Desparate For Advice

[Rickyrooz]

Update:
Last night I scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush as best as I could. I also dosed 2 scoops of ZEOzym, 8 mL of KZ Coral Snow, 8 drops of ZEObak, 4 drops of KZ Sponge Power, 0.2 mL of ZEOstart3 and vigorously shook the ZEOlite stones. The rocks look much better and the water clarity is amazing. I think the KZ Coral Snow has a lot to do with the water clarity.

 

[spspirate]

Keep us up to date Ricky! Your last reef was jaw dropping. Looking forward to this one too.

 

[Myka]

I'm just reading this thread for the first time. I think your problems stem from drying out the live rock. Why did you dry it out? I pay big bucks for nice live rock! I'm also no fan of dry rock.

You mentioned a hefty clean up crew, and I see several snails in the pictures, but I didn't see a list of the critters in your CUC. Could you list them please and their numbers?

There isn't much you can do about the rocks leeching other than controlling symptoms - essentially you're putting out fires rather than preventing them. The best option imo is a good clean up crew, controlled feeding, hold off on additives, perform regular water changes, use a turkey baster twice a day to blow the rocks off, and wait. Another option would be to ditch the Zeovit and run biopellets for a few months until things are under control. I run an aquarium maintenance company, and I've had great results using biopellets in high-nutrient and ridiculously high-nutrient tanks.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I'm going to tell you what I learned the hard way. Tropic Eden sand is horrible. You will always have algae problems with that sand. Always. Get it out while you still can.

 

[Fish_BowLisha]

Also, most tangs do not eat hair algae. Some do, but most don't. I've heard of sailfins occasionally eating it and sometimes Kole tangs but never seen it personally.

My newly acquired sail fun yellow tang has cleaned an overgrown rock of green hair algae. Half gone in two days. Between the coral beauty, blue legged hermits and the tang my rocks are shaved smooth as a baby's bottom

 

[Fish_BowLisha]

You make a good point, if the 30 gallon water changes are performed weekly the additives are most likely not needed. Even 15 gallons a week should suffice.

+1 I only dose two part B-Ionic and even that is not very often. Water changes, water changes, water changes... The three most important things in reefing. That and a light hand considering feeding. If hauling buckets gets old try using a pump in the bucket to add the new water... It makes it a little more bearable.

 

[Rickyrooz]

I am going to continue updating this thread until my tank is better or until it crashes. I woke up this morning to see my corals are very pale, Reefermadness Rainbow Nasuta, TCK Smurf Tenuis, and Toothman's Purple Fire are receding at the base. The 30,000 Leauges Lokani is bleached white and looks dead.
I did a quick water test:
Alkalinity – 8.3 (Salifert) 7/19 exp.
Phosphate – 0.02 (Hanna) 3/17 exp.
Nitrate - 0.00 (Salifert) 6/16 exp. [totally clear at every light angle]
After testing I added 0.5 mL of ZEOstart3, 4 drops of Sponge Power, 4 drops of ZEObak, 4 drops of ZEOfood7 and 4 drops of ZEO Amino Acid Concentrate. Fed frozen food today. Now i have to bring the nutrient levels back up! I hate this roller coaster ride. The only thing I did differently was add 2 scoops of ZEOzym and 8 mL of KZ Coral Snow plus scrub the live rock of hair algae. I have used 1 scoop of ZEOzym and 5 mL of KZ Coral Snow in the past but never saw corals get this light. Hopefully dosing ZEOstart3 (nitrate), amino acids and feeding frozen foods will bring my nitrates back up.

 

[Rickyrooz]

I'm just reading this thread for the first time. I think your problems stem from drying out the live rock. Why did you dry it out? I pay big bucks for nice live rock! I'm also no fan of dry rock.

You mentioned a hefty clean up crew, and I see several snails in the pictures, but I didn't see a list of the critters in your CUC. Could you list them please and their numbers?

There isn't much you can do about the rocks leeching other than controlling symptoms - essentially you're putting out fires rather than preventing them. The best option imo is a good clean up crew, controlled feeding, hold off on additives, perform regular water changes, use a turkey baster twice a day to blow the rocks off, and wait. Another option would be to ditch the Zeovit and run biopellets for a few months until things are under control. I run an aquarium maintenance company, and I've had great results using biopellets in high-nutrient and ridiculously high-nutrient tanks.

I have about 15 Astrea Snails, 20 small Cerith Snails, 2 Fighting Conch, 1 large Sea Hare, 15 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, 20 Nerite Snails and 12 Turbo Snails.

 

[Myka]

I have about 15 Astrea Snails, 20 small Cerith Snails, 2 Fighting Conch, 1 large Sea Hare, 15 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, 20 Nerite Snails and 12 Turbo Snails.

After testing I added 0.5 mL of ZEOstart3, 4 drops of Sponge Power, 4 drops of ZEObak, 4 drops of ZEOfood7 and 4 drops of ZEO Amino Acid Concentrate. Fed frozen food today. Now i have to bring the nutrient levels back up!

You're keen to keep going with the Zeovit no matter what?

