Hi everyone
My name is Tony and I live in Perth, Western Australia.
I am also the first reefer from Australia to switch to the DSR method under Glenn's direction.
I also have a thread on the Dutch reefing forum!
Here are a few details of my system:
Currently running for one year and full ZeoVit for the last eight months.
120x60x60, euro-braced, low iron glass with rear overflow and 'Durso' pipe.
Sump is 90x40x40
Live rock used is about 40 kg
Dry aragonite sand used at the start (depth about 25-30mm)
Net water volume is ~500L
Skimmer is a Skimz E201
Return pump is a Sicce
Lights are 2x Radion Gen2 pro's
Water movement is by 1x Vortec MP40
1x Jebao RW-15
2x Sicce voyager 4's
7 channel kamoer dosing pumps
Tunze ATO
I am busy photographing all the corals and will test water parameters later.
These are my current water parameters of those that I currently test for:
Temp=25 degrees C
Salinity=1.025
pH=8.1-8.3
7.5 dKH
Ca=400
Mg=~1300
K=~390
NO3=undetectable
PO4=undetectable on Hanna
Other parameters i.e. Sr, I+ and B are being brought up to buffer levels
Here are a few pictures to start, first of the start and some later images (both iPhone and nikon images).
Enjoy
More images ;D
Just a couple more ::)
welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get more variety in response.
Quote from: glennf on August 10, 2014, 04:29:53 pm
welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get more variety in response.
Thanks Glenn
I will only post questions on here!
I have been dosing Sr+ into my tank at 1 ppm in the morning and 1 ppm at night. After a total of 8 ppm dosed I tested using the Salifert test and had a reading of 0 ppm. Should I keep dosing and retest after another 8 ppm dosage?
It seems I have to build up a buffer first!
The same is happening with my I+ levels!
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on August 10, 2014, 05:01:25 pm
Quote from: glennf on August 10, 2014, 04:29:53 pm
welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get more variety in response.
Thanks Glenn
I will only post questions on here!
I have been dosing Sr+ into my tank at 1 ppm in the morning and 1 ppm at night. After a total of 8 ppm dosed I tested using the Salifert test and had a reading of 0 ppm. Should I keep dosing and retest after another 8 ppm dosage?
It seems I have to build up a buffer first!
The same is happening with my I+ levels!
Cheers,
Tony
both Sr and I build buffers.
So don't try to force it and just use a typical daily dose and correct once a week till you get a stable reading.
You can use the sheduler to determine the typical dose.
greetings, GlennF
Hi all
I have now added 12 ppm of Sr to my system and still it seems that the buffer is being built!
However, with this I have noticed my Ca levels creeping up, from ~410-425 ppm and have adjusted my dosage down!
Are the two linked, I have seen this mentioned somewhere.
Cheers, Tony
Sr and Ca are not link to the chemicals dosed.
Hi all
Maybe you can shed some light on my problem, I have included a screen shot of the calculator and my measured values.
I have noticed over the course of 7 days that all my green acropora are starting to lose their vivid green colour and are going a lighter colour, not a bleach but almost a washed out look. I struggle to get my nutrients up.
It seems like the colour is "washing" out even of the blues and pinks, but the green is most noticeable.
Do you think the addition of amino acids and some coral food such as 'reef roids' would make a difference as I think the acropora are starving?
I am still dosing 1 ppm of Sr every day and have yet to get a reading on the salifert test!
Like wise with I+, I have been dosing 0.01 ppm every day for 10 days now and no reading on the salifert test.
Cheers, Tony
Tested again last night!
My alk level dropped from a steady 7.5-7.7 dKH to 6.1 dKH in 6 days as acropora are showing large growth spurt, I am bringing alk up slowly by adjusting my dosing pump higher!
Strontium buffer levels are finally there as I received a reading on the Salifert test of 3 ppm.
Iodine still reads 0 on the test.
I have started dosing amino acids and "reef roids" to feed all corals especially acropora.
Cheers
one of the bases of the DSR method is that ZERO nutrients are not a goal. See my recomended targets values on the calculator,. Pay special attention to the minimum target values and the used test.
when nutrients are low all color wash out and after a while bleaching and tissue lost will occur (this can take days, weeks or months, depending on how low the levels are).
Although a few colors will brighten up at low nutrients, Pink, yellow, and blue !
My experience is that dosing Amino/C can make a great difference ,where some buttons species can't be kept alive.
other (side) effects for dosing Amino/Vitamine-C are not known by me yet at this moment.
Another base of the DSR method is that i really don't use anything else than those stuff included in DSR calculator.
