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They will eats up the microscopic foods and organics left over. So it's a keeper! Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Yes I use this. Well, I used to use the 'basic' pro reef, but then moved recently to the pro reef bio actif. As this contains additonal bacteria and carbon dosing. Yes it is expensive but I find it mixed to the full volume as advertised unlike some others. Plus it mixes well with little residue. Another reason I selected this salt is due to the parameters. These are closer to how I run my tank. So it is important that you select a salt that meets your parameter needs. With the actif I get carbon dosing included so I can be sure I dont overdose. Note if you do use the actif you may find there is some cloudiness with the actif salt mix but I read this is the biological action, and it clears up in the tank. Clumping.... hmmm do you mix with chilled RO water? Clumping can occur if water is too warm. Hope this helps. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Depends what you are keeping, and your reefing goals, budget and to lessor degree tank size. I have an Aquaticlife T5 hybrid on my 4ftx3ft tank. I needed a good spread so went with this fixture. I run 3xATI blue plus and 1xActinic, I also have 3x Radion XR15 gen 4 pros with diffusers. Basically I have loads of horsepower (par) which I can control, and I have really good spread. Limited hot spots. Kessil A360X or AI hydra, or Prime and the orphek Atlantik v4 (#drool) were also on my radar when setting up the tank. The reason I personally went with the Radion xr15 was 1. It is a known quantity - you know they can grow coral. So one less thing to think about. 2. They are readily available at a good price... I picked them up 'nearly new' from Reefer who was moving to the Gen5. Some good bargains to be had. 3. the form factor of the xr15 is very flexible and can easily be used if I upgrade or move to a different system (i.e. frag tank or display) 4. Like any top end light they have v.good resale value. 5. Ecotech have excellent customer service. It certainly would be interesting the hear what others are using. There are many paths to success!! Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Going forward you may want to think of placing a power head in the sump. I have one in every compartment in my sump thus not allowing detritus to settle (they run on off for about a few hours each day). Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Over time if you dont clean the sump it can start to leech nutrients. So it is a good idea to remove all the dead stuff in the sump. Will cleaning it impact the parameters? only if you stir up some nasty stuff and let it enter the water column. It is similar to disturbing an old sand bed. So isolate the sump before you remove the detritus. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Ikea looks strong, but as soon as it gets wet the wood bloats and looses structural integrity. Your tank is going to weigh just short of 300kg when wet. So I would be nervous. So option 1. Make sure you never get the wood wet. Option 2. Get some 30, 40 or 45 series aluminium and some marine plywood. Build something that will take a six foot tank.... because you will catch the bug and want a bigger tank shortly hahaha. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

I would agree, getting a unit with more heads is better than less. I am using 9 heads (soon 13) hahaha. But a lot of that is for automatic testing systems. As for 'All for Reef' this is certainly a great/fantastic product. I have used it on my smaller system. What I would say is that this is great for covering the base consumption in a small tank, but as you will discover you most likely will need to still Supplement with additional elements (possibly Magnesium and Trace Elements). You may also want to look at Tropic Marins carbon dosing supplements. So that is one head for 'all for reef'. One for trace. One for carbon dosing; Possibly another one for Magnesium (although with small Mel is easier to manual dose this). I have used a doser for ATO adding X.ml of rodi each hour. Having observed average evaporation over time. Although doses are not designed for continuous use, they last surprisingly long if you maintain them and calibrate often. Just give them some attention and love and all will be well. (Admittedly they do breakdown eventually). Whilst I have GHL dosing units for my main system I have been super happy with the basic Jabeo unit. Once you calibrate it, and pinch out the tubes it works just fine. (Tip. On calibration you can double the steps so to get slightly more accurate dosing). I believe there is a new wifi version which looks really handy. Although there are many brands. The new ecotech does look awesome but rather pricey. If you want a super super cheap option. Get some 20ml syringes and some dosing tube. Is manual but gets the Job done hahaha. Looking forward to hearing how you progress. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Is it possible? Yes. Have people produced great tanks without it? Possibly. Does NOT having a chiller make reefing easier? Nope, not at all! Not sure if you have noticed but this amazing country can get a little warm, and as such it is important to protect our corals and livestock against the heat and the changes in heat throughout the day. Whilst you can select warm water varieties if you want to get into reefing without making concessions as to your livestock then get a chiller. There are some great deals for chillers on this forum so whilst I am far from the 'chiller police' I would highly recommend them. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

