Need help improving my tank.

I only add 2 part once a week. I only add iodine 1 time every two weeks. I feed phytoplex, zooplex and microvert once on wed and again on sat. I only use kent marine products. besides water evaporation, which in my home is pretty high (I run my fire place often), I do 30% water changes two times per year because I add to my sump evey other day 5+ gallons. I do not dose a lot- I let eveyone do their thing on their own for the most part. I do however, add API kosher aquarium salt- this is my mineral source- and it's cheap.

I run twin TLF reactors- one half full of GFO w/ a 180 gph pump, and the other is carbon, which runs with my wave timer cycle on a 200 gph pump. I also have over 250lbs of live rock up top, and more down below.

All my critters do very well and knock on wood I have never had any ill fated algae problems.

Part of this is due to my CUC, it is pretty large, and my Diamond Gobbie makes sure the sand/coral bed is well cleaned.

I run a DSB combo sump that has - oh I would say probly 5 lbs of macro in it. And 24/7 skimming- and lighting on the sump. I feel it does a great job.

Keeps everyone pretty happy. Including the power company.

 

One other thing have you considered going to metal hallide in addition to your t5's?

 

I also have a large cleanup crew and glad to see others do as well because I wasnt sure of biolaod weight they account for.

 

I like halides but donot like the extra cost. i feel like they spending aspects of this hobby should be kept to the fun stuff. i refuse for this hobby become a monthly bill rather than spending with a smile

 

I hate the crushed coral. The negatives of it aside i still hate it. I hate the way it looks,hate how it feels, I hate how dirty it gets, and plus the known negatives. If i had a magic wand, my tank would have fine partical white sand as we speak.

I dont know if I have zero algae but I dont have algae issues. I did have a cyano outbreak that was mild and is now subsided but other than that my tank has no algae. I think I had a few CUC members hat are algae eaters die from lack of algae. except my urchin, he probably munches or coraline too.

before changing? well I put probably 15 teaspoons of GFO in my 150 almost a month ago. It filled it about 4 inch but i was told later all I needis 3 grams at a time. Chempure and carbon I change monthly and I run everything 24/7

 

to some degree this is true, but sps and other coral require a given amout of light to prosper- halides provide this lighting- no other light- none- even 2000 dollar LED fixtures I have seen beat a Halide/T5 combo when done correctly. Believe me, I am all for a lower energy consumption, but not at the expense of my critters if the lighting in question is not up to "par"- so to speak. To my thinking- I do not think you have proper lighting, but that is just my thinking.

You couls add a single 150 Halide - loose a single T5 and add maybe 5 dollars a month to you power bill- and your coral- they would wake up.

 

....

 

So then your nutrients are pretty low... I mean they don't seem to be a problem.

Chem pure has carbon in it and DI resin. Never saw the point. Others love it. I would rather run individual media the best way to run it. Carbon should really be run in smaller doses more frequently. Some suggest 3-4 days. I ran mine for 2 weeks, but that is tops. It is depleted by then and after than just goes biological. When you remove it monthly you are throwing away some of your biofiltration with it.

That's really about it other than what others said about your chemistry. I don't care for chemipure, but it is not necessarily hurting either. Run carbon less. GFO is good.

 

You halide guys believe that there is no other way. Have you guys lived in a box? lol. fact of the matter is ive seen to many tanks run with t5's to be naive enough to believe they dont grow corals succesfully. The proof is right infront of are eyes. I have no idea why you guys refuse to accept it. "halides is not the only kid on the block.
(I highly doubt adding a 150w halide light will only add $5 to my bill. Not even concerned to take that risk.

Including led's. I keep hearing people talk about how LED's havnt proven themselves, when I see these tanks everyday "thriving". I dont understand it. da-nile's not just a river in Egypt!


I will agree I need more light. but if When and/or if I ugrade it will just be from 4 t5 bulbs to 6. if I ever need more light after that, it will be from 6 bulbs to 8 bulbs.

Here is just one example of a succesful t5 only tank.

 

my mistake. Didnt know the image contained a link.