I forgot to say that I dose two drops of lugol's iodine, eBay generic brand, in each of my 120 gallon and 140 gallons daily. But just so we're clear, this is not a magic bullet. Also, I am constantly adjusting the dosage with my quarterly ICP test. Use caution when dosing any products to your aquarium. Edit (8/1/21): I went back to dosing Brightwell Ferrion at about 2 mL per day in each tank. Check out my dosing video for more details.
Thank you so much for the plethora of information! This is like one stop shopping, gotta go back again to make sure I didn't miss or forget stuff! More vids - keep it going strong. My 150g tank would be weak w/o all this, well it might be weak anyway but at least I'll know why - lol I C my mentor Mikeymikemike commenting below :-)
hi Abe - off subject im a new enthusiast in oceanside and was wondering if you have a preffered local shop, and/or an online place for your fiss and flowers. thanks Jesse B.
Hey man. Very impressed with your simple philosophies towards Reefing. I decided to keep it simple after watching your videos and I’ve finally found success (knock on wood). Much appreciated
There are two types of photoinhibition, chronic and dynamic. Dynamic photoinhibition happens all the time throughout the day as the coral 'slows down' its photosynthetic processes because it's reaching saturation of light for a given moment and needs to reduce damaging byproducts but recovers quickly. Chronic photoinhibition is what we typically refer to as bleaching and can take a coral weeks or months to recover from.
Dude! I just stumbled across your channel for the first time! I've been binge watching the past eight hours! Thank you so much for all the information! Very well put together. I can't believe I haven't seen you before considering all the hours of reef keeping videos I've logged on RU-vid...
Your best advice is always to go back to simplicity! Very hard to try to help this new generation! There are way too many other sources trying to spread rumors around so many subjects. Thanks for sharing, Abe! All the best!
I've found my new favorite channel!!! Thanks bro, love your work and escape enjoy the way you explain so much info! I wish I had this 10-15 years ago haha this is an amazing channel for new people and experienced people both, Keep it up the great work!!!
This video was awesome! I have learned so much from your videos over the past year. Thank you for taking the time to share your incredible knowledge and experience. As soon as it cools down in palm springs I'll be hitting up your website again!
I have been learning about the reef hobby accidentally after reading up on DI water systems for my freshwater shrimp tanks and for keeping sensitive terrestrial plants (my current hobby). I was almost thinking I should set up a small saltwater aquarium once I move in a month. Your videos have convinced me to not do this. Thank you! Its not that I think reefing is bad, and maybe I will try one day. However, your video explaining the fundamentals of Acropora was fantastic but also convinced me not to do it. I love my current hobbies (I have a really cool collection of terrestrial plants) and I am good at it. What you said in that video about patience and routine made me remember the joys of my current hobby. I think since I know I'm moving soon I have not been putting much effort into the routine and have been focused on making plans... Patience, routine and keeping things simple really are the keys to success when working with organisms. I realize there would be a big opportunity cost to having one of these things and I could probably use the electricity budget and monetary budget elsewhere and have a lot more going on, all without adding much additional workload. So while I'm a no for reefing (at least right now), I appreciate the philosophical advice! Amazing videos and knowledge!
Thanks for answering my triggering question Abe lol. I believe you hit the nail on the head, we stress out about hearing ULN and how we should avoid it but I've been running my tank with your philosophy and have success with keeping Acros for the past few months. In the end, consistency and stability are key takeaways. Appreciate it buddy! 👊
I just found the channel and I love it! I like the way you bring the information so clear and full of valuable information. I dream of having some acro’s after being in the hobby for 10 years. I think it just became a possibillity for me. 🎉
Loving the videos and tips. My tank is 2 months old and finally ordered some frags from another RU-vidr. Going to have to check out your store when it’s time for more some more challenging pieces.
Hi Abe.. in your video.. you said that you don't use any brand of bacterial products.. how do you make sure that you always have enough bacteria..remember you are using a skimmer..which will suck up any existing bacteria from time to time.. thank you
Thanks for answering my question. :) I would be a bit skeptical about running 87,5% blue T5 like that. But well the proof is in the pudding :D Also, dinoflagellates are NOT a direct cause by low nutrients. They cannot live on nothing. They can proliferate without competition. You can get more competition by running a dirty tank which grows lots of planktonic masses or use ocean grade liverock to boost biodiversity. This is why there is this MASSIVE anecdotal dogma about elevated nutrients = no dinos and Low nutrients = dinos. Great video! Happy summer. :)
They thrive in low nutrient environments because they're able to grow and reproduce in that but the competition isn't. Low nutrients isn't the direct cause but it allows them to get a foothold.
@@andycx2 No. The competition is just battling it's own competition (herbivores, bacteria, corals, the reefer, the skimmer etc) We keep the anti dino's away. High or low nutrients doesn't matter. Reefers get dino's even though they have higher nutrients.
