Help! I can't grow any algae or corals

Smoker

Member
I started my tank 4 years ago and have never had to clean algae off the glass, rocks, sand, anywhere. I have no coraline algae and when I put rocks in with it, it disappears. I have had unwanted algae like hair and an algae bloom.

I can't grow corals either. Xenia and GSP slowly die away. Leathers melt away or shrink. My tank is a 20 gallon long. I have had no less than 100 LED watts on it since the beginning. I use lights that others have had success with like growing LPS & SPS.

Could it be the water? Its public hard water from a well and they say they only treat it with chloramine. Regular tap TDS is 280 and after RO/DI it reads zero. I have a 10 gallon tank up for years and its the same thing.

How can I have a normal tank?

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The letters after the number are just test methods like H for Hanna. My water tests are always similar with Nitrate varying the most. Its usually 15 or less. Water changes every week didn't matter, its the same if I do it once a month. Equipment is adequate. 1/4 inch of sand, 30# live rock..
 

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Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Great detail in this post!

I don't know I'd worry about not growing algae. I'm kind of with @DaveK that corraline algae is just another nuisance algae.

That said, not keeping corals is a real problem.

Your parameters look fine to me. Can you explain more about your lights? Exactly what brand/model/whatever are they?
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Here are a few things to check -

That ammonia reading, if correct, is a problem. verify this with another test kit. If the reading is correct, it would explain a lot. Corals don't like ammonia at all. While we are at it, what fish and other livestock do you have in the tank?

Xenia and GSP are not extreme high light corals. Try placing them away from the light, in dim areas. Later on you can move them to brighter areas. These can sometimes be a little tricky either growing like weeds or the die for no obvious reason. Consider trying a leather coral, as they tend to have a few less issues.

Test your water for copper. Maybe your LFS store can do this. Some LFS run copper in their FO tanks, and if you add any of that water to your tank, you can wipe out corals.

Look for sources of contamination of the water. Using buckets that also get used for household cleaning, use of any cleaning products around the tank, especially the spray on ones.

Consider adding a polyfilter pad to absorb these possible problems. It's not going to hurt anything to do this and the pad can indicate some problems by turning different colors.
 

Smoker

Member
Pat ---

I never had enough coraline algae to consider it a problem. I like the color. Its just part of shouldn't I at least have some type of algae?

My lights have been all LED and whatever I could get cheap. They produce light that should produce algae in the water, no?

Right now I have 145W on the 20 gal. tank and leather corals don't like it anywhere. A Duncan nearly died. This in the past two weeks. I have a box claiming 165W (metered 95W) with multi-colored 5W LEDs and on each side a 20W and 30W LED flood light, 14000K.


=====

Dave ---

The ammonia was a new test for me and an API kit. I will try another brand.

Citizens:

perc clown
tailspot blennie
lots of snails
serpent star
cc star
cb shrimp
cleaner shrimp
2 pom pom crabs
5 blue leg hermit crabs

LFS is the best in Pittsburgh since 1969 (ask Anthony Calfo) and I think won't have copper in their water. I'll have them test my water for it so it can be eliminated.

I use Acurel pads from 10" x 18" sheets plus foam sponges in my filters., and GFO, etal.
=====

I use RO/DI for years and change filters regularly, every filter in the house. I do what you are supposed to do except buy expensive LED lights., I can't find T5s, its all a waste of money. I had a hang-on 2.5 gal fuge and under bright lights the cheato died.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Pat ---

I never had enough coraline algae to consider it a problem. I like the color. Its just part of shouldn't I at least have some type of algae?

My lights have been all LED and whatever I could get cheap. They produce light that should produce algae in the water, no?

Right now I have 145W on the 20 gal. tank and leather corals don't like it anywhere. A Duncan nearly died. This in the past two weeks. I have a box claiming 165W (metered 95W) with multi-colored 5W LEDs and on each side a 20W and 30W LED flood light, 14000K.


=====

Dave ---

The ammonia was a new test for me and an API kit. I will try another brand.

Citizens:

perc clown
tailspot blennie
lots of snails
serpent star
cc star
cb shrimp
cleaner shrimp
2 pom pom crabs
5 blue leg hermit crabs

LFS is the best in Pittsburgh since 1969 (ask Anthony Calfo) and I think won't have copper in their water. I'll have them test my water for it so it can be eliminated.

I use Acurel pads from 10" x 18" sheets plus foam sponges in my filters., and GFO, etal.
=====

I use RO/DI for years and change filters regularly, every filter in the house. I do what you are supposed to do except buy expensive LED lights., I can't find T5s, its all a waste of money. I had a hang-on 2.5 gal fuge and under bright lights the cheato died.

I was guessing your ammonia was probably really fine and the reading was a bit off because that can happen pretty easily, but definitely worth a double check.

I really don't see anything here that looks all that wrong to me. You actually seem pretty meticulous and knowledgeable.

See if others have any ideas.
 

Smoker

Member
SeaChem for the ammonia test is 1.0 & 0.75, the tests at 15 then 30 minutes which they say is more sensitive.
API - I got 0.5 right-away then 2.0 after 10 minutes

Past history has been a mix of 0.25 and 0.50 all by API which I used because SeaChem was more bothersome.

I used to do 10-20% water changes weekly with no benefit. Now its twice a month/whenever I feel like it and there's absolutely no difference. I did tests once a week for a year and got basically the same test results every time, using different brands. No algae and basic corals die.

Nitrate - 9-15 w/rare spurts to 20/25
Nitrite - 0.3 a couple times. .05 or 0 most of the time.
Phosphate - 0 nearly all of last year

The rules don't work for me. This doesn't seem possible. The glass is emiting something bad, there's something secret in the water even if the RO/DI tap water is 0 TDS. I have had 3 tanks going and never have to clean the glass except for dirt and debris.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
A tank like yours that has been set up for several years should be getting ammonia and nitrite readings of 0 and staying there. Something is preventing your from building a healthy bacteria base, and likely causing the lack of algae issues.

I think this is going to be a lot of trial and error on your part to locate the source of the problem. It might be something very simple.

Just some other things to check -

Do you have any metal fittings or parts in the plumbing of the tank?
Do you have a cover on the tank? If not, could SW spray get on the lights and fall back into the tank.
Where is your tank located? is it near a workshop where your using any thing like paint or similar stuff? Are you using any cleaning products around the tank? Many contain ammonia.
 
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