In need of advice, reef tank "dying"

[Ufuk's reef]

Greetings...
First of all, you need to find a solution to the algae problem. Algae can be from organic and inorganic waste. Additionally, reduce the lighting duration and intensity and you will see the benefits.

 

[Tamberav]

It is super frustrating! Ironically the system is set up to make SPS happier than softies in terms of flow, light and nutrients...I imagine they're just hardier/more forgiving of whatever the heck happened to my system. I'll be taking the advice of the posts above, mechanical removal of the algae, get nutrients up, mix my own water and keep things stable. Not sure what else to do.

Did you start with live ocean rock or dry?

 

[Maho.B]

Regretting it now, but started with dry rock. I've actually been considering adding a few pieces of live rock from a place like Tampa Bay live rock.

I will try to resolve the algae issue, but with already relatively low nutrients, and what I would think is a fairly low number of fish I will need to figure out how to achieve less algae. Thanks!

 

[Tamberav]

Regretting it now, but started with dry rock. I've actually been considering adding a few pieces of live rock from a place like Tampa Bay live rock.

I will try to resolve the algae issue, but with already relatively low nutrients, and what I would think is a fairly low number of fish I will need to figure out how to achieve less algae. Thanks!

Okay, was just wondering, it is not unusual for a tank to take 18 months to 2 years from dry rock to really have something like SPS thrive.

I will say you collected all the pests even though you started with dry

For the algae, it may be debris collecting around and not what your numbers say. Could also be a lack of herbivores but bryopsis is tricky as most things don't like to eat it.

The numerous vermatids makes me think there is excess debris collecting or heavy feeding.

 

[Uncle99]

How confident are you that your consistent 0.04ppm phosphate level is correct?

With margin of error, it could be zero, of course that would starve corals and make them sad.

Some believe a zero phosphate level contributes to pest algae type stuff.

I run .1 to .15ppm to ensure there’s availability to this important nutrient.

 

[Maho.B]

Do you think it would be worth adding a few pieces of live rock? As for the phosphate condos it has been confusion as I read some say algae "holds" the phosphate and the reading isn't accurate? Either way I will work on getting both phos and nitrate up. In terms of bubble algae it's almost impossible to keep up with because they're so tiny, is an emerald or pitho crab worth it in your opinions? And I'd I have the vermitid snails is a bumblebee snail the way to go there?

 

[Gribbles]

I don't think it'd hurt. Would probably bring a nice diverse set of microfauna.

I have read the crabs can be hit or miss - probably depends who you ask. Same with bumblebee snails. You could also glue their little tube. Or crush it

 

[Maho.B]

I think I'll get some live rock, unfortunately the minimum order is way more than I can fit into my aquascape... Unfortunately it's glued together. But I can fit some pieces in here and there and I can probably find someone around here who could use some as well.

Yes searching around on the crabs you get some people who say they eliminated bubble algae immediately and some that say they haven't touched it ever... My fear is if the crab doesn't eat it but goes a rogue. I just can't imagine trying to catch a crab out of all of this rock work!

Never a dull moment in reefkeeping apparently!

 

[Thunderrap]

Do you think it would be worth adding a few pieces of live rock? As for the phosphate condos it has been confusion as I read some say algae "holds" the phosphate and the reading isn't accurate? Either way I will work on getting both phos and nitrate up. In terms of bubble algae it's almost impossible to keep up with because they're so tiny, is an emerald or pitho crab worth it in your opinions? And I'd I have the vermitid snails is a bumblebee snail the way to go there?

I have tried emerald and pitho crabs and they just don't seem to bother with my bubble algae. I'm getting ready to do a rip clean on my tank and scrub it all off.

 

[Maho.B]

I have tried emerald and pitho crabs and they just don't seem to bother with my bubble algae. I'm getting ready to do a rip clean on my tank and scrub it all off.

Wow! I can't imagine ripping all of the aquascape out of this thing! Hope it doesn't come to that. Can I ask have your crabs cause any damage to corals or anything like that?

 

[Thunderrap]

Wow! I can't imagine ripping all of the aquascape out of this thing! Hope it doesn't come to that. Can I ask have your crabs cause any damage to corals or anything like that?

