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Coral Vue Hydros

Beginner about to give up!


High500

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Hi guys, new here but I'm always reading up getting ideas and tips. Always wanted to join the chat but being new did not know where to start!

 

So now I have a reason, I have a relatively new tank started beginning of November with my cycle and by the end of Feb I was confident enough to start adding corals and cuc. 

 

Started with a GSP which until now was thriving. Added some Zoas. They seem like they doing ok. But my problems started when I bought a set of 4 mushrooms on a small rock.

 

They were fine for about 2 weeks then slowly shrivelled down to nothing but bright green blobs (considering they were orange before!)

 

Since all this I have noticed many changes in my tank. A consistent ugly phase of diatoms that keep repeating. Mild case of hair algae come and go but now my GSP have all but closed up only the odd polyp pops out in the daytime.

 

I also noticed many things in the last week or so that I'm unsure about. Help would be appreciated .

 

I have looked at ID sites both on here and the web but being new I cant seem to find some of these nor be sure they match images I've seen.

 

Christmas tree worm I've seen mentioned?

 

20200423_162757.thumb.jpg.96d7681f4c907e0936fddacfc2a549fe.jpg

 

In the middle tiny white critter and to the left some sort of striped worms?

20200423_162058.thumb.jpg.5029f9df47529dea9b59941b2918f710.jpg

 

Not a clue on this one

20200423_162855.thumb.jpg.eb3c121d28382d1d58fac131e26d3557.jpg

 

There are more things too I'm concerned about but cannot add anymore images. Am I able to reply to your answers with more?

 

Floating things look like feathers. White tiny branches holding bubbles. Green coating on rocks 

 

Dont want to give up as I have been learning so much both before and after I started this tank and it has been so enjoyable to watch it mature.

 

I dont want to destroy any more living things by just blindly carrying on so any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

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Chadicus Meridius

I would test your tanks parameters and for ID on the creatures I can’t help you there, sorry I’m new aswell, but a more experienced reefer can help identify a problem/pest if we know your parameters.

 

good luck

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Thanks anyway. 

 

I have been checking my parameters weekly and even daily and to be honest apart from the occasional alkalinity drop to 7 pr so usually everything seems pretty spot on.

 

Nitrates trace to 0 

Nitrites 0

Ammonia trace 

Phosphates 0

Magnesium 1200- 1350

PH 8 to 8.2 (hard to tell the exact colour match on the API but its defo over )

Alkalinity usually around 8 to 9

Calcium around 380 to 400

 

Here's some more 

 

The green around the pink coraline is that ok? Notice the shrivelled ricordea now  illuminois blob.

20200423_163048.thumb.jpg.4fb306a82b116670af181e6cfb9df38e.jpg

 

I can spot something orange amongst my GSP that never noticed before. They usually flowing bright green and fully open.

20200423_165148.thumb.jpg.bf7935a4eadb80a972a7d2786e4ea138.jpg

 

My little white crystal bubble towers

20200422_194622.thumb.jpg.a0e1a0081247b3c119584cac4c30183a.jpg

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Thrassian Atoll

Definitely need all of the tank parameters.  No clue what’s going on without all of those.  I would suggest sending your water in for an ICP test as well.

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It is hard to say what is causing your coral problems, but I'd toss the mushroom rock if there are starting to slime away. Make sure you are running carbon, and keeping up on your water changes and maintenance. 

 

Things to look for would be sudden changes in alk, salinity or temperature, those are the main things that can quickly kill corals. You will need to know your baseline target params (fresh saltwater mix), and a history of your testing. If you are not documenting theses (at the minimum, alk, temp and salinity), then start now. Slowly adjust ypur tank params to your new saltwater mix, by doing water changes more frequently.

 

Pic one, thar thing looks cool. Looks like some feather duster. Pic two, starfish, will live in rock, good guy, dont worrry about him. Pic three, possibly hydroids, watch this one, make sure it isn't a colony hydroid (check the web), they can become ascendant and cause issues. 

 

as you said, hold off on adding more corals till the params checkout and are stable.  

