Coral and Tank Help

[pezza371887]

Evening All,

My names Allister, I'm new to Reef2Reef and I'm over in the UK.

I've been a long time reader of the site when searching the Internet but never joined or posted.

I used to have a 5x2x2 mixed reef about 7-8 years ago but got out of the hobby when we had our daughter.

In April I finally got a new tank and got myself back into a hobby I wish I never left.

I setup a Red Sea Reefer 200 G2 in April last year and until recently had been running pretty smoothly.

I've suffered a couple of coral losses such as a larva chalice stripped, a picacu acro stripped from the base up and my Red plating montipora has lost a lot of colour.

My LPS seem to be a lot healthier but have struggled to pinpoint the exact issue I'm fighting and how to remediate it.

I usually do 25-50 litre water changes every week or bi weekly if I'm busy.

I feed one cube of frozen TMC gamma a day and mix it up between mysis, brineshrimp and a mixed one. I dose 10ml of Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ a night too.

Stock wise I have the following:

2 clowns
1 bangai Cardinal
1 leopard wrasse
1 starki Damsel
1 Royal gramma
1 sandsifting star
Tuxedo urchin
Red and blue leg hermits
1 fire shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
Turbo seals
Serith Snails
Feather duster worm

Latest parameters are:

Mag 1410
Calc 425
Nitrate 1ppm
Phos 0.03ppm
Ph 8.15
Dkh 8.45
Salinity 1.025
Temp 25.7

Filtration is:

Red Sea ReefMatt 500
Red Sea DC Skimmer 300
UV Steriliser.

I have the Red Sea Reef Dose 4 however, I'm only dosing Red Sea Alk and NoPox

Alk is 3ml per day and same for NoPox 3ml.

Lighting is Reef Factory Reef Flare Pro M at about 50% intensity at its peak.

Flow is the display is a Red Sea ReefWave 25 on 60% and return is a Red Sea ReefRun 5000 on 80%.

UV runs off a separate TMC 2000 DC pump.

Lighting starts at 10pm and ramps up to peak by midday and lights off at 10pm.

Water level is maintained by the Red Sea ATO+ so salinity shouldn't swing.

Temp is also controlled by the D&D dual controller with a 300W titanium heater.

Also running a CO2 scrubber through the skimmer. Using Reef Zlements Zorb media.

I've got a ICP test I'm sending off tomorrow so will update when i have results back.

I've also had some green hair algae growing on the back glass and noticed some corals have a brown algae growing on them such as the red plating monti and a few others.

I'll add some pictures and would be great to get your thoughts.

Cheers

 

[pezza371887]

These are from the last couple of days.

 

[pezza371887]

These are some I've notice have some algea growing on them.

 

[kevgib67]

What jumps out at me is your nutrients are low, starving out your corals. I would suggest getting your nitrates up to 10-15 and phosphates up to.05-.1.

 

[Macbalacano]

Water parameters seem good. It is possible that higher nitrates and phosphates may help. I know you said your lights are at 50%, have you checked PAR for your SPS? That may be the issue. The only other thing I can think of too is flow, maybe too low for those that aren’t doing well? It’s tough to keep both LPS and SPS happy at the same time. Doable for sure, just challenging. Hope it gets better for you!

 

[Lavey29]

I agree with the above coupled with the fact your tank is young so ugly phases will occur over the course of the first year. What is your light par at your 50% setting? Do you have to much flow for LPS at 50% intensity? I only run my MP40s at 28% max.

 

[pezza371887]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

I upped the flow on the Reef Wave 25 to 80% on the random setting and pointed one side lower towards the corals as they were both angled towards the surface fir more agitation.

I do have bottles of Nyos Nitrate+ and Phosphate+. Do you think u should dose these slowly and bring up the nutrients or is there a better way. With the stock levels I have I don't think adding 2 cubes will help much as think it would go uneaten and end up in the rocks or overflow.

I assume the skimmer and reefmat are stripping the nutrients too effectively on a small tank?

I don't have the PAR readings on the lights. A local reefer has offered me use of their Parwise just waiting to find out when I can get it.

 

[pezza371887]

Here are some comparison pics from last year before the corals started to show issues.

You can hopefully see how pale the montipora has gone.

It's been months since my hammer has opened up like that too.

 

[kevgib67]

Here are some comparison pics from last year before the corals started to show issues.

You can hopefully see how pale the montipora has gone.

It's been months since my hammer has opened up like that too.

Just remember it takes weeks of stress before the outward appearance of corals start showing a problem. In the reverse its the same. Make the changes and have patience. I look forward to seeing your post in a few weeks where your corals look like the last photos you posted again.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I'm leaning towards light being a little low, especially for the monti. The parameters look fine, everything else looks fine, that leaves light and flow. Lighting at 50% seems low, try to get a par meter. Nitrates also very low

 

[pezza371887]

I've sent my Reef Zlements Advanced ICP test in today so hopefully have the results by Friday with any luck.

Once I get the results I'll post then up.

Their website is down for maintenance currently but will post my first ICP test I think from around November time for comparison for when the new one comes in.

Then it would be great to come up with a plan with all your help.

Based on the results it's knowing should I dose Nitrate and phosphates and how much. Hopefully I can get the par meter and test the lights too.

Thank you everyone who's commented so far. Appreciate the feedback and advice.

 

[pezza371887]

Here is the result to the first ICP. Anything standing out to you guys on there?

I did dose Strontium, Vanadium, iron and Iodine following this to their recommended levels.

ICP Analysis - Reef Zlements

 

[pezza371887]

Hi Everyone,

ICP test is back already

ICP Analysis - Reef Zlements

icp.reef-zlements.com

Surprised to see my nitrates are actually 23.33 and phos is 0.06 mg

Assuming the higher nitrates explain the algae I'm seeing then in the tank.

What's everyone's thought's?

 

[dadnjesse]

Hi Everyone,

ICP test is back already

ICP Analysis - Reef Zlements

icp.reef-zlements.com

Surprised to see my nitrates are actually 23.33 and phos is 0.06 mg

Assuming the higher nitrates explain the algae I'm seeing then in the tank.

What's everyone's thought's?

What are you using for a test kit?

 

[pezza371887]

I use Salifert for pH, kh, phosphate and nyos for nitrate and aqua forest for calcium and rea Sea pro for calcium.

I moved to nyos as wasn't confident the Salifert was accurate for nitrates but was about the same.

 

[Dburr1014]

My question; why do you dose nopox? What was the factor that made you decide to use it?

Edit: also, How long ago did you start using it?

 

[pezza371887]

My question; why do you dose nopox? What was the factor that made you decide to use it?

Edit: also, How long ago did you start using it?

I started dosing it probably 2-3 months after the tank was setup.

Long story short the shop I brought my tank and water from closed so went to another local fish store chain in the UK called maidenhead aquatics and found their RO was 70ppm Nitrates.

With water changes and nopox got it down and just run a very small amount on a doser ever since. We'll under the recommend for the tank just to keep it down.

 

[pezza371887]

I've borrowed a par meter padt night so will see what the lights putting out and will post here.

I've also started dosing the recommendations to bring up:

Iodine
Vanadium
Manganese
Iron
Chromium

 

[pezza371887]

Par readings are in, let me know your thoughts.

 

[Dburr1014]

Par readings are in, let me know your thoughts.

Your sticks are at bare minimum. I suggest going higher. Try hitting 300 where your 200 is.
Raise it up, write down the settings.
Go back down to where you are now and increase 10% weekly until you hit the mark.