Youll get there!!

Id just go forward with 10% weekly changes and let the tank process for a while yet.

@ thank you! Love the channel btw

I wouldnt worry too much at 7.4 but any lower yeah. You may see a slight boost in pH by increasing surface aggitation ot adding a temporary air bubbler.

If you skim really wet, yes. Even normal skimming can lower salinity slowly over time.

I really appreciate this. It means alot that you guys are getting the info you need from my videos! Thanks fam!

And how often do you need to add them?

And once you’re done. Do you just pour the whole 1 gallon into the tank?😊

To start the culture Id still only use half the bottle of phyto, itll take longer to grow but itll get there.

NOOOOO. 5-10ml a day

@@reefrookies ok. Thank you sir and btw The Tok brought me over here

FACTS!

MOST of the tanks oxygenation comes from gas exchange at the surface. So long as surface aggitation is sufficient youre good.

Thank you! I appreciate it!

I appologize as I have not used a Salifert Iodine test kit in about 10 years. I do remember it being more technical though. The only info I can find is outdated. You may want to email Salifert for a better explanation. Again, sorry I dont have that info.

@ thank you for replying

@@allensanchez7563 Sorry I dont have that answer for you :(

Great tip!

Happy its helped!

Yay!!

Nah its not too bad.

I designed them myself. If youre interested, and youre in the USA, I sell them. $50 shipped continental. Blue, black, red, or white. I can also mix n match Salifert and Hanna checkers if you use those.

I dont think its contributing. I was more referring things we put back in immediately so we dont kill the bacteria in the medias. If yours are drying out in between and being washed in hot water it wouldnt apply to that situation. What are your numbers at?

@ I used the salifurt nitrate test tonight and it looks like it’s at 10. So I guess no worries.

@@andrewm8950 Great!!

You know it fam. No BS, just info!

If the tank looks good dont worry about it too much.

Goals! Daily WCs are the secret sauce.

Great suggestion! I fully intend to do so. Maybe not in that order, but theyll be here !

Turf scrubbers are extremely effective. I really like them myself. I have one but dont yet need to add it to my system. Great tool to have in the toolbox for sure. Is yours one sided or does it have a light on both sides?

Thank you so much 😀 We will get there!!

240 might be the highest Ive ever heard of! Lol. Glad you got it under control.

@@reefrookies was a combination of things that occurred. My RODI bladder chamber was growing algae so my freshwater was high in nitrates and I also ran out of salt one time when mixing and instead of going and buying more salt I used a small amount of iodine free household cooking salt to bring it up to the correct level, thinking it would be ok for just a few cups worth. I didnt realize that it was high in preservatives, which is nitrates. I was lucky to not loose any coral or fish. My Gonipora garden was looking better than ever! But had no SPS. Only softies and LPS Now I am still battling around 20ppm but thats because of a large Vlamingi tang who is a giant (got the 200gal tank on FB marketplace 2nd hand with fish) and Im in the process of building a new house with much bigger tank and dont want to pass on whats become a family loved pet. Will get a sulpher reactor if problem still persists. Love your content, I really like your presentation and format. Thanks for what you do!

@im160bpmplus wow what a story. I appreciate you fam!

I’m glad you’re finally getting it! We’re on the same page! Too much chemistry 102 makes for unhappy new reefers! Thanks for watching!

Im also gonna switch myself. Ive used the strips with good luck but Ive had the same problem myself.

FACTS!

​@reefrookies hey you probably heard about the TikTok ban is out now so are you moving to KZbin full time ?

@mumu-f1c I will be heavily concentrating on YT, also on my FB group. Im also on IG and we have discord too.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for wachin and subbin from accross the pond! Sounds like a good plan to me. Im ok with 5 nitrates for you with the SPS, they tend to like lower N3 systems. The rest of the plan is good to go, and exactly what I would do as well. You can use sodium bicarbonate to increase alk without messing with other stuff! You can use the calculator below to determine how much is needed. www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator/alkalinity-calculator-reef

Thanks for the reply! I'm using Nyos Nitrate+ to bump the nitrate and Reef Zlements kH Buffer to increase the alk. Nitrate is now at 6.7 and alk is at 8.1. They seem more balanced imo, would you leave it at that for now or take the alk up to 8.5? Cheers.

