Ugh. Finally got my first coral. Battling GHA And diatoms and low alkalinity

[white_Rubicon]

So I have been struggling with GHA and cayano for months. Finally got the cayano under control and is gone. GHA was reducing ... but now...

GHA is popping up again and now getting a diatom bloom. The only thing that changed was adding a small candy cane, and three small ricordia's ( Florida). Corals didn't come on rocks but on ceramic plugs. And my alk plummeted.

Use RO/DI for water change ( weekly) and ATO
Mag between 1300 and 1400
CA 450
Nitrate .2
Alk is now 7.5 after starting to dose but was at 6.5 when it all started. ( still trying to raise it)
PH 8
SG 1.025

Think the diatoms are from increased lights due to adding corals?

Any suggestions? I don't have a phosphate test.
I don't overfeed. All gets eaten by my 2 clowns.

Biocube 32 stock lighting
Skimmer
2 small power heads

chemipure elite
Purigen

Stock list:
2 clowns
1 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint
10 hermits
3 snails astrea
( had a lawnmower blenny that died 3 days ago )

Candy cane
Green star polyps
3 small Florida ricordia.




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[white_Rubicon]

Btw tank has been setup since last October.


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[crawlerman]

Most likely phosphates, you need to buy a kit. Do not get the API, I bought a Hannah Checker. What kind of rock did you start out with? Some rock will have bound phosphates that will continue to leach into your aquarium. The dry Pukani rock is well known for this. Once you confirm your phosphates are high you will need to run GFO, refugium or algae turf scrubber.

 

[Sk8r]

Just keep dosing the alk and get that up. It should not be falling if your mg is really 1400. If it is, check your mg test.

Corals do not thrive in the presence of high phosphate or nitrate. GFO is the quickest fix for phosphate; a better skimmer for nitrate---or you could try NoPoX, which can handle both, IF you have a halfway decent skimmer. If you have no skimmer, don't use NoPoX and consider getting one.

 

[white_Rubicon]

My skimmer right now is the coralife one for biocube a which I have read aren't the best. Are there any good ones that don't require a sump?


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[mcgyvr]

chemipure elite already contains GFO.. but depending on how often you change it then it could very well be exhausted already..

and weekly water changes should be sufficient (but you didn't state how much) to keep parameters inline and negate the need for any of that..
Makes me want to say that clearly the purigen/chemipure is just a waste of money as its clearly not helping..

What is your alk reading on freshly mixed saltwater?
Do you have a lot of coralline algae?
Pics of GHA/diatom problem?
have you been checking the TDS of your RO/DI water? filters could be exhausted too..

 

[white_Rubicon]

chemipure elite already contains GFO.. but depending on how often you change it then it could very well be exhausted already..

and weekly water changes should be sufficient (but you didn't state how much) to keep parameters inline and negate the need for any of that..
Makes me want to say that clearly the purigen/chemipure is just a waste of money as its clearly not helping..

What is your alk reading on freshly mixed saltwater?
Do you have a lot of coralline algae?
Pics of GHA/diatom problem?
have you been checking the TDS of your RO/DI water? filters could be exhausted too..

I just changed the chemipure on Monday with the last water change.
The purigen still was a cream color so did not change it.


My water changes are 5 gallons every week. My LFS is super close and have been using them for water. Will test the water change water today as well.

I do have a large amount of coraline

The first pic is GHA at its worst.

I'll have to get current pics when I get home from work.


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[mcgyvr]

Have the LFS get you a test result for phosphate..
and what salt brand are you using?

 

[white_Rubicon]

Have the LFS get you a test result for phosphate..
and what salt brand are you using?

Will do. Might just amazon prime a phosphate test to get it quick.

Use Red Sea salt. They mix it for me. I put a power head and heater in the bucket the day before a water change. They test the salinity before I leave and I usually check as well right before the water change.



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[Sk8r]

You have phosphate: if you have algae like that you have way much phosphate. And a test won't show what's bound up in the algae.
As for skimmers, getting a good one without a sump is hard, because they tend to spit water on occasion, and a sump is the safest place to keep one. If you could set up a sump and route your water flow through it, you could get most any kind. I fear you just are not going to have much coral success until you can get down to almost no algae and nitrate around 5. Water changes, really aggressive water changes with a good reef salt might help.

 

[white_Rubicon]

You have phosphate: if you have algae like that you have way much phosphate. And a test won't show what's bound up in the algae.
As for skimmers, getting a good one without a sump is hard, because they tend to spit water on occasion, and a sump is the safest place to keep one. If you could set up a sump and route your water flow through it, you could get most any kind. I fear you just are not going to have much coral success until you can get down to almost no algae and nitrate around 5. Water changes, really aggressive water changes with a good reef salt might help.

Thanks for the input. The algae is not the current state... but it is still present. I will add new pics today. Since dosing the alk... as of yesterday alk is 7.7 and my candy cane seemed to open fully for the first time. Even saw feeding tentacles out when my lights went to straight moonlight. The ricordias have seemed not to be bothered and are fully open, but would love for all to flourish.



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[white_Rubicon]

Have the LFS get you a test result for phosphate..
and what salt brand are you using?

Ugh. So think I figured out the low alk issue. I tested the water from the LFS before I did a water change and it's alk was at 6. Guess the salt they are using isn't what's on the bucket?

Anyhow. What's the best reef salt to use... looks like I'm gonna start mixing my own.


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[hossa81]

I know it is kind of frowned upon, but blennies will eat algae like nothing you've ever seen

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[monkeysee1]

Have you considered Rowa Phos?
I had GHA many moons ago - I put Rowa Phos in my reactor and haven't had a problem since!
You may need to dose your tank with alkalinity solution (soda ash) solution DAILY with an automatic doser.