Help me understand where I'm going wrong.

[Reefer PT]

Mark, I was thinking the same thing about the tests being off so I had the LFS run tests and everything was close to what I get. They use a combo of salifert, hanna and redsea.
So I'm confident in my numbers. didn't know that about emeralds either. Maybe he will get the boot next time I see him.

 

[EvMiBo]

Don't be sorry, I'm the one asking for help and I appreciate the time. I am using aqua craft products 35ppt refractometer solution. Of course I say the salinity is 1.026 but the truth is it ranges between 1.024-1.026. Its hard to exactly change 3 gallons so the actual data points in my log book shows SG does drift between 1.024-1.026. I do use an ATO so daily salinity changes should be small. Same is true for NO3. I shoot for 1 but it does vary from 0-2. Do these small variables make a big impact?
Again thanks for any and all help
Dave

This is all fine. No prob
I'm a bit stumped.

 

[markalot]

Either a contaminant has gotten into the tank or that emerald crab is up to no good. Have you tried Polyfilter yet, to see if it changes colors indicating some kind of contaminant?

 

[ajcanale]

Sorry, but just making sure so we can eliminate the possibility. You're calibrating with 53.0mS/35ppt fluid right? Not RO/DI.

This is important.

... slowly been increasing that to try and lower phosphates...

I believe in most if not all cases (dependent on bacterial strains being fed) carbon dosing is more effective in lowering nitrates compared to phosphates. In your attempt to lower phosphates via dosing you might have effectively stripped nitrates from the water column... never a good thing.

Dependent on your test kit, nitrates reading might have been inaccurate.

Just something else to consider.

 

[lynchmob3000]

I'd be willing to bet if you stopped doing daily waterchanges you would be much better off...
If I'm reading it correctly 3 gallons 5 days a week. I do 7 to 14 days at 10.gallons on my 90 sps tank.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I agree that the carbon dose amount is excessive (I have a fully stocked 105g/w 35g sump and only use 8 ml with higher nutrients than your posted. Also I have too witnessed the shift in sps health at higher alk (8-9 is usually when I have noticed)..

Another thing no one has mentioned is a full cup of rox changed out 2x a month is super excessive imo. Rox at lower amounts can strip a tank clean and kill sps very easy imo. I stopped using it all together and switched to seachem passive vs the rox in a reactor. I noticed a serious color shift a while ago and all my notes lead me to the switch to rox so I switched it out and it did slowly get better.. I'm sold in my head that rox is too strong but I could just be convincing myself and it may have been a coincidence. I'd cut the rox in half and leave it in for a month to see if it helps as it couldn't hurt. .

 

[swk]

I agree that the carbon dose amount is excessive (I have a fully stocked 105g/w 35g sump and only use 8 ml with higher nutrients than your posted. Also I have too witnessed the shift in sps health at higher alk (8-9 is usually when I have noticed)..

Another thing no one has mentioned is a full cup of rox changed out 2x a month is super excessive imo. Rox at lower amounts can strip a tank clean and kill sps very easy imo. I stopped using it all together and switched to seachem passive vs the rox in a reactor. I noticed a serious color shift a while ago and all my notes lead me to the switch to rox so I switched it out and it did slowly get better.. I'm sold in my head that rox is too strong but I could just be convincing myself and it may have been a coincidence. I'd cut the rox in half and leave it in for a month to see if it helps as it couldn't hurt. .

You talking vinegar Dan?!?

 

[Reefer07]

Ya you prolly don't have any copper if your using RODI.
I would agree with lynchmob, don't change water as much to keep it more consistent. If anything just change it once a week like 15-20 gal. I dunno if big alk swings like that are having a big impact.

 

[Dapg8gt]

You talking vinegar Dan?!?

No just specifically nopo4x (red sea carbon).. Vinegar is a lot more than that =)..

 

[swk]

No just specifically nopo4x (red sea carbon).. Vinegar is a lot more than that =)..

Ok lol. I was like, "***?" Im down to 20 ml vinegar on my system. Seems to be a good midpoint for my system. Still some algae but I tried going lower and lost color on some pieces.

The the op - I'm very new at reefing, but what you have going on sounds very similar to me when I was running too high of a carbon dose. Try dropping it a bit and get some algae in your tank and watch the color. I also ran my all around 9.2 early on and was getting burnt tips and irritated coral. Things looked a lot better once I dropped to the low 7's. Now I shoot for around 7.7 but I have increased nutrients a bit as well.

Sps tanks are wonderfully irritating to get dialed in, but once you get there, the rewards are well worth it. I'm far from 100% dialed in, but just a taste of success made it worth it to me.

 

[diciple]

1 thing done and observe effects,stop the red sea nopox go from there keep us posted on results.

