Still going strong!

So my reef is almost 2 years old already. Had a lot of ups ans downs and learning curves along the way being my first setup but overall things went pretty smoothly. Have a variety of corals and fish with minimal losses, and when there were some it was usually somewhat expected such as a copperband that wouldnt eat or a starfish that melted away. About 2 months ago I had to move and decided to upgrade the tank to a 65gal and run a skimmer.

I had run skimmerless, sumpless, fugeless for the entire time I had it setup and decided to add my skimmer after the move to help with any potential minicycle. I was thinking about keeping the skimmer going but I think I am going to go back to skimmerless. My nitrates and phosphates are still 0 or close enough to it that I cant tell with the hanna checker or a red sea kit. I dont like the idea of the skimmer taking everything out of the water column and keeping the tank too clean as I have an elegance coral and recently acquired a goniopora that are known to do better it a skimmerless system. I do like the extra oxygenation a skimmer provides and my pH has been more stable, maybe an extra powerhead at the surface will help with that. I went from a weekly 5gal WC to a monthly 5gal and think I will go back to no skimmer and a weekly WC to help keep all the micro elements replenished.

Another think I have learned is in regards to testing. I used to test multiple times a week carefully charting all my data like a crazy nut. I have learned that testing isnt soo much needed once you become in tune with your tank and the different corals. Seems like WHenever I tested things were ok and I was chasing numbers causing unnecessary stress on the tank and me. After learning my reef and the inhabitants I could almost always tell when something was out of whack just by very careful observation. Weekly testing is now a thing of the past and those "inaccurate" API kits are great for quick little spot checks to make sure dosing regimens are where they need to be. ANother thing about those test, everyone hates API it seems and states they are inaccurate . I find them to be extremely accurate when compared to Red Sea or Salifert, the problem lies in the test tubes. Use a syringe to get 5ml and disregard the 5ml line on the tube. THat line is almost always off and is what causing false readings. Once corrected for the reading are very accurate and quick to test.

Long rant but hopefully someone can learn from me. Good luck all!

 

I would not call it a rant but rather very astute observations.

With regard to Elegance and Goniopora it's been my experience also that they do better in systems that do not strive for 0 phos and nitrate levels. Low nutrient systems are not necessarily ideal for all corals. Both corals you mention can be found in back reefs where they experience variables in water turbidity through out the tidal cycles.

I am guilty of chasing the numbers too, it's hard not to. The suggestion that one needs to simply observe their livestock rather than test test test is spot on.

 

+1 Your input is always appreciated and your thirst for knowledge helps many here.Including me.;D8)

 

Interesting observation on the API kits. I think i will try that! Perhaps a new head to head test is in order!

 

My elegance coral has been in my tank now for over a year so hopefully I can replicate the success of this difficult coral with the goniopora as well. I have other corals that like "dirty" water such as xenia and jasmine polyp coral and mushrooms. I also have some corals that reading suggest like clean water such as the yellow fiji leather coral, stylophora, montipora, and others. To be fair I do not have any acropora and the one I did have did not do well, I believe due to inadequate lighting as it was a ORA RP under a 2 bulb system halfwaydown and not directly under reflectors. I had many birdsnest as well but they all bleached and died after some terrible temp swings this past summer that made my tank go from 79-85 degrees for months on end. Before that though they were growing nicely! Now that my new place has central air that should be a problem of the past;D

I look at tanks like Julian Sprung's and think there is a lot to be learned from it and others like it. The goal isnt to have an ULN system filled with acros, but there is something to be said about great diversity where you can have the sps with macro algaes and gorgonians along with all the fish and little critters that have a niche in this whole ecosytem. Not saying throw whatever you want in a glass box and call it the ocean. I do not want to falsely lead new reefers into believing this is what we should do as research is still the most important part of this hobby for long term success. Thinking outside the box is what advances the hobby but research must be done and experiments must be done with a solid foundation of knowledge and backup plans.

 

Thanks Vinny glad to have been able to help you as you are one I have always looked to for help when I had first started!

 

I use the 5ml syringe that came with the Red Sea nitrate kit for all my API kits and the lines are terribly off and inconsistent. Even from tube to tube, one is high another low another spot on. I have testing Alk, CA, and nitrate agaisnt Red sea many times with very similar results. The phosphate test though I can not say much about it but it seems all liquid phosphate kits are known for being very difficult to get an accurate measurement.

Another thing about testing is those swing arm hydrometers that we like to think of as inaccurate. I would check mine against my BRS refractometer and it was always spot on. In fact when it was off I would calibrate my refractometer and find it to be slightly off!!! I did however clean it after every use and usually left it on the back of a sink filled with freshwater and the occasional overnight vinegar bath. Maybe I got lucky with mine but I do believe cleaning your test equipment is needed to get accurate results with whatever it is you are testing. I since lost my swing arm during the move as I dropped it on concrete and the magnet fell out

 

very interesting observations and information pgh! thanks for sharing!

Oh, and I think we need an updated FTS

 

Agreed olf ill have to get in that again

 

+1 on the surgical syringe for measuring I have found on my hanna kits the sample line is also off for all of them.