DSR tank in Australia

[TonyK]

Hi everyone

My name is Tony and I live in Perth, Western Australia.

I am also the first reefer from Australia to switch to the DSR method  under Glenn's direction.
I also have a thread on the Dutch reefing forum!

Here are a few details of my system:
Currently running for one year and full ZeoVit for the last eight months.

120x60x60, euro-braced, low iron glass with rear overflow and 'Durso' pipe.
Sump is 90x40x40
Live rock used is about 40 kg
Dry aragonite sand used at the start (depth about 25-30mm)
Net water volume is ~500L

Skimmer is a Skimz E201
Return pump is a Sicce
Lights are 2x Radion Gen2 pro's
Water movement is by 1x Vortec MP40
1x Jebao RW-15
2x Sicce voyager 4's
7 channel kamoer dosing pumps
Tunze ATO

I am busy photographing all the corals and will test water parameters later.

These are my current water parameters of those that I currently test for:
Temp=25 degrees C
Salinity=1.025
pH=8.1-8.3
7.5 dKH
Ca=400
Mg=~1300
K=~390
NO3=undetectable
PO4=undetectable on Hanna

Other parameters i.e. Sr, I+ and B are being brought up to buffer levels

Here are a few pictures to start, first of the start and some later images (both iPhone and nikon images).
Enjoy

[TonyK]

More images ;D

[TonyK]

Just a couple more  ::)

[glennf]

welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference  forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get  more variety in response.

[TonyK]

welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference  forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get  more variety in response.

Thanks Glenn

I will only post questions on here!

I have been dosing Sr+ into my tank at 1 ppm in the morning and 1 ppm at night. After a total of 8 ppm dosed I tested using the Salifert test and had a reading of 0 ppm. Should I keep dosing and retest after another 8 ppm dosage?

It seems I have to build up a buffer first!

The same is happening with my I+ levels!

Cheers,
Tony

[glennf]

welcome tony,
i will try to keep up and try to advice on the matter.
this is no chitchat forum, but only meant as a backup and reference  forum for my self and other DSR users.
so i try to keep it right to the point, just to be able to support a broad audience.
if you have the possibility better use a regular forum to get  more variety in response.

Thanks Glenn

I will only post questions on here!

I have been dosing Sr+ into my tank at 1 ppm in the morning and 1 ppm at night. After a total of 8 ppm dosed I tested using the Salifert test and had a reading of 0 ppm. Should I keep dosing and retest after another 8 ppm dosage?

It seems I have to build up a buffer first!

The same is happening with my I+ levels!

Cheers,
Tony

both Sr and I build buffers.
So don't try to force it and just use a typical daily dose and correct once a week till you get a stable reading.
You can use the sheduler to determine the typical dose.

greetings, GlennF

[TonyK]

Hi all

I have now added 12 ppm of Sr to my system and still it seems that the buffer is being built!

However, with this I have noticed my Ca levels creeping up, from ~410-425 ppm and have adjusted my dosage down!

Are the two linked, I have seen this mentioned somewhere.

Cheers, Tony

[glennf]

Sr and Ca are not link to the chemicals dosed.

[TonyK]

Hi all

Maybe you can shed some light on my problem, I have included a screen shot of the calculator and my measured values.

I have noticed over the course of 7 days that all my green acropora are starting to lose their vivid green colour and are going a lighter colour, not a bleach but almost a washed out look. I struggle to get my nutrients up.

It seems like the colour is "washing" out even of the blues and pinks, but the green is most noticeable.

Do you think the addition of amino acids and some coral food such as 'reef roids' would make a difference as I think the acropora are starving?

I am still dosing 1 ppm of Sr every day and have yet to get a reading on the salifert test!
Like wise with I+, I have been dosing 0.01 ppm every day for 10 days now and no reading on the salifert test.

Cheers, Tony

[TonyK]

Tested again last night!

My alk level dropped from a steady 7.5-7.7 dKH to 6.1 dKH in 6 days as acropora are showing large growth spurt, I am bringing alk up slowly by adjusting my dosing pump higher!

