SATXBrian
Community Member
Well, I figured it was about time to start a thread on my headache…errr…tank. What a roller coaster ride. There are days when things look great and are going smoothly. Then a drop and it feels like total chaos. I’m in a chaos mode now. The last 2 weeks have been a mess and it feels like the tank has stopped moving forward.
Ok, so here’s the breakdown:
Aqueon, dual overflow 120 gallon (approx 4 x 2 x 2)
2 Kessil A360WE
ATI 4x54w T5 (2 Blue Plus, 1 Coral Plus, 1 Purple Plus)
Recently upgraded my Skimmer from a Reef Octopus SSS150 to a Skimz Monzter E-Series SM201 (didn’t feel the SSS150 was keeping up)
Trigger Systems 34” Emerald Sump
Apex Controller
Neptune WAV
2 EcoTech MP40wQD (more on this later)
Jebao DC6000 Return Pump (had I known these were knock-offs from other company’s tech, I wouldn’t have bought them. I am looking to replace it, possibly with a Neptune Systems COR when Available or with a Vectra)
Tunze Osmolator
Tank has been set up since October 25, 2015
According to my last round of testing my parameters are:
Ammonia – 0
Nitrite - .01
Nitrate – 15 (It has been consistently at 15 since Febrary 8, 2016)
Phosphate - .06
Calcium – 455
Alk – 8.5
Mag – 1160
Salinity – 1.025
pH – Average of 8.01 (per Apex monitoring)
I’ve been doing 15 gallon weekly water changes for the last month. I had been using Red Sea Coral Pro, but recently switched to regular Red Sea Salt (hope that isn’t causing the issues).
So, where I am now. I’ve been dealing with high (?) nitrates since the beginning. My testing before Feb 8 the levels were between 20-25 (Red Sea). I had green hair alage on all my rocks and all over my overflows plus what I assumed was cyano on the sand (brownish, rust colored slimy feeling and a definite funk to it) So I started NOPOX. It, of course, wiped out the algae in my refugium and over about a week knocked the algae back and my tank looked great! Even though the Nitrate is still hanging at 15. I was never able to get to the full dose of 14mL (per the instructions, 3mL per 25 gallons of over 10 nitrates). If I did the full dose, my tank looked like skim milk. I was assuming my skimmer was too small for the system, hence the upgraded skimmer
Then about 2 weeks ago, the cyano came back. And so did the funky smell in the tank. I’ve since stopped dosing NOPOX and have begun to increase flow. Up until now, I’ve had my WAVs on the sides of the tank pointing slighting to the front glass, ramping up to 65% Mavericks. The MP40 was on the back wall, Reef Crest but it was digging up the sand at the front of the tank. I now have the MP40 on the side glass too, blowing across the back of the rocks at about 60% Reef Crest. My second MP40 (arriving today 3/17) will be placed on the opposite side glass in Reef Crest AntiSync mode. I have to have enough flow in this tank now! Hopefully I can eliminate dead spots and get the cyano under control. I know I’m only 5 months into this. I’m trying to start an entire ecosystem. I know it takes time. But good grief, it sure is frustrating.
Hindsight being 20/20, I would start the tank with a mix of live and “dead” rock.
Going forward I’m planning on adding couple pieces of live rock (LFS) to get more beneficial bacteria in the tank and I plan on upgrading my small refugium light and adding more marine algae.
This is a shot (from my iPad...i'll pull out the Nikon and get some better pics ASAP) of the tank from a couple week ago before the second cyano bloom really took hold.
Ok, so here’s the breakdown:
Aqueon, dual overflow 120 gallon (approx 4 x 2 x 2)
2 Kessil A360WE
ATI 4x54w T5 (2 Blue Plus, 1 Coral Plus, 1 Purple Plus)
Recently upgraded my Skimmer from a Reef Octopus SSS150 to a Skimz Monzter E-Series SM201 (didn’t feel the SSS150 was keeping up)
Trigger Systems 34” Emerald Sump
Apex Controller
Neptune WAV
2 EcoTech MP40wQD (more on this later)
Jebao DC6000 Return Pump (had I known these were knock-offs from other company’s tech, I wouldn’t have bought them. I am looking to replace it, possibly with a Neptune Systems COR when Available or with a Vectra)
Tunze Osmolator
Tank has been set up since October 25, 2015
According to my last round of testing my parameters are:
Ammonia – 0
Nitrite - .01
Nitrate – 15 (It has been consistently at 15 since Febrary 8, 2016)
Phosphate - .06
Calcium – 455
Alk – 8.5
Mag – 1160
Salinity – 1.025
pH – Average of 8.01 (per Apex monitoring)
I’ve been doing 15 gallon weekly water changes for the last month. I had been using Red Sea Coral Pro, but recently switched to regular Red Sea Salt (hope that isn’t causing the issues).
So, where I am now. I’ve been dealing with high (?) nitrates since the beginning. My testing before Feb 8 the levels were between 20-25 (Red Sea). I had green hair alage on all my rocks and all over my overflows plus what I assumed was cyano on the sand (brownish, rust colored slimy feeling and a definite funk to it) So I started NOPOX. It, of course, wiped out the algae in my refugium and over about a week knocked the algae back and my tank looked great! Even though the Nitrate is still hanging at 15. I was never able to get to the full dose of 14mL (per the instructions, 3mL per 25 gallons of over 10 nitrates). If I did the full dose, my tank looked like skim milk. I was assuming my skimmer was too small for the system, hence the upgraded skimmer
Then about 2 weeks ago, the cyano came back. And so did the funky smell in the tank. I’ve since stopped dosing NOPOX and have begun to increase flow. Up until now, I’ve had my WAVs on the sides of the tank pointing slighting to the front glass, ramping up to 65% Mavericks. The MP40 was on the back wall, Reef Crest but it was digging up the sand at the front of the tank. I now have the MP40 on the side glass too, blowing across the back of the rocks at about 60% Reef Crest. My second MP40 (arriving today 3/17) will be placed on the opposite side glass in Reef Crest AntiSync mode. I have to have enough flow in this tank now! Hopefully I can eliminate dead spots and get the cyano under control. I know I’m only 5 months into this. I’m trying to start an entire ecosystem. I know it takes time. But good grief, it sure is frustrating.
Hindsight being 20/20, I would start the tank with a mix of live and “dead” rock.
Going forward I’m planning on adding couple pieces of live rock (LFS) to get more beneficial bacteria in the tank and I plan on upgrading my small refugium light and adding more marine algae.
This is a shot (from my iPad...i'll pull out the Nikon and get some better pics ASAP) of the tank from a couple week ago before the second cyano bloom really took hold.
