I've tried everything I can... Please help!

[Scungili]

180Gal

sg 1.025-6
NH4 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
PH - 8.2
PO4 - Less than .1

As you can see these parameters are pretty good.

My tank is less than 2 months running. I have several SPS frags that are doing well, I have a pulsing Xenia that is doing very poorly. My 3 fish are very happy and eating a lot.

1 Valingi Tang
2 Lawnmower Blenny
3 Purple Firefish

I feed them frozen food only and I mix it up. Brine shrimp, Mysis, Cyclops, Plankton and Seaweed. I feed about 2 cubes per day and about 2sq inch piece of seaweed.

For the last week I've been rinsing my food in RO/DI before feeding, and running Carbon in my filter socks.

This all started when I dosed with Dr. G's Phyto and Rottifiers. I dosed conservatively but the following day my water was cloudy.

I called Dr. G, and was impressed when he answered the phone at 7:45am and talked to me about my situation.

He told me that it isn't the Phyto that clouds my tank but the Frozen food, in particular the Mysis. He told me to run Carbon and rinse my food in RO/DI before feeding. I did exactly that starting that very day. No Help.

It's hard for me to believe the Phyto or Rottifiers had no direct/indirect play in this, since my water was crystal clear the day I added it and overnight clouded up.

THe Carbon isn't working and I tried water changes and even shutting my skimmers off.

I thought it may have been a bacterial bloom, but my parameters are very good, and my corals and fish are happy.

I don't know what to do...

 

[SirToppemHat]

Check the following parameters to see if they are in line with NSW (Natural Salt Water):

Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnessium

It could be a precipitation of an unbalanced chemisty.

 

[Scungili]

Ok what are the parameters of NSW?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15301107#post15301107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scungili
Ok what are the parameters of NSW?

alk 8.5 to 11.5 dkH

calcium 400 ppm or better

magnesium 1300 ppm

 

[Scungili]

I don't have an ALk kit but I had it checked by a reputable LFS and it was good. (don't know the number) My Calcium is about 420. I don't have a clue what my Mag is... I will get these tests and find out.

 

[es1887]

sounds like a bacterial bloom or a phyto bloom. is the water green. i would add more carbon.

 

[snorvich]

Very important to do your own testing. Especially alkalinity.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15301155#post15301155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scungili
I don't have an ALk kit but I had it checked by a reputable LFS and it was good. (don't know the number) My Calcium is about 420. I don't have a clue what my Mag is... I will get these tests and find out.

mag is magnesium--very important for keeping levels of calcium over 400 ppm dissolved in solution. If the magnesium is allowed to go very low and the calcium very high ---the calcium precipitates out and you get a white powder over everything and the water goes cloudy

This is why it is important to test your magnesium and your alkalinity as Snorvich suggested

 

[Scungili]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15301503#post15301503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
mag is magnesium--very important for keeping levels of calcium over 400 ppm dissolved in solution. If the magnesium is allowed to go very low and the calcium very high ---the calcium precipitates out and you get a white powder over everything and the water goes cloudy

This is why it is important to test your magnesium and your alkalinity as Snorvich suggested

White powder over everything is what is clearly visible in my make-up water barrel. I've been using up the remainder of Instant Ocean Salt. The next box I have is Reef Crystals. Maybe this has something to do with it? Not enough Mag.???

I will test for these today. I think you are on to something especially now that you mention the white powder. I do have high Calcium. I've been dosing 1/2 the amount of B-Ionic Calcium Buffer, but my system is very new and corals are very small frags. Maybe I shouldn't have done so.

A bacterial bloom is still on my mind, but I have really upped the Carbon to about twice the recommended amount and I've been running both my skimmers all night and this morning there is NO Change whatsoever. This is after a week of Carbon dosing. I' starting to doubt the Bacterial Bloom more and more and now I will continue to Carbon dose, but I will be testing for Mag. and Alk, and reading up on this stuff.

Is there no end to the learning!!! It's a good thing I like this stuff....

 

[noahm]

Just FYI, the Xenia may do poorly in an very pristine tank with SPS params. They like a bit of extra food in the water column that is not often compatible with SPS. They may just starve out unless you feed them directly.

 

[Manuel Martinez]

The pulsing xenia is extremely sensitive to high nitrate level, try with another test kit, to discard that the one you are using have any problem.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15302385#post15302385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scungili
White powder over everything is what is clearly visible in my make-up water barrel. I've been using up the remainder of Instant Ocean Salt. The next box I have is Reef Crystals. Maybe this has something to do with it? Not enough Mag.???

I will test for these today. I think you are on to something especially now that you mention the white powder. I do have high Calcium. I've been dosing 1/2 the amount of B-Ionic Calcium Buffer, but my system is very new and corals are very small frags. Maybe I shouldn't have done so.

A bacterial bloom is still on my mind, but I have really upped the Carbon to about twice the recommended amount and I've been running both my skimmers all night and this morning there is NO Change whatsoever. This is after a week of Carbon dosing. I' starting to doubt the Bacterial Bloom more and more and now I will continue to Carbon dose, but I will be testing for Mag. and Alk, and reading up on this stuff.

Is there no end to the learning!!! It's a good thing I like this stuff....