Iodine an Sr both have a buffer to build , this is a slow and steady process to prevent overdosing.
read these topics:
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=78.0
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=73.0
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=75.0
Quote from: TonyK on August 15, 2014, 05:02:17 am
Hi all
Maybe you can shed some light on my problem, I have included a screen shot of the calculator and my measured values.
I have noticed over the course of 7 days that all my green acropora are starting to lose their vivid green colour and are going a lighter colour, not a bleach but almost a washed out look. I struggle to get my nutrients up.
It seems like the colour is "washing" out even of the blues and pinks, but the green is most noticeable.
Do you think the addition of amino acids and some coral food such as 'reef roids' would make a difference as I think the acropora are starving?
I am still dosing 1 ppm of Sr every day and have yet to get a reading on the salifert test!
Like wise with I+, I have been dosing 0.01 ppm every day for 10 days now and no reading on the salifert test.
Cheers, Tony
Quote from: TonyK on August 16, 2014, 10:21:24 am
Tested again last night!
My alk level dropped from a steady 7.5-7.7 dKH to 6.1 dKH in 6 days as acropora are showing large growth spurt, I am bringing alk up slowly by adjusting my dosing pump higher!
just leaf the auto dosing as it is now
first you can bring up the level to the desire level bij using the calculator.
use this procedure: http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=89.0
Strontium buffer levels are finally there as I received a reading on the Salifert test of 3 ppm.
Iodine still reads 0 on the test.
I have started dosing amino acids and "reef roids" to feed all corals especially acropora.
Cheers
my advice is , only use stuff that really make a visible difference., don't just dose stuff that people tell you to.
always change one parameter at the time (unless you are off key with generally known parameter) to make sure what you do really has the effect you are looking for.
a base of the DSR method is, i only use the stuff mentioned bij the DSR calculator (nothing else).
unless i (and other DSR users) can prove a noticeable difference in the applied elements i wont use/add it into my tank.
Hi everyone
A question about Boron:
Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!
I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.
Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?
It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?
Maybe the test kit is wrong?
Cheers,
Tony
Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?
In that case you don't need to add for a while.
It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.
Quote from: TonyK on August 27, 2014, 05:42:12 am
Hi everyone
A question about Boron:
Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!
I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.
Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?
It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?
Maybe the test kit is wrong?
Cheers,
Tony
greetings, GlennF
Quote from: glennf on August 27, 2014, 09:52:21 pm
Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?
In that case you don't need to add for a while.
It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.
Quote from: TonyK on August 27, 2014, 05:42:12 am
Hi everyone
A question about Boron:
Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!
I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.
Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?
It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?
Maybe the test kit is wrong?
Cheers,
Tony
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
Dennis gave me his personal test kit and it was 75% full, so still new, I guess.
I have read that CO2 reacts with the test kit reagents, possibly changing the pH.
Yes, I added 20 drops to equalise the colours between the 2 samples!BTW. I have experienced further growth in Acropora sp. now that my Sr levels are buffered and stable at ~10 ppm.
Iodine levels are still not buffered and I add 0.01 ppm 2x/day
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on August 28, 2014, 04:18:35 am
Quote from: glennf on August 27, 2014, 09:52:21 pm
Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?
In that case you don't need to add for a while.
It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.
Quote from: TonyK on August 27, 2014, 05:42:12 am
Hi everyone
A question about Boron:
Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!
I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.
Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?
It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?
Maybe the test kit is wrong?
Cheers,
Tony
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
Dennis gave me his personal test kit and it was 75% full, so still new, I guess.
I have read that CO2 reacts with the test kit reagents, possibly changing the pH.
Yes, I added 20 drops to equalise the colours between the 2 samples!
BTW. I have experienced further growth in Acropora sp. now that my Sr levels are buffered and stable at ~10 ppm.
Iodine levels are still not buffered and I add 0.01 ppm 2x/day
Cheers,
Tony
don't worry about the iodine it can take a while before you get a stable reading.
in the meanwhile just keep ik available, by daily dosing the typical consumption and do a weekly or bi-weekly correction.
DSR is about being laid back and doing thing that need to be done, with no stress involved (because you are in control).
read about it here:
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=75.msg355#msg355
nice that you can see the the difference with strontium dosing. it's always rewarding to see your efforts do pay off.
please keep me informed on your progress.
This will help me improve and share it further with the reefing community.
Quote from: glennf on August 29, 2014, 12:26:50 am
Quote from: TonyK on August 28, 2014, 04:18:35 am
Quote from: glennf on August 27, 2014, 09:52:21 pm
Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?
In that case you don't need to add for a while.
It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.
Quote from: TonyK on August 27, 2014, 05:42:12 am
Hi everyone
A question about Boron:
Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!
I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.
Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?
It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?
Maybe the test kit is wrong?
Cheers,
Tony
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
Dennis gave me his personal test kit and it was 75% full, so still new, I guess.
