Please help me out

[11mixedreef]

OK so I assume LPS is the most appropriate thread to put this in but I need some softies help as well. My story is my 110 mixed reef was started Dec. 15 2015 I tried to do everything right this time and be as patient as I could be. I am a United States Marine currently deployed with my spouse looking after my tank. From December till almost March I took care of it and had pretty good success I may of only lost one coral or so and that was a flower pot which I didn't at the time know needed a mature tank, in addition to that I only lost a couple fish after the cycle and that was pro ably due to the break in after the cycle adding too fast were all guilty and no quarantine process. Since I've been gone we have had quite the hard ships my spouse takes decent care of the tank and follows my instructions well we haven't lost a fish in the past 6 months however coral is just not growing one bit I know coral grows slow but there is 0 growth on anything except a few heads on my zoa colony. and my LPS hammers and frog spawn are alive 0 growth and minimal polyp extension. I will try and list our processes to the best of my remembering so you can assist us in getting the tank turned around till I get back in a month and a half.

first issue was mid march about 3 weeks after i left we had a heater stick and the temp rose from 78 to about 84 I had her pull the heater and it was quickly replaced now the temp stays 78-79

next about 2 months later one of my AI hydra 26 hd's fried for no good reason the company now owned by ecotech sent my wife out a replacement but at the cost of a week with only one side of the tank illuminated and all the coral had to be moved to that side in the mean time I was so disgusted I forked out the money to buy two new radion xr30 pros and the mounts.

with some connectivity issues for about 6 weeks my wife had set up the radions with toms program I believe and had 100% on all for a 7 hr photo period at 90% mid day and of course 2 hr ramp up and down at the beginning and conclusion of the day at 12 k I had her turn it down to 40% and move it to 14k instead because I think it was hindering the corals from polyp extension but we have seen no improvement yet and that has been about 10 days.

some other issues we tried to adjust was for 2 months my CA was 360 so i had her dose our reef fusion and over the course of 2 weeks bumped it up to 500 when tested at the LFS and with some water changes and regular dosing its come down to 450

Alk has been low since not sure how much of an issue it is but I'm scared to have her raise it cause that could be catastrophic it sits at 6 as the LFS tests it

OK so equipment 110 DT with a 40 gallon sump currently
running 2 felt filter socks then a reef octopus 110 skimmer wanting to upgrade soon
then a small fuge which i put cheato in but it died off
a mag 9.5 return that runs my high capacity gfo and rox carbon BRS reactors they get changed about ever 30-45 days

we do bimonthly water changes of about 25 gallons and were using fritz pro salt but have recently slowly changed to red sea coral pro with no differences

using the radion pros as stated and two PP8 jebaos for flow they are on full alternating causing a nice little standing wave and a gentle sway to the corals when they used to extend all the way for me they haven't been changed but looking to upgrade to mp 40s x2 and a new WiFi Neptune apex when I get back in September

Here is the last tests values from my LFS they haven't changed much
SAL 1.025
PH 8.3
AM 0
Nitrite 0.10
Nitrate 2.5
Calcium 460
Alk 6
Mg 1300
Phos 0.25

we dose reef fusion 4.5 cap fulls every day and 4 caps of reef fusion 2 every other day

6ml of vodka once a week (I don't know if this is negatively effecting it or not but i dont seem to have a nitrate issue)

rotifeast a couple teaspoons twice a week and two small feedings a day of frozen brine or mysis or pellets

I will be setting up a QT tank when I return so don't get on me for that I will try and attach pictures of the tank before and now please give me input for why I'm getting 0 growth and little extension.

Ethan

 

[nuttyd]

Would say a few issues. First alk is low and would try to hit 7-8. Dose equal amounts of reef fusion will help keep ions balanced. You need nitrates for coral growth. Dosing vodka is counterproductive and would only be to control algae growth. Might cut down vodka and see how corals react.

 

[11mixedreef]

I also had a UV on there a 9watt i recently turned it off due to I read more bad then good on them killing good bacteria and leaking electricity into the water but no changes since and I was going to look into running biopellets in the future or would it not be necessary with the nutrients on my system? so cut the carbon source (vodka) and start doing 4.5 caps a day of 1and2 reef fusion you would try?

 

[11mixedreef]

anyone else?

 

[Reef Bass]

Thank you for your service.

Your wife is a good woman for looking after your tank.

Your tank is still fairly new, but hammers and frogspawn should add heads in six months. Sometimes corals take a while (months) to settle in and then take off. Chronic low polyp extension is a concern. Pictures would help.

I would be tempted to simplify some and see if things don't stabilize in more positive direction. I wouldn't bother with UV now, and while I don't carbon dose, reducing or eliminating that for now is an idea.

Definitely get the alk up over a couple days, not all at once. Low alk can contribute to low growth and general unhappiness. I also like 8, but at least 7. Adjust your dosing so that you are maintaining alk 8, ca 425ish, mag 1300. When levels have reached their target range, use equal amounts of alk and ca supplements to keep ions in balance as previously suggested.

