1.2
Ammonia 0.2
PH 7.9
Nitrate 28
Nitrite 0.0
I got another small bottle of all for reef, so I can return to daily dosing, also dosing kent marine magnesium daily. So I hope I can get things stable again and stop the downwards trend of elements.
I was suggested to buy Rowa phos.
Something I've never heard if or used before. I got a package of it since I was already there. I will research it a bit before actually using it in my tank.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Leak test has passed no issues dected. I need to make the rock scape, I have plenty of rocks to start, only plan to grab a few arches/ donuts from aquatic collection this weekend most likely. I want to have swim throughs and caves built into the scape when I cement it. Than grab some cal media for the substrate. Add rodi and mix saltwater. Once thats done get par readings and set up ato. If It works out should be around time of frag swap or just after before I toss in some hardy corals for observation. I Won't be adding fish to it for a while or any nicer sps corals. I'm also not getting rid of the 32 so I won't be in a major rush.
It will be mostly dry rock, but I should have more than enough media that it will be well seeded for faster cycling.
@Invictus
It will be mostly dry rock, but I should have more than enough media that it will be well seeded for faster cycling.
@Invictus
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
I really wonder how your phosphates keep staying at 1.2. Is this ppm? You do not feed a lot and do regular water changes. What water do you use for the water change?
I have used GFO/Rowaphos a few times as a last resort in my nano tank and it does work even if in a bag if placed properly. However, just listened to an interview with the guy from OCEAMO / MS ICP and he stated that their testing with gfo found out that it strips the water from all trace elements - it apparently explained on their website. And with your AFR dosing this is obviously counter productive.
I have used GFO/Rowaphos a few times as a last resort in my nano tank and it does work even if in a bag if placed properly. However, just listened to an interview with the guy from OCEAMO / MS ICP and he stated that their testing with gfo found out that it strips the water from all trace elements - it apparently explained on their website. And with your AFR dosing this is obviously counter productive.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I'm not sure of parts per million what that means. Neptunes uses spin test. I use hanna low range shows anywhere between .6- 1.4 avg, I also have the ultra low range hanna it always reads 900, salifert tests always shows .02-.03
So I don't know why the numbers are different from each test, but for each different test they are just about always the same respectivley.
I get rodi water from aqua plus as its 2 blocks from home. I maybe aquiring a rodi setup in near future if all goes to plan and i'm able to get it hooked up. I have a cheap tdo meter from Amazon,I honestly never thought to test the water I get from aqua plus till you asked this question, I will definitely test it next time I get water from them. Yes you are correct I use chemipure blue always, and Rotate between puregion and carbon. With filter pads. My skimmer in the cube definitely needs some tweaking to make it run better. I have never been able to get phosphates lower. Even with running the stuff above. I have no desires to try to run them extremely low. I just want them at acceptable levels. I will probably add that rowa phos in the next day or two after I learn more about it.
I also have zero visible algae anywhere in the tank or cyano etc. So no clue why I can't lower po4
Last edited:
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Looks like the tests come out with a similar result, except for salifert. The ultra low Hanna 900 ppb is 0.9 ppm, so within the range of other tests, and I just recalled I tested your water previously and it was above 1 ppm. Just wanted to make sure the tests are correct before you use GFO. Still curious what feeds your phosphate levels.
I like to keep magnesium higher, target 1350, and calcium too, target 420.
Coral reefer
Past President
I do not trust the spin test.