Thoughts on my birds nest?

[Rscott]

Are you still dosing nopox? I’d start that since both your nitrates and phosphates are high. Running GFO will reduce your phosphates, but won’t help with your nitrates.

No not right now
I hate that it brings the oxygen down

 

[Rscott]

I made the following fuge mod today

The chaeto was blocking the outlet and causing levels to change
This should fix it right up

 

[Rscott]

A fuge is going to take a while to start working and then even longer to bring everything down. NOPOX will take a few weeks too, but it will help bring phosphates and nitrates down together.

Why not just do a water change

 

[bluprntguy]

Why not just do a water change

Yeah, I was going to suggest that since you don’t want to carbon dose. A few 20-30% Water changes should lower your nutrient levels.

 

[Rscott]

It seems like I am screwed either way
Might as well just throw the frags out and start over after the fuge is setup. I’m tired of spending money on salt

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Its hard to bring Phos down with water changes, it binds with your rocks and sand. So after a water change with clean water it will leach right back out.

I'd personally stop feeding the powdered coral foods any more than once a week. Check your Par and go from there. What fish do you have in a rsr 170 that gobbles down that much nori?

 

[Rscott]

Its hard to bring Phos down with water changes, it binds with your rocks and sand. So after a water change with clean water it will leach right back out.

I'd personally stop feeding the powdered coral foods any more than once a week. Check your Par and go from there. What fish do you have in a rsr 170 that gobbles down that much nori?

Who said it’s a rsr170?

It’s a read sea 450

The older 5 foot version not the 425xl

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Who said it’s a rsr170?

It’s a read sea 450

The older 5 foot version not the 425xl

Aah mis read. Must have been another thread stuck in my head.

 

[bluprntguy]

Who said it’s a rsr170?

It’s a read sea 450

The older 5 foot version not the 425xl

your first post says its a 120.

how many lights do you have over your tank?

 

[Rscott]

As in 120 gallon

Only 2 a360x at the second. Mainly because I have some softies in the middle of the tank

Night time pic so lights are winding down there

 

[bluprntguy]

As in 120 gallon

and how many lights over it?

 

[Rscott]

and how many lights over it?

Just edited above
Sorry should of clarified

 

[bluprntguy]

As in 120 gallon

Only 2 a360x at the second. Mainly because I have some softies in the middle of the tank

Night time pic so lights are winding down there

Kessill only rates the a360 at 24” max spread and I think most people would say 18” is more realistic. On a 5’ tank, 2 lights seems too little for SPS. I’d slowly move the the SPS to be centered directly under the lights and/or consider adding an additional light.

The tank looks great. Hope you can figure out what’s going on with your corals.

 

[Rscott]

Also just to show placement
The sps is directly under the light

The birds nest I recently moved a little lower
The stylo next to it is doing well

The pics are a bit deceiving
There is not really that much room
Between the corals and the lights
Wonder if the glass or camera made it look further apart
It’s about 20 inches from light to coral placement

 

[Rscott]

Kessill only rates the a360 at 24” max spread and I think most people would say 18” is more realistic. On a 5’ tank, 2 lights seems too little for SPS. I’d slowly move the the SPS to be centered directly under the lights and/or consider adding an additional light.

The tank looks great. Hope you can figure out what’s going on with your corals.

Thanks

That’s exactly what did the sps are in top directly under it. The middle with little light has a few zoa’s And a torch and a candy cane all doing well.

I have 4 a360x all together I just only have 2 installed but I bought 4.

I also just finished installing 2 ecotech battery backups
One for my m1 and one for my mp40’s

Tank is pretty well rigged with 200 gallons tanks supplying it from the basement through the wall

 

[Rscott]

Well this thread just became
Useless
Broke 4 corals while trying to vaccuum the sand tonight to help get the phosphates down

Really starting to see this is going to be a struggle for me.
Some
People on here this is non challenge and others spend hundreds of hours of there life and 10’s if thousands on it and get know where
Think I am the later case

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Well this thread just became
Useless
Broke 4 corals while trying to vaccuum the sand tonight to help get the phosphates down

Really starting to see this is going to be a struggle for me.
Some
People on here this is non challenge and others spend hundreds of hours of there life and 10’s if thousands on it and get know where
Think I am the later case

Dont get to distressed. This hobby is a challenge for virtually everyone in some way or another. Everyone has broken corals while cleaning their tank

Just be patient and take things slow.

 

[Skibum]

Dont get to distressed. This hobby is a challenge for virtually everyone in some way or another. Everyone has broken corals while cleaning their tank

Just be patient and take things slow.

Echo above sentiment. This hobby will humble you if you try to rush anything. The only real rule regarding reef tanks that EVERYONE abides by is this:

"Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank"

Your Po4 is not the problem, your No3 is not the problem, most likely your lights and chemistry are not the problem either. I'm sticking by my original statement that your tank is too immature. Give it time, if you think it's ready... wait another 3 months, and then wait some more. Believe me, I've grown corals in WAY dirtier water than what you posted your numbers to be, and I'm pretty sure I've NEVER vacuumed my sand bed. My corals are doing just fine. Take a few steps back, take a deep breath and just WAIT. Your tank will become balanced and mature if you give it time.

JM2C,

Tom

 

[Stain]

I feel your pain in breaking your corals, I just set a 20gal long up with some sps, broke a tip off my little red ferrari and felt pretty bad about it. But then I just glued the tip to a different spot. Two weeks later, the colony is healed, and the tip is encrusting lol. Dont sweat the small stuff, and keep your head up, learn from your mistakes and you'll make it.

 

[gideon2086]

Don't agree with the few that are saying your high PO4 levels aren't your problem. High PO4 in a new tank limits calcification and can stress coral. Your level is nearly 10x the recommended 0.03. I would expect to see improvement if you drastically drop your phosphate.