Corals dying like clockwork

[Zbutcher]

Just a quick question and I don’t think I saw the answer to this already. Do you have and coralline growth?

Lots of coralline all over the frag racks, glass, powerhead, overflow in my tank

 

[Tamberav]

I have not implemented carbon dosing. Another commenter recommended I do and I was doing the reading he recommended

gotcha... still if the nutrients are varying that is a problem. If you were testing often enough.. you can probably graph it out over time

also, if you started with all dry rock.. some systems take awhile... others do not seem to but types of bacterial colonies vary greatly from tank to tank.

 

[Zbutcher]

Also could you share a link to the IPC results you posted in the other forum, was having trouble finding them.

STN with no reason

Hey everyone, My tank has been up for almost a year. Its 180g 6'x3'x12" tall. Basically a large coral flat lol. I have been waiting for it to be "ready for coral" but any time I try an a hardy SPS. It usually STNs after a month. I have honestly been so confused and I genuinely have no idea...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Zbutcher]

No Corraline no coral

I have lots of coralline

 

[Zbutcher]

Also is you are thinking about carbon dosing @SunnyX just wrote a really nice write up on it. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-driven-system-a-recipe-for-success.918102/

Awesome thank you!

 

[Zbutcher]

gotcha... still if the nutrients are varying that is a problem. If you were testing often enough.. you can probably graph it out over time

also, if you started with all dry rock.. some systems take awhile... others do not seem to but types of bacterial colonies vary greatly from tank to tank.

That's fair but I know people that started dry and had SPS thrive after 3 months

 

[Tamberav]

That's fair but I know people that started dry and had SPS thrive after 3 months

Yes, that is why I stated that bacterial colonies vary greatly from tank to tank. There is a test now for bacteria in the tank and it's sometimes all over the map when looking at people who posted different tank breakdowns :)

One 3 month old tank bacterial colonies may differ significantly to the next one. Maybe it is by chance? Maybe it is about early stability that let the right ones grow? Maybe it is about what happened to be introduced on a snail and frag plug and perhaps the right one established? So much we don't know yet tbh.

Regardless you want your No3 and PO4 stable much like Alk. PO4 more so.

 

[Zbutcher]

Yes, that is why I stated that bacterial colonies vary greatly from tank to tank. There is a test now for bacteria in the tank and it's sometimes all over the map when looking at people who posted different tank breakdowns :)

One 3 month old tank bacterial colonies may differ significantly to the next one. Maybe it is by chance? Maybe it is about early stability that let the right ones grow? Maybe it is about what happened to be introduced on a snail and frag plug and perhaps the right one established? So much we don't know yet tbh.

Regardless you want your No3 and PO4 stable much like Alk. PO4 more so.

Sounds good man thank you. I believe I'm going to carbon dose and give that a shot. And hold it stable within range.

 

[Nate Chalk]

I have lots of coralline

par flow disease of some sort guess you’re better off than me :)

Id agree with the others stability of po4 and no3. For myself staying out of things for a couple months, while it may look grim to start things balance themselves out without human interaction.

 

[Lavey29]

OP, sure seems like you are checking everything appropriately and your overall specs seem ok. I'm sure you have done the stray voltage or rusty magnet check also? I truly hope you figure out your dilemma and have success. I was just looking at another thread again where some say drop all the coral you want into a one day old tank and it will thrive but then I read how you are diligently trying your best to care for your livestock many months after set up but still having issues. Best of luck moving forward.

 

[Zbutcher]

Yur

par flow disease of some sort guess you’re better off than me :)

Id agree with the others stability of po4 and no3. For myself staying out of things for a couple months, while it may look grim to start things balance themselves out without human interaction.

Tank is beautiful man. When you say no human interaction, you mean not even feeding?

 

[Zbutcher]

OP, sure seems like you are checking everything appropriately and your overall specs seem ok. I'm sure you have done the stray voltage or rusty magnet check also? I truly hope you figure out your dilemma and have success. I was just looking at another thread again where some say drop all the coral you want into a one day old tank and it will thrive but then I read how you are diligently trying your best to care for your livestock many months after set up but still having issues. Best of luck moving forward.

Thanks I really appreciate that. Yeah I haven't felt the best about dropping that much money on coral seeing how not even one coral will survive lol. I am really hoping this carbon dosing thing solves my problem.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Yur

Tank is beautiful man. When you say no human interaction, you mean not even feeding?

I was balancing po4 and no3 with brightwel neophos neo nitrate, i do mb7 carbon dosing bi weekly “just because” with water changes.

but i found myself testing nightly and balancing over doing tweaks and not letting the tank do its thing.

Did you post a graph of your data? I have mine manually saved in a spreadsheet

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks I really appreciate that. Yeah I haven't felt the best about dropping that much money on coral seeing how not even one coral will survive lol. I am really hoping this carbon dosing thing solves my problem.

Just study up on carbon dosing because you can cause 02 problems for fish if you overdose.

 

[Nate Chalk]

If not nutrients , are you tweaking lights flow at all?

something is causing corals to be shocked and want to bail, theres a change in something drastic enough to make them want to bounce

 

[Rams]

If all your parameters good I suspect bacteria issue..send it to aquabiomics test and see what the results are

 

[Zbutcher]

I was balancing po4 and no3 with brightwel neophos neo nitrate, i do mb7 carbon dosing bi weekly “just because” with water changes.

but i found myself testing nightly and balancing over doing tweaks and not letting the tank do its thing.

Did you post a graph of your data? I have mine manually saved in a spreadsheet

I haven't posted a graph but reckon I could but I can also tell you nitrate and phosphate over the past few months haven't been crazy stable

 

[Zbutcher]

Just study up on carbon dosing because you can cause 02 problems for fish if you overdose.

Yeah I'm not going to use vodka but will use brightwells product so I'm doing the proper amount.

 

[Nate Chalk]

I haven't posted a graph but reckon I could but I can also tell you nitrate and phosphate over the past few months haven't been crazy stable

Within the acceptable range?

or no

i struggled with this too my tanks about the same age adding more rock and carbon dosing helped

 

[Nate Chalk]

Start testing and recording