Help on Reef Water Testing

jkit · November 9, 2009

Dear Reefers,

I don't want to harm mother nature by buying anymore corals till i find the root cause and provide a solution.

Problem: Zoa not opening and melted away. Anemone tentacles became stubs then entire melted away. Seafan breaking down slowly - branches left skeleton, turning black but main trunk still opening.

Crime scene: 40G tank. No chiller (temp avg 28-30). 30 white LED, 30 blue LED, no T5. No skimmer but WC with NSW 20% every 2wks once. Turbo snail just KIA. Remaining 3 Damsels, 1 tang, 1 maroon clown, 1 cleaner shrimp.

Investigation: I tested PH ok. I added iodine, didn't help. I added reef complete (calcium+strontium), didn't help. Since I WC regularly, i don't think it's nitrate too high. Furthermore, cleaner shrimp molted 4 times so I think water is ok with this sensitive invert. I do notice more green and red algae ever since i on the LED more frequently in day bcoz I thought corals not enough light. I can't be certain of calcium bcoz I don't hv tester.

Does anyone know what's wrong?

Does anyone know what should I test? I don't have iodine test or calcium test. Estimated 1 cap reef complete every 2 wk.

Does anyone have spare kit to help test? I don't want to buy wrong tester and additives.

Really appreciate if someone can help because I really want the clown to have a nice anemone home again. Thanks in advance.

nakazoru · November 9, 2009

Dun quite get your sequence of events. It will help if you list what KIA first.

Some Zoa dun do well with LED.

Anemone always dies without a valid reason thus shunt by advance reefers.

Seafan need high flow, less lights.

sherman · November 10, 2009

Dear Reefers,
I don't want to harm mother nature by buying anymore corals till i find the root cause and provide a solution.

Problem: Zoa not opening and melted away. Anemone tentacles became stubs then entire melted away. Seafan breaking down slowly - branches left skeleton, turning black but main trunk still opening.

Crime scene: 40G tank. No chiller (temp avg 28-30). 30 white LED, 30 blue LED, no T5. No skimmer but WC with NSW 20% every 2wks once. Turbo snail just KIA. Remaining 3 Damsels, 1 tang, 1 maroon clown, 1 cleaner shrimp.

Investigation: I tested PH ok. I added iodine, didn't help. I added reef complete (calcium+strontium), didn't help. Since I WC regularly, i don't think it's nitrate too high. Furthermore, cleaner shrimp molted 4 times so I think water is ok with this sensitive invert. I do notice more green and red algae ever since i on the LED more frequently in day bcoz I thought corals not enough light. I can't be certain of calcium bcoz I don't hv tester.

Does anyone know what's wrong?

Does anyone know what should I test? I don't have iodine test or calcium test. Estimated 1 cap reef complete every 2 wk.

Does anyone have spare kit to help test? I don't want to buy wrong tester and additives.

Really appreciate if someone can help because I really want the clown to have a nice anemone home again. Thanks in advance.

Why don't you share with us your know parameter first?

SG,PH,CA,KH,MG,NO3,PO4,Temperature

comycus · November 10, 2009

Sea fans are not easy to keep. These are non photosynthetic corals and require daily feedings. Your experience sounds like a classic case of them being starved to death slowly.

What sort of LEDs are these? 3W, any optics? Sounds like you have alot of light for your small tank. Not all zoas need strong light. Many of them prefer low-medium light.

If your temperature is at 30 degrees regularly, that could have contributed too. Corals typically do better below 29 degrees.

Don't assume that nitrate is low. Test for it. Same as iodine, calcium and strontium. Do not add if you don't test. Otherwise you might overdose, and it might be lethal. Since it is such a small tank, you have to know how much to add. Corals are sensitive to major fluctuations.

There is no such thing as wrong tester. Just buy all the kits if you want to. Otherwise, just get the basic ones first like Sherman mentioned.

jkit · November 13, 2009

Hi,

anemone KIA -> Zoa KIA -> Turbo snail KIA.

SG=1.022

PH= 8.1

Temperature = avg 28-30

CA,KH,MG,NO3,PO4 = No test kit.

Would be grateful if someone can help test just once and teach me how to test (I read those instructions on box but didn't quite get it). Once found what's wrong, I'll go get the correct kit to maintain. Thanks in advance.

comycus · November 13, 2009

what part of the instructions do you not understand? It's quite idiot proof. Add x ml to test tube, add x ml / x number of spatulas.

You can actually bring your water down to LFS and ask them to help u test. Of course only when you buy something from them la.

Do you have any other corals in the tank? There are many reasons for your corals/ls to die off. But like I mentioned before, if your temperature range continues to fluctuate within that range, you can be sure more corals will die.

teebs · November 13, 2009

Hi,
anemone KIA -> Zoa KIA -> Turbo snail KIA.

SG=1.022

PH= 8.1

Temperature = avg 28-30

CA,KH,MG,NO3,PO4 = No test kit.

Would be grateful if someone can help test just once and teach me how to test (I read those instructions on box but didn't quite get it). Once found what's wrong, I'll go get the correct kit to maintain. Thanks in advance.

My suggestion is just go buy a test kit and test especially for PO4 and NO3. If you want something cheap, get the Sera test kits. I'm using the Sera NO3 test kit and it's as idiot proof as it can get. If you still can't understand the instructions, then maybe you can post your queries here and I'm sure someone will answer your queries.

Just to let you know, all the various test kits I've used so far, the instructions are really easy to understand.

jkit · November 13, 2009

can't rem the brand that I was looking at for calcium tester when i was at AM - there were many different bottles to add just to test calcium reading.

I only left seafan. Hoping to use it as a indicator of success for whatever i'm trying. If also KIA & i havent find root cause, then will be really tough.

Btw, since my small tank, maybe also thinking fan will do. Fan should blow at water or out of water (ie. suck hot air out)?

teebs · November 13, 2009

Anyway, looking at your set up and livestock below:

40G tank. No chiller (temp avg 28-30). 30 white LED, 30 blue LED, no T5. No skimmer but WC with NSW 20% every 2wks once. Turbo snail just KIA. Remaining 3 Damsels, 1 tang, 1 maroon clown, 1 cleaner shrimp.

I would say you are asking for trouble by running your system without a chiller and also without a skimmer. If your anamone died and rotted away in your tank, I'm very sure your nitrate level is already sky high.

WC with NSW 20% every 2 weeks is not considered a lot especially if you are going skimmerless. You should know that your tang is a poop machine. Without a skimmer and keeping a tang, you are really asking for trouble.

As I mentioned in my above post, get a test kit and test your water parameters. If your NO3 is sky high, then do a 20% WC daily until your NO3 reduces to a reasonable level.