I'm depressed with the progress of my tank... What's going on???

AdamB

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Is Reef Energy just Red Seas two part product, or do you mean aminos? I was debating on getting some acropower but I'm one of those who doesn't want to put too much in the tank. I thought aminos could help me but then again I'm blasting the tank with new water every other week, it's bound to be up on that.
I’ve been using acro power on my tank entire year since startup . I upped the dosage since my nitrates and phosphates at 0 .
 
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Phyber

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I’ve been using acro power on my tank entire year since startup . I upped the dosage since my nitrates and phosphates at 0 .

But would that help alleviate my situation or is it like drinking more OJ when you have a broke arm (won't hurt but won't really help)?
 

vetteguy53081

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This may sound strange but try these couple of things;
Add .5ml of peroxide to tank everyday for next 2 weeks at lights out. Add chemipure blue to tank. I sense false salinity.
Take a water sample to a trusted LFS and see what reading they get for salinity ( This one at times gets the best of us)
You have nothing to lose but to gain and see over the next few days if these worked as suggested to many- IT HAS !
 

Phildago

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Is Reef Energy just Red Seas two part product, or do you mean aminos? I was debating on getting some acropower but I'm one of those who doesn't want to put too much in the tank. I thought aminos could help me but then again I'm blasting the tank with new water every other week, it's bound to be up on that.
Yes, its their amino product. I think it's okay, but worth a try in a situation like yours. You definitely don't get aminos from water changes, in fact its the opposite. With water changes you're removing things from your water that could be helping your corals grow. Lack of water changes start to be harmful when your trace elements begin to get depleted and a lot of people don't test for trace elements, and as far as I'm aware you can't test for all of them. ..

For me you it was always the battle of balancing algae growth with coral health... Which will likely be what you have to do. Eventually youll get to the point where it will seemingly take care of itself. No algae, great coral growth. The best way to get a good balance is to have a good clean up crew from the start. If you get algae, fight back, but IDK if I'd ever recommend doing water changes every 2 weeks in a normal tank. There's other ways to take care of issues than water changes.

The reason I recommended the aminos is because they are nitrogenous compounds. It will help fuel the corals and is easily utilized, but its also a nitrogen source to help you get your nitrates up. Like I said earlier though, you probably don't really have to add anything. You could cut down water changes to once a month, see how things are going then adjust from there.
 
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Phyber

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This may sound strange but try these couple of things;
Add .5ml of peroxide to tank everyday for next 2 weeks at lights out. Add chemipure blue to tank. I sense false salinity.
Take a water sample to a trusted LFS and see what reading they get for salinity ( This one at times gets the best of us)
You have nothing to lose but to gain and see over the next few days if these worked as suggested to many- IT HAS !

I just ordered a refractometer. I've been using a hydrometer for years so we'll see what I get!
 

Aussiemarine

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Interesting read, there’s been so much advice on keeping your phosphates and nitrates to a minimum badiavally creating a sterile tank. I hate the look of algae but atleast you know there are plenty of nutrients to go around. I have been getting a fair bit of coralline growth since reducing water changes and keeping up dosing amino acids calc and alk

I am even seen several new hammer coral heads after just 2 months in the tank

next stage is SPS when I get another kessil.
 

AdamB

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But would that help alleviate my situation or is it like drinking more OJ when you have a broke arm (won't hurt but won't really help)?
I do not like assuming ever but I have seen some member posts with more experience on here with the same issue suggesting dosing aminos /turning skimmer off and feeding more has helped with the sps and I had a couple of my sps that were bleached come back to life a week later after adding dosing acropower.. I have not turned skimmer off.. only feeding more .. I am going to add more fish this week ..I am really stumped somewhat at this issue .. so i may have to use stump remover as some on here do to bring nitrate up!
 

Paul B

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Tank is 20 weeks old and too many water changes. To soon to have corals anyway. Leave it as it is, don't add or remove anything. It's fine just needs time.

It just needs to age. Good luck. :cool:
 

reeffreak911

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You can add acro power it will give the corals what they need without over feeding the tank and it can be controlled I put it in my ro water
 

AdamB

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Tank is 20 weeks old and too many water changes. To soon to have corals anyway. Leave it as it is, don't add or remove anything. It's fine just needs time.

It just needs to age. Good luck. :cool:
I agree . I missed that tank was only 20 weeks ..
 

