Is my tank too low on nutrients? Too high?

[jdeb101]

So here's whats going on...
1. COLOR: A lot of the really nice bright SPS frags I got from a fellow BRS member a few months back are fading and/or white (dead ). Aside from these SPS the only other I have are a few different caps/montis. My idaho grape monti looks great, however orange cap has also been a bit faded looking.

2. GROWTH: Another issue is growth in the tank has been minimal lately. A few of those SPS frags have about finger nail size of growth, zoas don't seem to be spreading anymore, acan and duncan growth is slow if any despite direct feedings here and there. My large toadstool leather looks great and has spawned however.

3. ALGAE: Past month or two have had a bit of lyngbya algae in the tank. Usually able to keep it in check with manual removal during water changes, but comes back. Another thing I want to mention is my tank has NEVER been able to grow coralline algae. I've purchased frags and critters covered in it but it just always fades away.

So now let me give you as much details on the tank as I can think of here...

Equip: 40b, Remora S skimmer, MP10 set to low pulse and Jaebo WP25,reefbreeders Photon24 LED, no sump.

Livestock: Mixed reef. Clownfish and wrasse, various snails & hermits, fire shrimp, two clams.

Levels:
temp - usually between 78-80. It's been at 80 lately due to season but I lowered heater a bit yesterday and got tank temp back down to 78.
Salinity - 1.028 (using bobble type hydrometer since beginning).
All the following tests done with API test kit -
Alk - 2.5 meq/L
Calc - 420
Mag - never tested.
Phos - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 8.0

Light Cycle: Slowly ramps up to a max of 50blues/40whites from 9am-12am. Can give more details hour by hour here if anyone thinks necessary. Note, I switched to the Reefbreeders fixture in January, previously was using 6 bulb Tek Light Elite T5's. Despite some debate on LED's, I do believe these have helped and def seen better coloration in the tank. The SPS orange cap in my tank was fading before the LED switch and other SPS frags mentioned were purchased after. My idaho grape monti has never looked better.

Maintenance & feeding routine:
What I feed is one of the following on any given day - Hikari frozen shrimp or mysis, frozen food mix purchased from Jays in NH, Formula two flake, BRS Reef Chili. Feeding is typically once a day, usually skipping a day or two during the week. I'd say I usually feed frozen 2-3 days of the week, reef chili once a week, and flakes the other days.

Misc info:
-Tank has been running since 2006, but has gone through a few changes of course over the years but nothing too drastic in past 6 months other than lighting change.
-I use Reefcrystals salt mix, I do not dose, but find so far the levels stay in check with my wc routines. I have approx a 1" sand bed and I'd guess 30-40 lbs of LR.

Anything else you need to know to help please let me know!

 

[reefstarter]

I would start by checking salinity with a refractometer . High slt can deplete the amount of oxygen in water . and since you never test mag you don't know if your tank has any . usually from my understanding coraline or any other coral or living thing in your tank has a hard time using calcium in water column if there is no Mag . It's sort of helps buffer it . That and a low PH also makes it hard for your organisms to use Calcium and alkalinity . and 2.5 alk btw is fine but at the low end of whats considered good . Try to get that up to around 9-10 or 3.5 megs

 

[reefstarter]

Also if once you do check your salinity and find it to bee very high , ABOVE ALL DON'T PANIC all your corals and fish have adapted to this level and if you decide to lower it do it very very slowly

 

[reefstarter]

one more thing I thought of , Iodine softies and LPS use a lot of it . and btw everything I am mentioning I have had my issues with already . I made some mistakes but thankfully some people on here and B at UA were there to help me get through it . anyway my lps and softies had pretty much stopped growing my hammer had actually shrunken down , once I started adding Iodine to system I could see them looking better in a coupole days now a little over a month later they are all looking great nice n fat n full .

 

[delta]

your alk is is low at 7DKH and you need to know your Mg as that is part of the trifactor that needs to be in balance. Ca,Alk and Mg these are your key parameters

A loose guideline
Ca @ 400 Alk 8DKH/2.9meq/l and Mg 1350
Ca @ 425 Alk 9Dkh/3.2meq/l and Mg 1400
Ca @ 450 Alk 10DKH/3.6meq/l and Mg 1450
This is approx but you should be close

With an Alk of 7 you can expect to lose corals and at a certain point they will all just RTN if you do not rectify the situation. You need to double check your results and and if they check out adjust accordingly. the advice to not panic is solid but I would wait around long to get your to at least 8DKH/2.9meq/l

Also get a refractometer it is the your best bet for an accurate reading of salinity

 

[jdeb101]

Thanks so much reefstarter, appreciate it. A while ago I was concerned with my alk levels and did a post here. Some people were saying to raise it but I felt I was constantly chasing it and could barely get it up to 3. If my memory is right, my fresh mix sw tests at 3, maybe 3.5. I was going crazy with it and just decided if it was consistently staying level at 2.5 it was better for the inhabitants than constantly having it swing while I try raising it. Wrong choice?

I have been considering a refractometer and it will most likely be one of my next purchases.

For iodine, do they make test kits for that? Does it help SPS as well or more for LPS/softies?

 

[Overlook reef]

Hi

I noticed a couple of things while reading your post.

Are you sure on the readings for phosphate and nitrate? You mentioned a algae outbreak, but your readings are 0.

Another possible issue, your Specific Gravity is high in my opinion. I keep my tank at 1.026 and measure it with a refractometer. Maybe have it checked or check it with a refractometer, because your SG may be even higher than your reading.

