I need encouragement

[PapaDragon]

I don’t normally post, but I’m getting very discouraged with my aquarium. Let me start by giving you the current setup:

• 180 gallons (6x2x2)
• 40-gallon sump
• Reef octopus skimmer
• 3 XR30 gen 4 pro
• 4 mp40s
• Marine pure blocks
• Apex with all the goodies

I setup the aquarium at the end of 2018 and the first 2.5 years I felt like I was starting to dial it in. Easy and medium care corals were doing well. However, that past 6 - 8 months have been horrible. I have been fighting a loosing battle with aiptasia and now blasto's I've had for years have just melted away. Its not just the blasto's the tank looks like it did when I first started 3 years ago from all the die off. ICP test don't show anything out of whack! Phosphates are high, but that is the only parameter.

I've probably spent $1500 in the past 6 months just trying to fight back aiptasia between shrimp and nudi's.

I just feel like scrapping the entire thing. What am I missing?

 

[Lavey29]

What are your phosphate and nitrate levels now?

Do you manually kill aptasia also with aptasia X? Can you individually take a rock out and clean off aptasia?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I don’t normally post, but I’m getting very discouraged with my aquarium. Let me start by giving you the current setup:

• 180 gallons (6x2x2)
• 40-gallon sump
• Reef octopus skimmer
• 3 XR30 gen 4 pro
• 4 mp40s
• Marine pure blocks
• Apex with all the goodies

I setup the aquarium at the end of 2018 and the first 2.5 years I felt like I was starting to dial it in. Easy and medium care corals were doing well. However, that past 6 - 8 months have been horrible. I have been fighting a loosing battle with aiptasia and now blasto's I've had for years have just melted away. Its not just the blasto's the tank looks like it did when I first started 3 years ago from all the die off. ICP test don't show anything out of whack! Phosphates are high, but that is the only parameter.

I've probably spent $1500 in the past 6 months just trying to fight back aiptasia between shrimp and nudi's.

I just feel like scrapping the entire thing. What am I missing?

I understand the frustration and it can as simple as type of water used for mixing, false test results, aerosols or other airborne in the house such as candles or even too close to kitchen.

You have quality equipment and nice sized tank.
What test kits are you using?
RODI or tap water from the faucet?
Is tank at or near a window?
What salt mix are you using ?
What method of dosing are you utilizing ?

What are your readings for alk-mag-calcium-salinity-temp-ph-nitrate-phosphate-ammonia?

Recommended ranges:
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .10
phos < .04 - .06
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300-1350
Alk 8-11
CA 400- 440

For aptasia, if there is an abundance, you can add a Blueface Kleini butterfly which eats them like candy. NOTE: Must be the blue pictured below and not yellow which will pick on coral. Kleini after aptasia gone is very peaceful and will eat all dry and frozen food offered and not bother with coral.

 

[pap2]

why is there
ammonia?

 

[vetteguy53081]

why is there
ammonia?

Ammonia is a waste by product and part of nitrogen cycle generally always present and will accumulate in the aquarium to toxic levels capable of killing fish. Its the beneficial bacteria in the biofilter/bedding which will break down the toxicity

 

[Karen00]

Post your parameters when you can. It could be something as simple as a tweak here and there. Do you think the dieoff is from the aiptasia or something else like parameters shifting? I would say if you can't get the fish that was noted above for the aiptasia then I agree that removing the rock (if possible) would be the best/fastest method. Sometimes they get beyond the point of trying to deal with them in the tank. My tank is fairly new and I'm going through the ugly phase. It's starting to recede (which is good) but not fast enough for me because it was frustrating to look at. Thankfully I designed my aquascape so I could remove each rock if needed which is what I did last night while doing my water change. I scrubbed the heck out of it in the bucket with my water change water being mindful to check for any critters like snails that I want to keep. I can't tell you how satisfying that was especially seeing it back in my tank. I will do them one by one with each water change. I'm not sure if you have to wear gloves when dealing with them so you might want to confirm that if you go this route.

 

[PapaDragon]

What are your phosphate and nitrate levels now?

Do you manually kill aptasia also with aptasia X? Can you individually take a rock out and clean off aptasia?

I should buy stock in aiptasia X. Nitrates 12 and phosphates 0.6 hannachecker. I know phosphates are high. No ammonia.

 

[Lavey29]

I should buy stock in aiptasia X. Nitrates 12 and phosphates 0.6 hannachecker. I know phosphates are high. No ammonia.

Yes but you can bring that down fairly easy. With your large tank sounds like a fish might be your best aptasia option then. Entirely possible the phosphate level is causing the coral decline also.

 

[PapaDragon]

Yes but you can bring that down fairly easy. With your large tank sounds like a fish might be your best aptasia option then. Entirely possible the phosphate level is causing the coral decline also.

I thought phosphates were not the problem since I don't see any nuisance algae. I thought the worst thing high phosphate would do is slowdown coral growth and nuisance algae.

 

[Lavey29]

I thought phosphates were not the problem since I don't see any nuisance algae. I thought the worst thing high phosphate would do is slowdown coral growth and nuisance algae.

