Tank Progression: 60 gallon

[Pufferpunk]

Dosing VC will also lower the nitrate.

[PufferMe!]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Excellent advice!

Oh, and to add one more thing. Before I got the new tank system set up, I took out my canister filter. With that change only, no water change or anything else, but nitrates were cut in half in one week!

[Pufferpunk]

I thought you might find this interesting: http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/show ... -from-LEDs

I'd look for the RC thread on this, too.

[*GSP*Fan*]

They were reading at 25 after the water change yesterday. I'm preparing more water for another change. I still haven't figured out what got the levels up like that in the first place but increasing the water changes has been bringing them down slowly.

You may already know this, but here was my experience with nitrates. Despite lots of LR, I too was getting nitrate readings of 40ppm after only a week past a WC. I was dreading this, because of the expense of salt etc. Even after a WC my nitrates were like yours at 25. I met this great, knowledgeable person who explained to me why. I got rid of my canister filter (the worst of all apparently) and my HOB, and got a tank with a refugium. He told me to not put any bio balls, sponges of any type, and only run it with LR in the chamber and chato algae. It was like magic. Even moving my substrate over, I still have readings of 0 nitrates, after 5 weeks. I've still have not done a WC I'm feeding everyday now, and before I was feeding every other day. Plus I've added two fish! Think about what you can keep in your filters beside sponges. They are nitrate factories

.
I did see my nitrates lower after taking off the HOB filter. It was put on in the first place to clear the tank after adding sand mainly. I did put it back on sometime later, when I was waiting on my skimmer, because had no other form of mechanical filtration. Even with changing the media out every day my nitrates were staying at above 40, color was usually a little lighter than 80. Since removing the filter the nitrates had been closer to 40, or in between 20 and 40. The skimmer was added about this time, I think its was the first or second week in January before it was up and running after waiting on the replacement chamber. Ten more pounds of live rock has been added about this time as well. So its been about a month and I hadn't really seen much of a drop in the nitrates though. I cleaned out the skimmer completely just a couple days ago and removed the last sponge that was down in the chamber. It was pretty nasty so I'm sure it didn't help with the nitrates.

Now I've gotten the nitrates down to 25, still at 25 as of last night so no increase. I've got water ready now for the water change, which I hope to perform sometime later tonight. I have no more filters, sponges, etc to remove. I'm only feeding every 2-3 days. I don't really have a way to add a refugium but I'm sure that would help. I believe I've got pretty good flow and the powersheads set up in a good spot. I do have the two new powerheads coming that will up my flow replacing the ones I have now, I'll keep the other others for backup. I'm at a loss as to what else to do. I do hope the nitrates will come down to around 0 with another water change or two and not climb back up quickly.

VITAMIN C DOSING CHART
Here are the directions:
Use this product:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=10178&at=0
$10 off coupon code: LUL789


To figure out how much to use, decide if you want to simply improve coral growth, spread, and color. If so, then you should dose around 5 ppm twice daily (down to 2-3 ppm works also). If you are having problems with coral or fish health, dose up to around 30 ppm twice daily.

Calculate the total net number of gallons in your tank (minus rocks, sand, etc). Enter that number here ______.

You will now need to do a little math. The amounts below are for 100 gallons of water so if you have 50 net gallons, cut the amounts shown below in half etc.

Dosing amounts using Iherb product:
1/4 tsp=1112 mg.

For every 100 gallons:

5 ppm ----- 1892 mg VC
10 ppm ---- 3785 mg VC
15 ppm ---- 5677 mg VC
20 ppm ---- 7570 mg VC
25 ppm ---- 9462 mg VC
30 ppm ---- 11355 mg VC

After you have figured out how much you want to dose at each dosing, enter that number here _____. This is your dose to be used twice a day.

Notes:
*Be sure your pH and alk are within normal reef limits before starting. Adjust if needed. Monitor weekly.
*Shoot for a ppm of around 5 or lower if only dosing for improved coral growth, coloration, and spread, also for better health/coloration of your fish. Shoot for higher amounts up to 30 ppm if you are having melting zoas or closed zoas and look for the causes of your problems as you dose. Higher doses of as much as 100ppm (for about 2 weeks) for fish illness. Check for high nitrates, pests, zoa pox, predators, and unstable water conditions.
*Dose low amounts and increase the amount slowly over the course of a few days to a couple weeks.
* If you notice an algae bloom (white stringy stuff) or increased scum on your glass then cut back by half until it disappears.
* Watch your skimmer, it will start to skim more.
* Dose the amount twice a day in a fast moving area of your sump or overflow. You may dilute the vitamin c in ro/di water then pour into overflow. If adding to sump, try and add the vitamin c after filtration such as skimmers and reactors. *Keep your Vitamin C bottle in the refrigerator. * If you have a question, ask here. I do my best to check these threads daily.
* The instructions in this guide and throughout this thread are based on using pure Sodium Ascorbate, not vitamin c pills and other non-buffered forms of vitamin c.

Be sure to take some "before" pics!

Thank you!

This will definitely be something I want to try.

