Foxface acting weird - Water parameters causing issue??

[Stlrfan88]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-tank-or-divorce-last-chance.692702/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/90-gallon-phoenix-build.693148/

Need to know if I need to push the panic button or just ride it out. I have had 2 epic tank fails in 2 years and a little skittish on a 3rd fail. See previous posts above for the full story.

Woke up yesterday morning to a completely cloudy tank, not sure why. Let it run it course for the day and today water was much clearer but not like it was. Did a 20% water change today and changed the filter sock.

Prior to the water change today I did notice that my PH was on the rise and fluctuated between 8.28 – 8.31 over the last week or so. I did dose Distilled white vinegar to try to drop the PH closer to 8.0. Ammonia and Nitrite are both at -0- but Nitrate has been on a steady climb and is in the neighbor hood of 7-10, which I know is high. All other water parameters are right in line.

I did start dosing NOPOX for the last 4 days to try to get the Nitrates down. Have not does since the tank went cloudy.

All that said to say About 2 months ago I added a focface to the tank. Already had a clown fish and 2 Banggai Cardnalfish in the tank for 45-60 days before adding the foxface so all told 4 fish added over 90 days.

Foxface was bright yellow, active, eating, no sign of any issues. Now above the spine is black, not eating, and barely comes out from in the rocks. I know they can be temperamental so not sure if this is just a phase due to the nitrate increase and water change and is just stressed out or what. All other fish are doing just fine.

Any help or suggestion on the Foxface and / or the reduction of Nitrates and cloudy water would be appreciated. I have not added a carbon bag yet but will add it once I know the foxface is out of the woods.

Thanks

 

[piranhaman00]

Yikes!

Dont add vinegar to adjust pH, 8.3 pH is perfect! Many reefers strive for 8.3 and above. Never adjust pH with chemicals/additives, there is never an appropriate time to do that.

7-10 NO3 is also perfect! Do not try to adjust that with chemicals.

My hunch;
The tank clouded with a bacterial bloom from adding NOPOX and vinegar (carbon source), the bacterial bloom depleted oxygen, stressing fish out.

Do you use UV? I think you need to take your time, do some research before making changes like that. Good luck!

 

[Stlrfan88]

Frig.... I have been told PH needs to be closer to 8.0 and NO3 less than 2. so i am not tracking the correct parameter is the issue.

Since this is the 3rd and final attempt to get a tank going I have taken the last year in making sure everything is perfect (or as perfect as it gets) to the point i didnt even add fish for the first 6 months with the plan for 2021 to add coral. lights have not even been on yet. getting ready to light it up and send it through the ugly stage this week. I am interested to see if this long process of no lights will shorten the algae bloom stage.

Thoughts on correction or let it ride itself out and cross fingers nothing dies. Ph is on 8.02.
Thanks for the clarification on the parameters.

No UV. have not even looked at it or a refugium yet. I assume since you brought it up you are a believer.
Thanks again for the feed back.

 

[minus9]

Okay, stop what you’re doing and take a breath. Do yourself a favor and binge watch all of the BRS vids on there 160, ULM and master series, I think that’s what it’s called? But mainly, just stop everything you’re adding and do simple 10% water changes for regular maintenance. Your tank seems like it’s all over the place and very unstable, by doing nothing you give it a chance to stabilize on its own. Also, there are no perfect numbers to achieve, they are relative to each system/tank, but there are ranges one needs to try shoot for. I’ll try and read your other thread and see what’s in there that could help. Baby steps, patience and go slow, very slow. Knee-jerk reactions never end well in this hobby, so think, research, ask, then react.
Hold on!

 

[minus9]

So it seems as if your dry rock has never really matured and populated itself with sufficient bacteria and your restarts stopped that process each time. Dry rock takes a long time to mature and some varieties are notorious for leaching phosphates for a long time. I think you need to let the tank mature and build on beneficial bacteria. Dealing with nuisance algae is a PITA, but there’s never a fast way off dealing with it. It takes time, manual labor and more time. Developing a consistent maintenance routine is paramount and the key to overcoming these issues. It took me nearly two years before my tank started to stabilize and I used half live rock and half dry.

 

[terraincognita]

Sounds like a case of too MUCH worry. I just started a thread about when do you "stop worrying" lol.

Seems like you might be trying to solve things that are perfectly normal like the PH and possibly causing problems???

 

[minus9]

Just remember, it took the oceans millions of years to get it right, so expecting to achieve that success in weeks or months, is kinda unrealistic. Slow and steady.

 

[Tamberav]

+1, stop doing all that crap... your parameters were perfect before and vinegar + nopox both can cause bacterial blooms which depletes oxygen.

I am not sure who told you to get pH to 8.0 and Nitrate <2 but they need to join the rest of us in 2020 (even if 2020 has been... frustrating).