Wanna SPS tank needs major help

[cham]

also guys i will be honest i have not blew my rocks off for over 5 months. been dealing with this hair algae for over 9 motnhs and cant beat it.

IMO I blow off my rocks weekly and it's an important step. If you don't have frags nearby I just use my hand to blast the rock free of detritus. Or I'll use a spare powerhead, turkey basters are too much work.

I'd remove the GHA and blow off the rocks daily until you're not getting much "crud" from your rocks. I'd expect a massive detritus storm for awhile.

Not trying to open a can of worms here, but I'm not a GFO fan. I've used it before and found too much swing happens in P04. When you first put it in it strips the tank clean (irritating corals with the sudden change), and then over time if you're not diligent about changing it, we all get busy, the P04 creeps back up and you're back to shocking corals again.

Do you run filter socks? You're going to need them with the storm.

 

[Dbondaruk]

IMO I blow off my rocks weekly and it's an important step. If you don't have frags nearby I just use my hand to blast the rock free of detritus. Or I'll use a spare powerhead, turkey basters are too much work.

I'd remove the GHA and blow off the rocks daily until you're not getting much "crud" from your rocks. I'd expect a massive detritus storm for awhile.

Not trying to open a can of worms here, but I'm not a GFO fan. I've used it before and found too much swing happens in P04. When you first put it in it strips the tank clean (irritating corals), and then over time if you're not diligent about changing it, we all get busy, the P04 creeps back up and you're back to shocking corals again.

Do you run filter socks? You're going to need them with the storm.

Thanks. I did pull apt of algae yesterday which I do almost bi weekly and I did put a filter sock on. I will also get one of my spare pumps and start blowing my rocks today

 

[cham]

You've got a nutrient issue that you'll need to figure out where it's coming from. Blowing the rocks off is a help but not the total answer. Either you have too much nutrients in or too little out or a combo of the two.

Can you take pics of your sump and give us an equipment rundown?

 

[Dbondaruk]

You've got a nutrient issue that you'll need to figure out where it's coming from. Blowing the rocks off is a help but not the total answer. Either you have too much nutrients in or too little out or a combo of the two.

Can you take pics of your sump and give us an equipment rundown?

Sure I will do that today

 

[Dbondaruk]

ok let me start with my lights.. ati sunpower 8 bulb fixture that is 7.5 inches off the water..
BULBS all ATI bulbs ecept for one geismann 6500k bulb
Back of fixture
B+
B+
B+
6500K
P+
B+
C+
B+
Front of fixture
light timing
2 B+ bulbs on from 9:30 to 9:30 (12HRS)
ALL bulbs on 1:00 to 8:00 (7HRS)
Protein skimmer reef octopus POV DC-2
return pump is the reef octopus dc i think 2400 GPH
UV is a 65 watt
tunze ATO
GHL doser
neptune system
in sump have a jabeo wp25 where chateo chamber is
in tank flow 2 MP40 and 2 tunze 6105

pictures will be in next post

 

[Dbondaruk]

so i removed a bunch of algae and blew my rocks off this is what tank looks like now

 

[bobssecrtsn]

I haven't had much time reading some threads lately, but searching is your best bet. Brs HC gfo is something to not set and forget,
1. Start with half of there recommended dose on their site, and 4-5 days add 25% more till you get to your goal, also test the output of the gfo to see if it's been exhausted; exhausted gfo can cause nutrient back into the tank to fuel the algae.
2. Keep an eye on your tank when using gfo. It may strip your tank to fast, as others stated that was your cause of your burnt tips. Don't ever set and forget.
3. Ulns or lns can have 7-8 dkH, there hasn't been any reports that people had problems with alk being that low.
4. People usually aim for 7-8 dkH, 400+ca, 1250+ MG. get your mg in order before proceeding to get your ca/alk in check.
5. Get a good CUC for that algae issue.
6. How old is your bulbs? 8months old bulbs can feed algae.
7. What test kits are you using? Have you checked with another set ?
8. The first year of getting Sps can be the hardest, because they are fonicky with parameters. So if you don't have the time, stick to softies and get some beginner sticks to till your reef stabilizes
9. How much are you dosing? For each part. People may say you can get away with wc. Coralline alone may consume a good amount. For every 18ppm of ca is 2.8 dkH so test daily and see how much your consuming.
10. Last but not least, your salt. Rscp black bucket uses a high alk once mixed, I prefer you to switch to the blue bucket, it's closer to nsw as well as what your aiming for your parameters. As well, calibrate your refract omelet.

