I cannot seem to get my reef stable

[SOGavity]

Your LPS do look great.

Popbloom RL60 according to their own site the PAR at 20 inches is 100. That's probably good for the Euphyllia.

Have you thought about dosing AFR manually? Bump up the alkalinity just a tad and then maintenance dosing with All For Reef?

I have to special order AFR. I don't have it in my area. I have ask my local LFS to bring it in but unless other people start asking for it, they wont. So $40 for the powder version and $50 for shipping doesn't seem feasible at the moment.

 

[SOGavity]

Great! Tank looks good, your parameters are good. The only thing you need, imo, is time; maybe more CUC to help with algae including a tang and a tail spot Blenny. I would also suggest scrubbing and blowing the rocks during WC.

Not in the photos because they are scardy cats so I'll sneak a pick, but I have a convict tang, tomini tang, and Bi-Colored Foxface. I also have who knows how many snails, conches, sandsifting things... A tuxedo urchin. I pick off any long strands of the hair algae hoping to get the CUC interested but they mostly hang out on the glass. I also have a cleaner shrimp and a peperment shrimp. I did have blue hermit crabs but they started to kill my snails and ate one of my zoas. So, I don't have them any more. I have tried Emerald crabs but they die in like a week...

 

[CHSUB]

Amino acids, reef roids, pellets are all contributing to your hair algae problem

Disagree, I feed corals daily the same and with CUC and maintenance have zero nuisance algae…not saying your wrong but it’s more about the management than what your feeding.

 

[boacvh]

I think tank looks great. I had very low growth the first year of everything except Coraline and then year 2 things accelerated. I say keep doing what you are doing and be patient. All looks good

 

[SOGavity]

Disagree, I feed corals daily the same and with CUC and maintenance have zero nuisance algae…not saying your wrong but it’s more about the management that what your feeding.

I only feed them about twice a week. Especially because I have gonis and I know the success with them is reef roids, or so a few species spotlight youtube channels say. (I research everything before I buy). The only corals I truly feed are my Flowerpots, duncans, trumpets, favias, and blastos. The rest get whatever is floating around.

 

[SOGavity]

I think tank looks great. I had very low growth the first year of everything except Coraline and then year 2 things accelerated. I say keep doing what you are doing and be patient. All looks good

In my photos you can see small bits of coraline finally growing. It must have came off a frag because I never used live rock, nor did I dose it. But it's pretty exciting that it's finally there.

 

[CHSUB]

I only feed them about twice a week

That is enough, imo. I only increased to daily recently because for the last month po4 is 0.0.

Imo, you are doing everything right, maybe more scrubbing of the bare rock if the algae is bothersome to look at but eventually it will disappear if you keep doing what you are doing. I see plenty of room to add more corals…

 

[SOGavity]

That is enough, imo. I only increased to daily recently because for the last month po4 is 0.0.

Imo, you are doing everything right, maybe more scrubbing of the bare rock if the algae is bothersome to look at but eventually it will disappear if you keep doing what you are doing. I see plenty of room to add more corals…

If you look at my photos, I have one spot where there's a large overhang. There's a candy coral on it in the photo but it was being blasted by the current so I moved it a while ago. I really need to figure out what can got there that isn't super encrusting that will take over other corals, and likes a bunch of flow. Because I don't have the highest of lights, I'm not really sure what my options are. I've looked, but can't seem to find anything with those particular needs.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Disagree, I feed corals daily the same and with CUC and maintenance have zero nuisance algae…not saying your wrong but it’s more about the management that what your feeding.

For sure, balancing import vs export. In the OPs situation it seems he is having trouble getting algae under control so he either needs to lower import or increase export.

Lowering import was just a suggestion to help with the algae problem and maybe save some money.

He could also increase export (bigger water changes, better skimmer, etc) but that all costs money too.

I think he could buy a one head dosing pump, dose AFR (which includes trace elements) and cut back on some of the high po4 additives until things are under control.

This is a fairly new tank and a lot is being thrown at it.

I also feed heavy (the fish), but don’t have algae issues…but use a lot of export methods.

We all want the OP to be successful and there are many ways to do it. He’s going to have to research and find what works for him.

I don’t feed coral foods, you do. We are both successful…no nuisance algae. Each method works for us. You can do it because your tank is po4 limited, I’m not gonna throw a bunch of coral foods in because my tank runs at about .1 po4.

A lot of variables in this hobby. OP I’m sure you’ll get it figured out with time and more experience.


