A Slight Juggling Act

So I have a couple things going on salt-water-wise:

Due to the availability of nutrients in the tank for algae (nitrates and phosphates) I've begun removing substrate from the tank.  During my last water change of about 25 gallons, about 4 gallons of substrate was removed.

I decided to remove the substrate for a couple of reasons.  Substrate is (at least partially) the cause for my phosphate levels (feeding is another).  I do not wish to change my feeding habits, so in order to make the single most possible impact with just a single action, substrate removal is my plan.  It's the biggest bang for my buck toward getting nutrients under better control.

Removing substrate will also help with nitrates in an indirect way.  There will be little if any hidden detritus to decay (contributing to both nitrates and phosphates).  This will assist with husbandry, and subsequently will assist in keeping those nutrients in better check.

It's also almost time to begin acquiring breeding equipment.  That will probably take at least a couple of weeks to acquire.  Maybe my goal of grabbing a July clutch is slightly unrealistic...  but definitely an August clutch is possible.

Water Quality, 5 Days Later

Just did a water test.  It's nice that 5 days after a water change, I'm still showing 0 nitrates & phosphates.  It makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

However, I don't think I'm doing everything right.  That chaeto has probably grown enough in the last couple of weeks to be able to absorb the nitrates and phosphates as they become available.  I cleaned off the glass last night (I was shocked to see how dirty the glass was Sunday evening when we got home).

So the chaeto definitely isn't fighting off the diatoms or cyano, but that's only because the chaeto is in the main tank.  One of the days (weeks, months, years) when I can install a sump, I'll be able to keep the chaeto in the sump, and hopefully all the nutrients the algaes (whether desired or nuisance) consider beneficial.  So once in the sump, I'm hoping to maintain an algae-friendly environment in there instead of in the display tank.

It's been a while since posting pictures.  I should probably go weekly on that anyway.  I'll have some pics up in the next day or two.

So It Would Seem & Thoughts About Past Failures

The "standstill" of diatoms and cyanobacteria has ended, which is a shame.  One step forward, one step back.

However I may know the cause.  During the last water change, I neglected to rinse out the power filter.  I'm sure it's pumping out a huge amount of nitrates - so much that the chaeto is leaving left-overs for the diatoms and cyano.

Just to verify, I'll monitor the tank following the next water change/power filter cleaning.  As it stands now, that won't be too long.  I project my next water change to be necessary by Wednesday, and that's without a test strip even hitting the water.

I'm wondering if I might be able to make a DIY "chaeto box" out of my filter.  I'll have to ponder that deeper before implementing.  Initially I'm thinking of removing either the filter or the media cartridge and replacing it with chaeto.  The area housing the chaeto will need to be lit, but I'm wondering if that will also cause nuisance bacteria to also grow inside the power filter canister.  This would provide a lot of flow over the chaeto and perhaps even give the chaeto a chance to suck up nitrates before re-entering the tank.

So many things needed in order to remove the power filter for good:

• Flow will be reduced - countered by additional power heads
• Large particle filtration will be eliminated - countered by a detritus collection area which will require a return pump, collection container, and an overflow box.
• Surface film will return - countered by an overflow box, but this layer would not necessarily naturally collect in a collection container since it floats.  Could also be countered completely by a surface skimmer - more research needed.  
• Surface film also inhibits gas exchange - countered by power heads aimed to break surface tension.

So my shopping list to remove the power filter once and for all is:  power heads, return pump, collection container, overflow box (plus required tubing and fittings), a potential surface skimmer, and more power heads.  That looks like an expensive list...

Off to greet tomorrow.

Observations - Apr 14, 2011

Found a dead Dwarf Red Legged Hermit Crab today.

Cyanobacteria still seems to be at a standstill.  I may very well rid myself of it next water change (scheduled for tomorrow).  I have a feeling, however, the diatoms will be a longer battle.

