New Reefer, little help

[Kozman]

...so now it looks like I have Cyano, the last few days I noticed my sand turning a pinkish rust color. It started in a corner and now spreading. could the high PO4 be part of the cause. Any suggestions on how to tackle the high phosphates and cyano?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

...so now it looks like I have Cyano, the last few days I noticed my sand turning a pinkish rust color. It started in a corner and now spreading. could the high PO4 be part of the cause. Any suggestions on how to tackle the high phosphates and cyano?

High phosphate does not cause cyano. Cyano requires some source of P, which can also include organics, but it also requires many other things.

What are the nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[Kozman]

NO3 - 5, PO4 - .87

 

[Kozman]

I don't think it's Cyano, it's more likely Diatoms. I had a closer look and the sand has a rust color dusting over it, kinda like it was sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. any suggestions on how to attack this issue.

 

[Kozman]

It's been awhile and my tank looks like some kind of bloom,maybe diatoms??, the last 2 weeks I dosed Microbacter7 and Hydrogen Peroxide , lowered lights to blues only and weekly water changes and still has not reduced it on the sand and rocks. NO3 is 5, PO4 is .47, salt is 1.025, Alk 9.8, Calc 480, Mag 1470. Any suggestions?

 

[I never finish anythi]

First thing I'd do at this point is send off for an icp test ! You will end up chasing you're tail otherwise. Hopefully you will get better information from the test and get the problem/ s resolved!

 

[I never finish anythi]

Also where do you get your R/O water from ?

 

[Kozman]

R/O I'm getting from LFS. The last few water changes have been pre mixed boxes, Nutri-Seawater jugs

 

[Kozman]

It looks like I lost a hammer coral last night, the polyps are retracted, doesn't look good. My numbers don't seem that bad so not sure what is going on. Do you think the cyano or diatoms is choking out the corals?

 

[Kozman]

Latest pic, it's just getting worse and I lost a hammer coral

, my Duncan is closed up. I'm afraid I'm losing control here...help

 

[TX_REEF]

definitely get your salinity down to 1.026. You can't always trust the LFS tests either, a lot of them use API test kits and my own LFS I had to tell them their salinity checker was wrong and needed to be replaced. Make sure you aren't blasting your zoas and candy cane with direct flow, they generally don't appreciate that,

 

[TX_REEF]

Latest pic, it's just getting worse and I lost a hammer coral

, my Duncan is closed up. I'm afraid I'm losing control here...help

I also see actual candy canes in your tank - are you certain these I'm assuming fake candy canes are reef safe? Leeching of materials can also kill corals.

 

[TX_REEF]

Finally, your filter seems undersized for me. It says max GPH is 250, which I do not believe is sufficient turnover for your 50 gallon future mixed reef.

 

[Kozman]

Thx for reply..lol the candy canes are plastic and I will take them out. Actually the tank is a 40 gallon not a 50 as I originally stated. I think I have plenty of flow, the dual headed powerhead is rated at 1500 gph(it's an Amazon special, think it's called Freesea) and one at the bottom is small, maybe 400gph Fluval. My main concern is the cyano/diatoms, do i let it run its course or go with Chemi-clean?. I just dont want to lose more corals or god forbid my fish

 

[Kozman]

So I used Chemiclean and 48 hrs later still no change, it looks exactly the same so not really sure what is going on. I did the 3 day blackout, dosed bacteria and Hydrogen Peroxide for 2 weeks prior, I'm at a loss, it this not cyano and possibly something else Chemiclean doesn't cure?. Please help