So I did see the emerald grab start picking at my duncan, that's when he got sent back to the LFS. I then got the pitho crab and so far he hasn't messed with any coral, just eating leftover food and such.

 

[SliceGolfer]

I think I'll get some live rock, unfortunately the minimum order is way more than I can fit into my aquascape... Unfortunately it's glued together. But I can fit some pieces in here and there and I can probably find someone around here who could use some as well.

Yes searching around on the crabs you get some people who say they eliminated bubble algae immediately and some that say they haven't touched it ever... My fear is if the crab doesn't eat it but goes a rogue. I just can't imagine trying to catch a crab out of all of this rock work!

Never a dull moment in reefkeeping apparently!

look up Tampa Bay Saltwater and their Treasure Chest packages, or, check out New Wave Aquaria (in Plymouth) locally and TCMAS club for help

 

[Maho.B]

Thanks slicegolfer, LOVE New Wave Aquaria (it's where every coral I have came from) but unfortunately no live rock there. I'll check out your other suggestions. Thanks!

 

[unclejed]

I don't think we hit on lighting yet. What lights are you running and for how long. Post your lights and schedule if you would.

 

[Maho.B]

I'm running 2 Red Sea LED 90's. A member during yesterday's discussion suggested lowering the intensity, I had been running them at 100% blue and 50% white. A total of 11 hours a day with a one hour ramp up when they come on and a one hour ramp down at the end of the night. Yesterday I knocked both down by 5% as I don't want to change to quickly, but will continue to lower it, anyone using these lights? If so what intensity/setting is working for you?

 

[Jimbo327]

Post your ICP results. That's the first thing I do when something is off on my tank.

You may want to do ICP test for the fresh saltwater and top off water since they are from 2 different sources.

And have you checked your PAR of the lights? Ask to borrow a par meter from local reefers or rent one from your LFS if you don't have one. I think your lights are fine, but just want to double check.

 

[Gribbles]

Post your ICP results. That's the first thing I do when something is off on my tank.

You may want to do ICP test for the fresh saltwater and top off water since they are from 2 different sources.

And have you checked your PAR of the lights? Ask to borrow a par meter from local reefers or rent one from your LFS if you don't have one. I think your lights are fine, but just want to double check.

He posted this earlier about his lights:

I am running 2 Red Sea Reef LED90's for 11 hours a day. It ramps for the first hour, then ramps down the last hour as well. It is currently set to blue 100% and White 50% throughout the day. I did rent a par meter about 7 months ago and the top rock work area is around the 350 par range and around 130 par in the corners on the sand bed, various par levels throughout the middle rock work. I'll try to get pics soon. Thanks.

 

[Maho.B]

Jimbo327 the ICP test I did was from a similar situation 6 months or so ago, the results were normal so I assumed it was from some type of bacteria infection. This latest round, the one we're discussing here has killed the majority of corals within a couple weeks, not much left so not sure if an ICP test (The last one I did took like a week and a half to get results) will help since it happened so quick. Thanks for the input though.

 

[Naturalreef]

How confident are you that your consistent 0.04ppm phosphate level is correct?

With margin of error, it could be zero, of course that would starve corals and make them sad.

Some believe a zero phosphate level contributes to pest algae type stuff.

I run .1 to .15ppm to ensure there’s availability to this important nutrient.

I was just going to post the same thing. I buffer all my nutrients and consider a reading of .05 phosphate to be zero. I have found all testing equipment manual and automatic have variances. Keep my alk above 8 for same reason.

 

[CHSUB]

Nitrate and Phosphate up (they were consistently hovering around 1.5sih and .01) so per this forums advice I started dosing with NeoNitro and NeoPhos to get those levels up into a better range, which it did.

You were fine without dosing algae food, however you felt some need to raise inorganic nutrients spur algae growth which produced toxins that killed corals? Better to feed coral directly…stop dosing garage, and using meds to kill algae. Manually remove algae with WC, reduce no3 and po4 to only detectable. Go “‘old school”, because new school advice of raising inorganic nutrients didn’t work.

It still can be fine to have undetectable nitrate and phosphate, but only if there are other adequate sources of N and P.