[Mattfish]

So previously, I've posted about changing 20%-25% of our water each week. Lately between back problems and resultant complaining, I'm down to an average of 20%-25% change every two weeks. I just came home after a few days away, with no water change last weekend. It looked like a whole lot more coralline algae was appearing.

Water params are consistent with Calcium still a bit high. Also, our skimmer wasn't really functioning for 2 or 3 days and my wife didn't notice it, so the water was a little dirtier than usual.

Is the coralline growth, (a) an illusion and/or a reason to travel less, (b) real and due to lesser water changes that are allowing better growth to take hold, (c) possibly due to dirtier water, or (d) none of the above/something else?

Thoughts and ideas? Thanks!

[carmanimports]

u should be doing 40 to 50% a month any way so u r doing it correct and 25% a week is a little much

[msbdiving]

My guess is that it is probably B and C. Without the water changes, the coralline spores are able to accumulate in the tank especially if they are not being sucked out by a protein skimmer.

The water change can go either way though. Most salt that I am aware of already has calcium. That ca+ is readily depleted if you have lps, sps, or other ca+ dependant life and are doing no other ca+ additives. That is where a water change will actually raise your ca+ levels.

BTW, I do a 20% every two weeks and everyone is happy.

[glampka]

I think your false clowns are playing with your mind!! Definitely a reason to travel less - you have to spend more time figuring out how they're doing it.
Really no need to do a 20-25% water change every week unless you are really overstocked. Every other week is fine.

[sanjaypawar]

I believe in minimum maintenance. I am trying to not let the tank "run my life" ( I like that phrase.....lowej82 created it). My tanks been running for 2 months now and I haven't done a water change yet.... Everyone's happy...including corals.

I might do a 10% water change this weekend only because Jack insisted. Although I do take out any dead inverts whenever I see them so that the system is as clean as can be...(some inverts BTW died when I bought them because of acclimation problems and water quality....I think)


Find your own answer...that usually is the right way.

[jimw369]

Travel less. What glampka says yes. And we already talked about a way to do water changes without lifting anything last month.

[sanjaypawar]

Finally I did it. I changed 10% of the water yesterday. Ph and sp.g are fine. But one of my LPS corals is not happy. He hasn't opened up much this morning.....

Has anyone observed this kindda coral behaviour?

[jimw369]

Sanjay-I am new to the hobby with only 6 mos experience but I will throw in my 2 cents towards your question about the corals. If Im wrong I hope the old salty dogs will correct me.

We do not know why corals do what they do 100% of the time. Im sure they have a good reason for looking good or looking bad. I believe a coral looking bad is part natural. Everyday in your tank is not going to be better than the next. Some days are good and for reasons known only unto a higher power some days our corals are not going to look so good. If water, light, flow, placement with other corals and food are what they should be, nature needs to take over and do the rest.

I feel, IMHO, the trick is to have more good days than bad.

[Mattfish]

Adding to Jim's response, I get that sometimes as well. It could be a chemistry change thing, or a flow change thing - if you've turned off the pump and PH's to do the change, or....

it could be that since they're water-sniffers, the nutrients added back into the water fill their needs and they don't need to have their polyps out to gather food.

I noticed this from putting Phyto-Feast in every day for a few days, then many of the corals didn't come out. I cut back and they came out again. Someone pointed out that they had all the food they needed and didn't need more for a bit, hence the apparent withdrawal.

[Mattfish]

Originally Posted by jimw369

Travel less. What glampka says yes. And we already talked about a way to do water changes without lifting anything last month.

Ah, Jim, I think you've been Lampka'd. Gary has obviously been enjoying the summer too much, and as a probable "child of the 60's", who knows what this could mean.... And it can be infectious.....

I'll have to go back and point out to Gary that the issue was my coralline algae growth - not the water change.

As you pointed out, we got the water change issue down a few weeks ago, but it's understandable that it was a long time ago and Gary had several weekend's on his boat since then.... must be all that sun shine....

[sanjaypawar]

Thanks a lot guys. Both the responses were helpful. I am just going to let things be.

[Mattfish]

Hey Sanjay, another thought I shoulda put in the first response - my wife has done a lot of reorganizing our tank - removing some LR, etc. In doing that, we also discovered that moving our corals to new homes in the tank sometimes makes them settle in better - even when the flow, light, and depth are the same as the last spot, sometimes they really perk up in a new place. If they do, we leave them there, if they don't we try another new spot until we find a good place. Even then, sometimes that works for only a few weeks.

I think Jim's right on when he says we don't really know why (that being the bigger we of the aquarium community), and I'm finding, in my limited experience, that trying something new is good and helpful for the tank.

[jimw369]

I dont know if this helps anyone and maybe a lot of people do this but inside my canopy I keep 4 peices of acrylic about 2" off the top of the water. On top of these I place darker smoked type acrylic peices to shade or block a little light to certain areas. In my case about 25% of the left side of my tank is not getting as intense light as the other parts. This is also the part of my tank with the low flow area. Mushrooms, fox coral, candy cane coral, Sun coral, (I had to move it because of the carpet anemone), Rics and some zoos are all there and seem to flourish. Stuff really opens up well here but if I take the dark peices of acrylic out everything shrivels up small again from too much light. Works great for me.

