Help Please

[Nosaj82]

Would I be wrong in dying all these suggestions may be temporary solutions? Should I just splurge and get a sump tank set up?

 

[Nosaj82]

Is the alkalinity posted in ppm? If so that's just over 12 dKH which seems high to me. How much light are those corals getting?

If the OP is dosing all the stuff in the pictures I doubt if the corals are starving, even if the algae is taking all the excess.

Also, what is salinity?

I use the Current USA Orbit Marine LED Saltwater Lighting System

Salinity is 1.024

 

[Nosaj82]

Is the alkalinity posted in ppm? If so that's just over 12 dKH which seems high to me. How much light are those corals getting?

If the OP is dosing all the stuff in the pictures I doubt if the corals are starving, even if the algae is taking all the excess.

Also, what is salinity?

Yes the alkalinity is PPM

 

[Nosaj82]

Anybody ever have issues with your shrimp all over the elegance coral? Mine love it and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Would I be wrong in dying all these suggestions may be temporary solutions? Should I just splurge and get a sump tank set up?

Nutrients exportation is the means to a successful reef tank. If you can find a balance between nutrients export and import you will see everything thrive. I also see additives as bandaids people put on problems. These additives never solve the problem they just cover it up until it shows up again.

If your looking for a definite answer no one has one since every tank is different. However, this is what has worked for me in my 15+ years of reefing.
1) A sump is always the best solution since it increases the water volume, allows for a larger refugium, and allows for a larger mechanical filter. However, it is not needed to succeed. I have ran tanks without sumps for years with success.
2) Do a few water changes back to back. Im not sure what your system volume is but somewhere between 5-10% maybe twice a week until the issue starts to change.
3) Manually pull all of the hair algae out. I even went as far as scrubbing mine with a toothbrush, dunking it in RODI water a few times, then placing it back in. Some people go as far as dunking their rocks in hydrogen peroxide or bleach..... I have never and will never do this. There are too many side effects that could possibly come along.
4) Run a small amount of GFO and Carbon in a reactor to help pull those excess nutrients out of the tank.

High phosphates work as a magnifying glass with you light and can burn up your corals in days. Try to run your Alk around 8 dkh. I say around because, again, everyones tanks are different but 8 dkh is a very soft medium. Last but not least, check your feeding and make sure your not unloading too much food on your fish. I always say wasted food is wasted time. The amount of time used on maintenance because you feed too much is astronomical.

Just my 2 cents LOL

 

[CindyKz]

I use the Current USA Orbit Marine LED Saltwater Lighting System

Salinity is 1.024

I don't see the size of your tank anywhere but according to the information provided by the company (advertised by Marine Depot) that light only produces 5-20 PAR at the bottom of a "typical" 24" deep tank. https://www.marinedepot.com/Current...quariums-Current_USA-CU04100-FILTFILD-vi.html In your pictures the corals look to be on the bottom of your tank.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this isn't a nutrient issue, or at least not only a nutrient issue, but inappropriate light. I'd try moving them up in the tank. All of my euphyllia thrive in much higher light levels, I can't speak for elegance coral.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

I don't see the size of your tank anywhere but according to the information provided by the company (advertised by Marine Depot) that light only produces 5-20 PAR at the bottom of a "typical" 24" deep tank. https://www.marinedepot.com/Current...quariums-Current_USA-CU04100-FILTFILD-vi.html In your pictures the corals look to be on the bottom of your tank.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this isn't a nutrient issue, or at least not only a nutrient issue, but inappropriate light. I'd try moving them up in the tank. All of my euphyllia thrive in much higher light levels, I can't speak for elegance coral.

But if it was a light issue, all sps reach for more lighting. They wont shrivel up and die because of low par. And there has to be enough light since they have algae growing. Again, this is just from what I have learned in my tanks I could be wrong.

 

[CindyKz]

But if it was a light issue, all sps reach for more lighting. They wont shrivel up and die because of low par. And there has to be enough light since they have algae growing. Again, this is just from what I have learned in my tanks I could be wrong.

I don't see where he has any SPS, he asked about a torch and an elegance coral. I don't see any SPS in pictures either. I agree they might reach for a while but given enough time without adequate light, shrivel up and die is exactly what these corals would do, I think. They would starve.

As far as the algae, it can thrive in much different light than coral. I have algae growing in a tank with no light other than ambient room light.