The chaeto ball seems to be compressing itself more.  It hasn't changed size (smaller or larger) in the last couple of days, but it is now more dense.  I have a feeling that as the chaeto strands extend, they weave themselves tighter and tighter, especially when in form of a clump or ball.  So in order to maximize nutrient export, I will need to maximize chaeto exposure.  For that I suspect I will need to kneed the chaeto into a larger shape so that a majority of portions of it still receive at least light.  If parts of the chaeto die in the tank, the whole point of having chaeto will have been defeated.  When it dies, it just releases the nutrients back into the system.

I can foresee that when I kneed the chaeto, I will lose some strands to flow.  Loose strands do not necessarily pose a danger of dieing and subsequently releasing nutrients - it is simply an aesthetic problem.  It may be best if the chaeto is several small clumps instead of one large clump.  Smaller clumps would need little if any attention, at least until they become dense due to growth.

Definitely something to think about for tomorrow.

Here's todays tank pics:

The "unknown coral" seems to be doing quite well...  At least I hope it's coral.

Observations - Apr 13, 2011

Since adding the chaetomorphis macroalgae 5 days ago, I have noticed a significant reduction in growth of brown (diatom) and red (cyano) algae.

Generally by now my substrate would be mostly brown and I would have a few rocks with thick cyanobacteria and would be in need of a brushing and a vacuum.  After 5 days, I only have the residual cyanobacteria that I failed to net during it's last brushing on a rock or two.  I also have a small amount on the substrate where I also failed to catch it.  The glass and substrate are accruing diatom (brown) algae, but at a much slower rate than in the past.

When placing the chaetomorphis in the tank some loose strands got away.  Some of those strands are in dead spots in the tank, and others have found themselves stuck in the power filter intake.  It's actually easier to see the individual chaeto strands growing than the chaeto clump.  The chaeto clump actually compressed during the first few days.

I have no complaints whatsoever about adding the chaeto.  I have to wait for the chaeto to grow larger before it starts to actually starts making headway on nitrates.  In it's current size, it seems to be able to absorb all phosphates - I've tested zero on phosphates since the last water change when I added the chaeto 5 days ago.  Once the power filter builds it's bacteria up again (it was removed for 4 days), I'm hoping the chaeto will be large enough to handle the nitrate output it will give so that my new "normal" will be zero.

Since rescuing the new inhabitants, my tank seems to have started another cycle.  If it were simply fish and soft coral, I would probably let the cycle go on about it's business.  However, the anemone is very dear to us.  Judging by it's size, it is a grand old anemone.  And from research they aren't easy to keep.  So perhaps I'm being extra-diligent.  I'm trying to minimize the effects of a cycle while still allowing the cycle to complete.  I can't afford nutrient spikes, but I do realize some of that needs to be in the water so that the particular bacterias can find their equilibrium, which only prolongs the cycle.  But that's OK.

Since arranging the rock, the starfish has relocated to the left corner.  Yesterday during the rock rearrangement he was under the anemone bowl.  The starfish is easier to see now since it's in a corner where the rock isn't against the back glass.  That will make showing it off a lot easier.

Here's some pictures from today:

The tank in it's entirety.

The right corner - here you can see the little bit of cyano that I was not able to catch on the substrate.  The bottom right rock is generally overflowing with cyano after just a few days.  But with the chaeto, it only has what I was not able to brush off last time.

Another "morning stretch" from the anemone.

The bit of cyanobacteria on the tall rock on the right has been there since my last brushing.  I was not able to reach those areas on the rock before rearranging the other rocks.  Next time I'm in there with the brush, I'll be able to reach it nicely now.  This is also the corner the starfish has claimed.  The chaeto can also be seen here on the left.

