coral necrosis fish death diatom issues flow problems please help

[champion6sigma]

Here are my soft corals. I just moved the one on bottom of tank...the one on right bottom, from its perch on rock near top rear left. Two heads had caved in with whitish substance (dead material?) The coral on sandbed on bottom left has had one head cave in but its holding steady over last few days. The leather finger is not showing extension nor has ever showed any extension since bringing home weeks ago. The green cabbage leather has consistently looked like that for about a week now, previously was smaller.

I have two clowns with one of them showing signs of ich but I'm not sure what it was. One large clown and one small. I quarantined both treated with ich x. Small clown died after 2 days, moved large one back to main tank since it was looking worse in new quarantine (i've never quarantined anything in life before) (THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 5 DAYS AGO. CLOWN MOVED BACK INTO MAIN TANK ABOUT 5 DAYS AGO

I just recently realized I had my vectra pump running too slow after calibration , I was maybe getting 250 gph or less. I was running pump at 25 percent power which i initially thought it was 25 percent of 2000. After calibration which I finally did on ecosmart live rather than on controller unit, I found out i'm only doing about 25 percent of my max range which is obviously a range no where near 2000 gph. So now I've ramped up to 45 ish and I should be gettingat least 500 gph including head loss. I may increase more. (THESE CHANGES MADE TODAY

I just added a brand new filter sock. I've got protein skimmer running full time (previously was intermittent) (CHANGES MADE TODAY

Temp is 79.9 in sump, conductivity is 29.8 (i normally run low) and ph is 8.16 ( i just dosed with ph balancer product by seachem. I did 10 percent water change yesterday...so I'll be getting ph to 8.3 by tomorrow or next day. I believe water used in last few changes was reef salt.

I just ordered my first RODI by spectrapure and ordered DD magnesium plus for future changes.

I also had a seachem n# 28 bar in tank, a small one, which has dissolved finally over period of about a 1 week.

I do not dose anything else.

Been feeding coral reef roids about 1 a week for last 2 weeks.

I have a diatom problem. My clown is still somewhat sick. All other fish seem fine. I did lose a green mandarin which not only died but it perished and disentegrated in tank. I could not find him after moving rock and stirring sand. (DIATOM PROBLEM FOR MANY WEEKS. brown hair algae heavy on back left large rock. GREEN MANDARIN DIED WITHIN LAST 2 OR 3 DAYS)

I don't have anymore salt water to change right now and I have no tests other than my apex probes.

Thank you for help. The two frags on rack seem to be doing fine.

 

[champion6sigma]

I'm getting token security issues trying to upload more pics

 

[champion6sigma]

Full tank pics to see diatoms on sand. I do not believe its cyano. Its not a blanket they move easily. I have MUCH bubbles on rocks which I noticed by looking at them from angle below level of stand upward. They pop and go to surface when i agitate.

 

[champion6sigma]

Tank was setup on thanksgiving (3 months ago).

Initially cycle and everything went fine. My rocks were developing coraline algae and now it seems that they are not progressing only the back large left rock has some, but it also has excessive brown hair patches. There is excessive brown and reddish algae growth on glass, sand, powerheads which has been starting for last 2 months. My radion light settings on still being worked on....power levels I don't know what to put on....I've been trying to increase brightness.

I've done 5 gallon (10 percent ) changes about every week for last 2 months.

I've bought water from 3 different stores in last 2 months. My own system will be in on Friday.

I did have 2 bottles of copepods dumped into tank to try to feed green mandarin. I don't think they made it. I feed a cube of frozen food a day. I feed a little bit of phytoplankton every few days for the anemone, red electric scallop, and whatever else. I used to have a lot of snails/crabs, but i see a lot of shells on sand bed.....not sure if they have died over last 2 months.

2 chromis, 1 beauty coral, 1 clown, are in tank and alive. Baby clown died in quarentine, green mandarin died in tank, I had a diamond goby which flew out of tank overnight, died in tank, but was taken out same day...about a month ago..or maybe 6 weeks.

I've just started logging things better in apex. I just finally got my salinity probe calibrated, i recalibrated my ph (last few days)

I do have a biopellet reactor i've never installed but thinking about it since its supposed to help with diatoms, and water? thoughts?

I used to have some carbon pellets in filter sock but local LFS didn't recommend. I took those out about a week ago. Then i ran without filter sock since then. Just added a brand new one today.

 

[champion6sigma]

I could also use some help in powerhead placement. I have ample power...I'm thinking powerheads need to be moved...maybe frag rack moved....and return pump nozzle repositioned? Any other suggestions, advice, criticism, would be appreciated.

 

[champion6sigma]

I don't think its visible...but my second powerhead is on rear of tank on top left. There are a lot of white specs on the glass which i read are snail eggs.

 

[davehead86]

Your radion is probably set too high and your feeding too much if you are getting excessive algae growth. I have my radion set on 45% with a 4 hour peak period and Im considering running it lower because Im having algae issues too.

Your mandarin died of starvation because you cant keep enough pods for it to eat in a tank like that without a refugium to grow the pods.

