Please help my tank is ugly

[FriedReef TV]

My water isn't crystal clear and various forms of algae cover everything. There's an oily film on top of the water, and all of my corals are closed. Also, the tank is almost 5 months old and I have zero Coraline growth. My fish seem happy but all my inverts and corals seem depressed or something. I have a 20 gallon tank with a lousy protein skimmer, HOB aquaclear filter as a refugium, and 165w LEDs. I dont dose anything and I feed mysis shrimp every night. I use fuel 3 times a week for my corals. I have 4 small fish and a shrimp, 2 crabs and 2 snails. I do 2 gallon water changes every weekend and my current water parameters nitrate-1 ph-8.1 salinity-1.025 temp-79

it looks alot worse in person than in the pictures.

 

[LuizW13]

What's your water source, rodi?

I would probably cut back feeding a bit. Are you using PE Mysis? I've heard they are very oily- that could be the reason for the oil residue on the surface.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

What’s your phosphate level look like?
Are you using RODI?
Live or dry rock and was it cured?

Algae is natural, but looks like you have it in abundance. This means a nutrient problem .

Can you elaborate on your husbandry?

 

[o00brandon00o]

My water isn't crystal clear and various forms of algae cover everything. There's an oily film on top of the water, and all of my corals are closed. Also, the tank is almost 5 months old and I have zero Coraline growth. My fish seem happy but all my inverts and corals seem depressed or something. I have a 20 gallon tank with a ****** protein skimmer, HOB aquaclear filter as a refugium, and 165w LEDs. I dont dose anything and I feed mysis shrimp every night. I use fuel 3 times a week for my corals. I have 4 small fish and a shrimp, 2 crabs and 2 snails. I do 2 gallon water changes every weekend and my current water parameters nitrate-1 ph-8.1 salinity-1.025 temp-79

it looks alot worse in person than in the pictures.

@FriedReef TV

+1 RO/DI is a must

Your nutrients in > nutrients out.

My suggestions:

• Increase to 20% water change /week
• Only feed what they'll eat in a couple minutes
• Change/clean filter pad/sock every 3 days
• Focus on harvesting macro algae (better spectrum fuge light?)
• Adjust DT light cycle to complement fuge light cycle, not compete with it (timing/intensity)
• Manually remove as much algae as you can (tooth brush & elbow grease)
• Fine tune skimmer, this should take care of oil in water column (may need to break DT surface tension)
• Shower, rinse, repeat

 

[nereefpat]

Part of that is new system stuff. 5 months is new, especially if started with dry rock.

I would quit dosing Fuel...the corals don't need it. The tank isn't lacking nutrients.
More flow at the surface would help with the oily film.

A phosphate reading might tell you something too.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Do some bigger water changes, feed less, and run your lights less for a bit until you figure out the underlying issue. How long/strong do you run your lights now?


Edit. I was beat to the punch

 

[o00brandon00o]

... quit dosing Fuel...

+1 this too

 

[MnFish1]

Agree with that amount of coral you shouldn't need fuel. But - there isn't a good reason why the corals are closed/dont look good. Do you have a Po4 level? Do you use carbon? DO you have any idea what level of PAR your lights are set at. Do you have any more flow besides that HOB filter?

Flow makes a huge difference in filtration efficiency as compared to a freshwater tank. If that (it looks like it) an aqua clear filter - I would be using the one thats at least double that size for your tank - and position it in the middle of the tank - so that most of the flow goes onto your rock. Good luck

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

How much fuel are you dosing? The recommended amount?

I have the aquavitro fuel as well, but I dose very sparely mainly because I can’t test for whatever is it ... mainly amino acids

I would stop dosing fuel for now and do a large water change .

Manually remove as much as you can through scrubbing and picking ....rinse and repeat

Edit: seems others have agreed with stop dosing fuel

 

[o00brandon00o]

Agree with that amount of coral you shouldn't need fuel. But - there isn't a good reason why the corals are closed/dont look good. Do you have a Po4 level? Do you use carbon? DO you have any idea what level of PAR your lights are set at. Do you have any more flow besides that HOB filter?

