bowfront90
New member
System less than year old. I want to pull my hair out.
Need Help - 250g, ATI powermodule, Reef Octopus, Scrubber, Sump, ATO, AWC
- Thread starter bowfront90
- Start date
mcgyvr
New member
Relax first...
Then start with a clear and well defined definition of the problem.
Include as many details as possible about said system.
Include recently measured parameters (as many as you have)..
Post some pictures if needed..
Wait patiently for a response/request for further information..
Then start with a clear and well defined definition of the problem.
Include as many details as possible about said system.
Include recently measured parameters (as many as you have)..
Post some pictures if needed..
Wait patiently for a response/request for further information..
bowfront90
New member
Tank information details and Problems
Tank information details and Problems
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7o4g2ekyzjh5io/AABCzxtfwYfb2FEcSmRBS3_ya?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m37ps9gufzgzg1r/2019-11-13 14.16.24.jpg?dl=0
Attached will be pictures of Life, Hardware, Tests. Please give me feedback.
I have had multiple SPS Acropora colonies bleach out over the past 60 days, and handful have died. What am I missing?
What should I be testing? Is there too much light? Not enough light?
Does my Alk need to increase? Am I not testing for odd items?
I DO NOT see any pests with the naked eye.
95% of the LIFE has been purchased through LiveAquaria.com
I live in small town Kansas, no great reef store front within 150 miles.
Thank you everyone! I love this hobby but hate to see life die because I am missing something!!!
TESTING:
pH: 8.2 (Red Sea)
Nitrate: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Ammonia: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Phosphate: 0.0 (Hannah)
KH: 7.6-7.8 (Hannah, Red Sea)
Ca: 430 (Red Sea)
Mg: 1480 (Red Sea) - low at 1200 30 days ago
Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer) - low at 1.023 30 days ago
Temp: 77-78
Main Tank Size:
6'x 2'x 3'= 269 gallons
Sump / Refugium:
Royale 400 = 44"x20"x16"
Equipment Information:
Return Pump: EcoTech Vectra L2 DC Return Pump (3100 GPH)
Skimmer = Super Reef Octopus 5000 Internal Skimmer
Powerheads = EcoTech MP40 (TWO) (Anti-Sync Setting)
Sterilizer = Pentair Aquatics Smart HO UV 80 Watt
Scrubber = Clear Water CW-300 External Algae Scrubber
Water Changes:
AWC: 3 gallons / day
Instant Ocean - Reef Crystals
Water Quality:
Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage RODI - TDS reading = 5ppm
Automatic Top Off:
BRS Pharma Kalkwasser
Lighting:
ATI PowerModule
ATI 60" 4x75W LED & 8x80W T5 LED-Powermodule
CURRENT Photo Period:
6.5hrs of T5 Lighting
LED lights ramp up to 45% - 3hrs before and after T5 schedule
Tank information details and Problems
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7o4g2ekyzjh5io/AABCzxtfwYfb2FEcSmRBS3_ya?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m37ps9gufzgzg1r/2019-11-13 14.16.24.jpg?dl=0
Attached will be pictures of Life, Hardware, Tests. Please give me feedback.
I have had multiple SPS Acropora colonies bleach out over the past 60 days, and handful have died. What am I missing?
What should I be testing? Is there too much light? Not enough light?
Does my Alk need to increase? Am I not testing for odd items?
I DO NOT see any pests with the naked eye.
95% of the LIFE has been purchased through LiveAquaria.com
I live in small town Kansas, no great reef store front within 150 miles.
Thank you everyone! I love this hobby but hate to see life die because I am missing something!!!