OP, here is my goni garden. None of these gonis even know what reef roids are and some have been with me 2+ years. Just some food for thought. There are very few absolutes in this hobby.

 

[CHSUB]

If you look at my photos, I have one spot where there's a large overhang. There's a candy coral on it in the photo but it was being blasted by the current so I moved it a while ago. I really need to figure out what can got there that isn't super encrusting that will take over other corals, and likes a bunch of flow. Because I don't have the highest of lights, I'm not really sure what my options are. I've looked, but can't seem to find anything with those particular needs.

I like big, fast growing leathers , however not see much like that in your tank?….they can and do well in high flow.

 

[CHSUB]

For sure, balancing import vs export. In the OPs situation it seems he is having trouble getting algae under control so he either needs to lower import or increase export.

Lowering import was just a suggestion to help with the algae problem and maybe save some money.

He could also increase export (bigger water changes, better skimmer, etc) but that all costs money too.

I think he could buy a one head dosing pump, dose AFR (which includes trace elements) and cut back on some of the high po4 additives until things are under control.

This is a fairly new tank and a lot is being thrown at it.

I also feed heavy (the fish), but don’t have algae issues…but use a lot of export methods.

We all want the OP to be successful and. He’s going to have to research and find what works for him.

I don’t feed coral foods, you do. We are both successful…no nuisance algae. Each method works for us. You can do it because your tank is po4 limited, I’m not gonna throw a bunch of coral foods in because my tank runs at about .1 po4.

A lot of variables in this hobby. OP I’m sure you’ll get it figured out with time and more experience.


OP, here is my goni garden. None of these gonis even know what reef roids are and some have been with me 2+ years. Just some food for thought. There are very few absolutes in this hobby.

Yes, I agree ‘’there are many ways to do it’’…

 

[SOGavity]

For sure, balancing import vs export. In the OPs situation it seems he is having trouble getting algae under control so he either needs to lower import or increase export.

Lowering import was just a suggestion to help with the algae problem and maybe save some money.

He could also increase export (bigger water changes, better skimmer, etc) but that all costs money too.

I think he could buy a one head dosing pump, dose AFR (which includes trace elements) and cut back on some of the high po4 additives until things are under control.

This is a fairly new tank and a lot is being thrown at it.

I also feed heavy (the fish), but don’t have algae issues…but use a lot of export methods.

We all want the OP to be successful and there are many ways to do it. He’s going to have to research and find what works for him.

I don’t feed coral foods, you do. We are both successful…no nuisance algae. Each method works for us. You can do it because your tank is po4 limited, I’m not gonna throw a bunch of coral foods in because my tank runs at about .1 po4.

A lot of variables in this hobby. OP I’m sure you’ll get it figured out with time and more experience.


OP, here is my goni garden. None of these gonis even know what reef roids are and some have been with me 2+ years. Just some food for thought. There are very few absolutes in this hobby.

I love gonis and would LOVE a garden one day.

I have a bubble mangus skimmer meant for 220 gallons. My tank system, including sump is 130 gallons. My skimmer does fill up fast. It's mostly wet skim, though.

Yes, I have looked at a single head doser, for sure. And that is definitely an idea. I agree with the All for reef. I've heard many stories of success with it.

When I feed my corals, I don't feed the fish, mostly because they catch what the corals miss (or steal it). I also think the hair algae was a flow issue. I only had two small jebao power heads on the tank and recently added a new maxspect. I think in a week or so, this flow will help knock off anything that isn't attached. I have definitely noticed a change where the sand isn't as covered in the red stuff. I have no Cyano neither. So I think my problem will clear up. I've also been dipping affected corals in H2O2. It's working. It's not as bad now as it has been. My corals are no longer covered in it, its just parts of the rocks now. Like I said, I think the algae arrived on a coral I ordered online. I'm hoping I don't have an issue with import, export. I did have a stable 10 nitrates and 2 phosphates for the longest time until I added a GSP that showed the first signs of the algae growth. That algae absorbed the nutrients that I did have and now they're low. I've keep it that way hoping the loss of nutrients will kill off the algae. Once it's dealt with, I'll worry about the nutrients then.

 

[SOGavity]

I like big, fast growing leathers , however not see much like that in your tank?….they can and do well in high flow.

The only softies in my tank is a hairy green mushroom (my very very first coral and I love the dude), and a red discomussa which is on it's own little island at the front because it went from one head to four in like two months. Yeesh. I have seen other leathers, but I don't know... I don't really find them that attractive. Or at least the ones I've seen.