Growth spurt associated w/ cyano bloom?

[CarlaW]

I thought I'd just kind of throw this out, because I am a little confused. Nikki's thread on live rock saturation got me to thinking, (scary isn't it), about sps growth.
As I stated in that thread, I chopped a piece of Kaelini in half to make a little more space in my display. One piece went into the sump, and the other went back into the display. Since then I have experienced a cyano bloom. Along with the cyano bloom, came an incredible growth spurt in my sps.
The only thing that I have really changed in the system is I started doing more frequent water changes to combat the cyano bloom. Is the growth spurt related to having more nutrients in the system, therefore the corals say OK, more nutrients, well I can use that up pretty easily!!!!
I do not feed my corals, my Alk. varies between 2.5 meq/l, and 2.9, my Ca. levels are pretty standard @ about 400. There is no Ca. reactor involved. I dose a 1/4 cup of CaCl2 every other day and a 6 to 1 baking soda/washing soda mix every other day for alk and PH. I also go thru 4 gallons of Kalk every other day, dripped 24/7.
Anybody got any thoughts on this to maybe help me out a little??

 

[DonW]

I think its something thats in the salt mix that your lacking. When I started doing 100g weekly is when my corals started to grow. Just to throw a wrench in the spokes, they are also happier after removing the filter sock that was chaged every other day.

Don

 

[CarlaW]

I think its something thats in the salt mix that your lacking. When I started doing 100g weekly is when my corals started to grow. Just to throw a wrench in the spokes, they are also happier after removing the filter sock that was chaged every other day.

Don

Don, I'm using IO for salt. I switched from Oceanic back in July.
On the other note, you are saying that when you removed the filter socks, they also just kept on growing. What that says to me is they need SOME nutrients, correct???

 

[DonW]

Don, I'm using IO for salt. I switched from Oceanic back in July.
On the other note, you are saying that when you removed the filter socks, they also just kept on growing. What that says to me is they need SOME nutrients, correct???

Taking off the sock I assume allows the nutrients to stay in a little longer. But the massive water changes are quickly removing the nutrients. So your guess is as good as mine. May have something to due with a missing nutrient that is being replentished by IO.

Don

 

[CarlaW]

Considering that both of us are skimming the crap, (literally), out of our tanks, that is what has me so baffled. I can understand the cyano bloom happening when I changed the state of things.
I don't think it is the salt mix. The frequency of water changes and the amount is a good thought. You are definitly changing more than I am. Have you continued that?

 

[DonW]

Considering that both of us are skimming the crap, (literally), out of our tanks, that is what has me so baffled. I can understand the cyano bloom happening when I changed the state of things.
I don't think it is the salt mix. The frequency of water changes and the amount is a good thought. You are definitly changing more than I am. Have you continued that?

I'm still doing 120g 3@40g each, almost 100% by volume. The cyano I agree is normal and will go away pretty quick. Mybe just the fact that the nutrients can turn over quickly and never get the chance to start rotting.

Don

 

[CarlaW]

I'm still doing 120g 3@40g each, almost 100% by volume. The cyano I agree is normal and will go away pretty quick. Mybe just the fact that the nutrients can turn over quickly and never get the chance to start rotting.

Don

I wish I could change that much each week!!!!!!!! My electric bill is already, well you know.
Even if I was changing 50 gal. per week I would only be changing 50% of my system each month. The thing is, what I was doing was working, so you get caught in between a rock and a hard spot.

 

[DonW]

I wish I could change that much each week!!!!!!!! My electric bill is already, well you know.
Even if I was changing 50 gal. per week I would only be changing 50% of my system each month. The thing is, what I was doing was working, so you get caught in between a rock and a hard spot.

I hear ya. Thats one of the reasons I went with a smaller tank. If my power bill was higher, I couldnt afford all the salt and other needs. One other odd thing is the difference in growth between the WM ca oxide and Mrs wages. With the WM i get better growth and much more stable ph.

Don

 

[wrightme43]

This is something I have wondered about, is all the alkilinity available for use by the corals, or do they pull out the part they can use and the rest stay there getting used by acids?
What about the yellowing compounds, when they get in the water, even in such small amounts we cant see, how much light do they absorb?
What about the calcium, is all of it we test for in a available form?
What I am getting at is I know with some vitamins I take, no where near all of the stuff in them is absorbable by my body. I can eat certian foods that full of nutrients and vitamins but not all the vitamins and nutrients are in a useable form. If I am out in left field feel free to straighten me out.
Steve

 

[DonW]

This is something I have wondered about, is all the alkilinity available for use by the corals, or do they pull out the part they can use and the rest stay there getting used by acids?
What about the yellowing compounds, when they get in the water, even in such small amounts we cant see, how much light do they absorb?
What about the calcium, is all of it we test for in a available form?
What I am getting at is I know with some vitamins I take, no where near all of the stuff in them is absorbable by my body. I can eat certian foods that full of nutrients and vitamins but not all the vitamins and nutrients are in a useable form. If I am out in left field feel free to straighten me out.
Steve

I see what your saying. Is all calcium the same? I can tell you when I tried RHF two part, coral growth was pretty much non existant. I switched over to Aquatic eco techgrade ca chloride the corals grew. With the ca reactor and arm they grew slow but with this stuff I got from Mojo they do much better and coraline is out of hand. Also the same with ca oxide vs picklin lime in the kalk reactor.

