Corals not doing good

[Thrashed]

So I’ll start with my tank has been up and running over a year now. Tank has always been great and never had any problems with my corals. Tank is a 90 gallon with a 55 gallon sump. So here is my problem. About a month back my light went into disco mode (timer failed and was flashing in and off). I had a brand new light sitting here for a upgrade I am planning (same light as was on it). 3 days after the new light was installed I had cyano covering my tank. So I turned the lights off for 3 days and one the day I turned them back on started weekly 20 gallon water changes. I am on week 4 now of 20 gallon water changes and all of my monti’s have bleached out and my zoas have not opened in over a month (no melting and still showing some color on skirts with them closed) and my acans have fully died. But my frogspawn is looking better than it has since I put it in my tank as well as my other sps and chalices. I did some testing today and nothing is really super high compared to where it normally is. So anyone have any ideas on what I am over looking? I’ve played with the lights in 3 day intervals from 5% up to 75% on blues and 5% up to 50% on whites and there is no change in the corals not opening just the ones that are still doing great

 

[RocksNStuff]

Oddly it looks like you ammonia is at 1ppm?

 

[Thrashed]

Oddly it looks like you ammonia is at 1ppm?

Yeah the pic didn’t do it much justice. But it’s between .25 and .50. Which is still high but it normally stays between .00 and .25

 

[jassermd]

The ramp up on lights may have contributed to the challenges your seeing... You mentioned increasing in 3 day intervals, but not by how much every with every increase. Plus, the change in light source is another variable... Although same light, different light intensity.
I agree, ammonia looks to be 1ppm, which may also be contributing.
Have you added anything to the tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

before reacting and making any changes, please know that API kits are notorious for false reading and have let down many reefers hence the low price of $22.00 for a master kit.
Please take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what readings they come up with.

 

[vetteguy53081]

before reacting and making any changes, please know that API kits are notorious for false reading and have let down many reefers hence the low price of $22.00 for a master kit.
Please take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what readings they come up with.

Also, moderate light and water flow and turn lights back to acclimation mode for now.

 

[RocksNStuff]

Yeah the pic didn’t do it much justice. But it’s between .25 and .50. Which is still high but it normally stays between .00 and .25

Others have said API tests are notorious for false positive readings. I have not experienced this personally because I use salifert tests but this info could help you.

 

[Dom]

Oddly it looks like you ammonia is at 1ppm?

If that ammonia reading is accurate, it's at least part of the problem. I suggest starting with a big water change.

Total volume of both tanks is 145 gallons. Lets say the sump has only 30 gallons of its 55 gallon capacity in use. You are running 120 gallons. Cut that in half (60 gallons).

Do a 60 gallon water change and monitor.

 

[Thrashed]

The ramp up on lights may have contributed to the challenges your seeing... You mentioned increasing in 3 day intervals, but not by how much every with every increase. Plus, the change in light source is another variable... Although same light, different light intensity.
I agree, ammonia looks to be 1ppm, which may also be contributing.
Have you added anything to the tank?

Light was increased by 5% every 3 days and nothing new has been added to the tank besides a few frags in the past 4 months. By few frags I mean 3 new small 3-5 poly zoa frags

 

[Dom]

Others have said API tests are notorious for false positive readings. I have not experienced this personally because I use salifert tests but this info could help you.

The knock on API ammonia tests is that it always reads .25 on ammonia. This is in the 1 range, so I think its likely to be preset in the water.

 

[Dom]

Yes... I think figuring the source of your ammonia is the first problem to solve.

 

[Thrashed]

before reacting and making any changes, please know that API kits are notorious for false reading and have let down many reefers hence the low price of $22.00 for a master kit.
Please take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what readings they come up with.

I also have Red Sea kits and Hannah testers. All are reading the same as the api. It was just easier to post 1 pic of the api kit instead of a bunch of single test pics

 

[Goaway]

Test rodi water. You might be surprised what api says to you.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Others have said API tests are notorious for false positive readings. I have not experienced this personally because I use salifert tests but this info could help you.

I would agree that this is true to an extent. Some API tests are sometimes accurate and sometimes duds. What I can’t agree on is Ammonia in most all cases. API Ammonia is one of the most unreliable and untrustworthy Ammonia Test kits out there. You might as well get a glass vial and put a few drops of green food coloring and you’ll get a more accurate result than API