LPS dominated tank-Problems

[1Matthew]

Hello all! I currently have a 60 gallon reed tank that has been having some problems. I run 2 AI prime lights in my tank and seem to notice a couple things. My acans have not seemed to do very well where the light hits em, however they are encrusted to the actual rock. Also, many of my corals seem to be shriveled showing a lot of their skeletons. My trumpet has been doing poorly and so has my torch. There was a recent algae breakout with lots of bubbles and GHA nuisance to get out. I currently only have a pajama cardinal and a clownfish in there. My zoanthid sand mushrooms and most of my euphylia seem good but the trumpet, torch, acans, and logo seem to be poor.

some recent levels tested:
Salinity: 1.025
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0.04
Calcium: 385 ppm

mag usually runs around 1350

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

With such little stocking and I would assume feeding, you’re probably just not getting enough nutrients in the water column. I would look into raising that nitrate level to 5-10ppm. I came from the squeaky clean tank days and I couldn’t believe people were SUGGESTING nitrate additives but that’s my best guess and what I would bet on now that I know better

 

[kittenbritches]

Do you know what your pH and KH are?

 

[Coxey81]

Sounds like your nitrates are too low and that algae outbreak you had was probably dinos, not algae.


Try boosting your nitrates and keep an eye on your phosphates.. if your doing anything to reduce them, stop for now.

 

[1Matthew]

I’ll try boosting those nitrates!

 

[1Matthew]

I recently got emerald crabs 2 days ago and automatically I see very little algae, definitely not dinos

 

[1Matthew]

Can acans still thrive in a relatively high light environment?

 

[1Matthew]

Also, how are my phosphates? Are they at an acceptable range

 

[1Matthew]

Without raising the amount of algae blooms in the tank is there a way I can raise nitrates before algae can consume it

 

[dvgyfresh]

Can acans still thrive in a relatively high light environment?

Yes , but ime with high powered lights you need to have more nutrients available otherwise they cannot use that energy to grow it would actually starve them. I think you need to feed more

 

[zuri]

likely as stated by dvg low on nutrient just lower the lights a small percentage, as for getting nitrates to a proper ratio just stock the tank with fish understocking in my experience leads you to thinking I can just feed more BUT feeding more usually results in elevated phosphates you wanna balance the scales

 

[Coxey81]

I recently got emerald crabs 2 days ago and automatically I see very little algae, definitely not dinos

Well if you are sure it was GHA and not dinos, maybe we are jumping the gun at lack of nitrates being the main or initial cause.

If the algae bloom was large it could have consumed alot of the nitrates and phosphates, leaving you reading super low now.

1. Do you know what your N03 and PHO4 levels were leading up to the algae bloom?

2. How much were you feeding before and during the bloom?

3. How long ago the bloom start?

4. Did you do anything to correct it before adding the crab 2 days ago?

5. How long was the algae bloom going on and do you know what your NO3 and PO4 levels were during it?

6. How did the corals look before and during the bloom?

Just hard to see having a big algae bloom with such low nutrient readings... but if they were higher before and the algae started consuming them all during the bloom as chaeto does... then that would make sense. And it could explain why you are bottomed out now.

Maybe someone with more experience will chime in.