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I see you posted some params. Like I said, make sure you keep near your target params. Zero phos and nitrates isn't good, you want some measurable quantities. If you are running chem media like GFO or chemipure, stop. Same with a skimmer, no need to run that if no bio load. Just run a quality carbon. 

 

More info on testing routines. the ranges given for alk and cal seem ok, but you don't want alk shifting between 8 and 9 in a day. What salt and water are you using?

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Wow guys thanks for the input. 

 

Not sure what an ICP test is so I research that and get one done.

 

I havent recorded my parameters as such bit will do more sp now. Only changes I have had is in nitrates which prompt me to do early water changes if necessary but generally once a week I do 25% and once a month I do one at around 40%.

 

Thabks for the ID so far thought that was a duster or worm , didnt click the one maybe a star fish but unfortunately both are living in the same small piece of rock that has that strange tube( no other occurrences I can see think I could scrape it off?)

 

Tank is only a small 13.5g fluval sea evo. Standard lighting that's provided in the cover. Skimmer working had carbon in from early on along with biomedia and a couple of sponge to catch the debris that passes by the skimmer. 

 

Standard pump twin nozzle and a fluval power head for extra movement.

 

I am having the odd issue of temperature due to the hot weather at the moment it can rise from around 25c to 26.5c even with cool air from a window open. Is this an issue?

 

Thanks  again

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Should I stop the skimmer? I was given a phos treatment for algae by my lfs (mild brownish hair algae and green slime on glass) which I will stop. Based on your advice.

 

The alk. Changes was over a period of a couple of weeks and seems to have settled around the 8 mark.

 

I have my own RODI filter system which I use only for my tank. TDS is usually 0 never more than 2 which I have been told is all ok?

 

I use Kent marine reef salt mix which I measure out as per the container and also check the salinity once the water is to temperature and airated and mixed properly

 

The one issue I do have is the float hydro meter and the telescopic type I use for my salinity both contradict each other on the salinity level one shows higher than what it should be by the weight of salt per litre the container says and the other lower but both within 1023 and 1027 range which is best? 

 

I really dpnt want to give up I've learnt so much and have more to learn but i also dont want to be killing corals . Cuc seem happy enough they eat loads of the crap away overnight 3 blue legged hermits 6 assorted snails and a blood shrimp who seems to enjoy riding my pump head flow lol.

 

Thanks ever so much 

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I shoot for 1.025- . Your maintenance schedule should be a routine and 10 - 20 % weekly. If you do a large change  when ever you see a problem the tank wont really stabilize. A good quality salt and ro/ di water is a must. Your live stock will adjust to your water if the parameters are to there liking. Some corals are easier and more forgiving to little swings.. other more difficult corals die or just hang in miserably.  Time along with making changes slowly will help you succeed. 

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I do regular 20 to 25% water changes weekly .

 

As for the extra 40% water change this was recommended on various sites and forums to combat algae blooms.

 

This is the issue I am finding is there is so many different opinions on what is right and wrong  which makes life difficult until you learn your own way through.

 

I have no fish yet was about to start with a couple of clowns but this issue put me off. Bad enough risking corals dont want to distress fish too.

 

I always knew this was a learning curve from the start it's hard to sift through what's right and wrong for each tank as they are all different.

 

Did anyone see the other 3 pics I posted to see if there was any nasties I should be concerned about please?

 

Oh and yeah my aim based o  research is around the 1.025 but having conflicting salinity readings from my hydrometers is really confusing which is better? My fluval float type or the telescopic style? 

 

Really do appreciate the input

 

Thanks

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Thrassian Atoll

You definitely need to get some fish in there.  I am guessing you don’t have much nutrient import, so I wouldn’t be running any filtration besides filter floss IMO.  Corals need nutrients.  Stick to smaller water changes.  Stability is the biggest key with keeping a reef tank.  Keep your nitrates and phosphates at least detectable.  Your tank is pretty new, it’s going to go through different algae stages.  Not much you can really do about it but let it do it’s thing.  Take a step back and let the tank do it’s thing in general.  Keep it stable.

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Try and grab a refractometer (I think that is what you mean by telescopic kind). Hydrometers are hit or miss. 

