Matthew's 65g Skyward Reef

[Darkxerox]

They used to be called cryptic zones, not sure if that still is the terminology or if they've been debunked. But I remember Steve Tyree swore by them. A lot of folks here treat sponges like nuisance algae, I'm fairly neutral to them since I don't have any issues in my display. Maybe @Thales has an opinion on this!

Cryptic Zones in the Refugium

What are Cryptic Zones, Anyway? The planted refugium and its associated cryptic zones have gained a lot of traction among reef aquarists in recent years.

www.algaebarn.com

Reef Farmers New Book

www.reeffarmers.com

But lower flow areas or tightly packed things could potentially trap other things like biofilms, etc. and start to impede flow into the return chamber.

 

[BAYMAC]

They used to be called cryptic zones, not sure if that still is the terminology or if they've been debunked. But I remember Steve Tyree swore by them. A lot of folks here treat sponges like nuisance algae, I'm fairly neutral to them since I don't have any issues in my display. Maybe @Thales has an opinion on this!

Cryptic Zones in the Refugium

What are Cryptic Zones, Anyway? The planted refugium and its associated cryptic zones have gained a lot of traction among reef aquarists in recent years.

www.algaebarn.com

Reef Farmers New Book

www.reeffarmers.com

But lower flow areas or tightly packed things could potentially trap other things like biofilms, etc. and start to impede flow into the return chamber.

IME cryptic zones tend to be detritus sinks. I tried Steve's methods, read all his books, etc. It never did much for me and created more issues then it solved.

 

[Coral reefer]

Sponges can be good and bad. I do t know enough to know which is which to be honest. I just don’t see the risk reward in a section of the sump like that. Maybe it will be great at generating pods. Maybe it will get clogged. Let’s find out!

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Sponges can be good and bad. I do t know enough to know which is which to be honest. I just don’t see the risk reward in a section of the sump like that. Maybe it will be great at generating pods. Maybe it will get clogged. Let’s find out!

If it gets clogged it would just bypass the bubble trap. Not worried

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Dosed 7 scoops chemiclean.
Alk after dosing reef carbonate is now 116ppm or 6.495 dkh.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Chemi Clean worked great. Everything is happy and no more slime. Did a 30% WC and then dosed the Reef Flux.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

CA 450
Alk 6.3
Salinity 1.024

Looks like the Kalkwasser is helping the CA.
looks like I will need to start regularly dosing Alk. Not happy about that.

 

[Coral reefer]

CA 450
Alk 6.3
Salinity 1.024

Looks like the Kalkwasser is helping the CA.
looks like I will need to start regularly dosing Alk. Not happy about that.

Welcome to reefing

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Bout to have a Thanksgiving fish dinner if this Algae Blenny doesn't start eating my GHA.

 

[Darkxerox]

In my experience they kinda default to the other food going into the tank plus most herbivores don't like "old growth" algae. Manual removal of the big patches will help. Then grab a tuxedo urchin plus trochus snails. Good herbivores will prevent it from taking hold after removal.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Added: Royal Gramma and Sea Hare from High Tide Aquatics

Now dosing Soda Ash in addition to Kalkwasser.

Current Labs:
Alk 128ppm or 7.168 (Have been Dosing Reef Carbonate)
CA 465
Mag 1440
Salinity 1.024
pH somewhere around 8.0

Dosing:
- Kalkwasser 210mL/Day (1tsp/Gallon Concentration)

- Soda Ash (7.1 to 8.0 @70gallons tank volume)

- Mixed 1 cup Soda Ash in 2000mL of RODI
- Dosing 1tsp to hit my goal
- Math: 1tsp = 41mL
- Dosing 10mL/Day to hit my goal in 4 days (raising dkh by 0.25/day)

 

[Matthew Meyer]

This cannot be right........... To change alk from 7.1 to 8.0????

 

[newfly]

This cannot be right........... To change alk from 7.1 to 8.0????

View attachment 43937

Change the product to Liquid soda ash in the calculator. You can premix the dry powder with RODI to make liquid soda ash. 7.1 to 8 dkh for 70g is about 45ml soda ash. That’s about right

 

[Darkxerox]

This cannot be right........... To change alk from 7.1 to 8.0????

View attachment 43937

That's right at around 1 teaspoon. Sodium carbonate is pretty strong and you're not moving the numbers up much. I've used this since the early 2000s and it confirms: https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Change the product to Liquid soda ash in the calculator. You can premix the dry powder with RODI to make liquid soda ash. 7.1 to 8 dkh for 70g is about 45ml soda ash. That’s about right

I am embarrassed to say that I aced stoichiometry in Nursing School. I really struggled with the calculation. Thank you.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

That's right at around 1 teaspoon. Sodium carbonate is pretty strong and you're not moving the numbers up much. I've used this since the early 2000s and it confirms: https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Thank you. I almost dosed 250mL/day earlier. Shoot. I primed my dosing pump into my sump....... I'll check Alk Tomorrow evening.

 

[H2OPlayar]

Thank you. I almost dosed 250mL/day earlier. Shoot. I primed my dosing pump into my sump....... I'll check Alk Tomorrow evening.

I was dosing 250 mL/day at my peak with a rugby ball size chalice. I am around 45 mL/day with my tank now for reference.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Alk climbed from 7.1 to 8.512.

Everything in the tank looks great. Will start dosing 2mL/day and test often to dial in.

 

[BAYMAC]

If it gets clogged it would just bypass the bubble trap. Not worried

He's talking living sponges, not artificial sponges used for filtration.

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Sea hare died