I have read that CO2 reacts with the test kit reagents, possibly changing the pH.
Yes, I added 20 drops to equalise the colours between the 2 samples!
BTW. I have experienced further growth in Acropora sp. now that my Sr levels are buffered and stable at ~10 ppm.
Iodine levels are still not buffered and I add 0.01 ppm 2x/day
Cheers,
Tony
don't worry about the iodine it can take a while before you get a stable reading.
in the meanwhile just keep ik available, by daily dosing the typical consumption and do a weekly or bi-weekly correction.
DSR is about being laid back and doing thing that need to be done, with no stress involved (because you are in control).
read about it here:
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=75.msg355#msg355
nice that you can see the the difference with strontium dosing. it's always rewarding to see your efforts do pay off.
please keep me informed on your progress.
This will help me improve and share it further with the reefing community.
Thanks Glenn
I will carry on dosing I+ and not stress :)
I have attached a picture for you of a happy Acropora ;D
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on August 29, 2014, 03:54:01 am
Thanks Glenn
I will carry on dosing I+ and not stress :)
I have attached a picture for you of a happy Acropora ;D
Cheers,
Tony
Beautifull:)
Keep them comming...
You're so close to the source of world most beautifull sps corals.
We are so jealous.....
greetings, GlennF
Quote from: glennf on August 29, 2014, 11:52:15 pm
Quote from: TonyK on August 29, 2014, 03:54:01 am
Thanks Glenn
I will carry on dosing I+ and not stress :)
I have attached a picture for you of a happy Acropora ;D
Cheers,
Tony
Beautifull:)
Keep them comming...
You're so close to the source of world most beautifull sps corals.
We are so jealous.....
greetings, GlennF
Thanks for the kind words
You'll be amazed how difficult it is even for us on the Western side of Australia to get our hands on those beautiful specimens from the barrier reef, but we do occasionally get our hands on some ;)
The best get shipped out overseas, just ask Koji ;D or if available command very high $ prices!
I must say though that we get some magnificent A
canthastrea lordhowensis and I am collecting them :D
My
Acropora will soon need to be pruned or they will start waging war on each other and then I will distribute frags amongst the members of the reef club here!
Here is another image of a metallic green/pink
Acropora spathulata from the barrier reef, enjoy.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi everyone.
Another update on the condition of my tank inhabitants while employing the DSR method.
I have really seen a large increase in the growth of my Acropora sp., in the formation of new growth tips, and I can only attribute this to the correct level of Strontium being reached in my tank (~10 ppm). It has taken three weeks of constant, low volume dosing of Sr to first build a buffer level and then increase the value to where it is at present. I now believe that Sr is a necessary element that has to be including in a dosing regimen.
I have also now reached a stable value for Iodine in the system, this has taken a month of small daily doses of 0.01 ppm. I must say that there has not been a noticeable colour change in any of the blue or purple coloured Acropora sp. they remain as brightly coloured as ever, however, a small colony of dark green Acropora austera, has started to change into a purple colour, with the stem changing to purple and the corallites remaining green, I am not unhappy with this as it looks very beautiful
A big bonus for me is that in the very near future I will have to start fragging the corals to prevent warfare and share these among my fellow reefers here
I will now start to slowly increase the intensity of my lights over a period of several months to see what changes in growth or colour they affect!
I will try get some pictures up when I can.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi Glenn and everyone else
I need an opinion: I know that you are not in favour of using GAC, Glenn, but I was thinking of using a good quality GAC once/month for 2 days to remove the following:
- Yellowing agents 'gelbstoff' from decayed organic matter and macroalgae, thereby making the water crystal clear.
- Allelopathic toxins given off by LPS corals and other organisms.
This limited use of GAC should not cause trace elements (e.g. Fe) to be absorbed by the carbon in large quantities.
How do you keep the colour, crystal clear and toxins at bay in your system, Glenn?
Bearing in mind that I have a smallish water volume of ~500L and it is a new system still.
Cheers,
Tony
Hai tony,
If your water turn yellow you need it. If not why use it?
I use ozone and uv primairy for my fish, but it also help clearing the water.
Beside that the powerfilter removes coloring also, if you let the filtercotton become dense enough by leaving it a little while longer.
When the filter cotton become dense the pump start cavitating.
Stop dosing Fe and other heavy metals complex days before and during the GAC application.
Also watch your corals before and after you alter things in you system.
greetings, GlennF
Some pictures to show the excellent results 8)
Quote from: TonyK on September 15, 2014, 04:29:07 pm
Some pictures to show the excellent results 8)
Judging from your posting , you are a happy reefer.....
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
I have a strange issue.
For the last three days my protein skimmer skimmer has gone periodically crazy!
