Natural tank crashing.. Plz help!

GaryjW2 · Feb 7, 2014

So just going to start with been reef keeping now about 3 years never had a tank like this. I went to buy this 20g long tank for its kessil lights cuz it was so cheep. So I when I went to pick up tank the guy was telling me about how he liked the natural style tank with all the macroalgae in the display tank and not running a protein skimmer..oSo he had a canister filter under it with some crushed coral in it..so I ran it at my house with the intent to sell it all, long story short moved 700 miles away transported tank with us and set up at New house. Everything been going good till about 2 months ago the two scoolys in the tank just died in days.. I tried everything cleaned all filters and water change everyday almost and just can not keep the nitrate and phosphate down.Tank is just overrun by aiptasia. Livestock is a pair of black and white clowns , six line wrasse, some snails, ananome crab.. I don't have enough money to get a hang on protein skimmer... So looking to see if anyone has any advice would love to keep tank going.. Also it's about a 3 year old tank with a 2-3 inch sand bed and about 20 pounds live rock.. Using instant ocean original.. also just found out that the store I was getting water from is not ro/di just ro.. So hope I could get some help with this lost over 1k in coral already and don't want to lose another. Thanks for taking the time to help me out

TriggerThis · Feb 7, 2014

If you can't keep the nitrates down, then I bet your phosphates are also through the roof.
Get rid of all the fish and do weekly water changes. Maybe the money from the fish will help you get one.

But unfortunately it takes certain equipment to successfully run a reef tank and doing it without even half of the right stuff is almost impossible.
I don't know how it's supported life for this long.
I bet you even have ammonia in the water.
Also u need to be AT LEAST using instant ocean reef crystals for the water changes.

Also how do you have soo much money in livestock without enough for a skimmer? That should have been piece #2 after the tank.

vlangel · Feb 7, 2014

Along with water changes, can you run some carbon somewhere near moving water. I'm not sure how natural this tank is? You can put the carbon in a filter bag and place it either in front of a power head, or in a HOB filter if you have either of those. Change it every two weeks.

GaryjW2 · Feb 10, 2014

Getting better

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Ya the tank been running great for a long time. Going to be looking into getting a protein skimmer for it. Had a 75g when I moved my new landlord would not let have a big tank. So I picked evrything in 20g. Going to look into also putting a thing of chemipure in a hang on back filter. Think it will get better. Thanks for info.

TriggerThis · Feb 11, 2014

Ah that explains it. Bet another hob filter and put phos ban granules in a media bag on one side and the chemipure on the other. You could also start vodka dosing to get the nitrates down without a skimmer

kurtyboh · Feb 11, 2014

I ran for 2 yrs without a skimmer my nitrates never went above 25 and the one I have now on my 28 isn't great but it helps. All I'm saying is that if you are diligent with pwc's and keep a careful eye on everything a skimmer is bonus. The bigger issue is likely not using rodi water for the pwc. IMO that is far more important than a skimmer. Rowaphos or some type of gfo will likely also help, but don't mix it with the carbon because it will last much longer.
Is it possible to run a small sump? or are you only allowed a single 20?

DSP · Feb 11, 2014

kurtyboh said:
I ran for 2 yrs without a skimmer my nitrates never went above 25 and the one I have now on my 28 isn't great but it helps. All I'm saying is that if you are diligent with pwc's and keep a careful eye on everything a skimmer is bonus. The bigger issue is likely not using rodi water for the pwc. IMO that is far more important than a skimmer. Rowaphos or some type of gfo will likely also help, but don't mix it with the carbon because it will last much longer.
Is it possible to run a small sump? or are you only allowed a single 20?

+1 good info, skimmers do help but def are not needed to have an amazing tank hundreds of amazing reef tanks are skimmer less . I have had a 20 gal reef setup for 2 years with a hob filter and weekly waterchanges, It's nothing special but it does have sps in it that are doing awesome and the rest is Lps and there doing awesome, All the equipment you see people using helps a ton but it's not absolutely needed to keep a Reef tank,