Please help!

[Jdc88]

jbj45 tank is 14m old. No algae problems. No coral growth, zoa's keep dying, flowerpot wont extend anymore, acan and brain are bleached. Tried turning the lights down for about a month (did not help) Ive dosed with kalkwasser and reef builder. (did not seem to help) cant get phoshates down or ph up. please help

 

 

Perimeters are done with api:

PH 7.6

kh 7

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 10-15

calcium 480

phos 0.8

sg 1.025

no mag test kit- ordered should be here tomorrow

 

 

maxpect razor led's about 50%. tank is 14m old.

 

mp10 water circ

 

Corals are

flowerpot,

2 hammer corals,

2 acros, monti,

elegance.

few zoas,

lobo and an acan

 

Fish:

2 clown

goby

banggai cardinal

royal gramma

3 damsels

 

filteration:

chemi pure blue

purigen

filter floss

gfo reactor

aquamaxx hob skimmer

 

20% water changes every other sunday

[Mariaface]

How often do you feed, what and how much? It sounds like a lack of organic nutrients.

 

With calcium and nitrate/phos that high, alk could stand to go up to 7.5 or 8dKH. 7 is the lower side of the spectrum, maybe it's dipping below that? What's your dosing regime?

 

The pH looks a little low, but this could be carbon dioxide buildup in your home. See if you can open some windows for a few hours, or run the skimmer's air intake to a nearby window?

[jack1978]

GFO.....How much you running?

 

How long have you been running it?

[Jdc88]

Running about a cup in a small reactor. Replacing it every month for about 3 months

[Mariaface]

Running about a cup in a small reactor. Replacing it every month for about 3 months

 

 

You should consider running smaller amounts to be replaced more often, maybe half of that replaced every two weeks? It's easy to add too much (even following directions), strip the water of phosphates and cause coral bleaching/recession, then allow phosphates to climb up quickly once bacterial film renders the GFO useless (2-3 weeks in).

[Jdc88]

Thanks for the info. So for now, just reduce the amount of gfo until phosphates go down? Then let the phosphates come back up? Don't know if I understand completely.

[Mariaface]

Thanks for the info. So for now, just reduce the amount of gfo until phosphates go down? Then let the phosphates come back up? Don't know if I understand completely.

 

 

I think what they're pointing out is that your phosphates are high. If you don't have algae, maybe this isn't an issue (though then you'd wonder why algae wasn't taking advantage of high phosphates). But most people will aim for 0.03-0.05ppm using a low range phosphate test kit, because this is a 'sweet spot'. Too low and corals starve, too high and calcification is hindered or stopped altogether.

[Jdc88]

Ive been manually dosing kalkwasser and reef builder.

[RayWhisperer]

I tend to agree. Try half the GFO changed more often. However, your ph seems mighty low for someone using kalk. What is your kalk routine? I wanna know how much you mix, how you decant, where you store it and how you use it.

[Clown79]

Have you gotton your mag tested yet?

 

If the mag is too low, alk and ca will be out of wack, even with dosing.

 

How you dose kalk is important, if any of that powder lands on the corals it can cause a bleaching(it burns them)

 

I use Esv Bionic two part dosers. It works really well.

 

Are you dosing anything for alk? If not thats why the alk has dropped and the ca is so high.

 

As for ph- when are you testing it? It changes throughout the day, increases with photosynthesis and decreases with lights out.

I wouldn't chase ph. I'd test the mag, get the ca and alk balanced and follow the others advice on gfo use.

[RayWhisperer]

That's not how kalk works, clown.

First, you mix the kalk powder with freshwater, then you allow it to settle out, then you decant only the clear water. After that, you drip the clear water into the tank very slowly.

 

The cal and alk numbers are fine. The alk is at the low end, but not surprising since GFO is being used. Given the numbers, I'm about 99.9% sure mag will be on point. Ph is what's surprising, since kalk is being used.

[ninjamyst]

+1 to removing GFO. Chemipure Blue should be all you need in terms of chemical filtration. It is suppose to replace Carbon + GFO + Purigen. You are probably stripping too much out of the tank.

 

Have any pics of the tank? Coral placement can also be an issue for acans and brains as they are lower light corals.