It skims dry, normally, but then will overflow randomly with a massive amount of what looks like soapy foam but is really a big build up of proteinaceous compounds or bacterial blooms?
My dosing has not changed.
I have to check my skimmer every 6 hours now and will wait till all gets skimmed out unfortunately.
Cheers,
Tony
I have to add that my corals do not show any negative signs and the skimmer seems to have returned to normal.
Let's see.
I can't explain the sudden activity of your skimmer. It could be anything from temperature to feeding.
Although ... did you changed filter wool without rinsing it with hot water before applying it?
greetings, GlennF
Quote from: glennf on September 23, 2014, 02:34:16 am
I can't explain the sudden activity of your skimmer. It could be anything from temperature to feeding.
Although ... did you changed filter wool without rinsing it with hot water before applying it?
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
Nothing has changed and was not using filter wool.
The only thing different was adding a dose of K+ (10 ppm) on Friday and Saturday to bring the levels up, as K+ is definitely being skimmed out of the water with my needle wheel skimmer.
Corals look good and skimmer is back to "normal" now.
Might have been a bacterial bloom or a rise in temperature, as we are going into summer now and the tank is getting warmer, very slowly.
Cheers,
Tony
the only way to make sure is keep track of data and see if it happens the next time you dose K+
Quote from: TonyK on September 23, 2014, 04:29:18 am
Quote from: glennf on September 23, 2014, 02:34:16 am
I can't explain the sudden activity of your skimmer. It could be anything from temperature to feeding.
Although ... did you changed filter wool without rinsing it with hot water before applying it?
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
Nothing has changed and was not using filter wool.
The only thing different was adding a dose of K+ (10 ppm) on Friday and Saturday to bring the levels up, as K+ is definitely being skimmed out of the water with my needle wheel skimmer.
Corals look good and skimmer is back to "normal" now.
Might have been a bacterial bloom or a rise in temperature, as we are going into summer now and the tank is getting warmer, very slowly.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi everyone
This is a copy of a post from the Dutch and Belgian reefing forum.
It's been awhile since my last report and I have had some issues.
First on my dosing and nutrient levels:
My PO4 levels have slowly been creeping up over the course of a few months (since stopping ZeoVit) and peaked at 0.08 ppm, this was unacceptable to me so I now dose 0.04 ppm Fe every night into my DT and this keeps the PO4 levels at ~0.03 ppm.
I am also unable to build an iodine buffer so I just add 0.01 ppm into the DT every day as a maintenance dose.
I have noticed certain effects from this:
I have noticed an explosion in bryopsis growth, especially on my wave makers and a certain rock feature. This algae could be fueled in part by the PO4 and especially I think by the Fe and it grows really fast and has to be removed weekly!
Cyano has started to appear on certain places of the rockwork and I have been siphoning it out (my light period at maximum intensity has also been increased over time, so this probably is contributing to the cyano).
Actually the cyano is now spreading onto the bryopsis and it is driving me crazy!
I did not have algae or cyano issues when I had no detectable phosphates in my tank!
Now for coral and colours:
My Acropora sp. are growing really fast with many new growth tips and polyp extension during the light period, which I have not seen before. I have started to frag some already
Colours have become more vivid, especially the blues, purples, pinks, yellows and now the greens (this could be due to the addition of Fe).
As far as growth, colour and general health of the corals are concerned, I could not be happier
I will post some pictures soon.
Here is a printscreen of my parameters
Cheers,
Tony
Hi again
I am having real issues with cyano!
It is now starting to grow on the sand.
Two things were changed recently that may have brought this on:
- The lighting period was increased to 5 hours at maximum intensity on my Radion LED's
- My nutrients (PO4)are being kept under control by the addition of Fe
My flow is extremely high, it disturbs and moves the sand around.
My Caulerpa macro algae is growing well.
I don't use a power filter but have filter socks (changed every 2 days) and a highly rated skimmer.
I must add that my corals, SPS in particular, are doing very well with phenomenal growth and colour.
I am thinking of doing a water change after filtering the sand and going back to a ULNS with no nutrients.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on November 17, 2014, 03:20:02 am
Hi again
I am having real issues with cyano!
It is now starting to grow on the sand.
Two things were changed recently that may have brought this on:
- The lighting period was increased to 5 hours at maximum intensity on my Radion LED's
....... Ligthing is big factor in cyano development/control.
Read this:
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=22.msg46.msg#46
- My nutrients (PO4)are being kept under control by the addition of Fe
My flow is extremely high, it disturbs and moves the sand around.
.......Use 3 points flow as i describes in this topic.
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=15.msg0.msg#0
My Caulerpa macro algae is growing well.
I don't use a power filter but have filter socks (changed every 2 days) and a highly rated skimmer.
