Uhg, made a sump, sad corals, wack params.

[lainamarie]

I built a sump with my own two hands! Bahaha. Has a skimmer, and live sand, and bio media, but I’m sure I could add more things. ****’s expensive tho.

However my hammer receded like 3 heads, sad day. And my torch just looks sad. Other corals seem to be well, I’d say 30/70% (30 doing ok, 70 being bleached or getting sad) depending which kinds they’re either struggling, or happy/doing okay.

It’s a 54 gallon corner tank with a 10 gallon sump.
Nitrates - 35-40
PH - 8
Alkalinity - 5.4
Calcium - 400
Magnesium - 1080
Salinity - 1.025

**** seems low- how do you recommend solving this?

I’ll do a water change tomorrow, and it’s late as I’m posting this so that’s all the testing I’m doing tonight.

The images look *extra* sad because the lights were on off, I just turned them on for photos.

 

[Waters]

Good job on the sump! If your water tests are correct, your chemistry is way off, which explains the unhappy coral. I recommend doing some large water changes to get everything back in line. Your nitrates are a bit high, if correct, your ALK is super low, and your Mg is also pretty low. What test kits do you use? What salt are you using? I also see some Aiptasia which you might want to tackle now before those get out of line. I also have to ask, how did you melt the bracing on your sump :) ?

 

[Fish Fan]

I also have to ask, how did you melt the bracing on your sump :) ?

I'm just guessing, but likely a reptile light. That used to happen to me when I had reptiles :)

 

[mboley]

If you added live sand out of a bag, you added ammonia. Your Alk and Mag are very low. Nitrates are high and you didn't say, but I'll bet Phosphates are high too.

Lots of issues!

 

[BryanM]

Have you been doing regular water changes?

Alk is very low while salinity is fine. That seems off to me.

CALC and MAg are very hard to test at home. I'd certainly focus on the alk number, that needs to be at least 7, to me 8 is better.

You didn't post a phosphate number.... With high nitrates (not alarming to me, but will be to others), I'd be very interested in where your phosphate was at.

But if alk is really 5.4, that's the red flag I see.

 

[KrisReef]

What salt mix are you using for water changes? If it’s low on Alk & Mg in the mix barrel then I would add Alk & Mg to the mix to move the parameters in the right direction.

And I do wonder if you need better tests? That might be the reason for these low numbers?

 

[lainamarie]

Good job on the sump! If your water tests are correct, your chemistry is way off, which explains the unhappy coral. I recommend doing some large water changes to get everything back in line. Your nitrates are a bit high, if correct, your ALK is super low, and your Mg is also pretty low. What test kits do you use? What salt are you using? I also see some Aiptasia which you might want to tackle now before those get out of line. I also have to ask, how did you melt the bracing on your sump :) ?

DUDE SO MUCH AIPTASIA

also melt the bracing? show me a photo and circle of what you mean and i’ll explain as best i can haha,

i use the red sea test kits, and i use fritz reef pro mix for salt

 

[lainamarie]

Good job on the sump! If your water tests are correct, your chemistry is way off, which explains the unhappy coral. I recommend doing some large water changes to get everything back in line. Your nitrates are a bit high, if correct, your ALK is super low, and your Mg is also pretty low. What test kits do you use? What salt are you using? I also see some Aiptasia which you might want to tackle now before those get out of line. I also have to ask, how did you melt the bracing on your sump :) ?

oh melting the bracing it used to be an old reptile cricket enclosure, nothing to do with anything now

 

[lainamarie]

Have you been doing regular water changes?

Alk is very low while salinity is fine. That seems off to me.

CALC and MAg are very hard to test at home. I'd certainly focus on the alk number, that needs to be at least 7, to me 8 is better.

You didn't post a phosphate number.... With high nitrates (not alarming to me, but will be to others), I'd be very interested in where your phosphate was at.

But if alk is really 5.4, that's the red flag I see.

this is what i have for parameters measured, i’ll admit i was pretty lazy i guess.

 

[lainamarie]

Have you been doing regular water changes?

Alk is very low while salinity is fine. That seems off to me.

CALC and MAg are very hard to test at home. I'd certainly focus on the alk number, that needs to be at least 7, to me 8 is better.

You didn't post a phosphate number.... With high nitrates (not alarming to me, but will be to others), I'd be very interested in where your phosphate was at.

