No luck keeping corals alive

[Karen00]

Are you testing your freshly made saltwater at the time of use? Also what salt brand are you using and how do you mix it? It looks like your fresh saltwater might be off and your parameters are going down with each water change you do. As has been mentioned salinity, calcium, nitrates are all very low).

 

[TCfishie]

My guess is some of these tests are not accurate.

Also 0 Nitrate?
Do you know PO4?

Why would you add an algae scrubber with 0 nitrate? I don't see algae issues.

What is in the reactor?

Corals need nutrients, softies more so.

Have an ATO so the salt stays close to 1.024

Lights are AI HD 26

 

[TCfishie]

Are you testing your freshly made saltwater at the time of use? Also what salt brand are you using and how do you mix it? It looks like your fresh saltwater might be off and your parameters are going down with each water change you do. As has been mentioned salinity, calcium, nitrates are all very low).

Only test salinity and TDSon the new water

 

[TCfishie]

Only test salinity and TDS on the new water

 

[Tamberav]

hannah calcium is known to have issues. Verify that result with another kit imo.

0 nutrients generally means no coralline. By the look of the tank, you are stripping it too much.

 

[TCfishie]

Only test salinity and TDSon the new water

hannah calcium is known to have issues. Verify that result with another kit imo.

0 nutrients generally means no coralline. By the look of the tank, you are stripping it too much.

Should I only run the skimmer part time? 12 hours?

 

[TCfishie]

I had problems off and on with red slime and then GHA more recently. The algae scrubber is for nutrient export.

I know it’s hard to see (IPad camera is poor) but I do have a few spots of GHA on the sand

 

[TCfishie]

Only test salinity and TDSon the new water

Salt is mixed in 5 gallon buckets

 

[Woodyman]

Salt is mixed in 5 gallon buckets

What SpG do you mix it to?

 

[Chrisv.]

Agree with above. Always verify test results either with ICP test, secondary test kit or take to LFS. For a year old system it almost looks too clean. Also don't see any coraline algae which is a bad sign.

If I'm not mistaken, the nitrate, nitrite and phosphate that comes back from ICP does not actually come from the ICP instrument. Those are just tests being done at the ICP lab using traditional methods that are added to the report.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I can dose the calcium back up, I turned off the DOS a few months ag.

Start with manual dosing until you know what your CA requirements are

 

[TCfishie]

have you always had detectable ammonia levels? Seems off for a tank that is a year old and property cycled. Also how are your phosphate levels? Nitrates being 0 isn’t helping…coral need food.

Phosphate show zero too, Hana

 

[Tamberav]

I know it’s hard to see (IPad camera is poor) but I do have a few spots of GHA on the sand

dont strip nutrients for some mild algae. Add a cuc. Algae is a normal healthy part of a reef. You don't want 0's... you just want something to eat it. Manual removal works too.

 

[Chrisv.]

I think there is some confusion here: are you saying you mix your salt to a specific gravity of 1.024 or are you saying your salinity is 24.1 ppt?

If it's 24.1 then this is a HUGE issue for coral and it it a fundamental problem that could keep everything from living. If it's 1.024, then....meh.

 

[Karen00]

I can't read your salinity meter in the pic. Are you mixing your salt to 24ppt? Alternatively are you heating you fresh salt mix to the same temp as your tank then testing the salinity before adding? Something is bringing your salinity down and that's going to have an overall impact on your tank. 24ppt is high brackish which most corals will not tolerate for very long (and most fish).

 

[Tamberav]

Apex salinity probe is EHHHH... just check it with your refractometer to verify.

But yes it should read 34ish not 24 on the probe

 

[WisReef]

I think there is some confusion here are you saying you mix your salt to a specific gravity of 1.024 or are you saying your salinity is 24.1 ppt?

If it's 24.1 then this is a HUGE issue for coral and it it a fundamental problem that could keep everything from living. If it's 1.024, then....meh.

He showed a photo of his apex display showing 24.1ppt...although who knows when it was last calibrated.

I run my skimmer 4 hours a day. If you have zero nitrates, you really don't really need to run it constantly. As other have mentioned, you are starving your corals to death.

A few priorities:

1. Raise you salinity (unless you can confirm it is not that low)
2. Add nutrients to the tank...especially if your alk is 9.
3. Raise your CA.
4. Add more live rock/porous substrate somewhere. You really shouldn't notice a sizable raise in your ammonia with the death of a coral.

 

[TCfishie]

I'm assuming this is in ppt and as @Karen00 pointed out. Way to low! You need to get that in the 34-35ppt range.

Do you check your water change water for SpG? Or the tank ever? Calibrate the apex probe?

Ok so probably a bad assumption on my part the salinity below is 18.9 and it should be 34-35? Or the apex needs to be 34-35 are these readings on a basis.

 

[Chrisv.]

Don't do anything at all until you raise your salinity to 35 ppt. Do this slowly using water changes DO NOT PUT DRY SALT INTO YOUR ESTABLISHED AQUARIUM

 

[Woodyman]

Ok so probably a bad assumption on my part the salinity below is 18.9 and it should be 34-35? Or the apex needs to be 34-35 are these readings on a basis.

Your salinity should read in the 35-36 ppt or 1.024-1.026 SpG range.