What's going on here??

[Hallowhead]

Howdy,

This tank has fallen off the deep end, no pun intended. I am not sure what's going on, I have some ideas as to why, but maybe someone else can spot something.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temperature: 78.6
Alk: 8.5-9.5 dkh
Calcium: 460
Magnesium: 1270
Phosphate .5ppm
Nitrate: 25 ppm

Now I know the phosphate is high as is the nitrate, but this has been the status quo for the past year. The tank is 3+ years old.

I personally think the Astarina starfish are eating the zoanthids, I had the starfish in the past, but they didn't make all the zoanthids close like this before. My only other thought his that the green algae is outcompeting the zoanthids somehow? I don't know how to handle that either

 

[Bot587]

can you get a closeup of the algae? your nitrates are 25 (which makes it harder for a cyano bloom), however that looks like green cyano.

Couple questions before I make my suggestion:
Are you running a skimmer?
Do you have the ability to lower the temperature to 76/77?
What salt are you using (your magnesium is a bit low to support the alk/cal that you have)?
Does the algae bloom predate the zoas closing?
How much flow do you have?
Are your wavemakers working well?

 

[Rjmul]

I'm about two seconds away from getting a harlequin shrimp myself

 

[Hallowhead]

can you get a closeup of the algae? your nitrates are 25 (which makes it harder for a cyano bloom), however that looks like green cyano.

Couple questions before I make my suggestion:
Are you running a skimmer?
Do you have the ability to lower the temperature to 76/77?
What salt are you using (your magnesium is a bit low to support the alk/cal that you have)?
Does the algae bloom predate the zoas closing?
How much flow do you have?
Are your wavemakers working well?

I'm running a k1 nano I can lower the temperature but why?

I use instant ocean salt

Algae predates the zoa's closing

I have two ow 10s one on each end

 

[Bot587]

I'm running a k1 nano I can lower the temperature but why?

I use instant ocean salt

Algae predates the zoa's closing

I have two ow 10s one on each end

Do you have a skimmer?

I have seen zoas do this due to a reaction to certain bacteria in the water.

The reason I asked about temp is if you lower your temp dissolved oxygen will increase. Having a skimmer will help oxygenate the water further.

I would try a dose of chemiclean (if that is cyano it will remove it). This worked to help my zoas previously when they were not opening. I have used it 3 or 4 times over my time reefing with no negative effects. You can search chemiclean and zoas for further info.

In order to use chemiclean you will need to oxygenate the water (i.e wet skim and let it drain back into the sump). If you want to try let me know and I can walk you through the process of getting ready and dosing.

As for the Harlequin, I got one to eliminate my asterina stars. I noticed no change to my zoas from using it. What did happen was a minor hair algae bloom when they were eliminated. I would not recommend a harlequin for asterina removal (my opinion), but this is only because having asterina stars/not having asterina stars had no effect on my corals.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

I've beat cyano by lowering temp. Dissolved oxygen is spot on. How often do you do water changes?

 

[Hallowhead]

I've beat cyano by lowering temp. Dissolved oxygen is spot on. How often do you do water changes?

I water change once a week,

I have two power heads pointed at the surface lots of oxygenation along with my skimmer.

 

[Bot587]

Ok, let me know if you are interested in trying the chemiclean.
On a side note, I would bring your mg up to the 1400 range. 8.3-8.6, 420-450, and 1360-1400 mag are the usual numbers based on the relationship between alk, cal, and mg, respectively.

 

[Hallowhead]

Ok, let me know if you are interested in trying the chemiclean.
On a side note, I would bring your mg up to the 1400 range. 8.3-8.6, 420-450, and 1360-1400 mag are the usual numbers based on the relationship between alk, cal, and mg, respectively.

I guess I can dose some mag but these numbers have been consistent through when the tank was thriving.

I've used chemiclean in the passed for red slime

 

[Hallowhead]

Any other thoughts?

 

[Hallowhead]

So it has not gotten any better, if anything worse. I tried chemiclean, it cleared up the sand algae, but the zoanthids refuse to look happy.

I just bought some red sea no pox as I need to reduce these nitrates and phosphate, I continue to do weekly water changes but it's not bringing down the parameters... need to get some help.

The parameters tested as:

Alk: 9.3 dkh
Calcium: 475
Mag: 1485
Nitrate: 25
Phosphate: 1 (concerning, I know)

 

[Bot587]

Can you send pics?

-Sand bed is clean now.
-Magnesium is up.
-alk and calcium are fine (calcium is a little high but I would not make any changes to 475)
-You dosed chemiclean and the zoas didnt open (to clarify).

Are you running anything else? carbon, rowaphos, etc

 

[Jph]

Are you buying RO water from a LFS? Or are you filtering it through your own RO filter?

 

[Hallowhead]

I'm using my own RO water confirmed 0 tds plus my other tank is golden.

I'm running just chemipure elite

 

[Adam L]

regardless of what tds meter says, when was last time you changed all your ro filters and resin?

 

[Hallowhead]

Membrane was this year along with carb and sed filter.

Resin was replaced maybe 6 months ago it's color changing and still active

 

[Adam L]

Membrane is probably fine. Change other filters and resin. How much blue resin is left from top? If less than two inches you are in danger.

 

[Hallowhead]

Adam, the membrane is good for several years, it's definitely still good.

The other membranes have roughly 6 month life, which I'm still within. As mentioned my water is testing 0 tds and ICP test zero trace nutrients. As mentioned I have 2 tanks and one tank is excelling faster than I could have imagined. It's not the RO water but definitely a good spot to check.

 

[Jph]

K. Here’s my advice. Change out all chambers in the RO unit including the membrane. Take the last resin chamber and completely empty it. Fill the resin half way with mixed bed (pro version from BRS), then add 25% more of anion, then 25% more of cation. Make 10 gallons and watch which resin start to change color. I bet you have a source water problem. The water people starting using all manners of chemical mixes and other nonsense (pandemic / supply chain excuses).my cartridges do not last anywhere as long as they used to. I burn through a sediment filter almost every 2 weeks, carbon block I change after every 4 sediment filter changes, resin I watch like a hawk. My cation burns out faster than all the rest. After your first water change, you will notice a big difference.

 

[Hallowhead]

Guys, it's not the water !! I have two tanks that both get water changes as the same time. One tank has the issue the other doesn't.