Tank Doctor around North Andover area?

[pantinor]

I've had my 55 gallon going for about a year now, with the contents being transferred from a smaller tank that was going since '98. It seems to be running OK, except in comparison to some of the tank of month tanks, it's not in that class. I have invested in very good lighting, a RODI system, CA reactor. The measurements on the water seem good too. I apply phyoplankton as well. There is a little hair algae and valonia, but not much.

Here is recent picture: http://antinori.us/marlin_n_nemo.jpg

My complaints are zero coralline growth, the Hammer doesnt grow, the ricordea doesnt expand well, neither is the bubble anenome.

I was wondering, are there any experts close by to North Andover who would mind coming by my house and give me a second opinion on this tank's condition and setup, my equipment, etc? It would be helpful. even for a fee.

Thanks!
[email protected]

 

[NateHanson]

Maybe we should have a NorthAndover/Andover/Lawrence tank tour sometime. I'm sure I'm not the expert you're looking for, but there are a number of us in those towns, and we could help troubleshoot eachothers tanks sometime. I've certainly got things I could use advice on, and I could probably give advice on some things for other tanks.

In the meantime, tell us what your actual numbers are for water params, nitrate, ca, alk, sg. Maybe something there will give a clue. Have you tested Mg?

 

[pantinor]

Hi Nate,

Well, here are my last tests:

total system gallons = 55 gallon + 7 gallon sump + 10 gallon fuge
tank dkh = 11.2
tank ph = 8.1
tank salinity = 1.017 by the hydrometer, low because I had a stuck float switch earlier this week and too much fresh water flowed in.
tank CA = ?? I dont trust the marine aquariums test lab kit I have it shows very high, getting a salifert soon

ca reactor
effluent dkh = >16 my kit only goes to 16
effluent ph = 6.63
effluent flow rate = 24ml/minute

I dont have a magnesium test kit, I want to test this next.
nitrate = cant detect any with my kit
phosphates ?

lights = 2 175 wt mh XM 10ks w icecap ballasts and 2 actinic vhos

 

[pantinor]

Nate,

Heres whats in the tank:

lots of xenia
star polyps, retract when lights are on, maybe my lights are too bright.
brown monitpora digita has been growing slowly, the polyps are extended usually, this does well in the tank.
small green montipora digita grows slower than the brown.
green buttons
teeny ricordeas
small but old bubble anemone
crabs and snails
5 small reef fish

Theres not much in the tank actually....

 

[NateHanson]

What do you usually keep your sg around?

My meager experience has taught me that growth really takes off when the Ca and Alk are in the right range, and kept pretty steady. I was getting modest growth on my tank a few months ago when I wasn't paying enough attention to it (getting the next tank ready) and after the tank move when I was concentrating on my levels, things really exploded. Like 1/2"-1" growth per month on various montiporas, and acros that have obvious growth over a few weeks. You can get all the salifert tests at AA, and if you want to test magnesium you can use my test kit.

Do you use RODI water for water changes and top-off?

 

[pantinor]

Yes I use a 3 stage RO filter for the top off water, and this has measured clean by the TDS meter.

I will pick up the salifert tests at AA this week if they are open.

For the magnesium test, I might want to take you up on that, is that a test you perform alot?

For feeding, all I put in the tank is the phytoplankton and the brine shrimp I feed to the fish. There are no pods and such in the tank that I can see, but lots of spaghetti worms. My fuge just has chaeto with bristle worms.
I used to have lots of those teeny starfish but they all disappeared for some reason. I have a yellow ?? fish that does a great job of eating pods if they were there to eat, so thats another reason I have no pods then.

Do you have alot of pods and critters in your sand/lr?

 

[pantinor]

oh yeah, the SG is usually around 1.021 or so by my cheapo hydrometer.

 

[NateHanson]

AA is closed Fri/Sat this week. Open Sunday, I believe.

You might try bringing your sg up slowly to 1.024 or so. Not sure if that would account for your growth problems, but most folks keep it up closer to 1.025.

I've only tested Mg once. My understanding is that this can be depleted very slowly in a tank, so testing or supplementing frequently isn't really necessary, but it can be a crucial part of calcification, so you should make sure you have a reasonable level. I think it's supposed to be around 1300 if I recall correctly.

I do have a lot of pods in my refugium and on my live rock. tons of shrimpy critters in my chaeto especially. My sand beds are pretty new (about 1-2 months) because I recently changed tanks, so they've been seeded, but they aren't really teeming with life yet.

 

[MarkO]

Your density is low. For fish it would be fine, but based on what I've read, you want to keep it at 1.024 at a minimum. Typically (due to a gradual creep athat I really can't explain) my tank is usually between 1.0255 and 1.028. Coral growth is much quicker with the softies, which can be expected, but in a reasonable rate for hard corals. I also keep pretty good records, which I think helps out a bit.

 

[denvig]

When your up a AA pick up yourself a Refractometer. They have them at a very good price.

 

[pantinor]

Thanks for the assistance guys. I think the area tank tour/crawl is a great idea too. Later.

-Paul