6 Month Old Reef Tank

[jharding08]

This is my 6 month old reef tank. It is actually a reconstruction after we moved to our new place. The live rock was put in rubbermaid trash cans with heat and powerheads while the tank was moved and reassembled. The sand is new. It is pink Oolite if you can see it through the algae covering it.



I am having issues lately with the tank. I have had the brown algae (diatoms? cyano?) on the rocks and sand bed since it has been set up. I do weekly water changes that include turkey basting the rocks, then siphoning the sand bed when removing the water. The sand and rocks look clean until the next weekend when it is time for another water change.

Believing the algae outbreak is due to high phosphates and silicates, I put about 1/4 of a TLF150 reactor of GFO online. Before this, the phosphates were at .30, but the corals all looked healthy. As soon as I put the GFO online (granted I didnt rinse the GFO well), the corals started to go south.

My Green Slimer, which had been growing well and was a vibrant green, started to RTN from the base and is now gone.


My torch and hammer corals have receded their polyp extension



The torch is now gone and the hammer is barely extending, with some heads dying.

My undata has lost its green color and polyps, but still looks alive.

My red and green monti caps are still colorful and show polyps.

I am having alot of invertebrate die off too. Mostly trochus and nassarius snails, but also my longtime cleaner shrimp, serpent star and some hermits have died. I have empty shells everywhere.

I tested my water on Wednesday and I show 0 nitrate (Salifert) and 0 phosphate (Hanna) now. They have been undetectable for the past 2-3 weeks. My CA and MG were low so adjustments were made on the dosers.

Last week I put a bigger pump online to get more flow through the tank and sump. I have two Tunze 6105 pumps facing forward on a random pattern. Should I put them on the side facing each other?

With low nutrients, what could be causing my corals to suffer? I feed 1/2 mysis cube and 1/2 spirulina cube twice a day to a sailfin tang, foxface, flame angel, misbar clown, 2 sunset anthias and 2 blue green chromis. I dissolve the cubes in RODI, then pour into a fish net, then feed from the fish net. The fish are all fine. They also get a 2"x4" piece of seaweed on Monday and Friday. They used to get it on Wed also, but I wanted to see if they would pick the algae off of the rocks when hungry.

Maintenance Schedule:

Weekly -

Sat or Sun -
-Turkey baste rocks, clean glass
-10% water change, siphon sand bed. Red Sea Coral Pro (just switched from Brightwell Neomarine). RSCP salt instructions are to mix for no more than 3 hours then use.
-change out 3 filter socks, clean skimmer cup, check GFO tumble

Wed -
-Test water - CA (salifert), ALK (Hanna), MG (salifert), NO3 (salifert), PO4(hanna), Salinity (milwakee digital)
-change three filter socks
-change out 3 filter socks, clean skimmer cup, check GFO tumble

Monthly -
-Change out GFO (will rinse on water change from now on)

As Needed - refill ATO reservoir, blast algae off corals, save upside-down snails, etc.


Last Water Test (Wed 6/18 6:00 PM)
Temp - 79.0 (Apex controls between 78-79)
PH - 8.3 (Range is 7.95-8.35 daily)
SG - 1.206
CA - 395
Alk - 7.73
MG - 1215
NO3 - 0.0
PO4 - 0.0

What could be causing my coral degredation and invert die off? Should I test for copper? Maybe put some GAC online?

I am patient now that I have my nutrients in check, are they too low for what I am feeding? I dont care if I lose more corals, if I can wait out the algae bloom that has been with me since January. I'd rather have a healthy tank before any new additions are added.

Thank you for your help

[Dmorty217]

What are you using to test PO4? It is Cyanobacteria , plenty of threads about it on here. Lights out for 3 days will kill it all off, your skimmer will go crazy. It will keep returning until you find the root of the problem.

[sharkboy99999]

Get a sand shifter and sand fixed like that

[Stolireef]

This is a very common problem and one that will most likely go away with time. Right now, your tank is still very young and there is clearly an imbalance in your nutrients. Your phosphates and nitrates likely read 0 because the cyano is taking it out of the water column before it can show up on the tests. Over time, and with good water husbandry, the beneficial bacteria in the tank will outcompete the cyano and it will go away. You might want to consider lightening up your bioload for a little while and reducing feeding to smaller amounts. Tang and Foxface both eat quite a bit and thus add much more nutrients to the water than your other fish.

