Brief Reef Tank Journal #1
The tank is doing generally well although I think I am still struggling to get decent growth from my corals.
Here is the current stock:
Fish:
- 1 Royal gramma
- 1 Orchid dottyback
- 2 Black storm clown fish
- 1 While belly wrasse
Clean-up Crew:
- 1 Strawberry conch
- 1 cleaner shrimp
- 1 Fire shrimp
- 2 Emerald Crabs
- 3 Red Hermit crabs
- 5 Nassarius Snails
- Numerous Trochus snails
Corals and Anemones
- 2 Blastomusa
- 1 Flavia
- 1 Organ Pipe Coral
- 5 Zoas
- 1 War coral
The trochus snails are breeding and the tank has numerous baby snails, predominantly on the back wall and in the corners, where cleaning is a little more challenging.
Issues:
- Corals are not growing
- Corals are sometimes dying with no apparent reasons
Possible issues:
- Tank and Processes are not stable enough.
- Do I feed enough? Do I feed too much ?
- High nitrates
- High Phosphates
Routine:
- Daily
- quick visual inspection of tank and cabinet
- feed thawed frozen food twice
- dose 5ml All-For-Reef
- Weekly
- Test water parameters (Salinity, Alkalinity, Ph, NO2, NO3, NH3 + NH4, Phosphate)
- When Phosphates or MO3 are just too damn’ high
- Change 20% water
- Every 6 weeks:
- Change Carbon and Phosphate Minus from reactor
Next Steps / ideas:
- Put PhosGuard the filter cup in the back chamber in order to reduce Phosphate
- Add Zeo Mix to reactor in order to reduce ammonia and therefore reduce Nitrate
- I’m not sure the TMC frozen food I currently use is of the best quality. I have a bit of a nutrient film. Maybe I should test the AquaForest food.
- Should I add another fish?!?!? maybe a bicolor blenny.
- Maybe another powerhead on the other side would increase and randomise flow.
Please put comments and questions on fosstodon.