Happy reefinf

 

[Dbondaruk]

I haven't had much time reading some threads lately, but searching is your best bet. Brs HC gfo is something to not set and forget,
1. Start with half of there recommended dose on their site, and 4-5 days add 25% more till you get to your goal, also test the output of the gfo to see if it's been exhausted; exhausted gfo can cause nutrient back into the tank to fuel the algae.
2. Keep an eye on your tank when using gfo. It may strip your tank to fast, as others stated that was your cause of your burnt tips. Don't ever set and forget.
3. Ulns or lns can have 7-8 dkH, there hasn't been any reports that people had problems with alk being that low.
4. People usually aim for 7-8 dkH, 400+ca, 1250+ MG. get your mg in order before proceeding to get your ca/alk in check.
5. Get a good CUC for that algae issue.
6. How old is your bulbs? 8months old bulbs can feed algae.
7. What test kits are you using? Have you checked with another set ?
8. The first year of getting Sps can be the hardest, because they are fonicky with parameters. So if you don't have the time, stick to softies and get some beginner sticks to till your reef stabilizes
9. How much are you dosing? For each part. People may say you can get away with wc. Coralline alone may consume a good amount. For every 18ppm of ca is 2.8 dkH so test daily and see how much your consuming.
10. Last but not least, your salt. Rscp black bucket uses a high alk once mixed, I prefer you to switch to the blue bucket, it's closer to nsw as well as what your aiming for your parameters. As well, calibrate your refract omelet.

Happy reefinf

thanks for reply
bulbs are 4 months old
i use salifert test kits and i have 2 kh salifert kits that i use for reference
Here i what i was dosing
50ML alk per day (BRS Sodium Bicarbonate)
30ML CAL per day (BRS Calcium chloride)
10ML MAG per day (BRS magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate mix)

today i am changing the dose to
60ML alk per day
24ML Cal per day
5ML Mag per day

.. i used to use reef crystal salt but thought that if i switched to RSCP salt my coral colors would be better. that did not happen. so you suggest i go with Red sea blue bucket salt?what is the main difference in the 2.
i tested my alk today and it was 7.7 so in 24 hrs it has stayed the same but i think it slowly creeps down. so i am raising dose 10ml per day.i am leaving out of town again today but will have my wife do water changes while im gone. i am still leaving the gfo off and will start it when i get home at 1/2 reccomended..i just ordered a new buckt of RSCP salt but will do more research and prob switch to the blue bucket.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

I'm not sure about the brs brand, but the b bionic 2 part brand is already a mixed 1:1 ratio, so if your dosing 50 ml of alk, you also dose 50 ml of CA. Search it up and see if the brs is 1:1 ratio.

Get a ton of snails, I was looking at your tank and I saw no snails at all, they make up for a nice clean looking tank. Eating all the left over foods, and cleaning up your rocks etc.

The difference between rscp bucket and the regular Red Sea blue bucket is, rscp has a 12dkh @ 35ppm, while the blue bucket has 7.7 dkH at 35ppm, the difference is when you do a water change, your dkH will sky rocket, there for jumping your alk, and getting burnt tips on your acros.

 

[Usernam Invalid]

Looks like burnt tips not stn.
For your algae problem try skimming wet and greatly increase your Cuc. Blow the rocks clean of detritus at least once a week and do it after lights out.

 

[Dbondaruk]

Thanks for the help fellas. I ordered a clean up crew from reef cleaners like 6 months ago. 80 percent of the snails they sent me just stay on the back wall and don't move. Any suggestions on snails I should add

 

[cham]

Thanks for the help fellas. I ordered a clean up crew from reef cleaners like 6 months ago. 80 percent of the snails they sent me just stay on the back wall and don't move. Any suggestions on snails I should add

I scrape the back walls and overflow and allow the filter sock to pick that up (and change the sock within a day or two so that the algae doesn't melt and reintro the nutrients back to the tank). That should force them to start working on your rocks.