Strontium buffer levels are finally there as I received a reading on the Salifert test of 3 ppm.

Iodine still reads 0 on the test.

I have started dosing amino acids and "reef roids" to feed all corals especially acropora.

Cheers

[glennf]

one  of the bases of the DSR method is that ZERO nutrients are not a goal. See my recomended targets values on the calculator,. Pay special attention to the minimum target values and the used test.

when nutrients are low all color wash out and after a while bleaching and tissue lost will occur (this can take days, weeks or months, depending on how low the levels are).
Although a few colors will brighten up  at low nutrients, Pink, yellow, and blue !

My experience is that dosing Amino/C can make a great difference ,where some buttons species can't be kept alive.
other (side) effects  for  dosing Amino/Vitamine-C are not known by me yet at this moment.

Another base of the DSR method is that i really don't use anything else than those stuff included in DSR calculator.

Iodine an Sr both have a buffer to build , this is a slow and steady process to prevent overdosing.

read these topics:
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=78.0
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=73.0
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=75.0

Hi all

Maybe you can shed some light on my problem, I have included a screen shot of the calculator and my measured values.

I have noticed over the course of 7 days that all my green acropora are starting to lose their vivid green colour and are going a lighter colour, not a bleach but almost a washed out look. I struggle to get my nutrients up.

It seems like the colour is "washing" out even of the blues and pinks, but the green is most noticeable.

Do you think the addition of amino acids and some coral food such as 'reef roids' would make a difference as I think the acropora are starving?

I am still dosing 1 ppm of Sr every day and have yet to get a reading on the salifert test!
Like wise with I+, I have been dosing 0.01 ppm every day for 10 days now and no reading on the salifert test.

Cheers, Tony

[glennf]

Tested again last night!

My alk level dropped from a steady 7.5-7.7 dKH to 6.1 dKH in 6 days as acropora are showing large growth spurt, I am bringing alk up slowly by adjusting my dosing pump higher!
just leaf the auto dosing as it is now
first you can bring up the level to the desire level bij using the calculator.
use this procedure: http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=89.0

Strontium buffer levels are finally there as I received a reading on the Salifert test of 3 ppm.

Iodine still reads 0 on the test.

I have started dosing amino acids and "reef roids" to feed all corals especially acropora.

Cheers

my advice is , only use stuff that really make a visible difference., don't just dose stuff that people tell you to.
always change one parameter at the time (unless you  are off key with generally known parameter) to make sure what you do really has the effect you are looking for.

a base of the DSR method is, i only use the stuff mentioned bij the DSR calculator (nothing else).

unless i (and other DSR users)  can prove a noticeable difference in the applied elements i  wont use/add it into my tank.

[TonyK]

Hi everyone

A question about Boron:

Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!

I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.

Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?

It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?

Maybe the test kit is wrong?

Cheers,
Tony

[glennf]

Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?

In that case you don't need to add for a while.

It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.

Hi everyone

A question about Boron:

Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!

I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.

Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?

It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?

Maybe the test kit is wrong?

Cheers,
Tony

greetings, GlennF

[TonyK]

Is If your salifert boron test new than
You added 20 drop ?

In that case you don't need to add for a while.

It seems that if the test becone old or you reach the last few test the result can be faulty.

Hi everyone

A question about Boron:

Tested using the Salifert kit and I get a reading of 10 ppm!

I have never added B+ to my system other than from water changes in the past! It seems that salt manufacturers add high concentrations of B+ to their mixes to buffer the pH.

Dennis from Seaflower says that B+ can be added through dry foods. Do people agree with this?

It would seem that B+ at least in my system, is an element that would never need to be added?

Maybe the test kit is wrong?

Cheers,
Tony

greetings, GlennF

Hi Glenn

Dennis gave me his personal test kit and it was 75% full, so still new, I guess.
I have read that CO2 reacts with the test kit reagents, possibly changing the pH.

Yes, I added 20 drops to equalise the colours between the 2 samples!

BTW. I have experienced further growth in Acropora sp. now that my Sr levels are buffered and stable at ~10 ppm.

Iodine levels are still not buffered and I add 0.01 ppm 2x/day

Cheers,
Tony