[odin]

That’s awesome news! They love to swim laps and explore constantly, although they do well in small tanks they seem happier in larger tanks.

[morbiuz]

hi @odin

All's been going well and I took a reading just now as routine, PH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 but Nitrate 40! I immediately did a water change about 50-60%. It's probably my impatience again, gonna need to lock up that spirulina container for a month and throw away the key!

I've seen a molted exoskeleton last week so I guessed water was fine... Should I get more marimo balls and chaeto to help reduce nitrate? I've read plants absorb it but do they since they're technically algae?

[odin]

Yeah that's a great idea to reduce Nirtrates, what country do you reside in? If you are getting high Nitrates you know your nitrogen cycle is doing its thing correctly but you are over feeding them.

[morbiuz]

Yeah that's a great idea to reduce Nirtrates, what country do you reside in? If you are getting high Nitrates you know your nitrogen cycle is doing its thing correctly but you are over feeding them.

I’m in Malaysia, hot enough not to bother with a heater My research indicates I might be able to use java fern and samolus valerandi so I’ll go browse around at the fish shops

[odin]

Ahhh ok that’s a shame because I have stated selling a brackish macroalgae but i cannot ship outside of the UK because of our postal service. They ask what is in the parcel when I send it... you should see their face when I say I’m sending shrimp in the parcels and that is still only within the UK where I live!


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[thecollector]

Yeah that's a great idea to reduce Nirtrates, what country do you reside in? If you are getting high Nitrates you know your nitrogen cycle is doing its thing correctly but you are over feeding them.

I’m in Malaysia, hot enough not to bother with a heater My research indicates I might be able to use java fern and samolus valerandi so I’ll go browse around at the fish shops

I've tired java fern and it did not work, even at 0.010 there is just too much salt in the water.

Codium intricatum (Sponge Algae Sponge Algae or Dead Mans Fingers) - the Opae just devoured it - most expensive meal they've had.

Other than Moss balls, and the algae odin sales. Try subwassertang, I've had it in my tanks for nearly 3 months, the Opae don't eat it and it hasn't died off.

[morbiuz]

Thanks for sharing, couldn't really get hold of subwassertang nor samolus easily here so I'm stuck with marimo and chaeto for now.

I added another, brighter led light the weekend before last and on advice of shrimp supplier changed to red sea brand salt at a higher salinity to replicate his setup. Both led lights are on a timer and I was away for 3 days. Came back and found the water surface full of bubbles and traces of what looks like algae. Inside, larger patch of brown algae on glass surface and nearly all white coral bits are now a dirty shade of brown Marimo seems to be collecting some bubbles and the chaeto has grown like a weed, 50% growth at least I think? Chaeto also has some bubbles on it. I'm also noticing small little bubbles being released at intervals and floating to surface, can't really pinpoint if these are coming from chaeto strands, marimo, sand, coral or lava rocks

I'm also now seeing a lot of bubbles on my lava rocks surfaces, is this normal? Water parameters last week were near perfect, 0 ammonia and nitrite and 5 nitrate although ph was at 7.8.

[odin]

Interesting, what salinity are you running now in your tank?

[morbiuz]

I’m only using a hydrometer so it’s a bit imprecise. Right now it looks like 1.013 whereas it was about 1.010 before. I mixed 25g of salt to 1l of ro water.

[odin]

i find 1.013 a good level for Opae ula, some will disagree but hey it works for mine!