Experienced Newbie Needs Help!!!

[ReeferTang44]

So in the past week I have started a few threads trying to learn how to correct my tank but am still a little confused/ overwhelmed so here is all you need to know ( hopefully) so I can be taught all I need to to know
- 90 gallon reef tank
- eshopps sump ( not sure what size )

- eshopps skimmer x -120 4th gen
- Refugium isn’t the same as the pic don’t have any more macro algae
- Temp 77-78 f
- Levels

- All Hanna equipment
- Red Sea 25 wave maker ( good flow through out )
- Lights are 2 FluvalSmart ( so far great for softies ) I want to test par haven’t yet
- CORALS
- 4 blastos doing great
- Zoas all growing besides a razda three polyps have been receding
- 2 Hammer new but doing great so far
- 1 frogspawn doing great have had it for at least a month
- 1 acan doing good
-1 BTA doing iffy shrinking and closing
- 1 Duncan alot smaller
- 1 Goni definitely lost alot of polyps
- 3 ricordia mushroom doing good one might be a little hurt because hammer touch’s it but it’s coming back
- Fish
- 2 clowns
- Two spot tang
- bicolor blenny
- No algae issues/ or any pest I can see
- feed a mixture of frozen twice daily
- feed reef roids about once a week

- My main concerns are a few corals that I mentioned, my levels and according to Hanna my corals where happiest at 9.8 alk so that might be a factor
What should I be dosing right now using fusion

Let me know what adjustments I should make or ask for any pictures or further details any help is appreciated

 

[vetteguy53081]

So in the past week I have started a few threads trying to learn how to correct my tank but am still a little confused/ overwhelmed so here is all you need to know ( hopefully) so I can be taught all I need to to know
- 90 gallon reef tank
- eshopps sump ( not sure what size )

- eshopps skimmer x -120 4th gen
- Refugium isn’t the same as the pic don’t have any more macro algae
- Temp 77-78 f
- Levels

- All Hanna equipment
- Red Sea 25 wave maker ( good flow through out )
- Lights are 2 FluvalSmart ( so far great for softies ) I want to test par haven’t yet
- CORALS
- 4 blastos doing great
- Zoas all growing besides a razda three polyps have been receding
- 2 Hammer new but doing great so far
- 1 frogspawn doing great have had it for at least a month
- 1 acan doing good
-1 BTA doing iffy shrinking and closing
- 1 Duncan alot smaller
- 1 Goni definitely lost alot of polyps
- 3 ricordia mushroom doing good one might be a little hurt because hammer touch’s it but it’s coming back
- Fish
- 2 clowns
- Two spot tang
- bicolor blenny
- No algae issues/ or any pest I can see
- feed a mixture of frozen twice daily
- feed reef roids about once a week

- My main concerns are a few corals that I mentioned, my levels and according to Hanna my corals where happiest at 9.8 alk so that might be a factor
What should I be dosing right now using fusion

Let me know what adjustments I should make or ask for any pictures or further details any help is appreciated

Salinity to come down to 1.025 - 1.026
Mag up a little to 1350


Determine via testing what your consumption needs are. . . Example. . . . . If alk and calcium are the same as now, add .5 ml next day and see how much it raises. If not much, next day add 1ml of fusion. If numbers change and stay with 1ml and see over next 2-3 days if numbers are stable or how much you need to add to maintain that level. That will be your likely daily dosage.

 

[Lavey29]

Numbers seem good to me except mag slightly low. Nitrates a little elevated but can work with your higher alk number.

How old is your tank?

 

[ReeferTang44]

Numbers seem good to me except mag slightly low. Nitrates a little elevated but can work with your higher alk number.

How old is your tank?

3 years

 

[ReeferTang44]

Numbers seem good to me except mag slightly low. Nitrates a little elevated but can work with your higher alk number.

How old is your tank?

What do you mean work with alk

 

[blecki]

Honestly I don't think you should be doing magnesium/alk/calcium. You do not have any corals that are going to rapidly consume them and chasing alk is not going to benefit you. You didn't post a FTS but I am going to assume the euphyllia are all frags since you just got them; they are not going to take up enough of any of those to be measurable until the colonies are quite large, and none of those numbers are in the danger zone.

But nitrate and phosphate are high, and with just four fish - you said a 'mix' twice daily; how big is this mix? Water changes to remove it will also replace mag/alk/calcium. You probably don't have an algae problem right now because the bristletooth is eating it, especially if you aren't offering it any nori.

I'm not shocked that the corals are doing well; you have a mix of species that does well with higher nitrates. You can't judge the success of a tank on a single frag, especially zaos, you're going to have frags that just melt for no apparent reason and also frags that thrive even when your parameters say they shouldn't. But, almost 50 ppm is way too high for them to thrive long term.

 

[ReeferTang44]

Salinity to come down to 1.025 - 1.026
Mag up a little to 1350


Determine via testing what your consumption needs are. . . Example. . . . . If alk and calcium are the same as now, add .5 ml next day and see how much it raises. If not much, next day add 1ml of fusion. If numbers change and stay with 1ml and see over next 2-3 days if numbers are stable or how much you need to add to maintain that level. That will be your likely daily dosage.

