what would you do?

[bcjm]

After my rose anemone disappeared last week I figure I need to do something about it to my tank.  In the past two years, I have lost quite a few corals. Some corals doing fine (leather, polyp, green strip mushroom ) some are not (frogspawn, hammer, elegant, Xenia, recodia).   I can't even keep the Xenia alive for some reason. I do have one LPS (can't remember the name) that is doing very well since the begining. I also notice that the hair algae and the bubble algae have increased slowly. I like to add a DSB or grow macro algae.

 

Here are the tank specs.

2 years old 75G tank, 3" cc bed, 20G sump, ER CS6-1 skimmer, 4 small fish, 4VHO, 2 NO.  

4 small fish, no SPS, mainly LPS and soft corals.

 

I do 5-7 G water change once a week or two.  No other chemical added.  Drip kalk water once in a while.  Have not done it for a while.

 

My main questions are :

1. do you think I add to change my maintenance routine and start adding supplements?

2. how big of a DSB do I need for a 75G?  I would like to keep the main tank not disturbed, just adding a DSB (maybe in the sump).

 

Any suggestions?

Bob

[Larry Grenier]

Bob,

 

It may help to also know things like pH, Alk, Salinity, Calcium...

 

If you don't want to disturb what you have, consider minimizing the crushed coral depth in the main tank and adding a large refugium with a DSB in it.

[ridetheducati]

Larry has the right idea.

 

One thing to consider.  Your CC bed may out compete the DSB.  Your current bed will collect a lot more debris and detritus than the DSB.

 

I will echo what Larry said.

 

1. minimize or eliminate crush coral (be very careful if you decide to eliminate)

2. add a 20g long refugium with at least 4 inch DSB

[Guest snapper]

I echo as well, a large vibrant refugium stuffed with as many types of macro you can find will solve many woes.

 

I'd stay away from nebulous supplements.  Salt mix should meet the trace requirements.  

 

Like Larry said, list your parameters, pH, Alk, Ca, Mg, PO4, Nitrate, temp, and flow regime.  I assume you are using RO water for make up and water changes

 

IMO, anenomes fair better under MH lighting, but the other stuff you listed should do well onder flourescents.

[michaelg]

There is some real underlying problem here though that a fuge or a DSB may or may not help with.  Please put up all params.  Also- what are you using for source water?

How fast are you losing the corals?  Shortly after introduction?  Do they look happy then poof?

[Coral Hind]

I agree we need to know more info.  I am interested in knowing your PH and alk.  When I hear people that had problems with xenia it was always a PH problem.  With no additives to keep it up the small weekly water change would not be enough.  I favor larger monthly changes over the small weekly ones too.  After two years I bet there is alot of stuff trapped in that CC bed.  Nitrates may also be the problem.

 

I know you don't want to but if it was my tank I would do a drastic change.  I would remove everything and place it in rubbermaid tubs/buckets.  Place 4" SD sand in the tank.  Fill 1/3 of the tank with old tank water.  Scrub the algae covered rock w/ some of the old tank water and place the cleaned rocks in. Place some of the CC you removed into mesh bags or the wife's stockings.  Place them in the sump if you have one or on the bottom of the tank by the front glass.  Place the corals and others in the tank.  Fill the rest of the tank with new R/O water properly mixed.  Try to setup some kind of sump/refuge for algae/nutrient export.  After a few weeks remove the CC bags and make rocks out of the CC.  You will have an algae bloom again but in the long run it will be worth it.

 

If the Rose shows up and you need a place to put it I will take it!! :D  :D

[bcjm]

OK, here are the parameters.  All tests are done using Lamotte except ammonia and nitrite.  I don't have test kit for Mg our other trace elements.

 

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0.5 ppm

Ca, it is hard to read the color change.  I tested twice.  I think it is between 250 and 300 ppm.

Alk 100 ppm

temp 78 degree

PH 8.1

Return pump Mag 7.

[Guest snapper]

For starts, Ca is low, target at least 380 or higher, 425 -450 being good.

 

Alk is not measured in ppm, I'm not familiar with the lamotte test, maybe try another type like Salifert, etc...

 

Dumb question, have you ever used malachite green/Copper/or any other "reef safe" medical additive?

 

List all supplements you use

 

Describe feeding routine and what you feed.

 

Where are you getting your water?

[Coral Hind]

Alk can be measured in ppm.  DKH is most commonly used in the aquarium hobby but some kits use ppm or meq/l.  The conversion for the three units is:

 

1 meq/l = 2.8 dKH = 50 ppm CaCO3

 

bcjm has 100 ppm which = 2 meq/l or 5.6dkh

 

Low for my liking.

 

More ?'s

What time of the day was the PH measured?

What are the small fish?

Specific gravity?

NO4?

[pez]

NO4?  You mean NO3 or NO2?

[Coral Hind]

Pez-Good catch!  I meant PO4.

[Aquariareview]

there are some good ideas here.

Now for my opinion.

 

1: Add a 20 long with 2-4 inch Kent Bio Sediment. This stuff will stabilize you ca & alk a lot.

2:Do what prevyet recommends (empty tank clean and reset without crushed coral) however I would put 4-5 inch of southdown in the tank.

3: Load the refuge with macro (I will donate some starter stock & I am sure that a few others will jump in and help)

4: Don't be afraid of a few additives, just be careful.

5: Think about how old your bulbs are. sometimes algae increase is tied to shift in color temp.

 

A strong refuge with a load of macro will make the system a lot more stable and a lot more forgiving. I have been running DSB in the main tank and macro/mud sumps for a long time and find the combination to be almost trouble free. I will say that if you are running a tank full of SPS you may need more calc added but for what you have it should be fine.

[KABALA]

Will to chime in. I agree with Prev on the DSB swap. I also have a 75 gallon and started out with CC and after only 3 months swapped out to southdown and would never look back. It only took a large sized trash can to do everything. I took all the rock and placed it in can with about 1/4 full of water. All rock Hairalgae covered I put in a 5 g bucket headed for the washtub. then I put all corals and anything attached to rock on the top of the trash can. Captured fish last and put them in as well. They will fend for themselves when removing rock from can so no need to worry. I put in a small powerhead with the airhose attachment and a heater. I actually took out ALL the cc as I didn't want any of it to work its way to the surface over time. Replaced with sand and put everything back in. Everything os out of the tank maybe hour and a half depending on how fast you scoop the CC out.

 

Along with Prev, it would be nice to know you PO4 level as well. If you only doing water changes and not actually jamming the Python into the CC to suck out all the crap then its gotta be high. Which those nuisance algae's reeeeeally love. I remember siphoning the bottom and the whole water column of the python turning black. And that was only after 3 weeks. But Good luck

 

 

Mike