ALGAE OUT BREAK CORALS NOT DOING GOOD

[ReefJake123]

I have a kole tang in my 55 gal and it does just fine

 

[zachxlutz]

Okay thank you for the replies. I will stick to water changes and less light. I will see if I can buy a clean up crew sometime soon. I will keep you guys updated with pictures of the tank later today.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Clipsterzzz]

Thanks man! Here is how the tank looks right now. Torches still not doing good.

 

[zachxlutz]

I have a kole tang in my 55 gal and it does just fine

I'm not going to get into a tang police debate here. It can be done, yes. Is it best practice, unclear. Regardless, OP isn't dealing with algae that a tang would help, from the pics.

Thanks man! Here is how the tank looks right now. Torches still not doing good.

Doesn't look too bad. Give it some time. Let things stabilize and see where you end up.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

I'm not going to get into a tang police debate here. It can be done, yes. Is it best practice, unclear. Regardless, OP isn't dealing with algae that a tang would help, from the pics.



Doesn't look too bad. Give it some time. Let things stabilize and see where you end up.

Okay. Do on still suggest I get a clean up crew? Or should I give it like a week to see what happens?

 

[EriksOasis]

Tank looks really good! Just some slight algae. Continuing doing water changes with Rodi water is your best bet don’t go adding chemicals. This hobby tanks time you’re in the right track.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

@EriksOasis I am thinking about moving the tank across the room(10 feet or so). I am wondering how should I do it. It's a 55 gallon. Would this affect my algae problem? I am thinking of sucking out water and leaving couple inches above the sand bed. Then to keep all the rocks in buckets full of the tank water(5 gallons each) including corals. I can put a powerhead in one bucket including be corals but would all be other buckets containing rocks be fine? I can leave the fish inn the tank or put them in one bucket with the rock, but I'm worried if the sand bed might get shaken up by sloshing of the water.

 

[EriksOasis]

I have moved tanks a few feet down a wall or a few inches away from the wall and drained them all the way except a few inches above sandbed. I took all rock out to be safe. Keeping them in buckets with old tank water is your best bet to keep them alive. In your case since ou have the rocks out give them a good scrub before replacing them.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

Okay thanks for the help

 

[Clipsterzzz]

One more thing. Should I put a powerhead and light in the bucket the corals are housed in? Is it necessary to do a water change afterwards or prepare 5 gallons before hand and add most old water and the rest with new water?

 

[EriksOasis]

I didn’t put light or powerhead in the container just heater. I have done it both ways replaced all water or used half old and half new. Corals seems stressed either way not sure what works best. My guess would be using as much old water as possible othe than a normal 30% water change is the best as not to change the water parameters to quickly.

 

[40B Knasty]

I would raise your salinity up .002-.003 points.
Alk should be between 8-12. 9 is the sweet spot I heard from some people. You are a little low.
Your calcium is getting a little low too, but still okay.
For your phosphates. Get a cheato reactor for 0 phosphates. Phosguard is good, but will not absorb all of it. Just know if the algae starts to die off it becomes exactly what it is, dead. Which is ammonia.
For your ammonia pick up some Nite-Out 2. It is a reef safe good bacteria. Poor in about a 1/4 of the bottle all over your biological filtration 1x per day.
What kind of salt are you mixing with your water and how big of a water change are you doing weekly? Should be around 20-23%.

 

[laverda]

I would remove your Canister filter or clean it at least weekly. If not cleaned often canister filters just become nitrateproducers. Clearly your nitrates and phosphates are higher then your tests are telling you. If you have been using tap water it is going to take a lot of water changes to get the crap out of your system. I would do a large water change 50% when you move the tank. A large water change should help with your ALK, Ca nitrate & po4 levels.

 

[savetheocean]

Thats really not that bad.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

Thank you all for the replies I use instant ocean salt(purple one). I do a water change 5 gallons weekly and clean the canister filter as well. I use RO water. Half of my torch coral's tissue has receded and the skeleton is visible. As for my levels after water changes, that's where they are around. I've been thinking to start dosing to bring up my cal alk and mag. I'm not sure how much to dose or how often. Also I had bad luck rush my way once again. Two days ago the power went out. I was at school during the time. I came Home and saw. I scooped water and poured it back in for oxygen as I don't have a battery operated powerhead. Yesterday when I woke up the power was still not back. I left for school. When I came back that day, the power was back and my tank was 68 degrees! My corals and fish were alive as I could see that they were just closed up. I'm not sure how they survived. I turned on the heater and brought the tank up to 76-78ish. The light has been off since and I'm gonna turn it on today. Hoping to see if everything is okay. I believe my wrasse is still hiding under the sand. That's just a little update.

 

[40B Knasty]

Man that is rough. Sorry to hear.
I am not saying this because I know. Just something I noticed. Look on the box of Reef Crystals vs. Instant Ocean. On the Reef Crystals box it says "Nitrate and Phosphate free."
Instant Ocean says neither. They are not going to sell a product if it says "Has Nitrates & Phosphates." I don't get why someone would put nitrate free in the first place. Don't get me wrong I have a friend who uses IO for his 210g, 120, and 60g, but he also has a MASSIVE algae turf scrubber, sumps, refugium, and roll mat to strip his tank clean of any nutrients. So with that being said.. That maybe the source of unwanted phosphates and getting absorbed right away to your algae issue. I have an algae issue as well. Currently my tank is going in the right direction with 0 phosphates everyday for the past 2 weeks ever since the cheato reactor was put on. You could always try phosguard. That does work, but not 0 perfect. Cheato will get you 0ppm, because it is all about export of nutrients.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

Wow never noticed that. Thank ou for the advice. I will look into the diy chaeto reactor. Do you have any suggestions on my cal alk mag situation?

 

[40B Knasty]

Wow never noticed that. Thank ou for the advice. I will look into the diy chaeto reactor. Do you have any suggestions on my cal alk mag situation?

Already suggested what to do a few squares up

 

[EriksOasis]

Just a thought you should be doing more than five gallon water changes to help increase your levels and reduce unwanted nutrients.

 

[Clipsterzzz]

@40B Knasty @EriksOasis @laverda
@Zack@BRS Guys!!!!! Did my torch just die;(
1 second he's closed up the next second I turn back around and see this thick dark brown stringy stuff coming from its mouth. Is that the Zoan algae??!! Anyway I can help him recover? He's been receddd for the past two weeks now. What do I do

I just called my LFS and they said it's definently going to die. I don't know what to do. I don't have a quarantine system. There are other corals in the tank so if I leave it there it will affect them?