....... The use of powerfilters is Fundamental in DSR.
I must add that my corals, SPS in particular, are doing very well with phenomenal growth and colour.
I am thinking of doing a water change after filtering the sand and going back to a ULNS with no nutrients.
...... always do what you gut tells you, but watch the signals the corals tells you closely and choose what works best for you. DSR is only the tools to help you archieve that.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Tony
Also use a cleaning crew. To battle nuisance alge and other problem.
Ctenocheatus doktors, (many) snails, urchins are useful in cleaning rock surface.
Sand shifting fish, starfish, and animal keep you sandbed moving and so it stays clean and tidy
greetings, GlennF
Thanks for the advice Glenn.
I have a sea hare on order and will get some more snails for the sand bed.
I have a question on the methodology for using the power filter:
Do you stir up the sand and brush off the detritus/cyano from the rocks in the tank, then leave off the lights while the filter cleans the water? OR
Siphon everything off into a suitable container, then filter the water in the container and return the clean water to the tank?
I am asking because when I translate the Dutch article, the translation leaves a lot to be desired and gets confusing :)
Cheers,
Tony
Can you place a picture where the cyano develop and how it look like
greetings, GlennF
Quote from: glennf on November 18, 2014, 11:32:04 pm
Can you place a picture where the cyano develop and how it look like
greetings, GlennF
Here you are Glenn.
The cyano is decreasing a bit in intensity now that my PO4 levels are <0.03 ppm!
Cheers,
Tony
Hi all
I did a good vacuum of the sand bed and removed all cyano patches today.
Then I replaced the water lost (~10%) with newly made saltwater using the DSR calculator.
Water looks very clear, let's see if cyano returns weaker than before.
Cheers,
Tony
Experiment with you lighting (intensity and length) less light is less cyano.
Quote from: TonyK on November 22, 2014, 03:47:28 pm
Hi all
I did a good vacuum of the sand bed and removed all cyano patches today.
Then I replaced the water lost (~10%) with newly made saltwater using the DSR calculator.
Water looks very clear, let's see if cyano returns weaker than before.
Cheers,
Tony
greetings, GlennF
Hi Glenn
A short update on the cyano and Bryopsis.
All cyano (the red-brown variety) has disappeared from the rockwork and from some patches of sand and all that's left is a very bright green version of cyano on a small patch of rock. I went through my notes and a similar thing happened when I started with ZeoVit. I have not touched my light program!
It seems the biology/system has to stabilise after a major change.
The Bryopsis is growing thinner and becoming patchy in growth and I think this is due to:
Manual removal every week.
The corals growing over and shading the rock and
Decreasing my PO4 levels to 0.02-0.03 ppm.
On that note, my Acropora have really started growing now and my bicarbonate and calcium consumption has increased by 100% over the last two months :)
I have added in an image of the growth comparison over two months and also an image of my staghorn growing to the surface.
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on December 08, 2014, 04:28:47 am
Hi Glenn
A short update on the cyano and Bryopsis.
All cyano (the red-brown variety) has disappeared from the rockwork and from some patches of sand and all that's left is a very bright green version of cyano on a small patch of rock. I went through my notes and a similar thing happened when I started with ZeoVit. I have not touched my light program!
It seems the biology/system has to stabilise after a major change.
The Bryopsis is growing thinner and becoming patchy in growth and I think this is due to:
Manual removal every week.
The corals growing over and shading the rock and
Decreasing my PO4 levels to 0.02-0.03 ppm.
On that note, my Acropora have really started growing now and my bicarbonate and calcium consumption has increased by 100% over the last two months :)
I have added in an image of the growth comparison over two months and also an image of my staghorn growing to the surface.
Cheers,
Tony
Woow.... tony , that is a complete methamorphosis....
You are growing a reef instead of corals.
Nice to hear you are getting over the problem.
Ik will take your experience concerning cyano and swichting into evaluation and share it with others.
greetings, GlennF
Hi everyone.
I thought I would post some images that compare the growth for nearly 3 months. The first images were taken on the 15 of September 2014 and the second images on the 11th of December 2014 (yesterday :) )
The images are all taken from my iPhone, so they are blue and perhaps not the cleanest images but I'm sure you will get the point. The growth has been phenomenal and getting faster, judging by the rapid uptake of bicarbonate and calcium I am experiencing.
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on September 05, 2014, 04:21:10 am
Hi everyone.
Another update on the condition of my tank inhabitants while employing the DSR method.
I have really seen a large increase in the growth of my Acropora sp., in the formation of new growth tips, and I can only attribute this to the correct level of Strontium being reached in my tank (~10 ppm). It has taken three weeks of constant, low volume dosing of Sr to first build a buffer level and then increase the value to where it is at present. I now believe that Sr is a necessary element that has to be including in a dosing regimen.
