Help!!! Please!!! Im new and I got a 5 gal

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Hey everyone! I just got an Acan Lord and a purple and green blastomussa frag yesterday... Looks pretty cool. I have a nitrate problem though. More specifically DIATOMS.... 
I did a water change Wednesday and had 0 nitrates. Nitrites and ammonia. Then Wednesday night ammonia spiked. Haven't checked anything since because I fed my new corals last night after acclimation. 

What should I do!!! What do you guys recommend for me. 

Fluval Evo Sea 5 gal. Calcium 430-480ppm. 8-10Dkh.
7-9ph. Mag ? Temp is 82°

In tank ATM. Ricordea frag. Blasto frag. Acan Lord frag. Pulsing Xenia frag. GSP. turbo snail, marbled nassaurius snail. Blue dwarf hermit

 

 

Edit: sorry, I don't know how to upload images yet. Im new to this.

Edited April 17, 2020 by 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF
Don't know how to upload photo sorry

[Chadicus Meridius]

How long has your tank been setup?

[WV Reefer]

17 minutes ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Hey everyone! I just got an Acan Lord and a purple and green blastomussa frag yesterday... Looks pretty cool. I have a nitrate problem though. More specifically DIATOMS.... 
I did a water change Wednesday and had 0 nitrates. Nitrites and ammonia. Then Wednesday night ammonia spiked. Haven't checked anything since because I fed my new corals last night after acclimation. 

What should I do!!! What do you guys recommend for me. 

Fluval Evo Sea 5 gal. Calcium 430-480ppm. 8-10Dkh.
7-9ph. Mag ? Temp is 82°

In tank ATM. Ricordea frag. Blasto frag. Acan Lord frag. Pulsing Xenia frag. GSP. turbo snail, marbled nassaurius snail. Blue dwarf hermit

 

 

Edit: sorry, I don't know how to upload images yet. Im new to this.

 

We need more info.  Diatoms are not a problem, they are normal in a new tank.  
 

Ammonia is a problem. 
 

how new is the tank and how did you cycle it?

 

 

[Pjanssen]

All the above info will help us help you, but in the meantime do a water change.

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Hey everyone, yes its cycled it's roughly 4 months. I used fritz kick start nitrifying bacteria, and I added a turbo at the first week to kick start it even more. Turbo is still living, but I have no other info. I'm really worried about it. Now I was inspecting my new corals and I see this!!!  Is it a bristles? Fireworm? Feather dusters??? IM WORRIED!!! I DONT WANT MY TANK TO CRASH 😢😭 I really love it...

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Here's my other photos. I figured out how to add them 

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Hey I was thinking is should use Phosgaurd and Denitrates by Seachem. You think it'll work. I thought I should try it since it's a pico reef. I also I want start dosing amino acids 1 every 2 weeks. Helps prevent over feeding since corals get nutrients from them too. I feed reef roids

[Chadicus Meridius]

What are your nitrates and phosphate parameters?

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Phosphates are 0 and nitrates WERE 0 but not sure now. I tested this on Wednesday

[mitten_reef]

8 minutes ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Hey I was thinking is should use Phosgaurd and Denitrates by Seachem. You think it'll work. I thought I should try it since it's a pico reef. I also I want start dosing amino acids 1 every 2 weeks. Helps prevent over feeding since corals get nutrients from them too. I feed reef roids

slow down!!!!

 

don't feed or use anything you don't know your tank needs or why it needs it.  you shouldn't even be using reef roids at this point with the amount of stuff you have in there.  

 

what's your current filtration set up?  What's your maintenance routine? 

 

PS, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your tank looking the way it is being 4 months old.  

37 minutes ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Hey everyone, yes its cycled it's roughly 4 months. I used fritz kick start nitrifying bacteria, and I added a turbo at the first week to kick start it even more. Turbo is still living, but I have no other info. I'm really worried about it. Now I was inspecting my new corals and I see this!!!  Is it a bristles? Fireworm? Feather dusters??? IM WORRIED!!! I DONT WANT MY TANK TO CRASH 😢😭 I really love it...

pests do not crash tanks!! stop your panicking!  I can't even tell what I'm looking at here, that little red thing?  probably a duster.