@@CoralEuphoria Yeah I can imagine, but I was more concerned with coral health. A T5 bulb is actually a rather narrow light. You don't get varying spectrum throughout the tank? :)
Abe... what are we going to email you about now? :)- Such great info! Thanks a ton for doing this. As far as nutrients go, I see it this way. The reef has low DETECTABLE nutrients... true... But the reef is EXTREMELY bio-dynamic. As soon as nutrients are produced they are consumed. So the reef isn’t really a low nutrient environment. The same should be with a tank. Low detectable sure, but always available. High import high export. Cant wait for the next one Abe!
My goal for my new system is a flowerpot dominated reef with a few other LPS and a few sticks. Is this going to work? Are there specific sticks I should be using? I wanted to use Millipora. The system is a 29G over a 20G tall sump, running a fuge and room for equipment, tons of bio media, a sock, actinic T8s and an adjustable LED panel. My concern to be specific is that flowerpots tend to like more turbid environments and sticks prefer clean water. Is my concern unfounded?
I always learn a lot from you Abe! That question about live versus dead phyto that gave you palpitations (😂😂) - my understanding is live phyto can propagate where dead obviously cannot. My thinking is that anyone considering dosing live phyto has to KNOW 100% that their tank does NOT offer a hospitable environment for phyto to grow. I’d wager the case for an overwhelming majority of hobbyist reef tanks is that they ARE a wonderful environment for phyto to grow really fast. So the decision is really simple: if you are okay with the risk of having green water in your reef tank, dose live phyto. If you’d rather not face this challenge, DO NOT dose live phyto. I’m pretty sure most people would rather not spend their time sourcing glasses with the right colour lenses to filter out the green in the water…😁
Think your right on with dinos, had a 125g it was off and running good. Added a apex system with the dos during the night it emptied the alk. Woke up next morning to a snow globe, all fish dead and most corals. Had to replace the dos because it would stop running. Cleaned it up and nitrates was 126 with phosphate 0.00 and got Dino’s.
Thanks for the info. I recently had a few of my big colonies bleach out and I was thinking to much light but watching it might be the big reactor full of carbon I added recently. Took it offline mid vid thru my apex. Thanks for the great videos. I especially enjoy your Demeanour
I’ve been reefing for 15 years and since going to T5 and mimicking your tank, I’m finally seeing some proper impressive results. After 10 years I’ve now gone back to synthetic salt , I’ve had too much variation in quality of NSW. I tried some rowaphos recently and bottomed out, in a bag with 50mg lol guess I was sitting too low for my 500 litre tank. It’s powerful stuff. Oh when I bottom out I get turf algae, weird huh. I have one old shit coral that I keep purely as a phosphate gauge :) it’s awesome, green at .02 phosphate , bone at 0.00 :) brown at .04 . Also KH guardian has changed my world, no more chasing KH, I just adjust the calcium once a week.
I’m interested in cycling nitrate and phosphate, I’ve noticed a tank with low phosphate and nitrate with a shot of nitrate and phosphate to bring it up quick but let it settle back down for two days has been improving colours. Keeping nitrate and phosphate up doesn’t work for me as things start brown out, and low things pale out, the sweet spot in between and things are ok, but with the cycle colours seem happy, along with fluffy happy polyps. More so than a flat stable number.
I find the more air you smash though a skimmer the more co2 you put into the water even pulling air from outside I have a 600 gallon skimmer from a 9ft tank on a 4ft tank and 4ft sump I only run it on speed 2 and have to run soda lime beads in a reactor
This is amazing Abe - thanks so much. Have you seen what Telegraham and another guy on his stream (sorry can't remember his name) are doing with Kalk slurry - basically the same as you but you should get in touch as it seems like they are experimenting and you could add your experience (like what pimp you use (Tunze) and how long does it last).
Man watching your videos jus make me wanted turn my lights all the way up and whatever soft coral/lps that can’t handle they will have to go I’m going sps dominate I jus took a glance at your website and I’m excited to order some corals from you and really turn my tank into and sps dominated tank i already have 3 ai prime and two Nero 3s on a 36 gallon tank I think I would have more then enough light and flow to grow out some nice frags it’s so many questions I wanna ask you but I wouldn’t kno where to start from the few videos I’ve watch I learned a lot already definitely subscribed and like every video I watch thanks for sharing your knowledge man Im really happy I found your channel
I’m setting up a new tank My first SPS tank is a 76 gallon. I feel that I have got the flow. I am a kind of all filtration and everything else right I am leaning towards running metal halide says the main light source on the tank, but I’m having trouble finding fixtures and bulbs to suit my needs. I was thinking about running to 250 W with 48 inch T5. I am just having trouble finding the middle highlights and bulbs to light the tank.
Very interesting on your rocks, I always thought they were real live rock from fiji that you got long ago. I think your comments on Dinos are controversial but I kind of agree with them. I think high nutrients are a good way to prevent them for the beginners out there until their system matures.
