baffled by tank problem......

[daryl]

Hi reefers, I've started reef hobby about 2 years ago but to be frank till today I'm still very confused why my live stock inside the tank die after a few months after introduction . I've tried using various test kits to measure Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate but they always show NO harmful readings. Algae inside my tank are those dark green hairy type that stick on the live rocks and sand bed which I've used to scrub and shiponed away but they always returned within a week or 2...... . I used to perform water change once every 2 weeks and replaces filters every month (cotton wool and polyfilter). I've 11 corals, 7 fishes and 3 shrimps altogether. My tank is a 4ftx2ftx2ft and I'm using a 20K MH with 2 PL actinic blue 3ft light fitting (Atman). I kept my MH lightings ON for 5 hours daily. As for the sump, I'm using a fluised reactor and a Macro AS250 needle wheel skimmer and the skimmate oozing out profusely since the day I've bought about a monrh ago. I don't plant any macroalgae inside my sump as it does not come with a built-in refugium so I used coral chips since I got the tank 2 years back but have already removed all of them recently as I heard it will become a nitrate factory.

Can any experienced and kind reefer assist me in keeping a healthy and successful reef tank?

[weileong]

What are the livestock you having problems with?

We need more info on your tank condition/parameters. Photos etc will help too.

[flying carpet]

It's time to run phosphate absorber and carbon.

[daryl]

What are the livestock you having problems with?

We need more info on your tank condition/parameters. Photos etc will help too.

thx veri much bro but i currently i hv a yellow tang(M), flame angel(M), a pair of true percula(M & S), a aspher angel(S) & a fire & flame goby (S). Parameters so Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 & Nitrate 30ppm. I understand nitrate is a bit high but i always perform water change once every 2 wks

[weileong]

Your nitrate level indicating insufficient nutrient export.

Maybe you want to review your husbandry.

Still insufficient info.

How much water are you changing? You should not be using water changes as nutrient export.

If your skimmer adequate?

How about water flow so that lesser detritus settle down in the substrate and later giving nutrients problem?

I've good reason to suspect that your PO4 levels are elevated as well, probably a PO4 test kit will help you.

[daryl]

Your nitrate level indicating insufficient nutrient export.

Maybe you want to review your husbandry.

Still insufficient info.

How much water are you changing? You should not be using water changes as nutrient export.

If your skimmer adequate?

How about water flow so that lesser detritus settle down in the substrate and later giving nutrients problem?

I've good reason to suspect that your PO4 levels are elevated as well, probably a PO4 test kit will help you.

bro how do i justify if there's insufficient export? so wat's ur expert advise on insufficient export, my skimmer cn cope up 2 a 1000L. Anything i would like 2 knw is u mentioned abt water flow, so how am I gg 2 accomplishing it?

[weileong]

bro how do i justify if there's insufficient export? so wat's ur expert advise on insufficient export, my skimmer cn cope up 2 a 1000L. Anything i would like 2 knw is u mentioned abt water flow, so how am I gg 2 accomplishing it?

Manufacturer's rating can only be taken with a pitch of salt, moreover your skimmer is china brand which makes it even more difficult to trust the rating

Job of skimmer is to remove DOC before it has a chance to break-down and that results in NO3. Your 30ppm NO3 tells me your skimmer not enough juice

As for water flow difficult to advise you, we already asked for detail setup, equipments etc and photos if possible.

Try to wash your floss or filters on a weekly basis, that will help too.

See my previous post for some other reasons.

[Alvin Tan]

bro...u using NSW or salt??if it is slat...wad is the brand of the salt??

as this may be the problem too...

[weileong]

Salt could be another factor, what brand of salt are you using?

I using TM pro with RO/DI water but mine is sps tank which needs very low nutrients water so it is a bit more hardcore.

[blueheaven]

For your ANN, you should have NO DETECTABLE reading rather than NO harmful reading

If your tank is overrun by algae, its probably you've got something which fuels their growth. Try running some rowa and invest in a proper nutrient reduction system, be it a refugium or barebottom.

If its your LS that keeps dying, you got to check whether you have got a healthy one in the first place. Other than that, I seriously recommend careful quarantine and acclimatisation of any LS you get to prevent the spread of diseases and you can also train it to eat whatever food you are feeding.

Some pictures would be nice for a guage of your current situation

[RAV-65]

Bro,

there are too many possibilities to dying LS ( fish ), aggression in the tank from other LS, predators like big crabs? Mantis Shrimps? Maybe even giant bristle worms... Also, I balance diet is also important to fish, did they die skinny and bony? or did they die with any injury mark on the body?

Look out for clues... or maybe it might just be cyanide caught fishes, the possibilites are endless actually, but if yout can provide much more info, I'm sure there'll be people who are please to help...

