New tank been disaster, need advice :(

[nepenthes99]

I set up my 40 breeder system just a few months ago and every possible thing has gone wrong. My skimmer, which I paid $200 for, is completely broken and skims nothing. Meanwhile algae has covered almost everything in the tank making me do daily water changes. Yesterday my longspine urchin somehow trapped and ate my sailfin tang alive, and just now my MaxiJet powerhead fell of its suction cups into the sandbed, shredding my peppermint shrimp to pieces and blowing all of the sand to the other side of the tank, burying some of my LPS under at least 6". At this point I am probably just going to take the system down and maybe save reefing for some other time. If I could do anything to save my reef and get it back into shape I would definitely try it. My plan right now is getting a Reef octopus HOB bh1000 skimmer and either giving away or finding a way to secure the maxijet. Any suggestions are welcome.

nepenthes99

 

[sponger0]

First off...what is a sailfin doing in a 40 breeder?

Secondly, what kind of skimmer broke? Did you buy it used?

Get a powerhead with magnets, like a koralia or tunze.

What are your water parameters?

 

[Tickle]

How old is the tank? What do you have for a cleanup crew? How long has your skimmer been running? They can take weeks to break in. Tangs in a 40=no.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

 

[nepenthes99]

Thanks for the replies,
i am quite familiar with the rule that tangs could not go in a 40. The specimen was very small and I had arranged a deal with another reefer with a much larger tank to take it when it outgrew the tank. The skimmer was a new Seaclone which I now know was a bad idea. I am currently using a biocube skimmer until I get the new one.The last time I tested ( a few days ago) my params were totally fine, ammonia near 0 interestingly enough. Phosphates and Nitrates were normal too. My CUC now consists of a serpent star, a few blue legs, a diadema urchin, and lots of mixed snails (turbo, nassarius). I used to have a peppermint shrimp but it was killed last night by the powerhead malfunction.

 

[sponger0]

But what if the reefers tank crashed? Or they moved? Or this or that? Things happen and change. And can do so quickly. But fish for the tank you have now.

What does phosphates and nitrates are normal suppose to mean? That give no real info.

You are better off without using a biocube skimmer and just do 10-12% water changes weekly.

Yes....seaclone skimmer arent worth the money. You could have gotten a Reef Octopus BH1000 or NWB110 for less than $200.

 

[gone fishin]

with algae covering the tank I would say there is definately excess nutrients in the tank. I would also agree with getting a little better equipment. The better equipment will certainly help things.

 

[gbru316]

you paid $200 for a seaclone?!?!?!?

Before you do ANYthing, find a different LFS. Seaclone's are typically less than $100.

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

If your tank is filled with algae theres no way you could be using RO/DI water. This is the #1 cause of poor water quality from the beginning. I would never consider adding one drop of unfiltered water to a reef tank. Its like investing in algae.

There is no way to cheap out on this hobby unless you get lucky with someone selling you used, good quality equipment.

You have to think ahead to prevent these things. If you only have a suction cup power head, hang it tight from its power cord so it cant fall all the way to the sand. Suction cups have a very short life in saltwater.

As was said above, never buy a fish you know isnt suitable for your tank planning to send it somewhere else when it grows. Especially if youre inexperienced.

My opinion is it may be a good idea to step away from a functioning tank until you can aquire good equipment and more importantly, more knowledge. I would recommend hanging out in the reef chemistry forum for 6 months or a year until you have a good clear plan for a healthy tank. I hope this doesnt sound harsh, but you will be so much happier with confidence, clean water and happy fish

 

[nepenthes99]

Thanks for the replies,
i am quite familiar with the rule that tangs could not go in a 40. The specimen was very small and I had arranged a deal with another reefer with a much larger tank to take it when it outgrew the tank. The skimmer was a new Seaclone which I now know was a bad idea. I am currently using a biocube skimmer until I get the new one.The last time I tested ( a few days ago) my params were totally fine, ammonia near 0 interestingly enough. Phosphates and Nitrates were normal too. My CUC now consists of a serpent star, a few blue legs, a diadema urchin, and lots of mixed snails (turbo, nassarius). I used to have a peppermint shrimp but it was killed last night by the powerhead malfunction.

 

[nepenthes99]

Yeah i will definitely do way more research... I already have a plan and am purchasing better equipment including a Reef Octopus bh1000 skimmer.

 

[Mstefa1]

I would recommend hanging out in the reef chemistry forum for 6 months or a year until you have a good clear plan for a healthy tank.

Seriously? Reading a forum for 6-12 months? Most info can be found on the web in a few days research however there is no substitution to experience which is why discussion on a forum is relevant.

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

Yeah i will definitely do way more research... I already have a plan and am purchasing better equipment including a Reef Octopus bh1000 skimmer.

Thats a good call! I would empty and sterilize the tank. Recure or replace your live rock and fill that baby with 0 tds water. If you start with high quality water, you will be so much more prepared to handle little changes and keep things under control.

