Annoyed Corals, "Good" Parameters - What am I missing?

[Mas0n]

Hey Everyone!

Been having a bit of an issue with my tank recently, everything was going well, my parameters were all good (posting below), and the corals had nice extension. I had a bit of diatoms/hair algae but nothing crazy.

For the past week, my torches and Zoas have been closed / annoyed despite the following current parameters:
Temp: 78-79f- InkBird Probe checked against traceable thermometer
Salinity: 34 ppt - 2 refractometers calibrated with 35 ppt solution
PH: 7.8-8.1 - Apex Probe
Alk: 8.7 dKH - Hanna
Ammonia: 0.04 - Hanna
Nitrite: 4 - Hanna ULR (ppb)
Nitrate: 5-6 ppm - Hanna
Phosphate: .06 ppm - Hanna
Magnesium: 1360 - Hanna
Calcium: 406 - Hanna

I also recently did an ICP test after noticing that I haven't seen great growth over the past 5 months, just wanted to make sure there were any pollutants in the water. Here are the results:

(RODI Test was perfect, everything was "Not Detectable", it also reads 0 TDS. )

After getting these results, I saw that my phosphate was low, so I fed with Reef Roids to bring it up to the current levels above. Maybe I increased the nutrients too fast upsetting the corals? Maybe that drop caused a bloom of dinos? I do have some nasty stringy algae starting to form, pictured below.

Thoughts?

Tank Pics:


Mad torch, usually has really nice extension...

Same story

Typically a really nice full colony of Zoas

Goni is loving life... not really sure why its so happy lol.

Picture of the algae (DINOS???) starting to form on snails and across the tank...

I'm a bit lost, I haven't made and drastic changes, just currently watching and hoping it turns around, but I may need to act soon.

Thanks for reading, and I would appreciate any feedback or tips.

 

[Mas0n]

Note, this is a Innovative Marine 40L, running 3 Prime 16HDs, Saxby profile, scaled back to about 60%. Using Two AI Nero 3s to provide solid flow throughout the tank as well.

 

[Lavey29]

LPS corals like nutrients. Nitrates 10 to 20 phosphate. 05 to .15. Some of your trace elements are missing to such as iron and manganese which are essential.

What is your tank par?

 

[Mas0n]

LPS corals like nutrients. Nitrates 10 to 20 phosphate. 05 to .15. Some of your trace elements are missing to such as iron and manganese which are essential.

What is your tank par?

Yep! Going to work on slowly raising them, I have some neo nitro to bring up the nitrates.

Here is a super crude diagram, that hopefully provides some context.

Pic from April 6th, when things were actually happy...

 

[Marquarium]

Reef roid it up every couple days and see what happens in a few weeks. Also could dose something like RedSea AB+

 

[Mas0n]

Reef roid it up every couple days and see what happens in a few weeks. Also could dose something like RedSea AB+

I was using AB+ but backed off a little not knowing if that was causing some of the issues. I will resume its use tomorrow though.

 

[Lavey29]

Ok par is decent. Bump the nutrients up and fix a few of those trace areas. Run carbon and check equipment for rust. Weekly water changes essential.

 

[JNalley]

The stuff on the snail shell definitely seems to be Dino's, only way to know for sure though would be by using a microscope. use a pipette to suck some of it up and put it on a slide. How prolific is the outbreak? is it all over the place? Just starting to show up here and there?

 

[Mas0n]

The stuff on the snail shell definitely seems to be Dino's, only way to know for sure though would be by using a microscope. use a pipette to suck some of it up and put it on a slide. How prolific is the outbreak? is it all over the place? Just starting to show up here and there?

That's what I was afraid of. Just starting to pop up around the tank.

Ordering a microscope on Amazon now.

Ok par is decent. Bump the nutrients up and fix a few of those trace areas. Run carbon and check equipment for rust. Weekly water changes essential.