[mitten_reef]

1 minute ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Phosphates are 0 and nitrates WERE 0 but not sure now. I tested this on Wednesday

see this?  you know phosguard is designed to remove phosphate?  but you already don't have any, then why blindly wanting to use it?  ergo, denitrate and nitrate.  again, stop panicking.  people on here will help guide you.  you seem like you're having a decently good start.  now slow down, look around and read about other beginner's tanks, or people with successful tanks.

 

green algae on glass, get a glass scraper, scrape it before water change, or just let it floats into your filter - doesn't matter either way.  

 

 

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

5 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

slow down!!!!

 

don't feed or use anything you don't know your tank needs or why it needs it.  you shouldn't even be using reef roids at this point with the amount of stuff you have in there.  

 

what's your current filtration set up?  What's your maintenance routine? 

 

PS, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your tank looking the way it is being 4 months old.  

pests do not crash tanks!! stop your panicking!  I can't even tell what I'm looking at here, that little red thing?  probably a duster.

Your right. I'm sorry. I just put alot of time and effort into it. I just don't want anything and happening to it. Sorry,

 

Currently, I'm running the Fluval Evo sea 5. The filteration isn't the original I did a DIY I'll take a pic and add it in. My matenance is 1 50% water change a week.

 

The photo is my layers of filteration. Carbon. Filter floss. Carbon. Filter floss. Benificial bacteria biogems. Filter floss. Carbon.

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

5 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

see this?  you know phosguard is designed to remove phosphate?  but you already don't have any, then why blindly wanting to use it?  ergo, denitrate and nitrate.  again, stop panicking.  people on here will help guide you.  you seem like you're having a decently good start.  now slow down, look around and read about other beginner's tanks, or people with successful tanks.

 

green algae on glass, get a glass scraper, scrape it before water change, or just let it floats into your filter - doesn't matter either way.  

 

 

Ok. Your right. Thank you. You gave me a sense of calming down about it. Sorry again. I'll se how to goes on

[debbeach13]

Another eco 5 welcome. As everyone already stated stay calm. Every thing seems fine. Take it slow. Do not add chemicals or dose. Water changes are your best friend. Small tanks are a little harder to keep stable and additives are extremely difficult and usually not needed. The members here are more than willing to help. Are you testing at all?

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

6 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Another eco 5 welcome. As everyone already stated stay calm. Every thing seems fine. Take it slow. Do not add chemicals or dose. Water changes are your best friend. Small tanks are a little harder to keep stable and additives are extremely difficult and usually not needed. The members here are more than willing to help. Are you testing at all?

Hey yeah I've been testing almost every other day. But I'll test tonight again and give the stable results. I'll keep y'all in the loop. Thanks

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

1 hour ago, debbeach13 said:

Another eco 5 welcome. As everyone already stated stay calm. Every thing seems fine. Take it slow. Do not add chemicals or dose. Water changes are your best friend. Small tanks are a little harder to keep stable and additives are extremely difficult and usually not needed. The members here are more than willing to help. Are you testing at all?

Hey yeah I've been testing almost every it

Edited April 17, 2020 by 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF
My bad. It glitched out

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

1 hour ago, debbeach13 said:

Another eco 5 welcome. As everyone already stated stay calm. Every thing seems fine. Take it slow. Do not add chemicals or dose. Water changes are your best friend. Small tanks are a little harder to keep stable and additives are extremely difficult and usually not needed. The members here are more than willing to help. Are you testing at all?

Hey everyone!!! I've been doing some more research and I've learned that I should get an RO/DI filter. Will this do? 

If I were to buy this one. Where do I out it. How do I use it?

[Chadicus Meridius]

I’d get the one that makes RODI water I have it but I have not used it yet. But when I do use it I will give u an update on it.