Also, I would keep your alk higher. I keep my alk around 8.5 DKH and I have a doser. If you are not dosing, your alk probably drops below 7 DKH in between WC. I noticed my corals and coralline algae grew substantially once I started dosing and not having as big of fluctuation in my parameters in between water changes. (What corals do you have in the tank and how big is it?) (also, considering how high your SG is, your Alk is very low IMO)

I notice you have two clams. How are they doing? Clams soak up a lot of Alk and Cal.

Lighting could possibly be an issue as well, but I would get your SG down and keep your Alk and other parameters stable before looking at lighting.

Any pictures?

Hope that helps.

 

[Overlook reef]

Wow! While I was typing, there was a lot of responses!

 

[delta]

Thanks so much reefstarter, appreciate it. A while ago I was concerned with my alk levels and did a post here. Some people were saying to raise it but I felt I was constantly chasing it and could barely get it up to 3. If my memory is right, my fresh mix sw tests at 3, maybe 3.5. I was going crazy with it and just decided if it was consistently staying level at 2.5 it was better for the inhabitants than constantly having it swing while I try raising it. Wrong choice?

I have been considering a refractometer and it will most likely be one of my next purchases.

For iodine, do they make test kits for that? Does it help SPS as well or more for LPS/softies?

Alk is directly related to Ca and Mg. Alk can be suppressed if they are too far out of balance. You do not know your Mg and you need to

Also stop considering and buy a refractometer.

How are you buffering your tank. kalkwater, 2 part system(bionic/randy's), Ca reactor?

 

[reefstarter]

Just remember don't EVER change ANYTHING too fast . stability is the key so you are not wrong to avoid the swings but you have to find ways of keeping higher levels in your tank and keep therm stable . I use a calcium reactor for alk and calcium I feel I get some trace elements too you won't get iodine from that and with Iodine small small amounts at a time

 

[jdeb101]

Clams are looking good as far as I can tell. They react to hand waving over them and have white shell at upper part near mantle. Other than that my crocea does like to spin and lean to a side, should that be of concern? I reposition him and he always spins back. I figured he's just more comfortable that way.

So from the response it looks like my next best step toward a solution is get a refractometer and work on raising alk? Whats your opinions on my tank temp? I noticed some LFS keep their tanks at 76.

 

[delta]

Clams are looking good as far as I can tell. They react to hand waving over them and have white shell at upper part near mantle. Other than that my crocea does like to spin and lean to a side, should that be of concern? I reposition him and he always spins back. I figured he's just more comfortable that way.

So from the response it looks like my next best step toward a solution is get a refractometer and work on raising alk? Whats your opinions on my tank temp? I noticed some LFS keep their tanks at 76.

Temp is fine at 76

You need to get your parameters in order and let us know how you are buffering you tank to keep alk and Ca in check. You can adjust your Alk up, but if you are not Dosing 2part, using a Ca reactor etc to keep them up they will just drop back down. Given you alk is that low I am guessing you do not buffer your tank on an on going basis. But that is only a guess I can't look at you tank to see

And yes refractometer is in order

Also find out your Mg level and adjust accordingly

 

[Overlook reef]

Clams are looking good as far as I can tell. They react to hand waving over them and have white shell at upper part near mantle. Other than that my crocea does like to spin and lean to a side, should that be of concern? I reposition him and he always spins back. I figured he's just more comfortable that way.

So from the response it looks like my next best step toward a solution is get a refractometer and work on raising alk? Whats your opinions on my tank temp? I noticed some LFS keep their tanks at 76.

As for tank temp, I keep my tank at 79 degrees. In the summer it may go up as far as 81 if we have a heat wave. (My tank is in the basement)

 

[reefstarter]

Lighting .... what intensity are you running those new lights at ? if you had t5s and are now using leds , they are much brighter and could bleach them . scale it back a bit

 

[jdeb101]

Delta, I do not dose or run a reactor. I've been relying on water changes to keep levels in check and have found alk and calc stay pretty consistent with biweekly water changes.

Reefstarter, I started the light intensity low when I added them and gradually increased over a month period. Per reef breeders recommendation I started with a max at 30 and increased to max of 50. I was concerned this was too much so then cut to a max of 45. I may cut them down a bit more maybe to max of 40..

 

[reefstarter]

I doubt thats it then , I run my lights no more than 10 hours a day . . good luck keep us posted !!!!

 

[delta]

The alk is staying put as it is about as low as it can go. that is the problem is it is too low. You are keeping SPS you need to supplement Ca and Alk on a daily/regular basis. So you need to start one of them Dosing would probably be a good start as you need this like yesterday. While it will take a bit to dial in your tank the sooner you start the better.

 

[dz6t]

You can use a PAR meter to check out the value of you LED.

 

[P-Nut]

When you start dosing, start slow. Add a little less than the min amount, wait 20 min and test. Then add a few more drops, wait 20 min and test...and so on.

Don't raise alk more than 2 dkh in one day.

Once you have it where you want it, measure 12 hours later and 24 hours later. This way you will know how much it drops.
Right now I would add just a little more than it drops daily, until you bring it up to 8-8.5.

Also, what brand of test kits are you using?

 

[jdeb101]

Reefstarter, while my lights do run more than 10 hours a day, the first and last couple hours are at a very low intensity. Should I still try for a 10 hour lights on period despite the low intensity start/end of cycle?

P-Nut, thanks for the tip. I'll def be sure to slowly work on raising my alk.

Ok so it concludes I need to stop trying to take the easy way out by relying on wc's to keep things in check and need to start dosing. I guess I need to start looking at my options on how to dose. Two part seems like an easy solution for someone lazy like me, but if reactors are not too expensive maybe I'll go that route.