My Mistakes and I Want to Overcome Them

[wildbill001]

Hi New Reef2Reef friends,

I have made so many mistakes. I have lost count of the number of fish I have lost and the amount of coral that have died. I live in Cheyenne Wyoming and haven't run into anyone that is in the hobby. So the internet has been my guide/mentor (sad I know). With that being said I was watching BRS TV youtube channel and they mentioned reef2reef.com as a resource for newbies like me. I am nearly 1 year in and I am still trying to figure this thing out.

This is my setup:

SCA 50 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 24x24x20 10mm
Sump 19-3/4 x 16-1/2 x 13" with 3 cambers
SCA-301 skimmer
Atmen PH2500 return pump
100 Watt Heater

For Lighting: CURRENT USA Orbit Marine IC PRO Dual LED Reef Aquarium Light (Purchased Yesterday)
For Cooling: Petzilla Aquarium Chiller, Fish Tank Cooling Fan System for Saltwater
For Filtration: Filter Sock and Bio Media

Neptune Apex with the following:

Neptune EB832
Neptune ATO
2 Neptune WAV Powerheads
Neptune Auto Feeder
Neptune DOS for auto water changes (AWC)
*Connected to a DIY Water Mixing Station

My Current water Parameters are:

Temp 78.3
ORP 290
Salt 33.5
PH 8.16
Alk 5.8
Nitrates 0.5
Phosphates 0.25

I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt Enriched Formulation for my salt mixture.

I think I had some insufficient lighting that caused my soft coral (i.e. flower pot and green leather etc.) to die (see above for newly purchased lights). I was manualy feeding them Reef Roids once a week. However, I did have one coral survive (See Photo).

I have gradually been adding new stock. I currently have:

1 Rabbit Fish
1 African Moony
3 Pajama Cardnals
1 Lawnmower Blenny

I have ordered but haven't received the following:

Should arrive in a week or two..
FISH:
1 Black & White Ocellaris Orange Face - Captive Bred, Amphiprion ocellaris, Small: over .75-1", Tank Raised

CORAL:
1 Flower Pot Coral-Metallic Green, Goniopora spp., Small: over 2.5-3", Jakarta
1 Kenya Tree Coral, Capnella spp., Tiny: up to 2.5", Jakarta
4 Pack Shroom Grab Bag, Various spp., Jakarta
1 WYSIWYG Whisker Coral, Duncanopsammia axifuga, 1 INCH

This is my setup and future inhabitants. I am really tired of failing at this hobby and most importantly loosing these beautiful underwater creatures. I could really use some advice and guidance.

I look forward to you commits and helpful advice on how to proceed.

Bill

 

[blaxsun]

Your alkalinity is low (should be between 7-11dKH) and your oxygen is also a tad low (this should ideally be above 350 ORP), but I think the low alkalinity more than the oxygen is a contributing factor.

Lighting (or lack thereof) can play a crucial role with corals, so have you checked your PAR levels where you had (or have) corals positioned in your tank?

 

[wildbill001]

Thank You, blaxsum.

Do you think a increase in the daily water change on my DOS would increase Alk, ORP and PH?

PAR is the next on my list to check with the new lights.

Thanks again

 

[MNFish]

Something Is off with alk reef crystals should mix at 9+ for your alk to be 5.8 that would be a large swing with each water change. Are you sure it is 5.8?

 

[MNFish]

I would test alk on a new batch of salt water and then attempt to slowly raise and keep alk at a level close to what it mixes at if you plan to continue with same salt.But being you have 50+ total gallons and not a lot using alk I would think your test may be off.

 

[wildbill001]

Something Is off with alk reef crystals should mix at 9+ for your alk to be 5.8 that would be a large swing with each water change. Are you sure it is 5.8?

I will recheck it to be sure but used a Hanna Alkalinity tester to check it.

 

[MNFish]

I will recheck it to be sure but used a Hanna Alkalinity tester to check it.

