Need help from the Pros with my 14 gallon SPS tank

[FishyBiz]

I need some help or thoughts from the pros on my 14 gallon sps tank. It seems like I'm loosing color and PE on most of my corals. My first thought is high phosphates because I have a small algae problem I cant kick so I ordered the new Hanna phosphate meter but don't have it yet. I also ordered a Bubble Magus doser to make dosing more consistent. I'll try to give the most info I can about my tank.

Display: 14 Gallon rimless
Sump: Custom 10 Gallon w / built in top off reservoir
Skimmer: Bubble Magus BMQQ (I think it does a decent job)
Lights: 150 watt DE Radium w/ Galaxy Ballast
Flow: MP10
ATO: Auto Top Off . com
Controller: RKL

What I test for:
AlK: ~7.7
Mag: 1400
Cal: ~430
Temp: Always 80

Dosing:
I dose about 10ml of part A and B a day by hand.
I used to dose MB7 but stopped.

Feeding:
I only have 2 fish, a Picasso and a Helfrichi so feeding is minimal flake and sometimes some mini mysis.
Edit: I just added a Panda Goby and Spike Fin Goby but they are both about a 1/2".

Now for Pics.

FTS front

FTS side

SPS

Algae problem

 

[FishyBiz]

Just for fun

Thoughts on improvements? :wave:

 

[FishyBiz]

Sump

 

[Dejavu]

With all the cyano my just would be high nutrients. I'll wait until you get your hanna to help.

 

[tibob32]

if it were mine I'd run GFO. and maybe try to find a little place for some chaeto? a skimmer only for exporting nutrients is a little weak. doing much water changes?

 

[njfish77]

is that a baby sea apple?

 

[Logzor]

What does your salinity measure and with what device are you measuring with?

 

[FishyBiz]

Great questions guys

if it were mine I'd run GFO. and maybe try to find a little place for some chaeto? a skimmer only for exporting nutrients is a little weak. doing much water changes?

I forgot to mention I run Diamond carbon in a bag 24/7.
I like the idea of running chaeto but don't really have the room.
I change 5 gallons a week using TM pro.

is that a baby sea apple?

No its just a small yellow cucumber. Really cool and it actually just split.

What does your salinity measure and with what device are you measuring with?

I try to run it at 1.025 and it doesn't fluctuate much (if any) with the ATO.
And of course its measured with a refractometer.

 

[no_Wedge]

skimmers only remove 20-30% of toc in the water, you need to have some sort of macro algae, or run carbon or phosguard

 

[shaggy14]

Your alk seems a tad low or my taste. But I run mine pretty high. If I were you I'd at least bring it up to 8.5-9. At least then you'd have a little breathing room I ut dropped or some reason. I used to keep mine at 8 and I went out of town for a weekend. Came back and it had dropped to 5.6 and almost crashed my tank

 

[FishyBiz]

Your alk seems a tad low or my taste. But I run mine pretty high. If I were you I'd at least bring it up to 8.5-9. At least then you'd have a little breathing room I ut dropped or some reason. I used to keep mine at 8 and I went out of town for a weekend. Came back and it had dropped to 5.6 and almost crashed my tank

Ya Ive been trying to get it up. The problem is my tank is at my office so I don't dose on the weekends and come Monday its back down again. That's why I bought the doser but don't have it yet.

Also still waiting on my P04 meter. I bought some Rowa Phos but dont want to add any until I check what my tank is at now. Then I can see if the Rowa is working or not.

 

[Darkstar22]

Hey FishyBiz, what is the word on the Bubble Magus doser? Price? what site did you order from? Just curious because I have a Bubble Magus skimmer, and it works great, and the price was right!
Thanks

 

[FishyBiz]

Hey FishyBiz, what is the word on the Bubble Magus doser? Price? what site did you order from? Just curious because I have a Bubble Magus skimmer, and it works great, and the price was right!
Thanks

Supposed to be really nice. Easy to set and great quality. I don't think I have heard one bad thing from the people who already have them.

I pre ordered mine from a local shop. It was like $250 or something. I spoke to them yesterday and apparently they are coming by boat and I should have mine soon. :beer:

 

[avaneaton2000]

Your sand is full of poop, I would go bare bottom. I have a 12 gallon long set up pretty much like yours and I am going bb after dealing with issues like yours. When you remove the sand you will not believe how much crap is in there just leaching out nutrients.

 

[FishyBiz]

Your sand is full of poop, I would go bare bottom. I have a 12 gallon long set up pretty much like yours and I am going bb after dealing with issues like yours. When you remove the sand you will not believe how much crap is in there just leaching out nutrients.

Ive thought about it. I saw a cool nano with 2x2 frag tiles on the bottom that looked sweet.

 

[Jabrams]

your corals look very shaded on the underside of them, your DE 150 might not be enough light for some of your acros. In the centered full tank shot you can even see your zoos/palys reaching for more light. How old is your bulb? A 150DE 20k is weak, I had one I know. I switched to a 400w SE 20k which was a little better.

The issue of not dosing on the weekend is serious, I think you will see improvements once the doser is online.

Your skimmer is pulling out mostly green water, try to adjust that so the mate is much darker.

Your birdsnest is losing bigtime, this species needs lots of light and it appears to be under a ledge. I would suggest moving your coral around.

good luck

 

[Jabrams]

Your sand is full of poop, I would go bare bottom. I have a 12 gallon long set up pretty much like yours and I am going bb after dealing with issues like yours. When you remove the sand you will not believe how much crap is in there just leaching out nutrients.

This is so full of holes I could eat it on a bun with a burger. I kept Deep sand beds and Shallow sand beds in my Nano (20g hex) for years and had healthy colorful acros.

When this board lost Dr. Ron Shimek it lost a great and knowledgeable forum leader, even is he thought DSB didnt work in Nanos.

Do you see those air bubbles in your sand bed? Thats denitrified gas, your sand bed does not have enough life in it to do its job. Visit IPSF.com and get some worms and nassarius snails if you want to keep your sand bed. or you can lightly stir the top layer so those bubbles escape.

 

[FishyBiz]

The issue of not dosing on the weekend is serious, I think you will see improvements once the doser is online.

So I did a couple test on Friday and this is what I found.

First I made up some new water to do a water change with. RO/DI water reading 0 TDS mixed with Tropic Marin (not the pro) to 1.026 SG.

I tested the alkalinity twice and got 10.9 DKH.
Then I tested my tank water and got 8.6 DKH.
After a five gallon water change at 5pm it was 9.3 DKH.

When I came in the office today I tested once more and it has dropped to 7.4 over the weekend or 63 hours.

Conclusion........ not good:worried:

 

[Jabrams]

When I came in the office today I tested once more and it has dropped to 7.4 over the weekend or 63 hours.

Conclusion........ not good:worried:

Wow thats a whole lot of consumption!

When will you have the doser online?

Can you bring SOME of the larger corals home to a more stable system?