how to replenish nutrients in the water?

[Hendersonracing]

sorry for the quality....the pics are with the flash on...Im getting a cannon soon...lol

[fishysteve]

What kind of rock is that?

[Hendersonracing]

came from hawaii......all the darker areas are coraline...the camera is terrible...but the atinics were on and the halides were off so kinda hard to tell....

[GreshamH]

When did it come from Hawaii, recently?

[Hendersonracing]

I have had the tank set up for about 7 months...

[vessxpress1]

Well, one things for sure. You shouldn't ever have a problem with algae. I'd think all those tangs would keep it mowed down pretty well, in fact they may eat it as fast as it would appear so it doesn't appear you have any. Algae is usually a good indicator of phosphates, but if your tangs are eating it before it gets a chance to grow, then we won't know. Phosphates less than 1 can cause problems but not show up on a test kit. Have you considered trying that professional phosphate test kit from Deltec? I believe it's 90 bucks initially and refills are 40 but it would certainly let you know where you're at.

I'd say most great reef tanks have very small bio-loads but I've seen too many awesome TOTM's loaded with fish. You seem to be doing everything right.

If it isn't phosphates, I think I'd have to chalk it up to wild caught colonies like everyone has said and your tank is still relatively new. I'd test the theory. Find somebody local and buy a couple tank propogate frags from them and see how they do. If they fail too, then you could eliminate that idea. Good luck. That's a really cool looking set up.

[vessxpress1]

I see you have 3 different types of clownfish in there. I may be wrong but as they get bigger, things could get dicey down the road. I couldn't keep 2 different species in the same tank for long but I also have a smaller tank. The maroons and tomatos seem to get meaner as they get older. In another year, your percs could be fighting for their lives, and they will lose. Again, I could be wrong since this is a larger tank but, I've seen once peaceful tomatos and maroons 'snap' over night and kill perculas.

[Hendersonracing]

THANKS.......Ive had an algae issue in the past but seems its pretty good for now....Ill keep you posted.....

[Hendersonracing]

Originally posted by vessxpress1
I see you have 3 different types of clownfish in there. I may be wrong but as they get bigger, things could get dicey down the road. I couldn't keep 2 different species in the same tank for long but I also have a smaller tank. The maroons and tomatos seem to get meaner as they get older. In another year, your percs could be fighting for their lives, and they will lose. Again, I could be wrong since this is a larger tank but, I've seen once peaceful tomatos and maroons 'snap' over night and kill perculas.

I have 2 percs and a seabae! right now they get along good...a few months back I was going to add about 5 percs they were small they all died...I think they got picked on alot

[vessxpress1]

Originally posted by Hendersonracing
I have 2 percs and a seabae! right now they get along good...a few months back I was going to add about 5 percs they were small they all died...I think they got picked on alot

That's a maroon clown in the last pic on the left side.

[Hendersonracing]

THATS AN OLD PIC...NOW HES IN THE NANO

[vessxpress1]

Originally posted by Hendersonracing
THATS AN OLD PIC...NOW HES IN THE NANO

Oh, sorry. Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

[Hendersonracing]

lol....just a little aggrevating I have spent alot of money to have these acros die? looks like they would ask If you have a newly setup tank that they will not survive? start with the frags????
but I guess not?

[Hendersonracing]

everything else is rocking and growing like crazy....look at the gsp in the middle of the pic




now look at it attached all the way around

[Hendersonracing]

even this cap has attached to the rock

[madmax7774]

Run an experiment to figure it out.
Do the following:
get a 2 frags of the same type of coral that you are having trouble growing. Preferably one from a wild colony, and one from a tank raised colony.
put them in the tank high up, and then stop all water changes for at least a month.
see what happens. If you are starving the acro's, then they should take off with the increased bio-stuff in the tank. If they croak, then you know it's likely too much nutrients, and not enough cleaning/skimming. Having read both of your threads, and looked at all your pictures, I am inclined to think that your problem is not too much bioload and nutrients in the water, as I think with your lights, you would have one hell of an algae problem. What kind of salt do you use?
Also, some tanks just have problems with some types of corals. I can't get acro's to grow to save my life, but yet I have a milli that grow's like a weed. You just need to do some experimentation with small frags from lots of different places until you find out what works in your tank. What kind of sand bed is it? aragonite or playsand? silica based sand can cause issues too.

[Hendersonracing]

ITS AROGANITE SAND....also there is alot more in the tank that I don't want to kill, I think waiting a month before a wc would cause issues..I use reef crystals for salt(IO) I have absolutely not a spec of algae nowhere in the tank (I thought an algae problem was visible) and p04 could be in the water but not detectable?

[ct_vol]

Do you have any newer pics??? Has the coraline taken off growing on the rocks???

[Navyblue]

Originally posted by ct_vol
Do you have any newer pics??? Has the coraline taken off growing on the rocks???

That is what I was about to ask. Were those 7 months picture? If coralline can't grow don't expect that acros will.

[Hendersonracing]

yes I have coraline on all the rocks.....I work during the day so Its hard to get alot of pics...Ill take some tonight with the halides on....

[ratherbediving]

I could understand why algae isn't growing in your display tank with all the tangs etc...., but your refugium is crystal-clear. Doesn't seem like that could possibly be a 'too-high' nutrient issue (phosphate) as you should see algae really taking off there (microalgae, not just the macro).

You mentioned running the skimmer wet. Is that possibly the problem? Skimming wet should (I think!) remove any phyto or zoaplankton you add to the tank. This is just something I read on RC, please don't quote me on that . It might be a good thing to research though, I know you asked about it earlier in the thread but haven't seen anyone suggest it could be the problem. I don't think anyone has suggested running it 'dry'-- that might be something to ask about...

Originally posted by Hendersonracing
everything else is rocking and growing like crazy....look at the gsp in the middle of the pic
...

If you don't mind my changing the subject.... be careful with that GSP. That stuff can really take off. I have Xenia and GSP in my tank. If the Xenia ever gets out of control-- no problem, it pulls right off. But the GSP can really stick to the rock-- it is hard to remove it unless you can take the rock out of the tank and either scrub it or use a razor to get underneath the mat.

It's bad enough on a 55 gallon, wouldn't want to have to deal with it on a 210!

[reefinmike]

there's youre problem, those 10 foot yellow tangs are known acro eaters

Originally posted by Hendersonracing

1 10' yellow tang

[Hendersonracing]

woops sorry...world record...10" "better"

[Hendersonracing]

a few shots of the coraline in the tank!!!!

[Hendersonracing]