Slow Day in the Tank

Slow days in the tank get me thinking:

• Since removing the power filter, I've developed a thin skin of compounds on the surface of the water.  These compounds need to be skimmed, but, due to my lack of current equipment, they cannot be.  I can point my single power head enough toward the surface to disturb the water, but a majority of those compounds are just too big to be skimmed by my equipment.  Also, when the power head is adjusted, the anemone seems to need to readjust.  I like him where he is.
• With these compounds collecting at the surface (due to their bond with a hydrogen atom, they float) the gas exchange between the water and the surface is negatively affected.  At least the power filter would disturb the water tension to allow for better gas exchange.  It also has the effect of tumbling this film which allows the skimmer to grab what it can in addition to the filter capturing the larger particles.
• Also without the added flow the power filter provides, I have more dead spots in the tank for detritus to settle.  That means more frequent vacuums, which equates to more maintenance and more salt mix.

I think my list of "pro's" to keep the power filter in the tank was not thought out enough.  And since adding the chaeto, I've at least taken a step to stem the tide of the power filter's big negative effect.

So guess what - the power filter has been reinstalled.

I hate the fact that I simply cannot keep my hands out of the tank for more than a week.  However, I want the best for the tanks inhabitants.  I am not afraid to experiment to improve the conditions of the tank.  I am also not afraid to undo any changes I make if those experiments net a negative effect.

The chaeto will simply be my low-budget nutrient removal device until I can afford an under-the-tank solution.  And the chaeto will benefit from the installation of the power filter as well.  Due to the chaeto's location in the tank, the power filter will provide plenty of flow to it.

I also took some pictures today.  

The mushrooms are doing surprisingly well. They aren't spreading yet, but they are getting larger.

The anthelia is doing well.  It seems to be getting nice and thick.  It, too, has not yet started to spread.

I can almost see the anemone growing day by day.  It now easily "over-flows" the bowl it resides in.

The star polyps are NOT doing so well.  The aiptasia at the bottom left has stung enough to create a purple barren spot.  And the dark brown coral right of center seems to be doing a similar thing to it's neighbors.  I am hoping to get the aiptasia removed next week since the peppermint shrimp aren't interested in it.

All Eyes are on Nitrates

It's been three water changes since removing the power filter and nitrates have not budged from 10ppm.

More seriously, phosphates seem to be accruing into the water column at an average of .06ppm per day.

Even though I'm performing water changes to get the nitrates as close to zero as possible, phosphates are actually REQUIRING the change to be made.

Yesterday I did pick up some Chaetomorpha macroalgae (chaeto).  I don't have a "hobby refugium" or a "water treatment tank", so I just plopped the fist-sized chaeto in as much flow as i could while having it be stationary and not interfere with anything else.

To be quite honest, I was hoping for less than 10ppm nitrate this morning when I tested the water.  But I can live with 10ppm nitrates.  Maybe the chaeto will keep the phosphates down long enough that a water change will be necessary due to a buildup of ammonia.  And as it grows, it will be able to remove more nitrates and phosphates in a given time period than prior.

So I guess the race is on between ammonia and phosphates to see who crosses the water-change finish line.

What Do I Do with My Spare Time?

Generally I'm performing tank maintenance.  Or creating things that allow me to track the history of water conditions so that I can at least anticipate a water change.

I just did a water change 4 days ago.  Ammonia and phosphates had risen to the level of what I've termed "half stress".

Performed another water change today.  Ammonia had again risen to "half stress", and if I was reading the phosphate test correctly, it had neared "stress" level (I should probably get into the habit of reading the phosphate test in the same lighting from day to day, today I read it at the tank, not the sink where I generally go).

I've created a graph that is automatically generated from a spreadsheet I record water conditions in.

• Ammonia stress is .25 ppm.  When ammonia reaches that level, it is a "100" on the above graph.
• Nitrite stress is .5ppm.  That is equal to "100" on this graph.
• Nitrate stress is at 40ppm.  That is also "100" on this graph.
• And phosphate stress is at .25ppm, which equates to "100" on this graph.

Anemones and some coral are nitrate sensitive.  And being that I have an anemone, I should probably reduce the scale on nitrates so that 20ppm is "100" on the graph.

