Need help trouble shooting...
- Thread starter johno4
- Start date
jacksonpt
New member
I've been following this thread and got some interesting pointers/ideas, so thanks for those. I will just say, that while I don't wish anyone problems with their tanks, it's nice to see that I'm not the only one who goes through stretches where they have no idea *** is going on in their tank or why.
johno4
New member
I wanted to update this as I have gotten some good advice from many on here. I had gotten rid of the leather and blasto. Leather due to possible toxins and the blasto just because it didnt like my tank and I didnt want it to die.
I have continued with the regular water changes and have been using RODI water for a while now. Purchased Red Sea tests for Alk, Ca, and Mg. I found that my Mg was low (between 1100-1200) even with the regular water changes. So I began dosing to keep it at 1300. I have also notice Ca was a little low (400) so I have gotten that up to 450 with dosing and running Kalk in my topoff.
I am feeding more, which is leading to a little algae, not too bad, but I am seeing more and more bubble algae.
Overall the corals look much better. Candy went from 5 heads to 9, my hammer seems to be splitting and I have some small side shoots appearing. The anemone moved and then split. I picked up some green star polyps that are spreading and a blue milli frag that is starting some branches. Things are slowly moving in the right direction, slowly, but I still feel good about how things are going.
Thanks again everyone!!!!
I have continued with the regular water changes and have been using RODI water for a while now. Purchased Red Sea tests for Alk, Ca, and Mg. I found that my Mg was low (between 1100-1200) even with the regular water changes. So I began dosing to keep it at 1300. I have also notice Ca was a little low (400) so I have gotten that up to 450 with dosing and running Kalk in my topoff.
I am feeding more, which is leading to a little algae, not too bad, but I am seeing more and more bubble algae.
Overall the corals look much better. Candy went from 5 heads to 9, my hammer seems to be splitting and I have some small side shoots appearing. The anemone moved and then split. I picked up some green star polyps that are spreading and a blue milli frag that is starting some branches. Things are slowly moving in the right direction, slowly, but I still feel good about how things are going.
Thanks again everyone!!!!
A few things:
True zero PO4 and NO3 are not great ,particulary for the corals you have. FWIW 0.02 to 0.04ppm PO4 and 0.2ppm NO3 work well for me in terms of coral vibrancy and minimal nuisance algae.Are you using gfo or other PO4 removers?
Feeding: more meaty foods like small mysis etc. could help.
GAC ,I know you want it for allelopathy but that might not be worth it and/ or necessary. I'd back off a little on it.
Skimmer?
Ro/di would be helpful
4 bulb t5 should be more than adequate for 9/10 hrs or so.
Harvest the nusiance algae from the fuge; go with chaeto, caluerpa , gracillaria etc. With undetectable PO4 and NO3 most desireable macroalgeas won't grow. Never liked 24 hour fuge lighting ,personally; I'd go with opposit photo period .
True zero PO4 and NO3 are not great ,particulary for the corals you have. FWIW 0.02 to 0.04ppm PO4 and 0.2ppm NO3 work well for me in terms of coral vibrancy and minimal nuisance algae.Are you using gfo or other PO4 removers?
Feeding: more meaty foods like small mysis etc. could help.
GAC ,I know you want it for allelopathy but that might not be worth it and/ or necessary. I'd back off a little on it.
Skimmer?
Ro/di would be helpful
4 bulb t5 should be more than adequate for 9/10 hrs or so.
Harvest the nusiance algae from the fuge; go with chaeto, caluerpa , gracillaria etc. With undetectable PO4 and NO3 most desireable macroalgeas won't grow. Never liked 24 hour fuge lighting ,personally; I'd go with opposit photo period .
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I don't think Mg or Ca was your problem. IME neither of those levels are going to cause the kind of issues you were experiencing.
I think your problem was something toxic from your water source that is being removed by your RODI.
Brent Thomann
New member
The past couple years I can tell by looking at my corals when my TDS starts to increase and its time to change my DI Resin. Soon after changing DI and doing a water change my corals start to look better and grow. Highly recommend RODI unit and change your DI once TDs starts to raise from zero.
johno4
New member
Hey Tom,
I do not have test kits that go that low for nitrate and phosphate. My API test say zero and so did the results at Caribbean forest and The Reefe Shoppe. I have increased my feeding schedule and do believe it is having a positive impact on the tank.
Skimmer is and SCA 301 that I purchased about a year ago, which i am really happy with.
I have been using RODI water since April.
With the change in growth within the last 3 weeks I would agree the lights are not an issue
I have Chaeto in the fuge. Good point about getting the nuisance algae out of the fuge. I will get on that this weekend. Fuge light is not lit 24/7, it is on opposite schedule as the display with a little over lap on both ends.
Right now I am happy with how things are changing for the good. I will continue to update as things changes.
Thanks again.
John
johno4
New member
From this experience I do believe it was the Mg and Ca levels. RODI has been used since April with no change in coral conditions. The leather was removed back in May and still no improvements. The only change that changed anything was 3 weeks ago, I corrected the Mg and Ca levels and almost immediately saw improvements. This leads me to believe that those were the culprits. I guess more time will tell.
I don't mean to be argumentative, but at 400 ppm your Ca level was well within NSW range. Mg was slightly low, but I suppose it's possible that your Mg was running even lower than that prior to you testing it and that was your problem all along. Hopefully whatever it was, it's over with.
Well, 430 calcium , 9dkh are fine; mag at 1100 to 1200 is a bit low but ok. nsw is around 1280ppm. I'd bet on a lack of food and nutrients; toxins from allelopathic corals and/or impurities in the tap water like copper ,chloramine et alia. It's alsways hard to be sure of the cause of an issue though.
Anyway glad you've made good progress.
One tip about ro/di .
Tds post di should always be zero;more means the resin isn't functioning;it's exhausted. Post di tds is often much worse than post membrane/ro tds. Ions bind to the anion or cation resin based on their positive or negative charge. Those with lessor charges like ammonia and some others are displaced by those with stronger charges when the resin is exhausted. Thus, concentrations even higher than the tap water can be released from exhausted resin.
FWIW, I use two di canisters with an inline tds meter between them which tells me when the canister first in line is delivering water with tds greater than zero to the second. When that happens I refill the first canister with new resin and put it in second place in the line. This insures tds is always zero coming from the second canister. It also eliminates guesswork on when to change resin.
Anyway glad you've made good progress.
One tip about ro/di .
Tds post di should always be zero;more means the resin isn't functioning;it's exhausted. Post di tds is often much worse than post membrane/ro tds. Ions bind to the anion or cation resin based on their positive or negative charge. Those with lessor charges like ammonia and some others are displaced by those with stronger charges when the resin is exhausted. Thus, concentrations even higher than the tap water can be released from exhausted resin.
FWIW, I use two di canisters with an inline tds meter between them which tells me when the canister first in line is delivering water with tds greater than zero to the second. When that happens I refill the first canister with new resin and put it in second place in the line. This insures tds is always zero coming from the second canister. It also eliminates guesswork on when to change resin.
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