 

I agree with Thrassian Atoll, less is more with this tank (I have a 13.5 Evo also) 10% WC a week is more than enough, I do 2 gallons every couple of weeks. The tank will go through some periods of algae growth, I would not run a skimmer at all until you have a significant bio load. I have two clowns and a gobie, and all I run is a filter pad and carbon. In fact, I have found it hard to keep nutrients up, my biofiltration appears to be working very well.

 

That temp range is fine, you want to try and avoid sustained drops in temp, or temp past say 28c (even then, it isn't terrible to go past that, some people run 84-85 no problem).  Consider lowering your photoperiod if you really have no corals now. From the description of the algae you gave, it appears to be nothing out of the ordinary. 

 

Keep looking for things, I think the things you posted in pics are nothing to be concerend about, but watch. If the patch of bubbles get larger, you may want o test for dinos (another fun research project, and if they are dinos, best to tackle as soon as you can) Hitchhikers are cool and fun to watch, observe the tank, try getting a magnifying headlamp, take a look at night. You want a lot of bio deiversity, snails, pods, crabs (depending on your corals), starfish and worms. If you didn't start with live rock, or didn't add in rocks and frags from an established tank, then you may want to purchase some live copepods. 

 

 

 

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Thanks ever so much guys. Maybe my tank wasnt ready for ricordea yet. Glad to hear that I dont have nasties as such.as I suspected. My zoas are looking good and it appears me GSP have decided to come back out today which is good to see.

 

I cycled with live rock and I believe it was live sand too. I have seen what appear to be copepods or similar running around my rocks.

 

Those patches of trapped bubbles and the crystal structure holding them are newish and have disappeared now.

 

I will switch off my skimmer today as suggested and my temps are pretty stable at around 25c but the hit weather we are having can push it up to around 26c over the course of the day then drops again at the evening.

 

8am to 8pm light cycle with stock led lighting (mostly whites with some blues)

 

I will take your advice too and maybe only do about 10 to 15% water changes and monitor it for a few months.

 

I was sold salifert coral food (liquid) used at the amount specified per litre on the bottle daily

 

Also was recommended Quantum Bio-enhance again at the correct amount per litre based on low coral count

 

Thanks guys feeling a little more at ease and will keep an eye on how my tank progresses 

 

 

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Something to keep in mind... your corals can do with food about 2 times per week. They will be drawing nutrients out of the water. As far as fish, they say whatever they eat in 1 or 2 minutes is plenty. 

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Thanks Jambon. The fish thing I've heard several times so that has made its mark but the feeding of corals is one subject that many people seem to differ on. 

 

I will try the method you suggest as it seems pretty logical as I've heard technically you dont need to feed them as such but doing so surely cant hurt as long as it's in moderation I guess.

 

How would you does it? The bottle gives me a certain no of ml per litre per day. Do suggest i use this same amount but less frequent every 3 to 4 days? Or should I give them the total of the 3 days dose? 

 

I know that might sound like a stupid question but your advice would be appreciated. I'm guessing the daily dose  amount but just twice a week or so.

 

Thanks again

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Just a note on what Thrassian suggested regarding an ICP test.

 

I did some research about what it entails and seems it's mostly a metals/elements test.

 

I've seen alot of talk that these tests being total waste of money. That said I have seen a post on reef2reef from a marine chemist called Randall Holmes-Farley.

 

He used the Triton ICP-AES and though he was a little sceptical about some of the results, he did take some positives from it considering he himself being the reef chemist.

 

Now me being new to all this is getting baffled by alot of what is on offer, and I could be easily concerned about results when I dont know the real impact of what these elements do in your tank.

 

That said I think maybe once a year or at a time when there's alot of problems in my reef may give me a helping hand  as long as I research the data results and their meaning,s as alot of what he had to say was that  some of the results have no bearing on a reef anyway, but others are very relevant.

 

Think I will try the test and see what gives.

 

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An ICP tests for a lot of things that we can't normally test for as hobbyists.  If you are going to do the test, may want to consider the ATI version.  A lot of folks use Triton, but ATI tests your RO/DI water and gives you Nitrate reading, which if my memory serves me correctly others do not.

