High Tide Aquatics

Help needed

Bigfish

Bigfish

Supporting Member
BARcard
Hello I was wondering if anyone is willing to come out and help me with my tank, I feel like I have been slacking a bit and have not been doing it the justice it deserves. I never really got to learn about dosing, and think a lot of my parameters are out of wack. My Chaeto isn't growing the way I think it should, I just think I need some professional help to look at my whole system setup and tell me what I need to be doing like flow and lighting/sump set up. I have some things I would be willing to trade and or buy a nice pizza for anyone willing to come down and help. I'm a bit of a visual learner and would love if someone can show me how they do things and or any tweaks I can make even on coral placement recommendations. I'm free this Friday evening and or all day Saturday possibly Sunday if anyone has time I would really appreciate it. (PS You can have dibs on some of my cool mushroom corals if you know how to break it off). I am located in Manteca CA, so a bit a a drive for my Bay Area folks but come see the bass pro shop we have out here after nice taxidermy if interested (huge fish tank too!) :D

IMG_2032 Large.jpeg


IMG_2036 Large.jpeg

IMG_2037 Large.jpeg
IMG_2038 Large.jpeg
IMG_2040 Large.jpeg
 
Bigfish said:
Hello I was wondering if anyone is willing to come out and help me with my tank, I feel like I have been slacking a bit and have not been doing it the justice it deserves. I never really got to learn about dosing, and think a lot of my parameters are out of wack. My Chaeto isn't growing the way I think it should, I just think I need some professional help to look at my whole system setup and tell me what I need to be doing like flow and lighting/sump set up. I have some things I would be willing to trade and or buy a nice pizza for anyone willing to come down and help. I'm a bit of a visual learner and would love if someone can show me how they do things and or any tweaks I can make even on coral placement recommendations. I'm free this Friday evening and or all day Saturday possibly Sunday if anyone has time I would really appreciate it. (PS You can have dibs on some of my cool mushroom corals if you know how to break it off). I am located in Manteca CA, so a bit a a drive for my Bay Area folks but come see the bass pro shop we have out here after nice taxidermy if interested (huge fish tank too!) :D

View attachment 75665

View attachment 75666
View attachment 75667View attachment 75668View attachment 75669
Click to expand...
looks good from way over here!
nothing GOOD happens fast
feed the inhabitants, water changes
I do recommend getting that Xenia out or at least isolated...it can take over you tank and become the herpes you never wanted.
Also, perhaps you make the journey this way to visit a couple fellow reefer's systems
 
Coral reefer said:
Make a tank journal if you don’t have one.
Looks ok to me. What do you think is off?
What have you been doing?
Click to expand...
Thanks I did have one but that is something I too have neglected unfortunately hahaha I’m starting to have purple bubble algae forming seems like my nutrients are really high. I just kinda felt like I never truly learned the right way to do things. Even setting flow or a proper refugeium
 
Darkxerox said:
We could always do a virtual tour on stream. But second @Coral reefer 's suggestion to start a tank journal and list your equipment and livestock.

Otherwise from a distance it looks great!

I think one secret for chaeto that some like is Chaetogrow ( @derek_SR knows more about using it).
Click to expand...
That might not be a bad idea for the stream thanks for the suggestion

I’ll look into the chaetogrow thanks I thought I had so much excess phosphates and nitrates it would grow out my sump and walk away, I even have a Kessil light on full white at night time
 
Agreed. Looks like cyano from the pic. It's something alot of us experience. Don't be too hard on yourself. I dealing with a bit in my own tank right now.

When I get the feeling my parameters are off, its nothing a good waterchange cant solve to make me feel better. And dont sweat not being able to grow chaeto. Growing healthy corals and happy fish is what matters in the end.

Not sure if you're on youtube, but binging on old episodes of reefbeef will teach you alot.
 
One of the best things I did was convert my lighted refugium to a cryptic sump. My nutrients are low (0.05 phosphate and <1ppm nitrate if I don’t dose) and when I had a lighted refugium it didn’t stop algae from growing in the display tank. I first tried to grow ulva but was too successful since it spread to my display tank and wreaked havoc. I then tried growing chaeto but it kept getting overrun by hair algae. Converting to a cryptic sump has been great since the sump is a lot cleaner and there is less maintenance to do.

If you want to get into dosing you need to test your parameters periodically to figure out weekly alk consumption, set a target alk level, and dose accordingly. You could start with ESV two part which is very easy to start and maintain. If you want to jump on the hype train of dosing then you should check out Modern Reef which is launching in the US this month and selling for 30% launch discount. Modern Reef is a 4-part system so it requires more dosers but is also easy to setup.
 
Kensington Reefer said:
Harvest every 2 months

What’s your SW?
Water changes?
What and how often are ya feeding?
Click to expand...
I just did a really big water change I think my nitrates and phosphates are getting a bit out of control I was feeding more but taking it down now until I get my levels controlled (updated my tank journal because I think I found the gross culprit smh)

Not sure what SW is
 
Darkxerox said:
We could always do a virtual tour on stream. But second @Coral reefer 's suggestion to start a tank journal and list your equipment and livestock.

Otherwise from a distance it looks great!

I think one secret for chaeto that some like is Chaetogrow ( @derek_SR knows more about using it).
Click to expand...

I don't grow chaeto at all (never had much luck) but I was dosing CG for a while for my corals, and have to say it was pretty successful. I do monthly ICPs and the trace element make up of CG was nearly perfect for my tank, just have to watch the iron levels. It immediately turned colors around for the better in several acros.

I have recently stopped CG dosing and switched to Triton's new MYTE program - will see how that goes and update in my TJ.
 
derek_SR said:
I don't grow chaeto at all (never had much luck) but I was dosing CG for a while for my corals, and have to say it was pretty successful. I do monthly ICPs and the trace element make up of CG was nearly perfect for my tank, just have to watch the iron levels. It immediately turned colors around for the better in several acros.

I have recently stopped CG dosing and switched to Triton's new MYTE program - will see how that goes and update in my TJ.
Click to expand...
You have convinced me to not throw out my bottle of CG. I used to have a lighted refugium. Taking it offline was one of the best decisions I made.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top