Simple enough:  When a line or two reaches or approaches the 100 mark, time to change the water.  I just can't believe I'm changing water every 4 to 5 days on average.  And for each change I'm using at least 10 gallons.  Never read that anywhere.

Some folks brag about how far between water changes they go.  I guess I'm bragging about how often mine are...

One Aiptasia Down and Analyzing the Future

As before, I have 3 visible aiptasia.  Two on the left side of the Star Polyp Coral and one on the back of the anemone's bowl.  I witnessed the Peppermint Shrimp on the back of the bowl last night and noticed the aiptasia wasn't visible.  But I wasn't sure if I just couldn't see it due to the Moonlight LEDs.

I checked again this morning once the actinics kicked in, and I'm pretty sure it's gone.  I'll double check later on in the week, but I think the shrimp just started paying rent.

Parts of the anemone didn't look so hot when I got home.  It's left quarter appeared deflated, though the remainder of it looked very nice and healthy.  I went ahead and hand-fed it.  It didn't close up on me though.  And then a bit later the mama Clown fish began to eat what I had put near it's mouth.

Maybe I should quit stressing about the anemone and just let the clowns take care of it.  The previous owners said they never lifted a finger for it.  I think I'm game to try that for a week or two.  I'll watch to see if the Clowns feed the anemone.  If the path of least resistance gets me to my goal quicker, why not?

I was thinking last night what I'm going to do if that thing ever splits...  it HUGE.  It's gotta be 10-12" in diameter.  Hopefully I'll be one of the lucky one's in which the 2nd anemone resides close to the original - meaning it split for good reasons, not for bad.

Since I now have a phosphate test kit, I tested my tap water.  No phosphates. There are probably other things in the water that don't need to be, but at least I feel assured I'm not adding to the phosphate levels in the tank by using tap water.  That only leaves food as the source of new phosphates, and I've never been accused of starving fish, so I could get that under more control easily.

I find it strange, though, that after the last water change I had 0 phosphates.  The next day I'm at about .125 ppm, and so far it's just plateaued from there.  I'm beginning to think my rock is the primary source of phosphates in the water since it reappeared then leveled off.  If it were food, it would steadily increase every day.  We'll see what it's at before the next water change, which is in 5 days.

My hypothesis is that if the level of phosphates is still .125, my feedings are having a negligible impact on phosphates, meaning the levels are coming from the rock and substrate.  Or at least the diatom and cyanobateria are keeping up with food phosphates.

I'm a ways off from doing anything big with the tank, if ever.  I'm asking myself "what's my biggest problem in the tank?".  Hard to say right now, since I don't perceive the tank as having a major AND permanent problem.  Sure the diatoms and cyanobacteria are annoying, but they will pass.  It's like the tank has started another cycle since I added that last 15 lbs of rock.  Then more inhabitants came before that cycle ended and I'm back to square one.  So time should heal the brown and red colors.  Easy - time is free.

The next biggest issues I see are tied.  Nitrate levels, Ammonia levels, and phosphate levels.

Ammonia levels will eventually work themselves out.  Given enough time, the proper bacteria will grow to meet the demand of ammonia levels.  Once again, time is my friend.

Nitrate and phosphate levels will probably always be around either from food or from rock.  I know some believe macroalgae to be a bandaid (myself included), but exporting nutrients via micro or macroalgae is a legitimate practice (just one of many sources).  The key is to actually export it via harvesting, not to let the macroalgae grow to the size of a basketball... and I think that's where I become seemingly hypocritical.  I agree with it's use as long as it's harvested (removed), but not with it's presence for the sake of presence.

So perhaps the next thing I'll do is devise a rod on a suction cup to pin the chaeto to the side of the tank.  If it's mounted in the right spot close to a powerhead, it will spin.  Who knows...

And with the phosphates and nitrates being taken in by macroalgae, perhaps my browns and reds will dissipate sooner.

(I'm still back and forth about adding pods to the chaeto)

Observations - The Tank After a Week

It's is a week ago tomorrow that the new inhabitants were "rescued" to my tank (and this week's tribulations explain why "rescue" is in quotes).

