Need Help - 250g, ATI powermodule, Reef Octopus, Scrubber, Sump, ATO, AWC

bowfront90 · 11/13/2019, 02:42 PM

System less than year old. I want to pull my hair out.

mcgyvr · 11/13/2019, 02:48 PM

Relax first...
Then start with a clear and well defined definition of the problem.
Include as many details as possible about said system.
Include recently measured parameters (as many as you have)..
Post some pictures if needed..

Wait patiently for a response/request for further information..

ycnibrc · 11/13/2019, 02:54 PM

If u are serious about your tank get some professional help. Posting here you will get various answer some will not helping u. Without seeing the tank and the problem no one can help u.

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RBU1 · 11/13/2019, 03:17 PM

What are the problems?

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bowfront90 · 11/13/2019, 03:31 PM

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7o4g2eky...SmRBS3_ya?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m37ps9gufz...16.24.jpg?dl=0

Attached will be pictures of Life, Hardware, Tests. Please give me feedback.
I have had multiple SPS Acropora colonies bleach out over the past 60 days, and handful have died. What am I missing?
What should I be testing? Is there too much light? Not enough light?
Does my Alk need to increase? Am I not testing for odd items?

I DO NOT see any pests with the naked eye.

95% of the LIFE has been purchased through LiveAquaria.com
I live in small town Kansas, no great reef store front within 150 miles.

Thank you everyone! I love this hobby but hate to see life die because I am missing something!!!

TESTING:
pH: 8.2 (Red Sea)
Nitrate: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Ammonia: 0.0 (Red Sea)
Phosphate: 0.0 (Hannah)
KH: 7.6-7.8 (Hannah, Red Sea)
Ca: 430 (Red Sea)
Mg: 1480 (Red Sea) - low at 1200 30 days ago
Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer) - low at 1.023 30 days ago
Temp: 77-78

Main Tank Size:
6'x 2'x 3'= 269 gallons

Sump / Refugium:
Royale 400 = 44"x20"x16"

Equipment Information:
Return Pump: EcoTech Vectra L2 DC Return Pump (3100 GPH)
Skimmer = Super Reef Octopus 5000 Internal Skimmer
Powerheads = EcoTech MP40 (TWO) (Anti-Sync Setting)
Sterilizer = Pentair Aquatics Smart HO UV 80 Watt
Scrubber = Clear Water CW-300 External Algae Scrubber

Water Changes:
AWC: 3 gallons / day
Instant Ocean - Reef Crystals

Water Quality:
Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage RODI - TDS reading = 5ppm

Automatic Top Off:
BRS Pharma Kalkwasser

Lighting:
ATI PowerModule
ATI 60" 4x75W LED & 8x80W T5 LED-Powermodule

CURRENT Photo Period:
6.5hrs of T5 Lighting
LED lights ramp up to 45% - 3hrs before and after T5 schedule

bowfront90 · 11/13/2019, 05:44 PM

Please let me know if you can see the pictures and if you need any further information.

Bpb · 11/13/2019, 09:02 PM

Absolute zero of phosphate and nitrate would be the first correction I would make.

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bowfront90 · 11/13/2019, 09:07 PM

I don't think I quite understood how powerful the algae scrubber can be. I have turned off my protein skimmer. Thinking about having it on only 50% of the time?

mcgyvr · 11/14/2019, 05:41 AM

Please describe how the corals are dying.
Slowly just bleaching out with no loss of tissue?
Rapid tissue necrosis? (in under 48 hour period)
Slow tissue necrosis?

Have your parameters been stable? You showed a low mag 30 days ago..

One can certainly say that a total lack of nutrients likely isn't helping and could likely be the cause.. Just plain coral starvation.. They have little to no food/energy..
Too often people "overly" scrub/clean the water by throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it (and a boat load of money) only to end up in your position..

I too would recommend trying to get your phosphates and nitrates into the measurable area (a couple ppm of nitrate, and .03-.08ppm of phosphate wouldn't be a bad start) and see how everything reacts.. Nitrate/phosphate dosing may/will likely be required..

reefgeezer · 11/14/2019, 08:23 AM

I would let dissolved organics and inorganic nutrients rise. Run the Skimmer dryer, reduce the lighting period of the scrubber, & feed everybody more while monitoring N & P closely. Adding some amino acid based supplement might help some. Go slow.

bowfront90 · 11/15/2019, 01:29 AM

Thank you guys for your feedback. Much appreciated!
Answering above question:
#1. Slowly bleaching out (2-3 weeks) then tissue death (1 week) and 30% SPS lost
#2. Mg was low at 1200, brought up to 1480 (did this over 2 weeks). The bleaching started to take place early October - it does coincide with low Mg
#3. Salinity got low, down to 1.023... is this low?
#4. Is my KH at 7.8 something I need to bring up?

