About to call it quits!

[mannyo_09]

I’ve had a JBJ AIO running for about a year now and I honestly have no clue what could be causing any Coral I put in there to die off within a few weeks. With the exception of my green star polyps, 3 Zoas and a Kenya tree that grows like a weed. I have about 6 blastos that are almost gone an have completely receded. I do a 20% water change once a month (started doing this about 2 months ago) since I test my water weekly and there is no significant drop in ALK, Magnesium or Calcium. Also, acclimate all my corals for about an hour and I dip them in Coral rx before introducing them into the tank

All the fish are perfectly fine and none show any signs of stress and all are very active and eat with no problem. I currently have 2 clowns, 1 blue damsel, 1 six line, 1 yellow tang, 1 flame angel and 1 lawnmower Blenny which I feed once every other day.

Tank parameters as of last week are:
Ammonia : 0 (API test kit)
Nitrite : 0 (API test kit)
Nitrate : 0 (API test kit)
Alkalinity : 8.6 (Hanna Checker)
Calcium : 480 (Hanna Checker)
Phosphate : 0 (Hanna Checker)
Magnesium : 1360ppm (Red Sea test kit)


I have a hydra 26 about 10 inches off the surface running the ai prime AB+ schedule reviewed by BRS. Running for 9 hours a day with a 2 hour ramp up.

I have 2 hydor Koralia 750 on either side of the tank controlled with the hydor smart wave controller. The pumps alternate every 30 minutes.

Any help of input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this.


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[scuzy]

Where do you get your water? Is it rodi? Have you tested for chloramine?


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[mannyo_09]

I get all my water from a local fish store. (Strictly Fish) they use natural sea water. I haven’t mixed my own water because this is simply easier and I don’t have to do any additional dosing. And I also get rodi water from them to top off.


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[joesig]

Do more frequent water changes like once a week and from a store that mixes its own water see if that helps. Post some pics and make sure no magnets have rusted out.


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[Bill_Moorman]

Maybe get your phosphates up to detectable numbers. Corals are like plants. They need nutrients. You are showing 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates which are two of the most important sources of nutrients.


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[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by joesig

Do more frequent water changes like once a week and from a store that mixes its own water see if that helps. Post some pics and make sure no magnets have rusted out.


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I’ll ask around other LFS stores to see how they get their salt water and try that. If it’s mixed saltwater I would have to dose a 2 part for calcium and other nutrients and magnesium right? Or the salt mix would have all these elements?


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[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by Bill_Moorman

Maybe get your phosphates up to detectable numbers. Corals are like plants. They need nutrients. You are showing 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates which are two of the most important sources of nutrients.


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It’s weird because they have never been at 0. With the ULR phosphorus Checker my readings have normally been between 5-8ppm. I also forgot to mention I dose 3ml of Red Sea reef energy once a week for added trace elements.


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[joesig]

Originally Posted by mannyo_09

It’s weird because they have never been at 0. With the ULR phosphorus Checker my readings have normally been between 5-8ppm. I also forgot to mention I dose 3ml of Red Sea reef energy once a week for added trace elements.


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Its such a small water volume you shouldn’t need to dose anything. You have no sps in there? No clams? Just keep your tank a little dirty keep things stable dont mess with it too much when i had my little tank all it took was weekly water changes.


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[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by mannyo_09

I’ll ask around other LFS stores to see how they get their salt water and try that. If it’s mixed saltwater I would have to dose a 2 part for calcium and other nutrients and magnesium right? Or the salt mix would have all these elements?


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I dont think you would have to dose. The water changes would replace those elements for you. You dont have anything in your tank that will deplete these things quickly. I just do a 10% water change weekly, but will start dosing if/when I start seeing depletion.

I would start to question whether your Flame Angel is partly to blame. They won't typically touch GSP, or softies, but blastos could definitely be on the menu. It is always a risk when keeping ANY angel in a reef tank.

[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by joesig

Its such a small water volume you shouldn’t need to dose anything. You have no sps in there? No clams? Just keep your tank a little dirty keep things stable dont mess with it too much when i had my little tank all it took was weekly water changes.


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No sps or clams. Would love to have sps down the line. But I’d just be throwing money way knowing it would die. I’ll go back to weekly water changes, that was normally routine. I would change 5 gallons a week but went to a monthly water change because that’s my LFS does on all their tanks and seemed it would be fine as my stock pile really wasn’t consuming large amounts of elements from the time I changed the water to the next month


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[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by lpsouth1978

I dont think you would have to dose. The water changes would replace those elements for you. You dont have anything in your tank that will deplete these things quickly. I just do a 10% water change weekly, but will start dosing if/when I start seeing depletion.



I would start to question whether your Flame Angel is partly to blame. They won't typically touch GSP, or softies, but blastos could definitely be on the menu. It is always a risk when keeping ANY angel in a reef tank.

I’ve really never noticed it picking at corals, and they don’t look like they have parts missing, just receding.


