my 20 gallon set-up

evanlundberg4

Keep up the good work it looks good so far. I've found at least with my tank that three algae comes and goes. I've had a couple short blooms of different sorts of algae that last a couple weeks and then are gone as fast as they came. The coralline algae is definitely cool however it became rampant in my tank and I ended up giving up on one whole long side because I got sick of scraping it. I have my tank set up as a peninsula buy its only viewable from one side now haha. What kind of lighting are you running? I have a hammer coral I got a week ago in my 20 long I set up a couple months ago. Seems to be doing well so far. I know they can be touchy and need calcium for building their skeletons. They aren't super light demanding corals I don't think so maybe you could try it up on top and see if that helps. I have mine under LEDs and I actually am thinking of moving it down a bit because they're crazy bright. Reefingmadness could probably tell you more what they need but you could also search the coral reference they have here.
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Reefing Madness

At night when the lights are out, do you see sweeper tentacles coming out, looking for food prehaps? And What are your CA, ALK, and MAG #s? Im thinking he's hungry.

RSully

I'll do a calcium check tonight.

Quick check with API test strips ( I know they suck but it's all I have for alk) shows alk above 180 but below 300. What's a good test kit for alk and mag?

I'm dosing iodine with my my top offs every few days (I put 1 drop in my topoff gallon jug and that takes about a week to empty)

I dose brightwell aquatics replenish (advanced trace and minor element supplement)

Water changes have been every 2 weeks or less. I can up it to every week but my amm, trites, trates and phos numbers haven't indicated having to do it. ( don't scream if my thinking is wrong, lol)

RSully

I'll have to check that tonight after lights out. I haven't noticed it before but it seems to me, it shrivels up like my mushroom does.

Reefing Madness

You can target feed em the likes of Mysis Shrimp, just a couple of pieces should do it.

RSully

I was using and still have reef plankton. I stopped feeding after the last bad hair algea bloom as that was the only change I had made prior to the "bloom". I'll try target feeding them tonight or tomorrow. Do you shut down your filtration when you target feed? I've heard that helps with it blowing all over you tank.

Reefing Madness

Yea, it help keep it from blowing all over the place. Ya wanna try and get it to stick in the tentacles, then you'll know you've gotten it.

RSully

I need to find a mini turkey baster. The regular size ones just put out too much food.

Ogre44

Try an eye dropper, you should be able to pick them up at the drugstore.

RSully

ok, here's my latest test results.
am-0
trites-0
trates-0
ph 8.0 (lights not on yet)
cal-somewhere between 380-420 ( I hate the api test kit)
alk- between 180-300 (strip test)
mag-unknown but when I had my water tested a month ago, he didin't mention any problems. He does a 22 (i think) point check on your water.

I know my calcium may be a tad low but I don't think it needs any other sups than what I'm using (yet).

Last water change was about a week ago.