I would compare tank to new batch and see, if both are in 5 range than something is off.

 

[wildbill001]

I would test alk on a new batch of salt water and then attempt to slowly raise and keep alk at a level close to what it mixes at if you plan to continue with same salt.But being you have 50+ total gallons and not a lot using alk I would think your test may be off.

Great advice, Thank you! I will do it tomorrow and post the results.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'm really beginning to regret ever having bought my Kenya Tree...but say what you will about them (and you'll say a lot, in the end), they're great monitors of water quality and lighting. If your water parameters are right, the thing will take off like a rocket -- and turn into an infestation if you don't keep an eye on it. If your water (and lighting) is off, though, it'll shrivel up and fall over. The KT is often the first thing I look at in my (RSM 250) tank in the morning; if it's full and open, it's likely that everything is normal. But it's also common for them to occasionally sulk for no reason.

Your fish losses are a more complicated subject. How do you think you lost them?

 

[BoneDoc]

Good luck with your journey. Hope we can help

I have my doubts that 5.8 is the real alk since the pH is 8.16. Could you take a bigger Schott of your setup. People like to drill in the numbers… and there value in that. But that’s like chasing the tail if the setup isn’t as conducive to the result.

I can see that you’ve spent tons on your setup also. I’m sure that you lighting setup is fine too, but I wonder why you didn’t use one of the tried and trues (ai, radions, Kessil). It’s easier to get a good recipe for the setup with one of those setup.
Btw gonis aren’t that easy to keep IME. If you want to be more successful try mushrooms (discosoma not Yuma) green star polyps or Xenia. Then add other corals from there.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Your alkalinity is low (should be between 7-11dKH) and your oxygen is also a tad low (this should ideally be above 350 ORP), but I think the low alkalinity more than the oxygen is a contributing factor.

Lighting (or lack thereof) can play a crucial role with corals, so have you checked your PAR levels where you had (or have) corals positioned in your tank?

I notice you said his oxygen is to low as you see his orp reading. Was wondering if you have any clue as how to raise it because I have same issue 190 orp on average

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Hi New Reef2Reef friends,

I have made so many mistakes. I have lost count of the number of fish I have lost and the amount of coral that have died. I live in Cheyenne Wyoming and haven't run into anyone that is in the hobby. So the internet has been my guide/mentor (sad I know). With that being said I was watching BRS TV youtube channel and they mentioned reef2reef.com as a resource for newbies like me. I am nearly 1 year in and I am still trying to figure this thing out.

This is my setup:

SCA 50 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 24x24x20 10mm
Sump 19-3/4 x 16-1/2 x 13" with 3 cambers
SCA-301 skimmer
Atmen PH2500 return pump
100 Watt Heater

For Lighting: CURRENT USA Orbit Marine IC PRO Dual LED Reef Aquarium Light (Purchased Yesterday)
For Cooling: Petzilla Aquarium Chiller, Fish Tank Cooling Fan System for Saltwater
For Filtration: Filter Sock and Bio Media

Neptune Apex with the following:

Neptune EB832
Neptune ATO
2 Neptune WAV Powerheads
Neptune Auto Feeder
Neptune DOS for auto water changes (AWC)
*Connected to a DIY Water Mixing Station

My Current water Parameters are:

Temp 78.3
ORP 290
Salt 33.5
PH 8.16
Alk 5.8
Nitrates 0.5
Phosphates 0.25

I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt Enriched Formulation for my salt mixture.

I think I had some insufficient lighting that caused my soft coral (i.e. flower pot and green leather etc.) to die (see above for newly purchased lights). I was manualy feeding them Reef Roids once a week. However, I did have one coral survive (See Photo).