But if alk is really 5.4, that's the red flag I see.

lemme check dem phosphates, i have a hanna checker

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Is all this negativity in your tank after you added your sump? Are you running carbon? What silicone did you use? People are eluding to a water parameter issue, which you do have... But... Usually things are related to the most recent things you have done or not done.

 

[lainamarie]

lemme check dem phosphates, i have a hanna checker

0.68 omg hahhaa

 

[lainamarie]

Is all this negativity in your tank after you added your sump? Are you running carbon? What silicone did you use? People are eluding to a water parameter issue, which you do have... But... Usually things are related to the most recent things you have done or not done.

i’m not running a carbon reactor, i just have bio media cubes, live sand, a small pump to move water in the large section on the sump and then the return pump area. the skimmer is in the live sand and pump area. i just added a phosphorus sock into that area now haha

 

[lainamarie]

Is all this negativity in your tank after you added your sump? Are you running carbon? What silicone did you use? People are eluding to a water parameter issue, which you do have... But... Usually things are related to the most recent things you have done or not done.

i also used saltwater appropriate tank silicone so it shouldn’t be an issue

 

[twentyleagues]

1st off with aragonite sand and calcium carbonate rocks I dont think an alk reading of 5.4 is possible it is probably a mis-test. Lets say for a minute it is actually 5.4 and all the other parameters are correct as well water changes of 20-30% at least weekly would get thing back in line in a month or so. A couple 50% water changes 3-4 days apart would do it quicker and then you could resume a more normal schedule like 10-20% weekly.

Are you dosing anything? I am guessing no. How often are you testing alk?

 

[KrisReef]

I’m thinking that you should be dosing Alkalinity because your coral is eating it up between your far spaced water changes…?

I have a calcium reactor for alkalinity replacement and Calcium. Some people use a two part dosing scheme to keep up with coral uptake,
But you need something to keep the minerals in balance and steady.

Otherwise you are not going to keep corals long term

 

[BryanM]

i’m not running a carbon reactor, i just have bio media cubes, live sand, a small pump to move water in the large section on the sump and then the return pump area. the skimmer is in the live sand and pump area. i just added a phosphorus sock into that area now haha

I'd get a 2nd opinion on the alk number, and you need to start dropping that phosphate number. I'm personally okay with phos being as high as .3, and I'm scared to try and keep it down in the .06 range like some people... But .7 is too high :(

 

[mjszos]

A lot of great suggestions here, but as someone else suggested maybe putting a timeline of events in place here would be more beneficial.

When did you start noticing issues?

The parameters are a little off (alk specifically), but nothing in this hobby happens overnight. I'd suggest starting off with some water changes over the next week in manageable increments and monitoring. Once your parameters shape up, continue testing and monitor your consumption (alk/cal/mag), and increases (nitrate/phosphate). Don't chase specific numbers, but look for a stable range.

 

[lainamarie]

A lot of great suggestions here, but as someone else suggested maybe putting a timeline of events in place here would be more beneficial.

When did you start noticing issues?

The parameters are a little off (alk specifically), but nothing in this hobby happens overnight. I'd suggest starting off with some water changes over the next week in manageable increments and monitoring. Once your parameters shape up, continue testing and monitor your consumption (alk/cal/mag), and increases (nitrate/phosphate). Don't chase specific numbers, but look for a stable range.

Yeah I generally suck at testing alk/mag/cal I hate titration tests- I also could have done it wrong. My roommate is the one who moved her tank into my larger one and she helped a lot with the tests and stuff, so she moved and now I’m figuring it out.

I may have tested wrong. I did dose some calcium, and alkalinity buffer.

Not all corals are failing as some posts suggested, I’ve had corals in the tank the whole time and they’re doing alright (large hammer lost a couple heads, I readjusted, it looks better. The torch tried to die but seems like it’s coming back).

I don’t like chasing numbers, but also I am terrible with water changes so I need to up my game a bit lol.

 

[lainamarie]

I'd get a 2nd opinion on the alk number, and you need to start dropping that phosphate number. I'm personally okay with phos being as high as .3, and I'm scared to try and keep it down in the .06 range like some people... But .7 is too high :(

I tested again after adding a phosphate sock and making sure the skimmer is on lol, now it’s .76.

Pretty sure my reagent is expired and it’s reading wrong.

Also realized bubbles can cause a higher reading but I usually swirl I’ma order some new reagent.