I don't have anything much planned today for the tank except to monitor the anemone.  I may do another ZooPlex feeding for the Clowns and drop in some pellets to see if the Cardinals are interested in food today (they haven't eaten much to speak of).

I've since learned that it is indeed possible to nurture a bleached anemone back from the brink.  It takes at least a month of constant care and attention (including ACTUALLY doing the right thing, intent will get you nowhere), which I think I have in me.  The anemone, being in the house not even a week yet, has already attained an esteemed place in the household - everyone is concerned and it's the first thing we check every time we approach the tank.

I've cut back the daylights to 4 hours.  We'll see how that goes.  Actinics will still be running for about 12, though.  I'm going to pick up some Mysis shrimp so that I may begin to feed the anemone something beneficial - the grocery bag of sea parts has a chemical used in detergents, plus it includes phosphates which short term will promote algae growth, long term will gain notoriety with nitrates and require water changes.

Here are photos of everyone today.  They are taken with actinics only using the flash from my phone.

The anemone is looking nice and full if only slightly bleached - it's at least progressing.

With the current low lighting conditions, I don't expect much growth out of the
mushrooms.  I do hope, however, they can at least maintain themselves.

Star polyps seem to be doing fine in mostly-actinic lighting.

Also, looking at my water tests, I see ammonia and nitrites trending down.  Nitrites were actually at zero today, and ammonia is half what it was yesterday.  And nitrates have been steady for three days, too.  All good news.  Perhaps within the next few days both ammonia and nitrites we stay at zero.  Then I can stick to watching nitrates solely.

While I'm at the LFS for the Mysis, I may pick up a phosphate test kit.  Just one more thing to over-analyze, I suppose.  But it's good information to know.

Step Two of the Journey Almost at an End

Busy day and I'm beat.

About 8:30, I got started:

I was able to find all 10 crabs and remove them safely from the tank.  I housed them in a small bucket along with a small piece of live rock for them the play with while they waited.

Next came the live rock.  I removed all the pieces and placed them in a tub with some tank water.  Forgot all about shaking them off in waste water... ended up shaking them up in the tank before removing them.  Just that much more to vacuum.  I'll chalk that one up to lesson learned.

With only the 6 Damsels and substrate remaining, I began to vacuum.  The first 3 or 4 buckets were just the surface detritus - mostly from shaking the rock in the tank instead of waste water.  The next 10 or 15 (I'm estimating, wasn't keeping track) buckets were from deep vacuuming.

When the waste bucket got full, I applied the strainer to the top of the bucket and gently dumped all but a gallon or so back in.  Sometimes I'd let the bucket settle a bit, other times not.  The strainer seemed to work great at keeping the visible detritus in the bucket.  Not back for $4.

Then in came time to wrangle up the Damsels.  I only netted 5 of the 6.  Somehow, one of the Domino Damsels physically disappeared.  So I bagged up 5 Damsels instead of 6.  I figured the Damsel may be in with the rock.  But I did clean them off pretty good before removing them from the tank...

The live rock was then placed back in the tank.  I hate how it looks now.  I'm going to have to mess with it a bit...  Maybe study some photos and videos to see what went where.  No Domino Damsel.  The other Domino Damsel perished while bagged.

Then off to the LFS at 11:00.  Grabbed 10 gallons of RO/DI saltwater, a 750gph powerhead and a 6 in 1 test kit, and was credited some money for the return of the Damsels.  They must have thought I was bullshitting them when I mentioned how I lost more Damsels today than in the two months of having the tank, especially when I pointed out that one was physically missing.

I pulled out another couple gallons of water just to make sure I had room for the 10 I bought.  If a person finds out there's not enough room in the tank for the water, it's already too late to do anything about it.  Ended up pulling out too much water overall.  I could probably use at least another 5 to fill it completely.

Installed the powerhead, aiming down and along the back stretch of the tank behind the rock.  For now, it's something to help the rock purge itself of nutrients and to keep detritus suspended longer, allowing the filters a better chance to grab it.