I would say each tanks eco system is slightly different. Some tanks have high phosphate and no algae and thriving corals. You stated your only parameters that is off is high phosphate and now you have declining corals so it is an assumption that your phosphate level may be the source. When my phosphate hits .2 some of my corals get unhappy not all of them. It's just speculation but reasonable to make the connection.

Also please not we have all gone through frustrating times with this hobby and I'm only in year 2 starting this month so stay positive and things will improve for you until the next hurdle comes along.

 

[PapaDragon]

I understand the frustration and it can as simple as type of water used for mixing, false test results, aerosols or other airborne in the house such as candles or even too close to kitchen.

You have quality equipment and nice sized tank.
What test kits are you using?
RODI or tap water from the faucet?
Is tank at or near a window?
What salt mix are you using ?
What method of dosing are you utilizing ?

What are your readings for alk-mag-calcium-salinity-temp-ph-nitrate-phosphate-ammonia?

Recommended ranges:
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .10
phos < .04 - .06
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300-1350
Alk 8-11
CA 400- 440

For aptasia, if there is an abundance, you can add a Blueface Kleini butterfly which eats them like candy. NOTE: Must be the blue pictured below and not yellow which will pick on coral. Kleini after aptasia gone is very peaceful and will eat all dry and frozen food offered and not bother with coral.

What test kits are you using? Hannacheckers and Apex Trident
RODI or tap water from the faucet? 5 stage RODI 0 TDS
Is tank at or near a window? It is but the binds are closed
What salt mix are you using ? Tropic Marin's Pro Reef
What method of dosing are you utilizing ? The Triton Method

What are your readings for alk-mag-calcium-salinity-temp-ph-nitrate-phosphate-ammonia?

Temp ~78
ph 8.0 - 8.1
salinity 34ppt
nitrate 12
phos ~0.6
Ammonia 0
mG 1320
Alk 7.93
CA 380

 

[Cole.mormon]

Seeing as that aptasia is taking all your phosphate. Fix that with the fish and peppermint shrimp first and go from there. I know it's deterring and disappointing, I have and still am in the ugly phase for about a year. I'm still going

 

[JCM]

Buy an aptasia eating fish and some GFO. I'm not one to chase numbers but .6 is crazy high. Double check that number before the GFO.

 

[Tamberav]

never had luck with aiptasia eating filefish but great luck with copperbands. They are a bit difficult fish to get started though. Sometimes TSM has them.

 

[MERKEY]

Take this with a grain of salt but once aiptasia take over and start holding their ground the coral chemical warfare can be really bad.

Things will die off even with icp tests showing all good.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Seeing as that aptasia is taking all your phosphate. Fix that with the fish and peppermint shrimp first and go from there. I know it's deterring and disappointing, I have and still am in the ugly phase for about a year. I'm still going

Any thing to back this up?

 

[vetteguy53081]

What test kits are you using? Hannacheckers and Apex Trident
RODI or tap water from the faucet? 5 stage RODI 0 TDS
Is tank at or near a window? It is but the binds are closed
What salt mix are you using ? Tropic Marin's Pro Reef
What method of dosing are you utilizing ? The Triton Method

What are your readings for alk-mag-calcium-salinity-temp-ph-nitrate-phosphate-ammonia?

Temp ~78
ph 8.0 - 8.1
salinity 34ppt
nitrate 12
phos ~0.6
Ammonia 0
mG 1320
Alk 7.93
CA 380

Alk and calcium work hand in hand and are both a little low.
UV from the sun is quite strong and will penetrate blinds-shades-curtains - a suspect which Is why I asked and can heat tank up and apply unneeded sunlight for several hours.
Everything else seems in range

 

[sixty_reefer]

I don’t normally post, but I’m getting very discouraged with my aquarium. Let me start by giving you the current setup:

• 180 gallons (6x2x2)
• 40-gallon sump
• Reef octopus skimmer
• 3 XR30 gen 4 pro
• 4 mp40s
• Marine pure blocks
• Apex with all the goodies

I setup the aquarium at the end of 2018 and the first 2.5 years I felt like I was starting to dial it in. Easy and medium care corals were doing well. However, that past 6 - 8 months have been horrible. I have been fighting a loosing battle with aiptasia and now blasto's I've had for years have just melted away. Its not just the blasto's the tank looks like it did when I first started 3 years ago from all the die off. ICP test don't show anything out of whack! Phosphates are high, but that is the only parameter.

I've probably spent $1500 in the past 6 months just trying to fight back aiptasia between shrimp and nudi's.

I just feel like scrapping the entire thing. What am I missing?

Could you post a full tank shot plz

 

[PapaDragon]

Here is the link to my latest ICP test: https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/icp-oes/112605

 

[PapaDragon]

I Take this with a grain of salt but once aiptasia take over and start holding their ground the coral chemical warfare can be really bad.

Things will die off even with icp tests showing all good.

I was actually worried about chemical warfare. I have two toadstools that are always on my mind for chemicals. I started running Purit.