I have gradually been adding new stock. I currently have:

1 Rabbit Fish
1 African Moony
3 Pajama Cardnals
1 Lawnmower Blenny

I have ordered but haven't received the following:

Should arrive in a week or two..
FISH:
1 Black & White Ocellaris Orange Face - Captive Bred, Amphiprion ocellaris, Small: over .75-1", Tank Raised

CORAL:
1 Flower Pot Coral-Metallic Green, Goniopora spp., Small: over 2.5-3", Jakarta
1 Kenya Tree Coral, Capnella spp., Tiny: up to 2.5", Jakarta
4 Pack Shroom Grab Bag, Various spp., Jakarta
1 WYSIWYG Whisker Coral, Duncanopsammia axifuga, 1 INCH

This is my setup and future inhabitants. I am really tired of failing at this hobby and most importantly loosing these beautiful underwater creatures. I could really use some advice and guidance.

I look forward to you commits and helpful advice on how to proceed.

Bill

What test kits are you using for you nitrates and phosphates? Because the corals that you are trying to keep need a lot more nitrates then you posted. But without quality test kit hard to get it right. I would shoot for 10-20 nitrates with you .25 phosphates

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Many people dose nitrates as I do. Once your nitrates start to come up then your phosphates will be able to be used and start to drop so you will then have to watch that

 

[wildbill001]

Good luck with your journey. Hope we can help

I have my doubts that 5.8 is the real alk since the pH is 8.16. Could you take a bigger Schott of your setup. People like to drill in the numbers… and there value in that. But that’s like chasing the tail if the setup isn’t as conducive to the result.

I can see that you’ve spent tons on your setup also. I’m sure that you lighting setup is fine too, but I wonder why you didn’t use one of the tried and trues (ai, radions, Kessil). It’s easier to get a good recipe for the setup with one of those setup.
Btw gonis aren’t that easy to keep IME. If you want to be more successful try mushrooms (discosoma not Yuma) green star polyps or Xenia. Then add other corals from there.

I am beginning to think you and MNFish are right. I rechecked and the Hanna Alk tester said 5.2 this time. Maybe its the Hanna tester going bad. I know the PH is correct because I just celebrated it an hour before I made the original post.

I will make a fresh batch of salt water test the new batch. According to MNFish "Instant Ocean Crystals" should mix at 9+. If it tests at 5 with a new batch the the tester must be bad. I will post the results tomorrow.

 

[wildbill001]

What test kits are you using for you nitrates and phosphates? Because the corals that you are trying to keep need a lot more nitrates then you posted. But without quality test kit hard to get it right. I would shoot for 10-20 nitrates with you .25 phosphates

This is what I used to test the Phosphates and Nitrates. I agree the color coding on this test kit can be difficult to read. Do you have a recomendation on a kit. I purchased this kit when I first started. I use the Hanna test Kits for the Alk, Cal and Phosphate ULR. But it looking like the Hanna Checker for Alk may be bad.

 

[blaxsun]

I notice you said his oxygen is to low as you see his orp reading. Was wondering if you have any clue as how to raise it because I have same issue 190 orp on average.

Here’s a very good article that explains ORP in greater detail. A lower ORP isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just one more variable that can yield some insight into how your tank is doing.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/index.htm

 

[blaxsun]

This is what I used to test the Phosphates and Nitrates. I agree the color coding on this test kit can be difficult to read. Do you have a recomendation on a kit. I purchased this kit when I first started. I use the Hanna test Kits for the Alk, Cal and Phosphate ULR. But it looking like the Hanna Checker for Alk may be bad.

Red Sea makes a good Marine Test Kit that tests the basics: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH and alkalinity. For nitrates and phosphates specifically, other than Hanna I like Nyos (they’re quick and very clear to read the results).

 

[Dan_P]

Hi New Reef2Reef friends,

I have made so many mistakes. I have lost count of the number of fish I have lost and the amount of coral that have died. I live in Cheyenne Wyoming and haven't run into anyone that is in the hobby. So the internet has been my guide/mentor (sad I know). With that being said I was watching BRS TV youtube channel and they mentioned reef2reef.com as a resource for newbies like me. I am nearly 1 year in and I am still trying to figure this thing out.

