FarmerTy

I'm with wryknow, employ GFO and monitor your levels in your tank. Make sure your prefilters are replaced every 6 months, membrane every 3-5 years, and just watch for the color change on your DI (I typically replace mine every 6-12 months). If you have a TDS meter hooked up, it's helpful to monitor your RO/DI water. IMO, PO4 level is everything for acro coloration, assuming it's getting adequate flow and light. If your acros are browning out, lower the PO4 and you'll be surprised at how quickly they start coloring up. I aim for 0.03 ppm myself. I understand that PO4 levels may vary in nature as Tim pointed out but as a counterpoint, most of those corals are also getting blasted by natural sunlight that peaks at 6,000 k. I don't necessarily want that yellow of a tank nor do I want the coloration that is seen in nature comparative to the colors of acros we have established in reef tanks. We've come a long way in such a short amount of time regarding SPS tanks. The SPS tanks of former years were lit with yellow 6,500k metal halide bulbs and everything was a shade of yellow in the tank. Now, we have every color under the sun for SPS coloration and we're using more 14,000 k to 20,000 k spectrum bulbs. We've also stripped the phosphates and nitrates and found better colors to show from it. Now, with the advancement of technology, we find ourselves overstripping the nutrients in our tanks. As our skimmers become more efficient, different methods of carbon dosing are employed, and new products seemingly coming out daily to help us remove nutrients, we find ourselves overdoing the process of removing nutrients. In that, the trend is now moving back towards less antiseptically clean SPS tanks (your barebottom tanks and overly skimmed tanks) to more nutrient rich but heavily exported systems. Feed a lot, and remove a lot too... just don't overtstrip the nutrients! I still believe 0.03 ppm of phosphate is a good number to aim for regarding SPS coloration... we don't need 0 ppm of phosphate anymore. I used to be a believer of 0 nitrates too but found better colors around 5ppm these days. I think you are correct in assuming your algae in the tank is biasing your actual phosphate level. I would employ the GFO until the algae stops growing in your system and recedes and then start monitoring your phosphate levels after that point.

Noooo! Actually, I always found it odd that people photograph pictures of their fish out of the water while in their hands.

Could you hold the angel for a bit for me Bpb? Just let me know if it nips anything while you're at it. [emoji6]

Well now I'm sold for sure! Jim loves them and I have such charitable and selfless reefers that are willing to take on the burden of rehoming my zoas for me, how can I NOT get the angel now!

Hi Bobby! Welcome to the club and the hobby! We usually have monthly meetings which have a special topic of discussion. You could always attend one and then chat with some of the other members there and I'm sure they will be happy to lend some advice. We also have a great mentor program we started last year that may be beneficial for you to be a part of the program. The club will assign a mentor to you and set up a dedicated thread for you and your mentor to discuss the setup and start of your new reef tank. Lastly, you can always start a tank build thread and start posting your equipment you have and your goals for your tank. If you have any questions, just ask and I'm sure a bunch of members will be happy to assist.

I think I'm doing it... I have the regal angel fever! Enough so that I'd risk all my zoas for one. I've been eyeballing two regals and I'm just waiting for one of them to be interested in food and it's go time! Super excited! The regal angel is going to look amazing in that giant 100 gallon black tub. [emoji6]

Naso tang skimmer mod for the win!

System looks great! I loved the 12-gallon nanocube! Awesome system!

I could see the draining of the tank and the disturbance of the sandbed causing my phosphate to spike. Thanks for the ideas! Ckyuv, it's my naso tang that absorbs phosphate, not my goby. He also clears your tank of nasty algae too. I'll sell this one-of-a-kind fish to you for the low, low price of $1,000. Think of him as a living phosphate reactor and algae removal device all in the handsome looking package of a blonde naso tang!

Here's a fun riddle: All 17 fish have been removed from a 215-gallon tank (except one pesky dartfish). Feedings have been non-existent in the display tank for the past 10 days. My nitrates have stayed the same at roughly 6-8ppm but my phosphates have spiked to 0.04 ppm, up from basically non-detectable with an ultra low Hanna phosphorus meter that reads down to the parts per billion. Chew on that one for a bit. I know I will be!

My choice was very simple... my in-laws bought me a gift card to BRS. :-)

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to end up buying a couple of used ones for my QT systems so I won't need to borrow anymore. I need to have some for them anyways in the long run. Thanks for the offers everyone! Much appreciated!

Thanks for the video RobR!

Also, that first wipe picture I showed was with some thicker crud on it during the first "spin". I think with regular use, what it'll wipe will have less build-up so whatever gets knocked down will be easily picked up by the foam again. There's no amount of foam that's going to pick up the goop on the wiper in that picture. At least no foam I want to mess with!

Let us know what you think about that Jaebo doser after you've had a chance to break it in. It'll be a nice, cheap dosing alternative.

They never mentioned the silicone squeegee ever needing replacement. I did a quick search online and found nobody even selling replacements. Perhaps not?

... change my ARC username to CheaperTy while I'm at it. HA! I like the new equipment. More automation never hurt anyone Until it malfunctions and blows up in my face! [emoji33]

No...please... anything but a SSR!

2x a day with 3 swipes around the neck. I'm going to let it run this way and see how the neck looks in a week.

I'm already eating the noodle bowls! [emoji16] But that's just because they are tasty! Who needs to buy a house? I need me a purple monster frag! [emoji106]

Too rich for my blood fellas. I'm in the $40 and less club... Send us pics when you guys get them. Nothing like acro pics to start the day off right.

I'm game! Bring the camera and we can split the profits! [emoji6]

Yeah, I've eyeballed that unit but it's tough to beat the price of my Walmart plastic container with a hole in it and some tubing sticking out of it. I realized I don't even need to do the carbon bit for the smell since my exhaust fan pulls all the funk out of my cabinet and canopy. I have like 6 float valves sitting around so I'll throw one in there and voila, skimmate locker on the cheap... change my ARC username to CheaperTy while I'm at it.

Go to your first post and edit it. Then click full editor and at the top it'll let you change the title.

That's very kind of you bigtoysrock. Most would just watch them slowly die and toss them instead of giving them to someone who might be able to rescue them.