What I have done:
1. Set the skimmer to run as dry as possible
2. Set the skimmer to only run 12hrs / day (good idea?)
3. Removed one out of the two filter socks
4. Reduced refugium lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 8hrs now)
5. Reduced scrubber lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 9hrs now)
6. Reduced flow through UV sterilizer (I HATE these stupid big box store ball valves)

11/13/2019, 03:31 PM	#5
bowfront90 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Tank information details and Problems https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7o4g2eky...SmRBS3_ya?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/m37ps9gufz...16.24.jpg?dl=0 Attached will be pictures of Life, Hardware, Tests. Please give me feedback. I have had multiple SPS Acropora colonies bleach out over the past 60 days, and handful have died. What am I missing? What should I be testing? Is there too much light? Not enough light? Does my Alk need to increase? Am I not testing for odd items? I DO NOT see any pests with the naked eye. 95% of the LIFE has been purchased through LiveAquaria.com I live in small town Kansas, no great reef store front within 150 miles. Thank you everyone! I love this hobby but hate to see life die because I am missing something!!! TESTING: pH: 8.2 (Red Sea) Nitrate: 0.0 (Red Sea) Nitrite: 0.0 (Red Sea) Ammonia: 0.0 (Red Sea) Phosphate: 0.0 (Hannah) KH: 7.6-7.8 (Hannah, Red Sea) Ca: 430 (Red Sea) Mg: 1480 (Red Sea) - low at 1200 30 days ago Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer) - low at 1.023 30 days ago Temp: 77-78 Main Tank Size: 6'x 2'x 3'= 269 gallons Sump / Refugium: Royale 400 = 44"x20"x16" Equipment Information: Return Pump: EcoTech Vectra L2 DC Return Pump (3100 GPH) Skimmer = Super Reef Octopus 5000 Internal Skimmer Powerheads = EcoTech MP40 (TWO) (Anti-Sync Setting) Sterilizer = Pentair Aquatics Smart HO UV 80 Watt Scrubber = Clear Water CW-300 External Algae Scrubber Water Changes: AWC: 3 gallons / day Instant Ocean - Reef Crystals Water Quality: Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage RODI - TDS reading = 5ppm Automatic Top Off: BRS Pharma Kalkwasser Lighting: ATI PowerModule ATI 60" 4x75W LED & 8x80W T5 LED-Powermodule CURRENT Photo Period: 6.5hrs of T5 Lighting LED lights ramp up to 45% - 3hrs before and after T5 schedule

11/14/2019, 05:41 AM	#9
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Please describe how the corals are dying. Slowly just bleaching out with no loss of tissue? Rapid tissue necrosis? (in under 48 hour period) Slow tissue necrosis? Have your parameters been stable? You showed a low mag 30 days ago.. One can certainly say that a total lack of nutrients likely isn't helping and could likely be the cause.. Just plain coral starvation.. They have little to no food/energy.. Too often people "overly" scrub/clean the water by throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it (and a boat load of money) only to end up in your position.. I too would recommend trying to get your phosphates and nitrates into the measurable area (a couple ppm of nitrate, and .03-.08ppm of phosphate wouldn't be a bad start) and see how everything reacts.. Nitrate/phosphate dosing may/will likely be required.. __________________ Who me?

11/14/2019, 08:23 AM	#10
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	I would let dissolved organics and inorganic nutrients rise. Run the Skimmer dryer, reduce the lighting period of the scrubber, & feed everybody more while monitoring N & P closely. Adding some amino acid based supplement might help some. Go slow. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

11/13/2019, 02:42 PM	#1
bowfront90 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Need Help - 250g, ATI powermodule, Reef Octopus, Scrubber, Sump, ATO, AWC System less than year old. I want to pull my hair out.

11/13/2019, 02:48 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Relax first... Then start with a clear and well defined definition of the problem. Include as many details as possible about said system. Include recently measured parameters (as many as you have).. Post some pictures if needed.. Wait patiently for a response/request for further information.. __________________ Who me?

11/13/2019, 02:54 PM	#3
ycnibrc STAG HORN DOMINATE REEF Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Irvine, California Posts: 3,348	If u are serious about your tank get some professional help. Posting here you will get various answer some will not helping u. Without seeing the tank and the problem no one can help u. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ SDR STAGHORN DOMINATE REEF Feature Reef of November 2019 GHL TOTM FEB 2020 ABC corals Current Tank Info: 360g Peninsula sps

11/13/2019, 03:17 PM	#4
RBU1 Moving on Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5,167	What are the problems? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11/13/2019, 05:44 PM	#6
bowfront90 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Please let me know if you can see the pictures and if you need any further information.

11/13/2019, 09:02 PM	#7
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	Absolute zero of phosphate and nitrate would be the first correction I would make. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

11/13/2019, 09:07 PM	#8
bowfront90 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	I don't think I quite understood how powerful the algae scrubber can be. I have turned off my protein skimmer. Thinking about having it on only 50% of the time?

11/15/2019, 01:29 AM	#11
bowfront90 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Thank you guys for your feedback. Much appreciated! Answering above question: #1. Slowly bleaching out (2-3 weeks) then tissue death (1 week) and 30% SPS lost #2. Mg was low at 1200, brought up to 1480 (did this over 2 weeks). The bleaching started to take place early October - it does coincide with low Mg #3. Salinity got low, down to 1.023... is this low? #4. Is my KH at 7.8 something I need to bring up? What I have done: 1. Set the skimmer to run as dry as possible 2. Set the skimmer to only run 12hrs / day (good idea?) 3. Removed one out of the two filter socks 4. Reduced refugium lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 8hrs now) 5. Reduced scrubber lighting time by 2 hrs (runs for 9hrs now) 6. Reduced flow through UV sterilizer (I HATE these stupid big box store ball valves)