The non zero amount of nitrite is somewhat disconcerting. It should be zero in a cycled tank. Offhand it sounds like you are feeding heavily, which may be part of that, as well as the somewhat elevated phosphates. Perhaps cutting back some would be appropriate.

How much HC GFO and carbon are you using? I have found that large quantities replaced simultaneously can cause grumpiness in corals, more so in sps than lps though.

You say you have some softies. If you have some leathers, they may be releasing toxic compounds. Carbon and water changes help with that, which you say you are doing. Is "bimonthly" every 2 months, or twice a month? If it's every 2 months and you have a leather, you might consider more frequent water changes and / or rehoming the leather.

Let us know what changes you decide to make and how it goes. Good luck!

 

[11mixedreef]

Thank you for your service.

Your wife is a good woman for looking after your tank.

Your tank is still fairly new, but hammers and frogspawn should add heads in six months. Sometimes corals take a while (months) to settle in and then take off. Chronic low polyp extension is a concern. Pictures would help.

I would be tempted to simplify some and see if things don't stabilize in more positive direction. I wouldn't bother with UV now, and while I don't carbon dose, reducing or eliminating that for now is an idea.

Definitely get the alk up over a couple days, not all at once. Low alk can contribute to low growth and general unhappiness. I also like 8, but at least 7. Adjust your dosing so that you are maintaining alk 8, ca 425ish, mag 1300. When levels have reached their target range, use equal amounts of alk and ca supplements to keep ions in balance as previously suggested.

The non zero amount of nitrite is somewhat disconcerting. It should be zero in a cycled tank. Offhand it sounds like you are feeding heavily, which may be part of that, as well as the somewhat elevated phosphates. Perhaps cutting back some would be appropriate.

How much HC GFO and carbon are you using? I have found that large quantities replaced simultaneously can cause grumpiness in corals, more so in sps than lps though.

You say you have some softies. If you have some leathers, they may be releasing toxic compounds. Carbon and water changes help with that, which you say you are doing. Is "bimonthly" every 2 months, or twice a month? If it's every 2 months and you have a leather, you might consider more frequent water changes and / or rehoming the leather.

Let us know what changes you decide to make and how it goes. Good luck!

ok well lets try and answer this i told her to start with reef fusion 2 every day to get the alk to come up bimonthly twice a month every 2 weeks i have her do 25 gallons I have one leather devils hand I believe the rest are mainly palys and zoas most of my tank is pagoda hammers frog spawn duncan etc I run about a cup of gfo and 1.5 of carbon changed about every month no uv had her yank it off used to be the thing to have on past reef tanks but more research and such the more I hear they arent necessary with proper QT systems etc and yes I thank her for taking care of it shes just upset shes killing things and Im not there to help and Im almost exhausted all the first to do things I knew of so trying to get it right for the last little I'm gone and when I get home Ill try for some pics

 

[11mixedreef]

heres two pics if I did it right first is now the declining of the tank new radions but no extension the 2nd was the tank at 2.5 months under my care not sure whats changed since I've been gone

 

[11mixedreef]

and again notice the before and after Please advise

 

[11mixedreef]

anyone there ?

 

[11mixedreef]

Bump


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dastrder]

Hard to tell from the pics. I think Reef Bass gave a pretty comprehensive answer.

Whenever I start to have problems, I go back to the basics. I generally cut out all additives and start with 2 or 3 large water changes over a week period. Maybe 20-30% then a 4-5 days later another 20-30% then 4-5 days later again.

Then see how everything is reacting. With the softies, I would change out the carbon. Try and get to a point of stability and then adjust to get your parameters where they should be.

I know it's not much help.

 

[11mixedreef]

the pictures are mainly to illustrate the difference in about 5 months of the tank and the lack of polyp extension and the overall state of the tank. Currently Im going to cut out everything but the 2 part and slowly raise the alk to 7-8

 

[11mixedreef]

any other input

 

[OrQidz]

First, thank you for your service! It must be hard trying to manage a tank from a distance.

I would go after the alk first, since it's clearly low and your corals are unhappy. So many things can affect a tank, you have to pick one thing at a time and work on that. If you are dependent on the LFS for testing, it might make sense to get an alk test that your wife can use so you don't run the risk of overcorrecting and not knowing it. Gradual changes are the key.

 

[Reef Frog]

You seem to be running some heavy duty nutrient export methods. GDO, carbon, bio pellets & vodka dosing all together? Did you implement all of this do deal with an algae explosion?

LPS like a little bit of nutrients in the water and do best when there is a little bit of organic matter to consume. If you were to back off a few of these methods it would probably be best done under your supervision as it seems you have the knowledge base and its best to be able to watch the results of any changes made and be able to adapt quickly if the changes aren't working out. It may be difficult to manage this long distance. But I wouldn't do bio pellets & vodka dosing simultaneously. That seems over kill to me unless you're feeding like crazy and have really high nitrates, and I don't think there the case.

