LPS dying need advice.

[Kershaw]

Lowered lights about 2.5 inches making them about 7” above water line. Still pretty lower numbers. I will likely need to add more lights.

 

[Lavey29]

Lowered lights about 2.5 inches making them about 7” above water line. Still pretty lower numbers. I will likely need to add more lights.

The best think I ever did for my tank was increasing light. I went off internet info and thought by XR15 lights were perfect par at 70% but my corals struggled. I finally rented a par meter and was shocked how low the par was. My lights run at 100% intensity now and corals thrive with growth.

 

[ptrusk]

.

 

[Freenow54]

Hello all.
I have been in the hobby since 2012 though I did take a brake.

Current system
145gal started 14 moths ago or so.
This is the first tank started with out live rock from the ocean and it has been the most challenging.

Coral:
Frogspaw
Hammer
Torch
Encrusting and plating Montis
Duncan

Coral was all doing well. But I have been fighting cyno followed by GHA and back and forth. Fix one other comes back.

I did use chemiclean and reef flux a few months ago.

I am trying to get nitrates up as I think thats the issue as they went to zero but I am unsure when they went to zero as I got lazy on testing. Nitrates were 1.7 when things were doing well.

Skimmer is off to raise nitrates
Fresh carbon running
have UV but it is off due to the pump pulsing causing my tunze ATO to over fill.

Last two Current tests
SG: 1.026 Hannah
DKH: 8.2 Hannah
Phos: .05 Hannah
Nitrate HR .00 Hannah


SG: 1.026
DKH: 8.0
Phos: .03
Nitrate HR: .00
PH 8.15
Temp 77

Anyway any advice would be appreciated.

Try Trace Elements I just started with Coral, and have them on the plugs still on a plastic mounting system I have seen some good results K+ A- mines a 90 with 40 sump so maybe 130 total add 4ml a day on advice

.

 

[ptrusk]

.

 

[Kershaw]

Try Trace Elements I just started with Coral, and have them on the plugs still on a plastic mounting system I have seen some good results K+ A- mines a 90 with 40 sump so maybe 130 total add 4ml a day on advice

I think I am going to hold off for a bit, as I don’t want to change to many things at once.i Increased lighting and am focused on raising nitrates. Had my tests confirmed at LFS. With the amount of water changes and how little coral I have, I am confident the corals have what they need other then nitrate. Hammer looks like it is hanging on. I think the rest are doomed. Montis look fine.

 

[Kershaw]

I appreciate everyone’s help thus far.

 

[Kershaw]

The best think I ever did for my tank was increasing light. I went off internet info and thought by XR15 lights were perfect par at 70% but my corals struggled. I finally rented a par meter and was shocked how low the par was. My lights run at 100% intensity now and corals thrive with growth.

I have been looking at adding t5 hybrid. I am 8k or so into this tank and the wife complaining when I say I need something else.

 

[Lavey29]

I have been looking at adding t5 hybrid. I am 8k or so into this tank and the wife complaining when I say I need something else.

T5 hybrid is a good option and t5 is easy on the wallet. Buy once cry once. Get it delivered while she is out shopping. She will never know. You're in the clear.

 

[legionofdoon]

It looks like you have a really bad dino outbreak.

 

[legionofdoon]

I'm willing to bet they are the problem.

 

[Kershaw]

I'm willing to bet they are the problem.

I’ve been treating it like cyno, it’s been a rough go. I get it to clear up and GHA takes over. Cleared the GHA and it came back.

 

[RevMH]

I'm happy @legionofdoon jumped in on that. It very much looks like dinos to me, too. That'll cause a lot of the issues you're seeing and some species, such as Ostreopsis, like to grow on algae (e.g., GHA). So it ends up looking like you're dancing back and forth between the two.

A cheapish hobby grade microscope would be best to verify it's dinos (or anything else) before treating so you're not exacerbating the problem.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellate-identification-guide.671466/

 

[Lavey29]

Dinos is a typical result after using chemiclean in the tank.

 

[jsmkmavity]

I couldnt tell from your posts if you are running an overflow of some kind to keep the surface of the water clean. That will allow the light to penetrate better. Most people do but i dont want to assume anything.

 

[AustinJT]

Hello all.
I have been in the hobby since 2012 though I did take a brake.

