Should I start over ?

[Idech]

This is my first reef tank and it is 22 months old (75 gallons, no sump). I’ve made mistakes and it seems that those mistakes have permanently affected the quality of the water, even though parameters are fine.

Salinity : 1.026
PH : 8.1
Cal : 480
Mag : 1540
Alk : 9.6
Nitrates : 18.4
Phosphate : 0,07
Temp : 78

I have had dinos for about 18 months. Got rid of them 3 times, but they always come back with a vengeance every time I do a WC more than a few gallons. Which is why I can’t just do a huge WC and be done with it. I dose All For Reef every day to make up for it.

I can grow very easy corals, but anything else will die. Sometimes they last a few months but they don’t show much growth and end up dying later. I would like to keep euphyllias and other corals with lots of movement or just nice. But it just doesn’t work.

Here is what I have tried and still have :

1 x GSP
1 x duncan
1 x frogspawn (euphyllia divisa) DEAD
3 x pulsing xenia
2 x green rodactis mushroom
2 x red Actinodiscus mushroom
1 x Discosoma
1 x purple blastomussa DEAD
1 x assorted acan lord DEAD
1 x kryptonite candy cane DEAD
1 x bi-color candy cane DEAD
2 x red acan Bowerbanki DEAD
1 x red goniopora DEAD
1 x green alveopora DYING
1 x green purple tip hammer
1 x myagi tort acropora DEAD
1 x branching gold hammer
2 x green torch DEAD
2 x cristata torch DEAD
1 x rose bud branching hammer DEAD
1 x yellow cyphastrea (bas) DEAD
1 x purple leptastrea DEAD
1 x JF techno cyphastrea DEAD
1 x pipe organ
1 x Hocus pocus lepto DEAD
1 x purple anthelia
1 x pastel yellow favia DEAD
2 x green polyp porites DEAD
2 x tropic thunder montipora frag DEAD
1 x green nepthea coral
1 x bird’s nest

Anemones
1 x rainbow bubble tip anemone

Fish and inverts are doing well.

My question : would starting over fix this problem that makes me feel like quitting altogether ? If not, what should I do ?

I would empty the tank and keep the rocks, corals inverts and fish alive in tubs. Then get rid of the sand and replace with new one, maybe just 1 inch instead of 3 inches like I have now.

Replace 100% of the water with fresh salt water made of RODI. Put everything back in, all on the same day hopefully.



Thanks !

 

[Lemons]

Do you use RODI water???? Possible make up water contamination?

Any copepods roaming your tank? Any finned friends swimmin about????

How about the lighting? Aka how long are they on? What kinda spectrum? Are you running a programmable one or just a black box at max?

 

[DIFish]

You softies seem to be growing so I would not start over and lose all of your progress. Just need to troubleshoot the issues at hand.
What's the TDS of your RODI water? Could you be accidentally adding things in that are fueling the dinos?
What test kits are you using? Could any of them be giving wrong values?
Are you lights strong enough for the other coral? Tank looks a bit dim from video.
You have coraline algae growing so I think you have a good start. Just need to figure out some small issues.

 

[7of9]

Did you start with dry or live rock? Any seeding of bacteria?

 

[Red_Beard]

No way dude! Don't start over, it takes years for stuff to stabilize with all the dead dry rock. You are building a whole ecosystem, and some of the things that matter most are things you cannot see. It takes a lot of time for your rock to hit equilibrium with phosphates as well as to become thoroughly inoculated with the varying bacterial players. If you want to get through it quick, get an order of real live - straight out the ocean rock. Barring any other things like high levels of copper or other heavy metals and contaminants, that will help get you a good baseline for growth.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think your tank looks nice.
I think you secretly want to ask "should I start another tank" instead of " should I restart the current tank" lol

I would not group your coral losses into one bundle of bad luck, thats too easy. The proper way to look at it is to solve each coral death independatly, each coral has its own needs, and therefor its own reason of why it died. And with that logic, I suggest to keep going forward.

 

[Idech]

Do you use RODI water???? Possible make up water contamination?

Yes, only RODI. I have done an ICP test and had my RODI tested as well and it was pretty much perfect.

Any copepods roaming your tank? Any finned friends swimmin about????

I regularly buy copepods. I just put another three bottles in the tank a few days ago.

How about the lighting? Aka how long are they on? What kinda spectrum? Are you running a programmable one or just a black box at max?

I have 4 x AI Prime 16 HD, so yes, programmable.

What's the TDS of your RODI water? Could you be accidentally adding things in that are fueling the dinos?

Either 0 or 1. I changed all my filters recently.