Hi! Thanks for the thoughtful questions and for supporting the channel. Let me TRY TO break these down for you: Recommended Reading and Resources: You're absolutely right online forums can be a mixed bag when it comes to consistent and reliable information. Thats why I started my own group Reef Rookies with Logan and Im trying to foster a space for this. I personally recommend starting with books and peer-reviewed articles: The Reef Aquarium series by Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeek - an excellent deep dive into the science of reef-keeping. Reef2Reef has some great threads, but always double-check advice there with trusted sources. ReefKeeping.com with Randy Farly Holmes is excellent! In fact, look here first! For scientific articles, search for publications on marine ecosystems, nutrient dynamics, and coral health at Manta Systems on FB, or thier website. Tamara is an extremely knowledgable and educated resource for us! Nutrient Uptake and Alkalinity in a Macroalgae Tank with LPS/Soft Corals: This is a nuanced situation, and you're already asking the right questions: Nutrient Levels in "Low-Nutrient" Tanks: Even if you're dosing nitrates and seeing undetectable nitrate levels, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a "low-nutrient" tank overall. If macroalgae are thriving, they're consuming the available nitrogen before it shows up in your tests, which creates competition for corals that also need some nitrogen and phosphorus to thrive. Imbalance Causing Coral Stress: Corals (especially LPS and soft corals) rely on a delicate balance of nutrients and stability. If your phosphate (0.03 ppm) is detectable but nitrate is undetectable, you may have a nutrient imbalance. Corals tend to prefer a ratio closer to the (100:1 nitrogen to phosphorus), and deviations can cause stress. But I dont think its neccessarily a "low nutrient" tank, just a high nutrient transport tank instead. Macroalgae and Coral Balance: In macroalgae tanks, excessive nutrient uptake by the algae can outcompete corals for available nutrients, leading to the unhappy coral situation you’re observing. Additionally, nuisance algae and cyano are often a sign of nutrient imbalance, with phosphate being available while nitrogen is depleted. What to Do: Consider reducing the macroalgae biomass or slowing its growth to allow more nutrients to be available for the corals. Adjust nitrogen dosing carefully to bring nitrate into a detectable range (around 1-5 ppm) while monitoring phosphate levels to maintain balance. Increase spot feeding coral with appropriate foods like amino acids or coral-specific supplements to ensure they're getting nutrients directly. Benepellets, Coral Cane, Reef Roids, etc. Ensure your alkalinity is stable and in a range appropriate for your corals (7-9 dKH). Which may indirectly affect coral health. Hopefully this helps. Keeping Macros and Corals together is like walking a tight rope on a windy day! But so awesome when its done!

@@reefrookies Thank you so much for the detailed reply, I really appreciate it. I love the macroalgae look and my corals but its definitely been a struggle to get the corals to thrive alongside the macros. I'm looking forward to researching the recommended books and sites, and I'm going to put the recommended steps into action today to get my tank back on the right track. It is a tightrope indeed! Thanks again and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your reefing content.

@@fishandcoffee Cant wait to hear about it. We would love to see it in my group if you use FB. Also have a macro expert in there with us.

Ch2 is also the moonlight channel. Check to see if the moon lights are switched on. Sometimes if the lunar cycle is also turned on they can be quite bright!

Thanks for the suggestion! It's a great idea and will be on my list.

Are your Phosphates really 30-40ppm? Thats wildly high if so, and would be the first thing to look into. Calcium is high but usually doesnt cause problems unless magnesium is also very low. The tank is quite unbalanced. I'd recommend starting with retesting the phosphates with a good kit, and 20% weekly water changes to bring everything back into balance. What salt are you using and what is the salinity?

@@reefrookiessorry phosphate is around 0.30 ppm and I am using pet shop water but I am going to get a ro system soon and my salinity is around 34ppt thanks

@@reefrookies i can't find anything to tell me why the monti is bleaching only thing I think is calcium is to high

High calcium can cause issues for SPS for sure. Your tank is definitely a bit out of whack. Tryin to get it back on track is the way forward. Params are everything.

