At my wits end. Looking for advice before I nuke the tank.

[HWDylan]

I use IO at work for the tank I set up there and have no problems at all. Plus there is a ton of people including big operations like the Shedd Aquarium that use IO with no problems at all.

You really think it is a salt mix problem?

I guess it wouldnt hurt to give Red Sea or something a try...

 

[MondoBongo]

I use IO at work for the tank I set up there and have no problems at all. Plus there is a ton of people including big operations like the Shedd Aquarium that use IO with no problems at all.

You really think it is a salt mix problem?

I guess it wouldnt hurt to give Red Sea or something a try...

it's always hard to pinpoint a cause with these types of things.

in my case it appeared to be the issue, but with all the variables inherit in these tanks it is tough to say. prior to changing my salt mix i had also altered my LED spectrum, adding in more red and green, and that seemed to help a little, but by far the biggest improvement was when i switched salts.

i will say that most of the public aquariums i've been to tend not to have a lot of heavy SPS reefs. usually they're more softies with some LPS. granted it's been a while since i've been to Shedd. so for them, maybe it works better?

with all the other things you've tried, i'm kind of grasping at straws here. so ultimately i suppose when you run low on probable answers, you have to start looking at more and more improbable answers until you find what works.

 

[HWDylan]

i'm kind of grasping at straws here. so ultimately i suppose when you run low on probable answers, you have to start looking at more and more improbable answers until you find what works.
Today 04:41 PM

that is exactly where I am at with this. I appreciate the help. Next time I buy salt I might give Redsea or SeaChem a try and just see.

 

[MondoBongo]

that is exactly where I am at with this. I appreciate the help. Next time I buy salt I might give Redsea or SeaChem a try and just see.

no problem. hopefully you get it nailed down, i know how these kinds of things can drive you to the edge of madness. i've been there plenty of times myself.

 

[KafudaFish]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2508769&page=13

If you start on page 10 and read it may help. Be sure to read page 13 regarding salt too.

Good luck.

 

[CStrickland]

You're using rodi, and your source water tds is always zero, right?

 

[james30ct]

I think the cree leds from rapid are better than the photon unit.

 

[HWDylan]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2508769&page=13

If you start on page 10 and read it may help. Be sure to read page 13 regarding salt too.

Good luck.

Interesting. So maybe stick with IO? Man this stuff can be so frustrating. Honestly I dont think it is my salt mix. I could try Reef Crystals again but I have been told many times that it is pointless if you are dosing Cal, Mag, and Alk.

Never thought I would be having a conversation about how to raise my NO3 levels haha. Maybe I will try going skimmerless for a while?

You're using rodi, and your source water tds is always zero, right?

Absolutley. Even had the local water tested for Chloromines so that I can be using the correct filters in my RO/DI unit.

I think the cree leds from rapid are better than the photon unit.

I agree that I think they output more but this photo48 has lots of daiodes in it and tons of people have great success with these lights. The lights always feel like the most obvious solution to me but I am starting to feel like I am always chasing something I cant get with that. I had the RapidLED build and had much the same results as I have now. I sprung and got the ReefBreeders one thinking I'd have better luck and now I find myself sitting here wanting to but Radions because "the LFS I go to uses all radions and everything looks great". Deep down though I know this cant be the case. ReefBreeders and Rapid LED both can produce some great tanks and I dont think $1600 worth of lighting upgrade will fix this.