Cali Kid Corals

George's IM Nuvo 14

bfirecat said:
That's a good amount of usage!
Try keeping the alk swings to less than 1 a day. I've had bad experiences when I've done more.
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Definitely been something that has accelerated more recently, which is why I can’t wait for my 2-part to get here. I want to keep it level day-to-day. As mentioned, maxed out with all kalk top off the past few weeks. But my tank just doesn’t evaporate that much water day-to-day.

I’ve really been paying attention to the tank and getting it cleaned and stable the past couple of months. I think it’s hitting a tipping point where the corals are happy and growing, and consumption is going up.

Also, have added a bunch of SPS frags since November and they’ve finally settled in and started growing too.
 
2-Part has arrived. It’s sad because I probably gave away a couple of the old gallon screw tops of this stuff after I downsized, thinking I wouldn’t need it any more.


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Update: Starting up 2-Part
  • I'm using the BRS 2-part pouches
  • Including some links/references in case it's helpful to others

Ok, I stopped adding any kalk the past 24 hours to see what the ALK usage is. Calculated the ALK usage in my tank, testing at the same time both mornings.
  • dKh dropped from 6.3 to 5.6 for a delta of 0.7
  • Using the BRS dosing calculator I got 6.5ml of Soda Ash liquid (there's also this Reef Chemistry Calculator that I've used in the past, and BRS ALK is Randy's 2-Part Recipe 1)
  • I'm using BRS 1.1ml/hr dosing pumps that I have lying around (glad I didn't give those away)
  • I used the APEX Dosing Program Generator to generate the program
  • For now, I'm planning on doing 24/7 on an hourly basis, which would be the following program to get 6.5ml / day
Fallback OFF​
OSC 030:00/000:15/029:45 Then ON​
  • I'm going to slowly dose manually additional amounts over the next couple of days to edge my dKh up into the 7-10 dKh range
Weekend or evening project will be to get my dosing pumps up and running. Hopefully this will stabilize the parameters in my tank. Will update as I continue to test/get set-up over the coming week.
 
Hooked up the dosers for my 2-part today. Here’s the underbelly of the beast. It’s not as bad as it looks. Most of the wires are zip-tied and hung up. There’s just so much of it under there that it’s hard to have it all neatly lined up.

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Forgot to add the update on CUC. Thanks to [mention]Coral reefer [/mention] for probably 2 dozen baby trochas snails to help get in the nooks and crannies. They’ve been out and about the tank.

See if you can spot one of the little guys (and yes, there is some ugly hair algae going on)


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Quick tank update:

Calc/Alk consumption after getting in a good level for a week or two with 2-part dosing has started to increase by .3 dKh a day.

Thinking this could be from two things:
  • Getting ALK into back into the 7-8 range and stable has made the corals happier
  • I've also been ramping up my lighting over the past month from 65% to 85% which should be helping with growth

With the increased lighting, seeing some faster growth of film algae on the glass, and some cyano pop up on the sand bed. Increasing water changes to see if that helps.
 
Added a small clam last week as part of @Apon ’s group buy. This is day 7. I’ve been letting it acclimate on the bottom and trying not to bother it. I’m pretty sure it’s attached to the chunk of rock it’s sitting on. No clam cradle so I had to chip some dry rock into shape. Not hugely open yet, but still responsive and closed up when bothered at the last water change.


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If it’s attached be very careful moving it or maybe even not move it. You can potentially damage the foot of the clam.
 
Baykes said:
If it’s attached be very careful moving it or maybe even not move it. You can potentially damage the foot of the clam.
Click to expand...
How long do you think I should wait to move it? It's at the bottom of my tank, which doesn't have the best PAR. I have a home for it further up on the rockwork. Is it best to give it another week in the current location to attach more firmly?
 
Oh is the rock it’s attached to moveable? If so then yeah as soon as it seems attached you can likely move it. I was under the impression that it was not, so the more attached it got the worse it would be to remove it off the rock and likely damage the foot. Personally mine are on the sand
 
Baykes said:
Oh is the rock it’s attached to moveable? If so then yeah as soon as it seems attached you can likely move it. I was under the impression that it was not, so the more attached it got the worse it would be to remove it off the rock and likely damage the foot. Personally mine are on the sand
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Yes, I had put it on a small piece of rock I had shaped into a holder for it. I was under the impression that maxima's preferred being attached to rock which is why I didn't put it on the sand. I'll probably move it up this weekend.
 
Latest update:
- My alk has been creeping down about 0.2 per day. Bumped up the dosing 2ml to see if that helps stabilize. It's been hovering around 8 (Red Sea test kit, and have been checking every morning the past week)
- Also realized that when I was away for a week, my ALK dosing tube slipped and was outside my tank. I've got a layer of crust on the cabinet now that I need to figure out how to clean. Thinking some vinegar might help. It's really crusted on good.
- Clam has been open and happy
 
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