My 40cube redo

[advanwoerden]

Hello,

First of all, I want to thank those of you who have offered your help and advice for my troubles. My New Year's resolution was to try and revive my 40 cube, as I've had this tank for over a year now but can't really seem to get things going. I know my neglect was to fault, but I'm determined to do it right this time around. I'm still facing some troubles, but I'm hoping with everyone's continued support and advice, I'll make it work.

In the past few weeks I've upgraded my RO/DI unit (BRS 5-stage), replaced my GFO, chemipure elite and filter pads, done about five 10% water changes, upped my specific gravity to 1.024-1.025, started using kalkwasser in my ATO, and got a few zoa frags and a duncan.

However, I'm still plagued with a few problems: phosphates out of my RO/DI filter are 0.10ppm, and my tank water is 0.12ppm (down from 0.15ppm), despite the new filter, gfo, skimming, and light bio load (feed once a day/every other day). I know that's not extreme, but I have gha that grows on the corals, my sand, and the rock. It's not a whole lot but it's choking my corals and makes the sand look brown. I tried dipping the corals in hydrogen peroxide but while temporarily effective on the algae, my LPS are not liking it at all... I may try switching to daily dosing to see if that yields better results. I dose algaefix marine, but while initially effective on large amounts of gha, it's not effective at all on the remnants.

I have some zoa frags, an acan, a hammer and a frogspawn. The duncans and some zoas seem to be the only corals not dying. I have two wrasses and a lawnmower blenny, a reef lobster, and a sandsifter starfish, all of which I've had for at least a year.

I'm using Tunze reef salt, but almost out and looking to switch because I heard bad things about it. I am doing at least weekly water changes, and dosing algaefix marine biweekly, coral vite, essential elements, and iodine weekly. I have an ATO that I now use kalkwasser in, which has brought my pH to 8.3 and calcium to 450.

I realize this is a long blurb but I'm hoping to get any other pointers to help turn this tank around! Looking forward to everyone's feedback! Here are some pics, the cloudiness is because I just fed some cyclopeez

 

[advanwoerden]

Also decided to add a FTS from a year ago to show how my tank was before everything went downhill. Makes me sad to think about it...

 

[Tonyscoots84]

have you flushed your rodi lately and how long have you used your filters and di resin for.

Also that reactor it looks like there is a little phosban in there. you can prob. put more.

i would also add another powerhead for water circulation.

 

[advanwoerden]

Thanks Tonyscoots, the RO/DI is brand new, got it from BRS 2 weeks ago. How much GFO would you put? My GFO media is also from BRS, I know it's not the best but it's 10x cheaper.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

did you run the rodi for a while before using it. i think a 5 gallon bucket worth should be enough. i forget how much you should add but def. more then what you have in there..

 

[advanwoerden]

Yeah I ran it for a good hour. Even after about 20 gallons it's still reading 0.10ppm... My tapwater reads about 1.88. Would it be worth investing in a UV sterilizer?

 

[advanwoerden]

Added GFO to my phosban reactor, about 1.5 inches thick now. Hope it's not overkill... Also thinking of picking up some of that Kent phosphate sponge that you put in for a day or two... Getting desperate..

 

[Buck0land]

How is your tank doing? If your still having gha problem what about an emerald crab?

 

[Buck0land]

I just reread you post. What are you adding to your tank and how often? You may be over feeding.

 

[KathyC]

I would stop adding the algaefix, the coral vite, the essential elements and the iodine (are you testing the iodine level, if not, you shouldn't be dosing it).

I would add a another powerhead and point it at the surface for better oxygen exchange.

How long do you leave the lights on?

What is your Alk & Magnesium readings?

btw - I think your aquascaping is excellent

 

[advanwoerden]

Hey Andrew, thx for checking in. It's only been 2 days but I can already see an improvement with the gha since I added an inch of GFO to my reactor (thanks Tonyscoots). I've been meaning to get an emerald for a while, although I thought they were mainly effective against bubble algae? I have 2 Mexican turbos, 2 astreas, and about 5 other snails, about 10 hermits, and a lawnmower blenny. I definitely don't think I overfeed- i give a small pinch of tetramax flakes once every 1 to 2 days, and substitute cyclopeez or phytoplex 1-2x per week. The only non-algaevore or detrivore are my two wrasses (although my lawnmower eats the flakes too). Here is my schedule otherwise, plus ATO with kalkwasser: Algaefix 2x weekly, essential elements, iodine, and coral vite 1x weekly (spread out over the week), water change 1x weekly, Koral Color- 10 drops every other day, replace bluebonded filter pads and sock in sump monthly or as needed, empty skimmer cup weekly

 

[advanwoerden]

Kathy, thanks for the compliment! I'll take em where I can get em

What makes you say to stop the algaefix and coral vite? I can see where the latter two might be overdosing. I'm getting another Koralia (3?) and a wavemaker, and debating a UV sterilizer and/or carbon reactor.

My lights are 6 hours white, 10 hours blue. Buck0land tested my par and the average is around 350 with both on (should've checked with just blue! Next time...). I don't have an alk or mag test kit, although I borrowed an alk test kit before I started dosing kalkwasser and it was around 8. It's definitely not lower now, but are you worried it might be too high?