What a fantastic good will gesture. [emoji846][emoji106] Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Thanks for the update. Aquaforrest and Tropic Marin pro have a similar level of elements with more natural Dkh levels. So this is a good switch and shouldn't cause any issues. But you have to be careful in switching some brands and do it slowly over time. But typically get a salt to match the element level your tank needs or is used to. Stability is key! So do be careful doing too many changes at any one time. All for reef really is a game changer of a product. Calcium and Alkalinity and trace elements all in one bottle. Now whilst this creates a stable base, your tank may still need supplemention as 'all for reef' is about replacing consumed elements and not so much about dosing ADDITIONAL elements. A subtle difference which is part semantics but also key to understand. So keep testing. Once tank is stable invest in an ICP test that will help you understand if anything extra is needed to be supplemented. Testing is key. If I had a little more spare cash I would certainly love to get one of those Reefbots. Although a little too pricey at the moment, however if your tank is stocked to the brim of high-end SPS I would see the value in testing twice or three times a day to really understand the character of a tank. In the absence of that little robot, please do test as much as you can without getting too bored hahaha. Information is key to finding issues early and correcting them. Algae hahaha. Yes a battle. I personally think an ATS is essential unless you have a good refugium (by good I mean reasonable size but more importantly with a powerful grow light). An ATS would be a good long term solution for algae, but a treatment like vibrant is a good start. If you cannot find an ATS you can build your own. (I built one for about $120. Sounds a lot of but it is twice as big as those on the market, built as strong as rock and produces a decent amount of PAR and even has overheat protection in the electronics. PM me if you interested) If you are getting a lot of different Algea in your tank I would look towards your quarantine methods as a potential source of initial introduction. SAS typically have emerald crabs in stock. (Remember to try and get female crabs as less aggressive. Females have a beehive shape on their abdomen). Good luck. Happy reefing. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

No 3. "Bar Keepers Friend" is ideal for tank cleaning. I sometimes add in a little vinegar. I found nothing better to get rid of calcium deposits and clean a tank like new. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Try@dryDiver Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Sorry all that was meant for PM. My bad. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Hi. If possible can I reserve the Rw4 wave maker, and the IM pump? Thanks Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

I have two 20L tanks set up with separate HOB filters, separate air pump but shared chiller (due to cost. I flush the lines in between transfers). This allows me to perform the Tank Transfer Method on all new wetstock. I also medicate during the TTM a range of antibiotics and anti fungals. This ensures fish are healthy inside and out. If I get any wetstock it goes through either a full or variant quarantine process, I even quaratine chaetomorpha! hahaha. I also have a 50L observation IOS tank that is completely independent and has it's own chiller. Corals are dipped and kept into observation until they go into the main display. Water from the main display is used to perform water changes on the observation tank as so to keep parameters aligned. I run an old XR15 Gen3 pro above the observation tank. (Just about to rebuild this whole system). Suggest you check out humblefish on reef2reef for more details on quaratine methods. If anyone interested happy to share how I quarantine using the meds etc as it's rather specific. Hope this helps. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Exciting to hear about the new Radion Gen 5 Pro and Gen 5 Pro Blue editions. Not only is there a significant increase in number of LEDs, providing a more even spectrum, but they also come with built-in diffusers. The blue edition looks particularly interesting with its dedicated blue plus spectrum. Dear LFS's, any news when they will be released in Singapore ??? More info: https://reefbuilders.com/2020/02/13/radion-gen-5-blue-pro/ Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Looking for an AI director to power an older AI Hydra gen 1. PM me if you have one available. Thanks Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

