I appreciate you if you stick with me on this...want to be sure you have all the info.
Started a 225g mixed reef 4 months ago. Tried really hard to "do things right". OceanDirect live sand, some live sand and rock from AquaBiomics, marco rock scape. Quarantined fish from reputable QT vendors. No lighting for the first 6 weeks followed by slow ramp up over 2 months. I introduced healthy LPS first, then 15 SPS frags I'd been holding for a few months in another system.
Over the past 3 weeks it seems things have gone to heck and I'm struggling personally about it all. Here are the issues I'm having:
Now, I will say this....nitrates bottomed out on me a few weeks ago. At that point I increased dosing of aminos and feeding of fish to no avail so last week I started dosing NeoNitro. Current parameters are:
Alk = 7.7
Calc = 410
Mag = 1350
Phosphate = 0.04
Nitrate = 0.5
pH = 8.3
Here's what else I've been doing:
I'm certain I'm missing things and am 100% open to questions. Part of me thinks, this is just part of the first year in a tank's life and I just need to be patient....but man it's hard watching some of those corals struggle, and I see some beautiful tanks out there without a lick of the brown nastiness I have on my rock and sand and get discouraged.
Please help me regain some hope
What do you think R2R community?
Started a 225g mixed reef 4 months ago. Tried really hard to "do things right". OceanDirect live sand, some live sand and rock from AquaBiomics, marco rock scape. Quarantined fish from reputable QT vendors. No lighting for the first 6 weeks followed by slow ramp up over 2 months. I introduced healthy LPS first, then 15 SPS frags I'd been holding for a few months in another system.
Over the past 3 weeks it seems things have gone to heck and I'm struggling personally about it all. Here are the issues I'm having:
- A couple tiny patches of what appears to be red cyano. (FWIW, only in a low flow spot in the tank)
- What looks like chrysophytes, although I do not have a microscope to confirm.
- In the last month or so, after being able to go days without cleaning the glass, I can't go more than 24 hours now
- A white-tailed bristletooth tang I've had for 2 years (in my other system) suddenly developed black ich a month after moving to the new tank. (I'm getting PraziPro tomorrow and will treat the entire tank)
- A big royal gramma I've had for 2 years suddenly decided to die today
- 2 weeks ago, my torches and gonis started acting angry (FWIW, all my SPS and other LPS like trachy, acantho, scoly, etc are absolutely fine)
Now, I will say this....nitrates bottomed out on me a few weeks ago. At that point I increased dosing of aminos and feeding of fish to no avail so last week I started dosing NeoNitro. Current parameters are:
Alk = 7.7
Calc = 410
Mag = 1350
Phosphate = 0.04
Nitrate = 0.5
pH = 8.3
Here's what else I've been doing:
- I've added several jars of pods in the last 2 months and can see both copepods and amphipods in the tank and sump
- Dose phyto daily (AlgaeBarn Ocean Magik, 30 mL a day) since the lights went on and pods were first introduced
- Dose Aquaforest Power Elixr daily (12-15 mL) for aminos/vitamins
- Did the Aquabiomics in-tank cipro treatment for the torches just in case. I saw no change.
- Weekly 8-10% water changes since the tank started up.
- Cut down on skimming. Was 24/7, no runs 16 hours a day.
- I ordered some live rock from Tampa Bay Live Rocks but they won't be here for a couple of weeks.
I'm certain I'm missing things and am 100% open to questions. Part of me thinks, this is just part of the first year in a tank's life and I just need to be patient....but man it's hard watching some of those corals struggle, and I see some beautiful tanks out there without a lick of the brown nastiness I have on my rock and sand and get discouraged.
Please help me regain some hope
What do you think R2R community?
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