I looks like you are running MP10's? Im not sure of your tank size or what level you are running them on but too much flow can cause a problem for corals. More than likley your radions are also too bright for your corals which is causing problems.

The biggest problem is that you dont have any tests for ammonia nitrates nitrites phosphate calcium magnesium and hardness. You need these if you are going to keep corals. I would go buy them IMMEDIATELY and test your water. That can give us here a much better idea of what is going on in your tank and why things are working out so well for you. Your tank is very new and that can be problematic for a lot of the creatures you have stocked in the tank.

 

[champion6sigma]

Your radion is probably set too high and your feeding too much if you are getting excessive algae growth. I have my radion set on 45% with a 4 hour peak period and Im considering running it lower because Im having algae issues too.

Your mandarin died of starvation because you cant keep enough pods for it to eat in a tank like that without a refugium to grow the pods.

I looks like you are running MP10's? Im not sure of your tank size or what level you are running them on but too much flow can cause a problem for corals. More than likley your radions are also too bright for your corals which is causing problems.

The biggest problem is that you dont have any tests for ammonia nitrates nitrites phosphate calcium magnesium and hardness. You need these if you are going to keep corals. I would go buy them IMMEDIATELY and test your water. That can give us here a much better idea of what is going on in your tank and why things are working out so well for you. Your tank is very new and that can be problematic for a lot of the creatures you have stocked in the tank.

Two MP40's, Radion XR30w pro gen 3.

Yes, I need to get the tests. I've started low on the radion but have been trying to get them a little higher. I don't even have them at 45 percent. I also did acclimation thing when i got the corals. Everyone keeps saying on the coral forums that everything likes a lot of light....and a lot of flow....for my leathers..and I'm trying to get them into higher flow spots. I run the mp40's between 3 and 13 percent I think. But my rocks are not really getting hit. What maybe helps is that currents cross and I was trying to create some turbulence.

I honestly don't know what high flow is...I have a cube tank....Water doesn't have to flow far before it hits the walls.....I have two mp's so that I don't have dead spots (my goal)

I'm reading threads that people run their radions higher...one guy who is running a real nice tank keeps his at 100 percent (worked to that point slowly)

50 gallon tank , about a 20 gallon sump, I'm well aware of the green mandarin diet now, refugium needs, that most die, that they need a copepod farm that produces thousands. I will never get on again. Mainly wanted to let forum know a fish did die and was not found, decomposed in tank.

I'm going to get water tested tomorrow. I'll see how much a test kit is to buy.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

It will cost you in the neighborhood of about $100-$150 for a set of test kits. Test kits you need are:

PH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Phosphate
Magnesium - Mg
Calcium - Ca
Alk - Kh

The ones in Red are called the Big 3 and are necessary when you have corals. You can get cheaper kits from API but they aren't as accurate as other kits. Red Sea makes good test kits and so does Seachem. Also do not use a PH buffer it's not necessary.

Your Euphyllia is more than likely in a spot with way too much flow, it needs to be gentle swaying and the polyps will extend very long.

I highly suggest that you go read the sticky called Setting up its in the top of the New To Forum threads.

Until you get the test kits we can't really help you with whatever is wrong because all we will be doing is guessing.

Those powerheads are way too strong for your tank, use them on lower or lowest settings.Also your light is a very strong one I suggest you run whites no more than 30% and blues 50%

 

[champion6sigma]

It will cost you in the neighborhood of about $100-$150 for a set of test kits. Test kits you need are:

PH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Phosphate
Magnesium - Mg
Calcium - Ca
Alk - Kh

The ones in Red are called the Big 3 and are necessary when you have corals. You can get cheaper kits from API but they aren't as accurate as other kits. Red Sea makes good test kits and so does Seachem. Also do not use a PH buffer it's not necessary.

Your Euphyllia is more than likely in a spot with way too much flow, it needs to be gentle swaying and the polyps will extend very long.

I highly suggest that you go read the sticky called Setting up its in the top of the New To Forum threads.

Until you get the test kits we can't really help you with whatever is wrong because all we will be doing is guessing.

Those powerheads are way too strong for your tank, use them on lower or lowest settings.Also your light is a very strong one I suggest you run whites no more than 30% and blues 50%

which one is the euphyllia?

I will be getting a kit need to order online probably. Will test locally until they arrive.

Powerheads are strong...I do run very low....but how important is it in placement? No one seems to suggest moving them so they hit rocks and disperse around....or placing both on back of tank moving forward...or anything.....even direction my return nozzle should point...maybe i should change that too a different area....

lights..another tough subject because everyone thinks more light is better but when you say 50 percent blue 30 percent white...that is at which total output power? So lets say I pick a template from ecotech (coral radiance) then I pick the start and end....I'll leave that at template stated, i can pick out power level which I've done 35....

running my lights at 35....and many of the points are showing 50 on up to 100 for the "individual" LED hues....but all with a max power of 35 percent cap....should i be running every hue at lowere numbers but increase the total top power of the curve peak?

Does that make sense? What should the value of max power be......

MP40's I run at 6-11 percent, something like that. At night apex turns off one of them. I also lower my vectra pump slightly.

