Help work out what is wrong

[nkkm]

Hey all

Looking for some advice before I consider either giving up or starting all over.

I set up a tank a year and a half ago and all was going great, coral growing, fish healthy etc. I added a phosban reactor (thought it would be a good idea) and strangely got a hair algae out break not long after. It got worse and worse and over the past 6 months have lost everything except a chromis a turbo and a scarlet hermit. During the whole time all my readings were normal with different test kits.

As of about a month ago i took out most of the live rock and scrubbed a couple of big pieces and vacuumed the sand. Tank seemed to be fine but putting in a cleanup crew all the astrea snails died within a day. Hermits, turbo, cleaner shrimp and chromis are all fine.

I put in a single head of candy cane last week to test and it receded and died within 3 days.

No idea whats going on, took my water to two different fish stores and they tested and everything was fine as well.

Any help work out whats going on would be greatly appreciated.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
SG: 1.025
Ph: 8.3
Phosphate: need to double check but was not at local fish store and running phosban.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BeanMachine]

How big is your tank? Can u list the equipment? Astreas can't right themselves so if they get flipped over they will die. If you have an algae problem you probably have phosphates and nitrates it just may be consuming it so the test kits don't register anything. How often do you water change?

 

[BeanMachine]

Also what and how do you feed? How much exactly?

Do you make your own water and top off with rodi?

 

[nkkm]

It's a 50G Cadlights cube with 18g sump.

AI Sol light
NAC-6 skimmer
Just switched to a 1260 return
Koralia for extra flow
Apex with temp and Ph probe
Eheim Jager Heater

Water change 10-20% every week at most two.

 

[nkkm]

Also what and how do you feed? How much exactly?

Do you make your own water and top off with rodi?

Yes, I make my own water with RO/DI and reef crystal and top off with RO/DI

I feed mysis shrimp. When I had a few fish i would put half a cube into some tank water and swill it round and empty the water then put some more water back in. Would feed twice a day.

Now with only one fish i only cut off a small amount. Maybe an eighth of a cube a day for the one fish. Only enough that he can eat it all whilst I'm watching and not settle on the bottom.

 

[dorkymk3]

What kind of reactor did you run and what kind of media was use? Possibly added too much media at once? Trying running the tank without the reactor and drop some carbon in a mesh bag and leave it in the sump or you could run that inside your reactor.

 

[nkkm]

What kind of reactor did you run and what kind of media was use? Possibly added too much media at once? Trying running the tank without the reactor and drop some carbon in a mesh bag and leave it in the sump or you could run that inside your reactor.

I ran the Two Little Fishies 150 with their Phosban. I used the amount recommended for the system size. Once the hair algae got bad i assumed that had started it so removed it, I only started using is again about a month ago and added carbon in a mesh bag in the same reactor.

 

[dorkymk3]

Possibly cause an ammonia spike when you stirred up the sand from vacuum and possibly a high nitrate and phosphate spike when you scrub the rocks downs. That's one way to kill your Clean up crew. Also CUC should be slowly acclimated to the tank, especially if they are all invertebrates. Usually when I add phosban reactor, I slowly introduce the media into the system. Start out with half the amount that's recommended, then ramp it up to the full amount after a few weeks. One thing in this hobby, you have to be very patient and be careful with Water parameter swings. 50g is still considered a nano tank and is very sensitive to water swings. I have a 55g mixed reef and experience almost the same thing you did after adding reactors.

 

[happaman]

++ on the use of carbon. Did you test for copper? Could be contaminants with the inverts dying so quickly. Phosphate removers, including GFO, can drop the alk and cause problems. It's best to slowly ramp up IME. When I change out my media I test my water for alk for 2-3 days after and adjust dosing if needed. Stick with the reactors and it will pay off.

 

[nkkm]

++ on the use of carbon. Did you test for copper? Could be contaminants with the inverts dying so quickly. Phosphate removers, including GFO, can drop the alk and cause problems. It's best to slowly ramp up IME. When I change out my media I test my water for alk for 2-3 days after and adjust dosing if needed. Stick with the reactors and it will pay off.

I will buy a copper kit and test for that. Thanks

 

[loppnessmonsta]

What kind of reverse flow valve do u have? Make sure it does not have any metal in it. Keep running the phosban but rinse it thoroughly. I would also watch your tank to see when u need water changes you might need to extend ir shorten you water change routine.

 

[nkkm]

I don't think I have a reverse flow valve?

What generally constitutes a time to change? i don't tend to see any changes in the test but change anyway. I'm using ELOS and API kits and both show the same.