IM 25g AIO build

[Llorgon]

Water change day again.

Still struggling with high nitrates and phosphates. Although the phosphates have come down some.

Algae isn't much worse, but it isn't getting better either.

Tank Params are

Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 78
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 25
Phosphate: 0.074
Alkalinity: 9.8
Calcium: 475
Magnesium: 1350

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[bauder1986]

Im worried about your tank being so close to the window. One of the biggest rules in tank keeping is keep the tank away from outside sunlight. We dont get the best light spectrum for Saltwater tanks up here in the northern reaches.(Insert big paragraphs about light spectrum being refracted off of the atmosphere due to the relative angle of the sun to our continent)

That sunlight from the window could be one of your biggest sources for the algae growth.

[Llorgon]

Originally Posted by bauder1986

Im worried about your tank being so close to the window. One of the biggest rules in tank keeping is keep the tank away from outside sunlight. We dont get the best light spectrum for Saltwater tanks up here in the northern reaches.(Insert big paragraphs about light spectrum being refracted off of the atmosphere due to the relative angle of the sun to our continent)

That sunlight from the window could be one of your biggest sources for the algae growth.

Ya I had that thought too when setting the tank up. Unfortunately no matter where I set it up after all the furniture is in it will be near a window. I try not to have the blinds open for long periods of time. Mostly for taking pictures since then they don't turn out so blue.


In the summer I will probably have to put some cardboard in the window to keep light off it.

[bauder1986]

Originally Posted by Llorgon

Ya I had that thought too when setting the tank up. Unfortunately no matter where I set it up after all the furniture is in it will be near a window. I try not to have the blinds open for long periods of time. Mostly for taking pictures since then they don't turn out so blue.


In the summer I will probably have to put some cardboard in the window to keep light off it.

Pick up a roll of window tint. Either Tint the window the tank is near by or tint the glass on the tank thats directly facing the window.

[Llorgon]

Hey, that's a good idea! I will look for that for the summer!


Can you get it at home depot?

[bauder1986]

Originally Posted by Llorgon

Hey, that's a good idea! I will look for that for the summer!


Can you get it at home depot?

Any automotive tint will work. Canadian Tire will have it. Home Depot might have a tint big enough for any home window. Just have to get a size big enough for what ever glass you're working on. Plus you can get different tint levels. I recommend at least 50% light transmission. But you can go as low as 5% light transmission (limo tint)

Plus there will be less heat from the sunlight blasted directly onto your tank as well. More stable.

And when you're done with the tint grab a good hair dryer and heat the tint up and peel off

[Llorgon]

Been awhile since I did a update. Still have high nutrients, but I have been slowly lowering them.

I did my first online coral order from fragbox. I ordered a trumpet coral, pink acan, favia and cyphastrea. All arrived in good condition except the trumpet. I think they will be sending a replacement.

For the most part corals have been doing well. The Kenya tree is dropping branches like crazy. Been selling them as I can. My Duncan is showing some new heads starting. Unfortunately I lost the small surviving piece of forest fire digi.

Fish are all doing well. I've started working on my 75g so I can get the yellow Tang out of the small tank. Ran into a issue though when I noticed the 75g stand was compromised. So yay building a new stand...

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[gregzz4]

Great pics Llorin but they are MASSIVE and go off the page, even on my desktop PC

Post before and after shots of your stand !!

[Llorgon]

It's been a busy few weeks, but I finally have time to update on the tank.


Fish are doing well. All eating like pigs!


Corals doing well as well. Duncan has new heads, frogspawn is getting bigger, the new acan I bought a few weeks ago has a new head. A cyphastrea I had in my 75 gallon which I thought died in the original move has come back. I see green and 3 red spots!


On the bad side. The algae has been getting worse. Due to high nutrients and a bit of neglect the last few weeks. This weekend I was able to do a bigger clean. I did a 10 gal water change, cleaned the sand, scrubbed rocks in the tank as best I could, removed rocks/old snail shells that were covered in algae and scrubbed them with peroxide to really kill the algae.


Over the last week I have been experimenting with vodka dosing in an attempt to lower nitrates and phosphates. I have yet to see a decrease, but I am hoping it comes soon!

[Llorgon]

I think I cut my dosage to the "maintenance level" for vodka dosing a bit to soon. When testing with salifert phosphate test kit since I ran out of reagent for my hanna it was reading 0 and my nitrate test read 0.


Testing last night after getting more reagent my phosphate is still at 0.046ppm and nitrate using the red sea test kit is at around 1.5ppm


Going to up my vodka dosing from 0.6ml/day to 0.7ml/day and see if phosphate starts to come down a bit more.