 

[Nosaj82]

I don't see the size of your tank anywhere but according to the information provided by the company (advertised by Marine Depot) that light only produces 5-20 PAR at the bottom of a "typical" 24" deep tank. https://www.marinedepot.com/Current...quariums-Current_USA-CU04100-FILTFILD-vi.html In your pictures the corals look to be on the bottom of your tank.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this isn't a nutrient issue, or at least not only a nutrient issue, but inappropriate light. I'd try moving them up in the tank. All of my euphyllia thrive in much higher light levels, I can't speak for elegance coral.

Thanks. I will try that. My tanks is approx 24” deep.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

I don't see where he has any SPS, he asked about a torch and an elegance coral. I don't see any SPS in pictures either. I agree they might reach for a while but given enough time without adequate light, shrivel up and die is exactly what these corals would do, I think. They would starve.

As far as the algae, it can thrive in much different light than coral. I have algae growing in a tank with no light other than ambient room light.

I meant LPS

 

[Nosaj82]

Once again, thanks for all this feed back. I’m going to move the corals higher up, clean the heck out of the algae and do some water changes and adjust feeding. Hopefully I can bring these guys back to life. Sump tank is in the near future I think

 

[Nosaj82]

Nutrients exportation is the means to a successful reef tank. If you can find a balance between nutrients export and import you will see everything thrive. I also see additives as bandaids people put on problems. These additives never solve the problem they just cover it up until it shows up again.

If your looking for a definite answer no one has one since every tank is different. However, this is what has worked for me in my 15+ years of reefing.
1) A sump is always the best solution since it increases the water volume, allows for a larger refugium, and allows for a larger mechanical filter. However, it is not needed to succeed. I have ran tanks without sumps for years with success.
2) Do a few water changes back to back. Im not sure what your system volume is but somewhere between 5-10% maybe twice a week until the issue starts to change.
3) Manually pull all of the hair algae out. I even went as far as scrubbing mine with a toothbrush, dunking it in RODI water a few times, then placing it back in. Some people go as far as dunking their rocks in hydrogen peroxide or bleach..... I have never and will never do this. There are too many side effects that could possibly come along.
4) Run a small amount of GFO and Carbon in a reactor to help pull those excess nutrients out of the tank.

High phosphates work as a magnifying glass with you light and can burn up your corals in days. Try to run your Alk around 8 dkh. I say around because, again, everyones tanks are different but 8 dkh is a very soft medium. Last but not least, check your feeding and make sure your not unloading too much food on your fish. I always say wasted food is wasted time. The amount of time used on maintenance because you feed too much is astronomical.

Just my 2 cents LOL

Thanks for the tips. What did you run in your canister that you had the best success with?

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Thanks for the tips. What did you run in your canister that you had the best success with?

I only have ran a canister on frag tanks that I didnt feed as much. But I would run a bag of carbon and chemipure blue

 

[Nosaj82]

I only have ran a canister on frag tanks that I didnt feed as much. But I would run a bag of carbon and chemipure blue

Thanks

 

[Nosaj82]

I only have ran a canister on frag tanks that I didnt feed as much. But I would run a bag of carbon and chemipure blue

Should I eliminate the ceramic rings or keep them in the canister?

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Should I eliminate the ceramic rings or keep them in the canister?

Ummm I cant see them hurting anything. Personally, if you cant/don't want to afford a sump. Throw on a HOB skimmer it will do wonders for you over the canister filter.

 

[Nosaj82]

Ummm I cant see them hurting anything. Personally, if you cant/don't want to afford a sump. Throw on a HOB skimmer it will do wonders for you over the canister filter.

Thanks. I will check those out

 

[totalbiz]

I’ve heard of some people dosing plant fertilizers, though I haven’t tried it myself I’ve heard people have had their success in increasing PO4 and Nitrates in their tank for whatever reason I don’t know why they wanted to do that (increase PO4 and Nitrate).
Now I know why.
Anyway, you can utilize that canister filter you have as bio-denitrator. Use course PVC shavings as corse filter floss and sintered glass balls.

Hi,

This is not completely related to this problem, but when I saw your post I just needed to ask. I have an extra canister filter that I could use on my reef tank. Could you elaborate a little more on using this filter as a bio-denitrator? I saw the images you posted of the Eheim products. How would this process work? Thanks in advance for your time.