Help! struggling in the hobby!

[Money63]

Hello reefer community, i am new to the reef world have had many fish tanks in all sizes for prob going on 15 years in fresh water thought i would try saltwater in a 30 gallon failed miserably as i missed a key in r/o water this time coming back in i went with a 60 gallon tank measures 48Lx18Wx24T with a canister and a nicrew hyper reef 150w light with a cross flow eddie and a mini hygger and a small hang on the back skimmer everything is set up and basically runs its self slowly ramped up the light check all my basics with the saltwater and reef test kits from API, fish are doing fantastic i just cant add any corals or anemones i tryed twice over the past 6 months all my rocks are staying a brown/rust color and i keep getting a brown hair like algea everywhere been dosing to try and get rid of algae and manually removing as much as i can i have a 10 gallon sump set up with a refugium and at this point im just wondering if from the first tank cycle on my 30 gallon if the rocks would leach heavy metals and cause this prob. plz any advice would be apreciated. (at this point im not afraid to start over!)

 

[tzabor10]

Is there a question here? Pictures of the tank would help. Are you testing the water? What are the results?

 

[sixty_reefer]

Hello reefer community, i am new to the reef world have had many fish tanks in all sizes for prob going on 15 years in fresh water thought i would try saltwater in a 30 gallon failed miserably as i missed a key in r/o water this time coming back in i went with a 60 gallon tank measures 48Lx18Wx24T with a canister and a nicrew hyper reef 150w light with a cross flow eddie and a mini hygger and a small hang on the back skimmer everything is set up and basically runs its self slowly ramped up the light check all my basics with the saltwater and reef test kits from API, fish are doing fantastic i just cant add any corals or anemones i tryed twice over the past 6 months all my rocks are staying a brown/rust color and i keep getting a brown hair like algea everywhere been dosing to try and get rid of algae and manually removing as much as i can i have a 10 gallon sump set up with a refugium and at this point im just wondering if from the first tank cycle on my 30 gallon if the rocks would leach heavy metals and cause this prob. plz any advice would be apreciated. (at this point im not afraid to start over!)

Hi, have you got any detectable nitrates or phosphate? It seems that you may be having a issue with nutrients.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What intensity is your light? 150 watts is overkill for that tank size. I keep a 100 watt nicrew on my 32 at 75%.

Can we see a full tank picture? Is there enough water movement? What are the parameters? What kind of corals did you try that died? How many fish in the tank? Are you maintaining regular water changes?

Really need more info to help you, thanks.

Going forward, if you want to keep corals, you should upgrade the test kits. I think salifert and hanna are the most popular. You should be keeping track of alk most importantly for corals.

 

[Money63]

i ran my light with slow ramp from 20%blue to 40% and 15% white 5 hour peak with a 2 hour ramp up and ramp down with one hour of "moonlight" at 5% blue as far as phosphates and nitrates the test im using is reading if i have to almost no trace wish i had a digital for better reading but im def below the .25 and above 0.0 on the API test kits been testing weekly and performing a weekly water change using instant ocean reef crystals. (note the light is hanging 15 inches above waters surface)

 

[jcrusher556]

Hello reefer community, i am new to the reef world have had many fish tanks in all sizes for prob going on 15 years in fresh water thought i would try saltwater in a 30 gallon failed miserably as i missed a key in r/o water this time coming back in i went with a 60 gallon tank measures 48Lx18Wx24T with a canister and a nicrew hyper reef 150w light with a cross flow eddie and a mini hygger and a small hang on the back skimmer everything is set up and basically runs its self slowly ramped up the light check all my basics with the saltwater and reef test kits from API, fish are doing fantastic i just cant add any corals or anemones i tryed twice over the past 6 months all my rocks are staying a brown/rust color and i keep getting a brown hair like algea everywhere been dosing to try and get rid of algae and manually removing as much as i can i have a 10 gallon sump set up with a refugium and at this point im just wondering if from the first tank cycle on my 30 gallon if the rocks would leach heavy metals and cause this prob. plz any advice would be apreciated. (at this point im not afraid to start over!)

What kind of rocks do you have in there?

 

[Damage12]

Your test kits could be off. API are not known to be the best test kits. Did you say you are using a canister filter? Are you using Ro/di water to do water changes or just RO water?

It may be time to send your water off for an ICP test to see what is exactly going on.

 

[Money63]

started with dry live rock from local pet store at about the 2 month mark added a pair of clown fish and was recommended to use a reef started kit from red sea reef starter kit with all the goodies i would need?

 

[Money63]

Your test kits could be off. API are not known to be the best test kits. Did you say you are using a canister filter?

It may be time to send your water off for an ICP test to see what is exactly going on.

is this just as simple as asking my local pet store as i have only one close the others are 50min to over an hour away thanks in advance.

 

[jcrusher556]

started with dry live rock from local pet store at about the 2 month mark added a pair of clown fish and was recommended to use a reef started kit from red sea reef starter kit with all the goodies i would need?