 

[davehead86]

The gallons per hour. Gph of an mp40 is far above what your tank needs. I seriously think you should only have one mo40 running in a 50gallon cube. You would have been better with two mp10s

 

[champion6sigma]

The gallons per hour. Gph of an mp40 is far above what your tank needs. I seriously think you should only have one mo40 running in a 50gallon cube. You would have been better with two mp10s

Gph? I got two because I wanted to make sure I had no dead zones. I got the mp40 solely because of glass thickness was just outside threshold of the mp10. I actually ordered two mp10 and sent back to exchange for mp40 after speaking to ecotech and because a poster said they had mp10 that had magnetic issues with them on thick glass. What I can always do is just run one one direction part of day then switch to other for current mix up instead of 24 hours a day of static flow...is that called laminar?

 

[champion6sigma]

Got the tests ordered today.

alk, calc, mag, nitrate, phosph

repositioned the powerheads.

did the 30 percent water change other day.

will be doing 20 percent tomorrow.

10 percent on sunday.

 

[jbvdhp]

coral necrosis fish death diatom issues flow problems please help

Before you start doing a ton of water changes, I would wait until you get your tests, then adjust the parameters that are off. It seemed like you've done a bunch of WC already.

Regarding the lighting, some people run 100%, but it takes time for corals to acclimate to that intensity. I suspect one or more of your parameters to be off, but frequent water changes should be able to replenish most of those elements, but again *I* would wait until I tested to see what is off, and then do WC.

The above poster is right, your tank is no where mature enough to amply feed a mandarin. They do best in tanks with a very very mature pod population.

 

[champion6sigma]

Before you start doing a ton of water changes, I would wait until you get your tests, then adjust the parameters that are off. It seemed like you've done a bunch of WC already.

Regarding the lighting, some people run 100%, but it takes time for corals to acclimate to that intensity. I suspect one or more of your parameters to be off, but frequent water changes should be able to replenish most of those elements, but again *I* would wait until I tested to see what is off, and then do WC.

The above poster is right, your tank is no where mature enough to amply feed a mandarin. They do best in tanks with a very very mature pod population.

I've had multiple well respected posters suggest it in other threads. I've had 3 fish die recently, two of them in tank, and one actually decomposed in tank, two of my coral started dying, and my anemone and the scallop don't look good. My alkalinity was above 20, which is dangerous levels, my calcium is extremely low. I made mistake of using ph buffer excessively which I didn't know was spiking my alkalinity. Between terrible water parameters and dead fish and diatoms out of control, bubble algae everywhere, i do believe the water changes are an extreme necessity..

Plus the LFS I went to, to run tests, i think botched them with BS. Tank may be worse than what i do know.

My new RODI system is in, water pump booster, and DD high quality salt mix. I will know exactly the quality of water i'm running soon and I'll have the quality tests to test it

 

[champion6sigma]

I'm never getting a green mandarin again. learning mistake. a deadly one. I've got a dosing strategy, I know what parameters are needed to change first. One thing I need to take into acct is I'll be using higher quality salt, with added magnesium/calcium.

This has been one hell of a month. I'm just beyond tired, behind in my home, I've got to figure out an efficient and EZ RODI setup in garage or outside or bathroom to make myself 25 gallons at a time.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Just remember that water changes are you friend! Especially if you don't have any test kits. And NEVER dose anything if you don't have a test kit for it. Right now you need to go back to square one and not add anything to your tank for a while. Get your water under control and I'd do at least a 20% WC every third day for a total of 5. this way you will replace basically most of your water through WC and it will comfortably lower those bad levels for you in a safe manner. Or you could do two 50% WC's three days apart if you don't have anything left in your tank that would die from huge parameter swings.

Glad to see you ordered your test kits and got them at a great price too! Also good on getting your RODI unit. Make sure you throw out the first 10 gals of made water to get the filters flushed out before you start keeping the water. Speaking of which I need to make water today

 

[Treasure Coast]

Mandarins are hard to keep alive, basically rent a fish for most. I would avoid unless you have a completely established system.

 

[PAXpress]

I'm never getting a green mandarin again. learning mistake. a deadly one. I've got a dosing strategy, I know what parameters are needed to change first. One thing I need to take into acct is I'll be using higher quality salt, with added magnesium/calcium.

This has been one hell of a month. I'm just beyond tired, behind in my home, I've got to figure out an efficient and EZ RODI setup in garage or outside or bathroom to make myself 25 gallons at a time.

Don't give up! You made these mistakes now so you won't make them again in the future. I got a spectrapure with an 18 gallon rubbermaid for my RO/DI and it works great. Once I move out of my apt I'll setup a larger reservoir.

 

[champion6sigma]

Thanks PAX

i had updated a different thread that i started...

i let everyone know i completed my RODI initialization, made first batch of RODI water made first batch of salt water...did a 10 percent water change...i've done all my testing...

I'm taking things slow and easy. I'm slowly getting my magnesium up....Then calcium..my alkalinity was already high...other parameters are OK. Right now just focusing on cleaning, keeping lights on correct low level...feeding less...

I'm going in right direction!