120g sps/lps build

[Darthv247]

well. ive had a few issues lately. since i removed the socks and sponge the bacteria completely clogged up my bio pellet reactor. so much that it clumped up solid and dropped my PH and oxygen levels overnight. skimmer was also producing some crazy foam that ive never seen before from the incident. i tried salvaging the pellets and upping the flow etc but the pellets continue to clump no matter what. I removed the reactor and will be trying NPX bio pellets instead of the vertex ones i was using which had a cylindrical shape instead of tear dropped like npx.

Ph immediatly shot back up after removing the bio-pellets.

 

[mojoreef]

Yea that is one of the things you need to watch when it comes to biopellets. Its natural for the bacteria to begin trying to create biofilm and mulm this will create an enviroment for their anaerobic buddies and clump the pellets in the process. Keeping the pellets tumbling and then giving them a good shake out once of moth should keep this from occurring. When you removed your socks and sponge you basically concentrated the population in one area (the pellet reactor). What kind were you using ??

Mojo

 

[Darthv247]

was using vertex. they are small cylinders that clump really easy when the bacteria get on em no matter how few i tried to use they clumped anyways. tried different flow and more and less. not working well with the phosban reactor

 

[tyson256031]

Coming along nicely! Love the aquascaping, cant wait to see it fully grown out.

 

[Darthv247]

thanks man ! dont know if it will ever grow out have some growth but not much so far. nitrates are out of control still and phosphate crept back up some since my bio pellets failed. started them over with NPX pellets instead. hopefully levels will start going down again in a few weeks. Nothing has died yet but they took a big hit the night my pellets crashed my PH.

 

[tyson256031]

It all takes time, I wish tanks just looked amazingly grown out and colorfull over night haha I think Im going to have a nitrate spike here soon, i think a fish died in the tank and i cant find it always something in this hobby...

 

[Darthv247]

yah its definitely a challenge but im learning more with this build than any before it and having more fun so i guess thats what counts.

 

[Darthv247]

Acropora Valida

Is there any evidence of this coral preferring high nitrates/nutrients ? I have one Tri-color A.Valida that is doing really well even though my nitrates are rediculously high. Its color is great all dark purple and tan with bright green polyps. Its encrusting to the rock and branching out pretty well. Polyps all fully extend at night.

Just curious if anyone ever had success with this coral in high nutrient water. All of my other SPS are either slowly dying or showing 0 growth but this one. Clams seem ok, my hammer coral is still growing well and a few polyps just started growing on my acan lord.

Parameters

PH 8.20
temp 77.5
SG 1.025
calc 425
alk 9.5
mag 1310ppm
Phosphate 0.06 (probably much higher as ive noticed some cyano growing in the rockwork)
Nitrate 80ppm (NO3-) :shock: (nitrates been reading this high on API test kit forever. test goes dark red.)

Test reads 0 Nitrate on makeup water as well as mixed saltwater. Even after water changes tank reads very high.