DT's, Golden Pearls etc

[Delphinus]

I am dumping about 30-45 ml of DT's daily into my 75g, because I have three itty-bitty clams in this tank (2 - one inchers, 1 - 2.5 incher).

One of the little clams, that was 1" when I bought it a month ago, is now maybe 1.5" if I am not mistaken. So one thing in the tank is growing at a rate that exceeds my expectations. However the other two clams, bah, they look the exact same as the day I bought them; the other 1" in fact is actually kind of struggling still. I will be pleasantly surprised if it turns around, actually.

Other than my one clam, I honestly cannot say I really notice anything else for my efforts yet. Maybe I am dumping too much into such a young tank (4-5 months), because I have a nasty cyano problem and this really gross kind of turf mat algae completely covering my sandbed. (It really is a kind of ... "icky-yechhky-ew".) Whether this is due to the DT's, or the old VHO's, or not enough flow in the tank yet, or something else, I cannot really say for certain. NO3 and PO4 are completely undetectable in this tank.

I have yet to really be knocked out of my socks for coral colour or growth yet. I thought my M. cap was turning a rose colour a week ago; but the hint of red has all but disappeared as fast as it ever appeared (it's back to tan/orange now). But to be fair: with 2 or 3 exceptions, the only things in this tank are frags, so it could just be that I'm expecting too much, too soon.

Time will tell. Everyone I've talked to is a firm beleiver in DT's, so I am staying the course for now. I do beleive that the DT's is in part responsible for the one clam doing so well. It is documented when they're that size, that they're more filter-feeders than they are photosynthetic. I just wish the other two clams would follow this guy's example!!

I am perhaps a little dismayed that I appear to be going through a $50 bottle on a monthly basis (I had actually been dumping >45 ml at one point, acting on advice ... I've cut back just because I can't really sustain that kind of usage). $50/month is a HUGE fraction of my whole reefing/entertainment budget. I am really, really tempted to start growing my own Nannochloropsis spp. ...

PS. Fishnut: FWIW, I don't turn my skimmer off. I don't think you're supposed to need to, unless you maybe have a hugely overpowered skimmer for your system. If it's an average powered skimmer, no sweat. That's my take on it anyways.

[ 24 May 2002, 07:46: Message edited by: delphinus ]