I'd also yank the GFO and let the tank find it's balance.

[jharding08]

Originally Posted by Stolireef

This is a very common problem and one that will most likely go away with time. Right now, your tank is still very young and there is clearly an imbalance in your nutrients. Your phosphates and nitrates likely read 0 because the cyano is taking it out of the water column before it can show up on the tests. Over time, and with good water husbandry, the beneficial bacteria in the tank will outcompete the cyano and it will go away. You might want to consider lightening up your bioload for a little while and reducing feeding to smaller amounts. Tang and Foxface both eat quite a bit and thus add much more nutrients to the water than your other fish.

I'd also yank the GFO and let the tank find it's balance.

How much should I lighten up? I currently do 1/2 cube mysis and 1/2 cube spirulina with seaweed Mon and Friday.

If I take the GFO offiline, will the beneficial bacteria grow faster because of more nutrients?

Can you explain at a bacterial level, what happened when I put the GFO online?

[Jetlinkin]

I see you stated that you did not rinse the GFO when you first put it online. Did you run the output of the GFO into a bucket when you first turned it on? When ever I first start my reactor with fresh GFO, I run it into a waste bucket until the water runs clear. No matter how well I wash it, I would always get some fines out at first. The water will be a dark rust color and this is metal dust. You do not want that in you tank.

[Stolireef]

Originally Posted by jharding08

How much should I lighten up? I currently do 1/2 cube mysis and 1/2 cube spirulina with seaweed Mon and Friday.

If I take the GFO offiline, will the beneficial bacteria grow faster because of more nutrients?

Can you explain at a bacterial level, what happened when I put the GFO online?

I wish I could give you a truly conclusive answer but there isn't one. The GFO is designed to remove nutrients from your tank. Taking it off line will likely increase your nutrients and thus increase your bacterial population. The hope is that the bacterial population, over time, does a better job of removing the nutrients than the GFO and thus outcompetes your cyano. IMO, and that's really all it is, GFO simply extends the time it takes for a newer tank to find the proper balance. Others with heartily disagree which is why the hobby is so interesting.

[acabgd]

Originally Posted by stolireef

this is a very common problem and one that will most likely go away with time. Right now, your tank is still very young and there is clearly an imbalance in your nutrients.

I'd also yank the gfo and let the tank find it's balance.

+1

[ryansc]

i was having similar issues with my tank when it was about as new as yours.

I had added GFO/carbon reactor to help control phosphates. In a week or two things started going south. I took the GFO and carbon offline and didn't touch the tank for a month and let it balance itself back out. it has taken roughly 4 months for the tank to get back into shape.

So yes, +1 to taking the GFO offline

Also, all your numbers seem really off. Especially the SG of 1.206, unless thats 1.026. Your calcium and magnesium are below whats recommended. Try getting them to 450/1350 and slowly raise your ALK to 8/8.5 and see if that helps, I reckon it should.

On a side, what salt mix are you using?

[jharding08]

Originally Posted by ryansc

On a side, what salt mix are you using?

Just switched to Red Sea Coral Pro salt. Was using Brightwell Neomarine. I am going to test the CA/Alk/Mg on the fresh batch of Coral Pro to see if the level are what they say they are.

For not rinsing the GFO, Is there any way to remove the dust/fines that get into the tank, or is it just regular water changes?

[Stolireef]

AFAIK they won't hurt anything.

[Jetlinkin]

Originally Posted by jharding08

For not rinsing the GFO, Is there any way to remove the dust/fines that get into the tank, or is it just regular water changes?

When ever I change out my GFO, I run the output hose into a waste bucket until the water runs clear. I never get more than 1/2 gallon before it runs clear.

[jharding08]

I turned off the GFO and did a 10% water change. I turkey basted the rocks, then siphoned the sand and got a ton of detritus out. I'll keep the GFO offline and will continue with scheduled maintenance and water testing.

[dustinmccrary]

You did a really nice job of aquascaping your tank. I like the look.