Admitting I need help!!!

[Blufgan]

Float some mangrove in your sump. Should pull out some of the nutrients and help compete with the bad algae. Good Luck

 

[Saltgator]

Float some mangrove in your sump. Should pull out some of the nutrients and help compete with the bad algae. Good Luck

I have a fuge coming in November but until then, I had considered this as well as building a flow thru box and adding some fuge algae while the DT was fishless. Anyone see something wrong with this idea?

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[Saltgator]

Another update: After WC and WC, the nitrates are down (I'll explain how much in a minute), and the HA is not increasing, but is being dealt with. After a trip in town yesterday for a battery operated livewell pump (my back up for power outages, yep, we are having a Hurricane) and some PE mysis and garlic xtreme, I also decided to have the LFS test the nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, and ph. Well.. here they are and anyone reading, PLEASE help convert: Nitrites are 0, Ammonia are 0, PH is 8.3, and Nitrates were 2 parts per liter <<< ? I can't convert this, but spoke quickly with afew other local reefers and they stated that it was good, but can someone give me a ppm number please? I'm starting to think the rise and fall with the ALK was the greatest issue and caused the SPS RTN and/or losses and the invert losses. The numbers seem good and rock solid right now (ALK @ 8, CAL @ 450), but think I'm going to turn the dose down on the 2 part due to the lack of animals soaking it up. <<If I'm wrong, please advise.

The QT/Hypo is going good with the 4 fish (Red sea regal angel, black tang, and pair of picassos). A UV sterilizer was added and seems to be really doing a good job, but hypo is my trusted method, so a UV can't hurt. The regal has settled in great and eats like a pig twice a day (pellets in the afternoon and either PE mysis or enriched brine or small mysis in the evening). Each feeding, all the food is soaked in garlic xtreme every other day. I offer roasted nori, but only every other day due to the lack of intrest from the regal and black tang (in the DT the black tang loved it if another tang was eating it. He only trys it off and on, now and then. Even though, WC are keepin the QT clean. so keeping the fish fat-n-happy are my main goal.

 

[robf]

so I am assuming you are not running a deep sand bed or a fuge. How deep is your sand? Until you figure out why PO4 is so high you are going to repeat this episode. I am moving away from the large deep sand fuge and towards less detritus. Fix the phosphate prob.

 

[Saltgator]

so I am assuming you are not running a deep sand bed or a fuge. How deep is your sand? Until you figure out why PO4 is so high you are going to repeat this episode. I am moving away from the large deep sand fuge and towards less detritus. Fix the phosphate prob.

No phosphate no fuge 4 inch sand bed

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[Saltgator]

Updated my build thread with some shots of my issues. Give me your thoughts on the massive HA or.... Which direction you might go with it.


https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/large-aquariums-180g/72706-saltgators-240-build-3.html


Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[Saltgator]

Pulled a ton (1/8 bucket, pics in my build thread) of HA out last night. I'm almost 100% it was HA, but it's been removed.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[MBG75]

If there is still algae growing then I'd bet there are still phosphates in the system. What are you testing phosphates with? My API will read 0. But my Hanna will show .03-.04

Yes you can put macro in the tank till you get a fuge setup. Cheato would be best as it will not attach. Or you can get or make a basket to hold it in your sump.

Do you run filter socks? A 100 micron changed out regularly will help catch debris and stop spread of hair algae.

 

[Saltgator]

Running 100 micron socks as of 2 weeks ago and swapping them out every 4 days, testing phosphate with API and against lfs Hanna still reading 0, and still considering the cheato. My only issue now is getting the HA under control. My cyano is 100% gone. I'm running bulk brs gfo and I believe my 1.5 cups stripped my system too fast causing some of the issues with my coral (maybe I'm wrong, correct me if so).

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[Chameleon]

yeah I would say 1.5 cups would strip a system and cause a lot of issues. its potent stuff. I started out with 2 tbsp and moved up slowly to about 8 tbsp on my system 70gal total volume.

 

[Saltgator]

yeah I would say 1.5 cups would strip a system and cause a lot of issues. its potent stuff. I started out with 2 tbsp and moved up slowly to about 8 tbsp on my system 70gal total volume.

Yep! My mistake, again. Getting put on stand-by with my job on the hurricane we had coming and stressing over my DT issues caused a mistake on my part.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but HA grows off nitrates and not phosphates, right or wrong?


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[Chameleon]

Yep! My mistake, again. Getting put on stand-by with my job on the hurricane we had coming and stressing over my DT issues caused a mistake on my part.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but HA grows off nitrates and not phosphates, right or wrong?



Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

Wrongish...they need both for sure...with zero phosphates most algaes find it tough to grow. Cyano can grow just on phosphates though as it fixes its own nitrogen

 

[MBG75]

My guess is the 0 phosphate reading is a false reading due to the algae sucking it up.

Don't rush anything, and keep it as stable as possible.

Also, try Hanna test for phosphates on your RO/DI water.
Few months ago i had 0 Tds, but phosphates present in mine.

 

[Saltgator]

My guess is the 0 phosphate reading is a false reading due to the algae sucking it up.

Don't rush anything, and keep it as stable as possible.

Also, try Hanna test for phosphates on your RO/DI water.
Few months ago i had 0 Tds, but phosphates present in mine.

Thanks. I'll check my top off/wc hook.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[Saltgator]

Wrongish...they need both for sure...with zero phosphates most algaes find it tough to grow. Cyano can grow just on phosphates though as it fixes its own nitrogen

Figured I was wrong. Thanks

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[lpslover]

Oooh, my condolences. That thoroughly sucks. I'd be in coral rage too.

