Whats wrong with this tank?

[aesop]

Hi all,

I've been lurking for a while reading everything/anything about reefs setups. But I'm without a clue as to what could possibly be wrong with my setup. Hopefully someone can help me figure out whats wrong with my tank. (if anything). I've been having a heck of a time keeping corals alive for some reason.

Ever since the initial setup the tank has been in a full cyano
bloom. The sandbed red during whenever the lights are on.

Also Soft corals never seem to survive too long, I've lost a Pearl Bubble, 2 heads from my branching octo, and looks like another branch is on its way down. Plus a few others like a GSP, and Alveopora...

Tests seem to indicate nothing is wrong. And My Coraline algae is great. All the rocks are covered with it.

Could it bee the skimmer is too weak? I do have a refugium setup with macros to pick up some of the slack.

Any Ideas?

Note: Calcium Test comming up soon.
Could it be copper? (Its an old tank)



---------------------------------------------------------
Ph : 8.4
Alk: 2.2meg/l
nit: 0
ano: 0
pho: 0
tmp: 80 +/- 2
sg : 1.0250

Setup Date: November 2000
Tank Size : 48x18x18 - 65g
Sump/Refugium : 33gallons
Live Rock : 50lbs fiji
Dead Rock : 30lbs
Live Sand : 15lbs
Dead Sand : 130lbs Southdown
Water : Spectrapure RO/DI 60gpd
Salt : Instant Ocean

Lighting :
PFO MH 400w 6500k 1:30am - 8:00pm
Actinic 30w 8:30am - 10:00pm
Protein Skimmer:
Red Sea Prizm
Circulation :
SEN900 - from sump
2 x Maxijet 1200

Invertabrates :
1 x Blue Linkia
1 x Brittle Star
20 Snails
Fish :
1 x Marron Clown
1 x Yellow Tang Zebrasoma_flavensence
1 x Regal Tang (1.5") _Pygoplities_diacanthus_
1 x Scooter blennie
1 x Algae Blenny
1 x Bangai Cardinal
Corals :
Branching Octobuble (suffering )
Hairy Mushrooms
Red Mushrooms
Polyps
Xenia (suffering )
Green Carpet Anenome

 

[ZenDogg]

"PFO MH 400w 6500k 1:30am - 8:00pm"


That's a long photo-cycle. Most people I know only keep their MH's on for 12 hours max.


Also, you mention the addition of Dead Rock. What kind of rock did you use for this?

 

[danmhippo]

Alk is low. You need to get it up to at least 4, and test for your Ca and Magnisium. How high is your Nitrate?

You mentioned you have 2 maxijet 1200's. Your tank is 4 feet long (same as mine). My maxijet looses its strength about 2-3 feets from the nozzle. I typically use up to 4 Maxijets to keep my inhabitants happy. Many softies require moderate to strong current to help rid itself of wastes. Without the current, your softies may verywell die in matter of days.

Also, (some may disagree with me on this) have you ever dosed Iodine?

 

[aesop]

Oops .. thats suppose to read 1:30pm - > 8:00pm..

Dead rock = base rock..

 

[2poor2reef]

Photo period is too short. Alk is too low. Calcium is likely too low. May be feeding too much. Water movement is too low. Stocking is a little heavy. Lack of clean-up crew or maybe you just didn't mention them. Those are the areas I would look at.

 

[dbman]

Low alkalinity + cyano bloom = massive pH swings among other things - have you tried taking pH tests in the early morning right when the lights come on and take another right before the lights go off? You may find some significant fluctuation which could make life difficult for anything alive in the tank. Probably wouldn't hurt to run some sort of copper removal filter for awhile too just in case some leached into your tank.

 

[aesop]

Ack,

I thought 2.2 was fine for alk.
As for a clean up crew, I find that if I add anymore snails they just end up dieing. Its been fairly stable with the current 20 or so snails in there.

Any one have any suggestions as to the photoperiod?. I'll be likely added a 2x40w NO to the mix this weekend or a VHO if I can find a ballast for it.

I've tested over the post 4 months or so and the PH has been fairly stable no matter what time of day I test.

I thought I had too much flow before, so I removed a few Powerheads. The two 1200's and the Sen900 Pretty much whips everything around...

 

[TampaReefer]

DUDE - your alk IS way too low. Start by getting up to around 4.