I have also now reached a stable value for Iodine in the system, this has taken a month of small daily doses of 0.01 ppm. I must say that there has not been a noticeable colour change in any of the blue or purple coloured Acropora sp. they remain as brightly coloured as ever, however, a small colony of dark green Acropora austera, has started to change into a purple colour, with the stem changing to purple and the corallites remaining green, I am not unhappy with this as it looks very beautiful
A big bonus for me is that in the very near future I will have to start fragging the corals to prevent warfare and share these among my fellow reefers here
I will now start to slowly increase the intensity of my lights over a period of several months to see what changes in growth or colour they affect!
I will try get some pictures up when I can.
Cheers,
Tony
i read back some postings and this one attracted my attention.
Thanks for sharing your findings tony.
This is exactly what i was aiming for since the beginning of my project (the synthetic aquarium project)
Hobbyist who share their findings through a common ground, with the tools i supply them.
In this way a broad stream of information is comming together and we get to learn more about coral growth and behaviour by manipulation.
We don't need to put tons of money into experimenting and research before we get to know a few things about real life situations, because everybody take part into this research.
I like how you go about and linked the dosing and results together. if more people can confirm this than we have something meaning full (research wise).
Now i know your' re a scientist, it really explain how you go about applying things to your own tank, so I dearly value your opinion.
Some before and after pictures would be nice to keep track of the situations.
To save for future reference it's best to keep your yank log on your prefered forum besides this one. Because dsrreefing .nl was intended as a support forum, and if i should ever stop (for any given reason) the info is still available to yourself and others.
(I am just thinking ahead)
greetings, GlennF
it seems to me that you are a happy man...... ;)
Quote from: TonyK on December 12, 2014, 04:57:57 am
Hi everyone.
I thought I would post some images that compare the growth for nearly 3 months. The first images were taken on the 15 of September 2014 and the second images on the 11th of December 2014 (yesterday :) )
The images are all taken from my iPhone, so they are blue and perhaps not the cleanest images but I'm sure you will get the point. The growth has been phenomenal and getting faster, judging by the rapid uptake of bicarbonate and calcium I am experiencing.
Cheers,
Tony
Hello everyone
It has been some time since my last update, but I will try to be brief.
I have added a frag tank onto my display, a 50 X 50 X 50 cube that has given me another 110L of water volume. This was done to accommodate the frags from all the fragging I have to do, as my Acropora have really been growing.
On top of all of that I've also added a calcium reactor, this keeps the alkalinity at ~7.5 dKH and Ca at ~410 ppm constantly, I still have to dose Mg though (with a dosing pump) and the level is ~1320 ppm.
Now to the corals: My nutrients dropped to very low levels during the past month and I noticed that Montipora sp. and certain Acropora, especially the green coloured species, have become very light in colour. My mushroom corals also have shrunk in size and lightened up in colour as have the Zoanthids!
I am now adding 0.01 ppm of PO4 and 0.5 ppm of NO3 to the tank every night and the LPS corals have responded already by opening up more and the colour is returning.
I also noticed that the green colour is slowly returning to the sps corals affected as I now dose 0.01 ppm of Fe+ every morning. Overall the colour seems 'fuller' and more 'vibrant' in the sps with the addition of nutrients.
Besides the low nutrients, the growth of sps corals especially the Acropora sp. has been phenomenal with staghorn corals growing at around 12-15 mm/month in length.
Here are some top down pictures I took with the phone this morning......enjoy :)
Quote from: TonyK on March 06, 2015, 04:19:53 am
Hello everyone
It has been some time since my last update, but I will try to be brief.
I have added a frag tank onto my display, a 50 X 50 X 50 cube that has given me another 110L of water volume. This was done to accommodate the frags from all the fragging I have to do, as my Acropora have really been growing.
On top of all of that I've also added a calcium reactor, this keeps the alkalinity at ~7.5 dKH and Ca at ~410 ppm constantly, I still have to dose Mg though (with a dosing pump) and the level is ~1320 ppm.
Now to the corals: My nutrients dropped to very low levels during the past month and I noticed that Montipora sp. and certain Acropora, especially the green coloured species, have become very light in colour. My mushroom corals also have shrunk in size and lightened up in colour as have the Zoanthids!
I am now adding 0.01 ppm of PO4 and 0.5 ppm of NO3 to the tank every night and the LPS corals have responded already by opening up more and the colour is returning.
I also noticed that the green colour is slowly returning to the sps corals affected as I now dose 0.01 ppm of Fe+ every morning. Overall the colour seems 'fuller' and more 'vibrant' in the sps with the addition of nutrients.
