FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 For those that have upgraded lights or switched technologies, if you ever wanted a reference as to what a bleached coral looks like, here is a good photo for it. You can see the clear white flesh of the coral. It is an ORA Hawkins echinata. What it should look like is the beautiful blue thing to the right of it. Will it survive? yes indeed. How do I know? I've done this a time or two before. I am mainly posting this as I have heard concerns of people switching to LEDS and worrying about bleaching their coral so I wanted everyone to have a picture of what actual bleaching looks like so you can compare and diagnose. Happy reefing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 i can't believe that you bleached your coral just to show us a research example. you are generous man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Next up, STN, RTN, vodka overdosing, too high salinity, too high nitrates... I'm sure this will be a running log. Sent via Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Phosphate dosing ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 I'm only naming ways in which I was destroying my tank. Surprisingly, adding phosphates actually helped it out at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Humorously enough, i may need to up my phosphates as well. 0 is no good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 did you figure out what was wrong ty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 You know you want it! Sent via Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I prefer Micro Algae Grow for my phosphate additive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 im gonna give heavy feeding and shutting off GFO for a few days a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 I prefer Micro Algae Grow for my phosphate additive You ever dose nitrates? If so, what do you use? I heard potassium nitrate is a good option and can be found at Home Depot as a stump remover. I might start trying that soon to see how it effects the phosphates in the system in regards to biopellets. Heard some good success stories with it and it might be nice to use that and eliminate GFO use if the biopellets can do it on their own. Sent via Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 I can feel my acros cringing right now. Sent via Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Naaa never tried nitrate dosing But if I do get nitrates in my tank they don't last long due to all my clams But I do dose 2 quarts of phyto a day so that might help keep it at about 1-2 ppm of nitrates depending on how long it has been since I have fed my phyto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 is phosphates at .02 too low? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 if anyone needs phosphates come get a cup of my water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I just picked up a new jar of GFO from Dave...if mine are too low that will suck! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 In case anyone wasn't clear on the difference, here's what STN looks like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Ive become more weary of phosphate numbers (readings) since i switched from the hanna phosphate to the hanna phosphorus. I think you have to be really careful about bottle cleaning and sampling procedures to get good data. I think i was getting false highs for a long time and have had lower phosphate than i would like to be keeping. For instance, I have ZERO ppp of phosphorus, and thats after heavy feedings. If i use an old cuvette that didnt have an acid wash, i get like 6 ppb. Lab procedures matter apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 did you figure out what was wrong ty In regards to what bud? My massive kill off of SPS via death by high salinity or the resultant high nitrates when I was trying to figure what was wrong and pulled my biopellets? Everything is peachy keen right now... the ORA Hawkins Echinata is just bleached because I turned it over. I'm trying to balance out its tan... nobody wants a Farmer Ty tan. Sent via Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Ive become more weary of phosphate numbers (readings) since i switched from the hanna phosphate to the hanna phosphorus. I think you have to be really careful about bottle cleaning and sampling procedures to get good data. I think i was getting false highs for a long time and have had lower phosphate than i would like to be keeping. For instance, I have ZERO ppp of phosphorus, and thats after heavy feedings. If i use an old cuvette that didnt have an acid wash, i get like 6 ppb. Lab procedures matter apparently. My God I'm so glad to see someone else say that. I harp so much on lab procedures with local newbies when testing and everyone rolls their eyes. I get so frustrated. The amount of error you'll get by simply not cleaning and preparing vials and syringes properly is multiple times out of our tests standard error range. You can get 100+ ppm off on calcium and magnesium and 1-2 dKH off on alk if you're not careful. People. With your test vials...rinse and scrub them with each use and them rinse with RODI water, and if they have lids...STORE them full of RODI water, as RODI water is highly reactive and will prevent any residual reagents from sticking to the glass, and DRY or rinse in tank water before using. Rinse all syringes with RODI water thoroughally and be sure to evacuate any fluid from the Red Sea pro and salifert syringe tips before use. Forget that and you'll be diluting your titrant by 10-20%. Lab procedures matter!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Ive become more weary of phosphate numbers (readings) since i switched from the hanna phosphate to the hanna phosphorus. I think you have to be really careful about bottle cleaning and sampling procedures to get good data. I think i was getting false highs for a long time and have had lower phosphate than i would like to be keeping. For instance, I have ZERO ppp of phosphorus, and thats after heavy feedings. If i use an old cuvette that didnt have an acid wash, i get like 6 ppb. Lab procedures matter apparently. My God I'm so glad to see someone else say that. I harp so much on lab procedures with local newbies when testing and everyone rolls their eyes. I get so frustrated. The amount of error you'll get by simply not cleaning and preparing vials and syringes properly is multiple times out of our tests standard error range. You can get 100+ ppm off on calcium and magnesium and 1-2 dKH off on alk if you're not careful. People. With your test vials...rinse and scrub them with each use and them rinse with RODI water, and if they have lids...STORE them full of RODI water, as RODI water is highly reactive and will prevent any residual reagents from sticking to the glass, and DRY or rinse in tank water before using. Rinse all syringes with RODI water thoroughally and be sure to evacuate any fluid from the Red Sea pro and salifert syringe tips before use. Forget that and you'll be diluting your titrant by 10-20%. Lab procedures matter!!! How can the few drops of drying water in the syringe and vial possibly change the calcium results by 100 ppm when you are measuring in a 5 mil sample? Even if you had 1 mil of water dry in the vial and syrenge it'd have to be at 1600 ppm or something to change the results that much. 0.006 ppb I believe because of the miniscule reading it wouldn't take much contamination to get from zero to very very close to zero. But to change from 400 ppm to 500 ppm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I believe the syringe he's talking about it a reagent syringe not a sample syringe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I believe the syringe he's talking about it a reagent syringe not a sample syringe. Either way it's the same principle, right? A few drops maybe drying and leaving some deposits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I see we have a non-believer in proper lab practices. Same stuff we learns in high school and college chemistry man. Wash your test supplies and rinse with RODI and let dry. Not my personal philosophy. It's science. Standard practice. Applies everywhere. If you have a salifert or Red Sea pro test kit (only two I've got experience with, go ahead and rinse your syringe tips with tap water, leave the water in them. Perform a calcium test. Record you result. Now clean all your supplies well with RODI water and make sure your syringe tips are dry. Perform another test. Record your result. 100ppm off? Eh maybe maybe not. I can guarantee you though it won't be identical, and if you're trying to grow acropora at a fast rate with great colors, you're gonna want to be as accurate as possible. Just makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I'll elaborate further. Test your water once a week for a month. Don't rinse your supplies. Just dump everything out in the sink and put them away. Record your results. Then on the 5th week test again after giving everything a thorough cleaning and drying and compare. I don't mean to come off as abrasive. I've just personally witnessed how much not cleaning your testing equipment can throw off a regular testing and dosing regiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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