 

[Myka]

I would recommend testing calcium and alkalinity everyday for the next week (adjust the doser after you get TWO consecutive tests that show drift), and then next week test every second day, then after that test twice a week until you have the system well dialed in. Once it's dialed in you should be checking once a week no matter how stable the tank is.

As far as the algae goes, in all your pics I only see one snail. What do you have for a clean up crew? For a typical reef I usually recommend for each 50 gallons, 6 Astraea, 3 Trochus, 3 Turbos, and 12 Scarlet Hermits. I recommend only Scaret hermits rather than any other type of hermit as they are much less likely to predate snails.

I'd also suggest you point the two Tunzes down towards the rock, and move the two MP up closer to the surface (so they ripple the surface). It looks like there are lots of dead areas near the sand/rocks.

 

[Dbondaruk]

I would recommend testing calcium and alkalinity everyday for the next week (adjust the doser after you get TWO consecutive tests that show drift), and then next week test every second day, then after that test twice a week until you have the system well dialed in. Once it's dialed in you should be checking once a week no matter how stable the tank is.

As far as the algae goes, in all your pics I only see one snail. What do you have for a clean up crew? For a typical reef I usually recommend for each 50 gallons, 6 Astraea, 3 Trochus, 3 Turbos, and 12 Scarlet Hermits. I recommend only Scaret hermits rather than any other type of hermit as they are much less likely to predate snails.

I'd also suggest you point the two Tunzes down towards the rock, and move the two MP up closer to the surface (so they ripple the surface). It looks like there are lots of dead areas near the sand/rocks.

Thanks I will do that that. As of clean up crew I have right now not sure on count as snail die randomally. I ordered a package from reefcleaners about 8 months ago. Don't remember what package it was but roughly I have about 20 nerite snails. 15 red scarlet hermit. 3 turbos left. About 15 nassaraus and a bunch of verity snails and dwarf ceriths

 

[Dbondaruk]

Also if I point my tunzes on the rocks they will be in direct flow of some sps. Roughly 7 -9 inches away. Is that ok??

 

[Myka]

Thanks I will do that that. As of clean up crew I have right now not sure on count as snail die randomally. I ordered a package from reefcleaners about 8 months ago. Don't remember what package it was but roughly I have about 20 nerite snails. 15 red scarlet hermit. 3 turbos left. About 15 nassaraus and a bunch of verity snails and dwarf ceriths

Also if I point my tunzes on the rocks they will be in direct flow of some sps. Roughly 7 -9 inches away. Is that ok??

Yeah, that's definitely not enough snails/hermits. I have a very similar-sized clean up crew in my 69-gallon tank as you have in your 190-gallon tank. Try do adjust your clean up crew closer to my recommended ratio/numbers.

I had two 6105 in my 90-gallon SPS tank when it was running. They never hit the SPS straight on, but blew past the colonies very close to them. That was never a problem. You may have to move the powerheads to different locations or you may have to adjust the rock a bit. Your tank is young - sometimes the first rock formation you come up with isn't the best one.

 

[ocrass20]

 

[Dbondaruk]

Update tank still not looking greatest..ok I was about to do a water change today and decided to test my alk in the water I had mixed... I'm still finishing up the RSCP salt. I mixed some water than had a emergency leave to work. Water was in a 44 gal brute can for 2 weeks with just a power head pushing the water around..I just checked the alk on it and it shows me 3.7 KH.. same salivary test kit that Is showing 7.3 on my display tank. I did 3 tests and all came up the same.i never really checked the alk in my new saltwater that I mix.. Any ideas why the alk is so low in the water that was mixed 2 weeks ago

 

[oldbones]

Yeah, that's why I won't be buying another bucket of RSCP, I've had the same problem. It precips WAY too easy in my experience.

Is the bottom of your brute and the guts of your pump covered in brown crusty precip? There's your Calc and Alk!

 

[Dbondaruk]

Yeah, that's why I won't be buying another bucket of RSCP, I've had the same problem. It precips WAY too easy in my experience.

Is the bottom of your brute and the guts of your pump covered in brown crusty precip? There's your Calc and Alk!

Yup this is what it looks like

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