is b.b. a passing fad ? a.k.a. the things you wanted to know ,but were afraid to ask

[Spanky]

Originally Posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper

Where ius the dirt? Even right after I rebuilt this tank - cooking/ etc there was no coraline on the rocks.

My point is I should have started it ALL over with new lR but NO. Most of you said rock cant go bad - cook the rock and use starboard.

No coralline, loosing corals, corals not growing, etc are signs of a dirty tank.

I never said that. The only thing I have ever said about rock is that I like really light porous rock.

[Casey]

Spankys method works and it works fine if you start out with a good source rock,I wish you had gotten new rock 2 years ago you wouldnt be where you are now thats for sure.

[gwaco]

Originally Posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper

What did I do wrong?

Cooked the rock
Used Starboard
Lots of flow
Skimmer running wet
Blast the LR weekely with a powerhead
Feed the tank/fish
15G water changes every 2 weeks
CA 400, Alk 11, PH 8.1-8.3, AMmon, Nitrate, PO4, SIicate - 0

Hmm - I dont know - this is pretty much by your book. When the coral will not attach to the rock after a year there is a problem.

I dont get what I am supposed to adjust?
Tried feeding heavier - still loosing corals (multiple)
Cut back lighting
no coraline on thge rock
no SPS attaching to the rock

well i would guess you just got crap rock to begin with ! maybe you got rock that was just overloaded with phosphate to begin with . going b.b. only exacerbated the problem - no sponge to suck it all up . with all the equipment you have , changing out the rock seems like the lesser of two evils .

[Spanky]

Originally Posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper

I am still here listening and taking a beating (need my head examined).

Could the fact be the rock is NO good? Or is that imposible?

Of course rock can be no good. Dense land mined rock is about the worst, home made rock about as bad, and a sliding scale from there.

But even then. You can compensate for bad rock with getting more water to a skimmer, having the right skimmer setup right, etc etc.

It just sounds like your tank is holding too many nutrients/waste/rockshed whatever, and somehow it's not getting clean enough to grow coralline and corals.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

SO anyways -I am at another standstill. Keep trying to make exclusive white acros sell them off and blow up the tank or get new LR and start over AGAIN. that will be very costly between the corals I have and getting new LR and waiting 6 months t oget going again after it cycles.

What method to choose is beyond me right now.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

WHo sells the good rock?

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

its $9 a lb here and I have no clue if its good. I dont want uncured or mail order rock because I have no where to cure it.

[Spanky]

Here's two easy choices.

One. Put in a deep sand bed somewhere in the system to suck up all that waste and clean your water up.

Two. Slow down. Stop chasing fleas. Sit back and really take a look at your tank and figure out what's going on with it.

[gwaco]

Originally Posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper

SO anyways -I am at another standstill. Keep trying to make exclusive white acros sell them off and blow up the tank or get new LR and start over AGAIN. that will be very costly between the corals I have and getting new LR and waiting 6 months t oget going again after it cycles.

What method to choose is beyond me right now.

the plasma tv screen saver !
just kidding !

[Casey]

Getting new rock is not that hard or costly this is an expensive hobby
so the price for rock is no different than a good skimmer or corals it is all expensive there are alot of good places that sell great rock let me know if you make up your mind and I will still help you get good rock.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Originally Posted by Spanky

Here's two easy choices.

One. Put in a deep sand bed somewhere in the system to suck up all that waste and clean your water up.

Two. Slow down. Stop chasing fleas. Sit back and really take a look at your tank and figure out what's going on with it.

Thats why I am here. Trying to figure it out. No where to put any more equipment.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Originally Posted by Casey

Getting new rock is not that hard or costly this is an expensive hobby
so the price for rock is no different than a good skimmer or corals it is all expensive there are alot of good places that sell great rock let me know if you make up your mind and I will still help you get good rock.

Casey - Mail ordering will not help me as I have no where to cure it. I need to sell off al lthe corals / fish as well first.

[Casey]

Rob you can cure it in a garbage can in your bedroom with a lid on it I have done it.

[Geoff]

LR starts out bad. it is very difficult to find any LR that does not already have a fair amount of phosphates in it. it is just the nature of where they collect it. when was the last time you had SPS growing on the LR you got? ever thought why?

i am also semi battling the same stuff, but i know that the problem is with me not with the methodology.

how many gph of water do you have going to the skimmer? how many gph does your skimmer process. i know i am way low for this percentage and this is what i am working on now. i need to get as much water down to my skimmer as possible. then when i get it there i need to get the skimmer to match that flow.

in my case going to a sand bed in my display is not an option. it is far to difficult for me to get up there to do silly sand maintenance. i tried it once when it was the thing to do, and realized just how much of a pain a sand bed tank is. i am not about to have a beautifull tank than after 4 years tear the whole thing down to start over because it is time to change out the sand bed.

G~

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Casey - Are you nuts? You married?