Added fresh carbon today, no rust on anything, checked that recently because I dropped a metal bread tie in the tank and couldn't find it for a few days, thinking it could have caused the issues, though ICP doesn't show anything crazy.

Thanks for the advice yall! Just dosed a little NeoNitro to add 2ppm Nitrate, will test tomorrow and continue dosing daily until I get to 10-15 Nitrate.

 

[ReefingDreams]

That's what I was afraid of. Just starting to pop up around the tank.

Ordering a microscope on Amazon now.

Added fresh carbon today, no rust on anything, checked that recently because I dropped a metal bread tie in the tank and couldn't find it for a few days, thinking it could have caused the issues, though ICP doesn't show anything crazy.

Thanks for the advice yall! Just dosed a little NeoNitro to add 2ppm Nitrate, will test tomorrow and continue dosing daily until I get to 10-15 Nitrate.

Your aluminum is pretty high. Are you using ceramic media?

Don't forget, there are pollutants that will never show on an ICP. When was your last water change? Most salt mixes have extremely elevated I, Mn, and Fe. Quick way to pollution dilution and bumping those numbers semi-naturally.

 

[Lavey29]

That's what I was afraid of. Just starting to pop up around the tank.

Ordering a microscope on Amazon now.

Added fresh carbon today, no rust on anything, checked that recently because I dropped a metal bread tie in the tank and couldn't find it for a few days, thinking it could have caused the issues, though ICP doesn't show anything crazy.

Thanks for the advice yall! Just dosed a little NeoNitro to add 2ppm Nitrate, will test tomorrow and continue dosing daily until I get to 10-15 Nitrate.

I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable numbers.

 

[Mas0n]

Your aluminum is pretty high. Are you using ceramic media?

Don't forget, there are pollutants that will never show on an ICP. When was your last water change? Most salt mixes have extremely elevated I, Mn, and Fe. Quick way to pollution dilution and bumping those numbers semi-naturally.

I am, I have some Maxspect "Nano-Tech Bio-Sphere" media, which is ceramic.

Fair enough! My last water change was last week and about 15%.

 

[ReefingDreams]

I am, I have some Maxspect "Nano-Tech Bio-Sphere" media, which is ceramic.

Fair enough! My last water change was last week and about 15%.

Many ceramic medias are known to leach aluminum. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if I were in your shoes, I'd remove the ceramic media. Your live rock should be all you need. Alternatively, add some rock to your sump, but you really don't need it.

I'd hit it with 30% weekly water changes for 4 weeks and then send another ICP and see where that Al number settles. Then follow back up 3 months later (or sooner if your testing regiment is more often) to see if it continues to drop with your normal water change schedule or if it starts to rise again.

 

[Mas0n]

Thanks for the all help the other day guys!

I got the microscope in and can confirm it's Dinos (Ostreopsis?).



Currently running UV to kill them and raising my nutrients!

 

[Mas0n]

Current nutrient params are:

Phosphate .1
Nitrate 10

Getting there! Going to raise them up a bit more and maintain. Also ordered a 25w 120gph UV sterilizer, the current one is pretty dinky lol.

 

[Lavey29]

Current nutrient params are:

Phosphate .1
Nitrate 10

Getting there! Going to raise them up a bit more and maintain. Also ordered a 25w 120gph UV sterilizer, the current one is pretty dinky lol.

Just run it at night when they are in the water column so you don't kill all your good stuff to.

 

[Mas0n]

Oh yeah 24 watts of pure Dino killing power lol

 

[acroslayer]

Oh yeah 24 watts of pure Dino killing power lol

I actually ran this one for a long time in my acro tank I just bought another for my new tank they work great

 

[Mas0n]

I actually ran this one for a long time in my acro tank I just bought another for my new tank they work great

Can’t beat the price! Good to hear.

 

[Mas0n]

Ugly pictures, but I'm already seeing better coral extension today after running the UV overnight.