New to reefing and need some advice

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

I have a modified Coralife BioCube 29 with the sump taken out and an external sump. I am having issues keeping my parameters in order. I've been doing a 5 gallon water change once a week and I can't seem to keep my nitrates down. Since day one I have always been around 50 plus and I am using the Red Sea kit. For the most part I have been keeping up with testing but sometimes with work and all I forget to test. Here are my parameters from last night and one from this morning. I lost a Chromie and a Tang this morning due to poor water quality I am guessing. I did a 15 gallon emergency water change this morning. Let me know what you think.

twilliard · Oct 14, 2015

Welcome to R2R!
How long has the tank been set up?
It still looks to me there is some cycle going on.

LetItReef · Oct 14, 2015

How long do you have this tank? I see a reading of Ammonia and looks like it is still cycling. Also, for a tank that size pick a Nano fish. A Tang needs a bigger tank.

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

The Tang was actually doing well for its size and the tank size. Now when I tested last night the test showed no ammonia. The ammonia reading is from the 15 gallon water change this morning. Maybe something is dead in the rocks or dying.

gaz · Oct 14, 2015

All of the above. How long did you cycle for? You shouldn't have any reading of nitrite or ammonia TBH and tang will get to big for that size tank

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

I cycled for 6 weeks and even after the 6 weeks the tank never seemed to settle. I am planning a 120 gallon system and wanted to move the yellow tang to it but having there issues are discouraging to the hobby.

Tahoe61 · Oct 14, 2015

Issues are always going to be more exaggerated in a Nano, they are not the easiest tank to begin with.
What is your water source? and salt mix?
A tank is not going to settle for months, I am going in 9 weeks and I still see subtle issues.

This is a very expensive hobby, it behooves you to go slow and always stock appropriately. There are always those that will tell a little tang in a 29 gallon tank is fine, but it's not, that is just asking for more issues eventually, regardless of your plans to upgrade down the road.

Are you feeding too much for such a young systems?

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

Since the day I got the tank from my LFS I've been getting there saltwater made with Red Sea regular salt. This past week I started just getting RO/DI water and using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. From day one I knew that the tank top as not suitable for the tang but knowing that I was going to get a bigger tank down the road I decided to get a small one to start. As far as feeding, I was feeding mysis twice a day and decided against feeding twice and started feeding only once per day. Hopefully I am feeding enough food or too much food. I have 2 clowns, blenny, purple fire fish, red fire fish, a torch, frogspawn, acropora, bubble coral, hammer head and two acans.

Tahoe61 · Oct 14, 2015

In a perfect world I would like to see the tang and other fish receiving some marine algae. You can cut up nori, use a quality frozen like Rod's food, get some pellets designed for algae eaters.

You may have stocked the tank too quickly and frankly you have too many fish for a 29 gallon tank. Six fish in a such a young tank is unrealistic. Maybe in six months and certainly not larger fish types.

If your ammonia level is correct and it's not user error in testing then what you're seeing is called New Tank Syndrome, the biological filter has not had time to catch up to the bio-load of your current inhabitants.

You can get a bigger tank, remove and re-home the tang, try some Microbacter7.

The nitrate value is fine, the Calcium to too high (not outrageous but too high), salinity has changed too much in 10 days. Corals, fish inverts need consistency and that get easier as the tank matures.

gaz · Oct 14, 2015

It will all come together just stick with it and take your time Every tank is different. You don't want to put lots of live stock in at once or it could course a crash in such a small

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

Thanks for your feedback and research. I'm not going to get anymore fish for this tank. The tang unfortunately did not make it this morning. I saw it take its last breath. It was sad. It was probably the most enjoyable and interactive fish that I have had. The Red Sea salt calcium levels were too low. Around 350. That is part of why I decided to mix my own salt. Keeping the PH and salinity stable has been an issue since day one for me.

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

I believe that this morning I saved my tank from completely crashing. My blenny still isn't acting normal and its concerning me. It's been mostly laying around and staying on the bottom half of the tank. Usually it's in and out of the rocks and on the top half of the water swimming around.

Tahoe61 · Oct 14, 2015

Do not worry about the calcium levels now, the tank is too young. A calcium of 350 is fine, and your pH is probably fine as well. Do not dose anything and try smaller water changes.

With patience the tank will turn around.

Nothing good happens fast in this hobby, I have no idea who said that but it's true.

gaz · Oct 14, 2015

I started with a FOWLR then progressed to softies then to lps sps if you jump straight in you get overwhelmed with all the numbers

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

It does become very confusing when first mixing corals and figuring out placement and flow. Another question that I have is when calculating how much water to change do I include the overflow going to the sump?

gaz · Oct 14, 2015

Just a rough 10-20% a week is fine don't really need to calculate it as long as you put enough back into the system

Joel Franco · Oct 14, 2015

I will start doing a 20 percent water change and see how things go. How often do you guys test?

Tahoe61 · Oct 14, 2015

I do a 10%-20% change once or twice a month on a 30 gallon.
Include total volume, if you do a 10-20% once or twice a month you'll be fine.
There is no standard, just basic guidelines.

When a tank is new I do not do a lot of testing for nitrates and phosphates, I know the values if I am using RO/DI water are not significant unless I see algae issues.

Unless you're keeping sensitive sps there is no reason to dose or test frequently, don't buy into the hype of dosing and buying products.

You got a tank to enjoy it, do not chase the numbers. Chemistry will come later, the basics of SG, temp, nitrate and phosphate will get you by for awhile.

DannyB · Oct 14, 2015

I am guessing the ammonia is up due to the fish losses. The numbers I am more concerned with is the alkalinity moving so much.

Do you have an ATO? If not, this can do wonders for stability.

DannyB · Oct 14, 2015

I also want to add that I love the fact you are keeping a journal/log book. Keep this habit, it can help tremendously in the future with being able to know what you did, when and how it effected your system.