BeckyWoods
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2026
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- What state or country do you live in
- Ohio
Something is off in my tank but I am unsure what it might be, tested PH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. The nitrate might be too high It is around 10ppm. I do not know the normal levels don't test as much as I should. Last time I tested maybe a couple of months ago everything normal, nitrate not 0 but maybe like 5ppm max.
I'll be honest I am sorta a lazy reef keeper but I have had this tank for 5+ years, haven't changed stock in it in like 1-2 years besides adding clean up crew here and there. Do a water change like every other month... should I do it more often prob but life is busy and my tank has been thriving. Coral growing great, haven't lost any stock, and the clownfish even started laying eggs a month or two ago. I feed every other day. I haven't changed anything I do in the past 2 years. But few days ago noticed the sea anemone wasn't looking full and started to move, some corals not looking so great a day or two ago, and my sea urchin started to die (tho it was old so could be water quality or just its time or both I guess). And i noticed more, I think its called, hair algae growing. So did a water change (~40% this is the normal amount I do each WC) last night but when got home from work today the tank just doesn't look good, semi-cloudy, and coral looking very poor. (Pics attached).
Water changes: Every 1-2 months. Get RO (i believe) pre-mixed salt water from local reef store (been doing this for years) as I have well water at my current house. Dose w/ iodide and essential elements per reef store recommendations because I guess the water I get from him doesn't have? I top off the tank with semi-filtered well water/distilled water between water changes.
Tank: 20 gallon, pump and small wavemaker, small skimmer (tho now i think about it it was off this past month because it didn't want to work but haven't always had a skimmer ether), 6 fish (2 clowns, 3 green chromis, 1 watchmen goby), pistol shrimp, sea anemone, some snails, 8 coral covering decent portions of my rocks - not sure what all the names are but have a few LPS, zoas, maybe some goniopora, and whatever the flat orange (or was orange) coral is in the photos.
It could be the well water i top off with? I know my well water is high in iron and I do think my water softener isn't working as well however I do have a secondary filter on it and my tank is covered so really doesn't need topped off much. Maybe I'm over feeding some? Maybe my skimmer was doing more than I thought? I did mess with it and got it running again.
Guess my question is what do I do now? I did ~40-50% WC last night and I don't want to do another one so soon.
Will try and take a water sample to the fish store tomorrow he prob has a my extensive testing kit. Maybe the skimmer running now will help maybe ill look better in the morning?
I'll be honest I am sorta a lazy reef keeper but I have had this tank for 5+ years, haven't changed stock in it in like 1-2 years besides adding clean up crew here and there. Do a water change like every other month... should I do it more often prob but life is busy and my tank has been thriving. Coral growing great, haven't lost any stock, and the clownfish even started laying eggs a month or two ago. I feed every other day. I haven't changed anything I do in the past 2 years. But few days ago noticed the sea anemone wasn't looking full and started to move, some corals not looking so great a day or two ago, and my sea urchin started to die (tho it was old so could be water quality or just its time or both I guess). And i noticed more, I think its called, hair algae growing. So did a water change (~40% this is the normal amount I do each WC) last night but when got home from work today the tank just doesn't look good, semi-cloudy, and coral looking very poor. (Pics attached).
Water changes: Every 1-2 months. Get RO (i believe) pre-mixed salt water from local reef store (been doing this for years) as I have well water at my current house. Dose w/ iodide and essential elements per reef store recommendations because I guess the water I get from him doesn't have? I top off the tank with semi-filtered well water/distilled water between water changes.
Tank: 20 gallon, pump and small wavemaker, small skimmer (tho now i think about it it was off this past month because it didn't want to work but haven't always had a skimmer ether), 6 fish (2 clowns, 3 green chromis, 1 watchmen goby), pistol shrimp, sea anemone, some snails, 8 coral covering decent portions of my rocks - not sure what all the names are but have a few LPS, zoas, maybe some goniopora, and whatever the flat orange (or was orange) coral is in the photos.
It could be the well water i top off with? I know my well water is high in iron and I do think my water softener isn't working as well however I do have a secondary filter on it and my tank is covered so really doesn't need topped off much. Maybe I'm over feeding some? Maybe my skimmer was doing more than I thought? I did mess with it and got it running again.
Guess my question is what do I do now? I did ~40-50% WC last night and I don't want to do another one so soon.
Will try and take a water sample to the fish store tomorrow he prob has a my extensive testing kit. Maybe the skimmer running now will help maybe ill look better in the morning?