BiGGiePauls33

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No3 and Po4 need to be brought up with dKh running that high in my experience. I like to keep my water a bit dirty with no3 around 5ppm and phosphates generally about.08-.15
 

Quietman

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So...yes. it's depressing. You make plans, do everything right, and not as successful as quickly as hoped. Man, this was me last month. Infinite diatom bloom, couldn't get zoas to be healthy in display, but they are great in the flipping QT tank with hair algae. Bought a cheaper bird's nest as a canary 2nd month, bleached. Waited adjusted bought another a couple months later, great in QT...bleached in DT. Arrrghh. Yet, I have a Duncan in display that's budding and gorgeous. Also a purple paly and a cyphastrea doing well. And a pavona that's also growing and adding lobes.

Hugely, hugely frustrating. Did all the adjust nutrients, lighting, do everything slowly. Got to the point where I was thinking. Heck with this....I'm just going with softies see if those will thrive. Even though that's not what I wanted. Nothing against softies. :)

But two weeks ago, my diatom bloom was less. Not gone but less. And I do have some corals doing well, let's focus on that. If I'm doing the basics right with the help of the good people on here, then I just got to be patient and let the tank mature a bit more.

Also some advice I got here...the tanks going to go at it's pace not mine. He actually didn't say it that way, but it's what he meant.

No fix it advice here. Just understanding as I've been there very recently. Focus on the positives, stay patient. Come here often for motivation and support.

I also just ordered a hammer Monday so I'm hopeful.
 

sfin52

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I agree lacking nutrients. I agree leaving skimmer running helps in a lot of ways. You could take the collection cup off skimmer or just empty cup into the tank.
 

AdamB

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So...yes. it's depressing. You make plans, do everything right, and not as successful as quickly as hoped. Man, this was me last month. Infinite diatom bloom, couldn't get zoas to be healthy in display, but they are great in the flipping QT tank with hair algae. Bought a cheaper bird's nest as a canary 2nd month, bleached. Waited adjusted bought another a couple months later, great in QT...bleached in DT. Arrrghh. Yet, I have a Duncan in display that's budding and gorgeous. Also a purple paly and a cyphastrea doing well. And a pavona that's also growing and adding lobes.

Hugely, hugely frustrating. Did all the adjust nutrients, lighting, do everything slowly. Got to the point where I was thinking. Heck with this....I'm just going with softies see if those will thrive. Even though that's not what I wanted. Nothing against softies. :)

But two weeks ago, my diatom bloom was less. Not gone but less. And I do have some corals doing well, let's focus on that. If I'm doing the basics right with the help of the good people on here, then I just got to be patient and let the tank mature a bit more.

Also some advice I got here...the tanks going to go at it's pace not mine. He actually didn't say it that way, but it's what he meant.

No fix it advice here. Just understanding as I've been there very recently. Focus on the positives, stay patient. Come here often for motivation and support.

I also just ordered a hammer Monday so I'm hopeful.
I feel your pain. My other 90 gallon mixed tank With at least 45 mixed corals growing like crazy with great color and without a refugium . That tank didn’t have all the bells and whistles like my 2nd tank that is having nitrate issues . This hobby can be stressful but rewarding after we go through those hard times .I don’t think I will ever quit reefing .
Good luck . We will get there !
 

Nerdist Aquarist

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Just to echo what has been said before, I agree with the phosphates and nitrates too low. I'm currently going through the same problems with zoas. My reefer 525 is almost 4 months old now. I've not done a water change yet, no skimmer and yet my tank is "too clean". Only growing caulerpa in refugium. Nitrates were undetectable and I tried to overfeed frozen food to no avail. Feeding Reef Roids does great for raising phosphates but barely raises nitrates. I bought some Sodium Nitrate reagent and mixed a batch. I wanted to slowly raise to 5ppm, but overdosed my first try and went to 5ppm in one shot. It's been about a week now, and several species of zoas are definately bouncing back. Some were progressively closing for weeks and almost melted away, but now I see them opening back up. I'm definately hopefully going foward.
 
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Phyber

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I wonder why so many of us seem to have issues keeping nutrients?

You'd think, judging by the advice to stay on top of husbandry, it'd be easy to have elevated levels but apparently not.

Is this just a "newer" tank thing? Do the senior reefers have these issues?
 

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