I think I should start over

[Mike1995]

I really am having a hard time with my tank... I don't really understand the reefing/saltwater thing. I'm trying to listen to everyone's advice and put into action.. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. My tank is 6-7 months in and it still looks terrible. I'm just all over the place... I don't really know what I'm doing. I started watching the brs 52 weeks of reefing thing like some of you suggested

 

[dantimdad]

OK, let's take a breath and get more details:

What do you mean by all over the place?

What size tank is it?

Equipment list?

How did you cycle it? (dead shrimp, live fish, bottled bacteria)

I will try to help you through this. Don't give up!

Also, let's not try to put everyone's advice into use at once. That will only muddy the waters.

 

[dantimdad]

Also, did you start with dry rock and sand?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Some great questions above from @dantimdad to get us started..

Tagging along

 

[pdiehm]

i am in a similar boat. I had my tank up, just got overrun with nutrients. tore it down, removed the sand, bathed the rocks in acid. Set it back up, was doing really well, but had thousands of vermetid snails, nasty pests. tore it down, and just fed up with Pukani Rock. My cube upstairs was set up with sand, and marco rocks. Never have had a single problem, unless I got lazy.

Just started cycling 6 days ago with 120 lbs of reef cleaners rock. Many many many people have been in your shoes. if you want PM me, and maybe we both can help each other!

 

[Mike1995]

OK, let's take a breath and get more details:

What do you mean by all over the place?

What size tank is it?

Equipment list?

How did you cycle it? (dead shrimp, live fish, bottled bacteria)

I will try to help you through this. Don't give up!

Also, let's not try to put everyone's advice into use at once. That will only muddy the waters.

I just feel like I always need to fix something. But then make it worse. I don't know really. My maroon clowns are just not getting along.
It's a 75g. I cycled with bottled bacteria.
Equipment is a bashsea sump
Bubble Magnus curve 5 skimmer
Bubble Magnus carbon/gfo reactor
Phosban reactor
Return pump
Two sunsun wave pumps
Finnex marine light

 

[Smite]

Don't give up just yet. In my past tanks algae issues pop up very often in a tank under 1 year old. Usually I get diatoms early on, then battle green hair algae or bryopsis and dinoflagelletes are usually in the mix too. It can be frustrating but just recognize it as the learning curve. Your tank is young and you need to be patient with it.

Please be more specific with what issue your are battling at the moment and im sure everyone can help you out.

 

[Mike1995]

Also, did you start with dry rock and sand?

I used half dry rock and half live. Sand also

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

great questions above, I went through all of your posts and don't see any info on your tank besides 75gal and some other random stuff... I did see someone say that several occurrences of issues was all part of the cycle(ugly) phase and that is not true. Just cycled a tank with only limited dynos. Following along as well to help.

 

[Mike1995]

I have bryopsis, I think hair algea, cyano, algea on the glass. Idk.. my clowns hate each other. I put the male in the sump.. water is cloudy.

 

[dantimdad]

Okie dokie. Let's take this one issue at a time.

Do NOT do any drastic measures!

Good call separating the fish for now. We will circle back to them.

The cloudy water could well be a bacterial bloom but I would need pics to help diagnose.

Are you running filter socks? If so, how often to you clean/change them out.

If you have no corals, kill the lights for 5 days.

Get rid of your carbon/gfo and let's hold off on that for a bit.

Try stirring half the sand bed and adjusting your wave pumps. We need to get rid of cyano.

Let's do these simple things first and post a couple pics please.

This may take us a few weeks but I am in it with you for the long haul. Don't get frustrated. I won't leave you hanging. Promise!

 

[dantimdad]

I also need to know what you are feeding and how much/often

 

[dantimdad]

Also, where are you located?

In case we need to get someone from a local club or at least driving distance involved later on.

 

[pdiehm]

agree with killing the lights. Get some cardboard, or some black trash bags. cover the tank up....completely black. The clownfish will be just fine. By the end of 5 days, the algae should have mostly died back. If you have filter socks, run them, but change daily.

I would also skim wet during this period.

 

[landlubber]

I'll let the guys providing advice keep at it so as not to confuse things but I will say this, despite doing 95% of what was recommended to start a tank I fought hard for the first 2 years. algae and Dinos were the biggest obstacles and they felt insurmountable and then out of nowhere had an unrelated issue with alkalinity that crashed my system... over 2 grand worth of coral gone.
it took me a few days to get thinking positive again but I got myself back together again and began to set things straight. the better part of a year later with some minor tweaks, the addition of a large triton style sump with refugium and a commitment to making it work I have the tank I wanted all along.
At the end of the day I love my tank more than I probably would had I not struggled and learned what it REALLY takes in terms of good practices to solve problems. Stick with it, don't give up and it'll be you sharing the same positive vibes with someone in the future. Best of luck!

 

[Mike1995]

I do have two coral frags.. should I take them out? I have filter socks. I clean them every few days .I'll stir the sand bed. Unfortunately I'm at work till 11pm .I'll do the sand tonight. Will you be able to keep hrlping through out the week? My skimmer has a dial from 1 to Max.. what should I set it on?

 

[dantimdad]

I'll let the guys providing advice keep at it so as not to confuse things but I will say this, despite doing 95% of what was recommended to start a tank I fought hard for the first 2 years. algae and Dinos were the biggest obstacles and they felt insurmountable and then out of nowhere had an unrelated issue with alkalinity that crashed my system... over 2 grand worth of coral gone.
it took me a few days to get thinking positive again but I got myself back together again and began to set things straight. the better part of a year later with some minor tweaks, the addition of a large triton style sump with refugium and a commitment to making it work I have the tank I wanted all along.
At the end of the day I love my tank more than I probably would had I not struggled and learned what it REALLY takes in terms of good practices to solve problems. Stick with it, don't give up and it'll be you sharing the same positive vibes with someone in the future. Best of luck!

I agree!

It's just a matter of time.

 

[Mike1995]

I'm in reading PA area

 

[dantimdad]

I do have two coral frags.. should I take them out? I have filter socks. I clean them every few days .I'll stir the sand bed. Unfortunately I'm at work till 11pm .I'll do the sand tonight. Will you be able to keep hrlping through out the week? My skimmer has a dial from 1 to Max.. what should I set it on?

See if you can get someone to sit your corals for you. What corals are they?

I will be here anytime you need me. Except during sleep. I'm old. I need my sleep. LOL!

 

[dantimdad]

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/pennsylvania.557/

Pick the closest group and join it.

Don't ask for help on site just yet. We can get most of this remotely.