PRODBIO Started on my tank

BigAl07 · #1 01-09-2012, 12:19 PM

I'm tagging along as I just started my BioCLEAN regimen last week. 6 weeks of that then introduce the REEFBOOSTER and other vials to the mix.

don.ald · #2 01-09-2012, 01:48 PM

what if you run cheato or other macro algaes in a sump. do you have to remove these before treatment?

BigAl07 · #3 01-09-2012, 02:03 PM

I don't think you "Have" to remove them but running a ULNS wont usually give you great Macro growth anyway. I've seen a few instances where it's led to an eventually scaling back or demise of some Macro Algae which makes sense if you look at what you're trying to do in the first place.

globaldesigns · #4 01-09-2012, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by don.ald

what if you run cheato or other macro algaes in a sump. do you have to remove these before treatment?

I have alot of cheato, and haven't removed it yet. And the cheato is still growing, more slowly now, but there is still growth. So I am leaving mine in for now.

lastlight · #5 01-09-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I have alot of cheato, and haven't removed it yet. And the cheato is still growing, more slowly now, but there is still growth. So I am leaving mine in for now.

Perfect. I'm inviting you over for some reef banter... bring that chaeto before you kill it! Us poor kids need the stringy green stuff =)

toxic111 · #6 01-09-2012, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I have alot of cheato, and haven't removed it yet. And the cheato is still growing, more slowly now, but there is still growth. So I am leaving mine in for now.

Mine has slowed tons too.. still alive though, and I still have a little algae in the tank, but I don't have a big CUC. Now if my 12gal AIO tank at the office would clean up I would be habby.. can't seem to kill the algae there

BigAl07 · #7 01-09-2012, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxic111

Mine has slowed tons too.. still alive though, and I still have a little algae in the tank, but I don't have a big CUC. Now if my 12gal AIO tank at the office would clean up I would be habby.. can't seem to kill the algae there

Re: 12g office tank - I assume you're doing this treatment there as well? I have a 12g Nanocube here on my desk at work and even with not feeding hardly anything for a year I have more Algae than water LOL! I was going to run Prodibio on this tank if I saw positive results on the larger tank at home.

toxic111 · #8 01-09-2012, 06:32 PM

yep I am dosing it as well on the 12gal. There is only one small fish in there (firefish) about 10lbs of live rock, some mushrooms & some zoas. I am dealing with about 3 different types of algae in it. Feeding is limited to 4 or 6 little pellets a day 4 days a week. Water changes are 3gal once a week. There is no skimmer which may be one of the issues.

BigAl07 · #9 01-09-2012, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxic111

yep I am dosing it as well on the 12gal. There is only one small fish in there (firefish) about 10lbs of live rock, some mushrooms & some zoas. I am dealing with about 3 different types of algae in it. Feeding is limited to 4 or 6 little pellets a day 4 days a week. Water changes are 3gal once a week. There is no skimmer which may be one of the issues.

I only have 1 fish (tiny True Perc), a strong clean up crew, a beautiful Devils Finger leather, 3 Zoa colonies, and in about 2 hours a pair of green hammer coral. I do water changes about 5 every 2 weeks or so and I feed a few mysis, a tiny drop of cyclopeeze and that's about it on Mon, Wed, Friday. That's it and I'm still fighting this stuff. I don't feed any "Processed" or prepared foods what so ever. I'm lost.

Maybe I need to order another BioCLEAN kit and start it on this tank here at work. I think I'll do that right now.

asylumdown · #10 01-13-2012, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxic111

yep I am dosing it as well on the 12gal. There is only one small fish in there (firefish) about 10lbs of live rock, some mushrooms & some zoas. I am dealing with about 3 different types of algae in it. Feeding is limited to 4 or 6 little pellets a day 4 days a week. Water changes are 3gal once a week. There is no skimmer which may be one of the issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl07

I only have 1 fish (tiny True Perc), a strong clean up crew, a beautiful Devils Finger leather, 3 Zoa colonies, and in about 2 hours a pair of green hammer coral. I do water changes about 5 every 2 weeks or so and I feed a few mysis, a tiny drop of cyclopeeze and that's about it on Mon, Wed, Friday. That's it and I'm still fighting this stuff. I don't feed any "Processed" or prepared foods what so ever. I'm lost.

Maybe I need to order another BioCLEAN kit and start it on this tank here at work. I think I'll do that right now.

I had similar problems in my old 20 gallon. In tanks that small, there's just not enough water volume to dilute the small amount of nutrients you're adding through even sparse feedings between water changes, especially if there's no skimmer or other method of removing them as they're produced (other than the algae of course). I'd be willing to bet that Prodibio won't totally solve the problem, since I bet even the tiny amount of nitrate/phosphate produced per feeding is enough to keep the algae going. Even the most Spartan feeding regime in a tank that small can lead to severe eutrophication in a matter of days.

I know what I'm about to say is complete reef heresy, but I think you should explore how feasible it would be to do much larger water changes, as I bet that would solve your problem. I set up a 5 gallon pico tank to tide me over while my new one is being built following the 'eco-reef one' philosophy (http://reefbuilders.com/2010/04/22/e...ano-reef-tank/) and while I thought 100% water changes were nuts at first, it's so far blown my more traditional 20 gallon nano out of the water in terms of coral performance. Other than a brief diatom bloom, there's been zero issues with algae, and I'm feeding all the corals pretty aggressively, getting one syringe full of Acans plus early in the week, and a mysis shrimp per polyp later in the week.

doing a 100% water change on a 12 gallon would be way more of a chore than a tiny 5 gallon, but maybe if you did it one out of every two or three water changes, you'd progressively deplete any built up crud in the tank that's adding excess nutrients.

And no, so far I haven't seen any negative side effects on the corals from doing 100% water changes (with really close attention paid to matching temp and salinity). Within an hour they're all as inflated and happy as they were before I started.