About to quit.

jeepreefer1

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I have a Waterbox 60.2 which is basically a 2ft tank with a sump. I started the tank Aug 2 2020. I have rock, sand, skimmer, algae scrubber, two AI Prime 16HD lights above tank. I use Kalkwasser with my ATO. I keep ALK steady between 8.5 and 8.8. My nutrients stay very low. Nitrate 5-10. Phos .07ish. I put Acros in and they turn brown then a lot of them has RTNed and died. I ordered a custom lid for the tank but the company that builds them cannot get plexiglass glass because of this virus panic. So I have a piece of plexiglass that I just put on top. I forgot one day to put it on and went to take a shower. My blue spotted jawfish jumped, my Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse jumped. I have lost a pirymid butterfly, and a powder blue tang. Hundreds of dollars of fish and corals. So now I am not purchasing any livestock. I am just holding water parameters stable. I have some monti still alive, I have a chalice, some cyphastrea, a ORA frogskin, some setosa, some anacropora all of which do not look good, polyps not out some are brown. Is there anyone in the Greenville, South Carolina area that would be willing to help me before I just sell everything. This seems to be very difficult.
 
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CCauthers

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Have you sent in an ICP test? Checked all of your magnets? Checked for chloramines in water?
 

revhtree

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Oh man I hate to hear of the troubles. I do have to say though that you tank is VERY young and SPS can be very difficult for even the more mature tanks and reefers. You need to sit back and let the tank mature for a while. Patience is KEY!
 

NeonRabbit221B

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Bit of critical thinking and root cause analysis thoughts coming. We know stable parameters, lighting and proper flow can drastically impact coral growth. If you can rule those out through testing we can move on to other causes.

Here is a list of things to check before throwing in the towel
  1. ICP (as stated above can identify toxins)
  2. Check for voltage in the tank with multimeters and use grounding plugs
  3. Test RODI
  4. Strict no hands policy
  5. Check pumps for damage
 

CCauthers

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My guess, as stated before, it a contaminant. I would 100% check for chloramines and such, these will not show up on tds meters, and check magnets and send in an ICP test to check for others.
 

Ike

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You're going way too fast... There are things you've added and had die that shouldn't even be in that tank. This is a difficult hobby, and it's up to you to make sure you're not adding inhabitants too soon or to a tank not suited to what you're adding.

It's a difficult hobby, but you're making it more difficult than it needs to be by adding fish that shouldn't be in a tank that new or that size. Do a couple water changes, do some research, then give it another go after things stabilize for a month or two.
 
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revhtree

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Am I misreading something? I've read this 4 times and what jumps out to me is the tank was started in August. Why is everyone talking about metals in the water? :)
 

stylolvr

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Oh man I hate to hear of the troubles. I do have to say though that you tank is VERY young and SPS can be very difficult for even the more mature tanks and reefers. You need to sit back and let the tank mature for a while. Patience is KEY!
+1

Sorry to hear about the frustrations, but good numbers don't tell the whole story. Mature systems are generally better for SPS. Exceptions exist, for sure, but patience will set you up for success in the long run.
 

doodledreads

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I am sorry to hear that man. I am in Rock Hill area so I am not too far, but there are so many people here that can help you get back in track if you decide give it more time.

My advice is, to keep the tank stable and pick some fish that are less prone to jumping and take things very slow. For corals, try zoas for a while, they are cheap and easier.
 

Cassian

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Ok here’s my thoughts:

1. Aug 2020, I would say your tank is still too young for acros. Try starting out with some easier corals like softies or lps. also, I recommend a triton ICP test, as others have recommend
2. A powder blue tang and a pyramid butterfly in a 2ft tank? I’m sorry man but no way. That tang get like a foot long, I would not put that in a 2ft tank. Unless you mean width, and the length is different. As for the lid, I say keep going how you are. So sorry to hear about your losses and troubles. I sincerely hope it gets better

what water source do you use?
 

mike550

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Wow -- Sorry to hear about all of your challenges! If you started the tank in August, that's a lot for a startup. I've been at my tank a little over a year, and have been moving slowly -- especially around corals. Broadly speaking (and there are people with way more expertise than me) but maybe you're pushing too fast.

Before giving up, why don't you go back to the fundamentals. Sounds like your water quality and parameters are stable which is great. Just take a break and manage the tank you have before making any additions or changes. The one open item might be lighting, and how it's affecting corals.

Good luck!
 

