My Tank is CRASHING! What to do next?

[Daniel Makas]

I am reaching out to the community of REEFER PROS to help me rebound my nano to success. I have been neglecting it big time due to the normal obstacles of life and I could def use some coaching to get my baby back to its prestige self, I’m not really a novice, but I’m def, not a pro. I hope to keep growing this thread so someone with similar problems can follow similar steps to reclaim their own tank.

Here is a little more about my tank...

Bio cube 29G (Birthday 04/03/16 - 1 year and 7 months old)
- Return Pump = Maxi-Jet 1200j
- Filter = InTank Media Rack (Top- Filter Floss, Middle= Purigen, Bottom= Chemi-Pure Elite)
- Powerhead = Maxspect Gyre XF130
- Lights = Aqua Illuminations Prime HD

Inhabitants
- Roughly 30lbs Live Rock
- (PAIR) Premium Snowflake Clownfish
- Geometric Pygmy Perchlet (Hawkfish)
- Banggai Cardinalfish
- Yasha Hasha Goby (paired w/ Randall’s Pistol Shrimp)
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Halloween Urchin
- Random Hermits and Snails (don’t even know how many are left)

Corals (Still healthy)
- Bubble Coral
- Rhodactis Mushroom
- GSP colony
- Pulsing Xenia colony
- 3 zoanthid colonies

Corals (dying)
- Dendro
- Branching Hammer
- 1 zoanthid colony

PROBLEM: Tank is crashing and corals are starting to die. I have hairline algae growing everywhere like crazy. I have some cyano algae breaking out on sand and glass. Corals are being covered with hairline algae.

MY PLAN:
- Put in brand new Chemi-Pure and Purigen
- Prune all of the algae the best I can using my hands
- Buy new salt (NOT SURE WHAT BRAND OF SALT TO CHANGE TO, I JUST RAN OUT, I WAS USING RED SEA CORAL PRO..... IM THINKING OF CHANGING TO AQUA FOREST PROBIOTIC..... THOUGHTS??????)
- Once i get new salt do a 50% water change, then do 5 gallon water changes weekly
- After water change test and dose tank depending on results
- Feed the tank 2 cubes of PESCINE PE-MYSIS every other day

QUESTIONS:
1) Which salt mix is best to switch to? I was using a very old bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro.
2) Should I add more snails or hermit crabs, and which ones? I have leftover 1-3 ASTREA, 1-2 MEXICAN TURBO, 1-3 Bumble Bee Snails, maybe 5 hermit crabs.
3) Is there anything i should buy to eat all of this algae?
4) Which water parameters should i most focus on? Last test was 2 weeks ago and PH was very low (7.6) but lights were only on for a few hours. I dosed 8.4 to raise the PH & ALK. Calcium was also high at 480ppm, ALK @ 8. No ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or phosphate.
5) Can my plan above be improved?

I’m open to everything. I need to get new salt first, Let’s start there.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Are you using ro/di for your water changes? How much are you feeding and how often?

 

[MtrSkllz]

I think the most important thing you can do right now to come up with a plan is get current parameters.

Salinity
Ammonia
Nitrate
Phosphate
Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium

And really anything else you can test might help.

 

[40B Knasty]

I use Reef Crystals now. Used the RSCP for a year. The cost is way to much. Here is somethings to help you decide.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Don’t over think. Vacuum what you can out and use toothbrush where doesnt. Make sure to match salinity and temp to tank. It will be ok.

 

[brandon429]

The sand rinse thread has complete turnaround pics of this type. Not a hard fix.

 

[Joshua2598]

Update?