Sell it, or tough it out with some losses??????

[amay121]

I'm not selling anything yet, hence the reason why I'm not putting this up on the Sale Forum, but I'm feeling extremely bad right now about my livestock and my water quality. Trust me, it isn't neglect, my wife can vouch for that.

 

Anyways,

 

I have a few frags and 4 colonies that I may put up for sale.

 

Frags:

1 Orange Cap - From Dan L. (GSA)

1 Orange Cap w/ pink polyps

1 Green Pocillipora

1 Pink Pocillipora

2 Birdsnest Frags (on one piece of LR rubble)

1 Purple Digi

1 Green Millepora

1 Brown with orange center zoas

1 Lime Green zoa

 

Colonies:

1 Mini basketball size Bali Green Slimer

1 Orange Digi

1 Unknown acro from Mr. Coral (Tan with lime green polyps)

1 Purple Pocillipora

 

Livestock:

1 Scribbled Rabbitfish (eats like a champ)

1 S. Haddoni (Carpet Anemone)

 

 

Right now I'm battling GHA, Cyano, and bubble all at the same time and I'm thinking maybe I should just take my time and finish with this before subjecting any livestock to these issues. Also, I was a little neglectful and didn't put the fish barrier on one MJ1200 and found my LMB stuck inside and I'm not sure he's gonna make it.

 

I'm looking to purchase a TLF phos-ban reactor soon and run Phos-ban on it, but that won't get in until Friday with the BZA GB I hope. Doesn't seem like my fish are suffering one bit, but I feel bad for the corals.

 

What's everyone's opinion? Stick with it or should I do the right thing and sell the corals and once the tank is truly ready, then start up with the corals again?

 

Parameters:

PH - 8.4

Temp 79-83 (Thinking that the high temp may be my biggest issue)

Nitrite - 0

Ammonia - 0

Nitrate - 0

Phosphate - .015

Alk - 7dkh

Calc - 430

 

Opinions?

Edited June 2, 2008 by amay121

[treesprite]

Stick with it, Guy. Maybe someone could hold your corals while you get things back under control?

[gmubeach]

Well this is a question all reefers have to ask themselves... My vote is downgrade to softies:) you can always upgrade again later... I litteraly take my rock out of the tank and scrub off the macro monthly ...

 

I got a some type of macro in on a piece of live rock and its like codzu!

 

Try and analyze the problem as it arrises whats causing what and how do we solve it ...

 

on the plus you can always trade down to zoos or mushrooms... and lps they tolerate diffrent things then sps...

 

I'm by no means an example, but I didn't have a protein skimmer for years.... and they survived ...

 

83 is higher then you want, I try and stay under 82 degrees at all costs... my chiller is set to 80... so your not that far off.. My biggest problem with trying to keep sps was the constant changes in water chemestry... the more constant the better... as for the lps and softies I keep them and clams quite healthy in my nano:)

 

Anyway Keep at it its a challange, but very rewarding once you get it down. How is your protien skimmer working?

[lanman]

Agree on the temperature - at 82 my lights are programmed to shut off. I am planning to buy a chiller before long - and will then shift my whole temperature plan to 78-80.

 

I had the WORST case of green hair algae in my 45. I switched everything into a 58 - and I've never had that problem (although lately I get cyano on one of my frag racks...) who knows what the difference is.

 

Just make sure you get good flow throughout - try to keep things clean - whatever you can do. Shorten light cycle?? Work at it a little every day - you have good parameters - eventually the bad stuff will starve to death.

 

bob

[gmubeach]

If the cyno gets really bad you can use a standard aqurium air tubing and start flow and scrap it like a vacuum and that will atleast get rid of some of it... I had it for about 3 months and it went away havn't had it bad since...

[Grav]

You have a nitrate production issue. Your filters are not keeping up with the amount of food you are adding to the tank. You are getting low #s on nitrates because the HA and Cyano are soaking it up before it can be tested.

 

Increase filtration, skimmers and fuge are the best ways to do that IMHO and decrease food and light.

 

You alk is too low. HA and Cyano both seem to do better in low ALK tanks.

 

 

Good luck

[scott711]

How old is the tank? How often do you do water changes?

Edited June 2, 2008 by scott711

[steveoutlaw]

Worst case scenario - let someone hold your livestock for you until you get the problem figured out. There are quite a few people here with large tanks that can give it a temporary home.

 

Don't get out........take it from someone who has said they are getting out many times.......you'll miss it.

[amay121]

Thanks everyone.

 

Steve,

And I'm not getting out. Just want to do the responsible thing until the tank is stabilized. Only person that I can think of really close by with a good size tank is "Eve".

 

Grav,

Redesigning the sump. Think I had too much flow through the fuge and never gave the fuge a chance to absorb anything.

 

Return <- Fuge <- In

 

Will transfer to

Fuge -> Return <- In

 

lanman,

I was thinking on shortening the light cycle. I have it on for 10 hours, thinking maybe just 8.

 

Scott711,

Not too old, 3 months. Hence the wanting to do the responsible thing and stabilizing first before getting corals.

Edited June 2, 2008 by amay121

[scott711]

3 months is very young. That could be the reason your having problems with HA and Cyno. Do more water changes and increase filtration/water movement.