That's a normal occurance with salt mixes---could be some carbonates precipitating out---after the mix sits in the container for a long time some of the elements settle out and this is what you are probably seeing.
Make sure you rinse out the upir container really well when changing over to the new salt mix.

All salt mixes are not the same in the level of carbonates, calcium and magnesium:


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

Here is a suggested method of initiating two part:

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=262

The key is to make your measurements first before you dose anything

Running carbon in a reactor or cannister filter and carbon dosing(aka vodka and sugar dosing) are two different methods.

Which method are you using here.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15303188#post15303188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Manuel Martinez
The pulsing xenia is extremely sensitive to high nitrate level, try with another test kit, to discard that the one you are using have any problem.

as are most corals and small inverts

 

[luther1200]

What ever is going on I highly doubt that it was from feeding frozen cubes. They may cloud the tank for 5 minutes while you feed if you don't rinse them. But that is obviously not your issue.

How much of the Phyto did you dose? Maybe you mis-dosed or over-dosed it and since you were dosing a carbon source you had a bacterial bloom.

DO you have a picture? That would be very helpful.

 

[Scungili]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15303292#post15303292 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luther1200
What ever is going on I highly doubt that it was from feeding frozen cubes. They may cloud the tank for 5 minutes while you feed if you don't rinse them. But that is obviously not your issue.

How much of the Phyto did you dose? Maybe you mis-dosed or over-dosed it and since you were dosing a carbon source you had a bacterial bloom.

DO you have a picture? That would be very helpful.

Phyto dose was less than 1/2 the recommended amount per Dr. G's Phyto. I also included 1/2 the amount of ROttifiers, then the other half when I noticed the cloudiness the following day, but it didn't help.

 

[Scungili]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15303250#post15303250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
That's a normal occurance with salt mixes---could be some carbonates precipitating out---after the mix sits in the container for a long time some of the elements settle out and this is what you are probably seeing.
Make sure you rinse out the upir container really well when changing over to the new salt mix.

All salt mixes are not the same in the level of carbonates, calcium and magnesium:


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118

Here is a suggested method of initiating two part:

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=262

The key is to make your measurements first before you dose anything

Running carbon in a reactor or cannister filter and carbon dosing(aka vodka and sugar dosing) are two different methods.

Which method are you using here.

Sorry, I'm not doing the Vodka or Sugar, but running bags of Carbon (bituminous) it's been over a week now with absolutely no effect.

I'm not feeding much, only 2 frozen cubes per day and about 2 square inches of seaweed. Also a couple silversides every couple days or so, that get devoured quickly by my large brittle stars, or olive snail, or hermit and peppermint shrimps. I have now cut my food to 1 frozen cube per day. However, my skimmers (2) are not producing all that much skimmate.

The precipitation in my make-up water was not cleaned out. (my ignorance) I thought it would add to the trace elements if I just left them in there. Also there have been times where I let it run in the make-up barrel for days before doing a water change, and if I recall correctly, I did a water change the day just before adding the Phyto. I hardly think it's a Phyto bloom, because (1) of the color of it is clearly milky, and (2) I don't think it would have lasted this long with the Rottifiers in there, if they are alive anymore. I understand they can reproduce at a very fast rate and devour Phyto quickly. Keep in mind I haven't dosed but 2 more times at an amount equivalent to a 50 gal tank. (mine is 180)

I'm getting my water tested tomorrow for Mag. and I will let you all know what the results are. Thanks and Happy Fourth, I will post the results tomorrow.

 

[luther1200]

I would start doing water changes.

 

[darkdruid]

Not feeding much, only 2 frozen cubes per day and seaweed?

Two cubes a day is ALOT for the size and number of fish you have unless they are very small cubes. That can easily cloud the water.

 

[Acolin]

two months!

1 - relax
2- take your time
3- do a 30 to 60% water change
4 - relax
5 - take your time
6 - repeat

sounds like a diamotous alage bloom, your tank is still cycling and settling in, don't be making big changes, let it mature, stop feeding the phtyo for awhile, see what difference it makes

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15306557#post15306557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Acolin
two months!

1 - relax
2- take your time
3- do a 30 to 60% water change
4 - relax
5 - take your time
6 - repeat

sounds like a diamotous alage bloom, your tank is still cycling and settling in, don't be making big changes, let it mature, stop feeding the phtyo for awhile, see what difference it makes

I agree totally
You have nothing in your tank that needs to be fed phyto anyways---I would not use it.
In perspective I use a capful of it a week in my two 35 gal refugiums to feed the copopods that's it.

IMO you are feeding way to much frozen cubes of mysis etc---you are not rinsing the cubes first through a brine shrimp net then you are adding phosphates and nitrates to your tank fuelig the diamtom bloom.

The silver sides---nothing in your tank needs some much silver sides. I have four large tangs---once a week they get a blender mix I have made up with some silversides in it. The only thing I feed silver sides to --once every two weeks is my anemones.

I would suggest you set up a polefeeder for awhile and put romaine lettuce, nori lettuce, kelp sheets on it-----cut the flake food way back and help starve out the algae

Definetly start Acolin's advice above:

A pole feeder:

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=291