Also, can I do this all at once or do I have to gradually change the light intensity?
Help, Tank may be crashing?
- Thread starter Ryancalz
- Start date
Going downward you can just do it all at once.
So I was able to find this on your light:
The squares are 20x12 roughly.
If I’m guessing tank dimensions yours is likely somewhere around a 12x12x12 cube. Looks like min height on the light bracket (assuming attached to the tank) is somewhere around 5 inches with a max height around 9 inches. Even at max height (9 inches plus the 12 inches for the tank), at 100% light output, your roughly averaging 200-300 par at the bottom of the tank with more par the higher you go.
With all of that said, I’d agree, likely turning down the light may help and can be done all at once.
For reference - CoralVue Maxspec Razor R420R Series LED Lights - 15000K
The squares are 20x12 roughly.
If I’m guessing tank dimensions yours is likely somewhere around a 12x12x12 cube. Looks like min height on the light bracket (assuming attached to the tank) is somewhere around 5 inches with a max height around 9 inches. Even at max height (9 inches plus the 12 inches for the tank), at 100% light output, your roughly averaging 200-300 par at the bottom of the tank with more par the higher you go.
With all of that said, I’d agree, likely turning down the light may help and can be done all at once.
For reference - CoralVue Maxspec Razor R420R Series LED Lights - 15000K
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Thank you so much, I was having such a hard time finding any specs on the light. I have dropped the max intensity down to 40% for now.
Paul B
Premium Member
Yes, the tank is way to new for this livestock. IMO it is also overfiltered for such a small new tank. The tank needs time to age and build up those chemicals that your Poly Filter, carbon and nitrate filters are removing. We want our bacteria to "grow" and they need those "waste" products that you are removing to do that. You are basically short circuiting the process which is why you see an ammonia reading which should always be zero.
It also doesn't matter what your test kits read in regard to cycling. It is not cycled enough for that livestock. Sorry, just my opinion.
Thank you for the input. I will try removing the filters. However, I was at a stable 0 Ammonia for about a month before a sudden spike that I have been bringing down. I lost a fish that had buried himself in the sand. So I do believe that my tank is cycled, I just had a fish die which raised the ammonia.Yes, the tank is way to new for this livestock. IMO it is also overfiltered for such a small new tank. The tank needs time to age and build up those chemicals that your Poly Filter, carbon and nitrate filters are removing. We want our bacteria to "grow" and they need those "waste" products that you are removing to do that. You are basically short circuiting the process which is why you see an ammonia reading which should always be zero.
It also doesn't matter what your test kits read in regard to cycling. It is not cycled enough for that livestock. Sorry, just my opinion.
I agree in part with PaulB, your system is over filtered and you need to grow healthy microbial stuff. But since corals promote the microbial stuff beneficial to them I see them as essential to establishing healthy microbial stuff. However if you setup your system using without any wild or maricultured live rock or live sand to add a lot of teh microbial stuff that can't be cultured and stuck in a bottle, it will be a painful process just getting the needed microbial processes with just corals. I would be doing small weekly water changes ( <10%) siphoning out any nuisance algae. If indeed you set up your system with just bottled bacteria or live rock that only had nitrifying bacteria added I would get some live rock from one of the Florida companies or Aquabiomics live rubble and/or live sand. You didn't list any additives but if you are adding any "carbon dosing" products designed to feed bacteria growth I would stop using them as that they can promote heterotrophic bacteria that consume oxygen (hence the often reccomended increase in water flow) or worse, promote pathogenic microbial shifts in teh microbiomes. Be patient. You need to chose a course of action and stick to it as it may take weeks to months to see significant improvements and be wary of quick fixes that show short term benefit but don't help establish long term stability.
A note on "recommended"or "ideal" parameters. We can only test for the dissolved inorganic forms left over in a system and can give an overly simpl;istic or false impression of what bing processed in a reef ecosystem. We can't test for particulate organic and dissolved orgaqnic forms of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. When these organic forms are considered, food webs in reef ecosystems become much more complex. Here's quotes from two reknown researchers abour nutreints and corals:
"Our crystal-clear aquaria do not come close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs. And so when we create low-nutrient water conditions, we still have to deal with the rest of a much more complex puzzle. Much like those who run their aquarium water temperature close to the thermal maximums of corals walk a narrow tight rope, I can't help but think that low-nutrient aquariums may be headed down a similar path." Charles Delbeck, Coral Nov/Dec 2010, pg 127
"Imported nutrients are usually transported form rivers; but if there are no rivers, as with reefs remote from land masses, nutirents can only come from surface ocean circulation. Often thia supply ia poor, and thus the vast ocean expanses have been reffered to as "nutrient deserts". The Indo-Pacific has many huge atolls in these supposed deserts which testify to the resiliance of reefs, but the corals themsleves may lack the lush appearance of those of more fertile waters. Many reefs have another major supply of inorganic nutrientsas, under certain conditions, surface currents moving against a reef may cause deep ocean water to be drown to the surface. This "upwelled" water is often rich in phosphorus and other essential chemicals." J. E. N. Veron, "Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific" pg 30. (I would note "upwelling" provides PO4 levels of up to .3 mg/l to corals.)
A note on "recommended"or "ideal" parameters. We can only test for the dissolved inorganic forms left over in a system and can give an overly simpl;istic or false impression of what bing processed in a reef ecosystem. We can't test for particulate organic and dissolved orgaqnic forms of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. When these organic forms are considered, food webs in reef ecosystems become much more complex. Here's quotes from two reknown researchers abour nutreints and corals:
"Our crystal-clear aquaria do not come close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs. And so when we create low-nutrient water conditions, we still have to deal with the rest of a much more complex puzzle. Much like those who run their aquarium water temperature close to the thermal maximums of corals walk a narrow tight rope, I can't help but think that low-nutrient aquariums may be headed down a similar path." Charles Delbeck, Coral Nov/Dec 2010, pg 127
"Imported nutrients are usually transported form rivers; but if there are no rivers, as with reefs remote from land masses, nutirents can only come from surface ocean circulation. Often thia supply ia poor, and thus the vast ocean expanses have been reffered to as "nutrient deserts". The Indo-Pacific has many huge atolls in these supposed deserts which testify to the resiliance of reefs, but the corals themsleves may lack the lush appearance of those of more fertile waters. Many reefs have another major supply of inorganic nutrientsas, under certain conditions, surface currents moving against a reef may cause deep ocean water to be drown to the surface. This "upwelled" water is often rich in phosphorus and other essential chemicals." J. E. N. Veron, "Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific" pg 30. (I would note "upwelling" provides PO4 levels of up to .3 mg/l to corals.)
Thank you for the in depth reply. I did start my tank both with live rock and live sand. I dosed something at the beginning of the tank to help boost the bacteria, but that was a couple months ago and before I had any live stock.
I have a friend in the hobby who has had an established tank for years now who is going to donate me a few gallons of his reef tanks water. I will do some water changes and add his water to make tank to help boost some of that good bacteria and nutrient levels.
For now the main thing that I am changing in the tank is the lighting as I have been blasting the corals with too much light. I will stick with this for a few weeks and not make any other drastic changes to the tank in the mean time. Thank you again for the thoughtful reply.
Paul B
Premium Member
Tim, agreeing with even a small part is fine for me. Most people would just ignore my suggestions.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Yes whatever is allowing that level of ammonia needs to be found.
Yes there has been some great improvements. The ICP test told me I had a lot of metals in the tank. I think it was coming from my light. I switched to RODI water from RO water and did many water changes during the las couple of months. I’m currently dealing with GHA but the corals are happy
