Problem after problems

[Juliano]

Ok so some of my corals are fading some browning not all either long story short I got some people saying 0 nitrates means my sps are not eating then I have others saying sps don't like nitrates at all I'm almost at a point of stripping the whole tank an starting over I never had this many problems with corals what should I do an how should I approache this situation all info will help here's the last test I got done I have a 80 gallon rr deep blue tank
Cal 500
Alk 9.3
Mag1410
Nh3=0
No3=0
No2=0
Po4 .09
I dosed stump remover yesterday nitrates are now at 5ppm don't know what else too do some say it could be my lights as well I got 2 Chinese led boxes over the tank

 

[Juliano]

 

[Juliano]

Pictures of my set up

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea man. It gets confusing. Bottom line there's a lot of ways to do it.
Here's one. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...d-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/#post-2401666

And another .It's LONG. But there are some SERIOUS SPS gurus in it.

And just from looking. There really is something to the mature tank for acropora thing. Yea a lot of folks can get away with it, but they're usually pretty skilled.

 

[McMullen]

It's not the lights!

 

[Juliano]

I've had this tank up for a little over a year now my last aquarium was a 90 all my corals did great I had to take down cause I was gonna move to atl but I came back to my home town started this 80 project an it's been downhill ever since first it was cyano then bryopsis then dino now my corals an some brown in sand an still a little dino I killed off the bryopsis it's a roller coaster I'm just tryin my best to stable the tank it seems out of wack

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1 to Salty's advice. I think it's nutrient levels as well. Zero nutrients are never good, everything in the world needs something to grow with.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's not the lights!

I've had this tank up for a little over a year now my last aquarium was a 90 all my corals did great I had to take down cause I was gonna move to atl but I came back to my home town started this 80 project an it's been downhill ever since first it was cyano then bryopsis then dino now my corals an some brown in sand an still a little dino I killed off the bryopsis it's a roller coaster I'm just tryin my best to stable the tank it seems out of wack

Yea its a Balance. Its falls out of whack and takes some time to get it back.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Kinda interesting. It really looks like it's just the acros and the chalice taking a beating.
.
The Lps and the branching monti seem ok. Or have I finally lost the last marble.

 

[mtraylor]

My thoughts are in an established reef, you really shouldn't be chasing Nitrates unless you have allot of fish that your are feeding allot, etc/etc. Did you have issues in the tank, or did you look at the reading and say......Hey I got to do something about this? The reason I asked is because in my experience this is how I usually messed up a good thing in the past within my aquarium....Chasing something that wasn't an issue.
Just from the pictures your sump looks way too clean for a year old aquarium. Kudos to you for keeping it so clean....wish I could do that. Anyway I wouldn't dose anything for Nitrates. It appears from the picture that you can adjust your protein skimmer to be more efficient. I don't see many bubbles in the top tub. Also how many fish do you have and how often do you feed?

 

[Juliano]

My thoughts are in an established reef, you really shouldn't be chasing Nitrates unless you have allot of fish that your are feeding allot, etc/etc. Did you have issues in the tank, or did you look at the reading and say......Hey I got to do something about this? The reason I asked is because in my experience this is how I usually messed up a good thing in the past within my aquarium....Chasing something that wasn't an issue.
Just from the pictures your sump looks way too clean for a year old aquarium. Kudos to you for keeping it so clean....wish I could do that. Anyway I wouldn't dose anything for Nitrates. It appears from the picture that you can adjust your protein skimmer to be more efficient. I don't see many bubbles in the top tub. Also how many fish do you have and how often do you feed?

I actually just switched the sumps I had a smaller reef octopus sump under the aquarium I have 4 fish as of wright now an the problems I had b4 this was bryopsis cyano an dino then I started loosing coral as u can see lose of color bleach an browns

 

[mtraylor]

Oh ok. Yeah I would have your parms checked again with an alternate source to see if yours are accurate. You may have a test kit that is off.

 

[Juliano]

I went to lfs to get them checked I'm gonna go again to see what I'm at now

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I went to lfs to get them checked I'm gonna go again to see what I'm at now

Check the Alk too.

 

[Juliano]

Cause there the ones saying sps don't need nitrate an then other people are saying they do I'm like stuck between do they or don't they I know everyone does things differently In the hobby so I can't judge

 

[Juliano]

I dropped alk by one ml just to b safe I'm thinking change lights an see what goes from there

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Cause there the ones saying sps don't need nitrate an then other people are saying they do I'm like stuck between do they or don't they I know everyone does things differently In the hobby so I can't judge

If you follow Randy's Recommendation guidelines you'll be all set to start.

I dropped alk by one ml just to b safe I'm thinking change lights an see what goes from there

Read up on that link I gave you. Nutrients and light play a role together. If you adjust one, then the other, then the other, then the other(get what I mean?) its hard to balance the two.

Feed the fish healy, go from there. If you grab a LUX meter youll want about 35000 lux or so in top of the water there.

Yea if the sps are a bit stressed lower the light a tad. ..

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Whats your alk at right now. FWIW lower nutrints, lower alk is easier.

 

[Juliano]

Ok I got a par reader I'm gonna connect lap top after work an see what my readings are I read a little on what u recommended I'm gonna check more into it tomorrow after work

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok I got a par reader I'm gonna connect lap top after work an see what my readings are I read a little on what u recommended I'm gonna check more into it tomorrow after work

it gets better. And its odd. but an older tank is so stupid different than a young one. and one you find that balance it just takes off on its own.
Ive been schooled SOO many times by my tanks.

try to hit 350 par at the acro. 200 if you want them to rest a bit.