Besides the low nutrients, the growth of sps corals especially the Acropora sp. has been phenomenal with staghorn corals growing at around 12-15 mm/month in length.
Here are some top down pictures I took with the phone this morning......enjoy :)
wow..... tony
Exellent result......
When you get growth you need nutrients!
Something i discovered on my journey, that created DSR.
greetings, GlennF
Hi again
Another quick update.
I have increased nutrients slightly and now it once again becomes a battle with the algae, but I believe that the colours look much better in my corals, especially the Acropora and Montipora sp.
Growth is always good in my tank with the calcium reactor just being able to keep with the demands of the corals.
I have upgraded my lights to Radion Generation 3 pro's and already see a slight difference in some corals with the colour.
Here are some images, one of a month's growth of Montipora and some other pictures....enjoy.
Cheers,
Tony
Quote from: TonyK on April 26, 2015, 08:56:37 am
Hi again
Another quick update.
I have increased nutrients slightly and now it once again becomes a battle with the algae, but I believe that the colours look much better in my corals, especially the Acropora and Montipora sp.
Growth is always good in my tank with the calcium reactor just being able to keep with the demands of the corals.
I have upgraded my lights to Radion Generation 3 pro's and already see a slight difference in some corals with the colour.
Here are some images, one of a month's growth of Montipora and some other pictures....enjoy.
Cheers,
Tony
one word Tony ...... CONGRATULATIONS......!!!!!!!!
YOUR TANK IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY BEAUTIFUL......
I am very proud of your achievement.
greetings, GlennF
Hello everyone.
My aquarium turned one year old on the 20th of June and as you can see the corals are growing very well, although, I fear the colours could be brighter but this is due to the very low nutrients. It has been a battle for me trying to still have some nutrients in the tank but at the same time keep the algae growth at bay.
I have also encountered another problem in AEFW in my system.
I first noticed colour loss in my 'tri-colour' Acropora colonies, which then spread to other colonies. Upon inspection I saw the tell tale bite marks and eggs of this nasty pest!
After consulting various aquarists here I went and purchased a six-line wrasse and decided to blow the worms off the corals with a turkey baster!
This has proved to be very successful and the amount of worms that came off the colonies was astounding! Of course the fish were also having a treat and eating up the worms in the water column. I now 'blow off' the rocks every 3 days or so and one or two worms come off, but the colour and PE is returning :)
Other issues I have is that because of the growth, shading is becoming an issue especially to the bases of the corals and I will have to drastically prune more branches away!
Another issue is that my flow is decreasing as the corals get bigger, so I have ordered another large wave maker for my tank!.
I have included photo's and I hope you enjoy them, they are only taken with my iPhone.
And remember, ONE year no water change!! :)
Cheers,
Tony
Some more :)
And more :)
One more :)
Looking great Tony
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Awesome work Tony!! Any chance of a FTS?
Cheers Ben
Hi everyone.
It is with sad news that I am here today. Due to a massive outbreak of AEFW, I was left with no choice but to remove all Acropora sp. from the tank and dip in a pesticide made by Bayer containing the active ingredient Imidacloprid!
The corals were first inspected for damage and all areas too damaged were removed, as were areas that had flat worm egg clusters.
Corals were then dipped in a 40% Bayer/ASW solution for 5 minutes and swirled around.
Hundreds of flat worms were eventually released from all Acropora. Every single colony was infected to one degree or another and if left unchecked would've resulted in death to all Acropora sp. in the tank.
Cleaned, dipped corals were then placed in an external QT system, where they will be re-dipped every 5 days for one month.
The DT will lie fallow and all remaining worms and eggs will eventually hatch and starve.
Here is a link to the dipping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS5msg3wRgM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS5msg3wRgM)
Some images...
Thanks for reading.
And some more sadness....
Hi Tony,
I am so sorry to hear about this! It can be a rough hobby at times. Sounds like you maybe able to save some acro's. I just bought a Six line wrasse, which apparently feeds on flat worms which I am hoping would stop an outbreak.
Good luck with it Tony!!!!
Ben
Quote from: islandreef on August 16, 2015, 01:30:33 pm
Hi Tony,
I am so sorry to hear about this! It can be a rough hobby at times. Sounds like you maybe able to save some acro's. I just bought a Six line wrasse, which apparently feeds on flat worms which I am hoping would stop an outbreak.
Good luck with it Tony!!!!
Ben
Thanks :)
I am losing colonies fast now and have managed to save some frags from each, which I have placed back into my frag tank.
I am just not set up to have a large external QT system and quite frankly if the hobby is this much trouble, well then I may leave! Let's see how the next week goes>
I also have a sixline in each tank, but against a large infestation I believe no predator can help.