 

[TampaReefer]

Also-about an hour before your photoperiod BEGINS. What is your pH then?

 

[aesop]

HOLY #$%!@%&* !!!

Just got the calcium test. I think the results kicked my butt.

It was way too low.. 160 according to the salifert.

I've started with a 2 part b-ionic since dripping kalk seems a little too random.

Feel a little.. No make that alot like an idiot.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

Alkalinity and calcium are way way way way way way way way too low try adding seachem's reef carbonate and reef complete to raise both of them but do not add them at the same time Alternate days is best but they can be added on the same day if you allow enough time to elapse between doses.
Your corals are dying because they do not have the calcium and carbonate they need to grow and survive. They are depleting it from your tank at a much faster rate than you are adding it either through supplements or water changes
What is your buffering capacity reading ?
_________________
how to make hash

 

[95galReef]

Are you shure you reading the calcium test right? That seems way too low. Most of the corals you have don't require much calcium at all (if any). What is your nitrate level? A very high nitrate level will deplete your alk to that level. And calcium is not causing your cyano bloom.

NITRATE NITRATE NITRATE!!!

 

[aesop]

I did a second test for calcium just to make sure. Since I couldn't believe the reading. First one was 170, and the second was 160.

nit: 0
Is actually for nitrate. I didnt' bother with a nitrite test since didn't think It was warranted.

Tested PH right after the lights went out. and it was 8.4 and tested it this morning before I left the house (Before the lights went on). It was 8.4 also.

I've switch to dosing the 2-parter; and also am dripping reefbuilder (to raise the alk, and act as a buffer). Would that hinder my efforts to raise Calcium If i dripped it?
Or Should i do them on alternating days?

All the advice is much appreciated;

PS: About the iodine, I dose a teaspoon every otherweek. Since I don't have a test kit for it, I'm a little too weary of adding it..

 

[Ben1]

I agree w/ 95galreef, cyno is caused by phosphates, if you have cyno you have phosphates and a biuld up of DOC. The best solution is a large water change, say 40-50% and then drip kalk to replace ALL top off. Reef biulder isnt that great.

Most test kits such, try Lamotte or Hach kits instead. Test for Phosphates and Nitrates using new kits.

Also 95galreef is right your corals dont reqiure high calcium levels. Id suspect other problems along with the low alk. If your Alk is that low there is now buffering capacity so your Ph has got to have a big swing. HTH

 

[TampaReefer]

I have had Cyano with PO=0

 

[danmhippo]

If you test for PO4 after you discovered you have cyno problem, its very likely you will get "0" reading, as the available PO4 is rapidly used up.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I did not read any mention of water change. I know that many people have long-term success without water change. I never have long-term success with no water change. Usually my tank does great for about 1 year then if I don't do water change, things just go down hill from there. So now I do water change every two to four months about 33-50% water change. My clams and corals always put on a spur of growth after every water change. I feed my tank a lot. I believe that there is slow built up of some toxin in my tank. Water change fixes this problem

If you have not do any water change for sometime, I would change about 50% of the water every week for two or three times. If you use RO/DI water to mix the salt, this should fix the problem.

 

[SPC]

Minh, if your clams and corals always put on a spurt of growth after your water changes, would't it make more sense to do more water changes?
Steve

 

[lionfish1]

I have not changed the water in 1 year and everything is doing great, I did a small one some time ago and everything spazed out for a short time then went back to normal, cya.

 

[aesop]

Spent more hours then I wanted to this weekend on the tank, But here is what I came up with.


I tested the make-up (I change the water about every month so far ever since I've started). And there was No Phosphate. Also the calcium was 360, and Alk was miserable; (IO salt) is this normal? I raised the alk to about 3.4 before I did a 60% water change.

Photoperiod from the MH is now 1pm-9pm.

Siphoned all the cyano from the sandbed out. Did a phospate test on the siphoned water after stiring it up, and got a 0 Reading.

I think the test kit might be bad? (Its a salifert)

Calcium is a little low still but slowly rising. Alk is Also around 3.6 right now.
After the water change the calcium level was at 200. Seems to have dropped quite a bit in the time I tested it in the garbage can, and after it was put into the tank.

I'm running a polyfilter, and after 10hrs, its still white. So It "doesn't" look like copper is in the system.

Other then the alk/calcium; I cant' seem to find any other cause for this.