 

[debbeach13]

Sorry I haven’t had an RODI unit since I sold my house 10 years ago. Jugs of DI for years. Now tap water with prime since the quarantine.

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Your right. I'm sorry. I just put alot of time and effort into it. I just don't want anything and happening to it. Sorry,

 

Currently, I'm running the Fluval Evo sea 5. The filteration isn't the original I did a DIY I'll take a pic and add it in. My matenance is 1 50% water change a week.

 

The photo is my layers of filteration. Carbon. Filter floss. Carbon. Filter floss. Benificial bacteria biogems. Filter floss. Carbon.

Why so much carbon and floss?

 

You only need to use a small amount of carbon. Too much carbon can remove a lot from the tank.

 

It would also be more beneficial to have the media chamber less packed in with floss on top to collect all detritus and it's easier to swap it out for new floss every week.

 

Using any more media is not going to help you but get you further into issues. 0 phosphate and 0 nitrate is not good, using the media you listed with further strip the tank of any available nutrients added, leading to coral issues and further nuisance algaes.

 

Never use media or dose anything blindly, it's not always beneficial.

 

Your diatoms and green algae is normal.

 

The ammonia isn't.

 

Get seachem prime and a seachem ammonia badge

Using the prime will detoxify the ammonia while it processes.

 

The question is why is there ammonia?

 

 

You can use distilled water if you don't have an rodi unit. 

 

When choosing an rodi unit, consider your water quality vs what the unit can handle filtering. Also consider ease of getting filter media. The RO buddy you can't use just any filters, you have to use theirs so no universal products will work.

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Ok so what should I run for filteration? I'm lost here.

[mitten_reef]

21 minutes ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Ok so what should I run for filteration? I'm lost here.

Does the tank come with a media rack/media basket? If not, google how to make one or buy one. It’s very useful for an all-in-one tank like these. 

 

for the most part, just don’t pack it as tightly as you do now. You don’t need to alternate that many layers either.  Only need floss on top, for quick and easy change of all the gunks that float into the filter chamber - some people change them as often as every other day. I’d go: floss, carbon, and biomedia.  

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

Ok thank you so much! I'll do that than keep y'all updated. Thank you. 

[Tamberav]

5 hours ago, 2020NOOB OF PICO REEF said:

Hey I was thinking is should use Phosgaurd and Denitrates by Seachem. You think it'll work. I thought I should try it since it's a pico reef. I also I want start dosing amino acids 1 every 2 weeks. Helps prevent over feeding since corals get nutrients from them too. I feed reef roids

If you drive your po4 and nitrate to 0... you will starve your corals. They need nitrate and po4 to survive. Nitrate and po4 are NOT THE ENEMY and are necessary building blocks for life. 

 

Bristleworms and feather dusters are good guys, fireworms are rare. I would not worry about it. 

 

You are running way too much carbon. It will pull out trace elements and good things a long with the bad. I run like 2 teaspoons in my 6g with just a piece of floss over it. 

 

Also welcome! 

 

 

[2020NOOB OF PICO REEF]

2 hours ago, Tamberav said:

If you drive your po4 and nitrate to 0... you will starve your corals. They need nitrate and po4 to survive. Nitrate and po4 are NOT THE ENEMY and are necessary building blocks for life. 

 

Bristleworms and feather dusters are good guys, fireworms are rare. I would not worry about it. 

 

You are running way too much carbon. It will pull out trace elements and good things a long with the bad. I run like 2 teaspoons in my 6g with just a piece of floss over it. 

 

Also welcome! 

 

 

Hey I'm back! The noob is back.... Ooof. Anyways just did a little water testing. Elements are good and I got 8-9dkh. ATM still got Ammonia roughly.25ppm 😵 

Phos and nitrates are 0. 

 

I put in that stuff one of the people on here told me to add for ammonia. Seachem prime. So I put in the needed amount and I put in VERY VERY VERY little amino acid. *Reef Fuel* from Seachem to raise phos and nitrates also to give the corals a Kik.