 

[Duke4130]

Everyone try's to keep their parameters above what normal sea water is. I think your alk cal and mag are too high. Especially your Alk. The key to SPS is stability. Doing excess water changes isn't always the best thing to do. Just do a straight 10% once a week. Keep your alk down at 8-8.5 your cal at 425 and your mag at 1350 and try to stay within those parameters then you will see your corals flourish. I have tried and tried to run the radiant reef in my tank and the corals just do not like it. I run a modified version of jons graph from ecotech that is great for a mixed reef system. My sps grow like crazy and have great color

 

[Duke4130]

Everyone try's to keep their parameters above what normal sea water is. I think your alk cal and mag are too high. Especially your Alk. The key to SPS is stability. Doing excess water changes isn't always the best thing to do. Just do a straight 10% once a week. Keep your alk down at 8-8.5 your cal at 425 and your mag at 1350 and try to stay within those parameters then you will see your corals flourish. I have tried and tried to run the radiant reef graph in my tank and the corals just do not like it. I run a modified version of jons graph from ecotech that is great for a mixed reef system. My sps grow like crazy and have great color

 

[Reefer PT]

I have backed off on the carbon dosing, I'm stepping down over the next week to see what happens. I should be getting the polyfilter pad in the mail on wednesday and will try that to. I bought a 12x12 so can I cut a 4x6 section and throw it in the filter sock? Or do I have to make sure there is no water bypass? I'm going to keep up the WC's for now cause I don't want to change too many variables at once.
Thanks
Dave

 

[Reefer PT]

Duke, Do you have a copy of of your ecotech template?
Thanks

 

[Peter Eichler]

I would bet a pretty large sum of money that your carbon dosing combined with the heavy GFO and FAC use is your problem.


1.) Cut way back on the carbon dosing if not stopping altogether

2.) Run GAC only for a day or two every few weeks

3.) Cut back on the GFO use

4.) Drop your alkalinity down to closer to 8 dKH

 

[Reefer PT]

Ok so you all have convinced me to cut the carbon dosing down right away so I've backed off to 1ml/25gal which is the minimum recommended dose. and have taken my 2 part off line and will test daily untill alk is between 7-8 and Ca closer to 400. I want to see what that does before changing anything else.
My GFO and GAC will stay in the reactor for now but I will not swap out for a while. I am worried about phosphates climbing as some of the rock came from someone who had given up the hobby and the tank had through the roof phosphates. so I am dealing with some leaching but have been able to stay on to of it with GFO.

 

[markalot]

Ok so you all have convinced me to cut the carbon dosing down right away so I've backed off to 1ml/25gal which is the minimum recommended dose. and have taken my 2 part off line and will test daily untill alk is between 7-8 and Ca closer to 400. I want to see what that does before changing anything else.
My GFO and GAC will stay in the reactor for now but I will not swap out for a while. I am worried about phosphates climbing as some of the rock came from someone who had given up the hobby and the tank had through the roof phosphates. so I am dealing with some leaching but have been able to stay on to of it with GFO.

Well, another clue. How familiar were you with that reefer? Could there be anything else in the rock?

 

[Reefer PT]

Not too familiar. Bought it off craigslist. The tank was a Reef tank and had about 100# of venuatu rock in it of which I bought 30# to seed my reefcleaners rock. It had a fair amount of GHA on it. I put it in my tank, lights off and cycled for 1 month then slowly added light. I dont believe there was any metals as he did have a few corals left that he was attempting to sell. I would have bought the coral as well but with a new tank I'm sure it would have been sudden death. But I did have phosphate showing up within a few days of adding the LR. Prior to that I had the dry rock in for a week with no readings. If there is any issues I hope the polyfilter will help sort that out.
Dave

 

[TreyK]

I cant keep SPS alive for more then a month! First the polyps suck in, stays like that for a few weeks then chunks of flesh start pealing from the skeleton.
parameters for 93 gal cube 10 month old:
SG: 1.026 verify this is accurate
Temp 78-81F
NO3 1ppm
PO4 0.08
Alk 9.8-11.2 by way of ESV b-ionic 2 part dosed 25ml/day (~1.1ml hourly on apex) thats a HUGE swing, and too high for carbon dosing anyways. Stability is key.. lower it to somewhere between 7.5 and 8.0 and strive to keep it at that number.
Ca 420-450
Mg 1360-1380
Iodine 6.0
Sr 12
PH8.0-8.2
Water changes 3 gallons, 5 days a week why?
NOPOX 12ml/day dosed on the half hour maybe dial this back a bit
Light: Radion gen2 on radiant color mode at 60% 12hrs per day
Flow: MP 40 at about 50% in reef crest and nutrient transport during the day and lagoon at 30% over night
Chem: 1/2 cup GFO and 1 cup ROX GAC changed 2x/month seems a bit excessive
Fish: 8 fish feed 2x/day 2 cubes of variety of frozen food and pich of elos spirulina pellets. 1/4 sheet of sea veggies.
Coral food: Reef energy a+b 15ml each/day. papone 2x/week.

The tank has no nusance algae, good coraline growth, and I do not see anything actively eating the corals.

Any thoughts on what is going on. IS my Alk a bit too high?
Thanks
Dave