Looking for some help

[Payne Train]

Take a water sample to your LFS & get a complete set of water tests (don’t trust API). Pay for it if you have to, or maybe an experienced reefer nearby can help?

Take the collection cup off your skimmer & keep running it until it settles down. Then remount the cup & tune it until foam barely goes to the top of the cup.

Report back what you find.

I had my LFS test my nitrate and phosphates - both were zero.

My protein skimmer is a HOB

 

[Payne Train]

Pests? Do you dip?
Do you ground or use GFCI?
A million factors here haha

lol I know - crazy hobby.
I have reliable surge protectors plugged into my GFCI outlets.
I also use revive for all of my new coral. I dip for 10 minutes or so.

 

[ichthyoid]

I had my LFS test my nitrate and phosphates - both were zero.

My protein skimmer is a HOB

What about the pH & alk? Those can get you in trouble quicker, imo.

 

[Payne Train]

What about the pH & alk? Those can get you in trouble quicker, imo.

Test results
Salinity - .025
PH 8.0 . Maybe 8.2
NI - 0
NA - 0
AM - 0
Phos - 0
CA - 425
KH/Alk - 10 (I thought this was high?)
Mag - 1350

 

[ichthyoid]

Test results
Salinity - .025
PH 8.0 . Maybe 8.2
NI - 0
NA - 0
AM - 0
Phos - 0
CA - 425
KH/Alk - 10 (I thought this was high?)
Mag - 1350

What would make ALK do that? I was surprised when I seen my test turn colors so I check it twice and it was 9.5-10 for both tests. (salifert)

From what you’ve reported, I don’t know why your alk would jump? Some people have problems with LPS at higher alk levels. Are you dosing an all supplement?

 

[Payne Train]

From what you’ve reported, I don’t know why your alk would jump? Some people have problems with LPS at higher alk levels. Are you dosing an all supplement?

I use Red Sea AB+ for food, but I don't dose anything else. Just water changes with Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. (every two weeks)

 

[Payne Train]

From what you’ve reported, I don’t know why your alk would jump? Some people have problems with LPS at higher alk levels. Are you dosing an all supplement?

What seems odd to me is that the hammer/octospawn/duncans look worse than my torches

 

[Payne Train]

I'm looking at ideal target parameters for a reef tank online and the only things that seem off are NO3 and PO4 ... so maybe they are just needing nutrients?? But again, I feed heavy and dose food so It just seems odd

 

[ichthyoid]

I’m not familiar with Red Sea AB+, so looked it up. It has organic carbon in it, which can drive your NO3 & PO4 down & raise alkalinity in the process.

My thinking is that, even at less than recommended dosage, adding the AB+ has left the corals without sufficient soluble nutrients. Likely because bacterial growth consumed the nutrients.

I would suggest doing the water change, stop AB+, then see if things improve?

Wait til your alk comes down, NO3 & PO4 are at 1.0 & 0.02+ before trying AB+ again. If you do watch alk daily. It’s a young tank.

Sorry for your losses! Most of us have been there.

 

[Payne Train]

Do you mean that algae/bacteria are eating the nutrients too fast?

 

[ichthyoid]

Yes.
Corals don’t do well living in a aquatic desert, nutritionally speaking. They need some nutrients, including phosphorous (ie- phosphate).

If the nutrients are bound up in other things, corals may not be able to utilize them. That is, depending on the coral and organism containing nutrients.

Here-

Phosphorus is an essential component of all cells; the element forms the backbone of nucleic acids, without which cells cannot reproduce. Phosphorus is also incorporated in nucleotides, sugars, proteins, and lipids.

 

[Payne Train]

Yes.
Corals don’t do well living in a aquatic desert, nutritionally speaking. They need some nutrients, including phosphorous (ie- phosphate).

If the nutrients are bound up in other things, corals may not be able to utilize them. That is, depending on the coral and organism containing nutrients.

Here-

Phosphorus is an essential component of all cells; the element forms the backbone of nucleic acids, without which cells cannot reproduce. Phosphorus is also incorporated in nucleotides, sugars, proteins, and lipids.

Right - that’s why I was hoping that over feeding and dosing coral food would keep them happy until my tank ultimately decided to have measurable levels on NO3 and PO4 ..... hoping