Cheers
Very sad news tony.
Don't give up. We all had our ups and downs.. at least you get to enjoy having a full grown tank, many won't even manage in a livetime.
You learned a hard lesson , so next time you will net let it come this far because you will recognise the signals earlier . This hobby is a passion you can't get rid of.
Hi all
Thanks for all the good wishes :)
Well.....I'm back ;D
I landed up with a few frags and 3 small colonies from the old system and had them in my frag tank. They have been dipped every 5 days in a strong concentration of imidacloprid (Bayer) and after 30 days I can say that there are no more worms :) :)
This is evident by the corals starting to encrust the frag plugs with the colour and PE returning.
I have changed the aquascape completely and doubled the amount of rock in the tank. This time I used CaribSea dead base rock and it has worked well.
Some new frags from the barrier reef were imported for me into my state and I have also put back the frags I kept from my old system.
A positive of this has been that I now can add corals that I want, that are brightly (or will be) coloured and the species I want.
Every new coral without exception gets dipped before being placed into the system.
Like I said before, I have started with 90% frags and hope to see them grow out into big colonies, I have also left big spaces between corals and resisted the temptation to pack frags in, thereby giving my little frags the opportunity to grow out well.
I will, of course, also be carrying on with the DSR method, as I feel it has worked really well for me and I have a very good grasp of my water chemistry parameters now.
The tank has only received about a 15% water change after all that, partly from topping up after all the rock and frags were removed! All this after 15 months of starting up.
Here are some photos of the new setup.
Quote from: TonyK on September 11, 2015, 05:26:29 am
Hi all
Thanks for all the good wishes :)
Well.....I'm back ;D
I landed up with a few frags and 3 small colonies from the old system and had them in my frag tank. They have been dipped every 5 days in a strong concentration of imidacloprid (Bayer) and after 30 days I can say that there are no more worms :) :)
This is evident by the corals starting to encrust the frag plugs with the colour and PE returning.
I have changed the aquascape completely and doubled the amount of rock in the tank. This time I used CaribSea dead base rock and it has worked well.
Some new frags from the barrier reef were imported for me into my state and I have also put back the frags I kept from my old system.
A positive of this has been that I now can add corals that I want, that are brightly (or will be) coloured and the species I want.
Every new coral without exception gets dipped before being placed into the system.
Like I said before, I have started with 90% frags and hope to see them grow out into big colonies, I have also left big spaces between corals and resisted the temptation to pack frags in, thereby giving my little frags the opportunity to grow out well.
I will, of course, also be carrying on with the DSR method, as I feel it has worked really well for me and I have a very good grasp of my water chemistry parameters now.
The tank has only received about a 15% water change after all that, partly from topping up after all the rock and frags were removed! All this after 15 months of starting up.
Here are some photos of the new setup.
What a pitty Tony.
Like anyone who stay long enough in this hobby you will get some setback. You had your share now.
What define a good reefer, is that they learn and they just climb back on the horse and don't give up.
You've had a fast learning curve and put down something, other would have taken years to accomplish. So there is absolutely no shame in that.
Ik am looking forward to see your tank become a work of art again.
The new setup looks very promising.
Thanks for those words Glenn.
Indeed, I have learned a lot and experienced much misfortune, but i think the tank will come back in a relatively short period of time :)
Here are some frags I've added, I like them :)
Two more :)
Nice .. you have something to look forward to. Seeing the growth of a tank is very inspiring.
Way to go Tony, so glad you have stuck with it!!
Cheers Ben
I also built my own calcium reactor as my old one couldn't keep up with demand and quite frankly the store bought ones are rubbish!
This one holds 14 kg of mixed media :)
It does the job very well now and uses a fraction of CO2 than the much smaller one did!
Quote from: TonyK on September 16, 2015, 11:23:28 am
I also built my own calcium reactor as my old one couldn't keep up with demand and quite frankly the store bought ones are rubbish!
This one holds 14 kg of mixed media :)
It does the job very well now and uses a fraction of CO2 than the much smaller one did!
Nice. That schould ben enough!
Hi everyone.
The frags are starting to grow and showing some wonderful colours, it's just a pity it will take a long time to get them big again!
I practice a 'hands out' methodology, so I just observe and wait now.
Here are some images of the frags.
seeing how the tank grow is also very inspiring tony. At least now you know what situations to avoid. of course you also need some luck....
Happy Reefing, GlennF.
WOW!!! What a great Tank. So sorry for your loss, but it looks like the DSR Method has worked wonders for you.
I have been looking at this method for a year and your progress is VERY inspiring. It seems VERY difficult to get the product here in the US and I would not even know where to start with the abnormal water volume and awkward size of my system.
220 Gal Display
400 Gal Sump volume