Almost reaching crisis mode

[BigFish11]

Hello everyone,


I have an interesting problem, i think i know the answer but i wanted to get more opionions on this. I have a 65 gallon tank, i just upgrades to some sweet LED lights, but before i got the lights my mushrooms and zoo's started disappareing. I have tested the water and i dont think that is not the issue, i have 0 nitrates and 0 ammonia, PH is 8.2.

My soft corals seem to be shrinking, but i have xenia that is thriving and absolutly taking over the tank. I have lost two nems in the past 4 months, i thought my t-5 were enough to keep a green bubble, but i guess i was wrong, then i just got a rose under my LED's and it lasted 4 days. I really want to be a good reef keeper and not kill things, plus my wife and wallet keep chiming in too.

I think the problem is my tank gets too hot. Yesterday it got up to 83, i have a fan, but it doesnt seem to help. Could it be that my tank is too hot for anything new?

Any help is greatly appriciated.

 

[steved13]

This is the bible I use for water parameters:

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

You'll see the params you should be monitoring and where they should be.

The next thing is placement and acclimation. A light loving coral that has adapted to lower light, may shrivel and die if exposed to it's more natural high light condition too quickly. Same with flow and pretty much any environmental condition.

LEDs can be very "bright" when switching any lighting source it's usaully best to acclimate the livestock to the new light, dimmer and ramping up the brightness.

83 degrees is warm, but not too far out of the norm, however if your fluctuating from 72 -83 in a day that's a real issue. Stabilty is very important.

 

[BigAl07]

Sorry to hear about your problems.

Here's what I'd suggest:

A) Get some Carbon in your tank ASAP (this is standard Tank First Aid)
B) Get your supplies together to do a couple of large (and Safe) water changes
C) Get your water tested by an alternate source just in case there is a consistent testing error (another reefer with their test kit or a LFS)

Honestly to have so many things not doing well in your tank I highly suspect it's a water problem. The last anemone might be a lighting problem as Steve pointed in in acclimation above but the others all point to a water parameter issue or at least a water contaminant issue.

How often and how much are your water changes?

What are you dosing?

What all are you testing for and what are all the specific #'s?

 

[BigFish11]

I put carbon in last week, I do a 5 gallon water change every week and i dose with B-ionic every other day. I cannot tell you my specific numbers for my testing right now, i am at work. (As you can tell working really hard)

My tank does not have huge temp swings, it goes from 79 to 82 so that makes me feel a little better. Thank you for the information about adapting corals with lower light first. That was a very duhhhh moment for me when i read that.

If its a water issue, what do you think it could be? I am using reef crystals as my salt and RO water, the tank has been up and running for 3+ years


You guys are great by the way, i was almost ashamed to post things being afraid of getting yelled at for something i am doing wrong.

 

[dmatt88]

79-82 is normal. Check that off the list. Id do ur tests looking to see what u find then hit the lfs n let them retest the water. Assure accuracy. Are u using a refractometer or hydrometer by the way? What do u test for and what kind of kit?

.............stay thirsty my friend.

 

[BigFish11]

Im using the Salt water Master Test kit, and a hydrometer

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Here a good read Randy Homes Farley references from Steve post ^

http://www.ronshimek.com/references...onmental_Limits_To_Coral_Reef_Development.pdf

from my read... temps over 30C - 86F > is where I might get more concerned of high temps causing real problems, not 83, many of our oceans corals live at these temps.

i was almost ashamed to post things being afraid of getting yelled at for something i am doing wrong.

Don't ever think that... all RS members are here to help you have success & we all are learning all the time, many times by our mistakes.

 

[BigAl07]

5 gallons a week might be enough when things are "Good" but any time I have problems my first aid is Carbon & Hefty water changes. I shoot for 10% a week when things seem normal and I'm not opposed to 50% or more when there is a water parameter (or even if I suspect one) issue.

Dilution is the Solution to Pollution!!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Do you dose?

If so, there are many things that can get out of balance unless you are test regularly & actually - that's just a guess... but a good one to check.

When things start to go wrong... going back to the basics, has always helped me.

 

[steved13]

You said you dose with B-ionic every other day...is this the 2 part? (almost everything in the ESV line is B-Ionic).

As has been said, post your numbers, if you're doising even more important to post the numbers.

+1 to Glenn never feel like you can't ask for help, as long as you're looking to learn and improve the conditions for your livestock there are people her to help. When you don't care, that's when the replies seem to dry up.

 

[BigFish11]

Yes it is the 2 part, i will post my results from testing tonight when i get home.

 

[dmatt88]

5 gallons a week might be enough when things are "Good" but any time I have problems my first aid is Carbon & Hefty water changes. I shoot for 10% a week when things seem normal and I'm not opposed to 50% or more when there is a water parameter (or even if I suspect one) issue.

Dilution is the Solution to Pollution!!

Great info. Dump the hydrometer. They can give immensely innacurate results. Make sure as u are doing a much needed large wc hint hint that the salinity is correct.

.............stay thirsty my friend.

 

[BigFish11]

Kind of dumb question with regards to water changes, if i have a lot of live rock do i factor that in with water changes. Is it possible that 5 gallons is more than 10% based on the amount of live rock i have?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

If you have a 65 gallon tank & rock & sand displace 10 gallons & you did a 5 & 1/2 gallon wc, you did a 10% wc.

on my 66 gallon tank, I change 10 gallons weekly, if that helps any.

 

[dmatt88]

65 gallon tank. I would do a 30 gallon. Make sure ur salinity is 1.026 have the lfs verify.

.............stay thirsty my friend.

 

[BigAl07]

Kind of dumb question with regards to water changes, if i have a lot of live rock do i factor that in with water changes. Is it possible that 5 gallons is more than 10% based on the amount of live rock i have?

Keep in mind that 10% isn't an exact #. When in doubt round UP! Better to do a 20% water change by mistake rather than a 5% by mistake. Water Changes will solve a LOT of common problems.

 

[BigFish11]

that does help, ok getting to water changes 101. Do i have to worry about some of my corals being exposed to air if i do a large water change. Some i of xenia definitly will, ( its weed like right now and my LFS said i cant sell anymore to them for a while)

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Not xenia ...

maybe a sponge... most corals will be fine, while you fill the tank back up & they are momentarily exposed to air.

But you can also just do repeated wc of like 5 gallons at a time, that is what I do, for my weekly 10 gallons - two 5s

 

[BigFish11]

I thought about that, but if i we doing 5 gallons at a time, isnt that almost counter productive?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

The pumps mix it quickly & you are just changing a small % of the 5 gallons you just added - someone good at math help me out LOL with the %