There are many paths to success. Some people have had massive success with HOB or all in one IOS tanks. But, if you were to ask me - having done both of those before for many years - I would always go with a sump option if I could. Simply because new equipment comes along and a sump just gives more space and more water volume so any mistake is diluted. Note. There are some amazing tanks for sale here on the forum all ready to go. But as with all things it depends on budget and space availability Good luck Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Welcome back. A new tank is always exciting, as endless possibilities and paths to success. My suggestion is to grab a big coffee and watch BRSTV on youtube. They did a 5 minute series on reefing which really goes through all the key elements. If you have any questions there are some amazing reefers here go learn from so ask away! Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

No worries. In 1c I meant to say dont dose into a chamber which proceeds carbon. As yes it will be less effective. Dose after carbon. (Sorry was late) Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Firstly not all carbon is created equal, so look for low ash levels and harness as indicator of quality... 1a Carbon will remove the free floating organics in the water. As the organics break down they produce ammonia which goes on to produce nitrite and nitrate. So the carbon basically attacks the source of any issues before they occur. By removing the organics you will see an improvement in your water quality, which also means more effective PAR. 1b. Yes it will take trace elements and minerals out of the tank. In fact excessive usage of carbon has been linked to Head and lateral line disease. This can be avoided by using a trace element additive. The trend in reefing appears to only use carbon sparingly as opposed 24/7. But there is still an active debate on this. 1c That is a good question! Yes you don't want to directly run your dosing into a chamber which has or is preceeded by carbon. However if you dose into the tank directly or have by passed the carbon it is unlikely that the carbon is extracting at the same rate as it is being dosed. Consistency is key, so as you are measuring your tanks uptake of elements, remember that this already takes into account the fact you have carbon in place. Do note that carbon will absorb various elements (gelbstoff, organics, medications, chlorine, pollutants, toxins, minerals and some trace elements). But it will exhaust eventually. So you should replace it roughly every 2 to 4 weeks.... small amounts replaced regularily is best practice, as if you replace all the carbon at the same time, you could impact the biological filtration capabilities of the tank, as carbon is a good bio-filter. 2a. This is common. However, you need to remember that the carbon will exhaust out before the phosphate remover. No big deal. Another consideration is that you don't want to tumble the carbon. This will cause dust which is not optimal as it coats your corals. So make sure it is packed down. 2b Depending on the grade and type of carbon there is a recommended flow rate. To keep it simple carbon is best run at low flow rate. Roughly 500 to 800lts/hr. You mentioned still having algea issues. Maybe check the brand of carbon you use. Some low grade carbon will leach phosphate, and an accumulation of phosphate can lead to algea issues. I hope this helps. Good luck Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

So why are your nitrates fluctuating despite your efforts?? I would look into these areas 1) Ammonia and Nitrogen sources - 2) Nutrient removal methods 3) Testing. Ammonia and Nitrogen sources: Well your missing fish may have something to do with your issues. If they have indeed passed on to the great aquarium in the sky, then they will be leaching Ammonia. As we know from the Nitrogen cycle this will eventually show itself as Nitrates (this will be super quick especially as your tank is mature and has a healthy stock of AOB and NOB Syrians of bacteria). So you need to find the poor things and remove them. In the mean time do a big water change 50%. Because until they are removed or fully decomposed then you will continue to have this issue. However, I suspect this is what is preventing the tank from returning to normal after the first set of actions. As to how your tank got to high levels in the first place I would look at your nutrient removal methods Nutrient Removal Imbalance. Whilst filter socks, skimmers and refugium probably remove out phosphate and nitrogen in equal measure. Chemical filter media that stips out individual sources such as ammonia nitrate or phosphate can cause an imbalance. GFO is very effective in removing phosphate and can strip it completely out of your tank, however it will do nothing about your nitrates. Your Phosphate is at 0.5?? this is still very high (unless you meant 0.05 which is ideal). I would not remove your GFO if you have 0.5ppm you still need it. But I would again encourage a large water change and for nutrient removal going forward i would certainly move to having an ATS or a Refugium. Both of these are well proven sustainable methods of a balanced nutrient removal regime. Testing: Often if you get a spurious result, it comes from bad testing procedures or a funky hobby grade kit. API is notoriously bad at testing for Nitrate, Salafert is a better choice (For phosphate I would go with a Hanna checker). Do double check the instructions and keep those viles clean. So basically find the dead fish, do large water changes, until water is balanced and invest in an ATS. Easy [emoji28]. Hahahaha. Good luck bro. Hope this helps. Keep us informed of your progress. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