Don

 

[CarlaW]

This is something I have wondered about, is all the alkilinity available for use by the corals, or do they pull out the part they can use and the rest stay there getting used by acids?
What about the yellowing compounds, when they get in the water, even in such small amounts we cant see, how much light do they absorb?
What about the calcium, is all of it we test for in a available form?
What I am getting at is I know with some vitamins I take, no where near all of the stuff in them is absorbable by my body. I can eat certian foods that full of nutrients and vitamins but not all the vitamins and nutrients are in a useable form. If I am out in left field feel free to straighten me out.
Steve

Steve, we should have benched you a long time ago
I think what you are looking at is what the skimmer might be doing for us, what ever is not used is getting skimmed. Am I catching the situation here?
To use your analogy, if you take alot of Vitamin c, what your body doesn't use is expelled, right? It is probably the same with our systems, I don't know.

 

[CarlaW]

I see what your saying. Is all calcium the same? I can tell you when I tried RHF two part, coral growth was pretty much non existant. I switched over to Aquatic eco techgrade ca chloride the corals grew. With the ca reactor and arm they grew slow but with this stuff I got from Mojo they do much better and coraline is out of hand. Also the same with ca oxide vs picklin lime in the kalk reactor.

Don

I have been using pickling lime too. You have to wonder whether the concentration of Ca in each jar is the same. I seriously doubt it, but what are you gonna do. I hate making changes just for the sake of change. I have been looking at using regular ca oxide, but................. if it ain't broke..............

 

[wrightme43]

Thats part of it Charlie, what I was wondering more is if Say out of 100 calcium points on a test kit if say 50 or 60 of them can be used and the rest is somehow unavailable to the coral, same with alk. Like with the foods we eat. Not all of the of the stuff in a piece of broccli is in a form that is available to us.
The bench is giving me splinters. LOL

 

[CarlaW]

Thats part of it Charlie, what I was wondering more is if Say out of 100 calcium points on a test kit if say 50 or 60 of them can be used and the rest is somehow unavailable to the coral, same with alk. Like with the foods we eat. Not all of the of the stuff in a piece of broccli is in a form that is available to us.

I think what it runs down to is saturation points, but I could be wrong. I run my levels on both alk and ca at more or less natural seawater levels, and it has seemed to be ok. If you push those levels, what good does it do???????

The bench is giving me splinters. LOL

Find a better seat!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NaH2O]

Charlie - you can't really compare your system with that of Don's. You have a sandbed correct? Don's BB. You probably disturbed things enough removing the rock, that the cyano bloom was fueled, so your more frequent water changes are helping remove nutrients. As was also pointed out, you are probably replenishing some trace elements, too. At least that is where my thinking is.

As far as the filter sock, the detritus captured in the filter sock will begin breaking down. Even if you change the filter sock every few days, that complied detritus will be creating some nutrients. Take the filter sock off, then the detritus and other organics can make their way to the skimmer, so you end up with better removal with the skimmer, instead of it sitting in the sock. Again...this is my initial thought.

Charlie, where is the cyano growing? Have you performed any spot testing on your sandbed for nitrates and phosphates?

 

[NaH2O]

If you push those levels, what good does it do???????

You're right...it doesn't do any good if you run your calcium really high. It will stress the corals because they have to work harder at moving more calcium onto the skeleton.

 

[CarlaW]

Charlie, where is the cyano growing? Have you performed any spot testing on your sandbed for nitrates and phosphates?

Nikki,
The cyano is on the sand and some of the rock. You know there is phosphate there, there is no reason to test!!!! If there was no phosphate, there wouldn't be any cyano. At least that is my thinking. I agree, I screwed up by doing a rearrange and by messing with the flow a little. Too much arm coraling!!!

 

[wrightme43]

Arm coraling..........
Yeah thats it. I am sure Willis told you to stop. Why didnt you listen?

 

[CarlaW]

Arm coraling..........
Yeah thats it. I am sure Willis told you to stop. Why didnt you listen?

He was sleeping, I didn't have any direction but my own!! That's where I screwed up!

 

[wrightme43]

I hear you man. Next time wake up the dog. LOL
You didnt get where you are by not listening to wiser heads.
Oh say like Willis.