NeonRabbit221B

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After actually reading your post I would like to correct myself. I feel silly for it now but sometimes the answers are much easier. The fish are crammed in a 2 foot tank and likely just stressed. The SPS do best in a mature tank. Mr @revhtree is right, this isn't a magnet issue. Tap the breaks was the answer. Sorry for the losses and stress!
 

hyeclass

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Have you sent in an ICP test? Checked all of your magnets? Checked for chloramines in water?

I been having issues with my tank due to having po 0.21 high also hanna checker on nitrate shows 4.89 trying to keep my NO down, I do water change every week my goal is do a water change every 3 weeks also ICP test I need to send my water to a lab so they can test see what's my water parameters, where do you send your ICP test to be done
Running the tank since 2019 October

My scolly have died 2 of them plus sps acrons my torches so on
I am running a aquemaxx q3 skimmer 140 gal system redsea refeer

I just have a lot a tangs

1 yellow tang
2 purple tang
1 gem tang
1 blue tang
1 salfin tang
1 powder blue

Rest are tiny fish clownfish so on
 

Christopher Bush

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Man what a start, don't give up so early! +2 for early system, sps can be very tricky in new setups, give it a little more time and I'm sure you will end up with success taking notes from everyone here!
 

DoctaReef

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1.) +1 on going too fast. You need to see good coralline growth before investing in acros, give the microfauna time to develop, and just generally let thing stabilize.
2.) I'm wondering about alk...How do you know your alk is stable between 8.5-8.8? How often do you test? With a tank that new, I wonder how much Alk you need beyond regular water changes, and what its doing to your pH.
3.) Why not try a mesh top? An acrylic top to your tank might get dirty, shade your lights, and I'd worry about it getting too hot. BRS has a kit to make one easy.
4.) Fish issues: Wrasses jump, there's nothing to do about it but get a top. A waterbox 60.2 is WAY too small for a powder blue. Also, adding that many fish in 2 months can cause all sorts of problems. If that Jawfish didn't jump, you might have lost him anyway due to poor nutrition with the sand bed not being mature enough. Butterflies are hard to keep.
Start with some easier fish, I love my clowns. Also my springer damsels are wonderful additions. Non aggressive, eat pests, and a really cool flash of blue.

I've been in the hobby for years, and my best advice is Patience and Stablility. Don't add fish too fast. Don't add corals too fast. Find a way to monitor salinity, Ph alk and Ca reliably and then don't let them swing wildly during the days/weeks. For me, my Apex has been a game changer: Auto top off kit, temp control, Trident, and trident controlled dosing with a DOS took all the guesswork, and life's distractions, out.

Don't give up... just take a breath for a month or two and let things settle in.
 

excell007

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I think it's too much too soon. Metals, magnets, ICP test, broken pump, I am not sure if these are applicable to a tank that's less than 3 months old.
Sorry for your loss. You need to slow down a bit and think about what fishes and how many will work for your tanks size. Start with easy corals, SPS is not easy for young tanks.
 
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vetteguy53081

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No need to quit, hence the benfits of being part of R2R.
Lets look at a few things.....................
- How long did you cycle tank?
- Are you using RO water or tap water from the faucet?
- What test kit(s) are you using?
- What is your current ammonia and nitrate level ?

Some things to keep in mind:
* wrasses and gobies are opportunistic jumpers. If they see a clear way- they are going to take flying lessons
* Despite the excitement, many things go wrong the first couple of months including changes in Chemistry
* You mentioned phosphates- That can and may upset your corals

+++ I recommend adding a container of chemipure Elite which will keep your phos and nitrate in check and help your water quality

TAKE A WATER SAMPLE FROM YOUR TANK AND HAVE A TRUSTED PET STORE TEST WATER FOR YOU TO COMPARE WITH YOUR READINGS.

RECOMMEND RANGES:
tEMP 77-79
Salinity 1.025
Alk 8-9
PH 8.0-8.3
Mag 1300
CA 450

Hang on to below for reference :

Parameters.png
 

LeftyReefer

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2 months is pretty young for a reef tank. My tank is only a few months older and I still only have a couple of easy to care for corals. I think OP just moved all in a bit too fast. I think if you just slow down a bit, try to get what you have left thriving, then think about slowly adding more.

With a 2 month old tank, I'd be surprised if there is even coralline algae growing yet... ? And yet he's trying to get SPS to grow?

start with some easy to keep corals, when they are thriving, move to something slightly harder.
 

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