 

As others have mentioned your tank is relatively new and will go through various stages, many of them ugly, until stabilizing around the 6 to 12 month mark.  If your tank is cycled (no ammonia or nitrite) go ahead and add a fish or two.  Fish waste equals coral food.  Fish waste, fish food, etc all keep the bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate alive.

 

The hobby can be a little overwhelming at first.  You'll get a million responses and opinions on how to do something.  Pick a few folks that you trust taking advice from and stick with it.  Just cause someone has 3,000 posts on a forum doesn't necessarily mean they know what they are talking about.  Take a look at tank journals and see if the person you are taking advice from is successful and has a tank you want to emulate.  

 

At the end of the day, this is a hobby and is supposed to be enjoyable.  Your maintenance practices sound good.  Add a couple of fish and let the tank stabilize.  

 

For what it's worth, every reefer struggles.  I am pretty successful with SPS, but have never been successful with zoas, mushrooms or even green star polyps.

 

Good luck

  • Like 4
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Thanks for that drec80. 

The responses I've had have been very helpful and reassuring. I always knew this wasnt an easy hobby to jump into. But reef and marine life has always fascinated me and being able to start my own is great.

 

Thanks for the pointers for test . I didnt realise API did an ICP test. Most of my home test kits are API and they seem pretty on the mark though only time will tell.

 

I knew I was to expect the 'ugly' phase but it's never always clear what to expect and for how long. My lfs just sold me product with no real advice to go with it. I stopped using it now based on previous advice and have removed the skimmer. 

 

Hopefully my nutrients will rise to a manageable level.

 

My Zoas are doing great and have opened fully since I bought them a month ago and they are spreading wider by the day it seems.

 

My GSP has nearly come back to its previous flowing fully outstretched self.

 

Algae seems to come and go quite quickly and the diatoms are ugly as sin dusting everything in brown. Used a long feeder pipette to confirm it was just dust like and blew away with little effort.

 

It's a shame I lost my ricordea but hey live and learn and I'm happy again now that maybe it's just one of those things. Or maybe it's just too early  ( seems everything that died came from my lfs everything I bought through mail order has survived nicely. Makes me wonder.)

 

I will follow up on the fish thing as soon as I can get to a store that's actually open with all this pandemonium  going on in the world.

 

Thanks again all. I'm learning and I'm researching but nothing is better than pure advice from those that have been there.

 

Sorry edited note just realised you said ATI not API my bad

 

 

Edited by High500
Update
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On 4/23/2020 at 1:31 PM, High500 said:

Hi guys, new here but I'm always reading up getting ideas and tips. Always wanted to join the chat but being new did not know where to start!

 

So now I have a reason, I have a relatively new tank started beginning of November with my cycle and by the end of Feb I was confident enough to start adding corals and cuc. 

 

Started with a GSP which until now was thriving. Added some Zoas. They seem like they doing ok. But my problems started when I bought a set of 4 mushrooms on a small rock.

 

They were fine for about 2 weeks then slowly shrivelled down to nothing but bright green blobs (considering they were orange before!)

 

Since all this I have noticed many changes in my tank. A consistent ugly phase of diatoms that keep repeating. Mild case of hair algae come and go but now my GSP have all but closed up only the odd polyp pops out in the daytime.

 

I also noticed many things in the last week or so that I'm unsure about. Help would be appreciated .

 

I have looked at ID sites both on here and the web but being new I cant seem to find some of these nor be sure they match images I've seen.

 

Christmas tree worm I've seen mentioned?

 

20200423_162757.thumb.jpg.96d7681f4c907e0936fddacfc2a549fe.jpg

 

In the middle tiny white critter and to the left some sort of striped worms?

20200423_162058.thumb.jpg.5029f9df47529dea9b59941b2918f710.jpg

 

Not a clue on this one

20200423_162855.thumb.jpg.eb3c121d28382d1d58fac131e26d3557.jpg

 

There are more things too I'm concerned about but cannot add anymore images. Am I able to reply to your answers with more?

