Captain Billy
Community Member
So it's been a long time since I posted on a forum, probably 5 years or more. I had hoped I would be able to return with an amazing tank and tons of killer photos, huge colonies and all kinds of goodness, starting a thread that everyone could enjoy. Instead I feel like a beginner starting a thread this way, but here it goes!
I feel like I've gotten stale, and hit a wall with this aquarium! Just relying on what's worked for me in the past when perhaps I should be implementing new techniques with this tank. After a decade of successful reef keeping, it's hard to swallow the pride but the time has come to bounce my problems off the immense knowledge of a forum.
I started the tank in March of 2013, and it did amazing until approximately August. At that point and time my problems started.
The first sign of something being wrong was an outbreak of neon green Cyanobacteria. So I start scratching my head, obviously something isn't right. I quickly figure out that I somehow had my two MP 60 vortechs set at the lowest speed, doh! Not sure how I missed that but I quickly turned them up as much as the sand bed could handle, which is one level below full speed. I did a bunch of water changes and through manual effort finally got it under control for the most part. The pumps being set incorrectly has been the only main issue I could find.
The main issues the tank is having all seem to be related:
Continual cyano, just enough to cover small areas of the sand daily and disappear every night. Some patches of green cyano still lingering after months of battling it. I can black the tank out for a couple days, knock it out and it's gone for a while, but usually reemerges within 2-3 weeks unless I keep up with the absurd water change schedule.
Coral growth, color and overall health just isn't where it should be, and has been noticeable off and on with some zoas and montiporas, and most recently acroporas. There has also been some recent STN and RTN on a couple acro colonies, no signs of any pests, which have always been carefully checked for and prevented. I've had experiences numerous times in the past with red bugs, AEFW's and the likes, I'm certain it isn't any predators. Thankfully most Acros and Montis are starting to look better, but it's still a battle.
So I'll get to the details of the tanks equipment.
Lighting:
6 Radion pros
3 kessil a360w's
Flow:
2 Vortech MP60
Reeflo Dart
Other equipment:
Aqua medic reef doser w/ BRS 2 part
RLSS R10 i Skimmer
Neptune Apex controller
I have quite a few cool fish, and have plenty more to add, some waiting in other systems but I have decided not to add any new fish until I have solved all the problems this tank is having.
So considering it's appears to be a nutrient import/export thing, I'm trying to decide how I want to approach it, using a system like Zeovit or setting up a biopellet reactor. I've never used either of these systems but I have a basic understanding of how they work....but I'm on the fence about which to implement. My NO3 and PO4 are both 0 on sailfert test kits but I just don't feel like the tank is running or calcifying correctly.
Most recently, I go back from a week long vacation and upon carefully inspecting my tank, I noticed a white dot on my Gem tangs face, near his nostril. Looking at it closely, I realized it was HLLE. None of the other tangs or angels have any signs of it besides him yet, but I knew there was a problem. I quickly took out my multimeter and discovered my heater was putting several volts into the tank. After unplugging it, I've gotten it down to around 1 volt or less, and that is coming from the lighting. If I unplug all the radions, it drops to 0. I've had lighting cause stray current before, but I wasn't expecting it from a $6000 LED lighting system.
Sorry for the boring start to my tank thread, I'll try to make up for it with a few photos.
I feel like I've gotten stale, and hit a wall with this aquarium! Just relying on what's worked for me in the past when perhaps I should be implementing new techniques with this tank. After a decade of successful reef keeping, it's hard to swallow the pride but the time has come to bounce my problems off the immense knowledge of a forum.
I started the tank in March of 2013, and it did amazing until approximately August. At that point and time my problems started.
The first sign of something being wrong was an outbreak of neon green Cyanobacteria. So I start scratching my head, obviously something isn't right. I quickly figure out that I somehow had my two MP 60 vortechs set at the lowest speed, doh! Not sure how I missed that but I quickly turned them up as much as the sand bed could handle, which is one level below full speed. I did a bunch of water changes and through manual effort finally got it under control for the most part. The pumps being set incorrectly has been the only main issue I could find.
The main issues the tank is having all seem to be related:
Continual cyano, just enough to cover small areas of the sand daily and disappear every night. Some patches of green cyano still lingering after months of battling it. I can black the tank out for a couple days, knock it out and it's gone for a while, but usually reemerges within 2-3 weeks unless I keep up with the absurd water change schedule.
Coral growth, color and overall health just isn't where it should be, and has been noticeable off and on with some zoas and montiporas, and most recently acroporas. There has also been some recent STN and RTN on a couple acro colonies, no signs of any pests, which have always been carefully checked for and prevented. I've had experiences numerous times in the past with red bugs, AEFW's and the likes, I'm certain it isn't any predators. Thankfully most Acros and Montis are starting to look better, but it's still a battle.
So I'll get to the details of the tanks equipment.
Lighting:
6 Radion pros
3 kessil a360w's
Flow:
2 Vortech MP60
Reeflo Dart
Other equipment:
Aqua medic reef doser w/ BRS 2 part
RLSS R10 i Skimmer
Neptune Apex controller
I have quite a few cool fish, and have plenty more to add, some waiting in other systems but I have decided not to add any new fish until I have solved all the problems this tank is having.
So considering it's appears to be a nutrient import/export thing, I'm trying to decide how I want to approach it, using a system like Zeovit or setting up a biopellet reactor. I've never used either of these systems but I have a basic understanding of how they work....but I'm on the fence about which to implement. My NO3 and PO4 are both 0 on sailfert test kits but I just don't feel like the tank is running or calcifying correctly.
Most recently, I go back from a week long vacation and upon carefully inspecting my tank, I noticed a white dot on my Gem tangs face, near his nostril. Looking at it closely, I realized it was HLLE. None of the other tangs or angels have any signs of it besides him yet, but I knew there was a problem. I quickly took out my multimeter and discovered my heater was putting several volts into the tank. After unplugging it, I've gotten it down to around 1 volt or less, and that is coming from the lighting. If I unplug all the radions, it drops to 0. I've had lighting cause stray current before, but I wasn't expecting it from a $6000 LED lighting system.
Sorry for the boring start to my tank thread, I'll try to make up for it with a few photos.