[amay121]

Water changes are 10 gallons every 3 or 4 days. Not expecting this to be an overnight fix. Point was to get opinions on whether I should move out the corals and be responsible for the SPS corals, get the right parameters.. and then when I'm ready, start back up, or just deal with the issue knowing that I may lose a few things. :(

 

I'm sure someone will ask on equipment:

1) GSA Shorty

2) Mag 9.5 Return

3) 2 x K4, 1 MJ1200

4) Tek T5 6 bulb.

 

Things that'll start up either this week or next week.

2x MJ1200 SF mod

TLF Phosban Reactor

Edited June 2, 2008 by amay121

[magnetic1]

Guy,

 

If you want to borrow a PhosBan reactor in the time being give me a call. I have one Im not using.

[amay121]

Thanks Eric,

 

LMK if you're available today.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Well this is a question all reefers have to ask themselves... My vote is downgrade to softies:) .

 

Some of us would consider that an upgrade sir!

[amay121]

Toothdecay,

 

You know what he means. Easier to keep softies first. Softies are not a downgrade or upgrade, just a different group of corals that require different demands. So I don't see it as a downgrade or upgrade, just a different approach.

[mogurnda]

That is a very young tank, and the chemistry is going to take a while to settle down.

 

I have gone through some ugly hair algae blooms over the years, and have read endless advice about them. Phosban may work (didn

[ctenophore]

How big is your tank? 10 gal every 3 to 4 days is good for a 30 gal. If you have something like a 90 (my guess for that equipment you mentioned) I'd do 30-50% water changes every week.

 

Add some blueleg or scarlet hermits for the hair algae, and some cerith snails for the cyano.

 

Don't slow down on the feeding. You want to establish good microfauna populations. Slowing the food will make that take longer. In fact you might even increase feeding assuming you add the herbivores and do the water change schedule above. Don't add any fish that will eat little critters.

 

Increase flow, the 2x MJ1200 mods plus 2x korallias should be good for a 90 gal tank.

 

I'd put carbon in that phosban reactor rather than PO4 media. You don't have high enough phosphate levels to need it.

 

What corals or other animals are not doing well?

[dschflier]

From my experience one of the most effective and least expensive ways of getting the tank in the condition you are looking for is to increase the amount of water changes. It looks like you do descent amount of water changes but I would still double it. I think doing that and skimming more will show you the biggest improvments.

 

I know cost can become an issue but I have noticed adding a Kalk reactor, which binds Phosphates made a huge difference for me.

 

Last I would suggest when using your media reactor to keep flow rate through the reactor slow. I am currently testing on my system cutting my flow rate in half and increasing the amount of media approximatly 30%. I think this should almost double the life of the media and make it more effective and more cost effective. In about 2 months I should have more specific numbers. Currently I have a large GSA reactor working on a system of 6000 gallons and went from a mag18 to a mag9 and feel this works better. Carbon and Phosphate removal media work better with more contact time.

 

I agree with Justin about focusing a bit more on carbon at first and see how that works. If you need the Phosphate removal media then add that down the road. Carbon will not remove Phosphates dissolved in the water column but will remove organic phosphates.

Just my 2 cents

Edited June 2, 2008 by dschflier

[amay121]

Actually, funny thing is, the only corals hurting are the SPS's. Fish are doing great. Blue leg hermits are always in a battle royal and I've lost a few. I have around 15-20 astrea snails. 2 ocellaris clowns, 1 six-line in addition to the LMB and Scribbled Rabbitfish.

 

Feedings are very light and only every other day, with Nori to supplement for the pig rabbitfish and LMB.

 

My acans are growing nicely. One that started with 7 heads now has 9 heads, and one with just 1 head now has 3. Zoas, don't seem to be expanding, but look better than in my BC8.

 

Yes, all this is in a 90g.

Edited June 2, 2008 by amay121

[magnetic1]

Im here now Guy, might be going out for the afternoon but will be back later tonight also.

 

You will need something to feed the reactor though. I dont have any spare pumps here :(

Edited June 2, 2008 by magnetic1

[amay121]

I'll come by during lunch then if it isn't too much of a problem. That way I can go and pick up some carbon and salt.

[magnetic1]

I'll come by during lunch then if it isn't too much of a problem. That way I can go and pick up some carbon and salt.

 

Sure thing. You still got my #?

[steveoutlaw]

Go for the mexican red leg hermits. They are a lot less aggressive but still do wonders as a clean up crew. I have a 90g and I have about 100 hermits and 100 snails.

 

Good luck.

[amay121]

Yeah, I still have your #. No worries.

[ctenophore]

I know it's counterintuitive, but you should consider some broad spectrum coral/fish food, either a frozen mix like what's made at the fish food parties, or some dry stuff like golden perls, coral frenzy, dried rotifers, etc. This will keep your sps healthier, and help the microfauna populations. Add some once per day, after lights out. Turn off the skimmer for an hour or so.

 

The six-line is your worst enemy right now, unfortunately. He's eating all your copepods etc.

 

If you do big water changes, you won't have to focus on water chemistry much. The carbon will help pull out the algae metabolites (yellowing compounds) that get released when the algae is digested by rabbitfish/hermits/amphipods. Alkalinity should fall into place since you probably don't have enough demand above weekly 50% changes. If you have a magnesium kit, you might check that and ensure your new seawater has proper magnesium levels (what salt brand?) That will help coralline algae outcompete the other types.