3 Yrs

[o2bnh20]

Serveral of my SPS are whiting out on me. I have already lost a beautiful teal A.Nobilis. I did save some frags but this is a heartbraking loss to me. I have another A.Humilis that's not looking well and is whiting out along the base.

I think algae and to much nutrients in the tank is to blame. I can't keep the red algae out of the system. I have a good skimmer, I have a fuge that grows well but the red algae grows right along with it. I do a 10% water change every other week, my phophates and Nitrates come in 0. PH=8.2, temp=0.

I don't think I overfeed but I guess I'm going to have to just about stop feeding altogether(poor fish). I think I need to better siphon the ditiritus off my rock somehow. It's hard though now with all the corals covering most of the rock.

I've heard that algae is the leading reason why people get out of the hobby and I know why now. After all the money and effort I've put into my tank to see my corals dying off is really upsetting.

 

[CaptainPicard]

What are your other parameters?
Very easy to blame it on algae...

 

[o2bnh20]

Sg=1.027
alk=7.4-8.4 dKH
cal=450ppm

The coral that died was one year old. the other one I mentioned is two

 

[PUGroyale]

I notice you posted a range for your Alk... any possibility you let it slip below 7 for a time? That would explain both the lightening and the stn/rtn.

 

[o2bnh20]

I don't think the alk ever has fallen below 7 for an extented period. I know this is a critical paramenter. I can't maintain a consistant level because the effluent line on my reactor is always getting clogged with something and thus slowing the flow.

 

[PUGroyale]

Well I don't think the nuisance algea would cause it... It's a PITA but unlikely the culprit.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8170631#post8170631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by o2bnh20
I can't maintain a consistant level

You might have just answered your own question...

 

[pjhaddock]

Are they whiting out starting at the base VERY slowly and then turning green?? What I mean by slowly is say 1/2" or so in 6-8 weeks?? That is what mine have started doing, not sure what is causing it though.....

 

[Racenrich]

Use a turkey baster to blow on the rocks and corals.....i do this every time prior to doing a H20 change......you may also start doing weekly changes.....some dont-some do....for me...10% weekly!

HTH

 

[pjhaddock]

10% weekly for me as well!

 

[o2bnh20]

pjhaddock, It started at the base

PUGroyale, by consistant I mean usually within a range of 1-2 DkH. That doesn't seem like big differance. Maybe I'm wrong.


&

I'm sorry. I love my tank, but I don't have time to prepare, and then change 10% every week.

 

[pjhaddock]

Do they turn green sometime after turning white?? If so I was told 100% sure that its a PO4 problem, even though my Salifert kit reads 0. If I test my freshwater tank it reads so I know it works....

 

[o2bnh20]

No. No greens on mine...white

 

[Frankysreef]

I use those drip valves from home depot... if it gets clogged throw it away and put in a new one... they last about 6 mos...

 

[PUGroyale]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8171260#post8171260 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by o2bnh20


PUGroyale, by consistant I mean usually within a range of 1-2 DkH. That doesn't seem like big differance. Maybe I'm wrong.

It's a little more swing than I'd like personally but I agree that shouldn't make a big difference ...unless it swung below 7. Anyways... just trying to help you troubleshoot

 

[Frankysreef]

Something else to remember is the bigger they get the MORE flow they need... I had some STN a while ago because of flow issues... I now have 3600 pump, 2 seio 1100's and 2 seio 1500's.. now I think that is enough...

I can easily see how some colonies can be 10 feet across in the wild...

 

[NuclearReefs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8170394#post8170394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by o2bnh20
Sg=1.027
alk=7.4-8.4 dKH
cal=450ppm

The coral that died was one year old. the other one I mentioned is two

Dude ,, 1.027 SG ??

Yah might wanna bring that down to 1.025
You using a Refractometer?

Red Sea Water is only 1.026 , You might be burning corals with salt !

 

[o2bnh20]

I have just removed a 6100 steam because the flow was too much and too big for my 58. I'm going to sell it all. I'm going back to maxijets and a Seio. Now that I can get magnets for them the maxijets are hard to beat.

So Franky, this drip valve is for the little lines for a reactor? You have some beautifull corals in your gallery

 

[Serioussnaps]

Is your temperature really 0??? if it is that might explain your problem...

sorry...i had to...all joking aside--

Stability is the key here...your ALK and CA should stay very tightly to a goal parameter IMO...also your salinity should come down to 1.025-1.026 and yes you should be using a refractometer...i wasnt and found that my hydrometer(swing arm) was.005 off and my salinity was 1.031!!! this was without any corals so not a big deal but glad i learned that lesson...ALSO

why dont you get rid of the reactor and start dripping kalk using a peristalic pump...it would be just fine for a 58 G tank and you would see great stablity in your PH, Salinity, CA and ALK..you would also raise your ph which deters algal growth and also you would be precipitating phosphates with the use of kalkwasser(algae loves phosphates)

I doubt you had too much flow..did you have the controller....i run a 6000 full blast on my controller in a 55 and dont have enough flow!!!!

-i agree with weekly wc's....dump some of the clean water at the top of the WC bucket and let the crap settle and then get more...keep doing that till you have a mound of gunk at the bottom of your WC bucket

---i suspect strongly your problem came from some kind of swing/lack of stability in tank params

If you hate the algae look into heavy heavy skimming, BB and a GFO reactor of somesort(to run phosban)but be careful using GFO's as too much media at once can push em over the edge....


CRAWL, WALK THEN RUN...take everything slow and keep it stable

 

[mellotang]

Do you use RODI water for top off and H2O changes? If so have you changed the filters and maybe even the membrane after 3 years? What kind of salt do you use? Do you have a DSB? Have you tested for phosphate or run any sort of phosphate removing media?

 

[o2bnh20]

I do use a refractor. I think in Bornemans book he suggest 1.027??? I have other sps, lps, lta,clams that are showing no signs of stress. I use a RO/DI, maybe I should change the membrane, been almost 3 years come to think of it, but I change the filters about every 10mo.

I probably had a swing in the alk/cal. that may be the culprit. I know a steady tank is key. It's hard though juggling everything.
Live and learn

I was dosing with calk prior to the reactor. The dosing seemed to be very time consuming(like everything else isn't) I might though switch back next year after I use up the c02 and the meadia I just refilled. Dosing does have a lot of benifits.

Thanks everyone for the input.