HELP ME disaster tank

[Mayli]

First off, thanks for reading.
5 months ago I set up a 29 gallon salt tank. The tank cycled well and after a month I added a shrimp/goby pair. The shrimp disappeared after a few weeks but the goby was going strong. Added a toadstool leather coral and a zoa frag. Over Christmas, we left town for a week (had a friend watch the house, told her to only feed the tank twice so there wasn't overfeeding), and then when I got back in town the tank was a cyanobacteria disaster, and the corals were DEAD DEAD DEAD, falling apart.

After that it's been only downhill. I've gone through a blackline blenny, mccoskers wrasse, hector's goby, and clown goby- all died within days of adding them to the tank. And then two weeks ago my original Wheeler's goby died. Currently the only livestock in the tank is a black ocellaris clownfish, four nassarius snails, two astrea snails, two tiny ricordea mushrooms and a clove coral frag that wont open. As of today the black clown is out of sight, assumed dead. The cyanobacteria is back completely only a few days after each water change. I dont know what it's eating either, because my nitrates have been reading absolutely 0 for the last month.
I know my tank is still young but I'm about to give up!
Please help me figure out what I'm doing/what is killing my fish and destroying my tank.

ABOUT MY TANK:
29 G
Salinity is 1.023
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 8.3
Calcium 520
Temp 78
Currenly don't have a phosphate test

Reef octopus 100 HOB skimmer
aquaclear filter HOB with GFO/Carbon mixture only
1 powerhead
30 lbs live rock
Small hang on refugium to grow chaeto (currently empty with 2 inches of miracle mud at the bottom)
4 bulb T5 fixture with ATI bulbs

 

[firecop951]

i would take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it. They will give you the run down on all levels. Maybe a hitch hiker in your live rock. Maybe to strong of a light.

 

[Mike in CT]

i would take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it. They will give you the run down on all levels. Maybe a hitch hiker in your live rock. Maybe to strong of a light.

This is a good place to start, just to confirm your numbers. You could have some kind of parasite going on in there and if your just about fish-less, maybe it's time to let the tank go fallow, and let it run its course. If the cyno hangs on, you could try chemiclean to get it under control. You also should think about maybe adopting a quarantine procedure before you start adding fish,
Also adding fish after fish after the previous one dies is only cost your fish lives, and your pocket money. Hang in there, there is big learning curve in this hobby.[emoji4]

 

[Diesel]

Sorry that you going through a bad experience with your tank.
IMO if your tank is fishless and don't have much corals a complete new cycle or just a complete restart is on it's place.


[HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG]

 

[rayn]

Agree with diesel, maybe a good cleaning and restart. I know it sucks, but it may be better for you in the long run

 

[jduck]

Salinity is on the lower side for coral. Shoot for 1.025

 

[dbl]

I would tend to agree with @Diesel and @Ryan given the current state - that being little to no livestock. A new start might give you the best chance. Can you tell us about the rock in the tank? Was it live when you put it in? Maybe where it came from - old system, LFS, friend?

 

[Mayli]

Thank you everyone for replying! The live rock was from liverocknreef.com. It was very alive when I got it, and there was a ton of die off during cycling. There is still some nasty looking stuff on the insides of caves...should I take the rock out and scrub it off?

 

[Humblefish]

It almost sounds like a toxin (household cleaner, bug spray) has gotten into your tank.

Can you post some pics? Specifically, of the cyano?

 

[dbl]

Thank you everyone for replying! The live rock was from liverocknreef.com. It was very alive when I got it, and there was a ton of die off during cycling. There is still some nasty looking stuff on the insides of caves...should I take the rock out and scrub it off?

May not be a popular choice, and this is only my opinion, but I personally would take the rock out and and give it a bath in a strong vinegar solution and completely start over. Sounds like there are some unknowns there. Again, just my opinion.

 

[Lora Stroud]

Been there...done that! I used tetracycline for cyano. Have LFS test water. Use RO/DI water and not tap water as its full of 'stuff'! Check fish for ich, velvet, fin rot, parasites...etc. Does sound as if something is poisoning the water. Check phosphates and maybe copper since coral and shrimp killed over too. Starting over step by step may be the best. Wish you luck.

 

[Mayli]

Thank you everyone! I actually work at a LFS. I brought water into work to test, and I also took water to a LFS about 20 mins away. All tests came out very good. However, no one had a copper test.

I use RO DI water and it tests clean.

 

[Mayli]

I believe starting over might be my only option. Does anyone have recommendations on where to buy live rock online? All LSF in my area are super pricey.

I will post pics when I get home.

 

[Humblefish]

I believe starting over might be my only option. Does anyone have recommendations on where to buy live rock online? All LSF in my area are super pricey.

BRS air ships LR directly from Fiji: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock-live-sand/air-live-rock.html

But their dry rock is much more affordable: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock-live-sand/dry-live-rock.html

If you're worried that your current rock might have absorbed a contaminant (like copper), that's nothing a muriatic acid bath won't fix.