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Killing Things

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reefified, Jun 2, 2011.

  1. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    I need help. I sold Fishbrain this weekend and he had the oppertunity to see my tank and I am doing somethig wrong and can't figure it out.  Here is the run down.
    I set this up from scratch 5 month ago. Fresh marco rock and brand new sand, seeded with a cup of sand from another member.
    Setup 120 gallon with dual overflows, 2-mp40's, 4-AI sol blues running at max 55/65/65 intensity, SWC180 skimmer, biopellets in GEO reactor, 40 gallon sump with live rock only (algea died off once biopellets added), Apex running it all
    livestock_CUC, starry and midas blennies, 2 black clowns, 3 chromis, various shrimp and crabs.......6 acans, few zoeys and 6 or so SPS frags
    here is my dilema, the Acans and zoeys are thriving, SPS not good. alive, poor color and crappy polyp extension, very little growth all except the oregon tort that looks good happy and is almost done covering the glue that placed em.
    params
    Ca 450
    pH 7.9-8.2 (depending on time of day
    temp 77-78
    Alk 9.3-9.6
    Mg 1280-1300
    all tested with salifert over the last few months, very consistent
    threw the Nitrate, Nitrite and Phosphate kits out for poor results
    Is my tank too young? Am I cursed? WTF!? I can't take it. Do I overfeed? I have slowed my feeding, no adding AA, oyster feast or any mor things I can't test.
    Do I need to ride it out? HELP me please, I am desperate.
     
  2. iaJim

    iaJim Inactive User

    775
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    Are you going to get a new nitrate test kit?
     
  3. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    i may order them tonight.
     
  4. FishBrain Expert Reefkeeper

    New London
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    +399 / 6 / -0
    Relax bro don't be a spaz lol. I think you need to add more fish and be patient.
     
  5. JB Veteran Reefkeeper

    Marion
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    +3 / 0 / -0
    Yup, in this hobby nothing good happens fast!
     
  6. Greenonion

    Greenonion

    280
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    my .02cents, its your biopellets that are causing all your problems. acro's like clean water but not that clean. start dosing AA, and add more fish or feed more. either way the acro's are starving because the biopellets are using up all of there food.
     
  7. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    I have a bottle of Seachem Reef Complete. Stopped using, thought it was causing aglea. What AA do others recommend.
     
  8. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    Billy, I will get on some more fish when I decide what I want. I know a trio of antheias for sure. What ones did you tell me where pretty sweet? I have a hard time thinking my SPS are starving. What do I need to suppliment to make those bastards happy? I hate to admit it bit maybe the bio pellet crase isn't worth my effort if I can't have corals. I may be better off getting my refugium back at it.

    JB- I am being patient but I hate to sit here and watch frags starve.

    Lets have some serious input here people.
     
  9. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    best foods I have found so far is cyclopsese and oyster feast . turn pumps off mp40s down and feed em. Now your bio pellet reactor. Have you been running this since you set the tank up? Now I am very much a newb to the hobby but im going to go out on a limb here and say if thats the case you may want to wait a few months before you run something like that just to let your system get better established. I have a sps dominant tank and only just added a gfo reactor after about 4 months.
     
  10. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    mthomp-I have reef chili an oyster feast and phyto, I will start feeding. I set the tank up with the reactor. I may just take it offline and see where things go. I have done a lot of reading too that the corlas need some phosphate and other nutrients that may be stripped clean out, especially since the reactor has always been online.

    so far I am thinking-feeding the tank more, buying a few more fish and removing/slowing the reactor for NP pellets. Is that oo much change or sound about right?
     
  11. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    its exactly what i would do. phyto is more for your pods i think and other filter feeders. make sure when you feed that stuff you turn your skimmer off otherwise its wasted, this is just my opinion others may feel differently. if you find after taking the reactor offline your po4 gets a little higher then you like try skimming a little wetter also.

     
  12. Andy The Reef Guy

    Andy The Reef Guy Inactive User

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    +1 Maybe not "too" clean but def clean. Feed the hell out of that tank, that's what biopellets are for remember! Brightwell makes some AA's, and I would also offer rotifers, cyclopeeze, phytoplex, dt's phyto something like that 2-20nm size particles gradually ramp up to 4 times a week or more. I feed the **** out of my tank, that sucker is dirty! acros love it!
    You running any carbon?
    And what are your phosphates?
     
  13. Andy The Reef Guy

    Andy The Reef Guy Inactive User

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    oh and just slow down the flow on the biopellet reactor, you might really cause some disruption in the feed chain if you take it out all together.
     
  14. fishyness

    fishyness Inactive User

    596
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    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]YOU SOLD FISHBRAIN!!!  no!!! We need him and his wisdom.[​IMG][​IMG]
     
  15. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    I agree that you should be feeding more. One other thing, your Alk is too high for running with biopellets. Get that down around 8 and it should help. When you get into the 9.0+ range, you start getting the white, burnt tips. It slows growth and damages the coral.

    --AJ
     
  16. jtesdall

    jtesdall Expert Reefkeeper

    Ratings:
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    Hey wait everyone, bad color and polyp extension .... with his other params doesn't that scream high nitrates and or phosphates? I think we need those tests. Biopellets or not those are very important things to measure with SPS, especially if they are having problems. Fish are all fine right??
     
  17. iaJim

    iaJim Inactive User

    775
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    How often are you doing water changes?
     
  18. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

    386
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    Fish are fine. Ordered test kits. If anyone in Marion has Phosphate, Nitrite and Nitrate kits, hit me up and come check my crap. I do religious weekly 10gal water changes. I don't run carbon or GFO. AJ-what can I do to bring the Alk down? I don't add anything right now since the water changes and low bio-load.

    At this point I will start feeding more regular, get my Alk down and obviously check the other params, and wait and then wait some more.
     
  19. jtesdall

    jtesdall Expert Reefkeeper

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    IMO Nitrate and PO4 tests are the first and most important until we know they are OK, then I will be stumped. Nitrite not so important if you have already tested Ammonia. If Nitrite levels were high you would notice it in your fish because Ammonia would have also been high at some point. Plus I don't believe it effects coral much but could be wrong as high levels of nitrite in an established reef aquarium are rare and would be pretty obvious. If you want a recommendation on good easy to read Nitrate and PO4 kits Seachems are very easy to use and read.
     
  20. FishBrain Expert Reefkeeper

    New London
    Ratings:
    +399 / 6 / -0


    I was there the other day and can tell you just from eyeball the tank is verry verry clean almost sterile. Chad add more fish man and feed them alot. The best sps food is fish poo! I speak from experence man I grew some colonys that were 10in across on pure fish poo.
     

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