Hi! Thanks for all your knowledge and experience with the hobby. I start a nano tank with only deep water acroporas in a few month. Have you any advises and tips for me? Thx
Watched it all. Great questions and information. I just have to ask are you still doing biweekly water changes? If so, what salt are you using? Just curious as I like to have data for the real successful sps tanks. Thank you
@@CoralEuphoria Thank you for the reply back! I like how you keep it simple and it thrives. Basically no additives but the big three and water changes. Very nice
You say Dino's is not caused by low nutrients but explain this: I have a mature sps dominated system, I started it with mature rock from another tank. I did not have dino's for the first 6 months of the tank's existence. However, my nitrates are naturally undetectable in this system, I am unsure why but I think it is due to the amount of rock I have in the system for the water volume. Phosphates 0.08. I have a slightly oversized skimmer and a clarisea roller filter. After I added the clarisea I started to get low amounts of Dinos and cyano in the system. I am now plagued with it and it is always there in low amounts. I even started dosing nitrates to get rid of it but to no avail. Coralline algae will not grow on glass or frag racks because very quickly a slimy mixture of dino's and film algae covers everything. Dino's does not grow on the rockwork but it does sometimes stick to corals in high flow areas. This is a mature system where acros grow well, I have ATI t5's and supplement with Orphek bars. I think the strong lighting and low nutrients are the cause of this. Previous tanks of mine have had the same low nutrients but never grew dino's like this and I think that is because I had much less powerful lights. I am at a loss with how to deal with this. If I try to reduce phosphates it makes the situation worse and I get cyano too.
@andy Mac Not sure if you’ve seen Reefdudes video with Cruz discuss the Elegant Corals Dino treatment regimen….but that’s what worked for me, along with dosing Neophos to raise po4 above 0. Dinos where all gone in just over a week.Cheers
@@CoralEuphoria I know. The rock came from a tank that was years old. And my tank is now two years old and has Dinos. It didn't for the first 6 Months.
@@andycx2 Maybe that's why the rocks don't have dinos. But the system itself was still immature when the dinos showed up. And you never got rid of them since, so the fact that your tank is 2 years old now is irrelevant. Also, by your argument about low nutrients, then the dinos should have gone away by adding the nitrates. With respect, I don't really have time nor desire to discuss this complex problem with you in the RU-vid comments section. You obviously have your own opinion of what causes dinoflagellates, and I don't have any desire to change your mind. I gave you my take on it. I encourage you to discuss it on reef2reef where there is a thousand page thread and where everybody there thinks the same as you. I do have a 'product' on my website where I will take consultations, however I'm not encouraging you to purchase it because I do not enjoy talking about this topic and the conversation will probably just end up a debate anyway since you seem to feel strongly about your side. I wish you the best of luck with it 😀. Respectfully, Abe
Hey what's up Abe. My new tank just came in this week. This is going to be my semi mixed reef with mostly acros. I got my new unseals in from brs for my bucket fuge. So can I use one of my old red sea salt buckets for my fuge or does it have to be food grade? I also used 1" unseals for the bucket fuge so I'll be using 1" plumbing for it. Hopefully that works out well. I got my first acro a couple months ago locally and it's doing well. I think im ready to start buying stuff from your website with confidence it will survive. Im getting this new red sea reefer tank ready this week ill be using some old live rock and some new so hopefully this new tank won't cycle too long . I would like to speak with you on the phone when I place my first order with you if that's possible through the ask Abe section of your website. I look forward to talking with you.. have a great week brother.
Hey Marcos, the bucket will be fine. I mean if the salt is stored in it, it should be. Glad the acro is doing well! Good luck with the build if I don't hear from you
So what sort of par and flow range is best for Oregon Tort? I have a frag that just sits there and does nothing. Other acro's are growing fine in the tank but this does nothing!
Please can i ask you, this is my forat time with acropora, they are growing and have great polyp extension, except the tips and fist few polyp holes seem empty and are pale blue in colour, is it normal as the coral grows to have no polyps in the top few holes ??
@@CoralEuphoria thankyou :) i was confused as most of tips are blue but the base dark colours such as green orange pink etc, but the tips are pale blue but look to be empty, my aquarium is only 300 litres and i dose daily through the day and they are consuming just under 1 dkh daily and parameters are rock solid, its barebottom so nutrients are low nitrate 2ppm phos 0.01 kh 7.6 calcium 440, mag 1460, ive watched alot of your videos and you always refer to slightly higher phos and nitrate seem to be better for colour of corals so im going to increase them slowly, thankyou for the quick reply your very kind and very knowledgeable :)
Can u please make a video explaining more about FLOW for sps and the different family’s of acro and how they prefer a certain flow. Everyone I talk to say high flow but is that true? Thank you and much support for all the videos u make for the reef hobbyists
It's not an easy question to answer partly because there is probably no right answer. Personally, I would consider my phosphate too high if it got over 0.04 ppm and nitrate over 10 ppm
Thanks so much for responding to my question. Abe, I have a 300 gallon tank and I’m running a hybrid light system with 3 radion led’s, 4 T5 bulbs and 2 reef brite LED strips. I run the led’s for 12 hours, but how long should I be running the T5’s. Presently they run for about five hours.
@@phillandau350 It's a complicated question/answer that depends on what you are trying to accompish and how the corals look at this point, among other things. I have a consult product on my site if you want to dive into it, but I'm not encouraging you to buy it. You will probably figure this out on your own over time.