Dont let anyone tell you T5HO aint enough light at least in a 25" deep tank. Croceas are going on three weeks now and seem to be doing great. If all goes well ia a few months we are going to be adding more of those CLAMS!!!! LOVE THE CLAMS!!! The trick is finding just the right one you get excited over! (leave it alone Becky)

Of course Mattfish has that light that can think and it probably gives each individual coral the right amount of light it needs.

[Mattfish]

(It makes breakfast too, but usually too early, so I need to change the time setting on the auto-breakfast mode...)

We've got two croceas also and a squamosa and also love the clams. Really cool, and amazing colors. We also just got a tube worm and a sponge, but neither one really needs the light....

Good idea on the light blocking plexi.

If anyone should happen to have any ideas on the coralline growth, that'd be great too!

[glampka]

Just docked the boat - what I miss here???

[sanjaypawar]

Hey Guys!

Woke up this morning and the Goniopora was happy and in full bloom. It does better under MH but ofcourse the MH create an algae problem..... I read a research report about gonioporas (ofcourse after I had already bought it.. ). They are one of the hardest corals to keep because (the report said) many of them don't make it. The research talks about feeding the coral and moderate to high lighting for the one that I have. They are awesome (one of the best I would say.. among LPS).

You guys are right about trying different things (as long as they are not surely going to kill stuff....), sit back and watch.

About the croceas, which ones would you recommend. I have T5s as well and if they do well under T5 (which most people will advice against....) that'll be great...

Also BTW I am planning on getting some SPS corals. My tank is 8 weeks old....any reason why I should 'not' get them????

[rlcline76]

Originally Posted by glampka

Just docked the boat - what I miss here???

What did you miss? Your last name became a verb! It's like your immortalized.

[jimw369]

Sanjay,"Also BTW I am planning on getting some SPS corals. My tank is 8 weeks old....any reason why I should 'not' get them????"

Are you going to keep your tank for sure?

I would also do some more reading reasearch and also talk to JV. SPS is a different ballgame. From what I read more direct current towards the corals, Different types of deseases and ailments than LPS, leathers and softies. Depending on what you want to accomplish a calcium reactor might be in your future.

No offense Sanjay cause I think the world of you and Jack and what you did together with that great tank and I hope it all works out for you but make sure you are committed before heading down another path.

This is a hobby that is not about buying it. It is about taking care of it. We are still talking about where to place the corals we have and water chemistry. I would get a good grasp on these things first before heading into new ventures.

As for SPS corals? Oh yeah. Ill have some in there some day.

[sanjaypawar]

Jim:

Great post! Good choice of words, and thanks.

Yes I thought about it. The truth is as much as I love my reef, I am still not sure about keeping the tank. Having said that I am still giving it my best. Just bought a new Iwaki 55 rlt MD pump (1136G per hour) today (JV is buying my current pump, the flow rate was 2100GPH but was choked more than 50%, therefore heats the tank and runs loud). Although my flow rate will be 6x combined with the power heads the tank will be fine because that's what the flow rate is now, anyway.

I am thinking the new pump should be quiter and cooler. I already have huge sunk costs if a few more dollars help me keep the tank...I'll roll the dice on that.

I have researched SPS corals a lot. I am only interested in a few kinds. If JV can help me keep the water clean, I think I'll be alright. Worst case scenario, I'll get a nano and keep all the corals in it..........

[Mattfish]

Sanjay - I must have missed something - why aren't you sure you're keeping the tank? So much time and money on building it.

Gary - now that you are a noun. we'll need some new words on a regular basis. For example, "boated" could mean relaxed, etc.

Regarding corals, it seems that commitment and care are a pre-req, but it hasn't seemed difficult at all. We just make sure the water stays good (and even when it strays a bit, we don't see to have problems from it - just the challenge of getting it back to where it should be), and feed Phyto-Feast which all corals seem to love, and we watch them grow.

[glampka]

As I look into my cloudy crystal margarita glass (still a bit hazy from yesterday afternoon) I predict that Sanjay is keeping the tank. Let's face it, you don't go out & spend more $$$ on a new pump if you have no intentions of keeping it. I'm thinking Sanjay is a card carrying graduate of the JV school of Drama!!!

I was a noun - now I'm a verb or adjective!! Now to make it into Webster's!!

[sanjaypawar]

You are right Gary. I am Jv'ed for the moment (that's a good verb, it even sounds legit).

I don't like to presume and therefore I keep the 'maybe' aspect alive so that one day when/if I do take the tank out. Everyone will be 'Oh! we knew that was gonna happen as opposed to what'. I hope you see the distinction.

Yes I am putting more dollars to save the big bucks that have already gone ino the tank.

SPS corals I think can help me change my mind....