About to Quit

[Brady4000]

I don't want any hermits in my display

+1 never seen them eat coral. But they will kill hermits and snails. I removed all of them from my DT.

 

[chadfish]

I dont see many fish in the pics, any fish in the tank to help add nutrients? Sometimes low nitrate and phosphate can kill corals, especially in a very new tank

This.

You need fish to feed the corals with nitrates and phosphates which are building blocks of life.

 

[Rmckoy]

I’ve never liked hermits in any of my other tanks .
this one I made a exception .

 

[chadfish]

My parameters as of Thursday were:

Ammonia: 0 - Salifert
pH: 7.95 - Hanna
Alkalinity: 7.4 - Hanna
Phosphate: 0.07 - Hanna
Nitrate: 6.80 - Hanna

Since then, I have done an 80% water change and then another 30% yesterday. I will have to post parameters as soon as I can take them later today when my husband is home to watch our 6-month old.

My lighting schedule is currently on acclimation:

Why so many water changes? If you’re going for stability, you need to take it slow. With parameters like those it doesn’t seem like you needed to change any water, maybe just bump up the alkalinity

 

[chadfish]

My phosphate was high at 0.07 before I did my water changes. I have a watchman goby, neon goby, and two pistol shrimp.

0.07 is not high phosphate. Your test is so inaccurate (including the Hanna) you might be way lower.

Don’t worry about nitrate and phosphate unless they are on track to get way too high. Then try to figure out why and correct.

 

[Apollo7235]

Water parameters just measured a few minutes ago:

Specific Gravity: 1.025
Temperature: 80.2F
Ammonia: Looks to be 0 - Salifert
Nitrate: 13.1ppm - Hanna
Phosphate: 0.16 - Hanna
pH: 7.97 - Hanna
Alkalinity 7.1dKH - Hanna

Nitrate is high and phosphate is super high, or am I not reading this right?

 

[dkfrosty1]

Well guys, I am sorry to say, I’m really considering quitting this hobby. I am so far beyond frustrated with this stupid tank that I literally don’t even know what to say. I have 7 corals that are all slowly dying in my DT while they were thriving in my QT, for now the second time. I don’t get it. I don’t know what to do. My tank is a 38-gallon that is a few months old. Tests show nothing wrong with the water, both pistol shrimp and my gobies are doing great, I use the same RODI water in both tanks with the same salt mix and keep them at the same temperature and salinity.

I added 6 pounds of cured live rock to my display to try and help things along and I’ve added bottled bacteria more times than I can count. I turned down my lights to 15% when I added the corals and they are still dying.

It just makes no sense. I have done water change after water change and it makes no difference. I’m at the end of my rope. If I pull all of my corals out again and put them back in quarantine, what the heck is even the point of having a display?

I don’t know. Somebody please pull me off the edge before I jump and tear it all down.

My tank is only two months old and it has a ton of algae on the sand and rocks, even the dry rock I put in. I have been assured this is normal And I have to wait for the algae to calm the .... down before adding coral. your rock still looks new. Maybe more animals to make it icky before putting coral in?

 

[elorablue]

With my limited knowledge I wouldn't consider 0.16 'super high' at all and nitrates not too bad either.
temp is high and alk is low...
I dunno

 

[Aeb1419]

I think you need to just gove it more time. More time equals more stability. Are you running any media? What is your filtration like?

 

[Weasel1960]

I may have missed it but Bulk Reef Supply rents PAR meters. You may also want to check with LFS or a local reef club.

 

[Apollo7235]

Okay, so do I just let it ride then or do I do a water change? I know the general advice has been to leave it alone, but I just want to confirm that is still the recommendation now that I’ve posted the updated parameters.

 

[Apollo7235]

With my limited knowledge I wouldn't consider 0.16 'super high' at all and nitrates not too bad either.
temp is high and alk is low...
I dunno

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant to type 80.2F.

 

[Smirkish]

Don’t do a water change. Allow the bacteria you added to do their job! Need to test for nitrite too, to see exactly where your cycle is.

 

[Apollo7235]

Don’t do a water change. Allow the bacteria you added to do their job! Need to test for nitrite too, to see exactly where your cycle is.

The only test I have for nitrite is API.... I was told not to bother testing for it because it does not affect corals or fish, so I didn’t bother with the Hanna checker and I literally never test for it.

 

[Smirkish]

Don’t need a Hanna, the api is fine. You just want to see if you’re reading any. If you have nitrites then they are eventually going to end up as nitrates. I had a mass die off of bacteria when I first set up my tank, and I could literally watch the process through testing over time.

 

[Cell]

Dont go spend money on a nitrite test if you dont already have one. It's not needed.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

I don’t know what your doing wrong. Maybe it’s just I run more white then you... but your tank looks totally different than mine at 3 months. But there’s always amazing advice here on R2R, if not already given to you, I am sure someone here has the answer.

(Don’t look at the coral, look at the rock). Edit: added the original photo for clarity.

This photo was taken almost exactly at the three month mark.

dang how’d you make that zoa wall

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Water parameters just measured a few minutes ago:

Specific Gravity: 1.025
Temperature: 80.2F
Ammonia: Looks to be 0 - Salifert
Nitrate: 13.1ppm - Hanna
Phosphate: 0.16 - Hanna
pH: 7.97 - Hanna
Alkalinity 7.1dKH - Hanna

Nitrate is high and phosphate is super high, or am I not reading this right?

The ph is 7.97

 

[Wasabiroot]

I'm shocked the tank is 3 months old, honestly. I'd expect far more surface growth in that time period. Is it possible you are resetting your cycle accidentally by still adding bottled bacteria? At some point the microfauna need a chance to adapt to the bioload.

Don't give up. If it makes you feel better, my first few months my temp controller thermometer popped out of the tank. Came home from work with all my corals closed up and water was at 92 degrees. Lost a torch. You'd think I'd have learned from my bone headed mistake, but it happened again and the tank spiked to 87. Don't let your setbacks discourage you. Everyone in this forum has probably been where you are at some point.

 

[Cell]

Consider re-evaluating your AI Prime settings. I'm no expert with AI Primes, I use one and follow the BRS recommendations, but find it a bit over the top in terms of unnecessary customization. Your current UV level at 22% seems very low compared to BRS recommendations. I have no idea if this is contributing to your problems or not, but because lighting may be an issue here, it's worth investigating.