Dirty tank

[b breef]

I have had a 20 aio cube up and running for 14 months now and honestly it’s never been super clean despite my weekly husbandry (10 &20% WCs weekly)- along with testing and nutrient control. I have had a fight with Dino’s a few times and some serious GHA outbreaks in these 14 months as a beginner. inhabitants include 5 fish and a mix of softies and lps- a couple sps. Corals growing extremely slow. Had a nem around 4 months but I pulled it due to health and decline.



after a 20% WC yesterday, within 4 hrs my filter pad looked like (attached pic.) I’ve never had sheets of cyano or anything but the filter pad looks reddish brown. I don’t use a sock but instead filter floss and polishing pad in basket of chamber 1. This is common and I have to change the filter pads daily. I even run a hob tidal 55 to help clean water. My sand is clean on surface and I have a few small rock surfaces with loose gha. Glass surprisingly only needs to be cleaned weekly and water is clear but has a lot of particulate in it. CUC is stocked pretty well with the usual suspects. I run matrix media, purigen along with floss and pads. No dosing or supplements.

Ai prime lighting.

Parameters pretty stable at:

pH 8.1

Dkh 7.8

No3 5= or less

Po4 .09

Haven’t been focused on calc and mag so much bc I want to get it clean first. They’ve been good when I do test. Calc a little high around 1450 but otherwise ok.

Using Hanna Marine multimeter

SG 1.026 but my ato has been down and been topping by hand w/ rodi water so it’s been fluctuating some I’m sure.



Just tired of the dirty and supper slow growth of corals spit my efforts just need thoughts and suggestions on what could be and what to try.

The tank pic is a typ view. The bluer light picture is early morning trying to show a little of the algae on rocks

Thanks in advance!!

 

[landlubber]

this might seem counter intuitive but doing 20% water changes weekly may be the reason your system isn't working for you.
Everyone has a different path to the point where they reach true biological stability and one thing that can impede the process is constantly intervening via making changes. Basically, your system should be resolving most of its own issues on its own not allowing them ever to develop but it isn't getting the chance as its only 6 days until its being messed with again resetting the uglies.
Focusing on the cleanliness and not the main 3 parameters is also a bit of a head scratcher. These are consistently mentioned because they're important.
My advice would be to slow things down to a water change every 3 weeks. i bet over time the less your hands end up in the tank the better your results will be.

 

[b breef]

this might seem counter intuitive but doing 20% water changes weekly may be the reason your system isn't working for you.
Everyone has a different path to the point where they reach true biological stability and one thing that can impede the process is constantly intervening via making changes. Basically, your system should be resolving most of its own issues on its own not allowing them ever to develop but it isn't getting the chance as its only 6 days until its being messed with again resetting the uglies.
Focusing on the cleanliness and not the main 3 parameters is also a bit of a head scratcher. These are consistently mentioned because they're important.
My advice would be to slow things down to a water change every 3 weeks. i bet over time the less your hands end up in the tank the better your results will be.

I had suspicions of messing too much with it.
What’s your thought on red/brown staining on filter so quickly?
Thanks for the comment.

 

[TokenReefer]

Haven’t been focused on calc and mag so much bc I want to get it clean first.

Just my opinion but I think you're there as far as cleaning. You're tank looks great. Think it might be time to start focusing on these parameters (alk most imp). You may find as alk (and ph) increase those "browning" agents decrease....might also find wc's to be disruptive while monitoring those params... Again just my .02.

 

[landlubber]

I had suspicions of messing too much with it.
What’s your thought on red/brown staining on filter so quickly?
Thanks for the comment.

tough to say for sure. it could be cyano, it could be dinoflagelletes or it could be something else or best case scenario It could also a problem that might resolve itself if the tank gets a chance to build a strong biological colony.

 

[mdb_talon]

I dont honestly think your tank looks especially dirty. I mean its not an "instagram" tank where it looks sterile (but I consider that a good thing.

I assume on your calcium level you mean 450 rather than 1450

As for why your floss got nasty so fast thats a good question I wish I knew an answer. I would suggest calcium carbonate to help clarify the water and pull some of that out.

 

[b breef]

I’ve since gone to 2 weeks per WC and my tank/ filter pads already looks better. And my pH and dkh are still good as are nutrients. I might go to three week changes and see. Cal is surprisingly high still at 511 just befor WC. I need a good mag. Tester. Any recommendations?

 

[Nano sapiens]

As mentioned, focus on the 'Big 3' (Alk, Ca, Mg). 'Stability (with parameters that are within the proper ranges)...leads to maturity...leads to success'.

Calcium at over 500 ppm is high and while not a deal breaker it should be addressed IMO. How are you adding Alk and Ca?

There are two schools of thought regarding water changes. Relatively large changes less frequently, or relatively small changes more frequently and either way has been shown to work depending on the system. My small very mature system responds very well to the 'smaller changes more frequently' method. But if you notice good results over time with the 'larger changes less often' method at this point in your aquarium's life, then all good.

I currently use the Nyos Mg test kit and I like it's relative ease of use. I previously had used the AquaForest kit, and while the test results were similar to the Nyos, I found it more complex and less user friendly.

 

[Rmckoy]

As a simple test of the old days way of doing things .
do you use carbon in your system ?

try to siphon some tank water into a white bucket . What colour is it ?
If it’s yellow it’s time to add or change carbon .
this could help the soiled floss issue .
Depends on the flow in the system , amount of food offered and how much stirring you’re doing in the sand bed which will stir up detritus into the water column and also contribute to soiled floss so fast .
As mentioned above slow down on the weekly water changes . It’s been proven there are more affordable ways to remove nutrients as well as replenish elements without changing water as
Often .