What test kits are you using? Could any of them be giving wrong values?

Hum, hard to tell if I get wrong values. I got an ICP test done in november and my results matched those of the ICP test. I did all the suggested corrections as well.

Red Sea test for cal, mag and salinity.
Hanna for phosphate and nitrate
Inkbird controller for temperature
Hydrometer for salinity (which results matches those of my ICP test, so I trust it).
API for PH

Are you lights strong enough for the other coral? Tank looks a bit dim from video.

I would think so. I’ve done lots of research and asked advice from experience reefers. I haven’t rented a par meter yet; it’s something I need to do eventually.

Did you start with dry or live rock? Any seeding of bacteria?

Dry rock, with bottled bacteria (Aquaforest I believe). I also dose Microbacter7 on and off.

If you want to get through it quick, get an order of real live - straight out the ocean rock. Barring any other things like high levels of copper or other heavy metals and contaminants, that will help get you a good baseline for growth.

Live rock is not a thing where I live. I’ve asked stores and they laughed at me. I’ve asked reefers and they said forget it, you won’t find it.

I think you secretly want to ask "should I start another tank" instead of " should I restart the current tank" lol

Ha Ha Ha ! I wish, but no way José !

The proper way to look at it is to solve each coral death independatly, each coral has its own needs, and therefor its own reason of why it died. And with that logic, I suggest to keep going forward.

For some of the corals I know why they died. Like I dropped them, or had to dose some reef safe medication. But I would say at least 60% of them, I don’t have a clue !

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

That's an absolutely stunning tank, restating it would be madness IMO. I love soft corals, they can look very nice. Work with what you've got and what does well. Maybe do an ICP test.

 

[Idech]

That's an absolutely stunning tank, restating it would be madness IMO. I love soft corals, they can look very nice. Work with what you've got and what does well. Maybe do an ICP test.

Thank you ! I’ve been thinking about doing another ICP test. It’s been 10 months since the last one.

 

[dadnjesse]

Why do you keep buying copods? There could be anything in the water from them. I would just feed the ones in your tank.

 

[djf91]

I don’t think your tank looks bad at all. But if you want to restart I would suggest ordering Australian live rock online with at least 50% of your rock being live rock (I know, the price is crazy), lots of flow so that no detritus collects on the bottom (may want to consider a large coarse substrate), intense full spectrum lighting. Do your best to keep nutrients low and stable and let the system mature for 6 months.

 

[Idech]

Why do you keep buying copods? There could be anything in the water from them. I would just feed the ones in your tank.

I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying ? Copepods water could be bad for the tank ?

I buy them because I’m trying to increase micro fauna.

 

[Idech]

I don’t think your tank looks bad at all. But if you want to restart I would suggest ordering Australian live rock online with at least 50% of your rock being live rock (I know, the price is crazy), lots of flow so that no detritus collects on the bottom (may want to consider a large coarse substrate), intense full spectrum lighting. Do your best to keep nutrients low and stable and let the system mature for 6 months.

I am almost 100% certain I cannot import this in Canada.

 

[sfin52]

Where is the phospahtes and nitrates sitting at.

Absolutly dont start over. Huge expense and you loose all you stibility not to mentions fish and corals

Dinos are in every tank. We cause the conditions to bloom

 

[Idech]

Where is the phospahtes and nitrates sitting at.

0,07 and 18,4

 

[sfin52]

0,07 and 18,4

What test kit

 

[Uncle99]

You posted good water chemistry levels but how much flux to each experience during every 24 hour period?

Crazy if you restart that.

 

[sfin52]

I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying ? Copepods water could be bad for the tank ?

I buy them because I’m trying to increase micro fauna.

Copapods eat dinos

 

[PeterErc]

Taking out the rock and livestock, replacing sand and new salt water, then putting livestock back is not going to fix the issue.

If it was me I would add more fish and increase the bio load. Don’t dose any “reef safe” medication or magical elixirs. If you have Dino’s from water changes don’t do any water changes. Wait for the Dino’s to get out completed. There are threads on how to beat Dino’s and it doesn’t appear you nitrate and phosphate are bottomed out. An ultraviolet sterilizer may be something to consider, permanently or temporarily.
If it has been 22 months, bacteria should not be an issue. All the coral that you added would have bacteria on it that would help seed the tank. That’s just me, I am a dry rock fan.
Keep it simple , go slow, nothing good happens overnight. Listen to the folks in this thread, your tank is beautiful.
Many people will say do this or do that. Stability is the key to success

 

[sfin52]

What do you dose to keep phospahte under control?