my pico

[d2hpeter]

Typically, a timer is 24hrs programable only.

Mushroom like most coral can get their energy from photosynthesis athough target feeding will assist in their growth. As to whether mushroom take in NO3, I've not read abt it but I know that Clams do absorp NO3. Oh btw, your tank NO3 will probably rise further instead of deplete. If u wan to monitor if your tank is cycled, you should be checking Nitrites (NO2) instead.

I'll leave the snaill alone. They are useful algea cleaners.

Cheers
JC

Ya, nitrates is just starting, as indicated by the forming of diatoms, and will definitely get more as the nitrites are depleting. That is why I intend to wait a further one or two months w/o adding anything for the diatoms to go full bloom to deplete the nitrates. Most probably no point checking for nitrites now. I assume it is still there. I only bought the salifert test kit for nitrate. and most probably will only test it 2 or 3 wks after the full diatom bloom [tank may turn urgly, and hopefully the snails can mulitply fast enough to do some cleaning job]. Reason being that after diatom starts to die off due to nitrate starvation and the processing of the algae by snails, there would most probably be another series small ammonia/nitrite spikes with decreasing magnitude. So, hv to be patient and wait for the multiple nitrogen cycles to damp out and the nitrates level to reach equilibrium.

have seen electronic timers [LCD screen type] that can program different timing for different days of the week. But concern is that if it is solely powered by battery, there will disaster if battery conk out.

[Darylyap]

Hi peter, if i have a pico like yours at my office, i'd spend more time at my desk...
hey that's the same mushroom i got at lavender, thot mine is purple... btw i'm partial color blind... they too grow a few times compared to initial purchase.

[d2hpeter]

Hi peter, if i have a pico like yours at my office, i'd spend more time at my desk...
hey that's the same mushroom i got at lavender, thot mine is purple... btw i'm partial color blind... they too grow a few times compared to initial purchase.

Daryl, i could be wrong, brand-new to marine, dont know how to ID. It was blue-greenish when initially put in but turn reddish purple as it expands. Those at Aquamarin tank were blue also and about the same size as the 2 i brought back.

[d2hpeter]

How can i boost the maximum variaties or numbers of good bacteria in the tank other than those obtain from the LRs?
is AquaPharm Instant Bacteria Starter a good choice?

[solonavi]

Basically, we only need two type of bacteria. aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

Those in LRs are aerobic. anaerobic is in the sandbed or in those special produced filter media like Seachem Matrix, bio-home, etc.

JC

[d2hpeter]

Basically, we only need two type of bacteria. aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

Those in LRs are aerobic. anaerobic is in the sandbed or in those special produced filter media like Seachem Matrix, bio-home, etc.

JC

Ya, but for the aerobic categories, are we getting most of the good ones?

AquaPharm Instant Bacteria Starter states....

"contains a special blend of billions of bacteria plus
protease, amylase and lipase enzymes to help
remove ammonia, nitrite and waste organics.
These specially selected strains of mega-bacteria
begin rapidly converting ammonia to nitrite and
nitrite to non-toxic nitrate when added."

[solonavi]

Dun know and I believe most ppl dun care.

JC

[Darylyap]

Basically, we only need two type of bacteria. aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

Those in LRs are aerobic. anaerobic is in the sandbed or in those special produced filter media like Seachem Matrix, bio-home, etc.

JC

JC, thot both bio-home matrix are for aerobic as they are advised to house in canisters...

[solonavi]

Think I read that they can house anaerobic also leh.

See this, http://www.aqua-bio.com/en/biohome/benefits.html


http://www.seachem.com/products/prod...es/Matrix.html
Extract:
Matrix™ is a highly porous media designed to provide exceptionally efficient biofiltration for single site removal of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate from freshwater, marine, and reef aquaria. Each liter of Matrix™ provides over 160,000 cm2 (170 sq. ft.) of surface, equivalent to over 40 L (10 gallons) of typical plastic ball media! This product is sold by volume. Cited weight is minimal weight.

These pores which cover Matrix™ are home to anaerobic bacteria.


Cheers
JC

[Darylyap]

thanks JC, as always bro...

i have bio home in my canister, and just bought a litre of seachem matrix.
will be putting into canister.

also just bought the test strip from tetra, my nitrate is about 25mg/l.
does it equate to 25ppm?

[solonavi]

Not too sure of the conversion. Need expert advice but my guess is the same. Since mg/l is milligram per litre and ppm is part per million.

Btw, personally I don't use Tetra marine test kit. Salifert is the only testkit I'll use.

Cheers
JC

[d2hpeter]

thanks JC, as always bro...

i have bio home in my canister, and just bought a litre of seachem matrix.
will be putting into canister.

also just bought the test strip from tetra, my nitrate is about 25mg/l.
does it equate to 25ppm?

quite close Daryl. Density of freshwater is about 1g/cubiccentimeter[or cc]. Then one litres of FW = 1000g and since SW is about 1.024 x the density of FW, so one litre of SW is about 1024g or 1 024 000 mg and so 25mg/l is about 24.4 ppm for sg =1.024
24.39 ppm for sg = 1.025
24.46 ppm for sg= 1.022

I guess a difference of 0.5ppm should be neglibible.

[d2hpeter]

i am just wondering, what are the ways that nitrate is removed from the seawater in the ocean. One could be the "skimming" as the waves produce foam on beach, the other could be the anaerobic process that convert it to N2. Is there other ways that it could get absorbed or used up by other organisms eg plants etc.
In FW, the water can be "purified" when plants absorb nitrate as fertilizer to growth. How about in the ocean???

[solonavi]

The sea plants also helps (refugium in this hobby) and imagine the volume of seawater in the ocean, most NO3 gona be diluted.

JC

[d2hpeter]

hi guys, coralline has started to grow and propagate on my LRs.

Also, started to dose kalkwasser wkly. And guess what, thanks to JC's advice, injecting concentrated kalkwasser on the aptisia seems effective. Did a very careful localised targeting with a syringe+needle on 2 big ones and they are burned to death.
This is good as the kalkwasser is also good for coralline grwth, in fact, that was the main objective to inject it. so destroying aptisia is a bonus.

[Darylyap]

kudos to jc!