+1 on slow and steady with the Alk adjustments and the GFO. If the algae doesn't clear once you do that, chemiclean is great stuff. You might have to replace the GFO daily until the PO4 comes down. In a pinch you can throw it right in your filter sock instead of in a bag, the flow through works better that way IME. I'd add some bacterial cultures and consider a refugium, biobeads or vinegar dosing (vodka can make cyano worse) if you don't already for the NO3 control.

You might also consider removing colonies that are experiencing RTN if possible. The Alk drop is probably what caused it, and that in turn probably didn't help the nutrient build up. Rotting flesh is never good for water quality. I don't have much experience with SPS, but possibly you can trim away the damaged portions and seal them with super glue or epoxy before putting them in a hospital tank until the main tank stabilizes. That way, if necessary, you can do constant small water changes to the hospital tank to maintain the highest possible water quality to promote healing while you wait for the DT tank to stabilize.

Good luck!

 

[Saltgator]

Oooh, my condolences. That thoroughly sucks. I'd be in coral rage too.

+1 on slow and steady with the Alk adjustments and the GFO. If the algae doesn't clear once you do that, chemiclean is great stuff. You might have to replace the GFO daily until the PO4 comes down. In a pinch you can throw it right in your filter sock instead of in a bag, the flow through works better that way IME. I'd add some bacterial cultures and consider a refugium, biobeads or vinegar dosing (vodka can make cyano worse) if you don't already for the NO3 control.

You might also consider removing colonies that are experiencing RTN if possible. The Alk drop is probably what caused it, and that in turn probably didn't help the nutrient build up. Rotting flesh is never good for water quality. I don't have much experience with SPS, but possibly you can trim away the damaged portions and seal them with super glue or epoxy before putting them in a hospital tank until the main tank stabilizes. That way, if necessary, you can do constant small water changes to the hospital tank to maintain the highest possible water quality to promote healing while you wait for the DT tank to stabilize.

Good luck!

Thanks. After several wc and no gfo, things are starting to get better. Still some HA here and there, but I'm dealing with that.

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[Saltgator]

Just a small update: All my corals seem happy now that that things are going back to normal. HA still here and there, but I'm working on it. Tried my 1st sps frag on Sunday and all appears great as far as the numbers are reading out and the overall appearance of this frag and all LPS and inverts. I also put 2 mexican turbos in to assist with the HA and they haven't stopped working yet.

 

[robf]

I usually try to offer help to others, but recently (ok, the last few weeks) have lost my grip on my DT and I'm paying for it. My DT is covered in brown algae (the rocks and walls), I've lost every piece of SPS (frags to small colonies) with exception of 2 unknown frags (but no PE). All my pieces either RTN'd or just turned to bleached white or super brown. I had noticed an increase in algae earlier in the past week, so as I assumed, it was phos and nitrates creeping up. Well, creeping went and now running skyward is more like it. I've cleaned the sump, cleaned the top layer of LS with a vac, multiple water changes, and wet skimmed as much as I thinnk I can, only fed every other day,and added more powerheads for flow. Still, my phos is 15ppm and my nitrates are 20ppm!!! I can't seem to beat these into reducing. I recently added BRS GFO to assist the phos, but my main concern was the nitrates. During all this, my 2 part BRS dosing went crazy (hose on alk wasn't working) and I had a Alk swing from 10 to 6. My cal increased up to 550 though. So in my conclusion, I think the ALk swing caused the RTN, but the nitrates and phos levels didn't help. The weird thing to me is all my softies, lps, and 2 clams are extremly happy. Usually when my phos started creeping up, my softies (xenia mainly) would shrivle up, but they're out and pulsing great. I sitting here looking at my reef and had to type this up, reguardless of admitting I turned my back on my reef for a few and now have issues. Any thoughts would be great.

BTW, I've considered a turf scrubber, a couple reactors (yeap, I'm rocking mesh bags in the sump), or just adding more pods to assist along with the others.


240 DT with a 55 sump, swc cone 230, LED lighting (a few weeks old, turned down for acclimation),3 tangs under 5 inches, 2 clowns, 1 neon gobie, 1 brittle star, numerous snails, a few hermits, tropic eden reef and mini flakes for the LS, roughly 15k of flow in DT, let me know what else you need.

Back to the origin of this thread.... Did you ever detect from where the nitrate and phosphate came? Did an imbalance of some sort send this tank spiraling out of control? Just curious. For what it's worth. I use Brightwell's Export (Export BIO, Export NO3, and Export PO4) products in a canister filter (I also have a sump and skimmer) and so far I am happy with them. It's done a good job of removing excess nitrate and phosphate and keeps the hair algae from getting a foothold. I still rely on ample and regular water changes and good husbandry with minimal feeding. It sounds like you do this too. The Brightwell products are sort of my extra insurance policy for removing these pollutants.

 

[Saltgator]

Back to the origin of this thread.... Did you ever detect from where the nitrate and phosphate came? Did an imbalance of some sort send this tank spiraling out of control? Just curious. For what it's worth. I use Brightwell's Export (Export BIO, Export NO3, and Export PO4) products in a canister filter (I also have a sump and skimmer) and so far I am happy with them. It's done a good job of removing excess nitrate and phosphate and keeps the hair algae from getting a foothold. I still rely on ample and regular water changes and good husbandry with minimal feeding. It sounds like you do this too. The Brightwell products are sort of my extra insurance policy for removing these pollutants.

Thanks. The nitrate issue was a bad (faulty reading I believe) rodi and dead snails (turbos and more turbos).

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