So that’s what I do if I want to maintain what do I do to properly raise it to 9.8

 

[vetteguy53081]

A three year tank, determine consumption and I would not change much other than mag increase as mentioned. To lower nitrate, increase water change schedule which will reduce slightly and also replenish traces for the coral

 

[ReeferTang44]

Honestly I don't think you should be doing magnesium/alk/calcium. You do not have any corals that are going to rapidly consume them and chasing alk is not going to benefit you. You didn't post a FTS but I am going to assume the euphyllia are all frags since you just got them; they are not going to take up enough of any of those to be measurable until the colonies are quite large, and none of those numbers are in the danger zone.

But nitrate and phosphate are high, and with just four fish - you said a 'mix' twice daily; how big is this mix? Water changes to remove it will also replace mag/alk/calcium. You probably don't have an algae problem right now because the bristletooth is eating it, especially if you aren't offering it any nori.

I'm not shocked that the corals are doing well; you have a mix of species that does well with higher nitrates. You can't judge the success of a tank on a single frag, especially zaos, you're going to have frags that just melt for no apparent reason and also frags that thrive even when your parameters say they shouldn't. But, almost 50 ppm is way too high for them to thrive long term.

Should I feed less and do more frequent water changes ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Should I feed less and do more frequent water changes ?

As just mentioned , increase water change frequency and while reducing feeding helps, it can have impact on fish with weight loss and lack of nutrition essential for immunity health

 

[Lavey29]

What do you mean work with alk

Higher alk levels need higher nutrients levels such as nitrates and phosphate to promote coral growth. Lower nutrients level tanks generally keep alk around 8 or slightly lower.

Ideally a LPS and soft tank should be 10 to maybe 20 nitrates.

 

[ReeferTang44]

Honestly I don't think you should be doing magnesium/alk/calcium. You do not have any corals that are going to rapidly consume them and chasing alk is not going to benefit you. You didn't post a FTS but I am going to assume the euphyllia are all frags since you just got them; they are not going to take up enough of any of those to be measurable until the colonies are quite large, and none of those numbers are in the danger zone.

But nitrate and phosphate are high, and with just four fish - you said a 'mix' twice daily; how big is this mix? Water changes to remove it will also replace mag/alk/calcium. You probably don't have an algae problem right now because the bristletooth is eating it, especially if you aren't offering it any nori.

I'm not shocked that the corals are doing well; you have a mix of species that does well with higher nitrates. You can't judge the success of a tank on a single frag, especially zaos, you're going to have frags that just melt for no apparent reason and also frags that thrive even when your parameters say they shouldn't. But, almost 50 ppm is way too high for them to thrive long term.

What do you think could have caused this
New pics ( now )

Old ( looked there best )

Only thing that changed was alk and cal

 

[ReeferTang44]

Higher alk levels need higher nutrients levels such as nitrates and phosphate to promote coral growth. Lower nutrients level tanks generally keep alk around 8 or slightly lower.

Ideally a LPS and soft tank should be 10 to maybe 20 nitrates.

So should I raise alk

 

[blecki]

What do you mean work with alk

The conversion to nitrate depletes alk. If I had to guess you saw alk dropping, didn't understand why, and started chasing the number by dosing it. Am I right? The problem all along was the over feeding, which added more ammonia to be converted to nitrate. If this nitrate is consumed by a biological process (such as macro algae), you (mostly) get the alk back; if nitrate is rising alk is dropping and if nitrate is stable alk is stable (well, except for other things using it).

Vetteguy is right about the feeding but if you are feeding more than the fish can eat; and more than your CUC can process; the food is just going to waste (and becoming nitrate). You will have a steady supply of ammonia from feeding regardless. You can minimize that by only feeding what the fish can actually eat. Water changes will reduce nitrate now, but I would work on getting some macro into the refugium as nitrate export asap.

 

[blecki]

Only thing that changed was alk and cal

Rastas are stretching for light. Other than that, can't really say. High nitrates are not going to be helpful to the duncan or the - goni of some kind?? I've never kept goni so can't say what they like but really doubt there's any reef in the ocean where nitrates are consistently 46 ppm.

 

[Lavey29]

What do you think could have caused this
New pics ( now )

Old ( looked there best )

Only thing that changed was alk and cal

Lights, flow, parameters, placement, poor acclimation, etc... there are multiple variables that can cause coral decline. Sometimes it's hard to determine and everyone has certain corals that just don't do well in their tank for unknown reasons. Some zoas like high light and moderate flow others like low light and flow. The torch looks like it might be hitting the rocks with sway motion when extended.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

So should I raise alk

Just do a 30% water change and that will dramatically lower your nitrates. That's also going to replenish your elements.

 

[Lavey29]

So should I raise alk

No I would lower nitrates with water changes and less feeding as others suggested. I use PNS probio which is natural heterotrophic bacteria that breaks down organic waste before it becomes nitrates in the tank.

 

[ReeferTang44]

Ok sorry for asking dumb questions but so far form my understanding I should
- lower salinity
-raise mag
- do more frequent water changes to lower feeding to lower nitrates and phosphate
- lower nutrition levels will also help softies
- lower nitrates will raise alk
- get macro to export
- possibly get probio to break nitrates down
What did I miss, what did I miss understand and any more helpful info
- I do have a question about refugium how long should lights be on

 

[Lavey29]

Ok sorry for asking dumb questions but so far form my understanding I should
- lower salinity
-raise mag
- do more frequent water changes to lower feeding to lower nitrates and point of sale
- lower nutrition levels will also help softies
- lower nitrates will raise alk
- get macro to export
- possibly get probio to break nitrates down
What did I miss, what did I miss understand and any more helpful info
- I do have a question about refugium how long should lights be on

I run mine 12 hours at night when tank lights are off.