Flow makes a huge difference in filtration efficiency as compared to a freshwater tank. If that (it looks like it) an aqua clear filter - I would be using the one thats at least double that size for your tank - and position it in the middle of the tank - so that most of the flow goes onto your rock. Good luck

@MnFish1

• PH is in his pictures
• Nitrates and phosphates would probably test 0
• Do you mean carbon filtering or carbon dosing?

 

[FriedReef TV]

What's your water source, rodi?

I would probably cut back feeding a bit. Are you using PE Mysis? I've heard they are very oily- that could be the reason for the oil residue on the surface.

I use the frozen mysis from PetSmart I forget what it's called also I use rodi water

 

[FriedReef TV]

What’s your phosphate level look like?
Are you using RODI?
Live or dry rock and was it cured?

Algae is natural, but looks like you have it in abundance. This means a nutrient problem .

Can you elaborate on your husbandry?

I use rodi and the rock was old rock that had been sitting in my closet for 2 years I had a fowlr tank a while ago

 

[FriedReef TV]

Part of that is new system stuff. 5 months is new, especially if started with dry rock.

I would quit dosing Fuel...the corals don't need it. The tank isn't lacking nutrients.
More flow at the surface would help with the oily film.

A phosphate reading might tell you something too.

ok I will quit with the fuel and do a phosphate test

 

[o00brandon00o]

I use the frozen mysis from PetSmart I forget what it's called also I use rodi water

@FriedReef TV Does your RO/DI test 000 TDS?

 

[MnFish1]

@MnFish1

• PH is in his pictures
• Nitrates and phosphates would probably test 0
• Do you mean carbon filtering or carbon dosing?

I think that powerhead is for the skimmer - but I might be wrong.
You're possibly correct - But if Po4 is high and nitrate low - it may partly explain the reason for the closed coral (which was the main question?)
I meant carbon filtering. (with high quality carbon).

He is basically (no offense to him) running an aquarium the way it used to be done years ago - So - I'm not sure you can say the Nitrate and PO4 are 'any predicted number'. But - btw - they would only be zero if the amount of algae present is exactly using the amount of Nitrate/PO4 that is being fed. If the Algae problem is 'worsening' - it means there is still excess No3 and PO4. Or?

Also was curious as to the CUC he uses - it doesnt sound like enough.
In any case - I guess I still suggest much higher flow and better filtration.

The other question - why are the corals closed? It has to be because the Algae then is outcompeting coral for nutrients - and IMHO - there is too little 'coral' and too much rock landscape (Or there is another toxin present)

 

[Webslinger]

get a sump

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Like your rock work. I would add a wavemaker on the opposite side of the AC filter to make a surface agitation and make sure you clean your filter media at least once a week. What's your light schedule and the % setup.?

 

[MnFish1]

get a sump

Curious - beyond increasing the total water volume - what is the benefit of a sump? (or were you thinking a sump with a refugium)?

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I doubt that phosphate will show up as it's probably being consumed by the algae.

You mention old rock that had been in a closet, how did you treat them prior to re-using them?
Agree discontinue fuel and manually remove what you can. What is in there for clean up now?

 

[MnFish1]

PS - I also like your rock work layout. You dont have 'much' coral - one thing that would help quite quickly - is merely taking out your rock scrubbing it with a wire brush rinsing it with Salt water - and doing a larger water change and replacing the rock. Along with a bigger CUC, and a bigger filter. The GSP can be out of the water while you do this little exercise - and just be careful not to 'hit it'.

Another option is to get a fish which is good at algae eating - lawnmower Blennie - there are others as well. BTW one reason I was suggesting 'more filtration' - is that your water isnt completely clear. I like Aquaclear filters - but I also have found that fairly quickly the water doesnt completely filter 'through' the filter.

Sorry for all of the suggestions - but I keep thinking of them - there are pads - that you can cut to the size of those filters that remove nitrate and PO4. this will help lower algae - though may not help the corals.

What is your alkalinity?

I also re-skimmed (no pun intended) your post - it says you're using the aqua clear as a 'refugium' - what do you mean by this?