Next thing is to get your Alk-Ca-Mg at proper levels and keep them there. Growth depends on stability when you're talking hard corals. A kalk reactor may be the easiest method to manage it, but automated 2 part is another good option. However I don't see that as being practical starting up bylong distance - but that depends on your wife's knowledge & comfort level establishing these systems.

Also, LPS corals in general and the ones you keep in particular do best in "medium" light. I've never used your lights but have read numerous accounts of over lighting. It seems over lighting issues (polyp retraction, faded colors, slow growth) can be more of an issue in extremely nutrient stripped water.

This seems simple but make sure your salinity levels are really are 1.026 or 1.925 and are kept stable. This is an easy mistake to make. When stability is wrong nothing else you do is going to help. Make sure your refractometer is reading true by calibrating it with a reference solution.

I can see how fluctuating big 3 minerals, with very low nutrients and too much lighting all combined together could be the cause of your issues. But it sounds like things are alive so it may just take some minor tweaks to get things growing & thriving. Best of luck with it!

 

[11mixedreef]

Hey guys want to give an update its only been about a week with alot of your input but I think were on the right track so reef frog no I would never run all of those together ha! I was talking/thinking about running biopellets when I got back I see alot of people doing it and I want some anthias's in the future and who doesnt like to feed their fish fat and happy that may allocate me to feed more I do run GFO even with RODI it helps keep those Phosphates at a minimum last test .25 ill take that Im not home so no SPS yet but its a goal I DID carbon dose and silly me I started that too soon before I left in Feb and had her continue and I just had her doing a minimal 6ml a week after I did the introductory program I have since had her cease it and it may have been a contributing factor in a negative manner however we shall see if it even was doing anything to keep nitrates down cause as is I never had an issue with my common fuge type set up as they are at 2.5 again Ill take it most people dont bat an eye till they see 10 ppm

anyway my mistake I should of had more faith in the MRS. she suprised the heck out of me as I asked her if she wanted to learn how to test I'm not sure if she wanted to learn or if that meant she doesnt need to do weekly trips to the LFS haha but she has a Masters degree but some of the simplist reef tank terms or preocedures can blow her mind well anyway she has learned how to perform CA, ALK and all the basics so I pumped in some reef fusion 2 over the last week roughly 60ml a day and got it from 6 to now 9 turns the color 10 makes it a solid yellow so 9.5? I'm happy with that super stoked and CA wellll it ran up to 560 with my test or 28 drops x 20 blah blah blah not awful better high CA that high ALK so im having her stop part 1 and do a few water changes and we are monitoring a new test to come tomorrow and water change so will update again looking for the magical 420-440ppm CA and keeping that 9.5 DKH

next I myself went on ecosmart live and set up my radions after much research from ECO labs I ended up doing their LPS program tweaked it to my liking running / starting with a 9 hour cycle an hour ramp up at either end and a full 7 hour photo period as reccomended by the coral lab program for a start it runs a 20k cycle and I'm starting at 35% and will creep up as I see fit In my wifes words OH my goodness I love the blues!!! anyway well in just a few days to a week complete turn around in the tank my lps are making a better come back than (insert sports team here) !!! getting some great extension but I know we are not out of the water yet no pun intended ill try and post a time laps pic I made so you can see my softies are all out and happy minus my one devils hand leather its stem appears to have doubled but its limbs for lack of the proper term are tucked against itself but it seems healthy and my lps I didnt loose any since my one bubble burst a few months back but the pagoda's my hammers and my favorite the frog spawn have all did a 180 so thanks for the input for my countless hours of research and confiding on yall on here I think were getting there more updates and pics to come guys now any suggestions on anything? and thank you for your support I do love being a Marine going on 5 years now it really is a rewarding career except for when it takes me away from my tank!

 

[11mixedreef]

here is some pictures from today

 

[11mixedreef]

here is the last 2 I was judging the tank off my LPS polyp extension so were definitely getting better note the progression of the frogspawn from left to right left was when I was home early Feb. 2016 size approx a baseball full ext and plump middle was with blistering sun light from a radion on 90% ( before I could see the program with her setting it up while I didn't have a way to communicate with her while I was on ship) polyps completely receded and not healthy thought I would loose it and a month later stabilizing levels adjusting the lights ditching UV vodka some water changes and getting levels to stabilize you can see the polyps slowly coming back well let me know what y'all think or whats next

 

[11mixedreef]

Any one still following input is always appreciated!

 

[11mixedreef]

anyone still on here another update another few days and my corals keep looking better and better ca went down to 520 after a water change and my alk tested at 9 dkh every lps is almost extended fully only thing being temperamental is a leather and a clove polyp go figure I wonder what the issue was I'm assuming the ca and alk and dialing in the lights helped and eliminating some other materials that weren't necessary