What's wrong?

OneFish · Feb 26, 2018

Why do I have GHA and dinos (neither are too severe) growing in my tank? I just tested my water with an API test kit (I know it is not the greatest) and both phosphates and nitrates read 0ppm. I figured that something would have to be wrong for those algaes to grow. Lights are on 9 hours a day with full intensity being for only 3 hours. I did just start vacuuming my sand bed to try and get it that beautiful white color, but if that released something bad, wouldn't that show up in those tests?

Also, how would some SPS be doing fine while others are not? I just got a doser thinking that was the problem but my calcium reads 400 ppm and my alkalinity is 11 dkh before dosing (again, using API). Any advice? There is plenty of flow and light, but some frags look like they are losing color and do not have good polyp extension at all. Fish, softies, inverts, LPS are all doing fine.

I have some WWC frags coming in this Friday from the live sale and would like to have things figured out by then.

Crabs McJones · Feb 26, 2018

OneFish said:
Why do I have GHA and dinos (neither are too severe) growing in my tank? I just tested my water with an API test kit (I know it is not the greatest) and both phosphates and nitrates read 0ppm. I figured that something would have to be wrong for those algaes to grow. Lights are on 9 hours a day with full intensity being for only 3 hours. I did just start vacuuming my sand bed to try and get it that beautiful white color, but if that released something bad, wouldn't that show up in those tests?

Also, how would some SPS be doing fine while others are not? I just got a doser thinking that was the problem but my calcium reads 400 ppm and my alkalinity is 11 dkh before dosing (again, using API). Any advice? There is plenty of flow and light, but some frags look like they are losing color and do not have good polyp extension at all. Fish, softies, inverts, LPS are all doing fine.

I have some WWC frags coming in this Friday from the live sale and would like to have things figured out by then.

Part of the problem, in my opinion, is the api test kit. I used this test kit for a while and then bought the salifert test kits only to find that the api test kits were WAAAY off. 11 alk is pretty high, generally you want it around 8. And the reason you're not detecting nitrate and phosphate is likely due to the fact that your algae is consuming it faster than it can be released into the water column where you would then get it for your test. What lighting system do you have over your tank?

OneFish · Feb 26, 2018

crabs_mcjones said:
Part of the problem, in my opinion, is the api test kit. I used this test kit for a while and then bought the salifert test kits only to find that the api test kits were WAAAY off. 11 alk is pretty high, generally you want it around 8. And the reason you're not detecting nitrate and phosphate is likely due to the fact that your algae is consuming it faster than it can be released into the water column where you would then get it for your test. What lighting system do you have over your tank?

Ok I my buddy is bringing over his salifert test kit this week so I can compare which will hopefully show me the problem! The algae isn't too bad... a few patches of GHA here and there and the sand bed only has a light coat of dinos (maybe cyano) on about half of it. My tank is a 25g lagoon and I have two a160we's over it running at 45% I believe.

Crabs McJones · Feb 26, 2018

OneFish said:
Ok I my buddy is bringing over his salifert test kit this week so I can compare which will hopefully show me the problem! The algae isn't too bad... a few patches of GHA here and there and the sand bed only has a light coat of dinos (maybe cyano) on about half of it. My tank is a 25g lagoon and I have two a160we's over it running at 45% I believe.

Welcome to the Kessil Club my friend!

Crabs McJones · Feb 26, 2018

OneFish said:
Ok I my buddy is bringing over his salifert test kit this week so I can compare which will hopefully show me the problem! The algae isn't too bad... a few patches of GHA here and there and the sand bed only has a light coat of dinos (maybe cyano) on about half of it. My tank is a 25g lagoon and I have two a160we's over it running at 45% I believe.

Just for the sake of curiousity id do a side by side comparison of your api kit vs the salifert. And see how much of a variation there is in your results between the two.

OneFish · Feb 26, 2018

crabs_mcjones said:
Just for the sake of curiousity id do a side by side comparison of your api kit vs the salifert. And see how much of a variation there is in your results between the two.

Ok I definitely will. I will post results later this week. So just water changes to lower the phosphates and nitrates for now until I retest?

Crabs McJones · Feb 26, 2018

OneFish said:
Ok I definitely will. I will post results later this week. So just water changes to lower the phosphates and nitrates for now until I retest?

Yup, water changes are your best bet to help. Also maybe retrace your steps and see where the excess nutrients are entering your tank. Are your ro/di filters depleted, are you overfeeding, is your light cycle to long, are your waster changes not enough or not frequent enough, is your bioload more than the tank can handle, do you have a sufficient clean up crew, ect...

OneFish · Feb 26, 2018

crabs_mcjones said:
Yup, water changes are your best bet to help. Also maybe retrace your steps and see where the excess nutrients are entering your tank. Are your ro/di filters depleted, are you overfeeding, is your light cycle to long, are your waster changes not enough or not frequent enough, is your bioload more than the tank can handle, do you have a sufficient clean up crew, ect...

Thanks! I'll do that and post back in a few days with the salifert tests

Tautog · Feb 26, 2018

I like the Red Sea test kits, and remember to pick up a test kit for Magnesium. If your Mg is very low it’s not good either.
I’m also dosing manually for over a year, so that shouldn’t be the problem.
It’s very frustrating, but slowly I’m getting more coral growth with Acros.
Chase Alkalinity!!!
Check everyday until you know your consumption
Alkalinity ———— 8.0 dKH
Calcium ————— 430 ppm
Magnesium ——— 1350 ppm
All 3 work together, but chase Alkalinity, and everything else will fall into place

OneFish · Mar 7, 2018

Tautog said:
I like the Red Sea test kits, and remember to pick up a test kit for Magnesium. If your Mg is very low it’s not good either.
I’m also dosing manually for over a year, so that shouldn’t be the problem.
It’s very frustrating, but slowly I’m getting more coral growth with Acros.
Chase Alkalinity!!!
Check everyday until you know your consumption
Alkalinity ———— 8.0 dKH
Calcium ————— 430 ppm
Magnesium ——— 1350 ppm
All 3 work together, but chase Alkalinity, and everything else will fall into place

Ok, I just got my Red Sea test kit in the mail today and tested Alk and Calcium. They were 11 dKH and 360 ppm, respectively. How do I go about dosing now that my alk is fine and my calcium is low? Should I bring calcium up to 430ish tonight or should I keep testing over the next few days and gradually raise it up and if so, how? Do I have to dose alk with calcium? I have 2 part b-ionic that I am going to be using.