If you are able to, take a picture and post it. Sometimes just seeing the tank help quite a bit

 

[Money63]

If you are able to, take a picture and post it. Sometimes just seeing the tank help quite a bit

yes sir, if you can give me just a bit ill show what the tank is looking like today as today is test day and water change day lol!

 

[Money63]

Is there a question here? Pictures of the tank would help. Are you testing the water? What are the results?

is there a question here? i mean im asking why fish and all test show great threw the API test kits i understand they are not the best however when your local pet store is using them and telling you that its fine you kinda get suckered into it for price and for convivence i have fish snails hermit crabs macro algae all in tank and doing fine anytime i put a coral or a anemone in the tank over the past 6 months it melts within 3 days i have zoa's in tank now i think the are gone because the polyps are very small on the plug the xenia i bought befor that is nothing but a nub on a plug now im just trying to understand what i have done wrong if you read the post my first cycle i messed up and used tap water to mix salt broke tank down let rock set (dry out) then cleaned and rescaped a 60 gallon my question is with the rock continue to leach the heavy metals and chlorine out of the rock or no? thank in advance

 

[Damage12]

is this just as simple as asking my local pet store as i have only one close the others are 50min to over an hour away thanks in advance.

You can purchase the kit here where you mail a sample of your tank water.

ATI ICP Pro Water Analysis - US Version w/ Pre-Paid Return Shipping

The ATI ICP-OES Pro kit is identical to the original ATI ICP-OES test. The ATI ICP-OES Pro Water Analysis is a laboratory water analysis of 43 parameters in a reef tank that provides a complete overview of a tank's health, which is impossible with traditional test equipment. Each test...

premiumaquatics.com

 

[Money63]

 

[Damage12]

Thanks for the photos. I can’t really tell, but do you have any powerheads for flow? Just looks like you have some detritus on the rocks. Nothing really out of the ordinary but corals like flow, some more flow than others.

 

[Money63]

Thanks for the photos. I can’t really tell, but do you have any powerheads for flow? Just looks like you have some detritus on the rocks. Nothing really out of the ordinary but corals like flow, some more flow than others.

yes i have a hygger eddie crossflow at about 40% power on classic wave mode on top left side running long ways and a hygger mini lower to back on random flow for debris settling behind rock work on right side with return running against the eddie for a nice crossflow

 

[Damage12]

yes i have a hygger eddie crossflow at about 40% power on classic wave mode on top left side running long ways and a hygger mini lower to back on random flow for debris settling behind rock work on right side with return running against the eddie for a nice crossflow

Ok, thanks for the info. I would suggest that ICP test to see what is truly going on with your tank water.

 

[Money63]

alright performed water test today found ph low at 7.2 ammonia .25ppm kh 9 calcium 350ppm nitrite 0 nitrate 10ppm phosphate 0

performed water change about 5 gallons as normal weekly routine rechecked ph still holding low added 8.2 correct ph buffer from Api

am i doing all this correctly or am i messing up i thought things wear okay to slowly change but i dont understand the drop in ph when all test results wensday showed no ammonia and 8.1 ph?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Part of your issue is water flow and filtration. This is a Non-reef ready tank which is not the end of the world and doable, however it seems your primary filter is a hang-on back power filter which is a mechanical filter and you want to have mechanical , biological and chemical to manage proper water quality. The power filter will polish water and trap particles via the cartridge.
Chemical is what traps and breaks down chemical compounds such as feces and uneaten food often accomplished with use of carbon and GFO as examples
Biological is what utilizes the natural process of biological filtration such as use of ceramic nuggets, bio blocks, and microscopic bacteria surfaces as examples. Best it to add or use a hang on refugium such as Reef octopus or AquaMaxx unit and even add a hang on skimmer such as ice cap K1- or K2 100

 

[Money63]

Part of your issue is water flow and filtration. This is a Non-reef ready tank which is not the end of the world and doable, however it seems your primary filter is a hang-on back power filter which is a mechanical filter and you want to have mechanical , biological and chemical to manage proper water quality. The power filter will polish water and trap particles via the cartridge.
Chemical is what traps and breaks down chemical compounds such as feces and uneaten food often accomplished with use of carbon and GFO as examples
Biological is what utilizes the natural process of biological filtration such as use of ceramic nuggets, bio blocks, and microscopic bacteria surfaces as examples. Best it to add or use a hang on refugium such as Reef octopus or AquaMaxx unit and even add a hang on skimmer such as ice cap K1- or K2 100

Hello thank you for response i am running a UV canister filter for a 60g think its like a vevor or some off brand from amazon it has live rock and ceramic in the filter and filter floss and black like sponge pad should i get carbon or gfo and run in filter i have diy built a 10 gallon sump with refugium i have heard and researched until my eyes hurt lol any advice would be appreciated