 

Floating things look like feathers. White tiny branches holding bubbles. Green coating on rocks 

 

Dont want to give up as I have been learning so much both before and after I started this tank and it has been so enjoyable to watch it mature.

 

I dont want to destroy any more living things by just blindly carrying on so any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

Can you post a full tank shot?  Because it doesn’t look to me that you are failing at all..... it looks like you are “reefing”  🤷🏻‍♀️ New tanks can look ugly at times as they are settling in.
 

Corals die. Even in pretty tanks that have been around for years. Sometimes they were already on the way out when you buy them. GSP and Zoas are notoriously finicky and I wouldn’t measure my reefing success in them. GSP can get upset and stay closed for weeks and then open up like nothing ever happened. I can’t keep many Zoas in my tanks..... they just shrivel up and die. 
 

don’t beat yourself up. The things you have mentioned are not a big deal and no reason to quit. 😊

 

 Now, let’s see that full tank pic so we can have a look at the whole picture. 

  • Like 4
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15 hours ago, High500 said:

Thanks Jambon. The fish thing I've heard several times so that has made its mark but the feeding of corals is one subject that many people seem to differ on. 

 

I will try the method you suggest as it seems pretty logical as I've heard technically you dont need to feed them as such but doing so surely cant hurt as long as it's in moderation I guess.

 

How would you does it? The bottle gives me a certain no of ml per litre per day. Do suggest i use this same amount but less frequent every 3 to 4 days? Or should I give them the total of the 3 days dose? 

 

I know that might sound like a stupid question but your advice would be appreciated. I'm guessing the daily dose  amount but just twice a week or so.

 

Thanks again

I am not familiar with what you feed your corals. I guess whatever they package suggests. A decent practice is choose a time they are mostly opened up, turn all your filtration off for a while.. 15 minutes or so, while the corals eat. This way you are not filtering there food out of the tank.

Reef roids are a good food source for many corals... it can be mixed with some tank water and fed directly over coral colonies. It stays suspended in the water quite well for the duration. It can also be made a bit thicker and carefully fed to LPS corals. It can be a bit over whelming but in time you will see what works for you. These things are basically wild creatures that rely on plankton in the ocean to drift by... that could be anything from microscopic algae to larvae of fish, shrimp etc...

  • Like 1
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1 hour ago, High500 said:

Thanks for that drec80. 

The responses I've had have been very helpful and reassuring. I always knew this wasnt an easy hobby to jump into. But reef and marine life has always fascinated me and being able to start my own is great.

 

Thanks for the pointers for test . I didnt realise API did an ICP test. Most of my home test kits are API and they seem pretty on the mark though only time will tell.

 

I knew I was to expect the 'ugly' phase but it's never always clear what to expect and for how long. My lfs just sold me product with no real advice to go with it. I stopped using it now based on previous advice and have removed the skimmer. 

 

Hopefully my nutrients will rise to a manageable level.

 

My Zoas are doing great and have opened fully since I bought them a month ago and they are spreading wider by the day it seems.

 

My GSP has nearly come back to its previous flowing fully outstretched self.

 

Algae seems to come and go quite quickly and the diatoms are ugly as sin dusting everything in brown. Used a long feeder pipette to confirm it was just dust like and blew away with little effort.

 

It's a shame I lost my ricordea but hey live and learn and I'm happy again now that maybe it's just one of those things. Or maybe it's just too early  ( seems everything that died came from my lfs everything I bought through mail order has survived nicely. Makes me wonder.)

 

I will follow up on the fish thing as soon as I can get to a store that's actually open with all this pandemonium  going on in the world.

 

Thanks again all. I'm learning and I'm researching but nothing is better than pure advice from those that have been there.

 

Sorry edited note just realised you said ATI not API my bad

 

 

I guess the last bit of advice is don't take your lfs' words as 100% accurate.  Like anything else, there are good and bad lfs.  A good lfs will talk to you and give you advice without always trying to sell you something.  I have about 10 lfs where I am and I only frequent one or two of them based on fish and coral quality and their approach with customers.

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