What way should I go...

[Skimmerking]

holy crap that would be 90 gal per week. that would end up being alot of money to keep going for water changes...

My friend Bob has a sand bed and his nitrates are aver 60 and he ended up using a sulphur reactor. but I know that everytank is different...

[Skimmerking]

Thanks Bev I do suck out the crufd weekly and somtimes every 3 days depending on what i see in there. I'm always in the tnak and believe in a clean very clean tank. Im in the Army if its not perfection Im not happy. the levels are as follows
CAL-420
Alk 10 DKH
temp 80
PH 8.2
salinity 1.024 ya i know that doesnt matter but i put it in any ways.

I dont test Mag, or phoshates

But i have a Cal reactor going to balance out the magnesium

[Doug]

I can add his tank is as clean as any bare bottomed tank could be, with all the current & the siphon cleaning. So its not accumulated detritus causing problems, or if it was most all dsb type tanks would fail.

I have to wonder if Bev is correct on the test kits Mike. Even more so, with a nitrate test. If its at that level and/or you have phosphates, then all the algae, bananna trees & halide lighting over your honkin sump, is all for not?? Not to mention that huge skimmer??

But what can account for the darn turf algae. {scratches his head}. Maybe Doc Ron was right a few years ago, when he said the rock stores up the crap. I dunno. I once said when the time comes that I need to throw out my gazzillion bucks a lb. rock and buy new stuff, is the day I take up something else.

It seems strange to have to fight problems that normally plague newer aquarists & newer tanks, not someone with a seasoned tank and all that equipment cleaning it? Perhaps the bleaching that happened in a couple corals, could be attributed to where the colonies came from but that does not account for the frag bleaching AND all the rest doing fine.

Even if it was a bad pail of salt or something, still does not help us with the problem of the turf algae. It would be interesting to see a nitrate & phosphate measure done with very good tests kits. That would help show us if or how a sump with calerpa works or not.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by Doug

still does not help us with the problem of the turf algae.

yes with that I have red turf algae on lots of rocks does any one know why and how we get this stuff

[Farrmanchu]

Sounds like your tank is overfed, but you don't. Are you sure no one else is treating the fish to a little snack now and then?

[MobyDick]

I find over dosing Iodine (Kent,brand may vary)and Essential elements(Kent,brand may vary) can lead to problem describe in the above.

[Beverly]

Michael,

I don't know if a Ca reactor does anything for raising Mg. You should have a test kit for it to make sure what your level is at. Having enough Mg is as important as having enough buffer and Ca.

As for phosphate, with your excellent lighting, skimmer and refugium, I doubt that you would measure any phosphate. I'm pretty sure that whatever phophate nutrients that would be produced in your reef, that whatever your skimmer isn't removing that they are being utilized by your macroalgae.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Michael,

I don't know if a Ca reactor does anything for raising Mg. You should have a test kit for it to make sure what your level is at. Having enough Mg is as important as having enough buffer and Ca.

As for phosphate, with your excellent lighting, skimmer and refugium, I doubt that you would measure any phosphate. I'm pretty sure that whatever phophate nutrients that would be produced in your reef, that whatever your skimmer isn't removing that they are being utilized by your macroalgae.

Actually Bev using a Cal Reactor wil level out your Magnesium level to 1350 ppm