melev

On February 6th of this year, I started running 2 liters of Vertex biopellets in my system, and over that 7.5 month period I was able to maintain zero nitrate and zero phosphate. Granted, my system has a DSB, live rock, a skimmer and a refugium, but so did my 280g reef. I've not had to dose Phosphate Control nor use GFO once with the new tank. And no vodka dosing either. I've only done a handful of water changes in that time. Maybe 600g, possibly.

Two weeks ago, I hooked up a ...

For the past two weeks, I was thinking about modifying my Euroreef protein skimmer so it could work in conjunction with my NextReef biopellet reactor. I was considering drilling a hole in the body of the skimmer, inserting a uniseal and then pumping the effluent of the reactor into the reaction chamber of the skimmer. In this way, it would definitely export dead or dying bacteria exiting the reactor. Perhaps that stuff was causing the dinoflagellates in my tank, I really don't know.
...

As of last night, all three of the Helfrichi firefish died. Perhaps it was pursued by the Mystery Wrasse; I really don't know. For those keeping score, one died in quarantine, one vanished, and the third one perished last night. I may not try those again.

I"m still getting some strange brown stuff growing on the purple gorgonians, on the shells of Astrea snails, and it is visible in the overflow box. Since I don't know what it is but have a bad feeling about it being toxic (aka ...