Cheers!

[FuEl]

What do you feed your fish?

[Chris]

You need some equipment to create some water flow. Algae going after 2 years means high nutrient. I suspect it has to do with PO4 since ANN should be near 0 after such a long time. Also, No3 of 30ppm after 2 years means system not coping with the build-up. Removing the coral chips is good but you need more LR for denitrification if you do not have DSB. Get new Rowa for your FR and measure PO4. Skimmer may be underpowered. More flow can solve dead spot and build up of No3. Some cleaning crew to control algae may be useful.

Take it slowing and let thing settle for a month or so before adding LS. Also feed sparingly....fish seldom die from stavation in tanks.

[Dazza]

Agree with the many reponse tat maybe u shd try n rid phoshate/silicate. Perhaps u can try n overdrive yr skimmer with a stronger pump n see if the situation improves. In the meantime try not to add anymore livestks except maybe some algae crew

[daryl]

i cn nv tink of some many helpful hands wen some1 is in nd ppl like weileong, rav65, lobster etc replied my post ........ I wil do accordin 2 ur expert advises & post my tank pic asap. Many many thx 2 u guys

[bawater]

Hi daryl

with regards to your question on fishes dying within months-

Fuel posted an important question,what do you feed your fish?. A proper diet is a life or death issue.

If you lost fishes within a week or weeks then properly acclimatising new fishes will solve that.

with regards to nitrate @30ppm , that's secondary. With LPS and soft corals, a little nitrate is tolerable. Both nitrate and phosphate is fueling your algae but that should be later on your agenda. Your current levels are not toxic to fishes either. There's more to it than just ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

More details or a history of what has happened is needed, weileong has asked that. It would be of great help and you should get more direct answers pertaining to your problem. A picture will also help. actually, it will help a lot.

if you do not wish to put up your details here, you can drop me a pm and we can go thru them in private, whichever you feel more comfortable with.

e.g:

pH reading? is it stable/consistant?

salinity?

temperature? - you said you run a MH, do you run a chiller and do you have big temperature swings in the day?

what do you have for water circulation?

what did you run before the current skimmer? you said you had it a month.

what fishes died/you had trouble with?

How long did you manage to keep them alive?.

What do you feed? How often?

Do you have problems with corals?what do you keep? keeping them alive over a year or just started?

regards

[blueheaven]

here comes the real pro...

[daryl]

Hi daryl

with regards to your question on fishes dying within months-

Fuel posted an important question,what do you feed your fish?. A proper diet is a life or death issue.

If you lost fishes within a week or weeks then properly acclimatising new fishes will solve that.

with regards to nitrate @30ppm , that's secondary. With LPS and soft corals, a little nitrate is tolerable. Both nitrate and phosphate is fueling your algae but that should be later on your agenda. Your current levels are not toxic to fishes either. There's more to it than just ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

More details or a history of what has happened is needed, weileong has asked that. It would be of great help and you should get more direct answers pertaining to your problem. A picture will also help. actually, it will help a lot.

if you do not wish to put up your details here, you can drop me a pm and we can go thru them in private, whichever you feel more comfortable with.

e.g:

pH reading? is it stable/consistant?

salinity?

temperature? - you said you run a MH, do you run a chiller and do you have big temperature swings in the day?

what do you have for water circulation?

what did you run before the current skimmer? you said you had it a month.

what fishes died/you had trouble with?

How long did you manage to keep them alive?.

What do you feed? How often?

Do you have problems with corals?what do you keep? keeping them alive over a year or just started?

regards

hi bro, thx 4 ur kind assistance regardin my issue. Currently my fishes were fed wif brine shrimp & i do run a Resun chiller since ive started usin MH. After refering 2 so many helpful notes abt my prob. ive cme 2 a conclusion tat mayb my Macro AS250 is nt enuff so im intendin 2 get another same skimmer 2 boost up D.O.C removal & mayb after a mth or 2 i'll post e outcme pics on my tank.

Many thx

[Chris]

BS are not nutritious enough for fish but also should not be the cause of death to your fish in weeks.

If your skimmer is not good enough, then your NH4 and Nitrite should not be zero.

[daryl]

BS are not nutritious enough for fish but also should not be the cause of death to your fish in weeks.

If your skimmer is not good enough, then your NH4 and Nitrite should not be zero.

bro u were rite tat's y my instinct told me my current skimmer is nt coping well, ive bought any similisr skimmer frm Bio Ocean again yesterday & tat makes it 2 powerful AS250 Macro skimmer in my sump nw...... Water hv turned tremendously clear e tday & i tk tis opport. 2 remove those agitating algae frm LS & sandbed, hopefully 2 see improvements by Sun.