Update on the corals- It's been tough to say because I've been getting home after the lights turn off, but the frogspawn and acan look like crap, 4 of 6 heads of the hammer are dead, but the duncan looks good (although haven't seen polyp extension due to the lights) and most of the zoas have opened and look good. I think if I can bring phosphates to 0.00 and get rid of all the algae, I might be able to save them. Reading this past weekend before I added all the GFO was 0.10ppm with my Hanna Checker

Debating dosing hydrogen peroxide and a carbon source simultaneously to offset the bacteria die-off? Thoughts? My only concern is the frogspawn and acan are already stressed as it is...

 

[mandu]

Nice rock work. Btw, what kind of LED is that?

 

[advanwoerden]

Thanks! They're DIY from reefledlights.com - I highly recommend their site to anyone. Great products, very cheap, and their customer support is amazing. The owner has always been happy to call me to help go through setting it up, troubleshooting, and any random questions I had. I did the 36 bulb DIY kit, 12 Cree XPE whites and 24 XPE blues, with 3 blues for nightlight. My par gets up to 460 in some parts of the rockwork

 

[mandu]

Nice.. How long have you been using those LED's and how's your coral growth on 'em?

 

[advanwoerden]

Haha, if you read the beginning of this thread my coral growth has been horrible, but I don't think that's due to the lights. I got them about 6 months ago, but I neglected the tank and everything suffered because of it. I previously had another Cree DIY from the same sight and had great coral growth for about 8 months, but unfortunately work took over my life...

 

[mandu]

I hear ya. Life gets the best of us.

 

[KathyC]

Kathy, thanks for the compliment! I'll take em where I can get em

What makes you say to stop the algaefix and coral vite? I can see where the latter two might be overdosing. I'm getting another Koralia (3?) and a wavemaker, and debating a UV sterilizer and/or carbon reactor.

My lights are 6 hours white, 10 hours blue. Buck0land tested my par and the average is around 350 with both on (should've checked with just blue! Next time...). I don't have an alk or mag test kit, although I borrowed an alk test kit before I started dosing kalkwasser and it was around 8. It's definitely not lower now, but are you worried it might be too high?


Update on the corals- It's been tough to say because I've been getting home after the lights turn off, but the frogspawn and acan look like crap, 4 of 6 heads of the hammer are dead, but the duncan looks good (although haven't seen polyp extension due to the lights) and most of the zoas have opened and look good. I think if I can bring phosphates to 0.00 and get rid of all the algae, I might be able to save them. Reading this past weekend before I added all the GFO was 0.10ppm with my Hanna Checker

Debating dosing hydrogen peroxide and a carbon source simultaneously to offset the bacteria die-off? Thoughts? My only concern is the frogspawn and acan are already stressed as it is...

I suggested stopping the algaefix as algae (in the proper amount) is a necessary part of a balanced tank with a diverse population. You have many critters (snails, hermits, pods, worms etc..) in your tank that depend on eating algae and that product will stop it from growing in the first place. (It appears) you are dosing it to try and address an algae issue that is better dealt with through proper husbandry, feeding and the addition of a GFO reactor.

Do you actually KNOW what is in the Coral Vite? On one hand its market materials tell you that it contains 'exotic' trace elements - yeah? which ones and why does you tank need them? Your salt mix should contain all of the trace elements you need in your tank.
It also says these are good for 'desirable algae growth'..and then it says it 'does not promote undesireable algae growth'..how does it know the difference? But you are dosing "Algaefix', so your algae won't grow anyway. ( I do mean this in the nicest way
I'm not one much for pouring chemicals into a tank when I cannot measure for them or for when their ingredients are not clearly outlined (specifically), I look at them as another pollutant in the tank.
Can you say for sure it isn't causing your current algae issue? IMO, I'd pitch it.


I was concerned that your alk might be too low. You do need to get a magnesium kit, because without knowing that parameter, you could have ongoing issues trying to maintain your Ca & Alk as the THREE need to be in balance. It is AS important as knowing the Ca & Alk.

Before you jump into dosing Hydrogen peroxide & a carbon source, it would be prudent to get your tank balanced with all of it's other parameters (for at least 6 months -so you KNOW it is stable) and then read as much as you can about doing those things as they too have their pros & cons.

OK?..sorry for the delay in responding & I still love your aquascaping

 

[advanwoerden]

Thanks Kathy! Well noted. Gonna stick with water changes, GFO and kalk to get my tank stable, and omw to the lfs to pick up alk & mag test kits, and hopefully some emerald crabs. pH before the lights came on this morning was 8.1, calcium was 420, and phosphates were 0.09. The hammer and frogspawn were coming back, although the acan is still receded and covered with gha (worse). I haven't seen the duncans fully extended like they were the day after I got them, but that's not saying much because I've barely been home while the lights were on. Hope to evaluate them better this afternoon since I'm around. Will keep you all updated! Thanks again for all the support.

 

[advanwoerden]

Hammer and frogspawn are definitely coming back, although still no improvement with the acan- still covered in algae despite a hydrogen peroxide dip this weekend... I got an emerald crab but he's disappeared into the rocks, hope he wasn't eaten! What REALLY worries me are my new duncans, which are open but all shriveled. Anyone have any ideas as to the cause? They were fine the day after I put them in (see pic on pg 1), I'm at a loss... Posted pics below as a reference.