Hi there! I'm relatively new to reefing, I've only had the tank running since September and I feel like I've managed to hit every possible snag along the way.
I run a drilled Fluval EVO 13.5 with a 20 long sump, Bubble Magus Curve 5 skimmer, Eheim Jager 100W heater, with a Jebao DC2000 return and a Duetto ATO. I use a Nicrew 50W HyperReef at 5% white and 80% blue on an 9 hour timer for lighting.
The tank houses 2 occelaris clowns, a yellow watchman goby with a pistol shrimp, a skuunk cleaner shrimp, a red fire shrimp, a tuxedo urchin, 1 blue-legged hermit and 1 turban snail.
I use a standard refractometer for salinity, the LR Phosphate Hanna Checker (HI713) and Red Sea for all other tests.
SG 1.026
Temp 78F
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0.2ppm
Nitrates 50ppm
Calcium 425 ppm
Magnesium 1280 ppm
kH/Alk 8.1 dkH
Phosphates 0ppm
In the past week everything has been going badly. My nitrites have returned after having been gone since October when the tank finally cycled. I've lost a new porcelain crab addition within 48 hours of him being added to the tank. I've lost a ricordea mushroom and a discosoma, but just reduced to mush. My frogspawns are no longer extending, one of my zoa colonies is bleaching, and half my acans have decided they just wont be opening today.
I started dosing vibrant at the beginning of the week, it's not the first time I've tried using it in my fight on algae but it's the first time everything decided they were going to die. I currently have tons of bryopsis covering just about every inch of rock. The sea lettuce has returned, albeit better then the last time. The GHA is gone from the DT but the fuge is essentially just a GHA chamber at this point with the chaeto banished to live in the baffle.
I suppose my question is, does anything stand out as a direct cause of why this is all suddenly happening, or have any ideas how I can bring the tank back to health?
It's been suggested that at this point, starting over may just be less of a heartache then watching everything die when I can't identify a reason for what exactly is going on.
I run a drilled Fluval EVO 13.5 with a 20 long sump, Bubble Magus Curve 5 skimmer, Eheim Jager 100W heater, with a Jebao DC2000 return and a Duetto ATO. I use a Nicrew 50W HyperReef at 5% white and 80% blue on an 9 hour timer for lighting.
The tank houses 2 occelaris clowns, a yellow watchman goby with a pistol shrimp, a skuunk cleaner shrimp, a red fire shrimp, a tuxedo urchin, 1 blue-legged hermit and 1 turban snail.
I use a standard refractometer for salinity, the LR Phosphate Hanna Checker (HI713) and Red Sea for all other tests.
SG 1.026
Temp 78F
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0.2ppm
Nitrates 50ppm
Calcium 425 ppm
Magnesium 1280 ppm
kH/Alk 8.1 dkH
Phosphates 0ppm
In the past week everything has been going badly. My nitrites have returned after having been gone since October when the tank finally cycled. I've lost a new porcelain crab addition within 48 hours of him being added to the tank. I've lost a ricordea mushroom and a discosoma, but just reduced to mush. My frogspawns are no longer extending, one of my zoa colonies is bleaching, and half my acans have decided they just wont be opening today.
I started dosing vibrant at the beginning of the week, it's not the first time I've tried using it in my fight on algae but it's the first time everything decided they were going to die. I currently have tons of bryopsis covering just about every inch of rock. The sea lettuce has returned, albeit better then the last time. The GHA is gone from the DT but the fuge is essentially just a GHA chamber at this point with the chaeto banished to live in the baffle.
I suppose my question is, does anything stand out as a direct cause of why this is all suddenly happening, or have any ideas how I can bring the tank back to health?
It's been suggested that at this point, starting over may just be less of a heartache then watching everything die when I can't identify a reason for what exactly is going on.