whats wrong with my brain coral?

[Passinetti2007]

Be careful with the possibility of overfeeding, its more pronounced in a nano.

Everyone keeps talking about overfeeding which I think I do at the moment. I've asked the question several times to several people and I never got a straight answer. I feed once a day at around 11 a.m. I have formula 1 frozen food and my 2 crabs, 1 cleaner shrimp, narcissis snail (spelling sucks), and 2 clowns all attack the food. I usually scrape off some tiny flakes of the frozen brick of mixed fish food with a steak knife and put it in the tank where it thaws in the water breaks up and flows around. I notice at times some falls to the sandbed where it is never found and I feel that is a sign that I'm overfeeding. Is there an actually method to this that I might not know of. I know for a fact my phosphates are up because the amount of algae that grows on my glass and sandbed. All I get when I ask questions is that the algae is normal. Well I'm getting two different stories. What should I do?

 

[Jan]

Passinetti, I am going through the same learning process re: phosphate management in my tank. This week I purchased a phosphate test kit for the first time; I have yet to use it. I plan to purchase some "phosban" by Seachem, to put it in a media bag and run it in the sump. I believe this will be a plus if my phosphates are elevated, and not harmful if my phosphates are normal. It will be good to keep it on hand at all times. The key is to remove and replace the phosphates (and carbon if using that) at least weekly; disregard any package instructions that say to replace monthly. Some people recommend replacing every 4 days if you're really fighting a big algae problem.

On a long term basis, many people operate a phosphate reactor but I don't know a lot about those yet.

P.S. I've also been told to read labels of packaged food for added phosphates, and that home made fresh foods are safer in terms of not adding phosphates to the tank. Last, get the best skimmer you can afford and then it doesn't matter quite as much if you overfeed your tank.

 

[DonW]

The key is to remove and replace the phosphates (and carbon if using that) at least weekly; disregard any package instructions that say to replace monthly. Some people recommend replacing every 4 days if you're really fighting a big algae problem.

Change phosban weekly or every 4 days? That is not necessary and would get very expensive. You need to move slowly GFO's, moving to quick will cause serious probles like RTN.

Don

 

[Jan]

Change phosban weekly or every 4 days? That is not necessary and would get very expensive. You need to move slowly GFO's, moving to quick will cause serious probles like RTN.

Don, would you talk more about this? Please explain what you mean by "GFO's" and how moving too quick will cause problems like RTN?

thank you--

 

[Damsel13]

Yea. I would like to know too. I am still working on my water....any and all help is graciously accepted.

Thanks in advance

 

[DonW]

Don, would you talk more about this? Please explain what you mean by "GFO's" and how moving too quick will cause problems like RTN?

thank you--

GFO / Granular Ferric Oxide. Phosban, and rowaphos are GFO's. Gfo's are very efficient. They can strip a tank of P very quick. Sounds good but taking P away to quick or entirely is not a good thing. All living organisms in our tank need P to one degree or another. Gfo's can also cause a quick but low ph hit. This will cause rtn along with the lack of p will cause rtn.
If your measuring P with a salifert test kit and get a zero reading then your fine and should stop there. The kits are not completely accurate so if you get a zero your likely to have enough p in the system to sustain life. If your using a colormeter stop at about 1.
Start off slow and read the label. Use about half the recommended amount and move up from there. You wont know how its going to effect your system until you start using it.
This is the same for carbon if you dont use carbon and want to start using it go slowly. It can clerify your water to the point of your corals being bleached by the lighting.

Don

 

[Passinetti2007]

I can't wait till i have that kind of wisdom. thanks don, that really helps me out. I just gotta wait till my test arrive.