Good luck and go slow. Good things happen slow and bad things happen fast in this hobby...

 

[sponger0]

Seriously? Reading a forum for 6-12 months? Most info can be found on the web in a few days research however there is no substitution to experience which is why discussion on a forum is relevant.

Yes reading. How else to you get knowledge? You cant get proper knowledge by just fiddling with a tank. You need to have the info before fiddling. They apply the knowledge to real application.

I spend alot of time reading before I even bought a tank. And it still wasnt enough in the beginning.

6-12 months may be a little excessive, but the point is the OP does need more research.




But my concern is why the OP wont post real numbers for water parameters. Thats kind of a big deal. Saying something is normal means nothing. My readings that I consider are normal, arent going to be the normal readings for someone elses tank.

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

discussion on a forum is relevant.

Zactly!

 

[Mstefa1]

Many people learn better by doing... Trial and error. While I wouldn't recommend in someone with little knowledge and no experience investing their life savings into a starter tank there is no reason why an individual can't start up a small tank and learn from that.

Perhaps my 4 posts in the 3.5 years that I've been a member at RC passes the test. lol

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

But my concern is why the OP wont post real numbers for water parameters. Thats kind of a big deal. Saying something is normal means nothing. My readings that I consider are normal, arent going to be the normal readings for someone elses tank.

Yep! To OP.. If your tank is growing nuisence algae, you absolutely have high nutrients in the water. You are getting 0 readings because the hungry algae it using it up... or your test kits are inaccurate.

My point about reading the forum is. A great way to learn is by observing others failures. Unfortunate, but true. Study the threads of super healthy systems. Choking down too much information in a few days = rushing into it.

Your failure this time is invaluable for moving on in the right direction. Being a beginner reefer can be extremely frustrating. Rounding the curve of getting it right is indescribably satisfying!

 

[sponger0]

Your failure this time is invaluable for moving on in the right direction. Being a beginner reefer can be extremely frustrating. Rounding the curve of getting it right is indescribably satisfying!

100%. My first tank completely bombed. I didnt setup properly at all but it was a good experience for me. It taught me I needed to know more.

 

[nepenthes99]

Thanks for your concern everyone, your advice is extremely helpful. By normal I mean very low for Nitrates etc. Of course my test kit could be wrong or the nutrients fluctuate daily which could be linled to the algae. I only use distilled water for changes and have never even thought of using tap water so i dont think chemicals are a problem. I think the new Reef Octopus will definitely help stabilize the params and the Hydor Koralia powerhead wont fall down. I have been in the hobby for two years or so but I used to only have a 14 gallon Biocube which is pretty self sustaining but I am completely new to larger tanks and although I did as much research as I could nothing could have prepared me for this. i hope this failiure will prevent others from happening later on.

 

[sponger0]

Normal nitrates should be zero. So having a reading is not normal.

Constantly adding chemicals can very much be a problem. The biggest aspect of owning a reef is mostly chemistry. So guess what happens when you keep throwing a bunch of chemicals into a tank? They can affect anything and everything over time. So if you wanna keep throwing them in. go ahead, but I dont recommend keep doing it with all the problems your having. Limit the variables and you can narrow down what is actually causing a problem.

A skimmer isnt going to stablize parameters. That is what you are suppose to do. A skimmer removes organic waste. Its doesnt keep your parameters in line.

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

Normal nitrates should be zero. So having a reading is not normal.

Constantly adding chemicals can very much be a problem. The biggest aspect of owning a reef is mostly chemistry. So guess what happens when you keep throwing a bunch of chemicals into a tank? They can affect anything and everything over time. So if you wanna keep throwing them in. go ahead, but I dont recommend keep doing it with all the problems your having. Limit the variables and you can narrow down what is actually causing a problem.

A skimmer isnt going to stablize parameters. That is what you are suppose to do. A skimmer removes organic waste. Its doesnt keep your parameters in line.

I couldnt find where he said he was adding chemicals to the water. Maybe I missed it? Im going to have to disagree with your first sentence. (Not trying to stir the pot :wavehand: ) absolute 0 nitrates are impossible to obtain unless you are diligently persuing a ULNS with apropriate carbon dosing and aggressive skimming, which should only be attempted by the most skilled reefers IMHO. Low readings of nitrates is fine and can actually be beneficial in the health and beauty of corals. Phosphates are very hard to remove and are probably the #1 cause of neusence algae. Runing phosphate media or macro algae is the best way to recover from high phosphates.

You say you are adding distilled water, thats better than tap water but not even close to the quality of reverse osmosis, de-ionized filtration (RO/DI) Your goal is to achieve a 0 with a TDS meter (TDS = Total Desolved Solids) I would get a TDS meter http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/401/'Every serious reefer needs one of thes IMO. I would be curious to know the TDS of the distilled water youre using.