What is this stuff on my brain?
- Thread starter ghofmann
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
they are messenterial filaments... issued under stress (usually aggression or the sensation of a neighboring hostile/allelopathy)... and the Green Star Polyps you have are one of the most categorically noxious and aggressive corals of all.
Their potency is extreme... they can and will kill this coral over time. Move the GSP and increase water flow... more importantly increased water changes, carbon use and skimming to temper this allelopathy, and you will see an improvement in all.
Anthony
Their potency is extreme... they can and will kill this coral over time. Move the GSP and increase water flow... more importantly increased water changes, carbon use and skimming to temper this allelopathy, and you will see an improvement in all.
Anthony
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
ah, understood. Indeed... no worries, you certainly don't need a skimmer to have a fine tank. But you do need to make of for the lack of nutrient export otherwise. Strong water changes and regular use of carbon will go far here. Small weekly exchanges are better than large monthly ones... I promise yo will notice a huge difference in mere months of doing this. 10-25% weekly water changes would be great. And 1X weekly exchanges of carbon rather than 4X monthly (no extra carbon use needed... just more frequent exchanges) would be best.
Adding polyfilters and/or Chemi-pure as chemical media would be even better.
FWIW... in my smaller reef aquaria, I actually use very few supplements... very little chemical media... and even omit a skimmer (although I preach it to most folks). In exchange... I do nearly about 75% weekly water changes. That is my compromise. And... I have superb water quality, very good vigor/health in my corals... and really outstanding growth.
Many ways to run a successful tank
Anthony
Adding polyfilters and/or Chemi-pure as chemical media would be even better.
FWIW... in my smaller reef aquaria, I actually use very few supplements... very little chemical media... and even omit a skimmer (although I preach it to most folks). In exchange... I do nearly about 75% weekly water changes. That is my compromise. And... I have superb water quality, very good vigor/health in my corals... and really outstanding growth.
Many ways to run a successful tank
Anthony
ghofmann
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2004
- Messages
- 37
Thanks again Anthony.
I have been running the tank for almost a year with no skimmer and I do weekly 25% changes (5-gallons) and I run filter floss constantly,changing it once a week and rinsing when needed. I run carbon for three days of the week.(I put the carbon in on Friday before my Sunday water changes) The only thing I add to the tank is Kalk that is dripped every other day alternated with RO water for top off.
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Greg
I have been running the tank for almost a year with no skimmer and I do weekly 25% changes (5-gallons) and I run filter floss constantly,changing it once a week and rinsing when needed. I run carbon for three days of the week.(I put the carbon in on Friday before my Sunday water changes) The only thing I add to the tank is Kalk that is dripped every other day alternated with RO water for top off.
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Greg
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
it truly sounds like a fine routine for this sized tank to me!
kudos,
Anth-
kudos,
Anth-
Llarian
Well-known member
Wow, 75% weekly?
I've been running my 5g soft-coral nano without filter media or skimmer and it seems to be doing fairly well with 30% weekly changes and a light bioload thus far, although I think I'm going to get rid of the GSP in there, as they're dead-set on taking over the tank.
That being said, are you doing a 15-20% change daily Anthony? I always thought that changing that much water so frequently shocks the corals to some extent, is that not correct?
-Dylan
I've been running my 5g soft-coral nano without filter media or skimmer and it seems to be doing fairly well with 30% weekly changes and a light bioload thus far, although I think I'm going to get rid of the GSP in there, as they're dead-set on taking over the tank.
That being said, are you doing a 15-20% change daily Anthony? I always thought that changing that much water so frequently shocks the corals to some extent, is that not correct?
-Dylan
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
its all relative mate... I am very strict about matching temp, salinity, pH etc to the nth level... always. And with such large frequent water changes... the water is quite similar and I do not get the accumulation of noxious compounds to the extent that others do for this.
Daily would indeed be better than weekly... weekly is better than monthly, etc.
Anth
Daily would indeed be better than weekly... weekly is better than monthly, etc.
Anth
Glad to hear everything has worked out with your coral. I hope to become more diligent with my water changes following Anthony's comments. I trick myself (ie. I am lazy) into thinking I will do one large water change. The large change will greatly dilute the build up in the tank and get more bang for the gallon of water. Even though by doing one large water change I get more dilution per gallon, I am absolutely being dillusional thinking this is best for my tank and my inhabitants. 25% a week it is or 10% biweekly, maybe not. I will stick with the 25%