[teenyreef]

+1 to all of the above, and also I wonder are you vacuuming or stirring the sand when you do water changes, and are you sucking out detritus from the back chambers periodically?

 

Also, API is notorious for having hard to read/inaccurate tests for Nitrates and Phosphates, although in the ranges you are reporting they're usually OK. You might bring a water sample to the LFS just to get a second set of measurements with different test kits.

[seabass]

I replied to a duplicate thread in the chem forum, but will comment again here, as this seems to be a more active discussion. I'd start by upping the frequency of your water changes to once a week.

+1 to removing GFO. Chemipure Blue should be all you need in terms of chemical filtration. It is suppose to replace Carbon + GFO + Purigen. You are probably stripping too much out of the tank.

Chemipure Blue (which isn't replaced for months) cannot replace GFO. I don't even think it has GFO in it like Chemipure Elite does. I believe that it has a Purigen type product in it (and you shouldn't be running Purigen with it). Even Chemipure Elite has so little GFO that it would be quickly exhausted with those phosphate levels. Personally, I'd stick to just activated carbon and GFO.

Phosphate is an important nutrient to the symbiotic algae in photosynthetic corals; and dropping it too quickly can be stressful to them. Also, you don't want it to go too low. I agree that you should consider running much less GFO, but replace it when phosphate stops dropping (versus at set intervals). Shoot for 0.03 ppm of phosphate (10 ppb of phosphorus). You'll need a good low range phosphate test kit to detect levels this low. I recommend either a Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker, or a Salifert phosphate test kit.

I also agree with Ray, it's a little strange that pH is low while you are dosing kalk. I normally don't get too concerned about pH, but I wonder if you have a CO2 issue in your home. You might try aerating some tank water outside (or by an open window) for several hours, and retest pH.

As was pointed out, GFO can affect alkalinity, which can cause problems for your corals. I'd ditch your current dosing efforts in favor of dosing two part. This will give you better control over your parameters and increase stability. I like to target the values of your newly mixed saltwater (versus trying to manipulate these values higher). Then water changes won't affect stability. Here's how to dose two part:

[goldberg]

I Bet its your KH. i keep mine at 9 to 10.

 

mine dipped below 8 for about a week once and sps frags started to bleach and zoas closing and flowerpot coral retracted.

 

KH and calcium is the 2 you probably should be looking. i keep calsium at 450ish.

 

i had nitrate between 20 to 40 and phospates at detectable and it didnt harm my corals.

 

my sps frags are recovering now.

 

[Hammerstone]

What does GFO stand for? I am using chemipure elite. Someone said it has some in it.

[Pjanssen]

What does GFO stand for? I am using chemipure elite. Someone said it has some in it.

 

Granular Ferris Oxide. basically it's rust, but helps to remove phosphates. comes in granular form. I add about a tablespoon to my carbon. Chemipure elite does have a small amount in it, but if you have high phosphate levels, it's usefulness will quickly be used up.

[Redwhitechem]

What does GFO stand for? I am using chemipure elite. Someone said it has some in it.

 

 

Granular ferric oxide, binds phosphate.

[Hammerstone]

 

Granular Ferris Oxide. basically it's rust, but helps to remove phosphates. comes in granular form. I add about a tablespoon to my carbon. Chemipure elite does have a small amount in it, but if you have high phosphate levels, it's usefulness will quickly be used up.

I've had it a few weeks should I replace the chemipure elite with a new one?

[seabass]

The GFO in Chemipure Elite is more preventative than curative. If you are trying to lower phosphate, there are better media options. However, Chemipure is a decent overall chemical filter intended to last a couple of months.

[Pjanssen]

I've had it a few weeks should I replace the chemipure elite with a new one?

 

I wouldn't. The carbon is still good. Depending on your phosphate levels, the GFO may still be working some. If you have high levels of phosphates that you are trying to bring down, then chemipure elite is a very expensive route. It's great product to help maintain lower levels. It is way more economical to buy good carbon and GFO separately and mix them yourself in a media bag. Of course if money is not an issue, then chemipure is a little bit easier.

The GFO in Chemipure Elite is more preventative than curative. If you are trying to lower phosphate, there are better media options. However, Chemipure is a decent overall chemical filter intended to last a couple of months.

you type faster than i do!

[seabass]

you type faster than i do!

Nah, just less.