Reef Aquarium problems?

[Alexkos23]

Hey guys!

Been having a quite a few problems with my reef aquarium throughout the year that i have had it. Just been losing corals left and right pretty much and today i had done some testing on my tank and my readings a lower than what they usually used to be at.

I was wondering if someone could help me out on getting it back to normal life in there and keep my corals alive just lost a torch and that one hurt.

20 gallon readings are -

Alk - 7.7
Phosphate - 0.69
Calcium - 595
Salinity - 36
Nitrate/Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0.50
pH - 8.4

 

[dvgyfresh]

Hey guys!

Been having a quite a few problems with my reef aquarium throughout the year that i have had it. Just been losing corals left and right pretty much and today i had done some testing on my tank and my readings a lower than what they usually used to be at.

I was wondering if someone could help me out on getting it back to normal life in there and keep my corals alive just lost a torch and that one hurt.

20 gallon readings are -

Alk - 7.7
Phosphate - 0.69
Calcium - 595
Salinity - 36
Nitrate/Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0.50
pH - 8.4

What are yr lights , tank size , filtration,? And what test kits are you using ? A 0 nitrate reading is not good and could cause problems along with high phosphate. Ammonia should be 0 are you using api?

 

[brandon429]

you should:

lower the light intensity immediately as we search for causes.

 

[Alexkos23]

What are yr lights , tank size , filtration,? And what test kits are you using ? A 0 nitrate reading is not good and could cause problems along with high phosphate. Ammonia should be 0 are you using api?

Tbh i forgot the light that I had purchased as this was last year beginning of covid was just looking to get a tank going and all. 20 gallon, Aquaclear filtration system and a Protein Skimmer, I have the Hanna test kits as well as API test kits

 

[dvgyfresh]

Livestock ? I think the high phosphate and high calcium need to be lowered , and lights could be a potential issue without knowing what they are, nitrate should be around 5ppm with phosphate <.3 ppm.

 

[brandon429]

by rule of updated cycling science we already know your ammonia is under control as the options are dead reef/ammonia isn't controlled or live reef/ammonia is controlled.

sporadic losses of corals has no cause from free ammonia for sure. rule that one issue out. a cycling chart has no rising ammonia line it has only a down-trending one

the ammonia reading reported can be found in hundreds of currently running reefs, posts show. You'd have to have gray smelly water and dead fish to have true ammonia noncontrol, it has characters we don't need a test kit to see. this is a common issue with our test kits, reporting accurate low level ammonia. nbd we are eliminating causes one by one.

 

[lstmysock11]

What water are you using? Tap water? RODI? Distilled? Tap water can have stuff in it you would not want and could be killing your corals with TDS.

 

[Alexkos23]

Livestock ? I think the high phosphate and high calcium need to be lowered , and lights could be a potential issue without knowing what they are, nitrate should be around 5ppm with phosphate <.3 ppm.

Attached the pic of my tank currently as well i found the light that i had purchased.

Everything was going perfect till recently where it has just not been the same.

KZKR LED Aquarium light

 

[Alexkos23]

What water are you using? Tap water? RODI? Distilled? Tap water can have stuff in it you would not want and could be killing your corals with TDS.

I'm using RODI water have the filtration system and everything dedicated to that tank

 

[brandon429]

hey that is a neat reef it really is. not easy to find your causatives. wide open spaces.
laser clear water, not too many fish, months of aging in place with coralline, no bad algae problems well you've done a great job.

if it was my tank it'd be this:

no more casting feed at the top water. pulverize your feed and take turns injecting the whole lot right over a coral (alternating them) at 5 am

boot camp the reef with direct feeding

be changing water more to balance that, upgrade from the current stasis and action level/core rule in biology to spurn growth

so each coral will now eat like pigs and you aren't adding more overall feed. do the increased feed and water changes sustained for six weeks, anything above your current norms, bet it works. needs more protein cycling for darker coral colors. those are too light.

neither your fish nor cuc will mind the increased attention to feed and clean water sustained.

your sandbed is not deep and packed up bad, this gives you freedom to be pouring back water over and over. I would rehab the nano with feed and exercise and no testing other than temp and salinity. at the end of six weeks and 20 extra partial water changes plus feeds you wouldn't have normally done, then start the detailing. you'll be p-90x jacked by then.

the only params that need to match for the water changes are temp and salinity to the old water. doing 30% or so water changes after a nice feeding target run is easy, added to your normal routines.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Very clean tank and I agree with Brandon , the only issue I see is coral not having enough nutrients/food but more feedings / water changes would benefit

 

[brandon429]

needs quality feed too, this above might be pellets only

if it was mine id add two drops a day of reef energy a/b all in one refrigerated additive and then some hq frozen feed such as rods coral mix, a little thawed out and spot given to the lucky recipients occasionally. in the morning very early just shoot it slowly all right at the coral mouth, some will stick they're usually feeding at that time anyway.

 

[Alexkos23]

Very clean tank and I agree with Brandon , the only issue I see is coral not having enough nutrients/food but more feedings / water changes would benefit

needs quality feed too, this above might be pellets only

if it was mine id add two drops a day of reef energy a/b all in one refrigerated additive and then some hq frozen feed such as rods coral mix, a little thawed out and spot given to the lucky recipients occasionally. in the morning very early just shoot it slowly all right at the coral mouth, some will stick they're usually feeding at that time anyway.

Okay will go ahead and do that going to do a water change tomorrow morning!

As of right now I am feeding my corals once a week with MarineSnow Plankton Diet my LFS had recommended me that when i was first getting started out. Feeding my fish frozen brine shrimp every night before bed.

 

[brandon429]

hey that isn't bad at all. the other two are just slight stepped up in nutrient diversity but those are not bad right there. pls update can't wait to see progress

 

[Alexkos23]

hey that isn't bad at all. the other two are just slight stepped up in nutrient diversity but those are not bad right there. pls update can't wait to see progress

Will do!! Appreciate all the help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey guys!

Been having a quite a few problems with my reef aquarium throughout the year that i have had it. Just been losing corals left and right pretty much and today i had done some testing on my tank and my readings a lower than what they usually used to be at.

I was wondering if someone could help me out on getting it back to normal life in there and keep my corals alive just lost a torch and that one hurt.

20 gallon readings are -

Alk - 7.7
Phosphate - 0.69
Calcium - 595
Salinity - 36
Nitrate/Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0.50
pH - 8.4

Some of your reading s are causing issues, in particular CA, alk, phos and ph. Some SLOW/GRADUAL adjustments needed

Should be :

Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .4
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-9
CA 440