I think I am giving up

[Viking_Reefing]

What works for you, will most certainly not work for everyone. If I let my PO4 creep up to .1 I would have algae for days. if I let my nitrates creep up over 5, 90% of my SPS would be dead.

Just curious, why would all of your sps kick the bucket with nitrates above 5? Realistically everything between 5-20 should be fine (provided it doesn’t happen over night that is).

 

[homer1475]

Just curious, why would all of your sps kick the bucket with nitrates above 5? Realistically everything between 5-20 should be fine (provided it doesn’t happen over night that is).

Stability, thats why.

My tank has run for years at 1 to 2ppm of nitrate. If I let them creep up my corals aren't used to it. so they STN. Have had it happen a couple times. LPS and softies aren't so concerned with the increase. SPS on the other hand is a different story.

 

[Perthegallon]

Tank volume.
55L AIO
Lights
AI Prime
Other equipment
Small Wave Maker (Chinese Brand)
Age of tank
August 2019
Parameters (Actual values and types of test kits)

Salinity 1.026
Temp 24
Ammonia 0 API
Nitrite 0 API
PH 8.0 API
KH 7.0 API
Nitrate 5 Salifert
Phosphate 0 Salifert
Calcium 400 Salifert

2x clowns
a few mushrooms (happy)
2 Clusters of Xoanthids (happy)
GSP (happy)
One leather (happy)
One Acan (happy)
One lobo (semi okay)
One SPS (bleached)
One hammer. (polyp bailout) One head. is sitting in a cage in the tank seems happy enough for now the rest are MIA
One torch (polyp bailout) MIA

If I could guess any problem in my tank it could be lack of nutrients

Have you tried feeding the corals I was losing corals a lot then I mixed together reef frenzy,coral dust and reef roids then I started adding pods to the tank and adding plankton

 

[Katrina71]

I see several corals listed as happy. Why would you quit?

 

[snowhite]

I personally feel many people complicate things initially that do not need to be complicated, and end up causing problems for themselves that they cannot understand or get out of.

A basic saltwater tank that can support soft corals is not complicated, but people make it that way... in part because of all "input" they get on sites like these. People think "if it's not complicated then i'm not successful".

(In My Opinion)

 

[Crustaceon]

What works for you, will most certainly not work for everyone. If I let my PO4 creep up to .1 I would have algae for days. if I let my nitrates creep up over 5, 90% of my SPS would be dead.

I don’t think everything will work for everyone because each reefer is different and provides their own unique input into a system. But I do think we’re starting to turn a corner where a lot of commonly held ideas about reefkeeping are either found to be unnecessary or flat-out untrue. One of those is proper nutrient levels. In my case, I have to keep elevated po4 otherwise it’ll be completely stripped out of the system within a few days due to the carbon dosing so I proactively keep it above .1ppm. The funny thing is, I’ve also had my acros at 25ppm nitrates for months with the elevated po4 and I’ve seen growth, whereas I didn’t with four months of the tank being a 2ppm nitrates and .03ppm phosphates. Keep in mind this is a tank that didn’t have algae before raising nutrients and produces tons of bacteria, so maybe algae can’t compete as easily. This doubly makes sense as I used to run a refugium with a basketball-sized clump of chaeto and still had algae pop up in my display, even with zero phosphates on a hanna checker. Bacteria on the other hand outcompetes everything and I’m theorizing this is the case in my system in particular. Now you mention a key word here, “if”. Have you tried elevated nutrient levels on your own system and can speak from experience? I’ve also had plenty of people tell me acros won’t survive at over 78 degrees, yet I don’t run a chiller and my tank has sat as high as 84 degrees for days on end each summer with no ill effect. So if you’ve tried other things out of the norm like I have, were they rapid changes such as dosing no3/po4 or were they allowed to rise naturally? I’m sure your tank is awesome because i’ve seen fantastic tanks with low nutrients, but I’ve also seen plenty of tanks like mine that simply would not grow coral with anything under 5ppm nitrates and nearly undetectable phosphates.

 

[Crustaceon]

People think "if it's not complicated then i'm not successful".

(In My Opinion)

This is why I laugh when I see people posting their full apex setups like it’s a dog show and the judge is checking its haunches. It’s showing off things that have made reefkeeping more convenient for them, but it certainly isn’t necessary. Neither are $600 lights, “dc” everything and whatever else in this hobby that’s overpriced. But this is what new reefers see. No one is going to post a pic or video of their deep sand bed petco tank with hydor koralia’s no matter how hands-off and successful it is. But they certainly will show their “reef-spec” setup and all of gizmos attached to it. In reality, all our tanks need is a little flow, some light, some heat if needed and above all else, stability which 100% comes down to the reefer and how they set their own system up. That can be a simple affair or a complicated one.

 

[NS Mike D]

I don’t think everything will work for everyone because each reefer is different and provides their own unique input into a system.