All my corals still aren't looking their best. The mushrooms seem to be affected the most from the water change the other day, still not sure what actually caused the issue though. They were starting to open a little this morning but shut back up shortly after and have stayed that way all day. The two newest set of zoas haven't opened yet at all but the two sets I've had in my tank opened up fully today. I haven't seen the blastos open recently either. The hammer hasn't opened up fully, not at all like it did in the pictures. The brain corals seem to be doing rather well in that they were all inflated early this morning, lobo didn't look very inflated though, but the other three were and had their feeder tentacles out. They also ate. The leather isn't fully pulled in but not out like I know it can be either. I just really don't know what happened. I don't know of anything that could have been different with the water change itself, temp and salinity matched, also the brains were out and happy right after the water change. The only other maintenance that hadn't been done before was the skimmer being cleaned out and sponge removed. I also cleaned off the light fixture, it had been a few weeks or something since I had cleaned the salt creep off of it. I just can't figure out what the problem is especially since it isn't affecting all of the corals. Mushrooms are the most affected, followed by hammer and leather I'd say.

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't have added so many corals so quickly, especially not knowing the chemistry levels.

[*GSP*Fan*]

I wouldn't have added so many corals so quickly, especially not knowing the chemistry levels.

I understand I may have jumped the gun on that one, I definitely did not mean to and just got ahead of myself. I definitely won't be adding anymore anytime soon.

I really don't see how it could be the levels of alk, mag, cal, or anything else that would be added back in with water changes because I've been doing water changes at least once a week for a while getting the nitrates down. Not to mention the first LPS wasn't added too long ago.

I guess where whatever the issue is isn't affecting all the corals or even just a particular kind, thats whats really throwing me off. Its not all the softies or all of the LPS, just some of both. I've searched how and what I can think of but no luck. I just don't understand how a level, that I can test for once my test kits get here, could be affecting just some and not all.

I've went over and over the water change and maintenance I did the other day and just can't pinpoint where something went wrong. I have no idea what I could be over looking.

[Pufferpunk]

What kind of salt are you using? What SG?

[Pufferpunk]

I guess where whatever the issue is isn't affecting all the corals or even just a particular kind, thats whats really throwing me off. Its not all the softies or all of the LPS, just some of both. I've searched how and what I can think of but no luck. I just don't understand how a level, that I can test for once my test kits get here, could be affecting just some and not all.

Survival of the fittest. Some corals are more sensitive than others.

[*GSP*Fan*]

What kind of salt are you using? What SG?

I'm about halfway through this bucket of Instant Ocean. It's the only salt I've been using since starting up the tank. I ordered more salt with this last purchase and got a box of Kents.

SG is at 1.026. Stayed the same before, through, and after the water change. No change in temperature either.

I guess where whatever the issue is isn't affecting all the corals or even just a particular kind, thats whats really throwing me off. Its not all the softies or all of the LPS, just some of both. I've searched how and what I can think of but no luck. I just don't understand how a level, that I can test for once my test kits get here, could be affecting just some and not all.

Survival of the fittest. Some corals are more sensitive than others.

That I understand and that even in the group of LPS some LPS would be more difficult/sensitive compared to other LPS and so on. I would just expect like all LPS over some of both as I was under the impression LPS would be a step up from the softies leading me to think the LPS would be affected first. The wellso and other trachy are inflated (not quite to their fullest) and have their feeders out as I'm typing this. I just expected them to be affected first I guess.

Just wish I knew what it was that affected the ones that aren't opening. I'm about to do a water change even though the issue showed up after the last, I don't see how a water change would hurt. At least I'll see what affect it does have.

[Pufferpunk]

Next salt buy, get Reef Crystals. IO is more for a FO system. You're definitely going to have to dose extra with IO. I personally have very bad luck with open brains, in general.

[*GSP*Fan*]

Next salt buy, get Reef Crystals. IO is more for a FO system. You're definitely going to have to dose extra, with IO. I personally, have very bad luck with open brains, in general.

I was looking to switch since I had added corals, LPS at that, just wasn't sure what to go with. But I'll definitely pick up Reef Crystals next time, I've been getting my salt from Dr.Fosters and Smith so far.

I should have the test kit by the 19th and will be able to test cal, alk, and mag. Until then I definitely don't want to dose. Hoping these water changes are handling what is needed for now.

I really like the open brains but don't believe I'd have any space for more. Not sure how close I could place them but I don't have a lot of open sandbed. The lobo is the only brain I'm a little concerned about. It doesn't inflate like the others, though I'm thinking that may be just because of what it is. Both trachys have inflated to a very good size and don't seem to have been affected by whatever happened during/after that water change. If they're inflated, feeders out, is that not a good sign?

[Pufferpunk]

The brains like to be in the sand. Most lobos I've had inbetween rocks.

[*GSP*Fan*]

The brains like to be in the sand. Most lobos I've had inbetween rocks.

I've got all three in the sand. That seemed like that best place from my reading.

The lobo is 6-8 inches from the wellso (other trachy on the other side of tank and good distance) with a portion of rock structure in between the two.

[Pufferpunk]

The trachs won't fight with each other. Don't trust that lobo near anything!

[*GSP*Fan*]

The trachs won't fight with each other. Don't trust that lobo near anything!

Didn't know that.

I've been having a hard time finding much in terms of specifics when it comes to placing corals. Like which ones can be near one another (like the trachys apparently) and which cannot, how much distance, etc.

Didn't expect to hear that about the lobo, its never gotten as big as the other two, in comparison to its deflated self. Is the lobo more aggressive than the trachys? I may need to do some moving though. But how close can the trachys be to any other corals?

I had been trying to keep a good distance between the trachys and any of the corals on the rocks because of the sweepers.

Edit: I just read that the open brains have shorter,stubbier, sweepers than most of the closed (like favias). Any idea of any truth to this? Or a decent source that may better explain these sorts of things.