My Tank Need's Help

KisselDanny · 07/13/2009, 11:13 PM

Hi, Ive had a 75 gallon reef tank with a 40 gallon sump (90-100 gallons of water) for about a year now. I cannot seem to get things to go smoothly, and im wondering if anyone can help. First of all I use RO/DI water (TDS 0) and coralife salt. I have a Remora Pro protien skimmer, Ive hooked up a turf algae scubber, I do a 30 gallon water change about every week and a half, I have cheato in my refuguim, 100+ lbs. live rock, and I run carbon and purigen constently. I have 7 fish. 2 small clown fish, 2 small damsels, 1 powder brown, 1 bicolor blenny, and 1 yellow watchmen goby. My CUC consists of 1 huge sand sifting cucumber, 1 brittle star, 1 linkia star, 3 turbo snails, 10+ cerith snails, and 10+ hermits. These are my tank perimeters with salifert test kits. S.G 1.026, Ph 8.2, KH 14, Nitrate 40-50, Calcium 540, Magnesium 1200, Phosphate 0, Temp 82. these are my problems. I cant get my nitrate to fall. I only feed my tang every other day. I stopped feeding my other fish and my corals to keep my nitrates from rising even higher. Ive tried doing huge water changes and my nitrate will come right back. Also I do not dose any kind of calcium, whys it so high? I did dose Reef Buider to bring my KH up. It was at 8 and I was trying to get the water balanced. I havent really dosed anything for magnesium. I figure I have bigger problems. My Soft corals thrive and my LPS corals have been having problems. Is this just from the nitrate? Also Ive had a bubble tip anemone for about 6 months and the past couple of weeks its had a huge "bubble" possibly its mouth poking out of the middle of it. Im guessing this isnt good? Can anyone tell me whats going on?

BurntOutReefer · 07/13/2009, 11:21 PM

how often water changes? and what %

Michael · 07/13/2009, 11:22 PM

your params are indeed out of sync, basically your mag is low and calcium and alk high, id stop dosing for alk immediately and allow it to fall naturally, not sure what the coralife salt mag levels are like but you may have to dose mag flake to get the mag to the proper level and then leave the alk and calcium well alone, are you 100% sure your ro-di filters are ok? do they need replacing? have you got a decent tds meter? its possible they are spent and need changing. what sand bed have you got? is it very shallow or very deep? perhaps the algae scrubber isnt fitted properly as well and so it isnt efficient? overall it sounds like a small problem with params and possibly your fudge isnt working yet.

BurntOutReefer · 07/13/2009, 11:23 PM

and yes...thats way too high for sps IMO...."Nitrate 40-50",

KisselDanny · 07/14/2009, 12:20 AM

I have about a 2 inch sand bed in my refugium and 2-3 inches in the D.T. The Algae scrubber has been set up for a couple months now and I scrape a thick mat of algae off 1 side every week

Flipper62 · 07/14/2009, 01:02 AM

How often do you change out the Carbon ?

Carbon works great....BUT if its not changed out every 2 to 3 weeks it starts to become a Nitrate trap. After that it starts to leach back into the tank.

Here is a link to all of the salts & their levels of sups, Thanks to BillyBeau

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1287118

07/13/2009, 11:13 PM	#1
KisselDanny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St.Charles, MO Posts: 67	My Tank Need's Help Hi, Ive had a 75 gallon reef tank with a 40 gallon sump (90-100 gallons of water) for about a year now. I cannot seem to get things to go smoothly, and im wondering if anyone can help. First of all I use RO/DI water (TDS 0) and coralife salt. I have a Remora Pro protien skimmer, Ive hooked up a turf algae scubber, I do a 30 gallon water change about every week and a half, I have cheato in my refuguim, 100+ lbs. live rock, and I run carbon and purigen constently. I have 7 fish. 2 small clown fish, 2 small damsels, 1 powder brown, 1 bicolor blenny, and 1 yellow watchmen goby. My CUC consists of 1 huge sand sifting cucumber, 1 brittle star, 1 linkia star, 3 turbo snails, 10+ cerith snails, and 10+ hermits. These are my tank perimeters with salifert test kits. S.G 1.026, Ph 8.2, KH 14, Nitrate 40-50, Calcium 540, Magnesium 1200, Phosphate 0, Temp 82. these are my problems. I cant get my nitrate to fall. I only feed my tang every other day. I stopped feeding my other fish and my corals to keep my nitrates from rising even higher. Ive tried doing huge water changes and my nitrate will come right back. Also I do not dose any kind of calcium, whys it so high? I did dose Reef Buider to bring my KH up. It was at 8 and I was trying to get the water balanced. I havent really dosed anything for magnesium. I figure I have bigger problems. My Soft corals thrive and my LPS corals have been having problems. Is this just from the nitrate? Also Ive had a bubble tip anemone for about 6 months and the past couple of weeks its had a huge "bubble" possibly its mouth poking out of the middle of it. Im guessing this isnt good? Can anyone tell me whats going on?

07/13/2009, 11:22 PM	#3
Michael NTTH Rookie Help Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gloucester, England,UK Posts: 7,808 Blog Entries: 6	your params are indeed out of sync, basically your mag is low and calcium and alk high, id stop dosing for alk immediately and allow it to fall naturally, not sure what the coralife salt mag levels are like but you may have to dose mag flake to get the mag to the proper level and then leave the alk and calcium well alone, are you 100% sure your ro-di filters are ok? do they need replacing? have you got a decent tds meter? its possible they are spent and need changing. what sand bed have you got? is it very shallow or very deep? perhaps the algae scrubber isnt fitted properly as well and so it isnt efficient? overall it sounds like a small problem with params and possibly your fudge isnt working yet. __________________ Don't be afraid to ask questions, we in the new to the hobby are here to help you [For My Tank Spec,Photo Album,Articles and website, click on my name] MY Very Kindest and Warmest Regards , MIKE Current Tank Info: I have a 92 gal Corner Tank, and way too many pieces of equipment to list really, (proud member of the reef central corner club)

07/14/2009, 01:02 AM	#6
Flipper62 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Naperville, Il. Business Owner, President & CEO Posts: 3,045	How often do you change out the Carbon ? Carbon works great....BUT if its not changed out every 2 to 3 weeks it starts to become a Nitrate trap. After that it starts to leach back into the tank. Here is a link to all of the salts & their levels of sups, Thanks to BillyBeau http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1287118 __________________ If todays automobile had followed the same development as the computer, A Rolls Royce would cost $100.00. It would get a million miles per gallon, but it would explode once a year killing everyone inside." Current Tanks... 90 gal Reef... My awesome Office BioCube....( 180 was on hold ..no time ) ... The 180 gal has been sold...Yay..yay..yay. Hobby Experience: 19 years Reef...22 years FW

07/13/2009, 11:21 PM	#2
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	how often water changes? and what %

07/13/2009, 11:23 PM	#4
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	and yes...thats way too high for sps IMO...."Nitrate 40-50",

07/14/2009, 12:20 AM	#5
KisselDanny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St.Charles, MO Posts: 67	I have about a 2 inch sand bed in my refugium and 2-3 inches in the D.T. The Algae scrubber has been set up for a couple months now and I scrape a thick mat of algae off 1 side every week