What’s wrong with my tank?! Help please

toor.attar

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2023
Messages
65
Reaction score
17
Location
Sandy
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello everybody, I have an innovative marine 15 gallon that has been running for 4 months now. This is my first time keeping corals and it seemed like everything was going great. In order I added my Toadstool Leather first, then a Yellow Ricordea, small Rose Bubble Tip Anemone, and then some Zoanthids. All my Corals were happy and bright in color, my Anemone was fluffy and had the nice Bubble Tips. Last week I did a water change and ever since my tank has been very cloudy. I assumed it was a bacteria bloom, but it’s been a constant haze. I did a water change this week and the cloudiness still hasn’t stopped, it looks like smoke.
Around a couple weeks ago before that whack water change, my Anemone started looking deflated, ever since then it hasn’t looked the same. Some of my Zoanthids especially the Scrambled Eggs have been starting to get some brown around the polyps. I can see some brown spots on the other Zoas, but it’s very visible on the Scrambled Eggs. At times my Ricordea Mushroom becomes retracted and small, with its mouth wide open. My Toadstool Leather and Fish seem perfectly fine but still worried.
My parameters are fine, not been over feeding, have been keeping up with water changes. I’m not sure what’s wrong with my aquarium.

Stocking list: Clownfish pair, small Biota Yellow Tang (I know I know), Anemone, Ricordea Mushroom, Toadstool Leather, 6 Zoanthid Frags

Nitrate: 4.1
Phosphate: 0.16
Ph: 8.1
Temp: 78F
Salinity: 1.020 (ik its low)
Filter media: Filter Sock, Filter Floss, Filter Foam, 2 Nano Packs of Chemipure Blue, and Bio Ceramic Media
I mix my water with Two Little Fishies Acurasea1 Salt, got some Tropic Marin Pro that I might use instead, which is better?

You can see in the pics how cloudy and smoke like my tanks water is.
IMG_6716.jpeg
IMG_6678.jpeg
IMG_6718.jpeg


Here are pics of my corals, my anemone doesn’t have his Bubble Tips anymore, Zoas are brown, and my Green Mushrooms mouth is open. Usually my Anemone has the beautiful Bubble Tips. And my Mushroom is usually Flat and Round with his mouth closed.
IMG_6714.jpeg
IMG_6688.jpeg
IMG_6717.jpeg
IMG_6686.jpeg
IMG_6713.jpeg


Please help me figure out what’s wrong with my aquarium. I can’t seem to figure out why my tank is so cloudy and why my corals aren’t happy. Id love some advice and tips on how to make this hobby easy and not so much of a headache, thanks!
 
Last edited:

Reefing102

Metal Halides Til The End
View Badges
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
4,261
Reaction score
6,029
Location
Central Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would start with boosting the salinity to where it needs to be. Then when you do your water changes, do you stir the sand bed up adding water? It could be fine particulate that takes forever to settle. Could try running a filter sock or filter floss media.

Running carbon may help as well

How long has the tang been in there? I’m not going to tang police ya as you already seem aware of that issue, but my understanding is tangs add a substantial bio-load so even though it’s small, it may be overwhelming the tank? I don’t know for certain but just throwing out thoughts.
 

00W

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 1, 2021
Messages
7,647
Reaction score
59,612
Location
Sandpoint
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All creatures look really good.
Up salinity to proper levels SLOWLY and retest parameters, especially Alk.
Could be just a bloom but my advice says start there.
With 3 fish in that 15 including the rock you've got a bigger bioload than you might think so insure good filtration and go slow.
Good luck.
Joel
 
OP
OP
toor.attar

toor.attar

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2023
Messages
65
Reaction score
17
Location
Sandy
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would start with boosting the salinity to where it needs to be. Then when you do your water changes, do you stir the sand bed up adding water? It could be fine particulate that takes forever to settle. Could try running a filter sock or filter floss media.

Running carbon may help as well

How long has the tang been in there? I’m not going to tang police ya as you already seem aware of that issue, but my understanding is tangs add a substantial bio-load so even though it’s small, it may be overwhelming the tank? I don’t know for certain but just throwing out thoughts.
I don’t usually stir up the sand bed my nassarius snail does it for me ahah. I already have a filter sock, some filter floss, and a Couple of Nano Packs of Chemipure Blue.
The tang has been in there for a month now, maybe bioload could be the issue, i was thinking bout just running a coral and invert system. But my Nitrates are around 5 and phosphates .15 so I think I’m at my max lol.
 

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A RARE/UNCOMMON FISH, CORAL, OR INVERT? SHOW IT OFF IN THE THREAD!

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top