Struggling 29 bio cube

[plowgod]

I have had a bio cube for about 3 years and been struggling for 3 years with it. I have a few mushrooms for about a year but no growth or reproduction. Have had multiple corals but no success. still have first clown but tried many other fish but can't keep them a live. I have 2 turbo snails and they are still alive. I do 4 gallon water changes every week, have changed the membranes in my RO machine, use Instant Ocean reef crystals salt, changed to LED lighting and it is on about 10 hours a day. I have added a protein skimmer about a year ago and test the water often and even have taken it to multiple fish stores to test. 2 power heads for water circulation. Salt level@1.023. Don't know what else to do, it can't bee that hard, any suggestions?

[Pinner Reef]

Can you give a full rundown of your water parameters... and a pic (however "bad")

[plowgod]

• phosphate=0.0 ppm
• nitrate= 0.0 ppm
• calcium=200ppm
• kh=214.8

kh=214.8 ppm

[Pinner Reef]

Well, Calcium is low and kh could be a bit lower. What brand of test kits are you using?

Have you changed the light bulbs since having the tank?

Umm. dunno, Have you had the tank tested for copper?

pic could really help.

[plowgod]

I bought a new LED light last spring and removed all the internal lighting that was stock. I am using a API reef master kit to test. I have not tested for copper, what test would I use for that? I did just add 5 ml of kent liquid calcium. The lights just went off for the night so I will send a picture tomorrow. Thanks

[Newstead]

With a skimmer this may be a stupid suggestion, but have you siphoned out the back chambers to the bottom? With my first biocube I *assumed* the pump and water flow cleaned out the back. Was amazed at what cane out when I finally realized I needed to siphon it.

[plowgod]

 

Can too much calcium at one time be bad?

[mystersyster]

Are you shaking the vile between each drop when testing calcium?

[plowgod]

No I did not, I will try that. Thanks

[HarryPotter]

WIN_20151006_183634.jpg

No I did not, I will try that. Thanks

 

 

First of all, Calcium at 200 is no good. Bad for the corals for sure.

 

You should do a few GOOD water changes (5g each, from the fish store probably) to get the Calcium up.

 

5ml of Kent Ca wont do anything. Use the BRS calculator to find out how much you should add, it needs MUCH more than that.

 

Salinity is a bit low, I would add some salt or do more water changes. Low salinity= low parameters.

[plowgod]

where do I find the BRS calculator.

[HarryPotter]

where do I find the BRS calculator.

Here. Just put in your data and it tells you how much to add.

 

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

[EricB.]

What kind of LED's?

 

You have a good bit of coralline growing, which will deplete calcium, but 200ppm is really low.

 

There's also some hair algae growing, so there's phosphate somewhere. This will also give you inaccurate phosphate and nitrate readings.

 

What kind of other fish have you tried? What's your acclimation procedure?

 

My suggestion is to get your parameters closer to ideal and address the hair algae before adding anything else.

[makmakmo]

Check and make sure none of your equipment is not shorting out electrically in your tank. That would kill fish. And no it should not be that hard. Something is very wrong. Your parameters seem ok. I have had calcium pretty low before but it did not kill fish or corals, at least it was not low for years either. Get kent m tech magnesium too. If you do not have magnesium in your water it will not matter how much calcium and kh you add, it will not dissolve into the water and start snowing in your tank.

[mystersyster]

It is important you shake the vile between each drop. I made the same mistake. Re read the instructions and you will see. Otherwise you will overdose. Your calcium is actually probably 360 or so

[reefernanoman]

I bought a new LED light last spring and removed all the internal lighting that was stock. I am using a API reef master kit to test. I have not tested for copper, what test would I use for that? I did just add 5 ml of kent liquid calcium. The lights just went off for the night so I will send a picture tomorrow. Thanks

I would use a test kit that is more accurate than API honestly. Something made by Red Sea for example. I know that it's probably more than twice the price, but well worth it. You can use the API test kit to measure calcium? You do weekly water changes and your tank is still not doing well? That's strange right there.

What is your water temperature?

[metrokat]

 

• phosphate=0.0 ppm
• nitrate= 0.0 ppm
• calcium=200ppm
• kh=214.8

kh=214.8 ppm

 

Tank seems to be starving IMO.

 

Calcium is low as everyone else is telling you. Dosing 5ml or 50 ml depends on the dosage instructions on the bottle - that calculator Harry linked is a good one.

 

What is your magnesium testing at?

 

Nitrates and phosphates should be measurable, but not high, not zero. Zero means there are no nutrients although I suspect that looking at the GHA and coralline, whatever you have in the tank is getting used up.

 

I would add some amino acids and coral foods to target feed corals with all pumps off.

 

If there are no corals on that top rock I would consider tossing it or doing a dip in 50/50 peroxide and tank water. then rinse the rock in some salt water and put back in the tank. That should clean the algae.

 

dKH is 12 which is rather high and surprising given the coralline which eats alkalinity. Water changes should balance out the parameters, if that is not the case the water you are using needs to be a better one.

[ReefWeeds]

Also, what everyone else said is good. Just one word of advice: don't bring your calcium up all at once. Do it slowly over a couple days. You don't want to change anything really quickly.

[plowgod]

Thanks for all the comments, what does everyone thing of the water coming out of my RO measuring 2 ppm and it is well water not city water, is that too high? It sounds like I may need to change test kits and test for other parameters. Thanks for the help.

The light is a current Orbit LED light with a control and timer and temperature is 88.

[plowgod]

I have been doing 4 gallon water changes per week and I cannot get a handle on this. Should do I larger change to get this under control?

[makmakmo]

Did you say your tank water temp is 88 degrees? If so I would try to bring it down to at least 80. There is a big debate on that but yours seems kind of hot, and from what I learned is that the fish dont like that.

 

Also, my friend has orbit lights and his coral barely grow with that light. I dont know if its the spectrum or what but I pretty much overlook his tank too and some of the corals in his tank were split from mine and mine seem to grow 3 times as fast. I hate that light. sorry

[reefernanoman]

Thanks for all the comments, what does everyone thing of the water coming out of my RO measuring 2 ppm and it is well water not city water, is that too high? It sounds like I may need to change test kits and test for other parameters. Thanks for the help.

The light is a current Orbit LED light with a control and timer and temperature is 88.

88? that seems way too high. I would get like 3 cheap digital thermometers and get an average to see if it's really 88. My tank never reaches even 82. Do you have central AC? If not, a clip on fan might do the trick.

[plowgod]

well I ordered a couple of new test kits per others recommendation. I got a Red Sea Mag test kit and it reads 1480 ppm. I also got a Hanna calcium tester and it reads 214. In also got a new salinity tester and it reads 1.025. Also been doing daily 4 gallon water changes for a week now. Any thoughts?

[makmakmo]

All you parameters dont seem too bad. I think it is something else. What is the temperature you keep your tank at? What do you usually keep your salinity at and what are you using to check it? How often do you feed your livestock ? -(tank could have not enough nutrients) I see two power heads in that picture and a massive amount of coraline algae that looks yummy. Could you have too much flow?

[Difrano]

I believe your biggest issue is the temperature being steady at 88 F, most of the fish will not survive and will cause bleaching of the corals. they can handle a peak of 88 but for long time that's bad. Slowly bring the temp down and you will see the difference. Im not a expert in reef tanks but i have good knowledge on Marine life and 88 F is too much for prolonged time.