This is my setup:

SCA 50 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 24x24x20 10mm
Sump 19-3/4 x 16-1/2 x 13" with 3 cambers
SCA-301 skimmer
Atmen PH2500 return pump
100 Watt Heater

For Lighting: CURRENT USA Orbit Marine IC PRO Dual LED Reef Aquarium Light (Purchased Yesterday)
For Cooling: Petzilla Aquarium Chiller, Fish Tank Cooling Fan System for Saltwater
For Filtration: Filter Sock and Bio Media

Neptune Apex with the following:

Neptune EB832
Neptune ATO
2 Neptune WAV Powerheads
Neptune Auto Feeder
Neptune DOS for auto water changes (AWC)
*Connected to a DIY Water Mixing Station

My Current water Parameters are:

Temp 78.3
ORP 290
Salt 33.5
PH 8.16
Alk 5.8
Nitrates 0.5
Phosphates 0.25

I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt Enriched Formulation for my salt mixture.

I think I had some insufficient lighting that caused my soft coral (i.e. flower pot and green leather etc.) to die (see above for newly purchased lights). I was manualy feeding them Reef Roids once a week. However, I did have one coral survive (See Photo).

I have gradually been adding new stock. I currently have:

1 Rabbit Fish
1 African Moony
3 Pajama Cardnals
1 Lawnmower Blenny

I have ordered but haven't received the following:

Should arrive in a week or two..
FISH:
1 Black & White Ocellaris Orange Face - Captive Bred, Amphiprion ocellaris, Small: over .75-1", Tank Raised

CORAL:
1 Flower Pot Coral-Metallic Green, Goniopora spp., Small: over 2.5-3", Jakarta
1 Kenya Tree Coral, Capnella spp., Tiny: up to 2.5", Jakarta
4 Pack Shroom Grab Bag, Various spp., Jakarta
1 WYSIWYG Whisker Coral, Duncanopsammia axifuga, 1 INCH

This is my setup and future inhabitants. I am really tired of failing at this hobby and most importantly loosing these beautiful underwater creatures. I could really use some advice and guidance.

I look forward to you commits and helpful advice on how to proceed.

Bill

Hi Bill, welcome! Sorry to hear about your troubles. I have some thoughts to share.

The internet is the worst place to get an education on complex subjects. Forums excel when you have a very specific question you want answered. I am going to suggest one specific question that you need to ask right now: what are the top three books on setting up and managing a reef aquarium.

Keeping an aquarium is possible because their is much information on how to be successful. This information includes ranges of parameters to be successful. Like the guardrails on the side of the road that prevent you from driving off a cliff, these parameters keep you from crashing your aquarium. Unlike road guardrails, there are many sets of these guardrails for aquarium keeping. To be successful, you will need to know all of them on day 1. If you read a book or two, you will know all about these by the end of the book. If you try to learn them from the internet, you will learn them one by one while you crash your aquarium. Take time out from restocking your aquarium to read a few books

Good luck!

Dan

 

[New&no clue]

I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. I would suggest getting an ICP test for your water. Do you have a LFS near by? If so I’d take your water to them to double check your basic parameters.

Can you give us some more information on your fish. How long were they in the tank before they died? Did you quarantine them? How did you acclimate them?

If both corals and fish are dying it makes me think there is a water quality issue.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

This is what I used to test the Phosphates and Nitrates. I agree the color coding on this test kit can be difficult to read. Do you have a recomendation on a kit. I purchased this kit when I first started. I use the Hanna test Kits for the Alk, Cal and Phosphate ULR. But it looking like the Hanna Checker for Alk may be bad.

This is exactly your problem…… get a good test kit api is junk for nitrate and phosphate There’s got to be 1000 different threads on how bad they are Or I should say in accurate