I had a similar situation happen in 2012/2013 to my 90-gallon SPS tank. I worked out of province for 6 months and left the tank in the hands of a tank sitter. I came back to the tank being overrun by hair algae. I had colonies that wouldn't fit into a 5-gallon pail that had hair algae sprouting up between the branches. Like your tank, the water itself tested very, very low in nutrients and the corals were all pale/starved. I did something similar to you - I fed the crap out of the tank. I also doubled the clean up crew and started a biopellet reactor. I didn't do much manual removal because I really couldn't get much out of all the branches. I saved everything except a big Stylo colony.

This is about a month after starting the biopellet reactor and the corals were already gaining color. I didn't take any pics when it was at the worst point. For me, the best CUC members in this case were Scarlet Hermits and Turbo Snails. For reference, the coral in my avatar is the piece in the photo that's just to the left of the blue stag that's in the middle top.

 

[Rickyrooz]

You're keen to keep going with the Zeovit no matter what?

I had a similar situation happen in 2012/2013 to my 90-gallon SPS tank. I worked out of province for 6 months and left the tank in the hands of a tank sitter. I came back to the tank being overrun by hair algae. I had colonies that wouldn't fit into a 5-gallon pail that had hair algae sprouting up between the branches. Like your tank, the water itself tested very, very low in nutrients and the corals were all pale/starved. I did something similar to you - I fed the crap out of the tank. I also doubled the clean up crew and started a biopellet reactor. I didn't do much manual removal because I really couldn't get much out of all the branches. I saved everything except a big Stylo colony.

This is about a month after starting the biopellet reactor and the corals were already gaining color. I didn't take any pics when it was at the worst point. For me, the best CUC members in this case were Scarlet Hermits and Turbo Snails. For reference, the coral in my avatar is the piece in the photo that's just to the left of the blue stag that's in the middle top.

I do want to stick with ZEO as this is the first time I was able to maintain nitrates under 25ppm.

 

[Fish_BowLisha]

My newly acquired sail fun yellow tang has cleaned an overgrown rock of green hair algae. Half gone in two days. Between the coral beauty, blue legged hermits and the tang my rocks are shaved smooth as a baby's bottom

 

[Fish_BowLisha]

Cool zoo read
http://www.garf.org/FRUGALREEFER/fruzoa/zoaring.html

 

[Russ265]

This is quite the predicament. IMO corals pale from too few nitrates. Mine started to pale and turn white when I had none in the system. They are recovering now that I am dosing the no3. I was originally told it was a po4 issue but it did not help and actually a few strands of GHA poked their heads up, albeit clear strands... not dark green.

Manual removal was the best first thing you did. Run GFO and phosguard. Overdose on that stuff for a couple days and that GHA will turn clear and will go away on it's own. Also realize that GHA will try to absorb all the po4 it can so you may read 0, yet the GHA isnt starved yet.

I would keep nitrate at 2-3 ppm the entire time or you may risk some longterm damage with the coral that will be difficult to color up again. GHA really love the phosphates, not necessarily the nitrate (although they do use it).

If you have a fuge down below with a light, try setting up one of those plastic mats you put on the bottom of your cabinets to keep it clean. They will be kind of rubbery mesh and adhere algae pretty nicely. I bought some at the dollar store. At the very least you can grow the stuff down below where it belongs.

HTH

 

[Rickyrooz]

This is quite the predicament. IMO corals pale from too few nitrates. Mine started to pale and turn white when I had none in the system. They are recovering now that I am dosing the no3. I was originally told it was a po4 issue but it did not help and actually a few strands of GHA poked their heads up, albeit clear strands... not dark green.

Manual removal was the best first thing you did. Run GFO and phosguard. Overdose on that stuff for a couple days and that GHA will turn clear and will go away on it's own. Also realize that GHA will try to absorb all the po4 it can so you may read 0, yet the GHA isnt starved yet.

I would keep nitrate at 2-3 ppm the entire time or you may risk some longterm damage with the coral that will be difficult to color up again. GHA really love the phosphates, not necessarily the nitrate (although they do use it).

If you have a fuge down below with a light, try setting up one of those plastic mats you put on the bottom of your cabinets to keep it clean. They will be kind of rubbery mesh and adhere algae pretty nicely. I bought some at the dollar store. At the very least you can grow the stuff down below where it belongs.

HTH

What product do you use for nitrates? I was planning to increase mine with amino acids and increased feeding with frozen foods.

 

[Russ265]

What product do you use for nitrates? I was planning to increase mine with amino acids and increased feeding with frozen foods.

Seachem's Flourish Nitrogen (Potassium Nitrate 1.5%)
dont get phosphate unless you truly have a po4 deficiency.

 

[Russ265]

further note:


please understand redfield ratio before you play with chemistry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfield_ratio

 

[twilliard]

Just one question
this has copper sulfate?
where is randy lol don't know how to tag

 

[Russ265]

sorry... i read post wrong.

Anyway I haven't seen any issue with it but reading the ingredients it does have a trace amount.

Copper (Cu) 0.0001%

I guess the purist can get pure potassium nitrate

 

[twilliard]

Thanks Russ couldn't fine the amount but that is for sure nothing at all
I will test my nitrates and if low I will be in touch!

 

[Russ265]

Thanks Russ couldn't fine the amount but that is for sure nothing at all
I will test my nitrates and if low I will be in touch!

np and good catch!
Potassium Nitrate is also used in explosives FYI and goes by the common name Saltpeter. There are plenty of places to get it online though.