TESTING:
pH: 8.2 (Red Sea)
Nitrate: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Ammonia: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Phosphate: 0.0 (Hannah)
KH: 7.6-7.8 (Hannah, Red Sea)
Ca: 430 (Red Sea)
Mg: 1480 (Red Sea) - low at 1200 30 days ago
Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer) - low at 1.023 30 days ago
Temp: 77-78
Main Tank Size:
6'x 2'x 3'= 269 gallons
Sump / Refugium:
Royale 400 = 44"x20"x16"
Equipment Information:
Return Pump: EcoTech Vectra L2 DC Return Pump (3100 GPH)
Skimmer = Super Reef Octopus 5000 Internal Skimmer
Powerheads = EcoTech MP40 (TWO) (Anti-Sync Setting)
Sterilizer = Pentair Aquatics Smart HO UV 80 Watt
Scrubber = Clear Water CW-300 External Algae Scrubber
Water Changes:
AWC: 3 gallons / day
Instant Ocean - Reef Crystals
Water Quality:
Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage RODI - TDS reading = 5ppm
Automatic Top Off:
BRS Pharma Kalkwasser
Lighting:
ATI PowerModule
ATI 60" 4x75W LED & 8x80W T5 LED-Powermodule
CURRENT Photo Period:
6.5hrs of T5 Lighting
LED lights ramp up to 45% - 3hrs before and after T5 schedule
bowfront90
New member
Please let me know if you can see the pictures and if you need any further information.
bowfront90
New member
I don't think I quite understood how powerful the algae scrubber can be. I have turned off my protein skimmer. Thinking about having it on only 50% of the time?
mcgyvr
New member
Please describe how the corals are dying.
Slowly just bleaching out with no loss of tissue?
Rapid tissue necrosis? (in under 48 hour period)
Slow tissue necrosis?
Have your parameters been stable? You showed a low mag 30 days ago..
One can certainly say that a total lack of nutrients likely isn't helping and could likely be the cause.. Just plain coral starvation.. They have little to no food/energy..
Too often people "overly" scrub/clean the water by throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it (and a boat load of money) only to end up in your position..
I too would recommend trying to get your phosphates and nitrates into the measurable area (a couple ppm of nitrate, and .03-.08ppm of phosphate wouldn't be a bad start) and see how everything reacts.. Nitrate/phosphate dosing may/will likely be required..
Slowly just bleaching out with no loss of tissue?
Rapid tissue necrosis? (in under 48 hour period)
Slow tissue necrosis?
Have your parameters been stable? You showed a low mag 30 days ago..
One can certainly say that a total lack of nutrients likely isn't helping and could likely be the cause.. Just plain coral starvation.. They have little to no food/energy..
Too often people "overly" scrub/clean the water by throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it (and a boat load of money) only to end up in your position..
I too would recommend trying to get your phosphates and nitrates into the measurable area (a couple ppm of nitrate, and .03-.08ppm of phosphate wouldn't be a bad start) and see how everything reacts.. Nitrate/phosphate dosing may/will likely be required..
reefgeezer
Active member
I would let dissolved organics and inorganic nutrients rise. Run the Skimmer dryer, reduce the lighting period of the scrubber, & feed everybody more while monitoring N & P closely. Adding some amino acid based supplement might help some. Go slow.
bowfront90
New member
Thank you guys for your feedback. Much appreciated!
Answering above question:
#1. Slowly bleaching out (2-3 weeks) then tissue death (1 week) and 30% SPS lost
#2. Mg was low at 1200, brought up to 1480 (did this over 2 weeks). The bleaching started to take place early October - it does coincide with low Mg
#3. Salinity got low, down to 1.023... is this low?
#4. Is my KH at 7.8 something I need to bring up?
What I have done:
1. Set the skimmer to run as dry as possible
2. Set the skimmer to only run 12hrs / day (good idea?)
3. Removed one out of the two filter socks
4. Reduced refugium lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 8hrs now)
5. Reduced scrubber lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 9hrs now)
6. Reduced flow through UV sterilizer (I HATE these stupid big box store ball valves)
Answering above question:
#1. Slowly bleaching out (2-3 weeks) then tissue death (1 week) and 30% SPS lost
#2. Mg was low at 1200, brought up to 1480 (did this over 2 weeks). The bleaching started to take place early October - it does coincide with low Mg
#3. Salinity got low, down to 1.023... is this low?
#4. Is my KH at 7.8 something I need to bring up?
What I have done:
1. Set the skimmer to run as dry as possible
2. Set the skimmer to only run 12hrs / day (good idea?)
3. Removed one out of the two filter socks
4. Reduced refugium lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 8hrs now)
5. Reduced scrubber lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 9hrs now)
6. Reduced flow through UV sterilizer (I HATE these stupid big box store ball valves)
