Lack of Mechanical Filtration Issues

[Treefer32]

Well, I had some issues with My Large Bubble magus filter roller the last few months. In the last 2 months of taking my roller mat completely off line and not using any filter socks I lost an 18 head colony of purple hammers, a new colony of golden hammers, and my orange hammers started receding. Nutrients were at acceptable levels between .1 to .2 for phosphates and 20-30 for nitrates. My Acros are not receding but not growing as fast either. Prior to removing the roller mat, my phosphates would fluctuate between .2 and .3 and nitrates between 30 and 40 with no adverse effects on hammers or any other corals.

I wondered what I was doing wrong. No water changes due to volume - 340 gallons. I was controlling nitrates and phosphates by vodka dosing (50 ml per day), Algae turf scrubber, Pellet reactor, and matrix rock for denitrator as well, plus an oversized skimmer rated for 500 gallons.

Nutrients weren't great but my acros and hammers continuously grew despite higher nutrients than I'd like. I judged based on coral health and less on numbers. Testing weekly in case anything started to spike.

Well, Tuesday this week 8/16 I installed a new red sea reefmat 1200. I didn't realize how impactful not running mechanical filtration could be on corals. It doesn't seem to impact numbers, so, I don't know if the debris would impact lighting making it to the corals, or if the debris is something that could generate toxicity to the corals. However, all I can say is that in the first 24 hours of running the reefmat, I went through 20 feet of paper.

It estimates I'll go through an entire roll of paper in less than 5 days at this rate. I can't help but wonder if the debris running through my display is irritating coral health. Even my toadstool is showing signs of chunks of its flesh missing from the top. Which I hadn't noticed before.

Maybe the vodka dosing is generating too much bacteria... And the paper is removing the dead bacteria from the water column? I don't know what all it's removing, but the paper is solid brown in color. My skimmer is removing nearly a gallon black liquid every 7-10 days. I get close to a full 5 gallon bucket of black liquid a month.

I have around 17-18 fish. around 70% of which are large - 5-10 inches in size. I feed 2-3 ounces of frozen food per day, plus 1 sheet of nori per day, plus pellets and flakes 4 times a day (autofeeder). My Creole Anthias act like they're going to die if they don't get more food every 2 seconds.

 

[The Farmer]

What are you using to test your nutrients?

 

[Treefer32]

Hana ULR Phosphate and Hana High range nitrate testers. I also forgot to mention I dose phosphate E if phosphates are above .2 ppm. So far, 8ml of phosphate-E every 2-3 days keeps the phosphates under .2 Some weeks under .1.

 

[The Farmer]

From what I have read is that U have 2 sources of carbon dosing plus using phosphate-e, and the food menu seem a little to much everyday. I don’t think there is enough time for the food to breakdown and get consumed by corals or critters in your tank. My opinion is that you have to much organica in your tank, my suggestion would be to cut your feeding in half and monitor and test your nutrients daily or every other day

 

[C_AWOL]

If I had to guess, the bubble magus was able to take out some of the lanthanum precipitates to say the least based on how fine their floss is which may have prevented it from irritating the corals. The red seas roll arent as fine in comparison.

I would personally do a large water change despite the tank size and toss in some activated carbon to see if theres any improvements both in coral looks and roller longevity

 

[Thales]

Hana ULR Phosphate and Hana High range nitrate testers. I also forgot to mention I dose phosphate E if phosphates are above .2 ppm. So far, 8ml of phosphate-E every 2-3 days keeps the phosphates under .2 Some weeks under .1.

I would guess that the filter matt was, and the new one is, collecting the flocculate from the phosphate e. When you didn't have the mechinical filter the flocculate irritated corals.
Dosing Lanth is one of the few times I am a fan of mechanical filtration.
I don't think your levels of phosphate or nitrate have anything to do with your observations.

 

[Treefer32]

I take some tank water out and dose the lanthinum in a separate container, let it precipitate, then run it through two filter socks inside of each other - a 200 micron filter sock inside of a 25 micron filter sock and into the sump. Having seen what free roaming lanthinum can do to larger fish gills, I take all the precautions I can to protect fish from chemicals.

That said, I don't know what's wrong with the toadstool. Maybe my dragon wrasse took a chunk out with his teeth when I was gone for a weekend. I don't know. There's three head sized holes about the size of my dragon wrasses head in the top of the toad stool. around a quarter in diameter each. I don't know if it was him, or the flesh is whithering away due to something in the water irritating it. It's a 12" in diameter toad stool. I've had it for four years. Never seen it look like this. My orange yumas are bigger and brighter than ever. The duncans, and other LPS (outside of hammers) are looking great. I have a green fungia plate coral that's looking really good. Other SPS are growing o.k. so, I assume it's something with the water, but no idea what. I'll check salinity again because taking out 5 gallons of skimmate a month I've noticed has dropped salinity by .001. But that shouldn't affect soft corals especially.

Alk is around 9.3 every time I test (once a week).