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Suzy 
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 Topic: Nutrition
Posted: June 24 2003 at 8:07am |
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Hi,Guys! If I only add live food (We got a rotifer farm in the basement), would that decrease our nitrate production? I'm thinking that live brine shrimp, rotifers and phytoplanton will just swim around 'till somebody eats it. Eventually, it will come out as poo (not winnie the pooh)! I'm really getting tired of weekly water changes......
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KeoDog
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 9:40am |
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IMO feeding less is the best way to reduce your nitrates. I just feed flake food once a day and do not do water changes. My nitrates have measured zero every time I check.
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Kevin Kunz (Sandy, UT)
300g reef
"A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud." Ayn Rand
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Suzy
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 12:33pm |
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OOPS! I put this in the wrong forum....Don't let Mark know you're not doing water changes!
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jfinch
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 12:39pm |
Suzy, How's your macro algae growing?
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twflint
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 1:27pm |
FWIW, there is a pretty long discussion on Reefcentral regarding water changes. Alot of people that swear by weekly changes, and alot of people with very nice tanks that don't do any. Not sure why no changes works for alot of people.
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KeoDog
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 1:55pm |
Suzy, it's ok if Mark finds out. He's not thrilled that I don't like deep sand beds either. 
twflint, I believe the secret to no water changes is to maintain your calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. Then every once in awhile add some trace elements. I also run a high grade of carbon like chemi-pure 24/7 and use a skimmer. There is no new water, just recycled and purified.
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Kevin Kunz (Sandy, UT)
300g reef
"A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud." Ayn Rand
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Suzy
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 2:52pm |
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Jon, it hasn't died yet! But it doesn't appear to be growing, either.....(And I saw Patrick the star yesterday!) Do you think I'm close to the concept of why some prefer live food? (And I saw Patrick the star yesterday!)
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twflint
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 2:53pm |
I have had my tank up since the end of January and have only done 2 water changes. 5% each time. I am still a newb so don't listen to me, (marcus disclaimer) but I seem to be doing fine with just adding top off and a little limewater and the following supps.
The only thing I have been adding is b-ionic calcium and alk. Oh yeah, and iodine for my ever growing xenia forest. I do tests about every other week, never had my trates go over 10. Calcium is about 400 now, can't remember alk. I run a skimmer, 10 gallon fuge and 15 gallon sump.
Far as I can tell most of my stuff is doing fine. (mainly softies, so that's probably part of it. That and only having 2 false percs, a blue tang, yellow tang and a green chromis for bioload.) Corals are limited to anthelia, goniopora, yellow polyps, xenia, 3 types of GSP, a couple acro frags, some of johns nice montiopora and various zooanthids.
So, take it for whats its worth.
So
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jfinch
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 3:20pm |
Suzy, There must be something missing in your water that the macro's need. Are you still dosing iron? Have you measured iron and phosphates? Anyone else care to offer an opinion as to why she has slow macro growth (but high nitrates). It might be that once you get the macro really gowing, the nitrate issue will go away.
I don't know for sure whether live (or frozen) food is better then flake. My gut feeling is that the live food would be better.
Is Patrick working for you? I told him when I dropped him off that if he didn't bust his butt for you, it'd be back to the old 9 to 5 in my tank!
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rfoote
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 3:28pm |
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I'm not sure what it is that is causing my macro to grow like crazy, but this is what I dose. I dose b-ionic two part everynight, as well as magnesium, strontium, and iodine weekly. I also pour a cup of green water directly into my refugium on a nightly basis.
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Suzy
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Posted: June 24 2003 at 3:46pm |
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Hi,guys! I've been adding iron, but it still tests low.I'm just gonna dump the rest of the bottle in and see if it goes up. Phosphates test at .1 mg/l per the old fast test kit we got (gonna replace it with salifert once the old one sucks dry).The nitrates are going down, slowly..Everybody except Patrick is starving!
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