About to quit.

[Billldg]

I agree, tank is still a bit to young for sps. Its common to wait upwards of a year before adding sps to a tank even for veteran reefers. I would slow down a little, as stated before and enjoy the tank. Your tank will be ready in no time.

 

[jeepreefer1]

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

When you say check magnets what do you mean? Do you mean the motors are putting a charge in the water?

 

[bob salzlein]

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.

Have you checked with Patrick at Ocean's Floor in Greenville, he would be able to help you out.
179 Halton Rd, Greenville, SC 29607
(864) 676-0104

 

[Gablami]

While I do think your tank is very young, all that your describing has been experienced by most reefers. You're basically saying that all your acros have died, sps not looking good, some fish have jumped or died.

This is a tough hobby, not for everyone. You may have fish diseases, who knows. There's lots to learn and experience. This hobby can be a deep dark money pit. I'll be real. If you're thinking about pulling the plug and you're just not that into the hobby, maybe it's better just to cut your losses and quit early rather than later after you invest more.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Don't give up so soon mate. If you have only set up the tank this August, the tank has only been around for less than 3 months and in reef time that is very, very short. My tank took almost a year to settle and condition until things began to stay alive consistently. I'd say do what you are doing now, not add anything new, and let the tank simmer for a few months. Once you see coral growth, coraline creep, and micro creatures darting in and out of your rock (pods) you can then consider filling the tank with more stuff.

 

[Susan Edwards]

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.

I used this kit for my 6 foot tank. Made 3 covers, 1 for each section (tank has braces across top). They work great, keep tank from getting too hot. If you don't have a rim, there are parts you can get to hook on rim to support your lid. I had a wrasse jump when I was doing a water change at one end. Didn't see him on the carpet until I stepped on him.... They are jumpers.

hang in there. it is not an easy hobby but a rewarding one.

 

[HuduVudu]

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.

Your tank is two months old???!!!!????

Why did you stock your tank so fast????!!!!!???

No wonder you are frustrated!

 

[argiBK]

Other than what's already been shared, my concern about the plexiglass top is that it may have prevented oxygen transfer from the water (esp if it covered the entire tank), which would cause much of what you described. Lower PH > fish reaching for air and jumping and RTN of corals.

This hobby is definitely a marathon and you gotta hit your checkpoints before proceeding to the next mile.

Keep at it though, we've all failed on many levels getting to be successful reefers, and, each failure is a valuable lesson learned. The long-term reward of success is definitely worth it!

 

[Uncle99]

A good rule thumb we use on new systems is no stoneys, especially SPS until you see coralline.
Coralline growth is usually a good indicator of correct water chemistry.

 

[CrazyCarlitos]

If this hobby was simple as just keeping correct water parameters, we all would be less frustrated. Lol

Balanced water chemistry to keep a stable tank takes time to establish... and still somewhat mystery when it comes to various bacteria needed and how long before it is properly seeded.

sounds like u have all the right equipments.. except patience.

we all want an instant ocean in our living room.. but unless u go slow, u will only get frustration rather than gratification imho.

ur tank is still new and it will go thru many “ugly” phases before it stabilizes enough for most corals.

it would be easier (and much cheaper) to deal with nuisance algae that’s sure to show up in new tanks with lights.

use this time to develop good habits such as regular testing, cleaning, and water changing.

in my current new tank, I threw in some safe artificial deco to make fishes more comfortable and the tank looks more attractive, too, so I don’t feel like I need to rush the coral purchases atm. Hahaha.
I do have some zoas in there. (Pic below)

good luck

 

[Sdot]

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

This.... ICP test would be a great place to start. Also maturity of your tank has a lot to do with it. One thing i did with mine is while i was waiting for the tank to mature i added tons of biodiversity (Pods and pods and more pods...i also kept them fed with phyto).

 

[Labora]

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.

August 2nd? You went way too fast. I did that on my first coral 10g and nuked it. Dip everything. QT everything 2 weeks. Be super paranoid about everything. After adding stuff you can see if its chemical warfare or not.

Sure if someone has live rock and a bunch of QTed fish and dipped corals ready to go, they can jump start, but that's a different situation I think.

 

[CrazyCarlitos]

it would be easier (and much cheaper) to deal with nuisance algae that’s sure to show up in new tanks with lights.

haha I meant new tanks with lights would get all sorts of nuisance algae... and it would be easier to deal with them if u didn’t have ur tank filled with expensive corals

 

[jeepreefer1]

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.

Thank you for advice. I test ALK with a HANNA checker once a day. The lid I ordered is a mesh lid but it has a plexiglass glass frame and the company says plexiglass is not plentiful because of the chinese virus. My PH is 8.0 to 8.1, I check it daily with HANNA digital checker. I have a few LPS in tank so they are probably used some Calcium and ALK. When I mix the Kalkwasser into the top off water I am mixing less than half a teaspoon per gallon. I already have spots of coraline algae popping up on rock and little barnacle like growth on back of tank. Hey I thought the same as you, after fish jumped I bought 3 springier damsels and put in there and an indigo hamlet, very hardy fish. I guess I will just sit still and manage the water for a few months.

 

[StlSalt]

Fellow Jeeper here. Drop that tank in to 4-Lo and crawl. SPS in a new tank is like dropping into the Rubicon in a stock Jeep. Customize your tank to meet you needs. Good Luck with your Jeeping and Reefing.

 

[Thaxxx]

Your diligence is great as far as check your perameters.
But there almost meaningless because your tank is too new to support the livestock you currently have in it.
If you want to try and speed things up a bit this is what I would do.
Just a suggestion....
Get some "real" ocean live rock to put in.
Tampa Bay Saltwater or KP Aquatics.
Get some good bio diversity in there.
If you don't get live rock, I would just slow WAY down.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Two months and you’re adding acros and powder blue tangs? Please man, do some research on how the initial cycle works, a solid understanding of that will do you wonders.

After eight weeks you should be getting out of the first part on your way to a stable and fully cycled tank. Now would be the time to try some softies and perhaps some easier LPS.

 

[Conchman]

I hope you don't bail. This is not for the meek. I have a regular testing schedule. I check all my equipment consistently, I clean my wet sides magnets and check for wear or failure. As everyone has stated, slow down. A few month old tank is still going thru NTU (New tank Uglies). Of all the equipment available to us, as much testing we can do, the absolute most important tool is patience, plain and simple. In this hobby rushing=failure. Good luck, keep asking questions, you'll get thru...

 

[RC Corals]

Sounds to me like you crammed "all the equipment" into your new tank before it really needed it, and you were ready to handle it, then put Acros in before the tank was ready.
Now you're in a situation where Acros are not doing well and you're not sure what is potentially causing the problem.

IMHO, strip things back to basics (skimmer) and find out what the tank wants and needs. If you see algae starting to grow then add in the Algae Scrubber. Start with easy to keep corals like Mushrooms, Zoas, Finger Leather, Hammer, Frogspawn etc while your tank becomes mature (you can expect a year or more to truely learn where your tank is going to end up parameter wise). Patience, Learning, Testing and then learning from the testing and more even patience as you learn is the Key. There IS no quick fast route as "you" learn.

A basic coral tank is not complicated. It just takes attention and patience.
A successful Acro tank is a completely different beast... gone from LPS/Softies to SPS to Acros and am still finding my way through the gamut of things to learn along the way.