Tank parameters gone wild.....need suggestions

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

Our current tank:
75g main display
15 g Tidepool 2 sump with bio-wheel filtration
Lots of live rock and a sandbed of around 3" depth
Eshopps PSK 150 in sump protein skimmer

My wife Heather maintained this tank for 15 years beautifully, growing corals and awesome fish.

This is where I come in......Reef Wrecker Joshua.......I convinced her to let me buy a Volitan Lionfish and a small Porcupine Puffer.
After a few months, her beautiful eco-system is wrecked.......along with a clownfish missing thanks to the lionfish.

We are currently down to just the lionfish and puffer and a small sailfin tang to help eat the green hair algae.

I bought a protein skimmer per our lfs recommendation and it does pull a lot of junk out of the water, but I'm not sure it's enough to fix things. We've had it in operation for a couple weeks now.

We've switched to RO/DI water and done 30% water changes 2 times per week for the last few weeks, but our phosphates stay around 5-10 and our nitrate levels approach 160 on our test kit.
We will be purchasing a new tank next spring (200g +-) to give the fish lots of room to roam when they get larger.

In the mean time, what can we do to bring the levels down to a less staggering number?
Our sandbed even has a reddish purple tint to it....I don't think it is cyano, but not positive??? It doesn't look like other pictures of cyano I've seen, but maybe it's just starting?

I feel bad, as I've really messed up my wife's beautiful reef and want to get it back on track.

Any help is appreciated,
Joshua

 

[Jakepen]

Pretty impressive nitrates. Need to find a way to better export those, more water changes, refugium, algae scrubber. Can't imagine two new additions causing that much problem to a 15 year established tank. Maybe just feeding those fish way more than the tank is use to. Post some pictures of the stuff on the sandbed, lots of different colors of cyano.

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

 

[Jakepen]

Big butt lion

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

Our LFS even recommended removing the bio wheel filter, but I've heard that can cause an ammonia spike.

Anyone had good/bad experience removing biowheels?

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

Big *** lion

He's around 7.5 - 8 " long now

 

[Jakepen]

I'm not familiar with fish, may want to re home him soon. Yeah the bio wheel, I think those can become nitrate factories after time. I would try removing that, and monitor your levels.

 

[Jakepen]

How do you consider it wrecked, A lost fish and some algae? Far from gone friend, just need to roll up the sleeves and give it some extra tlc.

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

Do you think 30% water change two times per week is enough? Maybe 30% every other day for a few weeks?
I also added Phosguard in a filter bag in the sump to help with phosphates....seems to maybe be helping a small amount.

Sorry for all the silly questions, I just want to learn and get this reef headed the right direction.

I really appreciate the help

 

[brett_schn]

Do you think 30% water change two times per week is enough? Maybe 30% every other day for a few weeks?
I also added Phosguard in a filter bag in the sump to help with phosphates....seems to maybe be helping a small amount.

Sorry for all the silly questions, I just want to learn and get this reef headed the right direction.

I really appreciate the help

Try a 90% maybe 95% then every week 50%

 

[Jakepen]

I should also mention don't do to much to quickly, mainly in adding stuff. I usually stray away from adding anything, like phosguard or other quick fixes. Yeah, water changes may be a great option in the beginning.

 

[Jakepen]

With nitrates that high, may take a few large water changes.

 

[nervousmonkey]

@Lionfish Lair what do you think???

 

[Reef Wrecker Joshua]

I think we are gonna try a massive water change.....at least 50% maybe more and see what that does to the water test levels......if that's not enough I guess we can try an even bigger change a few days after.

 

[thaitopher]

Remove the wheel and replace with chaeto? That would probably help a lot. Also consider adding a GFO reactor

 

[thaitopher]

Cut back your feedings by half maybe?

 

[thaitopher]

Do a 3 day total blackout for quick fix - it works wonders

 

[thaitopher]

Are you sure that's algae? Never seen purple algae before

 

[thaitopher]

Is the purple stuff on the sand hard or slimy? Does it break apart easily?