To anyone who has a problem with Bleaching and STN in their BB tank:

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by elephen

Whiskey- Been a long time since I posted on TRT but I was in the same boat (kinda) as you. My BB 120 had been up and running for 8 months or so, was doing good, I could keep anything alive but could never get the colors I wanted.

Over the summer my leisuely activities got the best of me and I sort-of neglected my tank for 3-4 months. I still did monthly water changes but the tank went downhill really fast. Green HA on EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE. I have been battling it for over 2 months now. I do weekly 35g water changes. Skim very hard and wet. I don't put any nutrients into the tank except a small sliver of frozen brine every other 3 days for my few fish. All my SPS are dead and I can't keep snails alive at all.

I have tried everything but the HA just keeps coming back and at this point I don't know what to do. So my project today is to setup my 60g cube (2x2x2) with rock from the 120, water and fish then drain my 120. Bleach everything out real well and let the system run for a few hours with bleach water to kill anything and everything in it. Then I'll start over BB from scratch again - yipee. All along the while that my little 60 cube is keeping my fish alive.

Welcome back Elephen!!

You seem to have the exact oppisate problem, any algae I added to my tank died faster than my corals.

I love 2*2*2 tanks! I almost had one custom made for me but decided to go with my 125 insted for my fish's sake and equiptment reasons.

Good luck on your re-do!

Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Mike O'Brien

I've got your basic sump. Skimmer on the left, it's sitting on a stand. Under that there is rubble and liverock and the sand start's there and goes up to about 6 " at the other end. There it goes through a baffle and into the return pump area. I've got 2 fish down there as well. Sump is 55 gallon's.

So you probably have about 3' by 1' of DSB? What size is your main tank? (I forget )

Thanks for the explanation!
Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I'm on round 3 with frags, just picked up some new ones on saturday. I've been feeding blender mush twice a day until I started to see some algae grow and cut back to once a day.

I've also cut the light from 400watts to 250watts 14kk mh and on just 4 hours a day.

Just need to wait and see if the new frags bleach out or not.

Keep us informed please. This seems to be the one problem with BB tanks, some people seem to have it some can fix it and others can't, and some people sail right through without ever seeing the slightest hint of this.

Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Leonardo's Reef

Wiskey, I "solved" the problem of starving my SPS by dosing large amounts of amino acids, and coral food from Salifert, every night.

Of course I have a too small bioload, but I think this supplements replace it. The corals have better PE, grow faster and have deeper colours. I think I finally got the situation under control.
Didn't change my Lights, skimmer etc. Also I didn't add a RDSB (yet).

There is a topic on the "other" forum about an Italian method, I think I'm gonna give that a try.
Basically it's a combination of high levels (Ca 500, Mg 1500, KH 10) combined with HEAVY feeding of a sort of "blender mush" + amino acids. I think it will work, especially in a BB tank.

Leonardo

I'm glad that's working for you! It never did for me , well not in resonable ammounts anyway. I assume your keeping everyone up to date in your thread?

I think I saw the thread your talking about, but if I recall they were using growth hormones too? Do you plan to try that?

Whiskey

[Mike O'Brien]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

So you probably have about 3' by 1' of DSB? What size is your main tank? (I forget )

Thanks for the explanation!
Whiskey

Yes, 3' by 1'. The tank is a 58.

[Leonardo's Reef]

Some did use HGH (Human Growth Hormones), but in the water they break up in amino's also. They are not necessary, but they are another food source. I won't use them btw.

I haven't updated my thread yet, wednesday I will pick up some new corals. After I have new photo's I will do a big update.

Leonardo

[gwaco]

Originally Posted by Leonardo's Reef

Some did use HGH (Human Growth Hormones), but in the water they break up in amino's also. They are not necessary, but they are another food source. I won't use them btw.

I haven't updated my thread yet, wednesday I will pick up some new corals. After I have new photo's I will do a big update.

Leonardo

bout time !

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Mike O'Brien

Yes, 3' by 1'. The tank is a 58.

Your tank is sounding allot like the one I am setting up.

Your DSB is about 67.924528301887% of your main tank footprint. What kind of skimmer do you use? How much do you skim? How often do you syphon your tank? does the skimmer pull water from the sump? Or is it gravity fed?

Do you have a setup thread or spec thread with pics?

Thanks,
Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Leonardo's Reef

Some did use HGH (Human Growth Hormones), but in the water they break up in amino's also. They are not necessary, but they are another food source. I won't use them btw.

I haven't updated my thread yet, wednesday I will pick up some new corals. After I have new photo's I will do a big update.

Leonardo

I'll be looking.

Whiskey

[Jimbo]

Wiskey, I "solved" the problem of starving my SPS by dosing large amounts of amino acids, and coral food from Salifert, every night.

Leanardo what is the source of the amino acids that you use. Do you stop skimming during the feeding?

Thanks

[Weatherman]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

Your DSB is about 67.924528301887% of your main tank footprint.

For those who believe in being precise to the nearest grain of sand...

[Leonardo's Reef]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Leanardo what is the source of the amino acids that you use. Do you stop skimming during the feeding?

Thanks

It's from Salifert both. I use "Coral Food", and "Amino Acids".

Amino acids 4x (over)dose
Coral Food 1,5x dose

No algae, nitrates, phosphates or whatsoever (yet)

I dose it at night, about 1 hour after the last light shuts down. Skimmer is of for about half hour to one hour.

I see so much improvement, but I want more :P

That's why I'm following this Italian method closely. Not looking for snake-oils. It's just about feeding the right stuff in the right way, and take the leftovers out.
I want to push the boundaries with providing Carbon and Nitrogen to my SPS without the Phosphates. Amino Acids and Fructose are examples to do that. But, like I said, I have to do more research before I throw anything in my tank!

More in my thread, (new green and blue Formosa )

Leonardo

[Leonardo's Reef]

Wiskey, hurry up! I want to see how it works out with your setup!

[REEF-DADDY]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

I'm glad that's working for you! It never did for me , well not in resonable ammounts anyway. I assume your keeping everyone up to date in your thread?

I think I saw the thread your talking about, but if I recall they were using growth hormones too? Do you plan to try that?

Whiskey

Hey Whiskey,
Did you ever go full bore with your feeding? I had cut back to "normal amounts" for a while to reduce no3. Since the cold has come in me and my tank get more food. The corals are growing like weeds. I am convinced that more food equals more growth and better coral health. I am wondering if the reason people get better results with sand is because they feel more comfortable feeding more.

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by REEF-DADDY

Hey Whiskey,
Did you ever go full bore with your feeding? I had cut back to "normal amounts" for a while to reduce no3. Since the cold has come in me and my tank get more food. The corals are growing like weeds. I am convinced that more food equals more growth and better coral health. I am wondering if the reason people get better results with sand is because they feel more comfortable feeding more.

One week I put over $125 worth of food into that tank in a single week,... it was the only time I ever made that tank take a turn for the better.

It is not financially possible for me to feed that much, plus when I did it I had a week off, and literally fed every hour. That is not possible either, normally I work 10-14 hour days. Plus if you have to feed that much something is very wrong IMO.

Whiskey