The water is still a bit cloudy from all the substrate and rock work.  Detritus floats around roughly counterclockwise and stays suspended in the water.  Gone are the days where the tank would clear up (usually by settling) in an hour or so.  I'm curious if I'm still going to have daily skimmer dumps...

I'll let the tank clear up for a day or two, then we'll see about Clownfish.

Still no Domino.

Observation of Adding Live Rock to a Newly Established FOWLR

A week ago, as previously mentioned, I brought home 15 pounds of live rock and 10 Dwarf Hermit Crabs.  For the past three or four days, the protein skimmer has been collecting a lot more than I'm accustomed to seeing it collect.

Up until now, I emptied the skim trap about once a week, or three times every two weeks.  There would be about half an inch to three quarters of an inch of skim.

Now I'm seeing that much collected within an 18 hour period.  I've been dumping it daily for the past few days.  In the past, I've never seen the bubbles filling the trap.  They've always just remained at the top.  Now I have bubbles filling the trap except, of course, where the skim takes over.

So I wonder what's happening here?  Could 10 less-than-one-inch crabs be increasing the detritus in the water column by an estimated factor of 10?  Six Damsels occupy the tank.  I don't quite think the crabs equate to 54 more Damsels (which would produce nutrients by that same factor of 10).

Already having 35 pounds of live rock, I, in essence, added an additional 43% of live rock.  Does that translate into adding an additional 43% of nitrifying bacteria to the tank?  Maybe not, but it's not a horrible estimate.  With ammonia and nitrite readings effectively at zero for the past 4 to 5 weeks, I've potentially added 43% more bacteria without increasing their food source (ammonia and nitrites).  Is this potential ammonia- and nitrite-starvation causing the nitrifying bacteria to reduce in population to a more sustainable number?  Seems sound to me, but I'm no rocket surgeon.

I think the solution lies with both the large percentage of live rock added AND the crabs, with just a sprinkle of "lack of flow":

Sure, I added some animals to the tank along with the new live rock, but not enough to increase the amount of ammonia in the tank by my estimated 43%, which would be enough to feed the addition of 43% more nitifying bacteria.  So some of these bacteria must be starving and dying off.

Without a powerhead (as of yet), the most flow that my live rocks and substrate gets is a very light flow from the power filter, which only effects the half of the tank the power filter is in.  So there is a bit of "marine snow" sitting on my rock and substrate.

Watching the crabs, they tend to sift through this "snow" while grazing upon the substrate and rock.  The first day they were introduced into the tank I noticed them tossing up a decent amount of white particulates.  These particulates are particles that are decomposing and contributing to nutrient production.

My logic (whether false or not) is leading me to believe that the crabs are causing the increase in skimmage, not due to their bio-load in the tank, but by their behavior of tossing "snow".  Remember, I have yet to introduce any flow to speak of to the tank so the live rock is not able to "clean" itself.  To compound the issue, I've added an approximate 43% of nitrifying bacteria without an equivalent increase in their food supply.  I believe the dead bacteria now contributes to part of my detritus.

This leads me to believe that I can expect another increase in skim production once flow is introduced into the tank.  Flow will, in essence, be performing the same function as the crabs seem to... dusting off substrate and rock.  If my logic is sound, skim production will increase, but also will not last as long as the crab-induced skim production will.

Prior to the introduction of the crabs, I was more than likely "under-skimming" - more "dead organic compounds" were being introduced into the system than were going through the skimmer.

Now that the crabs are sifting through protein particles while grazing, I have a little catch-up to do.  More (hopefully, anyway) DOCs are making to the skimmer than are being created.

With the addition of flow in the next couple weeks, I feel confident that more nutrients will be skimmed than generated, allowing me to get caught up and then begin to find a new "normal" with the skim trap.

So now that I'm at the end of my thought process, the title of this entry seems misleading.

Comments?  Alternate theories?