​@@reefrookiessorry for asking so many questions but how would you recommend lowering the calcium thanks so much for your help and time

Glad you liked it!

There is not sufficient nutriton inside the aquarium to breed phyto.

In both cases that was comparing one statement to the next statement. I appreciate you watching with such intent! Thanks! Hope that clears it up!

Awesome! Gonna be a great tank! Youll love the PopBlooms for sure! Join my FB group and post pics of the progress. Reef Rookies with Logan!

Thats an amazing compliment! Thank you! Especially with so many big hitters in this space!

I appreciate the support and compliment! Thanks for watching!

@ I meant introducing them to you 🤦🏼‍♂️🤣

@@KaveManAquatics I was pickin up what ya were puttin down.

Good plan, keep managing those params! Thanks for watching. Reef Roids are packed full of phosphates. You might consider broadcasting 1/4tspn once a week to see if that helps!

@@reefrookies how bad is it with nitrates?

@@SeanLaughs Id like to see them down around 10ppm really.

@@reefrookies i meant the reef roids bringing the nitrates up. I use to be at 35 nitrates and ant to keep them down lol

Not too bad. Id like to see the phos down around 0.01-0.02 with that nitrate load. Preferably though the nitrates up to about 5 and the phos down to 0.04. Your SPS will thank you :)

If I take my phosphates down that low my torches withdraw. My tank gets really happy and full at .15 phosphates and 5 nitrates. There's a fixation on low parameters I don't understand. I think it's varies by tank, and sometimes by a lot. ​@@reefrookies

@@cbarber5366 Youre right, we do have to pay attention to the tank. My video is more to be used as a guidelien rather than a dead set plan for action

Check www.tropicaltidesaquatics.com. QTd healthy fish!

Thanks! Im glad it was helpful! Thanks for watchin!

I’m stoked you liked it! I hope it can help some new folks.

I like the idea of all for reef, but I would be worried it would balloon my high magnesium already higher! Was thinking of making diy 2 part, but wanting to see if water changes can keep maintaining the alkalinity by itself Have been using LFS RODI but everything I need to make my own water is in the mail. I suspect their water is not 0 tds which could be the root cause

I think you are right on track with what you're doing. In my experience higher mag tends to ward off algae rather than grow it. Keep in mind GHA can also drive fuel from lighting and phosphates bound up in the rocks(untestable phosphates). Your levels look fine to me right now where the tank is at, but if you want more growth you might bump alkalinity to 8.5ish. You may also wanna bolster the clean up crew. Turbo snails, margarit snails, pincushion urchins, and tiger conchs go ham on GHA. If its really really bad a dolabella seahare might help too. Personally I dont use Reef Crystals as I find it incredibly inconsistent bucket to bucket. Are you rolling and mixing the bucket around before using it? If not, do that. Salt can stratify inside the bucket leading to lower parameters at the top, and higher ones at the bottom. That might be why the alk is a tad low. RC usually mixes 12+ dkh Alk, so Im surprised yours is where it is. That said if you wanna raise Alkalinity only with no effect on other parameters, food grade baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will accomplish that. There is a calculator at this link which will help determine how much to use. Keep it below 0.5dkh increase per day. www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator/alkalinity-calculator-reef

Good question! One thing that will help is weekly 10% water changes if you aren't already doing them. Make sure you are doing weekly maintenance on any mechanical filters/socks/etc. Keeping things rinsed out and ensuring nothing that is trapped can break down back into dissolved organics. This begins to happen at about day 4-5 of things being trapped so weekly cleaning removes those detritus and keeps them from going back into the water. Aside from that think about anything that happens to the tank that might be changing things. Dosing supplements etc. Hope that helps!

@@reefrookies yeah im already ding that the 10% water charge. Im running it know for almost 2 years. I clean/newones in the filter wadding but i have also bioballs, do i need to clean them 2 everey week? Not i remove all my good bacteria? And What kind off sup do give ?

Im not going to speak Ill of another content creator, but I know what you're speaking on. I personally wouldn't have done that myself either. There is a reason those of us who've been doing this for decades dont use tap water! Thanks for watching.