4 month old reef- need some advice

[Nightwatch]

I’m 4 months in with a reefer 250, apex set up with awc (.5 gallons a day or less) and ato. Syncra s1 running at 95%, two mp10’s in reef crest mode. Reef Octo skimmer ( just switched from classic 150 to essence 130 to make eventual room for clarisea. Two XR15’s on soft/sps template. I was running longer light schedule but I just scaled back today.

In the tank I have a really nice zoa rock, a Duncan, leather, pulsing zenea, green star polyp, two shrimp ( cleaner and fire) 6 hermits and a few snails.

current parameters: salinity 1.024 ( a little down from normal 1.025) , zero phosphates, 4.6 nitrates, 7.85 right now. Usually around 8 but adding some salt so hopefully back up. Lights are off currently.

ive noticed kind of slow growth in the zoa’s. I have some frags in the tank for about a month and only a few of them have added a poly or two. Is that normal? Also I’m getting a really significant green hair algae outbreak. It’s all growing on the glass. Only have a couple of snails as a few were eaten by the crabs I think. Not sure if they eat hair algae?

reading the above - anything stand out as to what I might do to increase growth and get rid of the algae ? Also why is the ph so low? Using 6 stage ro water and tropic marin salt.

thanks in advance. I’m basically still new to all this.

 

[shakacuz]

what are your alk/cal/mag levels?

 

[jassermd]

And, have you had any parameter swings? You noted salinity is low and alk is low, how quickly did that happen?
Phos of 0 is not ideal.
A FTS would be helpful;
For GHA, there are numerous threads here that detail how to battle effectively; question is what's causing it...

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I’m 4 months in with a reefer 250, apex set up with awc (.5 gallons a day or less) and ato. Syncra s1 running at 95%, two mp10’s in reef crest mode. Reef Octo skimmer ( just switched from classic 150 to essence 130 to make eventual room for clarisea. Two XR15’s on soft/sps template. I was running longer light schedule but I just scaled back today.

In the tank I have a really nice zoa rock, a Duncan, leather, pulsing zenea, green star polyp, two shrimp ( cleaner and fire) 6 hermits and a few snails.

current parameters: salinity 1.024 ( a little down from normal 1.025) , zero phosphates, 4.6 nitrates, 7.85 right now. Usually around 8 but adding some salt so hopefully back up. Lights are off currently.

ive noticed kind of slow growth in the zoa’s. I have some frags in the tank for about a month and only a few of them have added a poly or two. Is that normal? Also I’m getting a really significant green hair algae outbreak. It’s all growing on the glass. Only have a couple of snails as a few were eaten by the crabs I think. Not sure if they eat hair algae?

reading the above - anything stand out as to what I might do to increase growth and get rid of the algae ? Also why is the ph so low? Using 6 stage ro water and tropic marin salt.

thanks in advance. I’m basically still new to all this.

You need higher salinity and phosphates in your water to help your zoa grow a little, but also what zoa do you have? I have some 5$ trash frags that’ll grow 15-20 heads in a month but I have some 100$/head stuff that sprouts like 1 head every two months if I’m lucky.

Also on the hair algea if I had to guess you have WAY more than 0 phosphate it’s just being absorbed by the algea to increase its growth. Some Mexican turbo snails will mow that crap down for you. If you’re worried about hermits eating them get spiny astrea snails. They’re shell makes it hard for anything to flip them over and once they attach to something you need a pry bar to get them off.

 

[R0L0]

Coral growth depends on many things. What is your light intensity/schedule? Do you feed the zoas or notice that they are catching food when you feed? Check your calcium and other nutrients to see if they are ideal for coral growth. As far as the hair algae goes there are many clean up crew options. I prefer turbo snails and a pincushion urchin. The urchin will mow down the green hair algae in no time.