This is fairly common, given you just created the ideal place for algea to grow. Green hair algea tends to magically appear even in new tanks (a reason why you can run an ATS on a brand new tank but not a refugium). Luckily weight to weight it is actually extracting more nutrients then your chaeto. However, it can then starve your chaeto, so I suggest you remove as much as possible. Here is a r2r thread on the same https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hair-algae-outgrowing-chaeto-in-refugium.333294/ Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Go with a salt that meets your needs! Salts have different parameter levels so buy the one that matches your needs. I personally use the Tropic Marin pro Reef / bioactiv ... Tropic marin will be very consistent. Check out BRSTV review of different salts... And this may also prove useful Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

First off kudos for having two test kits, that is simply awesome but agreed this is perplexing having a difference if the tests are both accurate... There are many reasons a test may vary especially with $20+ hobby kits vs. a lab. Remember this is testing for ultra low readings so anything could have thrown either test off. Some people say the Salifert is not accurate for phosphate unless you are treating very high levels. (I personally use it). Also, if you want consistent results you need to treat this like a lab: Keeping the test kits in perfect storage conditions; making sure all reagents are not out of date nor that they contaminated; throughly cleaning all the viles with acid so no trace elements exist; performing the test accurately and to the letter, so swirling for exactly 30 seconds; making sure the powder reagent is exactly level; that no air bubbles were in the test syringe; and that water levels were exact; Plus remember you are using your eyes to spot colour differences against a graduated card, all of which could be impacted by the intensity level and kelvin of light you reviewed the test with not to mention any reflections. There is so much that could impact a result I am surprised we get any accuracy at all which is where you need to set your expectations. For me it is more about getting in a useable ball park with consistent results over time. Which leads us to exactly why digital testers are popular, they 'should' be better at measuring the results if the test is performed accurately. However my experience is that they can vary rather widely and I think you also have similar experience. I once tested four times the same water and got significant different results each time. Basically these tests are as accurate as you make them. so read the instructions multiple times and prepare everything up front. Even then the checkers are not infallible. Test viles with finger prints can give off wildly inaccurate results, as can air bubbles in the cuvette. It has even been reported that which way round the cuvette is placed into the checker can impact results. Are the corvettes new or old? I once read about people who store them full of RODI to prevent long term staining. Further, those Hanna reagent sachets are notoriously difficult to extract all the reagent without either spilling it everywhere or trapping some of the reagent in the corner of the pack. If it takes a long time to empty the pack does this impact the mixing time? Many things to get right if you want consistent results. Furthermore, you have to understand even if you do this correctly the checkers have a limited accuracy built in. You have the Hanna low range phosphate checker (not the new ULR). The model you have has a large test range from 0 to 2.5ppm so isn't aimed at the Ultra Low Ranges we tend to be shooting for in our tanks. Further this model has a built in accuracy of +-0.04ppm+-4%. Hence a reading of 1.18 could actually be anywhere between 1.09 to 1.27 and still be considered 'accurate'. (Note there is a new ULR phosphate checker as well as an older phosphorus ppb checker, whereby both checkers focus on a tighter ULR window, and with much improved accuracy levels). Either way it can be difficult to be accurate and I would focus on consistency over time. If you really need to get to the bottom of this I would run the Salifert 3 times and the Hanna 3 times and see which is most consistent. I would either get a phosphate calibration fluid or go and get an ICP test. I would then discover which is more accurate. Or at least how much my testing skills needed improving haha. Sadly I don't have a specific answer for you, maybe another reefer can jump in. Best of luck with your future tests and happy reefing. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app