Need drastic help

[reefermadness980]

Hello all, thanks I’m advance for reading. Here is my story, I have a 12.5 gallon bullet aio nano tank, I got it for Christmas a year and a half ago and have been struggling ever since, I’m here so I can do the right thing and get the right help for my fish’s sake. I’ll spare the details of my journey and just give the current state of the tank, I’ve done a 3-4 week blackout with the light off to kill algae and it has been successful just not 100 percent, my clean up crew is unknown I have 2-3 crabs and lkle 3-5 snails all unknown species. I also have 2 clownfish. I have somewhat neglected the tank in the past due to losing motivation but I’m ready to turn it around and hopefully reattempt corals. I have started doing 30 percent (2/3) gallon water changes every 1-2 weeks instead of like a 70-80 once a month and have had good results with that as well. For flow I have a koralia 900 with 240gph on the back and a hygger hg951, in front of the other right before the bullet curve (will post pics) set at low intensity with different wave modes throughout the day/night. My filtration is ugly I know I need to change the sponges, I have ceramic rings and a bag of chemipure elite I probably need to change too. I have seeded the tank with copepods and will try to get pictures of them, they come out more at night and I see them mostly in the filter sponges or the back chambers just swimming and crawling around, idk much about them but I’ve been told by a more experienced reefer that the pods I somehow cultivated are rather large than normal and look extremely healthy. I top the water off occasionally with distilled water not rodi not sure if that’s a big difference, and get my saltwater from the fish tank store. I have a salinity reader but don’t know how to use it and have not invested on a water test kit yet but I have one on the way. I don’t have a water heater and I also do not have a protein skimmer. The light I use is a reef breeders nano light I have to reconfigure the light settings appropriately but for now just have it off, I think one of my biggest issues is all the natural sunlight coming from the windows which I have pictured, even though it’s nighttime and you can’t see the sunlight, I live in florida and the sun is pretty much always beating down on the tank. I also do not know if I have too much live rock or not, or even the current health of the rock. I know this is a lot and I have tried to provide as much information as I can, please help me save this tank I am willing to do anything and everything to make sure my clownfish strive and prosper. Moving the tank to a different location is an option I just need advice on how to do such as well. Willing to do any upgrades

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

1. You should probably invest in a heater.
2. Sunlight can cause extra algae growth.
3. I don’t think you have “too much” rock, and healthy live rock might have a purple color from coralline algae, but rock can still be healthy while remaining white.
4. Does your salinity reader look like the picture below?
5. Get use those levels asap.
6. If you don’t have a heater, do you at least have a thermometer?
7. Persevere and you will succeed!

 

[reefermadness980]

1. You should probably invest in a heater.
2. Sunlight can cause extra algae growth.
3. I don’t think you have “too much” rock, and healthy live rock might have a purple color from coralline algae, but rock can still be healthy while remaining white.
4. Does your salinity reader look like the picture below?
5. Get use those levels asap.
6. If you don’t have a heater, do you at least have a thermometer?
7. Persevere and you will succeed!

My salinity reader is different one of those instant ocean buoyancy ones, I can watch a video on how to use it, I will post water levels asap as well. I also do not have a thermometer but I will invest in both a heater and thermometer, thanks for your help I definitely appreciate you.

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

My salinity reader is different one of those instant ocean buoyancy ones, I can watch a video on how to use it, I will post water levels asap as well. I also do not have a thermometer but I will invest in both a heater and thermometer, thanks for your help I definitely appreciate you.

I use the instant ocean one. you simply submerge it until it fills up, remove it, and wait a couple seconds for the arm to stop moving. then whatever number its pointing at is the salinity.

 

[kevgib67]

Well your rock appears algae free, a success! The constant direct sunlight is a major part of why you had an algae issue. I would suggest blacking out the window or moving your tank. You have been flying blindly. Getting the heater and thermometer is a good start and also getting good test kits. Your water quality and stability is the most important aspect of keeping a reef tank! You need to monitor your parameters routinely so you know where you are. It’s almost impossible for people to offer you help without the information. Stay consistent with your maintenance and water changes and a year from now you won’t believe how beautiful your little tank has become. Best of luck, you are moving in the right direction. Never stop learning, reading and watching videos.

 

[RandyL]

I agree that the sunlight may be driving your algae problem and it may also be causing some temperature swings, depending on how direct it is. I’d get a thermometer and monitor that at multiple times of the day to see how much it is changing.

I like the water changing regimen you described. I’m sure that’s helping to get things on the right path.

Keep going as you are and good things are bound to happen.

 

[reefermadness980]

Here’s the update guys,