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[Anemone]

Originally Posted by Bill_Moorman

Maybe get your phosphates up to detectable numbers. Corals are like plants. They need nutrients. You are showing 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates which are two of the most important sources of nutrients.

This, very much so.

Kevin

[joesig]

Most of the time stores never really the best place to get info. Dont try to replicate somebody else’s routine especially a store with huge water turn over always taking out with fish and every coral sale they are constantly adding they dont really have to do alot of water changes. Just find what works for your set up dont stress about numbers so much just watch your stuff your tank will tell you if its good or not. And def keep an eye on the angel i watch my fox all the time. I suspect he likes blastos but never caught him. And i was having alk problems but thats all dialed in now.
Most importantly is CONSISTENCY good luck dont give up and smaller tanks ted to be more maintenance and less room for error so go slow and patient you will get there.


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[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by joesig

Most of the time stores never really the best place to get info. Dont try to replicate somebody else’s routine especially a store with huge water turn over always taking out with fish and every coral sale they are constantly adding they dont really have to do alot of water changes. Just find what works for your set up dont stress about numbers so much just watch your stuff your tank will tell you if its good or not. And def keep an eye on the angel i watch my fox all the time. I suspect he likes blastos but never caught him. And i was having alk problems but thats all dialed in now.
Most importantly is CONSISTENCY good luck dont give up and smaller tanks ted to be more maintenance and less room for error so go slow and patient you will get there.


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Thank you! I really appreciate it! For a while I was thinking of just going for a bigger tank since changes happen so quickly in a smaller tank and I might have a better chance at catching something and fixing it in a larger tank but I didn’t have the space for it. But I bought a house that will be done by September, so hopefully if I can dial it in with this tank I’d love to get a bigger tank as I do enjoy this hobby when everything is going well lol


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[scuzy]

I would test the water you are getting if it's not doing well. A change is source might help.


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[Alfrareef]

You’ve already received very good advice. If you allow me I would add: take your water to test to some were else (LFS?) and place the Blasto at a lower light location and target feed at night.

[hkgar]

Here's a good discussion on having successful SPS

[RioReefr]

There is a direct correlation:

Nutrients (Nitrates/Phosphates) - - Alkalinity - - Light.

I am guessing since you feed every other day, that is why you have low nutrients (less poop). If you have nearly undetectable nutrients, that you could lower your Alkalinity down to the 6-7 range. I don't know what the "AB+ schedule" is, but perhaps you are peaking the lights too much.

I think it would be better to make your own salt mix and use RODI water. If you are getting "natural sea water", you might also be getting strains of bacteria/pests that your corals (coming from the other side of the planet) have never dealt with before.

[mannyo_09]

So I’m looking into getting an RODI system and mixing my own salt water. I think this might be a better option in the long run.

For the last week I’ve started to feed my fish in a daily basis, since I got a reading of 0ppm of phosphates. I feed them DR. G’s gut loaded Mysis shrimp. Re-tested my water today:

Phosphates - 0.040ppm
Calcium - 495ppm
Alkalinity - 9.0
Magnesium - 1320ppm
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm


Calcium and alkalinity are slightly up and no water change has been done




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[mannyo_09]

This is the AB+ schedule that I’m running






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[mannyo_09]

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[RioReefr]

Just my opinion, but I think your lights are set too high and the Alk/Ca are too high considering your very low nutrients.

There is a separate area on this forum that has pages upon pages of the AI Lights. Personally, I have the AI Prime HD and I will attach my settings.
Everything I read is you should really only peak your lights 3-4 hours a day. I don't know if the respiration intervals do anything, but most people have said extensive peak lightning is not good.

Additionally, take a look at this article:

http://reefinabox.com/right-alkalinity-coral-growth/

[saveafish]

Turn your UV and V down a bit. Your more than likely burning your new additions as you ad them.

[Daddi0]

Red Sea reef Energy A/B add carbohydrates and aminos but not trace elements. Also kinda hard to believe that you have 0ppm phosphates from natural seawater, out here on the west coast natural seawater runs up to .25ppm phosphates. Gotta get them nitrates up to around 5 also.
You could also check the lfs rodi for chlorine
Cheers! Mark

[mannyo_09]

Originally Posted by RioReefr

Just my opinion, but I think your lights are set too high and the Alk/Ca are too high considering your very low nutrients.



There is a separate area on this forum that has pages upon pages of the AI Lights. Personally, I have the AI Prime HD and I will attach my settings.

Everything I read is you should really only peak your lights 3-4 hours a day. I don't know if the respiration intervals do anything, but most people have said extensive peak lightning is not good.



Additionally, take a look at this article:



http://reefinabox.com/right-alkalinity-coral-growth/

Thanks for the information, going back and looking at the schedule that I have and the BRS video that reviewed it, they did that schedule to replicate an SPS dominant tank that would resemble the par output of the radeons.


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