Current system
145gal started 14 moths ago or so.
This is the first tank started with out live rock from the ocean and it has been the most challenging.

Coral:
Frogspaw
Hammer
Torch
Encrusting and plating Montis
Duncan

Coral was all doing well. But I have been fighting cyno followed by GHA and back and forth. Fix one other comes back.

I did use chemiclean and reef flux a few months ago.

I am trying to get nitrates up as I think thats the issue as they went to zero but I am unsure when they went to zero as I got lazy on testing. Nitrates were 1.7 when things were doing well.

Skimmer is off to raise nitrates
Fresh carbon running
have UV but it is off due to the pump pulsing causing my tunze ATO to over fill.

Last two Current tests
SG: 1.026 Hannah
DKH: 8.2 Hannah
Phos: .05 Hannah
Nitrate HR .00 Hannah


SG: 1.026
DKH: 8.0
Phos: .03
Nitrate HR: .00
PH 8.15
Temp 77

Anyway any advice would be appreciated.

You don't need to Skimmer Off to Raise Nitrate.

A good Refrigerate Coral Foods will do the trick, like TLF Marine Snow or BW Blizzard.

The Green Stuff you see... is it possible your Water Source to mixing Salt is not good?

I had issue with RODI system before... I soften the living Jesus out of it. Even when my Water is reading 0 TDS, I still make sure that Freshwater were to released into mixing reservoir is passing through another 3 Stage of DI resin to ensure Quality but it still failed.

So... I did this trick...

I installed UV Sterilizer to my Reservoir. I use Lap Grade UV. And control flow rate, to ensure efficiency of UV. And I use small pump to circulate water Through UV for a full week, before I release it into Mixing Reservoir.

Since then, it's been a Blessing.

No more nuisance algae!

 

[Kershaw]

I couldnt tell from your posts if you are running an overflow of some kind to keep the surface of the water clean. That will allow the light to penetrate better. Most people do but i dont want to assume anything.

I have a modular marine 24” overflow and I keep the inlets close to the surface.

 

[Kershaw]

You don't need to Skimmer Off to Raise Nitrate.

A good Refrigerate Coral Foods will do the trick, like TLF Marine Snow or BW Blizzard.

The Green Stuff you see... is it possible your Water Source to mixing Salt is not good?

I had issue with RODI system before... I soften the living Jesus out of it. Even when my Water is reading 0 TDS, I still make sure that Freshwater were to released into mixing reservoir is passing through another 3 Stage of DI resin to ensure Quality but it still failed.

So... I did this trick...

I installed UV Sterilizer to my Reservoir. I use Lap Grade UV. And control flow rate, to ensure efficiency of UV. And I use small pump to circulate water Through UV for a full week, before I release it into Mixing Reservoir.

Since then, it's been a Blessing.

No more nuisance algae!

I just run a BRS 6 stage rodi into 55gal plastic barrel.

 

[Kershaw]

I'm happy @legionofdoon jumped in on that. It very much looks like dinos to me, too. That'll cause a lot of the issues you're seeing and some species, such as Ostreopsis, like to grow on algae (e.g., GHA). So it ends up looking like you're dancing back and forth between the two.

A cheapish hobby grade microscope would be best to verify it's dinos (or anything else) before treating so you're not exacerbating the problem.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellate-identification-guide.671466/

I’ll start looking into this.

 

[AustinJT]

I just run a BRS 6 stage rodi into 55gal plastic barrel.

Mine is 8 Stages, on its first phase.

It's not an original products. Basically, I just buy random products and DIY it.

1, Descaler (Treat Tap Water)
2, PP Carton (Dirt remover at 1 micron)
3, Dirt Membrane (Dirt remover at 0.1um)
3, GAC (Carbon Pre-filter)
4, Carbon Block (Carbon Post-filter)
5, Carbon Block (Carbon Post-filter)
6, RO Membrane 600gpd
7, DI Resin (Recycle System)
8, DI Resin (One-time throw away)

Then it would be 0 TDS and saved in Plastic Reservoir with circulating pump 24/7 and now added a UV system to it.

Then it would go through another 3 stage of DI Recirculating System when releasing into mixer reservoir, although this last 3 stage is not needed, I think. But since I have it, so I just let its work.

But I think it's the UV, that kills whatever filter couldn't removed.