This is why I laugh when I see people posting their full apex setups

hmmmm. Think about those two statements.


in any case back to the show and looking forward to updates from the OP

 

[NS Mike D]

This is why I laugh when I see people posting their full apex setups like it’s a dog show and the judge is checking its haunches. It’s showing off things that have made reefkeeping more convenient for them, but it certainly isn’t necessary. Neither are $600 lights, “dc” everything and whatever else in this hobby that’s overpriced. But this is what new reefers see. No one is going to post a pic or video of their deep sand bed petco tank with hydor koralia’s no matter how hands-off and successful it is. But they certainly will show their “reef-spec” setup and all of gizmos attached to it. In reality, all our tanks need is a little flow, some light, some heat if needed and above all else, stability which 100% comes down to the reefer and how they set their own system up. That can be a simple affair or a complicated one.

the 365 pic of my Petco Aqueon which I've posted a dozen time. The hydors are on the left side.

couldn't pass up on this coincidence. ''


sorry for the high jack.

 

[Crustaceon]

hmmmm. Think about those two statements.


in any case back to the show and looking forward to updates from the OP

Adding an apex system and constantly messing with different settings (or the wrong ones) certainly adds to instability even if the devices used are meant to impart it.

 

[NS Mike D]

Adding an apex system and constantly messing with different settings (or the wrong ones) certainly adds to instability even if the devices used are meant to impart it.

is that what you said? I didn't pick up on that in you post.





ah. just kidding. I'm pulling you leg.





enjoy my other post of my petco hyodor koralina tank with the apex.

You have to laugh that I was checking back in this thread when I came across your post describing my tank to a tee (sans sand) what were the odds.

 

[Fishbird]

I don’t think I’ve seen anybody else ask this, but, you said your LFS mixes your salt water for you and that they tell you they mix it to 1.026? Do you have a refractometer? What are you topping your tank off with when water evaporates? Do you also get plain RODI water from your LFS to top off with?

If I were you I wouldn’t buy anything but my own RODI setup, my own salt, and my own refractometer right now. Then you can at least know where you’re starting without relying on your store.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Instead of starting with Coral, why not start doing a fish only tank for 3-4 months? Then slowly move into coral? That's what I did.

 

[Spieg]

he said its a 50 gallon tank, BRS TV did a excellent way to explain par meters and distance from the water line how high your led should be in order to get evenly par spread on a 60 gallon tank, ill try to find the link, it made a lot of sense along with lots of testing on there part, I personally own a 40 gallon tank at home and followed there advice after watching there video and boy can i tell you how happy i am after 2 months later. All my corals are thriving, my water parameters as follows

Kh 11
salinity 1.023
Ph 8.4
Calcium 400
temp 79
Phosphate 0.02
Nitrate 5

I am just trying to see what are his led settings may be someone messed with it and running super high spectrum.

You should read a little closer, the OP said the tank is 55L (as in liters), so about 14 gallons. Your BRS reference for lighting is likely not applicable in this case. A PAR meter would probably be useful.
FWIW, in such a new setup, I wouldn't be messing with coral unless you're seeing good coralline algae.

 

[NS Mike D]

Instead of starting with Coral, why not start doing a fish only tank for 3-4 months? Then slowly move into coral? That's what I did.

pair of clowns already in the tank.

 

[MichaelReefer]

pair of clowns already in the tank.

I know, I'm just saying leave coral alone for a few months, maybe the tank just isn't ready, or it will give him time to figure out whats going on.

 

[NS Mike D]

I know, I'm just saying leave coral alone for a few months, maybe the tank just isn't ready, or it will give him time to figure out whats going on.

• First purchases were some soft corals and Zoanthids, one large soft coral died.
• after waiting some months before buying corals again, I got some more soft corals and Euphilia.

 

[Aqua Man]

Then there are things that we can not test for. Coral warfare. I forget about that myself occasionally. Softies, LPS and SPS In a small tank. Leather too!

Sounds like one of my tanks.

Really difficult to make all those different kinds of corals happy.

 

[Johny Cash]

You should read a little closer, the OP said the tank is 55L (as in liters), so about 14 gallons. Your BRS reference for lighting is likely not applicable in this case. A PAR meter would probably be useful.
FWIW, in such a new setup, I wouldn't be messing with coral unless you're seeing good coralline algae.

Perhaps you didnt read my post little closer, BRS tested on 60 gallon makes it even better. 5 gallon of difference

Par meter? I dont think majority here has not used par meter,

but hey i am not here to go technical on anyone, after all i am just trying to help.

 

[Spieg]

Perhaps you didnt read my post little closer, BRS tested on 60 gallon makes it even better. 5 gallon of difference

Par meter? I dont think majority here has not used par meter,

but hey i am not here to go technical on anyone, after all i am just trying to help.

Yes, we're all trying to help, but he said it is a 55 liter tank, not 55 gallons;

Tank volume.
55L AIO

Not sure I follow your broken English but I hope you understand the difference between a gallon and a liter.

60 gallons compared to 55 liters (55 liters is ~14.5 gallons) is a pretty big difference (over 300%).